Category Chemistry/Nanotechnology

In research that could jumpstart interest into an enigmatic class of materials known as quasicrystals, MIT scientists and colleagues have discovered a relatively simple, flexible way to create new atomically thin versions that can be tuned for important phenomena. In work reported in Nature they describe doing just that to make the materials exhibit superconductivity and more.

The research introduces a new platform for not only learning more about quasicrystals, but also exploring exotic phenomena that can be hard to study but could lead to important applications and new physics...

UC Riverside chemical engineers have designed a fuel that ignites only with the application of electric current. Since it doesn’t react to flames and cannot start accidental fires during storage or transport, it is a “safe” liquid fuel.

“The fuel we’re normally using is not very safe. It evaporates and could ignite, and it’s difficult to stop that,” said Yujie Wang, UCR chemical engineering doctoral student and co-author of a new paper about the fuel. “It is much easier to control the flammability of our fuel and stop it from burning when we remove voltage.”

The Journal of the American Chemical Society paper describes how the team created the fuel, and additional technical details are also included i...

Achieving photochemical upconversion in a solid state is a step closer to reality, thanks to a new technique that could unlock vital innovations in renewable energy, water purification and advanced healthcare.

Exciton Science researchers based at UNSW Sydney have demonstrated that a key stage in the upconversion process can be achieved in the solid state, making it more likely that a functioning device can be manufactured at commercial scale. Possible applications include hydrogen catalysis and solar energy generation.

Their work has been published in the high-impact journal ACS Energy Letters and is likely to drive major changes in the approach of scientists around the world researching this challenging but potentially transformational field.

Professor Tim Schmidt of UNSW Sy...

Researchers have focused on the moisture present in the air as a potential source of drinking water for drought-stressed populations. They reached a significant breakthrough in their efforts to create drinkable water out of thin air: a molecularly engineered hydrogel that can create clean water using just the energy from sunlight.

For significant portions of the globe faced with water shortage problems, a beacon of hope may be on the way: the ability to easily turn hot air into drinking water.

For the past few years, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have focused on the moisture present in the air as a potential source of drinking water for drought-stressed populations...