Foreword

Abstract

This special issue of the Journal of the American Ceramic Society contains invited articles from Material Challenges in Alternative and Renewable Energy 2024 (MCARE 2024) held August 19？23, 2024 at the gorgeous Lotte Hotel on the beautiful island of Jeju, South Korea. MCARE 2024, hosted by the Korean Institute of Chemical Engineering (KIChE) and supported by The American Ceramic Society (ACerS), drew over 600 participants from 16 countries. During MCARE 2024, nearly 500 presenters provided research and development efforts toward energy sustainability within nine symposia ranging in topics from hydrogen production, carbon capture, next-generation photovoltaics, advances in fuel cells and electrolysis, nanomaterials and generators, ammonia cycle, biomaterials, self-powered electronics, to advanced materials for energy storage, including rechargeable batteries. The organizing committee would like to thank all the participants, presenters, session organizers, and institutions who contributed to the success of MCARE 2024.

The MCARE series was originated by Dr. George G. Wicks, Past President (2011？2012) of The American Ceramic Society, and Dr. John G. “Jack” Simon (1940？2024), Past President (1994) of ASM International through the organization of and hosting on February 24？27, 2008, “Materials Innovations in an Emerging Hydrogen Economy” at the Hilton, Cocoa Beach, Florida, USA. The first conference was attended by roughly 175 people representing 17 countries. For 2010, the topic areas were broadened and the conference was renamed “Materials Challenges in Alternative & Renewable Energy (MCARE) ？ 2010,” becoming the MCARE series held annually since 2010, with the exception of the pandemic years of 2020？2021. In 2014, the Korean Institute of Chemical Engineers joined with The American Ceramic Society in sponsoring the MCARE series, with the MCARE site changing locations in alternate years between North America and South Korea. We would like to thank Professor Yong-Bong Hahn for his leadership in bringing the first MCARE to Korea in 2015, and all past and present members of the organizing committees for their ongoing dedication to MCARE, as well as presenters and participants for the scientific and engineering interactions and continued outstanding atmosphere of the MCARE series. Beginning in 2024, MCARE is moving to a biennial schedule.

We, the guest editors, through select invitations, have attempted to provide you, the reader, with a flavor of the breadth and quality of research and development efforts being reported at MCARE, including fundamental science and engineering involving ceramics and integration of ceramics. We hope that you enjoy the selected papers and find them insightful toward your research and development efforts. We also extend our sincere gratitude to the Editor-in-Chief, Professor John C. Mauro, and Managing Editor, Mr. Jonathon Foreman, for their steadfast support in making this special issue possible. Lastly, we look forward to continued submission of outstanding efforts in ceramics from future MCARE series to the Journal of the American Ceramic Society.

Sincerely,

Do-Heyoung Kim, Ph.D.

Professor of School of Chemical Engineering

Chonnam National University, Republic of Korea

Chair of MCARE 2024

Global Ambassador of The American Ceramic Society

kdhh@chonnam.ac.kr

Steven C. Tidrow, Ph.D.

Inamori Professor of Material Science and Engineering

New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, USA

Fellow of The American Ceramic Society

Co-Chair of MCARE 2024

Global Ambassador of The American Ceramic Society

tidrow@alfred.edu

Sung Jong Yoo, Ph.D.

Professor of University of Science & Technology (UST)

Professor of KHU-KIST Department of Converging Science and Technology

Distinguished Research Scientist/Principal Research Scientist of

KIST (Korea Institute of Science and Technology), Republic of Korea

Chair of the Industrial Cooperation Committee, MCARE 2024

ysj@kist.re.kr