King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
BEACON املنـارة at Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
May 2013 / Rajab 1434 Volume 3, Issue No. 9
the
www.kaust.edu.sa
Prof. Andrea Fratalocchi
مجع الطاقة باستخدام مبدأ CHAOS العشوائية
قام باحثون من فريق بريمااليت بقيادة البرفسور أندريا فراتالوتشي بقسم الهندسة الكهربائية بجامعة الملك عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية بدراسة رائده عن تقنية انتشار الموجات في األنظمة ذات وقد نشرت.التركيب المعقد بهدف تجميع الطاقة Cha�“ “هذه الدراسة مؤخرًا في ورقة بحثية بعنوان os-Assisted, Broadband trapping of Light in Nature Pho� ” في مجلة,Optical Resonatorss حيث قام البرفسور فراتالوتشي من جامعةtonics الملك عبداهلل بكتابتها باإلشتراك مع اثنين من طالبه لدرجة الدكتوراه وهم الطالب ليو و والطالب .موليناري باإلضافة إلى عدد من علماء االخرين Chaos وتوضح الورقة أن دوائر الرنين العشوائية يمكنها تخزين ستة أضعاف الطاقة التي تستطيع .دوائر الرنين التقليدية تخزينها وقال بروفسور فراتالوتشي "قمنا مؤخرًا بتطوير تقنية جديدة وهامة جدًا لتجميع الطاقة من مبدأ العشوائية ونعمل على تطوير تصميم جديد للمواد.Chaos يمكن هذا التصميم من القدرة على رفع أداء ّ بما ويمكن أن يؤدي.امتصاص الطاقة من النظم القائمة ."ذلك الى ابتكار جيل جديد من الخاليا الشمسية 6 تتمه صفحة
Primalight Research Group Harvest Energy from Chaos Researchers working as part of Professor
“Hydrogenation is one of the most important reactions in chem- يصف األستاذ المشارك في علوم الكيمياء وأحد أعضاء مركز أبحاث التحفيز istry,” explains Luigi Cavallo, Associate Professor of Chemical
Science and a member of KAUST’s Catalysis Research Center, “but hydrogen can be a lot of trouble.” Hydrogen’s troublesome nature lies in the fact that it is explosive and flammable, specifically when used in large quantities. In a recently published paper appearing on the cover and in the March 27 issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society, Prof. Cavallo and co-authors from the University of St Andrews (UK) and the Universitat de Girona (Spain) examined the difficulties of hydrogenation, isolating a hydridoformatopalladium complex, [Pd{OC(O)H}(H)(IPr)(PCy3)], which can be used to carry out catalytic transfer hydrogenation, a “viable alternative,” the researchers note, to the classical reduction pathway using potentially danger-
Andrea Fratalocchi’s Primalight group in the
ous molecular hydrogen. The paper can be accessed at http://pubs.
Electrical Engineering program have conducted
acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/ja311087c.
groundbreaking work on wave propagation in
The use of molecular hydrogen to hydrogenate a substrate has
complex systems. The core application of this
many applications across diverse industries, including oil and gas,
technology resides in the harvesting of energy.
chemicals, food, and pharmacy. For example, hydrogenation is
A paper co-authored by Prof. Fratalocchi, his
commonly used to change fats that are liquid at room temperature
PhD students C. Liu and D. Molinari, and other
into solids, such as margarine, and is a very popular process in the
collaborators was recently published in Nature
food industry, where hydrogenated fats are used to prolong foods’
Photonics and demonstrates how chaotic reso-
shelf life by preventing rancidity.
nators can store six times the amount of energy
In catalytic transfer hydrogenation, hydrogen is “kept quiet,” says Prof. Cavallo, by storing it in other molecules, such as for-
as conventional resonators. “We recently developed a very new and
mic acid. Formic acid is found in nature in the bites and stings
important technology to harvest energy
of insects, but it can also be manufactured cheaply and easily in
from chaos. We’re developing a novel
industry, and thus is readily available. A catalyst is used to liber-
material design capable of increasing the
ate hydrogen from the “storage” molecule, and normally a second
performance, in terms of broadband energy
catalyst must then be employed to use the liberated hydrogen in
absorption, of existing systems. This for
the media for hydrogenation purposes. “Formic acid is also consid-
example could lead to a new generation of
ered a viable molecule for hydrogen storage in energy-related fields,
solar cells,” said Prof. Fratalocchi.
such as using hydrogen to run a car,” Prof. Cavallo notes.
ENERGY FROM CHAOS | Continued on p3
Tandem Catalyst | Continued on p7
INSIDE:
News 1-3
اهلدرجة باستخدام احلافز الرتاديف
Hydrogenation Using a Tandem Catalyst
الكيميائي في جامعة الملك عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية الدكتور لويجي كافالو إال أنها ال تخلوا، الهدرجة بأنها " تعتبر واحدة من أهم التفاعالت الكيميائية وتكمن تلك المتاعب في الطبيعة المزعجة للهيدروجين حيث."من المتاعب .أنه متفجر وله قابلية كبيرة لالشتعال خصوصًا عند استخدامه بكميات كبيرة مؤخرا بنشر ورقةJournal of the American Chemical Society وقامت مجلة مارس وشارك في كتابتها الدكتور كافالو27 بحث على صدر صفحاتها في عدد مع باحثين آخرين من جامعة سانت اندروز (المملكة المتحدة) و جامعة دي وتشرح هذه الورقة صعوبات الهدرجة وعملية عزل مركب.)جيرونا (إسبانيا )] المعقد الذي يمكنPd{OC(O)H}(H)(IPr)(PCy3[ هيدريدوفورماتوباالديوم استخدامه في عملية هدرجة نقل الحفاز(كبديل مناسب) عن االستخدام ولإلطالع على ورقة البحث يرجى.التقليدي للهيدروجين الجزيئي العالي الخطورة .http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/ja311087c :زيارة الرابط التالي وتدخل عملية الهدرجة باستخدام الهيدروجين الجزيئي في العديد من ،التطبيقات والصناعات المتنوعة بما في ذلك صناعات النفط والغاز الطبيعي تستخدم الهدرجة، فعلى سبيل المثال. والصيدلة، والغذاء،والمواد الكيميائية عادة لتغير حالة الدهون التي تكون سائلة في درجة حرارة الغرفة الى صلبة ً وتستخدم أيضًا و بكثرة في الصناعات الغذائية.كما هو الحال في السمن .إلطالة مدة صالحية األطعمة المعلبة والمغلفة ال عن طريق احتوائه ً ويتم في عملية هدرجة نقل الحفاز إبقاء الهدروجين خام مثل حامض الفورميك الموجود في الطبيعة في لسعات،في جزيئات أخرى و يمكن ايضًا انتاجه صناعيًا بطرق غير مكلفة مما يجعله،ولدغات الحشرات كما يتم استخدام مادة محفزة لتحرير الهيدروجين من.متاحًا بسهولة وعادة يقتضي ذلك وجود مادة محفزة ثانية لتمكين،الجزيء الذي يحتويه و.استخدام الهيدروجين المحرر في األوساط الكيميائية ألغراض الهدرجة "يشكل حمض الفورميك أيضا جزيء مناسب:يضيف الدكتور كافالو قائال مثل،الحتواء و تخزين الهيدروجين في المجاالت ذات الصلة بالطاقة ."استخدام الهيدروجين لتشغيل السيارة واكتشف الباحثون عبر استخدام تقنية مطياف الرنين المغناطيسي النووي أن pal� مركبات الباالديوم الحلقية المحتوية على حلقات كاربين غير متجانس ة تشكل محفزاتladium tricyclohexylphosphine N-heterocyclic carbene ترادفيه في أوساط التفاعالت الكيميائية وتستطيع تحرير الهيدروجين من وقد تم هدرجة المركبات.حمض الفورميك ثم استخدامه في هدرجة األوساط 7 تتمه صفحة
Research 4-7
Community 8
2
News
May 2013
The Beacon
Each month The Beacon is pleased to offer a highlight of the research activity and scientific Not pictured: Aram Amassian and Zhipwork conducted at KAUST. In this issue you will find the work of faculty and staff recently ing Lai. published in high impact journals in areas such as chemical science, photonics, marine science,
student research, and the innovative ideas coming out of the Entrepreneurship Center.
and photovoltaics. Highlights also include scientific and academic accolades, transdisciplinary
scientists, staff, students, and community members.
