Monthly Archives: April 2021

2D-materials prediction is on the Cover of ACS Nano

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ACS Nano features our review on theoretical prediction of two-dimensional materials, behavior, and properties on its April front cover

Predictive modeling of 2D materials is at the crossroad of two current rapidly growing interests: 2D materials per se, massively sought after and explored in experimental laboratories, and materials theoretical-computational models in general, flourishing on a fertile mix of condensed-matter physics and chemistry with advancing computational technology. In the April issue of ACS Nano we briefly overview the general methods and specific techniques of modeling, along with a somewhat philosophical assessment of what “prediction” is, followed by selected practical examples for 2D materials, from structures and properties, to device functionalities and synthetic routes for their making. We conclude with a brief sketch–outlook of future developments.

The cover image represents the persistence of the scientific quest for two-dimensional materials that motivates their prediction. In the extraterrestrial landscape, inspired by an iconic Salvador Dalí painting, one should wonder what magnitude of gravity g would shape the graphene flake this way? Theory can predict, from first principles.

Nicholas Tjahjono awarded NASA space tech research fellowship

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Rice PhD student aims to aid in NASA’s Artemis mission to the moon and beyond

Nicholas Tjahjono, a first-year doctoral student in Yakobson Research Group,  has been awarded the NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunities Fellowship.

His research proposal, “Virtual Prototyping of Multifunctional Boron-Nitrogen Nanostructures and their Composites for Extreme Space Environments,” aims to aid in NASA’s Artemis mission to the moon and beyond.

The goal of Artemis is to land two astronauts on the moon by 2024 and explore the feasibility of establishing sustainable colonies, in preparation for sending the first astronauts to Mars by 2030. Tjahjono’s objective is to develop materials capable of operating under, and protecting astronauts from, extreme space environments such as extreme heat and cold, variable gravity, abrasive lunar dust, galactic cosmic radiation and solar particle events.

Nicholas earned his B.S. in the joint major of bioengineering and materials science and engineering, and his B.A. in music, from the University of California at Berkeley in 2018. Before coming to Rice, he worked as a research assistant in the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Molecular Foundry in Berkeley, Calif.