Category Chemistry/Nanotechnology

The contaminated water (colored water in vials) is drawn through the hybrid membrane by negative pressure; the heavy metal ions (red spheres) bind to the protein fibers in the process. The filtered water is of drinking quality. Credit: Graphics copyright: Bolisetty & Mezzenga, Nature Nanotechnology, 2016

Water pollution is one of today’s most serious global problems. A new water filtration system has been developed that is superior to existing systems at removing various toxic heavy metal ions and radioactive substances from water and can even be used in gold recovery. Prof. Raffaele Mezzenga’s hybrid filter membrane not only has an extremely simple structure, but uses low-cost raw materials, such as whey protein fibres and activated charcoal...

This series of images shows the transformation of a 4D-printed hydrogel composite structure after its submersion in water. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University

Materials science, mathematics combine to enable the printing of shapeshifting architectures that mimic the natural movements of plants. Inspired by natural structures like plants, which respond and change their form according to environmental stimuli, the team has unveiled 4D-printed hydrogel composite structures that change shape upon immersion in water.

Mimicking shape changes by plant organs eg tendrils, leaves, and flowers in response to environmental stimuli like humidity and/or temperature, the 4D-printed hydrogel composites developed by Lewis and her team are programmed to contain precise, localized swelling behavior...

Season after season, residents complain about the same ruts in pavements and potholes on the road, wishing they were repaired quickly. A startup engineer with a vision looks to 3D printing robots to save the day. Robert Flitsch is the inventor of the Addibot.

Season after season, residents complain about the same ruts in pavements and potholes on the road, wishing they were repaired quickly. A startup engineer with a vision looks to 3D printing robots to save the day. Robert Flitsch invented Addibot, a small, wheeled robot capable of taking 3D printing to sites to change the surface from problematic to smooth.

The company posted an “ice resurfacing Addibot” video earlier, using water to 3D-print ice...

Namib Desert beetle. Credit: © Rafael Ben-Ari / Fotolia

In a discovery that may lead to ways to prevent frost on airplane parts, condenser coils, and even windshields, a team of researchers led by Virginia Tech has used chemical micropatterns to control the growth of frost caused by condensation. They used photolithography to pattern chemical arrays that attract water over top of a surface that repels water, thereby controlling or preventing the spread of frost.

The inspiration for the work came from an unlikely source — the Namib Desert Beetle, which makes headlines because it lives in one of the hottest places in the world, yet it still collects airborne water...