In addition to being an inter-disciplinary scientific community, our University also celebrates the arts. See page 8 to read about the recent art exhibit and music concerts featuring our own —THE BEACON Editorial
The Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 9, May 2013. Published by The Communications Department, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia. Contact Salah Sindi salah.sindi@kaust.edu.sa, or Michelle D'Antoni michelle.dantoni@kaust.edu.sa © King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. Printed on partially recycled paper.
supporting research that is not only related to [SABIC’s] business and future plans,” said Mohamed Al-Mady, SABIC Vice Chairman and CEO, “but also relevant to the development and expansion of knowledge for the benefit of humankind.” Al-Mady explained that the funding for the five SABIC Presidential Chair Recipients demonstrates SABIC’s commitment to develop KAUST talent, allowing the assistant professors to research solutions to problems that are not only relevant to SABIC’s long-term strategic goals, but also to the future goals of the Kingdom. “This is an investment allowing both KAUST and SABIC to support Saudi Arabia’s development vision with the prospect of new, disruptive technologies and materials for a more accountable and sustainable future,” he stated. Continued Occhiello: “As we enter into new areas of research and technology, talented faculty at KAUST are seen as a rich source of knowledge that can benefit KAUST, SABIC, and the scientific community at large.” The SABIC Presidential Chair Recipients were quick to note their gratitude for the support. KAUST’s SABIC Presidential Chair Recipients were honored to receive the awards from SABIC. From left to right: Drs. Kuo-Wei (Andy) Huang, Osman Bakr, and Ulrich Stingl.
Said Prof. Aram Amassian: “The generous gift from SABIC will allow my team to push towards our goal of achieving low-cost printing of efficient plastic solar cells.” Prof. Zhiping Lai stated: “I regard this SABIC chair not only as a great honor to myself, but also a great opportunity to
SABIC Honors Five Young KAUST Faculty as Presidential Chair Recipients
connect our research to industrially important topics, and ultimately to fulfill our mission to make contributions to the economy of the region.” “SABIC is making a strategic investment in the development of KAUST’s promising junior
The Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) signed an innova-
faculty,” KAUST President Prof. Choon Fong Shih stated. “This investment will not only deepen
tive agreement with the University on April 18, awarding five-year
the Kingdom’s talent pool for science and technology, but will also help KAUST to deliver crea-
funding to support the research careers of four KAUST assistant
tive and sustainable solutions that are relevant to the Kingdom and beyond, thereby bringing
professors and one associate professor. The support stems from
knowledge in the service of society.”
an initial SABIC Presidential Chair agreement between SABIC and KAUST, and each faculty recipient will be named a “SABIC Assistant (or Associate) Professor.” The assistant professors hon-
Aram Amassian
KAUST HOSTS WORKSHOP ON VISUAL COMPUTING
ored in the agreement are: Dr. Aram Amassian, Materials Science and
On April 15-17, the University’s Geometric Modeling & Scientific Visualization (GMSV)
Engineering; Dr. Osman Bakr, Materials Science and Engineering; Dr. Ulrich
Center and KAUST Visualization Core Lab (KVL) hosted a workshop on visual computing.
Stingl, Marine Science and Bioscience; and Dr. Kuo-Wei (Andy) Huang,
Visualization Summit 2013 offered an opportunity for researchers and industry representa-
Chemical Science. The associate professor honored is Dr. Zhiping
tives to share knowledge on recent research, tools, and applications. The workshop featured
Lai, Chemical and Biological Engineering.
a series of talks by international visual computing experts from academia and industry, who
The funding will support the five young faculty mem-
covered topics on large-data visualization, computer graphics, and human-computer interac-
bers in agreed research programs within the following
tion. The workshop’s main organizers were Prof. Helmut Pottmann (GMSV) and Dr. Steven
areas: “Combinatorial optimization of organic solar cells;”
Cutchin (KVL).
“Hydrogenation of CO2;” “Novel materials for kinetic separation;” “Nanoparticles-polymers composites for energy
Zhiping Lai
storage;” and “Exploration of novel photosynthetic and extremophilic microbes.”
KICP Research Symposium Highlights University Research Excellence and Innovation
The collaborative work will enable KAUST and SABIC to “provide an insight into the various
THE third Annual KAUST Industry Collaboration Program (KICP) Research Symposium was held at the
elements that help enrich the lives of the people of Saudi Arabia…and meet their current and
University from April 21–23. Attended by 30 presenters from the KAUST faculty and industry, over
future challenges,” stated a press release on the SABIC website. The intention of the funding is
55 representatives from 23 major corporations partnered with KAUST through the KICP, and KAUST
to create clusters of excellence, with 30% of the personal research effort of each recipient and
graduate students, the symposium focused on “Filling up the Industry’s Innovation Pipeline through
additional funding support for a team of up to two PhD students and two postdoctoral students
Academic R&D Collaborations.” It was “a valuable tool to provide visibility for research conducted at
provided by SABIC.
KAUST, and to build strong national and international industry networks,” said Dr. Mohamed Samaha,
SABIC, which was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Riyadh, is one of the world’s larg-
KAUST Senior Vice President for Economic and Technology Development, who spoke at the event.
est petrochemical manufacturers. The company’s global workforce of over 40,000 individuals
The symposium featured six scientific sessions, each focusing on different areas of research
operates in more than 40 countries, with operations focusing on six business units: Chemicals,
being undertaken at the University. The sessions covered advanced materials and novel catalysts;
Polymers, Performance Chemicals, Fertilizers, Metals, and Innovative Plastics. The company
solutions to Saudi Arabia’s unique energy needs; polymeric materials and membrane reactors;
invests heavily in technology and innovation, and recognizes the value of supporting young,
wastewater treatment and reuse; remote sensing and wireless communications; and environmen-
creative minds at KAUST.
tal and geological factors driving new businesses. Throughout the sessions KAUST faculty and
In 2011, SABIC signed an agreement with the University to build the company’s new Center
researchers shared their projects, goals, and emerging technologies with KICP partners. Private
for Research and Innovation (CRI) at the KAUST Research Park. Stated SABIC Executive Vice
discussions and networking opportunities were built in to the symposium, and tours of KAUST’s
President for Technology and Innovation Ernesto Occhiello: “We began our partnership aware
laboratories and research facilities were also given for the industry visitors.
of the caliber of the faculty and staff [at KAUST] and the culture of the organization.” By 2015,
“We come to you because you understand the needs of the industry,” explained keynote speaker
SABIC’s aim is to recruit over 150 exceptional scientists to work at the new center, taking part
Dr. Ing. Michael Ladwig, Director of Scientific Collaboration at KICP partner, Alstom. “Universities
in “horizontal research,” in which research questions are investigated by interdisciplinary teams
are key institutions for creating new innovations which result in new industries, and for supporting
from the broader KAUST research community.
the creation of national and international collaboration projects.” Added Dr. Atieh Abu Raqabah,
KAUST Provost Stefan Catsicas highlighted the strategic relevance of the agreement for both parties, stating: “SABIC understands the need to leverage on long-term academic excellence to
keynote speaker and General Manager of the SABIC Corporate Research and Innovation Center at KAUST, “We too [in industry] are trying to give you a flavor of what [research] we are doing.”
fuel their innovation pipeline. The architecture of the agreement is particularly attractive as it
The presentations from both the academic faculty and industry representatives helped align
allows young faculty to freely maintain a personal research agenda while dedicating signifi-
industries’ research and development needs with the University’s research competencies, creat-
cant research effort to questions of fundamental relevance for SABIC.”
ing stronger alliances for KAUST and raising the profile of the University’s cutting-edge research
SABIC also supports outstanding postdoctoral fellows at KAUST, and launched its PostDoctoral Fellowship Awards at KAUST in November 2011. The awards have been made annually since then. Postdoctoral fellow candidates were nominated by their supervisors, with the initial 15 winners selected by a special committee of experts from SABIC and KAUST. “We are
and innovation. Correction: Ahmad J. Showail’s name was misspelled in the “My University” article on page 8 the April issue of The Beacon. His surname should have been listed as Showail, not Showall.
News
www.kaust.edu.sa
May 2013
3
President Choon Fong Shih Lauded University President Choon Fong Shih was honored on April
nation. And this is precisely
19 at a dinner hosted by H. E. Ali I. Al-Naimi, Chairman of the
what we wanted in relation to
Board of Trustees, and attended by KAUST Trustees, International
KAUST and Saudi Arabia.”
