Category Chemistry/Nanotechnology

3D-Printed Structures Shrink when Heated

3d-printed-structures-shrink-when-heated-science-astronomy-medical-news-up_2016-10-26_14-15-26

(a) Schematic of the multimaterial projection microstereolithography system. [(b) and (e)] Computer-aided designs and fabricated samples in [(c) and (f)] three-dimensional and [(d) and (g)] two-dimensional views of the fabricated unit cell and 2 by 2 lattice, respectively.

Counterintuitive ‘metamaterial’ may enable heat-resistant circuit boards. Almost all solid materials, from rubber and glass to granite and steel, inevitably expand when heated. Only in very rare instances do certain materials buck this thermodynamic trend and shrink with heat. Eg, cold water will contract when heated 0 – 4C, before expanding. Engineers from MIT, the University of Southern California, and elsewhere are now adding to this curious class of heat-shrinking materials...

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Structure of key DNA Replication Protein Solved

Overall structure of human PrimPol ternary complex with template-primer DNA and incoming dATP. The N-helix and modules ModN and ModC are shown in cartoon representation in dark blue, yellow, and cyan, respectively. The DNA is shown as gray sticks, and the Ca2+ ion is shown as a light blue sphere. The templating base T and the incoming dATP are shown in red. Yellow and cyan dashed lines depict unstructured regions in the ModN and ModC, respectively. The side chains of key catalytic active-site residues Asp114, Glu116, and Asp280 are highlighted in red. Secondary structure elements (α helices and β strands) are labeled in black.

Overall structure of human PrimPol ternary complex with template-primer DNA and incoming dATP. The N-helix and modules ModN and ModC are shown in cartoon representation in dark blue, yellow, and cyan, respectively. The DNA is shown as gray sticks, and the Ca2+ ion is shown as a light blue sphere. The templating base T and the incoming dATP are shown in red. Yellow and cyan dashed lines depict unstructured regions in the ModN and ModC, respectively. The side chains of key catalytic active-site residues Asp114, Glu116, and Asp280 are highlighted in red. Secondary structure elements (α helices and β strands) are labeled in black.

A research team led by scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS) has solved the 3D structure of a key protein that helps damaged cellular D...

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Improved Water Splitting advances Renewable Energy Conversion

Improved water splitting advances renewable energy conversion

Gas bubbles form as researchers use a unique catalyst to convert water to hydrogen and oxygen. The inset image shows the catalytic materials at the nanoscale. Credit: Washington State University

 
WSU researchers have found a way to more efficiently create hydrogen from water – an important key in making renewable energy production and storage viable. The researchers, led by professors Yuehe Lin and Scott Beckman in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, have developed a catalyst from #low #cost materials. It performs as well as or better than catalysts made from precious metals that are used for the process. Energy conversion is a key to the clean energy economy...
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The Quantum Sniffer Dog

compact sensor providing room-temperature operation of monolithic surface-active lasers and detectors integrated on the same chip. The differentiation between emitter and detector is eliminated, which enables mutual commutation. Proof-of-principle gas measurements with a limit of detection below 400 ppm are demonstrated. This concept enables a crucial miniaturization of sensing devices.

Compact sensor providing room-temperature operation of monolithic surface-active lasers and detectors integrated on the same chip. The differentiation between emitter and detector is eliminated, which enables mutual commutation. Proof-of-principle gas measurements with a limit of detection below 400 ppm are demonstrated. This concept enables a crucial miniaturization of sensing devices.

In technological gas detection there are a whole host of methods available including infrared lasers, passing a laser beam through the gas to an adjacent separate detector, which measures the degree of light attenuation it causes...

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