Category Technology/Electronics

University of Delaware researchers have developed a self-healing membrane for fuel cells. Credit: Kathy F. Atkinson, University of Delaware

Self-healing membrane for hydrogen fuel cells have been developed by scientists. The membrane is typically made from a polymer called Nafion®. During fuel cell operation, it undergoes chemical and mechanical degradation, leading to cracks and pinholes that shorten its life. To address this issue, three members of the University of Delaware’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ajay Prasad, Liang Wang and Suresh Advani, have developed a membrane incorporating microcapsules prefilled with a Nafion® solution.

“The microcapsules are designed to rupture when they encounter defects in the membrane and then release the prefilled Nafion® solution to heal t...

Ying Zhang et al. High-capacity, low-tortuosity, and channel-guided lithium metal anode, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2017). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1618871114 Credit: University of Maryland

Inspired by the structure of wood, engineers at the University of Maryland have used modified wood as a unique architecture for the negative electrode of a lithium (Li) metal battery, seeking to prevent some of the key factors that lead to battery failure. Li-ion shuttling in rechargeable batteries provides energy to power your phone, laptop, or even just a light bulb. When the battery is charged, the negative electrode: Li metal expands; and when it is discharged, the Li metal deflates...

This is a magnified image of liquid crystals confined to spherical tactoids. Credit: Georgia Tech

A material used for coloring food items ranging from corn chips to ice creams could potentially have uses far beyond food dyes. The Georgia Institute of Technology researchers described how a class of water soluble liquid crystals, called lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals, exhibited unexpected characteristics that could be harnessed for use in sensors and other potential applications. “We were seeking to understand the aggregation and phase behavior of these plank-like molecules as a function of temperature and concentration,” said Karthik Nayani, a former Georgia Tech student who worked on the problem...

1. Scientists at Rice University and the University of Houston created a catalyst from three elements – iron, manganese and phosphorus – and then coated it evenly onto an array of titanium dioxide nanorods to create a highly efficient photoanode for artificial photosynthesis. Click on the image for a larger version. Courtesy of the Whitmire Research Group. 2. (inset) Array of titanium dioxide nanorods with an even coating of an iron, manganese and phosphorus catalyst. The combination developed by scientists at Rice University and the University of Houston is a highly efficient photoanode for artificial photosynthesis.

Lab turns transition metals into practical catalyst for solar, other applications...