Advisory Council members, senior university leaders, and faculty.
Chairman
Al-Naimi
Executive Vice President of Administration and Finance Nadhmi
explained, “In many ways,
Al-Nasr welcomed the group to the gathering to honor Choon
the physical building of the
Fong Shih, “a colleague, friend, visionary, and leader.”
University was the easy bit.
KAUST President Choon Fong Shih (center) with H. E. Ali I. Al-Naimi, Chairman of the Board of Trustees (third from the left), and members of the KAUST Board of Trustees and University Leadership at the Board of Trustees Recognition Dinner on April 19.
Chairman Al-Naimi offered his gratitude and that of the Board
More challenging was the
of Trustees to President Shih for his “hard work and commitment
mission to get KAUST estab-
to King Abdullah’s great vision of a House of Wisdom – Bayt
lished in Saudi Arabia. More
al-Hikma.” He related how Prof. Shih came to be President of
demanding still was the long-
the University after being selected as one of the internationally-
term task of establishing the academic culture to set KAUST on
for KAUST will stem from our talents – Saudi and interna-
recognized experts to help identify the sort of people needed to
a global footing. This takes great vision, determination, and pas-
tional – dedicated to advancing science, engineering, and
carry the King’s vision forward.
sion, and it is here that Professor Shih excelled.”
enterprise…Rootedness of the individual involves a sense of
“KAUST is taking root in the Kingdom. Indeed, rootedness
“We invited Professor Shih to join us in our worldwide search
President Shih thanked the Chairman for his kind words and
identification with our University, bolstered by a feeling of
for the first KAUST President, a mission which took us to Asia,
expressed in his speech the importance of openness and rooted-
belonging and pride in being part of our endeavor by the Red
the US, and Europe. But it soon became clear that Professor
ness in great universities. “Great universities thrive on openness.
Sea. I consider myself rooted to KAUST. I will always be a
Shih was eminently qualified to do the role himself. In fact,
They welcome talent. They facilitate cross-fertilization of ideas.
flag-bearer for KAUST.”
we realized he was not only qualified, he was clearly the most
They offer rich opportunities to discover and grow, and oppor-
Professor Shih and his wife Lily were presented with gifts
qualified,” said Chairman Al-Naimi.
tunities to learn and serve. At the same time, great universities
of gratitude from the Board of Trustees, Saudi Aramco, and
strive to root individuals to the institution and the institution to
SABIC in recognition of outstanding service to the University
the society where they are situated…”
and Saudi Arabia.
He continued, “One of his key achievements in Singapore was to link the University’s goals and ambitions with that of the
Prof. Jean Fréchet Honored in Japan Prize Ceremony Professor Jean Fréchet, KAUST’s Vice President for Research,
frontiers of knowledge and served the
was formally awarded the 2013 Japan Prize at a ceremony in Tokyo
cause of peace and prosperity for man-
on April 24. Prof. Fréchet jointly won the prize with Dr. C. Grant
kind,” states a press release on The
Willson, Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at the
Japan Prize Foundation’s website.
University of Texas at Austin (US). The Tokyo ceremony was also
During a speech delivered at KAUST
attended by Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan, and
on February 13 after his win of the
a host of other Japanese and international dignitaries.
Japan Prize was announced, Prof.
Prof. Fréchet gives his acceptance speech at the Japan Prize presentation ceremony in Tokyo, attended by Their Majesties The Emperor and Empress of Japan.
The Japan Prize, which was first presented in 1985, is awarded
Fréchet noted how his research work
each year to scientists from around the world in two general
with Prof. Willson reinforced the
research areas, “Physics, Chemistry, and Engineering” and “Life
importance in science of “‘think[ing]
Science, Agriculture, and Medicine.” Although the prize recognizes
outside of the box,’ always look[ing] for and shar[ing] fresh ideas.”
all fields of science and technology, two specific fields are chosen
“Coming from different chemistry backgrounds, [Prof. Willson]
The Japan Prize Foundation’s website states: “We hope that
each year for the prize, taking into consideration recent develop-
and I complemented each other,” Prof. Fréchet explained. “We did
the Japan Prize will contribute to the promotion of international
ments in these fields.
not hesitate to propose new ideas – no matter how exotic they
cooperation and look forward to the continuing support of scien-
polymer structures capable of exploiting this concept.”
Prof. Fréchet and Prof. Willson were awarded their prize in
might be. Within days [of working together], we came up with the
tists and technologists throughout the world.” Profs. Fréchet and
the area of “Materials and Production” for the development of
concept of ‘chemical amplification,’ and the first polymer struc-
Willson’s work reflects the goals of The Japan Prize Foundation, as
chemically amplified resist polymer materials for innovative semi-
ture, precursor of a radically new generation of resists, was entered
chemically amplified resists are used in the manufacture of most
conductor manufacturing process. The Japan Prize aims to “honor
on page one of my…research notebook. The uninhibited exchange
memory chips and microprocessors found in commonplace elec-
individuals whose original and outstanding achievements in sci-
of ideas between [us] eventually led not only to the key concept
tronic devices today, such as cars, mobile phones, computers, and
ence and technology are recognized as having advanced the
of using photons to trigger chain reactions, but also to practical
medical technologies.
ENERGY FROM CHAOS | Continued from p1 Adopting a transdisciplinary approach to the study of the propagation of waves in disordered sys-
By significantly increasing the performance of a semi-conductor simply by reshaping it, and
tems from Ångström scale to the Terahertz regime, Primalight investigates complex systems through
basically using the same amount of material, a more cost-effective energy production model can
the paradigms of applied mathematics, theoretical physics, and parallel computing. For this particu-
be achieved.
lar study, Prof. Fratalocchi and his team combined analytic theory with ab-initio simulations and experiments in photonic crystal resonators and deformed polystyrene microspheres.
As an editor of Scientific Reports with the Nature Publishing Group and a referee of Nature and Physical Review Journals, Prof. Fratalocchi is recognized as a world-leading expert offering valuable
Chaos is often associated with unpredictability and considered an unwanted factor in scientific
contributions to the study of disordered systems – an increasingly prominent area in the discipline of pho-
observations. However, Prof. Fratalocchi and his team believe it represents the starting point for “a
tonics. “Most of the papers that are now being published in high-impact journals are in this field,” he says.
new ubiquitous technology for energy production.”
In addition to energy harvesting, other applications can be found in the fields of medicine and
The key characteristic of these resonators is based on specific deformation patterns. The
materials science. Prof. Fratalocchi is currently investigating how light propagates in human tissue.
deformed resonators are built in such a way that “light becomes completely chaotic and non-
This line of research, known as biophotonics, can potentially lead to the development of non-inva-
reversible in time, such as the Brownian motion of a particle in a liquid. The process leads to
sive and harmless techniques for performing cancer diagnosis.
entropy increase manifesting itself in coherent dynamics of energy buildup inside the system,” said Prof. Fratalocchi.
“Imagine in the future if you could have just a single optical fiber which can be applied to the skin and, in less than a second, a pulse could be retrieved by the scattering inside the human tis-
The theory shows that at the root of the dramatic energy increase there is a fundamental thermo-
sue indicating if a patient is sick or not,” said Prof. Fratalocchi. Encouraged by the early results of
dynamic principle, known as energy equipartition. The most salient observation is that the energy
their experiments, the Primalight team intends to continue innovating through the application of
absorption is significantly higher while keeping the size and the volume constant. “This is very
photonics in the field of biosystems.
important if you consider that today 50% of the price of a single solar module lies just in the acqui-
In the two years since its inception, the KAUST Primalight group has published 14 articles (11
sition of the semi-conductor. Besides that, chaotic energy harvesting has no theoretical efficiency
printed and three accepted), received 11 citations and has an h-factor of two. Six papers have been
limits and, in optimized systems, the energy increase can be much larger than the 600% value
published in 2012 and three have been accepted this month, two in Nature Photonics and one in
reported in the paper,” he adds.
Scientific Reports.
4
Research
May 2013
Scientific Study Shows that Marine Management Works
Fishers from the Locha community return to the village after a long day of catching adult coralgrouper at the spawning aggregation for sample collection. Fishers paddled back and forth from their village to the site each day, a round trip of 10 km.
