Semiconductor applications: From transistors to solar cells The properties of semiconductor materials make possible numerous technological wonders, including transistors, microchips, solar cells, and LED displays. Wonders of modern life Without transistors and integrated circuits made of semiconductors, much of modern life would be very different. No hand-held electronic games would entertain children for hours. No bar-code readers would speed checkout lines and compile inventories at the same time. And no computers would handle tasks at work and home, nor would…
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Electrochemical energy everywhere Electrochemical energy is produced in every cell of every plant and animal. An animal’s nervous system sends its signals by means of electrochemical reactions. Virtually every electrochemical process and its technological application has a role in modern medicine. The power of electricity in living beings In the movie Frankenstein, the power of electricity turns a collection of dead body parts into a living monster. Although this use of electricity is still fictional, electrochemical forces are essential to…
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Leading to vast new applications Further innovations in battery design, including novel battery and fuel cell technology, has led to vast new applications. Secondary cells A secondary cell, or storage battery, can function as either a voltaic or an electrolytic cell. When its electrodes are connected to a device that uses electricity, it functions like any other battery. When a current is fed through it, the electrochemical reactions are reversed, replenishing the battery’s strength. Lead-acid storage batteries: Getting started In…
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The energy sources that have changed our world From primary cells to novel materials, the ability to generate power with energy sources such as batteries has changed our everyday world. A world without batteries Imagine a world without batteries! A teenager walks outside wearing headphones, tethered to home by a lengthy extension cord. An old man winds his pacemaker like a pocket watch. With no storage batteries to equalize power demands, air conditioners overwhelm the city’s electrical grid. In thousands…
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Electrolytic processes The process Faraday called electrolysis -- and other electrochemical research -- had effects far beyond the chemist's laboratory. New technology -- electrolytic processes like electroplating and electrowinning -- spurred the growth of new industries and the creating of new products. Some refer to Michael Faraday as the greatest experimentalist ever, especially because his work on electricity found expression in day-to-day technology. Electroplating and electrowinning Before the development of electroplating, an electrolytic technology for depositing a coating of metal,...
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History of electrochemistry: From Volta to Faraday The history of electrochemistry is filled with major advances in understanding and technology that helped define both industrial production and daily life in the twenty-first century. Alessandro Volta, inventor of the electric battery. First battery The story of electrochemistry begins with Alessandro Volta, who announced his invention of the voltaic pile, the first modern electrical battery, in 1800. The pile caught the imagination of even the ruler of France, Napoleon Bonaparte, who went...
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Meeting: May 29 – June 2, 2016 | Exhibit: May 31-June 2, 2016 Exhibit Hours Tuesday, May 31, 2016 0800-1300h Exhibitor Move-In 1300-1600h Technical Exhibit 1400-1500h Potential Exhibitor Workshop in Exhibit Hall 1530-1630h Potential Exhibitor Workshop in Exhibit Hall 1800-2000h Technical Exhibit, General & Student Poster Session Wednesday, June 1, 2016 0900-1400h Technical Exhibit 0930-1000h Coffee Break in Exhibit Hall 0930-1030h Potential Exhibitor Workshop in Exhibit Hall 1100-1200h Potential Exhibitor Workshop in Exhibit Hall 1130h Lunch Available on Exhibit Floor...
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Gather with your colleagues The Plenary session is one of the highlighted events of the meeting, allowing participants from every symposia to come together and recognize some of the greatest minds in the field. ECS President Dan Scherson will wrap up the first full day of the 229th Meeting by welcoming the ECS meeting attendees and introducing the highly anticipated ECS lecturer, Christian Amatore and his talk "Seeing, Measuring and Understanding Vesicular Exocytosis of Neurotransmitters." The agenda also includes: Henry...
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Publishing since 1902 To discuss the history of ECS publications you have to go back to the original ECS constitution which stated, in part, that … its object shall be the advancement of the theory and practice of electrochemistry. Among the means to this end shall be the holding of meetings for the reading and discussion of professional and scientific papers of this subject, the publication of such papers, discussions, and communications as may seem expedient, and cooperation with chemical,...
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The Electrochemical Society was founded in 1902 in Philadelphia, PA.[4] At the beginning, ECS was called the American Electrochemical Society. It was, even then, a melting pot of scientific and technological disciplines, and of their adherents, who participated from around the globe. The 19th century saw many applications of electricity to chemical processes and chemical understanding. Bridging the gap between electrical engineering and chemistry led innovative young people in industrial and academic circles to search for a new forum to discuss developments...
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