Category Chemistry/Nanotechnology

Environmentally friendly coating outperforms conventional materials...

Imagine a future in which you could 3D-print an entire robot or stretchy, electronic medical device with the press of a button – no tedious hours spent assembling parts by hand.

That possibility may be closer than ever thanks to a recent advancement in 3D-printing technology led by engineers at the University of Colorado Boulder. In a new study, the team lays out a strategy for using currently-available printers to create materials that meld solid and liquid components – a tricky feat if you don’t want your robot to collapse.

“I think...

Turmeric, a spice found in most kitchens, has an extract that could lead to safer, more efficient fuel cells.

Researchers at the Clemson Nanomaterials Institute (CNI) and their collaborators from the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (SSSIHL) in India discovered a novel way to combine curcumin—the substance in turmeric—and gold nanoparticles to create an electrode that requires 100 times less energy to efficiently convert ethanol into electricity.

While the research...

Producing low-cost metal-oxide thin films with high electronic quality for solar water splitting is not an easy task. Especially since quality improvements of the upper metal oxide thin films need thermal processing at high temperatures, which would melt the underlying glass substrate. Now, a team has solved this dilemma: A high intensity and rapid light pulse directly heats the semiconducting metal-oxide thin film, allowing it to reach the optimal temperature without damaging the substrate.

Solar energy can directly drive electrochemical reactions at the surface of photoelectrodes...