A team of researchers has demonstrated that
their own food security," the scientists concluded.
both local and cooperative fisheries management
According to the article’s first author, Dr. Glenn
can play a big role in restoring and maintaining
Almany of James Cook University in Australia,
fish numbers in stressed coral reef fisheries. The
“this gives us a really great handle on how dif-
international team, including KAUST Red Sea
ferent fishery areas interconnect and can support
Research Center’s Assistant Professor of Marine
one another. It also shows that the community
Science Michael Berumen and postdoctoral fel-
which bears the cost of operating a marine
low Pablo Saenz-Agudelo, reported on their
reserve derives the greatest benefit."
findings in an April issue of Current Biology.
Discussing the relevance of the work to reefs in
The researchers analyzed the genetic par-
our own backyard, Prof. Berumen added, “Some
entage of protected squaretail coral grouper
parts of the Red Sea unfortunately have a seri-
(Plectropomus areolatus) around Manus Island
ous overfishing problem. Our work in Papua New
in Papua New Guinea. They worked with local
Guinea shows that marine reserves could help
fishers in community-run marine reserves and
to conserve and replenish stocks of fish such as
fisheries, first collecting fin samples from a
hammour and nagil on Saudi reefs. Our connec-
spawning aggregation of coral grouper. Six
tivity projects in the Red Sea lead us to believe
months later, the team collected similar tissue
that we will see similar patterns here.” The square-
samples from juvenile fish, this time with the
tail coral grouper studied in Papua New Guinea
help of around a hundred fishers in five fishing
is locally known as taradi while nagil is a closely
communities and up to 33 kilometers from the
related species (Plectropomus pessuliferus).
original collection site.
The project’s core team formed in 2004
The team analyzed DNA from the samples to
includes researchers from James Cook University
determine how many of the juveniles were off-
(Australia), Woods Hole Oceanographic
spring of the originally studied spawning group.
Institution (WHOI) (US), and the University of
The study showed that 17-25% of the juveniles
Perpignan (France). At that time Prof. Berumen
collected in the managed area were offspring of
was a PhD student at James Cook University,
the studied parent group, as were 6-17% of the
then later a postdoctoral fellow at WHOI, and
juveniles caught in the four neighboring fisher-
since 2009, has been on the faculty of KAUST.
ies. The team went on to predict that half of all
Also involved in this work are researchers
coral grouper young settle within 14 kilometers of
from the Nature Conservancy in New Guinea
the spawning site. The results demonstrated that
and Australia, the University of Hawaii (US),
managing and protecting fishing grounds helps
the University of Melbourne (AUS), and Centre
to re-stock the protected fishing grounds, and the
de Recherches Insulaires et Observatoire de
actions also benefit the surrounding marine areas.
l'Environnement (French Polynesia). Dr. Saenz-
“This project has very clear applications - real
Agudelo's postdoctoral studies are sponsored
world benefits that are readily apparent," said
jointly by KAUST and WHOI. WHOI shares
Prof. Berumen. “It was very important to us that
strong ties with the University, as it was involved
what we did was useful and relevant to the vil-
with the early development of KAUST's Red Sea
lages involved, that they understood the project
Research Center and maintains several collabora-
and the outcome. And they did, immediately."
tions between professors and students.
The findings are expected to have significant
“One of the great privileges of being at KAUST
implications for hundreds of millions of people
is the ability to collaborate with leading universi-
who depend on coral reefs for food and liveli-
ties in our field," said Prof. Berumen. "Projects of
hood in areas under stress from development,
this type and size lead to really meaningful high
overfishing, and climate change. The results are
impact work that deserves international attention
thought to be particularly important to coun-
and can only be achieved by collaboration with
tries where government fisheries schemes are
experts from around the world."
lacking or poorly enforced, and to areas like the
The Current Biology paper, “Dispersal of
Coral Triangle (Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia,
Grouper Larvae Drives Local Resource Sharing in
Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and East
a Coral Reef Fishery,” can be accessed at http://
Timor). “Our results can empower people in the
dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2013.03.006
Coral Triangle region and throughout Oceania… to take effective local actions that help ensure
The Beacon
دراسة تعاونية تثبت علميًا بالدليل القاطع جدوى اإلدارة البحرية
Traditional houses in the background and a fishing canoe in the foreground at the Tawi community, one of the five Titan (pronounced “tee-tan) communities that worked with researchers during this study.
وأفاد العلماء أن النتائج التي توصلوا لها ستساعد الناس في منطقة مثلث المرجان وجميع أنحاء أوقيانوسيا على اتخاذ اإلجراءات المحلية الالزمة والفعالة التي ويقول الدكتور غلين ألماني من.تضمن أمنهم الغذائي جامعة جيمس كوك في أستراليا الكاتب األول لهذه المقالة "هذا يعطينا مؤشر عظيم بالفعل عن كيفية ترابط مناطق صيد األسماك المختلفة وإمكانية دعمها كما يظهر لنا أن المجتمع الذي يتحمل تكاليف.لبعضها ."تشغيل المحميات البحرية هو المستفيد األكبر وأوضح البرفسور بيرومين عالقة هذه الدراسة التعاونية ، بالشعاب المرجانية في منطقتنا بقوله " لسوء الحظ تتعرض بعض المناطق في البحر األحمر لمشكلة الصيد وقد بينت الدراسة التي قمنا بها في منطقة بابوا.الجائر في غينيا الجديدة أن المحميات البحرية يمكنها أن تساعد في حفظ وتجديد الثروة السمكية مثل أسماك .الهامور و الناجل في الشعاب المرجانية السعودية ونعتقد من خالل أبحاثنا في البحر األحمر أننا سنشاهد و تجدر اإلشارة."نفس النمط الموجود في منطقة بابوا إلى أنه يطلق على ساللة أسماك الشعاب المرجانية التي بالطرادي ّ تمت دراستها في بابوا في غينيا الجديدة محليًا .و هي ساللة منحدرة من سمك الناجل ،2004 تشكل الفريق األساسي لهذا المشروع في عام وكان وقتها يتألف من باحثين من جامعة جيمس كوك )WHOI( ومعهد وودز هول لعلوم المحيطات،)(أستراليا .)(الواليات المتحدة) وجامعة بربينيان (فرنسا كان الدكتور بيرومين طالب دكتوراه في جامعة جيمس ثم زميل ما بعد الدكتوراه في،كوك في ذلك الوقت وحاليا يعمل عضو في هيئة التدريس في،معهد ودز هول كما يشارك في.2009 جامعة الملك عبد اهلل منذ عام هذا العمل باحثون من منظمة حفظ الطبيعة في غينيا ،) وجامعة هاواي (الواليات المتحدة، وأستراليا،الجديدة ومركز بحوث الجزيرة،)وجامعة ملبورن (أستراليا والمرصد البيئي (بولينيزيا الفرنسية) وجامعة الملك .عبداهلل للعلوم و التقنية كما انضم باحث دراسات ما بعد الدكتوراه في جامعة بابلو ساينز اغوديلو برعاية مشتركة من،الملك عبداهلل جامعة الملك عبد اهلل للعلوم والتقنية ومعهد ودز هول حيث كان له دور بارز في تطوير مركز أبحاث البحر األحمر في الجامعة والحفاظ على عالقات التعاون بين .األساتذة والطالب ويؤكد الدكتور بيرومين "إن من أعظم امتيازات االنتماء لجامعة الملك عبداهلل هي القدرة على التعاون مع إذ أن نتائج مشاريع،الجامعات الرائدة في مجال عملنا بهذا الحجم و النوع تكون هادفه ومفيدة حقًا وذات تأثير كبير يستحق اإلشادة واالهتمام الدولي ولن يتحقق ذلك ."إال بالتعاون مع خبراء من جميع أنحاء العالم ونشرت نتائج هذا البحث في العدد األخير من مجلة Dispersal of " في مقال بعنوانCurrent Biology Grouper Larvae Drives Local Resource Sharing " و باإلمكان اإلطالع عليهin a Coral Reef Fishery http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j. عبر الرابط التالي cub.2013.03.006
