Protochips Wins R&D 100 and Tibbets Awards

Protochips was selected to receive a R&D 100 award, known as the Oscar® of Innovation for scientists and engineers, for its Poseidon 500 in situ electrochemisty system. The award will be presented in Orlando on November 7th.

“Studying materials at the atomic scale directly within liquid environments will vastly improve a researcher’s ability to develop and manufacture the next generation of batteries, fuel cells and catalysts” explains David Nackashi, Protochips’ CEO. “For the first time in a commercial product, scientists can observe and characterize electrochemical reactions at atomic resolution, in liquid environments, and in real-time.”

The Poseidon 500 shrinks the typical electrochemical lab to the size of a microchip that fits inside an electron microscope. Researchers can exploit the high-resolution and analytical capabilities of modern electron microscopes to reveal fundamental physical properties of materials and optimize electrochemical systems such as batteries, fuel cells, chemical production and anti-corrosive surface coatings.

Collaborative researchers such as Dr. David Muller of Cornell University have already used Poseidon to make discoveries that will help increase the lifetime of fuel cells and increase the efficiency of lithium batteries. “I’m excited by the commercial impact this can have on energy storage and chemical products,” notes Michael Zapata III, the company’s Executive Board Chairman. “We are very happy about their recognition.”

The company also received a Tibbetts award in Washington, DC on May 16th. Presented by the United States Small Business Association, the award recognizes companies with exemplary returns from SBIR and SBA projects. The award acknowledges companies that have exceeded the expectations of the program and is based on several factors including the economic impact of the technological innovation, overall business achievement, and demonstration of effective collaborations.

Protochips is honored to be recognized with a Tibbetts award. The award is an indication of the success Protochips has achieved in developing and commercializing the Aduro technology. Aduro has risen from a novel technique for heating within an electron microscope to the market leader for in situ heating. With the success of the Aduro and Poseidon systems, Protochips has grown to over twenty employees, demonstrating the success of the SBIR program.

Protochips (www.protochips.com), located in Raleigh, NC, is a company providing revolutionary products and technologies for the in situ electron microscopy market for more than nine years. Through With their innovative E-chip™ consumable technology, Protochips is fundamentally changing the way in situ microscopy is performed. The E-chip platform is the engine that drives Protochips Aduro™ and Poseidon™ in situ solution, providing temperature and electrical in situ capabilities for Aduro and liquid in situ capabilities for Poseidon.