Category Physics

Chemists at Goethe University have now developed a new catalyst for the activation of hydrogen by introducing boron atoms into a common organic molecule. Credit: GU

Boron compounds extend range of possible chemical synthesis applications. Hydrogen (H2) is a valuable raw material which as a result of sophisticated catalysts is becoming more important. Applications range from food and fertilizer manufacture to crude oil cracking to an energy source in fuel cells. A challenge lies in splitting the strong H-H bond under mild conditions. Chemists at Goethe University have developed a new catalyst for activation of H2 by introducing boron atoms into a common organic molecule. The process requires only an electron source in addition and should therefore be usable on a broad scale in future.

The h...

Strange electron orbits form on the surface of a crystal in this image created using a theoretical data model. These orbits correspond to the electrons being in different ‘valleys’ of states, yielding new insights into an area of research called ‘vallytronics,’ which seeks alternative ways to manipulate electrons for future electronic applications. Credit: Ali Yazdani, Department of Physics, Princeton University

For the first time, an experiment has directly imaged electron orbits in a high-magnetic field, illuminating an unusual collective behavior in electrons and suggesting new ways of manipulating the charged particles. The study, conducted by researchers at Princeton University and the University of Texas-Austin was published Oct. 21, in the journal Science...

Electron microscopy showing one of the unique geometries observed in the nano-silicon power derived from diatomaceous earth. Credit: Image courtesy of University of California – Riverside

Engineers have developed an inexpensive, energy-efficient way to create silicon-based anodes for lithium-ion batteries from the fossilized remains of single-celled algae called diatoms. The research could lead to the development of ultra-high capacity lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and portable electronics.

Lithium-ion batteries, the most popular rechargeable batteries in electric vehicles and personal electronics, have several major components including an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte made of lithium salt dissolved in an organic solvent...

Four-dimensional unsubtraction from the loop-tree duality

Researchers at the universities of Valencia and Florence propose an approach to the experimental data generated by the LHC that solves the infinity problem without breaching the 4 dimensions of space-time. The theories currently used to interpret the data emerging from CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC), which have so far most notably led to the discovery of the Higgs boson, are poorly defined within the four dimensions of space-time established by Einstein in his Theory of Special Relativity. In order to avoid the infinities resulting from the calculations that these theories inspire, new dimensions are added in a mathematical trick which, although effective, does not reflect what we now know about our Universe.

Now though, a group...