Category Chemistry/Nanotechnology

University of Vermont doctoral student Morgan Cousins holds up a sample of a solution of strange rotor molecules made from boron-based dye. Led by UVM chemistry professor Matt Liptak (on left), she was part of a team that tested the dye and discovered how the molecules can release a bright fluorescent glow–it’s a new method to create light. The new light may have many promising applications including novel kinds of LED bulbs and medical imaging. Their results were published in the journal Nature Chemistry. Credit: Joshua Brown

Glow-in-the-dark stickers, weird deep-sea fish, LED lightbulbs – all have forms of luminescence. In other words, instead of just reflecting light, they make their own...

An illustration of the separation process from a mixture of various copper nanocrystal shapes (two tubes to the left) to pure nanowires and nanoparticles (two tubes to the right). Credit: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

A team of LLNL scientists have created a new method to purify copper nanowires with a near-100% yield. These nanowires are often used in nanoelectronic applications. The research shows how the method can yield large quantities of long, uniform, high-purity copper nanowires. High-purity copper nanowires meet the requirements of nanoelectronic applications as well as provide an avenue for purifying industrial-scale synthesis of copper nanowires, a key step for commercialization and application. Metal nanowires (NWs) hold promise for commercial applications eg...

Spent Coffee Bioelastomeric Composite Foams ( 60 wt % of spent coffee powder and 40 wt % of silicone elastomer using the sugar leaching technique) for the Removal of Pb2+ and Hg2+ from Water

Scientists now report an innovative way to reduce this waste and help address another environmental problem. They have incorporated spent coffee grounds in a foam filter that can remove harmful lead and mercury from water. Restaurants, the beverage industry and people in their homes produce millions of tons of used coffee grounds every year worldwide, according to researcher Despina Fragouli.

While much of the used grounds go to landfills, some of them are applied as fertilizer, used as a biodiesel source or mixed into animal feed...

Cross-sectional schematic view showing the detailed structural characteristics of a SGC hybrid particle.

A team affiliated with Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), South Korea, claims to have made yet another step towards finding a solution to accelerate the commercialization of silicon anode for Lithium-ion batteries. A new approach developed by a team led by Prof. Jaephil Cho could hold the key to greatly improving the performance of lithium-ion batteries.

Prof. Cho and his team have developed a new type anode material that would be used in place of a conventional graphite anode, which they claim will lead to lighter and longer-lasting batteries for everything from personal devices to electric vehicles...