Recent Comments

    Category Technology/Electronics

    Tough stuff: Spider Silk enhanced with Graphene-based materials

    September 16, 2017, Categories  Physics, Technology/Electronics, Chemistry/Nanotechnology, Biology/Biotechnology

    Spiders fed graphene produce stronger and tougher silk. Credit: F. Tomasinelli

    Spiders fed graphene produce stronger and tougher silk.
    Credit: F. Tomasinelli

    Natural spider silk has excellent mechanical properties. Researchers from the Graphene Flagship have found a way to boost the strength of spider’s silk using graphene-based materials, paving the way for a novel class of high-performance bionic composite.

    Researchers from the Graphene Flagship have demonstrated that graphene-based materials can be used to boost the properties of spider’s silk. The silk — produced naturally by the spiders, incorporating graphene and carbon nanotubes (rolled up graphene sheets) introduced in their environment – had enhanced mechanical properties of up to 3X the strength and 10X the toughness of the unmodified silks.

    Artificially modified biological materials are an expanding area of...

    Read More

    In step toward Controlling Chemistry, Physicists create a New Molecule, atom by atom

    September 15, 2017, Categories  Physics, Technology/Electronics, Chemistry/Nanotechnology

    Experimental schematic of the hybrid system and ToF apparatus. (A) A schematic of the experimental apparatus, including the LQT, the high voltage pulsing scheme (shown as solid and dashed lines), and the ToF. (B) An illustrative experimental time sequence that depicts initialization of a Ba+ crystal, production of BaOCH3 + (visualized as dark ions in the crystal) through reactions with methanol vapor, and subsequent MOT immersion. (C) Sample mass spectra obtained after ejecting the LQT species into the ToF after various MOT immersion times, ti, along with an inset depicting a superimposed fluorescence image of an ion crystal immersed in the Ca MOT. (D) Mass spectra of photofragmentation products collected after inducing photodissociation of BaOCa+ . The identified photofragments were used to verify the elemental composition of the product.

    Experimental schematic of the hybrid system and ToF apparatus.
    (A) A schematic of the experimental apparatus, including the LQT, the high voltage pulsing
    scheme (shown as solid and dashed lines), and the ToF. (B) An illustrative experimental
    time sequence that depicts initialization of a Ba+ crystal, production of BaOCH3 +
    (visualized as dark ions in the crystal) through reactions with methanol vapor, and subsequent MOT immersion. (C) Sample mass spectra obtained after ejecting the LQT
    species into the ToF after various MOT immersion times, ti, along with an inset depicting a superimposed fluorescence image of an ion crystal immersed in the Ca MOT. (D) Mass spectra of photofragmentation products collected after inducing photodissociation of
    BaOCa+...

    Read More

    Artificial ‘Skin’ gives Robotic hand a sense of Touch

    September 15, 2017, Categories  Physics, Technology/Electronics

    Researchers from the University of Houston have reported a breakthrough in stretchable electronics that can serve as an artificial skin, allowing a robotic hand to sense the difference between hot and cold. Credit: University of Houston

    Researchers from the University of Houston have reported a breakthrough in stretchable electronics that can serve as an artificial skin, allowing a robotic hand to sense the difference between hot and cold.
    Credit: University of Houston

    UH researchers discover new form of stretchable electronics, sensors and skins, allowing a robotic hand to sense the difference between hot and cold, while also offering advantages for a wide range of biomedical devices. The work, reported in the journal Science Advances, describes a new mechanism for producing stretchable electronics, a process that relies upon readily available materials and could be scaled up for commercial production.

    Cunjiang Yu, Bill D...

    Read More

    Expanding Polymer enables Self-Folding Printable structures Without Heating or Immersion in Water

    September 14, 2017, Categories  Physics, Technology/Electronics, Chemistry/Nanotechnology

    Expanding polymer enables self-folding printable structures without heating or immersion in water

    Plants like the Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis; or commonly, spotted touch-me-not) use stress ingeniously for the ballistic dispersal of their seeds. The plant stores energy in its seed pods in the form of inbuilt stresses by controlling tissue hydration. When gently touched, these pods explode and curl up to launch their seeds. Using a similar concept, S. Sundaram and coworkers demonstrate the use of 3D-printing to fabricate flat electronic composites with residual stress in specific regions. Credit: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

    Researchers from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and colleagues report a printable structure that begins to fold itself up as soon as it’s peeled off the printing platform...

    Read More