Subramanian discovers a second new pigment In 2009, Mas Subramanian amazed the world with his discovery of a vibrant blue pigment called YInMn blue. Now, he and his team have unveiled mesmerizing magentas powered by divalent chromium. Funded by the National Science Foundation, Subramanian’s work highlights the potential of divalent chromium as a chromophore, the part of a molecule responsible for determining color. Until now, no earth-based mineral has been known to contain chromium in this state. Inspired by the enigmatic landscapes of the moon and ancient Egyptian chemistry, these pigments have the potential to revolutionize energyefficient coatings for vehicles and buildings, offering both vibrant color and cooling properties that could lead to significant energy savings. As Subramanian puts it, “Most pigments are discovered by chance.” But with this research, he’s leading the way in developing fundamental chemical and crystal structural design principles to create new pigments. Subramanian is a distinguished professor of chemistry and the Milton Harris Professor of Materials Science. Progress in carbon scrubbing Thanks in part to College of Science faculty, we have a new tool in our carbon capture toolbox. Materials scientist May Nyman, the Terence Bradshaw Chemistry Professor, and a team of Oregon State University researchers have demonstrated the ability of vanadium peroxide molecules to react with and bind carbon dioxide. This is an important step toward improved technologies that can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. While Nyman agrees prevention of carbon emissions is the best solution, carbon capture technology can make a difference “at the source” and remove legacy CO2. The research also provides an avenue to teach the next generation of scientists and engineers to innovate solutions to this problem. Graduate students Eduard Garrido Ribo, Ph.D., Zhiwei Mao, Jacob S. Hirschi and Karlie Bach were all authors on the news in addition to undergraduate Taylor Linsday. Physics undergraduate makes black hole merger discovery Phia Morton (Physics, ’24) studied black hole mergers in Pisa, Italy for a term last year. She returned to Oregon State as the first author of a paper correlating the merger with two different signals — a flare and a gravitational wave — making it the first strongly supported instance of a black hole merger emitting light. This discovery not only deepens our understanding of these astronomical objects but can also provide a new lens to view the gradual stretch of the universe. Morton presented her work at the Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics at Stanford University, where she is now pursuing a Ph.D. this fall. She also presented at the American Astronomical Society conference in New Orleans. With climate change driving extreme weather events, including rampant wildfires, adaptation will be key to whether some bird species survive or perish in coming years. Biodiversity scientist Jamie Cornelius studies how birds adapt to unpredictable and extreme changes in the environment, funded by a coveted National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award. The Cornelius Lab studies birds in the contexts of storms, fire, drought, environmental contamination, urbanization and unpredictable or patchy food resources. In addition to the NSF award, Cornelius is funded by a National Geographic Society Explorer grant, funding the lab to examine the “acute impacts of fire and smoke on bird behavior, physiology and survival.” “Fire is something that’s happened for eons, so that is not new,” Cornelius said. “And birds probably have evolved responses that help them during smoke. But the intensity of the smoke is increasing and potentially the timing and frequency, as well,” she said. “This is the first time that we’re going out to put satellite tags and other kinds of heart rate transmitters on birds during smoke events.” Her research team uses both natural field experiments and controlled captive experiments to understand what birds need to survive and what strategies might help them cope with global change. How do birds cope with the changing world? IMPACT FALL 2024 13
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