Clemson University researchers who created a new type of advanced material have known it can store energy, but now they have now found a new potential use–parallel computing.
If further developed, the material could help create new types of computers that can handle more complex information and make better decisions than traditional computers.
The materials are synthesized at Clemson’s Advanced Materials Research Laboratory, said Marek Urban, the J.E. Sirrine Foundation Endowed Chair and Professor.
“They provide this parallel computing ability, like a human brain in a way,” Urban said. “It’s a slower process, but you can have parallel operations.”
In parallel computing, a system processes multiple tasks or pieces of information at the same time, instead of handling them one step at a time as traditional computers do. The advantage is that parallel computing can handle complex problems more efficiently by working on many parts at once rather than sequentially.
Right now, the new materials are in a proof-of-concept stage, tested in small lab samples and not yet developed into a real-world device. Urban said the next step is to produce the materials in larger quantities so they can be tested and developed at a larger scale.
The team described its findings in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition. The article is titled “Ion-Lock Storage With Multi-Logic Circuitry Gated by Polar–Dipolar Interactions in Poly(Ionic Liquids).”
Co-authors were Urban, along with members of his lab: graduate students Sourav Biswas and Jack Austin, and Jiahui Liu, formerly a postdoctoral researcher.
The team worked on a molecular level to create the materials.
It started by designing and synthesizing a series of ionic liquid monomers, which are charged molecules that contain pairs of positive and negative ions.
The team then used those monomers to create poly(ionic liquids), or PILs. PILs are long chains formed by linking many of these monomers together.
Pairs of positive and negative ions are positioned along the PIL chain, allowing researchers to control how the ions respond to an electric field.
That structure makes an “ion-lock” effect possible. That means ions can be polarized and then held in place to store energy.
Altogether, the results show how precise control at the molecular level can be used to create materials that store energy and support multi-logic operations.
Urban said the materials show promise because they are nontoxic, resistant to heat up to 400 degrees Celsius and light compared to batteries. Creating the materials does not involve complex engineering processes, he said.
While there is still work to do, the latest advance is exciting, Urban said.
“It provides an opportunity to create something that has parallel computing and at the same time is able to make decisions,” he said. “This is where logical circuits come into play. People are looking at this and saying, ‘Why haven’t I thought of this?’ So it’s been a lot of fun.”
Kyle Brinkman, chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, said the work highlights the power of advanced materials innovation to open new technological possibilities.
“This is a strong example of how understanding materials at a molecular level can lead to entirely new ways of thinking about energy and computing,” he said. “It helps position Clemson to play a leading role in developing next-generation technologies that bring these capabilities together.”
