Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

Houston is home to the Texas Medical Center (TMC) – the world’s largest medical complex in the world – and is at the forefront of life sciences. Part of the success and sustainability of the TMC can be attributed to key advancements in organic chemistry and, to be more specific, catalysis. In this presentation, we will discuss how catalysis helps innovation in drug discovery and its impact at the TMC as well as the Houston community.

Since their commercial introduction more than 30 years ago, rechargeable Lithium-ion batteries have performed admirably as the linchpin technology enabling today’s mobile electronics industry, currently powering hundreds of millions of laptops, cameras, and phones worldwide. Developing new battery systems capable of storing increasing quantities of energy beyond the lithium-ion technology poses extraordinary scientific and economic challenges. Sodium-ion batteries are promising devices for smart grids and electric vehicles due to the cost-effectiveness arising from the overall abundance of sodium and its even geographical distribution. I will elucidate the major bottlenecks in developing completive sodium-ion batteries.