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In Philadelphia, and many urban areas across the country with sewer systems dating back to the 1800s, more frequent flooding is posing a threat not only to people and property, but also to surrounding ecosystems. In these areas stormwater and sewage drain into the same pipes and when flooding occurs they are designed to spill into nearby waterways, rather than inundating streets. Researchers at ����Vlog, in collaboration with the Philadelphia Water Department, are looking at the long-term water quality impact of these events — called combined sewer overflows — to understand what steps could be taken to mitigate their negative effects.

MXenes are two-dimensional nanomaterials first synthesized at ����Vlog in 2011. They have been recognized by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry as an emerging technology with “true potential to transform our world.” But their widespread use has thus far been limited by the complicated process it takes to produce them. In a recent paper, researchers from Drexel, with collaborators at the University of Pennsylvania and Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd., show that a process called chemical vapor deposition can be tailored to produce the nanomaterials in a form, quality and quantity — and potentially at a lower cost — that could one day allow them to be used in electronic, environmental and quantum technologies.

Reducing the negative environmental impact of buildings — globally one of largest contributors to greenhouse gas — might be even more difficult than expected. New research from ����Vlog indicates that, due to the steady increase in damaging extreme weather events each year, designers must begin to consider not if, but how long, their buildings will be rendered inoperable — and how the resources to get it back online will contribute to its overall environmental impact.

����Vlog has been designated as a key collaborator on a 10-year Department of War initiative, led by North Carolina State University, aimed at modernizing textile manufacturing in the United States to support the defense industry. The FutureTEX award – which includes $36 million in its first year and has a ceiling of $480 million over a decade –brings together industry, government, university and nonprofit partners to advance manufacturing technologies of textiles for military and domestic applications. FutureTEX will champion workforce development, and modernization of facilities and equipment to increase U.S. competitiveness.