أثبت فريق من الباحثين الدوليين من بينهم كل من الدكتور مايكل بيرومين األستاذ المساعد في علوم البحار في جامعة الملك عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية وزميل ما بعد الدكتوراه بابلو ساينز أغوديلو في دراسة تعاونية عن المحميات البحرية ومصائد األسماك التي يديرها المجتمع المحلي أن اإلدارة التقليدية المحلية لمصايد األسماك مجدية للغاية ويمكن أن تلعب دورًا كبيرًا في المساعدة على استعادة الثروة السمكية والحفاظ عليها بمناطق الصيد في الشعب المرجانية التي تحظى بإقبال .شديد في البلدان النامية واستطاع هذا الفريق باستخدام تقنية تصوير الزعنفة ) من التوصل إلى أول دليلfin-printing( الظهرية واضح على أن مناطق الصيد التقليدية الصغيرة التي تديرها المجتمعات المحلية بفاعلية يمكن أن تساعد في إعادة الثروة السمكية لتلك المناطق والمناطق البحرية ولهذا االكتشاف تأثيرات كبيرة على مئات.المحيطة بها الماليين من الناس في جميع أنحاء العالم الذين يعتمدون .على الشعاب المرجانية في الغذاء و كسب الرزق Current Bi� و ذكر الباحثون في مقالة نشرت في مجل ة أنهم عثروا على ساللة محمية من سمك هامورology الشعاب المرجانية المرقش تعيش بوفرة في المناطق التي تديرها المجتمعات المحلية في منطقة بابوا في وبالتعاون،غينيا الجديدة ومناطق الصيد المحيطة مع الصيادين المحليين في جزيرة مانوس هناك تمكن الباحثون من أخذ عينات من زعانف مجموعة من الهامور تتكاثر في محمية بحرية صغيرة ثم جمع عينات كم33 مماثلة من أسماك الهامور الصغيرة على بعد من المحمية لتحديد عدد االسماك المنتمية للساللة .األصلية في المحمية عن طريق تحليل الحمض النووي في المائة من25-17 ولقد وجد الباحثون أن ما نسبته جميع األسماك الصغيرة التي تم جمعها في المناطق التي تديرها المجتمعات المحلية كانت من نفس 17-6 مجموعة األسماك في المحمية وكذلك الحال مع في المائة من جميع أسماك الهامور الصغيرة في أربعة وتوقع الباحثون من هذه النتائج.مصايد أسماك مجاورة أن نصف أسماك هامور الشعب المرجانية الصغيرة يوم25 كم من منطقة التكاثر بعد14 تعيش على بعد .عندما تفقس من البيض وقال الدكتور بيرومين ان "لهذا المشروع تطبيقات ومن،واضحة جدًا وفوائد ظاهرة للعالم الحقيقي المهم جدًا أن تستفيد القرى المعنية من عملنا بصورة وقد. و أن يعي سكانها هذا المشروع ونتائجه،كبيرة ." فعلوا ذلك فورًا يبدوا أن شكل من أشكال اإلدارة البحرية التقليدية قد وما تقدمه هذه الدراسة من أدلة،استمر لعدة قرون .علمية ثابته تؤكد ذلك وتؤيد مدى جدواها وفاعليتها كما أن لنتائج هذه الدراسة أهمية خاصة لدول العالم التي تفتقر إلى مشاريع مصائد األسماك الحكومية أو الغير مدعومة بصورة جيدة و في مناطق مثل مثلث المرجان وجزر، بابوا غينيا الجديدة، ماليزيا، الفلبين،(إندونيسيا سليمان وتيمور الشرقية) الذي يمد مئات الماليين من الناس بالغذاء ويعاني من أزمات كبيرة نتيجة الصيد .وتغير المناخ ّ وضعف التنمية،الجائر
Research
www.kaust.edu.sa
May 2013
CQD Solar Cell based on a Novel Nanowire Network Electrode
الدكتور سيلفيا املواد املتقدمة- ماساال
Dr. Silvia Masala, a postdoctoral fellow in the Solar and Photovoltaic Engineering Research Center, Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering, authored a paper published recently in the high-impact materials science journal Advanced Materials. The issue’s frontispiece illustration was by the Center’s Web and Communication Administrator, Anastasia Khrenova. Colloidal quantum dot (CQD) solar cells have
Dr. Silvia Masala
attracted growing attention since they were first introduced in 2005. They offer several advan-
cell based on a novel nanowire network elec-
tages over solar cells that use bulk materials
trode. The electrode is fabricated by bottom up
(such as cadmium telluride, copper indium gal-
approach and consists in a zinc oxide (ZnO)
lium selenide, or silicon) as the photovoltaic
template converted into locally connected, yet
systems’ absorbing material. Rather than having
infiltratable, titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanowires.
fixed bandgaps, as is the case with bulk materi-
The CQD solar cell is completed by infiltration of
als, quantum dots have bandgaps that are tunable
the quantum dots in the nanowire network elec-
across a broad spectrum of energy levels. This
trode. The interpenetrating structure of the two
property makes them attractive for heterojuction
materials allowed the team to efficiently extract
solar cells, where the cell’s efficiency is improved
charges from a thicker, more light absorbing col-
by tuning a variety of different bandgap materials
loidal quantum dot active layer compared to a
to different wavelengths of light. In addition to
planar heterojunction.
their advantages regarding properties, quantum
The success of this work stems from the fine
dot solar cells are also easy to fabricate, and they
control of the different stages of fabrication of
have a potential for low-cost manufacture.
the electrode, which allowed good electronic
“Because of their limited ability to efficiently
property and tunable morphology.
collect charges, CQD solar cells deliver well under
The researchers will now work on improving
the short-circuit current density they should be
the electronic properties of network electrode
capable of,” Dr. Masala said. “In these solar cells
and implement it in an even thicker absorbing
in fact, a depletion region for field-driven charge
film overcoming the well-known absorption-
transport and separation is formed, resulting in
extraction compromise limiting colloidal
increased efficiency of photogenerated charge
quantum dot solar cells.
extraction at the electrodes.”
The Advanced Materials research paper,
The international research team, including
“Self-Assembled, Nanowire Network Electrodes
Dr. Masala and scientists from the University
for Depleted Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells,”
of Toronto and Hefei University of Technology,
is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/
developed a depleted heterojunction CQD solar
adma.201203759.
5
الشمسية بواسطةCQD ثم يتم إكمال خلية.الصغر ترشيح النقطة الكمية في شبكة األقطاب الكهربائية وساعد الهيكل المتداخل.لألسالك المتناهية الصغر CQD للمادتين الفريق على تجميع شحنات من طبقة أكثر سمكًا وامتصاصًا للضوء مقارنة مع السطح ذو .الوصلة غير المتجانسة ويأتي نجاح هذا العمل بفعل الضبط الدقيق لمختلف مراحل تصنيع القطب الكهربائي الذي أعطته خاصية فيما يسعى،إلكترونية جيدة مع تشكيل قابل للضبط الباحثون اآلن على تحسين الخصائص اإللكترونية لشبكة األقطاب الكهربائية ثم استخدامها في فلم يعمل بخاصية امتصاص الضوء يكون أكثر سمكًا CQD وذلك للتغلب على محدودية الخاليا الشمسية .على جمع الشحنات Self-Assembled,“ لإلطالع على الورقة البحثية Nanowire Network Electrodes for Depleted Bulk Advanced ” في مجلة,Heterojunction Solar Cells http:// : يرجى الدخول إلى الرابط التاليMaterials dx.doi.org/10.1002/adma.201203759
العلمية الشهيرةAdvanced Materials نشرت مجلة زميل ما بعد،ورقة بحثية للدكتورة سيلفيا ماساال الدكتوراه في مركز أبحاث هندسة الطاقة الشمسية والخاليا الضوئية بقسم العلوم والهندسة الفيزيائية .بجامعة الملك عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية والتي جذبتCQD وتعمل الخاليا الشمسية من نوع إهتماما متزايدا منذ اإلعالن عن إكتشافها في عام على توفير مزايا عديدة أكثر من تلك الموجودة2005 في الخاليا الشمسية التي تستخدم المواد السائبة ) أو السيليكون،CIGS ،(مثل تيلوريد الكادميوم ال من استخدام فجوات طاقة ُ فبد.لتجميع الضوء تستخدم،ثابته كما هو الحال في المواد السائبة فجوات طاقة يمكنCQD الخاليا الشمسية من نوع وهذه.ضبطها عبر مستويات طاقة واسعة النطاق الخاصية تجعلها مناسبة للخاليا الشمسية ذات الوصلة غير المتجانسة حيث يتم تحسين كفاءة الخلية من خالل ضبط مجموعة متنوعة من المواد ذات فجوات .طاقة مختلفة تبعًا ألطوال موجية مختلفة من الضوء بسهولة تصنيعهاCQD وتمتاز الخاليا الشمسية من نوع .وانخفاض تكلفتها " قدرة الخاليا:وتقول الدكتورة سيلفيا ماساال على جمع الشحنات بكفاءة محدودةCQD الشمسية لكنها تعمل بفاعليه كبيرة تحت الكثافة الحالية، جدًا كما ساعدت البنية.للدائرة الكهربائية القصيرة التركيبية لألجهزة الجديدة مثل الخاليا الشمسية ) فيHD( المفرغة ذات الوصلة غير المتجانسة حيث يتم في هذه،تحسينات كبيرة في هذا المجال الخاليا تشكيل منطقة إفراغ لنقل وفصل الشحنة مما يؤدي إلى زيادة كفاءة تجميع الشحنات الكهربائية " .التي يتم توليدها من الضوء في األقطاب الكهربائية ،وسعى فريق األبحاث الدولي الذي ضم الدكتور ماساال والبروفسور تيد سارجنت،والبروفسور غسان جبور مفرغة ذاتCQD إلى تطوير خاليا شمسية من نوع وصلة غير متجانسة باالعتماد على شبكة أقطاب وتتم. كهربائية جديدة من األسالك المتناهية الصغر صناعة األقطاب الكهربائية باعتماد منهج تصاعدي ) وتحويله الىZnO( وباستخدام قالب أكسيد الزنك ) المتناهيةTiO2( أسالك ثاني أكسيد التايتينيوم
Spring 2013 VentureLab Startup Showcase KAUST Entrepreneurship Center’s VentureLab is a bi-annual entrepreneurial development program that provides a real-world, hands-on learning experience on how to successfully transform an idea into a startup business. Spring 2013 VentureLab started in February and concluded with a Startup Showcase Event held in on April 28. “What most business schools and textbooks teach us about startups does not really apply in the real world,” said the event’s host, Entrepreneurship Center Manager Mr. Ahmed Abdulwahab. “With the tra-
VentureLab participants and members of the Entrepreneurship Center team with Ahmed Abdulwahab, Manager of the Entrepreneurship Center (middle row, far right) and Jamal Naboulsi, Managing Director of the Aramco Wa’ed (middle row, second from right).
