Award Data

Sensor development researchers and engineers have perpetually sought novel methods to reduce sensor size and improve performance. Continued miniaturization of sensors through micromachining has enabled novel applications and introduced new paradigms for engineered systems to interact with the world. The challenge has always been to improve performance while continually reducing size. In the cur ...

We propose to develop a computational model of leadership designed to capture complex variables including cultural differences in leadership requirements along with task differences, primarily ill-defined goals, which pose leadership challenges. Rather than avoiding these kinds of complexity and developing a computational model that is unlikely to scale up, we believe there is more to be gained b ...

The proposed innovation utilizes carbon nanotubes (CNTs) coated with pseudo-capacitive MnO2 material as nano-composite electrode and ionic electrolyte for the construction of ultracapacitors. This novel approach of using nano-structured CNTs architectures provides high surface area of attachment of MnO2 nano-particles to maximize the charge efficiency and power capacity and to reduce series resist ...

Firefly, in collaboration with Rochester Institute of Technology, proposes an STTR program for the development of a wide-bandgap GaP-based space solar cell capable of efficient operation at temperatures above 300oC. Efficiency enhancement will be achieved by the introduction of InGaP quantum wells within the active region of the wide-gap base material. The introduction of these nanoscale features ...

Firefly, in collaboration with Rochester Institute of Technology, proposes an STTR program for the development of a space solar cell having record efficiency exceeding 40% (AM0) by the introduction of nanowires within the active region of the current limiting sub-cell. The introduction of these nanoscale features will enable realization of an intermediate band solar cell (IBSC), while simultaneous ...

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project aims to develop roll-to-roll processing of highly efficient, thin film photovoltaics on inexpensive polycrystalline substrates. The innovation lies in an architecture that yields near-single-crystalline thin films even on polycrystalline substrates. This innovation will be combined with the benefits of hot wire chemical vapor deposit ...

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project aims to develop a highly-efficient and cost-effective plasma-based method for graphene mass production. The approach is to utilize unique properties of magnetically controlled arc discharge to couple the plasma production of carbon species and the synthesis of graphene. The broader/commercial impact of this project will be the potenti ...

This STTR Phase I project will develop a process to produce silica products from the waste stream of a patent pending activated carbon manufacturing process (carbonxt process). The project focuses on using the silica for Silica-Titania Composites but would also take into account markets that employ precipitated or gel silica which would have differing properties than the silica used in Silica-Tit ...

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project aims to fabricate anti-reflective coatings (ARC) for solar energy applications. The approach is to use a convective and evaporation-induced assembly to deposit organized nanostructures and create sub-wavelength quasi repeating structures at lower cost than the repeating structures from photolithography. In this project, a Microreacto ...

This Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I project will develop a new type of nanostructured substrate for applications in arsenide detection using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Arsenic is a well known toxic chemical which exists in both nature and industrial processes, and its detection and monitoring at very low concentration is highly desired. SERS, which relies on Raman sig ...