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    Category Chemistry/Nanotechnology

    A Self-Healing Structural Color Hydrogel Inspired by Nature

    May 23, 2017, Categories  Chemistry/Nanotechnology, Physics, Technology/Electronics

    A self-healing structural color hydrogel inspired by nature A set of self-healing hydrogel films with different structural colors. Credit: Yuanjin Zhao.

    A self-healing structural color hydrogel inspired by nature A set of self-healing hydrogel films with different structural colors. Credit: Yuanjin Zhao.

    A team of researchers at Southeast University in China has developed a self-healing structural hydrogel with a wide variety of applications. It has been noted for several years that one area where humanoid robots are lacking is skin tone—most robots have a pasty white complexion, which is both disturbing and likely to lead to social problems once robots become mainstream. Most artificial skin is not able to heal itself, which means that robots need skin replacement if it gets damaged or accidentally colored in undesirable ways. There is also the issue of colors fading...

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    Researchers find 1st compelling evidence of new property known as ‘Ferroelasticity’ in Perovskites

    May 23, 2017, Categories  Physics, Technology/Electronics, Chemistry/Nanotechnology

    1, Schematic shows a perovskite sample (black) examined by the photothermal induced resonance technique. When the sample absorbs pulses of light (depicted as disks in purple cones), the sample expands rapidly, causing the cantilever of an atomic force microscope (AFM) to vibrate like a struck tuning fork. The cantilever’s motion, which is detected by reflecting the AFM laser light (red) off the AFM detector, provides a sensitive measure of the amount of light absorbed. Credit: NIST 2. Image recorded by an atomic force microscope reveals the topography of a polycrystalline sample of the perovskite, including the boundaries between crystals. Credit: NIST 3. Illustration shows that in response to an applied stress, such as bending, the boundaries of the ferroelastic domains (red and blue regions depict domains oriented in different directions) become bigger or smaller. Credit: NIST

    1, Schematic shows a perovskite sample (black) examined by the photothermal induced resonance technique. When the sample absorbs pulses of light (depicted as disks in purple cones), the sample expands rapidly, causing the cantilever of an atomic force microscope (AFM) to vibrate like a struck tuning fork. The cantilever’s motion, which is detected by reflecting the AFM laser light (red) off the AFM detector, provides a sensitive measure of the amount of light absorbed.  2. Image recorded by an atomic force microscope reveals the topography of a polycrystalline sample of the perovskite, including the boundaries between crystals. 3...

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    Synthesis of H2: Novel Method sets Benchmark for Platinum-free Electrocatalysts

    May 22, 2017, Categories  Technology/Electronics, Chemistry/Nanotechnology

    a) Synthetic scheme of MoNi4 electrocatalyst supported by the MoO2 cuboids on nickel foam; b) polarization curves of the MoNi4 electrocatalyst supported by the MoO2 cuboids, pure Ni nanosheets and MoO2 cuboids on the nickel foam; c) calculated adsorption free energy diagram for the Tafel step. Credit: Image courtesy of Technische Universitaet Dresden

    a) Synthetic scheme of MoNi4 electrocatalyst supported by the MoO2 cuboids on nickel foam; b) polarization curves of the MoNi4 electrocatalyst supported by the MoO2 cuboids, pure Ni nanosheets and MoO2 cuboids on the nickel foam; c) calculated adsorption free energy diagram for the Tafel step.
    Credit: Image courtesy of Technische Universitaet Dresden

    A new paper from cfaed’s Chair for Molecular Functional Materials describes a new approach to revolutionize the production of molecular hydrogen. In many of the approaches for hydrogen production, the electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) from water splitting is the most economical and effective route for the future hydrogen economy...

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    Graphene-Nanotube Hybrid boosts Lithium Metal Batteries

    May 20, 2017, Categories  Technology/Electronics, Chemistry/Nanotechnology

    1. Lithium metal coats the hybrid graphene and carbon nanotube anode in a battery created at Rice University. The lithium metal coats the three-dimensional structure of the anode and avoids forming dendrites. Courtesy of the Tour Group. 2. A graphic shows carbon nanotubes covalently bonded to a graphene substrate. The material created at Rice University is being tested as an anode for high-capacity lithium metal batteries. Courtesy of the Tour Group - See more at: http://news.rice.edu/2017/05/18/graphene-nanotube-hybrid-boosts-lithium-metal-batteries-2/#sthash.eX5HvXSE.dpuf 3. An electron microscope image shows a carbon nanotube evenly coated with lithium metal. Tests on the graphene-carbon nanotube anode created at Rice University show it resists the formation of lithium dendrites that can damage batteries. Courtesy of the Tour Group

    1. Lithium metal coats the hybrid graphene and carbon nanotube anode in a battery created at Rice University. The lithium metal coats the three-dimensional structure of the anode and avoids forming dendrites. Courtesy of the Tour Group.
    2. A graphic shows carbon nanotubes covalently bonded to a graphene substrate. The material created at Rice University is being tested as an anode for high-capacity lithium metal batteries. Courtesy of the Tour Group – See more at: http://news.rice.edu/2017/05/18/graphene-nanotube-hybrid-boosts-lithium-metal-batteries-2/#sthash.eX5HvXSE.dpuf
    3. An electron microscope image shows a carbon nanotube evenly coated with lithium metal...

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