A d v e r t i s e r r e t a i n s s o l e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y f o r c o n t e n tA d v e r t i s e r r e t a i n s s o l e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y f o r c o n t e n t

A D V E R T I S E M E N T F E A T U R E A D V E R T I S E M E N T F E A T U R E

A global initiative to engineer a sustainable futureMaterials are the building blocks of civilization. From the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages to today’s silicon era, societal advancement is largely defi ned by the materials we use. Applying physics and chemistry research, along with engineering, for materials discovery, design and development, materials science and engineering (MSE) is a highly interdisciplinary fi eld that o� ers solutions to industries ranging from manufacturing to biomedicine. As delegates heard at the World University Forum on Materials Science and Engineering Leadership, held in Wuhan, the fi eld also plays a pivotal role in meeting sustainable development challenges.

“Increasingly linked with nanotechnology, biotechnology, information science and artifi cial intelligence, MSE is playing an even greater role in promoting industrial development and is undergoing unprecedented changes,” said Qingjie Zhang, president of Wuhan University of Technology (WUT). As the fi eld continues to evolve, promoting frontier MSE research areas to drive disruptive technologies, harnessing MSE to address societal issues, and reforming

MSE education to better prepare students is vital. “These require concerted e� orts,” said Enrique J. Lavernia, executive vice chancellor of the University of California, Irvine. WUT and Tsinghua University gathered thought leaders in the fi eld to discuss a cohesive approach to address global challenges, and a blueprint for the future of the global MSE community.

Accelerating innovation in materials scienceNanotechnology represents emerging new technologies in MSE, with wide applications across industries. Fraser Stoddart, a Nobel laureate in chemistry from Northwestern University, Illinois, in the US, gave an illustrative example of a lab-to-market process based on his team’s work on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), a type of porous coordination polymer. They found naturally occurring MOFs in cyclodextrins (CD), which are macromolecules produced from starch by enzymatic degradation. Non-toxic and renewable, CD-MOFs have opened a new avenue of research, with applications in personal care, homecare, food and pharmaceutical industry. “The synthesis of edible CD-MOFs o� ers a food-grade solution that is safe and quick,”

said Stoddart. “They can also be used for CO2 capture.”

Application of these organic nano cubes is already underway for a company manufacturing anti-aging skin repair products. Commercialization is looking likely, with a joint venture formed to further explore application of this new technology.

Also focusing on nanomaterials, Max Lu, president and vice chancellor of the University of Surrey, discussed their uses in energy conversion and storage. These range from photovoltaics and photocatalysts to materials for fuel cells, batteries, supercapacitors, and hydrogen storage. “We need a systematic approach to develop energy materials for market,” said Lu. As materials may have multiple applications, we need to defi ne a specifi c route. Besides engineering material structure and properties to improve performance for specifi c systems or devices, Lu emphasized building partnerships with industry and end-users. “This will be key to accelerating the route to market,” he said.

Innovation in MSE also includes developing new processing technologies. Jianguo Lin, from Imperial College London, introduced

advances in forming lightweight structural materials. One solution to building lightweight automobile body structures is using a technology of heat treatment, cold-die forming and quenching to produce aluminium alloys, said Lin. It yields light, yet high-strength components in complex shapes that can also be used in trains and aircraft. Using these novel processing technologies, vehicles can be made lighter, demanding less energy and creating fewer CO2

emissions.

Materials in the circular economyIndeed, new materials and processing technologies o� er many possible solutions for a sustainable future, in energy, transportation, agriculture, food and more. Producing materials in a sustainable way is another way to address resource shortages. Jean-Jacques Gaumet from the University of Lorraine fi nds the solution in biomass-derived carbon materials. Biomass is the most e� cient renewable carbon source, said Gaumet. Apart from applications in energy, these resources can also be used in construction, packaging, food, medicine, and directly as adsorbents for treating environmental pollution. Gaumet gave examples of novel projects that make use of citrus

waste, soil and biodegradable household waste. “Biomass waste needs to be considered in a sustainable way,” said Gaumet, who called for working closely with communities to devise a holistic approach.

Julie Schoenung from the University of California, Irvine also urged considering recycling, recovery and reuse in material selection and design. “But there’s more to consider than just waste,” she said. “The chemical hazards of re-circulated materials deserve greater attention.” In selecting materials for the circular economy, materials with health and environmental hazards should be screened out in the fi rst place. Schoenung also underscored a holistic approach to selecting and designing sustainable materials.

At the discussion, forum participants also highlighted the need to consider how to dispose or recycle, whenever developing new materials. This notion of circular economy should also be incorporated into a forward-looking MSE curriculum.

Educating students for the futurePreparing students for a future of work that values sustainable development should certainly be on the agenda, said Diran Apelian, also from the University of California, Irvine. He proposed a new paradigm for MSE education that includes changing faculty and student roles to better empower students, and blending strong technical preparation with creativity and entrepreneurship. “We need to teach students to think like

engineers,” said Apelian. As MSE continues to evolve,

so must the course of study, said Donald Sadoway from MIT. He echoed Apelian’s proposal and gave even more specifi c curriculum change suggestions, emphasizing balancing between theory and application, and generality and specifi city. He even suggested lower the burden of coursework. “Good education teaches methodology to solve problems,” said Sadoway. “Even better education teaches the methodology to design ways to solve problems.”

Fazhou Wang, from WUT, o� ered a Chinese perspective in MSE education by outlining reform initiatives at WUT. These include integrating research and teaching, driving industrial collaboration in training, and enhancing regional

collaboration. The International School of Material Science and Engineering established at WUT is a great example of these initiatives in action.

The forum itself also demonstrates WUT’s commitment to coordinating e� orts to devise strategies for future development of MSE, better preparing the fi eld to address global challenges. These strategies are summarized in the Wuhan Declaration, which sets a blueprint for sustainable development of the fi eld. Forum participants have discussed the declaration at length, hoping to launch it early next year.

MINDS ON WHAT MATTERS FOR TOMORROW’S BUILDING BLOCKS Global academic leaders gathered in Wuhan for a forum on materials science and engineering, discussing SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT of the field.

LAYOUT #8ADVERTORIAL: DPS

HEADLINE: up to 8 words INTRO: up to 25 words

BODY COPY: 800 words PULL QUOTE: up to 10 words

Phone: +86 (0)27 87733690Email: clsdxy@whut.edu.cn

Website: http://www.whut.edu.cn

Qingjie Zhang, WUT Enrique J. Lavernia, UC Irvine Diran Apelian, UC IrvineMax Lu, University of  Surrey