Center for Plastics Innovation (CPI)

Director

LaShanda Korley

Lead Institution

University of Delaware

Class

2020-2024

Mission

To develop catalytic and functionalization approaches and fundamental tools applicable to the upcycling, upgrading, and recycling of real polymer plastics waste (PPW) with a strategic focus on enabling mixed-stream transformations in varied material forms (i.e., solutions, melts, and surfaces).

Partner Institutions

Univ of Delaware
ORNL
Univ of Chicago
UMass Amherst
Univ of Pennsylvania

Quick Facts

Single Slide Overview
Technical Summary
https://cpi.udel.edu

BES Staff Contact

Aura Gimm; Katherine Brown

Grand Challenges Addressed

Transformative Opportunities Addressed

Mastering Hierarchical Architectures and Beyond-Equilibrium Matter

Trans. Opp. #1

Understanding the Critical Roles of Heterogeneity, Interfaces, and Disorder

Trans. Opp. #2

Revolutionary Advances in Models, Mathematics, Algorithms, Data, and Computing

Trans. Opp. #4

Exploiting Transformative Advances in Imaging Capabilities across Multiple Scales

Trans. Opp. #5

BES Reports Addressed

Highlights

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A metallic line atop a medium biased at the edge of chaos can provide effective negative resistance for time-varying signals, outputting a larger signal compared to its input. The energy for amplification comes from the static bias applied to the medium.

The “Edge of Chaos” Amplifies Signals Without Transistors

Emulating the edge of chaos of axons enables a metal wire to overcome its resistance without cooling, thereby amplifying signals flowing inside of it.

Infrared laser light (red beam) illuminates the surface of ZrSiSe and mixes with electron oscillations enabled by an atomic force microscope (silver cone), propagating light as ray-like structures that guide the light through the interior (blue zig-zag).

What If Metals Could Conduct Light?

In the unusual world of quantum materials, metals can guide light in their interiors instead of merely reflecting it.