IMPROVING SOLAR CELLS, PACKAGING AMONG
GOALS OF UH PROF’S RESEARCH
Academia, Government, Industry Converge
at Nanocoatings Conference to Address Lab to Market Strategies
HOUSTON, May 12, 2006 – With research that will make an
impact ranging from solar-cell technology to new and improved packaging
materials, one University of Houston professor is leading the way
in a nanocoatings conference that will bring academia, government
and industry research into one venue.
Rigoberto Advincula, an associate professor of chemistry and adjunct
associate professor of chemical engineering at UH, will lead a workshop
at “The Future of Nanocoatings and Ultra-thin Films”
conference May 16-18 in Miami. The coatings industry includes a
large segment of industries, such as those dealing with paints,
printing and packaging. Other coatings of high value are related
to biomedical, sensing, military and lighting applications. This
conference addresses how to move from lab to market, bringing together
experts from across the supply and user chain to explore and demonstrate
routes to commercial success with the use of nanotechnology
.
“Much of these are everyday things we sometimes don’t
pay attention to, but they are produced on an industrial scale and
involve a lot of science and engineering to develop,” Advincula
said. “Most are based on resin, polymer and adhesive technologies
that have not been largely influenced by nanotechnology. This symposium
is aimed toward advancing the use of nanotechnology.”
In addition to giving a lecture – “Nanostructured Ultra-thin
Films and Coatings Based on Conjugated Polymer Network Precursors”
– at 3:15 p.m., Thursday, May 18 at the close of the three-day
event, Advincula will co-present a pre-conference workshop –
“An Introduction to Nanotechnology for the Coatings Industry”
– from 1 to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 16. His co-presenter will
be Lloyd Tran, president of the International Association of Nanotechnology,
a non-profit association with the aim of fostering research and
business development in nanotechnology.
In his lectures, Advincula will cover what nanocoating technology
is, how it can work for those who use it and the main issues toward
incorporation in coatings research and development. The result of
adding nanotechnology to the coatings industry will result in new
applications and improved performance. Some examples include the
use of clay nanoparticles in improving thermal and barrier properties,
resulting in longer shelf-life of products, better packaging and
high thermal applications of traditional coatings. Others include
the use of silica and titania nanoparticles, resulting in improved
scratch resistance or resistance to UV-degradation.
“The main issue is that industry, academia and government
need to partner in introducing new technologies into commercial
and military applications,” Advincula said. “Funding
needs to be targeted, and new developments in academic laboratories
have to be broadcast. Government – in particular the Department
of Defense – is interested in smart coatings that have chemical
sensing and photovoltaic (or solar cell) applications. From the
consumer perspective, we need to look at what the demands and economic
costs are, aesthetics versus performance and what any toxicological
issues might be.”
Graduating in 1994 with his Ph.D. from the University of Florida,
Advincula has published more than 200 academic papers and is a frequent
speaker at various conferences and symposia. He was also a research
fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in 1995
and a research fellow in the chemical engineering department at
Stanford University in 1996. He joined UH’s chemistry department
in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in 2002 and became
an adjunct associate professor in the chemical engineering department
of the Cullen College of Engineering.
In addition to his research and teaching at UH, Advincula is a
consultant for several companies, such as Dow Corning, Agilent,
Maxtek, Lintec and Fuji. Working with these other companies, as
well as with his fellow researchers at UH, his current work has
applications for solar cells and light-emitting displays, in improving
display device efficiency and viewing performance, bio-implant coatings,
and in the preparation of new packaging materials with improved
thermal and mechanical properties.
About the University of Houston
The University of Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan research
and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers
and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate,
civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university
in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and
service with more than 35,000 students.
About the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
The UH College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, with nearly
400 faculty members and approximately 4,000 students, offers bachelors,
masters and doctoral degrees in the natural sciences, computational
sciences and mathematics. Faculty members in the departments of
biology and biochemistry, chemistry, computer science, geosciences,
mathematics and physics have internationally recognized collaborative
research programs in association with UH interdisciplinary research
centers, Texas Medical Center institutions and national laboratories.
About the Cullen College of Engineering
UH Cullen College of Engineering has produced five U.S. astronauts,
ten members of the National Academy of Engineering, and degree programs
that have ranked in the top ten nationally. With more than 2,600
students, the college offers accredited undergraduate and graduate
degrees in biomedical, chemical, civil and environmental, electrical
and computer, industrial, and mechanical engineering. It also offers
specialized programs in aerospace, materials, petroleum engineering
and telecommunications.
To receive UH science news via e-mail, visit www.uh.edu/admin/media/sciencelist.html.
For more information about UH visit the universitys Newsroom at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom.
|