Strategic Design of Switchable Polarity Materials (SPM )

1. Strategic Design of Switchable Polarity Materials (SPM) Opportunity Approaches • Strategic synthesis of representative SPM • Macroscopic property characterization over a range of conditions • Nanostructure characterization (GHz, THz, cylotron…) • Development of Electrolyte and Hydration Theory relevant to SPM properties (and other materials) • Density Functional Theory (DFT) and… • Predicative Synthesis of New Materials - Switchable Polarity Materials (SPM) • How do we design the molecular structure of Switchable Polarity Materials for tailored properties for applications? • SPM are a new field of condensed matter which can be rapidly scaled and deployed for a variety of applications. (SPM avoids the scale-up issues associated with many nanomaterials) Impact Timeliness • Advancement of electrolyte, hydrogen bonding, and hydration theory. • Water treatment (desalination, oil & gas, industrial) • Refrigeration mediation and waste heat utilization • Organic solvent extraction processes • Carbon capture (& carbon processing) cycles • Specialized reaction media • Processing of recalcitrant structural biomass • SPM first explicitly identified in 2005. • In the last 5 years applications have been identified with potential impact of >100 billion dollars per year. • Growth in the field, as of Fall 2014 research has increased to 10 groups (mostly outside the USA) studying a variety of fundamentals and applications. Submitted by Aaron D. Wilson, Ph.D. Affiliation Idaho National Laboratory