Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Engineering: Graphene Engineering: Nanotechnology Physics: General
Published

Graphene research: Numerous products, no acute dangers found by study      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Graphene is an enormously promising material. It consists of a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb pattern and has extraordinary properties: exceptional mechanical strength, flexibility, transparency and outstanding thermal and electrical conductivity. If the already two-dimensional material is spatially restricted even more, for example into a narrow ribbon, controllable quantum effects can be created. This could enable a wide range of applications, from vehicle construction and energy storage to quantum computing.

Energy: Batteries Energy: Technology Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

New water batteries stay cool under pressure      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A global team of researchers has invented recyclable 'water batteries' that won't catch fire or explode. The team use water to replace organic electrolytes -- which enable the flow of electric current between the positive and negative terminals -- meaning their batteries can't start a fire or blow up -- unlike their lithium-ion counterparts.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

An environmentally friendly way to turn seafood waste into value-added products      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Reduce, reuse, recycle, and repurpose: These are all ways we can live more sustainably. One tricky aspect of recycling, though, is that sometimes the recycling process is chemically intensive, and this is the case for recycling one of the world's most abundant materials -- chitin. Researchers have tackled this problem and found a way to sustainably recover chitin from seafood waste.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Energy: Alternative Fuels Engineering: Nanotechnology Environmental: General Geoscience: Geochemistry Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
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Revolutionary breakthrough in solar energy: Most efficient QD solar cells      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A research team has unveiled a novel ligand exchange technique that enables the synthesis of organic cation-based perovskite quantum dots (PQDs), ensuring exceptional stability while suppressing internal defects in the photoactive layer of solar cells.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Microbiology Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

Engineering a coating for disease-free produce      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Texas A&M researchers combine food-grade wax with essential oils to defend produce from bacteria.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Thermodynamics Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Technology Environmental: General Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Physicists develop more efficient solar cell      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Physicists have used complex computer simulations to develop a new design for significantly more efficient solar cells than previously available. A thin layer of organic material, known as tetracene, is responsible for the increase in efficiency.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Plastic recycling with a protein anchor      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Polystyrene is a widespread plastic that is essentially not recyclable when mixed with other materials and is not biodegradable. A research team has now introduced a biohybrid catalyst that oxidizes polystyrene microparticles to facilitate their subsequent degradation. The catalyst consists of a specially constructed 'anchor peptide' that adheres to polystyrene surfaces and a cobalt complex that oxidizes polystyrene.

Computer Science: General Energy: Technology Engineering: Nanotechnology Mathematics: General Mathematics: Modeling Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General Physics: Optics
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New chip opens door to AI computing at light speed      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Engineers have developed a new chip that uses light waves, rather than electricity, to perform the complex math essential to training AI. The chip has the potential to radically accelerate the processing speed of computers while also reducing their energy consumption.

Engineering: Graphene Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

First human trial shows 'wonder' material can be developed safely      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A revolutionary nanomaterial with huge potential to tackle multiple global challenges could be developed further without acute risk to human health, research suggests.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Chemistry: Biochemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

Nanoparticles that can light up the lymph node cancer cells otherwise undetectable by MRI      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have developed a new nanoparticle that can 'hitch a ride' on immune cells, or monocytes. Because of its tiny size, the particle can tag along directly into lymph nodes and help metastasis show up on MRIs where it would otherwise be too hard to detect. The process offers game-changing benefits for the early detection of cancer metastasis in the lymph nodes. While previously, metastasis could only be assessed by an increase in lymph node size; the new particles could lead to MRI contrast agents that can highlight metastatic cells in lymph nodes that may otherwise appear normal.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics Energy: Technology Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Benefits of heat pumps      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Millions of U.S. households would benefit from heat pumps, but the cost of installing the technology needs to come down to make their use a more attractive proposition.

Biology: Cell Biology Chemistry: Thermodynamics Energy: Technology Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Eco-friendly way to generate power from waste wood      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study by researchers has revealed a sustainable method of efficiently converting waste heat into electricity using Irish wood products, while minimizing costs and environmental impact.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology Physics: Optics
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Exploring the effect of ring closing on fluorescence of supramolecular polymers      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The properties of supramolecular polymers are dictated by the self-assembled state of the molecules. However, not much is known about the impact of morphologies on the properties of nano- and mesoscopic-scale polymeric assemblies. Recently, a research team demonstrated how terminus-free toroids and random coils derived from the same luminescent molecule show different photophysical properties. The team also presented a novel method for purifying the toroidal structure.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology Physics: General
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Scientists study the behaviors of chiral skyrmions in chiral flower-like obstacles      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Chiral skyrmions are a special type of spin textures in magnetic materials with asymmetric exchange interactions. They can be treated as quasi-particles and carry integer topological charges. Scientists have recently studied the random walk-behaviors of chiral skyrmions by simulating their dynamics within a ferromagnetic layer surrounded by chiral flower-like obstacles. The simulations reveal that the system behaves like a topological sorting device, indicating its use in information processing and computing devices.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology
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Can hydrogels help mend a broken heart?      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

You can mend a broken heart this valentine s day now that researchers invented a new hydrogel that can be used to heal damaged heart tissue and improve cancer treatments.

Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Thermodynamics Physics: General Physics: Quantum Physics Space: Astrophysics Space: General
Published

Physicists capture the first sounds of heat 'sloshing' in a superfluid      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

For the first time, physicists have captured direct images of 'second sound,' the movement of heat sloshing back and forth within a superfluid. The results will expand scientists' understanding of heat flow in superconductors and neutron stars.

Energy: Batteries Engineering: Nanotechnology Environmental: General
Published

EVs that go 1,000 km on a single charge: Gel makes it possible      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Engineers apply electron beam technology to develop an integrated silicon-gel electrolyte system.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Microbiology Chemistry: Biochemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

New approach for fast and cost-effective pathogen detection      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The ability to detect diseases at an early stage or even predict their onset would be of tremendous benefit to doctors and patients alike. A research team now develops intelligent, miniaturized biosensor devices and systems using nanomaterials to determine biomolecules and cells as well as biochemical reactions or processes as disease markers. The team's current publication describes the development of a portable, palm-sized test system that can simultaneously carry out up to thirty-two analyses of one sample.