Materials Science and NanoEngineering

US names two Rice students inaugural Quad Fellows

Two Rice graduate students are among the inaugural recipients of the Quad Fellowship.

A crystal shape conundrum is finally solved

Rice researchers learn to predict how crystals take shape from their internal chemistry, even when the crystal lacks symmetry.

Rice lab’s catalyst could be key for hydrogen economy

A light-activated catalyst efficiently converts ammonia into clean-burning hydrogen using only inexpensive raw materials.

Strategic planning process to be launched in January

President Reginald DesRoches shared the news with the Rice community in an email Nov. 21.

Rice turns asphaltene into graphene for composites

The flash Joule heating process developed at Rice turns asphaltenes, a byproduct of crude oil production, into graphene for use in composite materials.

Rice U. technology startup Syzygy Plasmonics raises $76 million in latest funding round

Syzygy Plasmonics, a Houston-based startup fueled by technology developed at Rice University, has announced $76 million in Series C financing led by Carbon Direct Capital — one of the largest rounds of funding for a venture spun out of a Rice lab.

ACS taps Rice, Shell for Partners in Progress & Prosperity Award

Collaborators at Rice and Shell receive the American Chemical Society Southwest Regional Partners in Progress & Prosperity Award.

Rice, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur commit to cooperate on research

Rice and the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur sign a three-year cooperation agreement to collaborate on issues critical to the United States, India and the globe.

Cool respite with a conscience

Rice faculty members have installed “Building Ecologies” at Post Houston to demonstrate a “circular” strategy that incorporates environmental systems into architecture.

Growing pure nanotubes is a stretch, but possible

Rice engineers have a new strategy for making batches of carbon nanotubes with a single, desired chirality.

Rice wins Moore Foundation grant for quantum vacuum research

Junichiro Kono’s lab will study how matter and quantum vacuums become entangled thanks to a new grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

Bacterial sensors send a jolt of electricity when triggered

Rice researchers develop programmable bacteria that sense contaminants and release an electronic signal in real time.

New catalyst can turn smelly hydrogen sulfide into a cash cow

Rice engineers and scientists and collaborators have discovered an efficient, one-step process for converting hydrogen sulfide gas into clean-burning hydrogen fuel.

People, papers and presentations for Oct. 24, 2022

Naomi Halas, the Stanley C. Moore Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and professor of chemistry, bioengineering, physics and astronomy and of materials science and nanoengineering and the director of Rice’s Smalley-Curl Institute, touted the findings of a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office study on women inventors Oct. 19 in Houston as part of the Society of Women Engineers’ annual meeting.

NSF backs bid to speed environmental tests for viruses

The NSF backs Rice University efforts to speed the analysis of wastewater for coronaviruses from hours to seconds.