Category Chemistry/Nanotechnology

Electroluminescence from vertically stacked GaN–Al2O3–MoS2–Al2O3-graphene heterostructures.

1st demo of electroluminescence from multilayer molybdenum disulfide, or MoS2, a discovery that could lead to a new class of materials for making LEDs. In its single-layer form, Mos2 is optically active, meaning that it emits light when electric current is run through it or when it is shot with a nondestructive laser. Multilayer molybdenum disulfide, by contrast, is easier and less expensive to produce, but it is not normally luminescent. In the new study, Duan and Dehui, created the 1st multilayer device that shows strong luminescence when electrical current is passed through it.

“It was rather surprising for us to discover that similar vertical devices made of multilayer MoS2 somehow showed ...

A team of chemists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison has introduced a new fuel cell catalyst approach that uses a molecular catalyst system instead of solid catalysts.
Credit: Stahl Group/University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Instead of expensive platinum etc, a metal-free alternative catalyst for fuel cells may be at hand. A team of chemists from University of Wisconsin-Madison introduces a new approach that uses a molecular catalyst system instead of solid catalysts. Although molecular catalysts have been explored before, earlier examples were much less efficient than the traditional platinum catalyst.

A fuel cell converts chemical energy into electricity by reacting H2 and O2 at 2 different electrodes. A catalyst makes the reaction more efficient.
Prof Stahl and scientist Gerken took...

It can be used as heat storage material for solar energy generation systems or efficient use of industrial heat waste, enabling recycling of heat energy, since the material releases the stored heat energy on demand by application of weak pressure.

Materials able to store heat incl bricks or concrete that slowly release the stored heat, and others such as water or ethylene glycol that take in heat when they transform from a solid to a liquid. However, none of these materials can store heat energy over a long period as they naturally release it slowly over time. A material that could store heat energy for a long time and release it at the exact timing desired would be a boon for the field of renewable energy.

Discovered by Prof Ohkoshi’s team at University of Tokyo Graduate School of Science...

According to a new series of studies out of NYU Langone Medical Center, 2 chemicals increasingly used during manufacturing to strengthen plastic wrap, soap, cosmetics, and processed food containers have been linked to a rise in risk of high blood pressure and diabetes in children and adolescents.