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Categories: Engineering: Nanotechnology, Environmental: General
Published Green steel from toxic red mud
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An economical process with green hydrogen can be used to extract CO2-free iron from the red mud generated in aluminum production.
Published Direct view of tantalum oxidation that impedes qubit coherence
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have used a combination of scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and computational modeling to get a closer look and deeper understanding of tantalum oxide. When this amorphous oxide layer forms on the surface of tantalum -- a superconductor that shows great promise for making the 'qubit' building blocks of a quantum computer -- it can impede the material's ability to retain quantum information. Learning how the oxide forms may offer clues as to why this happens -- and potentially point to ways to prevent quantum coherence loss.
Published Understanding how soil traps carbon
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source With 2,500 billion tons of carbon, soil is one of Earth's largest carbon sinks. Researchers used experiments and computational modeling to study interactions between carbon molecules and clay minerals in soil. New research gives clues to why some plant-based carbon molecules are sequestered in soils but others are respired as CO2. Findings show that electrostatic charges, surrounding nutrients in soil and competition from other molecules all play roles in facilitating carbon trapping.
Published In a warming world, climate scientists consider category 6 hurricanes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source For more than 50 years, the National Hurricane Center has used the Saffir-Simpson Windscale to communicate the risk of property damage; it labels a hurricane on a scale from Category 1 (wind speeds between 74 -- 95 mph) to Category 5 (wind speeds of 158 mph or greater). But as increasing ocean temperatures contribute to ever more intense and destructive hurricanes, climate scientists wondered whether the open-ended Category 5 is sufficient to communicate the risk of hurricane damage in a warming climate.
Published A sleeker facial recognition technology tested on Michelangelo's David
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Many people are familiar with facial recognition systems that unlock smartphones and game systems or allow access to our bank accounts online. But the current technology can require boxy projectors and lenses. Now, researchers report on a sleeker 3D surface imaging system with flatter, simplified optics. In proof-of-concept demonstrations, the new system recognized the face of Michelangelo's David just as well as an existing smartphone system.
Published Unveiling Oxidation-induced Super-elasticity in Metallic Glass Nanotubes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Oxidation can degrade the properties and functionality of metals. However, a research team recently found that severely oxidized metallic glass nanotubes can attain an ultrahigh recoverable elastic strain, outperforming most conventional super-elastic metals. They also discovered the physical mechanisms underpinning this super-elasticity. Their discovery implies that oxidation in low-dimension metallic glass can result in unique properties for applications in sensors, medical devices and other nanodevices.
Published Edge-to-edge assembly technique for 2D nanosheets
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A research team develops edge-to-edge assembly technique for 2D nanosheets.
Published How leafcutter ants cultivate a fungal garden to degrade plants and provide insights into future biofuels
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists developed a new method to map exactly how a fungus works with leafcutter ants in a complex microbial community to degrade plant material at the molecular level. The team's insights are important for biofuels development.
Published Permafrost alone holds back Arctic rivers -- and a lot of carbon
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study provides the first evidence that the Arctic's frozen soil is the dominant force shaping Earth's northernmost rivers, confining them to smaller areas and shallower valleys than rivers to the south. But as climate change weakens Arctic permafrost, the researchers calculate that every 1 degree Celsius of global warming could release as much carbon as 35 million cars emit in a year as polar waterways expand and churn up the thawing soil.
Published Tidal landscapes a greater carbon sink than previously thought
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Mangroves and saltmarshes sequester large amounts of carbon, mitigating the greenhouse effect. New research shows that these environments are perhaps twice as effective as previously thought.
Published Single proton illuminates perovskite nanocrystals-based transmissive thin scintillators
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a transmissive thin scintillator using perovskite nanocrystals, designed for real-time tracking and counting of single protons. The exceptional sensitivity is attributed to biexcitonic radiative emission generated through proton-induced upconversion and impact ionization.
Published Climate change: Fungal disease endangers wheat production
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Climate change poses a threat to yields and food security worldwide, with plant diseases as one of the main risks. An international team of researchers has now shown that further spread of the fungal disease wheat blast could reduce global wheat production by 13% until 2050. The result is dramatic for global food security.
Published Increased temperature difference between day and night can affect all life on earth
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have discovered a change in what scientists already knew about global warming dynamics. It had been widely accepted since the 1950s that global temperature rises were not consistent throughout the day and night, with greater nighttime warming being observed. However, the recent study reveals a shift in dynamics: with greater daytime warming taking place since the 1990s. This shift means that the temperature difference between day and night is widening, potentially affecting all life on Earth.
Published Key dynamics of 2D nanomaterials: View to larger-scale production
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team of researchers mapped out how flecks of 2D materials move in liquid -- knowledge that could help scientists assemble macroscopic-scale materials with the same useful properties as their 2D counterparts.
Published Intensifying the production of high-value compounds from industrial waste
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research demonstrates how glycerol carbonate, a biosourced industrial additive, can be produced in record time using CO2 and a by-product of the cooking oil recycling industry. The process relies on a hybrid approach combining fundamental physical organic chemistry and applied flow process technology. Two industrial wastes are thus converted into glycerol carbonate, a biosourced rising star with high added-value.
Published Microbial research unravels a global nitrogen mystery
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A research findings show that different AOM lineages employ different regulatory strategies for ammonia or urea utilization, thereby minimizing direct competition with one another and allowing for coexistence.
Published Engineers unmask nanoplastics in oceans for the first time, revealing their true shapes and chemistry
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Millions of tons of plastic waste enter the oceans each year. The sun's ultraviolet light and ocean turbulence break down these plastics into invisible nanoparticles that threaten marine ecosystems. In a new study, engineers have presented clear images of nanoplastics in ocean water off the coasts of China, South Korea and the United States, and in the Gulf of Mexico. These tiny plastic particles, which originated from such consumer products as water bottles, food packaging and clothing, were found to have surprising diversity in shape and chemical composition.
Published Climate change threatens older elephants most, jeopardizing African elephants' future
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A collaborative team of researchers has conducted first-of-its kind research into how global climate change affects African elephants. The work shows that older elephants will have markedly decreased chances of survival, which will not only drastically reduce the species' overall ability to weather the changing climate but will send ripple effects throughout the surrounding landscape. The team has also modeled possible mitigation scenarios.
Published Exposure to even moderate levels of radon linked to increased risk of stroke
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Now a new study has found exposure to this invisible, odorless gas is also linked to an increased risk of stroke. The study, which examined exposures in middle age to older female participants, found an increased risk of stroke among those exposed to high and even moderate concentrations of the gas compared to those exposed to the lowest concentrations. The study does not prove that exposure to radon causes stroke; it only shows an association.
Published 'Tiny tornadoes' around leaves spread deadly plant pathogens
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study has analyzed plant spore dispersion at its source, where rain droplets shake flexible leaves to initially disperse pathogens.