Category Technology/Electronics

Ketone (fluorenone) polymer can fix hydrogen via simple electrolytic hydrogenation in water at room temperature and release hydrogen when heated to 80 degrees C. Credit: Waseda University

Polymer addresses safety and energy loss. A Waseda University (Tokyo) research group has developed a polymer which can store hydrogen in a light, compact and flexible sheet, and is safe to touch even when filled with hydrogen gas. The conventional methods of storing and carrying hydrogen were accompanied by safety risks such as explosions. Recently, hydrogen-absorbing organic compounds have been studied as storage materials, for their ability to stably store and release hydrogen through chemical bonding...

The schematic image of molecular structure shows trapped gas (shown in green) in the nanospace of MOF/PCP. The materials acting like sponge capture, store, and release gas molecules. Credit: Copyright : Ryotaro MATSUDA

Prof. Ryotaro Matsuda, Nagoya University, and Prof. Susumu Kitagawa, Kyoto University, won the contest “Air Liquide Essential Molecules Challenge.” For the first edition of the challenge, their project was selected as 1 in 3 from a total of 130 scientific proposals submitted by academic teams, R&D departments, and start-ups from 25 countries.

Essential molecules, eg. O2, N2, C2H2, CO, CO2, NO, NO2, and/or noble gases, are fundamental resources for our cultural lives...

One of NIST’s ytterbium lattice atomic clocks. NIST physicists combined two of these experimental clocks to make the world’s most stable single atomic clock. The image is a stacked composite of about 10 photos in which an index card was positioned in front of the lasers to reveal the laser beam paths. Credit: N. Phillips/NIST

What could be better than a world-leading atomic clock? 2 clocks in 1. Physicists NIST have combined two experimental atomic clocks based on ytterbium atoms to set yet another world record for clock stability. Stability can be thought of as how precisely the duration of each clock tick matches every other tick that comes before and after...

This image shows theoretical (right) and experimental (left) iso-frequency contours of a photonic crystal slabs superimposed on each other. Credit: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

A new technique developed by MIT researchers reveals the inner details of photonic crystals, synthetic materials whose exotic optical properties are the subject of widespread research. Photonic crystals are generally made by drilling millions of closely spaced, minuscule holes in a slab of transparent material, using variations of microchip-fabrication methods...