Harvard Establishes New Lab For Futuristic Materials Studies

As part of a recent drive to become one of the nation's leading developers of futuristic materials. Harvard this spring will construct a new multi-million dollar lab to be spread throughout the University.

The facility will house research projects which include creating substances with increased durability, developing thin inorganic films to collect solar energy, establishing techniques for refining petroleum and creating a metallic form of hydrogen.

Many of the projects, such as developing liquid crystals, solar cells and adhesives, are expected to have widespread practical values.

While Harvard is already regarded as a leader of theoretical materials research, the new surface science lab is intended to upgrade Harvard's experimental material science facilities, said Professor of Chemistry George M. Whitesides, one of the project's originators.

The lab--funded primarily by a recently won federal grant, the University, and private contributions--will house some of the most sophisticated analytical equipment available, and will be located in several buildings, including the Gordon McKay Laboratory.

The lab is associated with Harvard's Material Research Lab (MRL), and approximately 100 scientists, will utilize the facility, Whitesides said, adding that materials research is regarded "as one of the most important areas of the science of the future."

In a related development, Harvard's MRL recently received an approximately $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation aimed in part to help keep the U.S. from "falling behind Japan and other nations in developing new materials," said Director of the MRL Henry Ehrenreich.

Harvard has also tenured several professors specializing in material and surface research over the past few years, he said adding "the new equipment has come in part because of the new appointments. The developments are intertwined.

As one of the nation's approximately 12 materials research labs. Harvard's has shown some of the most significant growth over the past few years. The recent $1.2 million grant, the largest government aid a awarded to any of the labs, was granted, in part because of a series of research projects at Harvard "which combine the work of both chemists and physicists," said Peter S. McKinney, associate dean for administration in the Division of Applied Sciences