The main objective of this mini-symposium is to establish collaborative contacts between this group of PIs and their group members. We hope that our meeting at Brookhaven will represent just the first step in a much longer collaborative relationship.
Collectively, this group of 10 PIs has as a central objective - the development of a game-changing approach to the study of electrocatalysts and electrocatalytic reactions. The approach starts with first-principles calculations leading the design of new materials, synthesis and complete characterization of these materials, and then in-situ analysis of the materials and their catalytic properties. The model reaction that unifies this group is the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The key link between the calculations and the reaction rate measurements, and the one that is generally missing in such studies, is high-level characterization. For catalytic reactions, it is especially important that characterization involve an in-situ component to ensure that the materials properties of the catalyst are well-defined during the time required to obtain rate information. This makes it possible to directly correlate theory, materials properties, and catalytic rate measurements. By opening channels of communication between this outstanding group of PIs and their students, this informal collaboration will reduce duplication of effort, enhance a broader perspective on the central objective, result in more complex and important problems (which are currently beyond the reach of individual investigators) being addressed, and provide new opportunities for in-situ characterization.
Please be sure to check this site frequently for updates to information!
To access the BNL site, you will need an active BNL ID. If you do not have a BNL ID, you will need to register in the BNL Guest Information System (GIS) and receive approval prior to the workshop. In some cases approval can take up to 90 days. Non-US citizens will need to register by Monday, September 28th, US citizens should register as soon as possible, but no later than October 19, 2009.
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