This award from the Division of Chemistry supports an international meeting as part of the Chemical Sciences and Society Symposia (CS3). The CS3 convenes eminent high-level researchers from the US, UK, Japan, China and Germany to explore frontier chemistry research on diverse topics. The CS3 meeting in Tokyo, Japan, September 16-19, 2013 will work to chart a vision for "Efficient Utilization of Elements," i.e. finding new ways to reduce/replace the use of rare/precious metals. Specifically, it will focus on research areas with applications for catalysis, energy storage/conversion, construction materials, and environmental safeguard more sustainably. Representatives from each country's science and technology funding agencies also participate in the symposia. These meetings have been developed multilaterally through discussions of the chemical societies in each participating country (American Chemical Society in the US). This series is intended to be of great value to the global chemistry enterprise and to the world at large as it attempts to foster work in trans-national teams, across scientific disciplines, and beyond institutional boundaries. The workshop proceedings are promoted and distributed to the global science and technology community and the general public through journal articles and reports on the web, respectively. These results and recommendations illustrate chemistry's role in solving challenges in green energy and in pursuing economically-feasible and environmentally-benign commodity chemical production.
The 2013 Chemical Sciences and Society Symposium (CS3) summit was held September 16-19 in Narita, Japan. The summit brought together 30 top chemists and chemical engineers from participating countries (Japan, China, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States) to focus on the critical question of scarce resources and elements. Following the summit, the delegation synthesized its top ideas and vision on topic. The report "Efficient Utilization of Elements" was released to the public at the Fall 2014 National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in San Francisco, California USA. The CS3 report provides an enhanced vision from the five partner countries on how to address the critical issue of material scarcity. The joint report recommends a focus in three key areas: The creation and conservation of materials for energy production and storage (photovoltaic devices, magnets, combustion of fuels, batteries, etc.) Seeks out ways to enhance the use and preservation of current catalysts The recovery, reuse and recycling of precious metals and elements The findings of the CS3 delegation are designed to inspire the global scientific community to adopt a common vision to address the challenges related to element usage and conservation. The report outlines techniques for the chemical and engineering communities to contemplate exploring and adopting to address this issue. The report is expected to serve as an advocacy tool for the global scientific community, including funding agencies. The report has been disseminated widely throughout the American Chemical Society and partner networks worldwide. The 2013 report and reports from other CS3 topics is available online at www.acs.org/cs3
