Researchers Create Family of Composite Materials Published Feb. 6, 2008 By Air Force Office of Scientific Research AFOSR ARLINGTON, Va. -- AFRL-funded researchers have constructed an entirely new class of materials that could potentially aid Air Force (AF) missions. Dr. David Avnir, head of the Institute of Chemistry at The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel, led the scientists whose initial research yielded this surprising outcome. The idea of combining organic molecules with metals opens the door to many possibilities, and the range of preparation methods heightens the chance of finding useful end applications for AF missions. According to Major Jennifer Gresham, the program manager who oversees Dr. Avnir's work, the technology's two most promising applications involve corrosion resistance and improved catalysis for fuel cells. Preliminary indications suggest that the new metallic composites exhibit improved corrosion resistance. This finding is significant because metal corrosion is a persistent problem for the military and industry alike, impacting 3 to 5 percent of the gross national product of industrialized nations. In the US, this percentage translates to $280 billion each year. The technology's demonstrated usefulness includes its capacity to accelerate industrial processes through the physical alteration of metal properties and the formation of new metallic catalysts offering superior performance. Silver and copper composites are especially advantageous; the known antibacterial properties of these metals are of particular benefit in applications requiring long-term sterility, such as in plane and space station compartments and emergency medical treatment facilities and equipment. Dr. Avnir and his team devised methods wherein the metal is prepared at temperatures compatible with the organic molecules being trapped. With AFRL's funding support, the team was able to develop four different laboratory methods, subsequently applying these techniques to copper, silver, cobalt, gold, and palladium.