PRESS RELEASE FROM NATURE MATERIALS
(http://www.nature.com/naturematerials)
VOL.6 NO.9 DATED 03 SEPTEMBER 2007
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A clean future for China
DOI: 10.1038/nmat1998
As the economical and technological growth of China increases exponentially, the country has a great opportunity to become an environmentally clean society. This is what emerges in an interview with Paul Ching Wu-Chu, President of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, published in the September issue of Nature Materials.
The size of the Chinese population does not permit an economical growth model similar to that of western countries, as catastrophic effects on the environment would be unavoidable. Professor Chu has spent his entire career as a scientist studying the properties of superconductors, which could form the basis of energy-efficient power applications. In the interview, he expressed his optimism for the future of China in view of the positive attitude of its society towards the need for a clean economy.
Editorial contact:
Fabio Pulizzi (Nature Materials, London)
Tel: +44 207 014 4024; E-mail: [email protected]
Towards commercialization of high-temperature superconductors
DOI: 10.1038/nmat1997 (Bednorz interview)
DOI: 10.1038/nmat1989 (Review)
DOI: 10.1038/nmat1990 (Commentary)
As high-temperature superconductors (HTS) enter their third decade, the commercialization of reliable and energy-efficient HTS-technology is close to becoming a reality. This is the conclusion of a series of articles published in the September issue of Nature Materials.
HTS can carry electrical current without loss of energy when their temperature is below about –200 degrees Celsius. This property has fuelled dreams of highly efficient and economical electrically powered devices since their discovery in 1986. The excitement in the months following the breakthrough is revisited in interviews with two eminent scientists in the field, J. Georg Bednorz and Paul Ching-Wu Chu.
In the same issue, Steve Foltyn and colleagues review the materials science efforts aimed at improving the performance of HTS in terms of the amount of dissipation-free current transported; in his commentary, Alexis Malozemoff highlights the existing prototypes of HTS applications and the efforts to reduce production and running costs on the way to commercialization.
Author contacts:
Steve Foltyn (Los Alamos National Laboratory, USA)
Tel: +1 505 667 0358; E-mail: [email protected]
Alexis Malozemoff (American Superconductor, USA)
Tel: +1 508 836 4200; E-mail: [email protected]
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