ditional business plan method, everything happens inside the building – but there is no knowledge inside the building, so no business plan survives the first customer contact,” as Steve Blank, a successful serial
Nine teams presented their businesses before a panel of prominent judges: Jamal Naboulsi, Managing
entrepreneur and lecture at leading US universities, says. “We do it the other way around: instead of
Director of Saudi Aramco Entrepreneurship Center (Wa'ed); Rami Abu Ghazaleh, Founder and CEO of
concentrating and documenting the future unknowns, we ask our entrepreneurs to go outside the build-
AlBaik; Aiman Alatiqi, Partner at Iris Capital (STC Ventures); Mohammed El-Kuwaiz, Co-founder and
ing and talk to customers, partners, etc. We start with customer validation before product development.
Board Member of Oqal Angel Network; Prof. Mootaz Elnozahy, KAUST Dean of Computer, Electrical,
This is not another or new approach in entrepreneurship, but rather a fundamental different approach
and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division; and Tony Valenzuela, KAUST Director of Campus
in how to successfully start a business.”
Support. Each team was given six or three minutes for the presentation and a further one or two for
The ten week Spring 2013 VentureLab started with a week of action-oriented teaching and lecturing
questions, answers, and feedback. Judging was based on the proposals’ general assessment; product and
sessions by Babson College's award winning entrepreneurship teacher, Professor Les Charm. Over the
market positioning; business competitiveness; business model; and how the team had prepared their
following weeks, KAUST Entrepreneurship Center’s team taught and coached the participants as they
presentation. The awards were presented by KAUST Provost Prof. Stefan Catsicas.
validated their product ideas by talking to customers, developed a minimum viable product, made finan-
The afternoon’s first award, A Fast-Track to Seed Fund Finals, was presented to Rasid, a system
cial projections, engaged with potential customers, and prepared to pitch their businesses to potential
that “monitors, tracks, and acts on the health condition of your car.” Rasid team members are Maha
investors and the Showcase Event judges.
AlSahman (KAUST Industry Collaboration Program member/Sadara Chemical Company,) Khalid Mulla
“Startups are not smaller versions of larger companies,” Mr. Abdulwahab explained. “With startups, it’s about searching – searching for the right business model. Instead of concentrating on writing down
(National Commercial Bank), Walid AlHarbi (Research Systems Specialist at KAUST IT), Khalid AlMotrafi (Umm Al-Qura University), and Yasmeen Algabasani (DHL Saudi).
the unknown, we encourage our teams to get out of the building, and talk to customers to validate the
The main prize of 40,000 SR in cash was sponsored by the MIT Startup Competition and awarded to
product idea. They should then develop a minimal viable product, just one inexpensive feature of the
3D Print Your Imagination (3D PYI), a business that offers a 3D printing service. The team members are
final product, and again return to the customers to validate it. Only after customer validation, only then,
Mohannad Alnabulsi (Qotuf AlRiyadah Development Company) and Yasser Bahjatt (Qotuf).
should they start to develop the product or start writing down the business plan.”
6
May 2013
Research
The Beacon
High-Flying Quadcopter’s Photos Result in 3D Historical Virtual Tours
Luca Passone, a member of KAUST’s founding class who gradu-
can also be recorded on an iPhone or iPad for later analysis. He
Mohammad Shalaby of GMSV, who plans to do a full digital
ated with an MS in High Performance Computing and is now a
wears special goggles that allow him to see what the camera on
reconstruction of Makkah. His plan, the Digital Makkah Project,
PhD student in Earth Sciences, wanted a remote control helicopter
the copter sees as he flies it.
would be a reconstruction of the entire city. It will catalog every
when he was a little boy in Rome, Italy. He kept asking his par-
The copter also has built in GPS. If the machine detects a loss
street, every building, and the terrain. They have ordered a larger
ents for one, but they never gave in. Now, a few years later and
in control signal or something goes wrong with the video link, it
copter for use in the project. It can hold three cameras and can
finally able to buy his own, Luca turned his pastime into a project
will rise 20 meters and return to land within a meter of its starting
fly up to 15 km away from the starting point while still stream-
that may allow people to visit archaeological and historical sites
point. “It’s a safety consideration. Although it is light in weight,
ing live video.
in 3D virtually.
you want to be sure it is not going to injure anyone if something
While enjoying flying his copter, Passone thought it would be
goes wrong,” he said.
“A 3D virtual tour of Saudi Arabian cultural sites would make the viewer feel as if they were actually there,” said Dr. Smith.
interesting to see if he could take photos from it. So he began to
The copter took on another dimension when Passone met Dr.
“This could be very important for people who may never have
adapt his copter to allow him to do just that. “The copter I am
Neil Smith, a research scientist from the Geometric Modeling and
the opportunity to come to Saudi Arabia and helpful in spreading
flying now I made from parts of other ‘projects’ I had around the
Scientific Visualization Center (GMSV). Dr. Smith was interested
Saudi Arabia’s cultural heritage to the world.”
house,” he said. “I use a little Canon S-90 camera, a point and
to see if they could make 3D point cloud reconstruction using
Passone and Dr. Smith think that museums, schools, and uni-
shoot, for the photos and recycled materials for everything else.”
the copter and a technique called Structure for Motion. Two six
versities may be interested in their efforts. At present, Dr. Smith
Passone’s copter can fly 1 kilometer horizontally away from
minute flights and 200 photos later, it is possible to view a very
is working out the algorithms that would allow for better color
him. He says there is no reason it can’t fly that high as well. He has
realistic 3D reconstruction of the King Abdullah Grand Mosque as
and improve certain weaknesses in the point cloud reconstruction.
ordered an OSD (On Screen Display) for it so he can receive real
if you are flying over and around it in the copter.
