The Powering the Planet Center for Chemical Innovation (CCI Solar) focuses on one of the outstanding problems in 21st Century science – the efficient and economical conversion of solar energy into stored chemical fuels. Through this CCI, the NSF has established a partnership with the scientific community to develop the fundamental enabling chemistry that will ultimately deliver clean fuels produced from the sun. (Project Overview)
Powering the Planet
CCI Happenings
Sharon Hammes-Schiffer Group Meeting
 | Novel theoretical methods have been developed to study proton-coupled electron transfer reactions in electrochemical and ultrafast photoinduced molecule-semiconductor systems, enabling the elucidation of fundamental processes relevant to solar cells |  |
Paula Hammond meets with the President
 | Paula Hammond met with President Barack Obama during his October 23 visit to MIT where he delivered a speech on renewable energy. The President saw demonstrations of ongoing research and met with faculty members who are conducting that work. Streaming video from the meeting can be seen here. |
New CCI Publications
Hammes-Schiffer Group at Pennsylvania State University
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Dr. Deepak Perti joins CCI Scientific Advisory Board
 | Dr. Deepak Perti is the Global Technology Manager for DuPont's Fuel Cells and Nafion businesses in their Fluoroproducts Strategic Business Unit. He is responsible for developing and implementing multi-generation technology roadmap and robust product pipeline for this unit. Deepak received his PhD from Penn State and his B.S. from Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, both in chemical engineering. CCI Solar welcomes Dr. Perti and looks forward to his participation on the Science Advisory Board. |
Caltech Postdocs attend Chemistry Communication Leadership Institute (CCLI)
 | Caltech postdocs Dr. Michael Walter and Dr. Mike Rose attended a Chemistry Communication workshop at the University of Washington sponsored by the NSF. The workshop was organized by Professor Deborah L. Illman, a faculty member in the Technical Writing program at UW. See C&EN article. |
Walker Meets with St Luke Students
A new recruit for the Solar Army
 | Tuesday, Harry Gray's newest private in the solar army, 4th grader Angel Decker, from Royal Oaks Elementary School in Duarte, visited CCI Solar at Caltech where she made her own metal oxide combination to test as a water splitting catalyst using the SHArK project laser scanner. Pictures from Angel's project can be seen here. |
CCI Solar Annual Retreat
 | The 2010 CCI Solar Annual Retreat will be held from the evening of Friday, January 29 to noon on Sunday, January 31 at the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort in Huntington Beach. Further details about the meeting can be found here. |