They are still in the early stages of the project, they say, but hope
time telemetry on the copter’s distance, altitude and speed, which
Passone and Dr. Smith have also teamed up with Professor
فإذا استطعنا ببساطة زيادة األداء في أشباه الموصالت بصورة كبيرة بواسطة إعادة تشكيلها وقمنا باستخدام . عندها نكون قد ابتكرنا نموذج إلنتاج الطاقة أكثر فعالية من حيث التكلفة،نفس كمية المواد للنشر وأحد المراجع فيNature ويعتبر البرفسور فراتالوتشي أحد ك ّتاب التقارير العلمية في مجموعة كما أنه من العلماء الرواد في العالم الذين لديهم. العلميةNature and Physical Review مجالت أحد المجاالت الصاعدة في علم الضوئيات و التي أشاد- إسهامات قيمة في دراسة األنظمة العشوائية البرفسور فراتالوتشي بأهميتها بقوله " معظم األوراق البحثية التي تنشر اآلن في المجالت العلمية الرائدة بل إن لديها تطبيقات أخرى، وال يقتصر دور هذه األنظمة على تجميع الطاقة فقط."هي في هذا المجال وتقوم أبحاث البرفسور فراتالوتشي الحالية حول كيفية انتشار الضوء في.في مجاالت الطب وعلوم المواد والتيBiophotonics وهذا النوع من األبحاث يندرج تحت مجال الضوئيات الحيوية أو.األنسجة البشرية .يمكن أن تؤدي إلى تطوير تقنيات لتشخيص مرض السرطان دون الحاجة لعملية جراحية وغير ضارة ال تحديد ما إذا كان الشخص مصاب بمرض في أقل من ثانية ً ويقول البرفسور فراتالوتشي " قد نستطيع مستقب ."عبر وضع الياف بصرية على الجلد تقوم باسترجاع نبضة باستخدام التشتت الضوئي داخل أنسجة الجسم وقد شجعت النتائج الباهرة التي توصل اليها فريق بريمااليت في وقت مبكر أعضائه لمواصلة االبتكارعبر .تطبيق الضوئيات في مجال النظم البيولوجية 11( مادة علمية14 تجدر اإلشارة إلي أن منشورات فريق بريمااليت منذ تأسيسه قبل عامين بلغ عددها كما نشرت لهم ست أبحاث. مرة11 تم قبولها) وتم االستشهاد بمقاالتهم العلمية3 منها تمت طباعتها و وواحدة فيNature Photonics ثالث منها تم قبولها هذا الشهر (اثنان في مجلة، 2012 علمية في عام .)Nature Scientific Reports مجلة
to soon be “flying high.”
CHAOS تتمة مجع الطاقة باستخدام مبدأ العشوائية ويعتمد فريق بريمااليت منهج متعدد التخصصات من الرياضيات التطبيقية والفيزياء النظرية والحوسبة المتوازية في دراسة انتشار الموجات في األنظمة المضطربة المعقدة من مقياس انغستروم إلى نظام وقام فراتالوتشي وفريقه في هذه الدراسة بالذات بدمج نظرية تحليلية مع المحاكاة منذ.تيراهيرتز البداية وإجراء التجارب في دوائر رنين الكريستال الضوئية والكريات المجهرية للبوليزثايرين ذات .التشكيل المشوه ال غير مرغوب فيه في المراقبة ً كما تعتبر عام، بعدم القدرة على التنبؤChaos وغالبًا ما ترتبط العشوائية ولكن االمر ليس كذلك بالنسبة للبرفسور اندريا فراتالوتشي وفريقه حيث تمثل بالنسبة لهم نقطة.العلمية .انطالق لتقنية جديدة إلنتاج الطاقة واسعة االنتشار ويقول فراتالوتشي " يتم بناء دوائر الرنين.وتستند السمة الرئيسية لدوائر الرنين على أنماط تشوه محددة مثل، المشوهة بطريقة معينة يصبح فيها الضوء عشوائيًا تمامًا وغير قابل لالنعكاس في نفس الوقت وتؤدي العملية الى زيادة درجة التعادل الحراري التي تظهر بصورة.الحركة البراونية للجسيمات في السائل ."ديناميكيات متماسكة من الطاقة المتراكمة داخل النظام وتتحدث النظرية التي تم طرحها في ورقة البحث عن أحد المبادئ الرئيسية للديناميكية الحرارية يعرف زيادة معدل، ومن المالحظات البارزة هنا. له تأثير كبير في الزيادة الهائلة للطاقة، بالتوزيع المتساوي للطاقة يقول فراتالوتشي " هذا أمر مهم جدًا اذا ما أخذنا في.امتصاص الطاقة مع بقاء المقاس والحجم ثابتين اضافة الى أن. في المائة من سعر وحدة واحدة من الخاليا الشمسية50 االعتبار أن أشباه الموصالت تشكل إذ يمكن زيادة الطاقة في النظم المثلى حتى، تجميع الطاقة العشوائية ال حدود لفاعليته من الناحية النظرية ." في المائة من القيمة التي ورد ذكرها في الورقة البحثية600 أكثر من
Research
www.kaust.edu.sa Tandem CATALYST | Continued from p1
May 2013
7
Prof. Luigi Cavallo and his co-author, KAUST visiting researcher Dr. Albert Poater, discuss computational chemistry at the University.
Through the use of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, the researchers discovered that palladium tricyclohexylphosphine N-heterocyclic carbene complexes can act as tandem catalysts in reaction media, liberating hydrogen from formic acid and then using the hydrogen to hydrogenate the substrates. Tandem catalytic hydrogenation of alkenes and alkynes through the use of formic acid was effectively carried out using the complexes. Prof. Cavallo and Dr. Albert Poater, a KAUST visiting researcher from the Universitat de Girona, performed the computational side of the research to clarify how the catalyst complexes work, with the scientists from St Andrews carrying out the experimental research. “I see computational chemistry as a kind of microscope that can be used to investigate nature, to get information and to get new ideas to move forward, and I very much like to collaborate with the experimentalists,” says
Reprinted with permission from J. Am. Chem. Soc., March 27, 2013, 135(12) cover. Copyright 2013 American Chemical Society.”
Prof. Cavallo. “In the paper, we provide the
Cover illustration by KAUST Scientific Illustrator Ekaterina Mikhaylova.
full characterization of the reaction pathway for the release of hydrogen from formic acid,” he notes. “The next step – hydrogenation of a
an easier hydrogenation process for industry,
substrate with hydrogen – was very standard.
resulting in cheaper goods for consumers. And
That was not the big issue, but it was unclear
although “people normally think of hydrogen
through which mechanism the transforma-
storage in terms of using hydrogen to run a
tion of formic acid to hydrogen could occur.
car,” he says, “there are other industrial pro-
Computational chemistry is extremely helpful
cesses where the handling and storage of
because it enables us to characterize all the
hydrogen is important. Catalytic hydrogena-
steps from the beginning to the end of a reac-
tion is one of these processes.”
tion to understand [it].” Prof. Cavallo hopes that the work with the palladium tricyclohexylphosphine N-heterocyclic carbene complexes will lead to
والخطوة.الهيدروجين من حمض الفورميك التالية هي القيام بعملية الهدرجة بطريقة قياسية ولكن مكمن المشكلة هو تحديد آلية تحول.ًجدا و هنا تأتي فائدة.حمض الفورميك الى هيدروجين الكيمياء الحاسوبية في أنها تستطيع وصف جميع خطوات التفاعل الكيميائي من بدايته الى نهايته ."ليسهل فهمه ويأمل الدكتور كافالو في "أن تؤدي التجارب على مركبات الباالديوم الحلقية المحتوية على حلقات palladium tricyclohexyl� كاربين غير متجانس ة إلى تبسيطphosphine N-heterocyclic carbene عملية الهدرجة في الصناعة األمر الذي سوف يسهم ."في انتاج سلع و بضائع أرخص للمستهلكين ويؤكد بإن "عملية احتواء الهيدروجين ليست مقصورة على تشغيل السيارات فقط كما يعتقد بل توجد عمليات صناعية أخرى مهمه،الكثيرين ."ً كهدرجة الحفز مثال،z تعتمد عليها
تتمة اهلدرجة باستخدام احلافز الرتاديف
بفاعلية باستخدام عملية الهدرجة بحافز ترادفي للكينات (المركبات الهيدروكاربونية الدهنية غير المشبعة) والكاينات (العناصر الهيدروكربونية ذات السلسلة المفتوحة والمحتوية على رابطة .)ثالثية واحدة ويقوم كل من الدكتور كافالو والدكتور ألبرت بوتير الباحث الزائر لجامعة الملك عبد اهلل والقادم من جامعة دي جيرونا بتولي الجوانب الحاسوبية فيما،للبحث لتوضيح كيف تعمل مركبات الحفز يقوم العلماء من جامعة سانت اندروز بالقيام .بالتجارب الفعلية ويشبه الدكتور كافالو الكيمياء الحاسوبية "بالمجهر الذي يستخدم للتحقيق ودراسة الطبيعة للحصول على المعلومات وعلى أفكار جديدة كما أنه "يفضل."تساعد على التقدم في العلوم العمل التعاوني مع العلماء الذين يقومون بالتجارب "لقد قدمنا في الورقة البحثية: ويقول."العلمية وصف كامل لمسار التفاعل الكيميائي لتحرير
ACCOLADES Mohammad Adnan Khan Receives Award for Work on Polymer Electronics
Dr. Donald Brown Awarded 2013 InterPore-Fraunhofer Award
Professor Markowich Awarded John von Neumann Visiting Chair at TUM
PhD student Mohammad
Dr. Donald Brown, a post-
DR. PETER Markowich,
Adnan Khan has been rec-
doctoral fellow in CEMSE
Distinguished Professor of
ognized for his research on
in the Strategic Research
Applied Mathematics and
low-cost printed electronics
Initiative for Numerical
Computational Science, has
using functional polymeric
Porous
has
been awarded the John von
materials and devices.
recently been awarded the
Neumann Visiting Chair at
Khan, who is majoring
prestigious 2013 InterPore-
the Technische Universität
in Materials Science and
F r a u n h o f e r Aw a r d f o r
München (TUM). The Von
Engineering, is a mem-
Young Researchers. The
Neumann Visiting Chair
ber of Professor Husam
award is granted annually
is awarded to outstand-
Alshareef’s Functional
by the International Society
ing researchers in the
Nanomaterials and Devices Laboratory. He received his
for Porous Media to young researchers for outstanding
Mathematical Sciences.
latest recognition from the Gulf Petrochemicals and
contributions in the areas of porous and composite mate-
As a Visiting Professor at TUM, Prof. Markowich will
Chemicals Association (GPCA), the largest petrochemical
rial modeling and computer simulations. The award will be
offer a ‘John von Neumann Gastvorlesung’, which intro-
and chemicals association in the Middle East.
Media,
presented at the Interpore Conference and Annual Meeting
duces advanced undergraduates and beginning graduate
The GPCA recognitions are awarded for excellence and
May 22-24 in Prague, Czech Republic. The winners are
students to research in applied mathematics.
innovative ideas, achievements, and improvements in
awarded 5000 euros and are invited to visit and collaborate
polymeric products, processes, and their sustainability.
with researchers at Fraunhofer ITWM in Germany.
Upon receiving the Visiting Professorship, Prof. Markowich said, “I hope to make good use of this unique
Khan was recognized with a special “Student Talent in
Dr. Brown’s research bridges pore-scale modeling, sim-
opportunity to intensify the already excellent scientific
Plastics Award,” a category where students are judged on
ulations, and experiments to system-level studies, such as
contacts and collaborations between TUM and KAUST.”
their achievements in research projects, publications in
field studies in subsurface. This is important for modeling
refereed journals, intellectual property filings, and meas-
and accurate predictions at large scales. Dr. Brown is cur-
urable track records in exams and diplomas.
rently working with Associate Professor of Earth Sciences
The GPCA Plastic Innovation Awards 2013 winners were announced in the GPCA PlastCon 2013 conference in Dubai on April 8.
and Engineering, Victor Calo, on multi-scale modeling and simulations of unconventional reservoirs.
8
Community
May 2013
The Beacon
Artists of KAUST at the opening event.
KAUST President Choon Fong Shih speaks at the President’s Reception on May 7, where he was honored by the University family for his service to KAUST, and his leadership, vision, and dedication to the University’s mission. Prof. Shih will step down as founding President on June 30.
my university Nicholas Firth Nicholas Firth joined KAUST three months ago from Glasgow, Scotland, as the Safaa Racquet Club Manager. From his current office at the Harbor Sports Center, Nick has been
Artists' work on display in the University Library.
busy engaging the KAUST community with various racquet sport activities and preparing for the opening of the Racquet Club in the coming months. “I want to make sure that tennis is accessible for everybody,” he told The Beacon. Born in the small Scottish town of Dunoon, Nick loved sports as a kid, and moved to
ARTISTS OF KAUST 2013
Glasgow after school. He started playing tennis at the age of six, and it soon became his
From April 8-22, the University Library hosted its fourth annual “Artists
favorite sport. Prior to joining KAUST, Nick worked for five years as the head coach of
of KAUST” exhibition to showcase the artistic and creative talent found in our community. This year’s event featured a selection of works sub-
Giffnock Tennis club, with its 800 members, in Glasgow. Motivated by seeing players of all ages and skill levels improve, Nick has set up popu-
mitted by close to 30 individuals and by two collaborating groups of
lar racquet sport activities on campus. His diverse coaching programs cater to everyone from
artists. The exhibition’s 80 diverse works included paintings and draw-
beginners looking for a new physical activity, as well as children and adults who play tennis
ings in different styles and media, photographs from KAUST and around
for social or competitive reasons. A popular new session called cardio tennis “is like aerobics on the tennis
the word, painted textiles, wood burning, collage, jewelry, sculpture, and
court. That’s pulling in people that wouldn’t normally play tennis at all, which is great,” said Nick.
stained glass.
Social tennis sessions on Saturdays also attract players with basic skills to the Safaa Gardens School ten-
The featured artists were both hobbyists and professionals who have
nis courts for a series of timed match play sessions. “It’s a good chance for players to meet other people and
joined the KAUST community to work, study, or to support their spouses.
introduce people to each other," he added.
This year’s youngest participants were The KAUST School’s K2 students,
A competitive tennis and squash tournament was recently inaugurated and attracted a good number of
who had collaborated on their mixed-media collage as part of their
people. “I’ve been impressed by the facilities at KAUST, and it’s a good thing that a lot of people in the com-
unit of inquiries. Their work was commissioned by Averda, and will be
munity are already active in several sports,” Nick remarked. He has even started a talent identification process
installed at the community Reuse Center as part of the center’s sign.
to move kids that show particular talent and commitment into smaller groups and further develop their skills.
The exhibition was organized by the University Library and the Arts
“I would like to improve and produce some really good tennis players as well as look into the possibility of
Office, and was curated by Library employee Bodoor Shugdar and
doing both competitive and social trips in the region," he concluded.
KAUST artists Rachel Weitzman-Yeh and Tamara Jones.
‘Bravo and Hats Off!’ for KAUST’s Sunset and Community Concerts On April 14 and 27, the KAUST community was treated to two “in-house” concerts presented by members of the community. The Community Concert on April 14 featured both the orchestra and the chorus, with the orchestra performing J.S. Bach, W.A. Mozart, several contemporary pieces, and a regional work by Egyptian singer and composer Mohammed Abdel Wahab. The chorus delighted the audience with songs ranging from those based on verse from Carl Sandburg to the Irish melody, “Danny Boy.” “The orchestra and chorus marveled us again,” said Damián San Román Alerigi, a PhD student in the Photonics Laboratory. “It was fantastic to see the members of our community coming together to bring us – even for an hour – wonderful tunes and a joyful time.” Added Daniel Binham, a PhD student in the Geometric Algorithms Group and a member of the chorus, “My favorite moment was [the performance of] ‘Oh Danny Boy, I love you so.’ I felt the same for the concert.” The Sunset Concert on April 27, which was held in the beautiful setting of the University Library, included pieces for piano, guitar, and violin, and featured composers such as Arcangelo Corelli,
The musicians from the sunset concert on April 27 pose together in the University Library venue. photo credit: Damián San Román Alerigi instrument that resembles a lute. Angel T. Garcia Esparza, a PhD student in Chemical Science, accompanied Quino Quispe on the guitar.
Edward Elgar, and Mozart. A special treat was a performance of La Partida by Víctor Jara, a Chilean
“Bravo and hats off!” Rachel Yeh, community member, said of the concerts. “Looking forward to
singer-songwriter, for which Gustavo Quino Quispe, a master’s student in Mechanical Engineering,
more of the same.” The Sunset Concert series will resume in September, and a Community Concert
played the quena, the traditional flute of the Andes Mountains, and the charango, another Andean
will follow in November.