Category Technology/Electronics

A new disposable battery that folds like an origami ninja star could power biosensors and other small devices for use in challenging field conditions. Credit: Jonathan Cohen/Binghamton University

A new disposable battery that folds like an origami ninja star could power biosensors and other small devices for use in challenging field conditions. Seokheun “Sean” Choi, assistant professor of computer and electrical engineering at Binghamton University, along with 2 of his students, developed the device, a microbial fuel cell that runs on the bacteria available in a few drops of dirty water.

Choi previously developed a paper-based origami battery. The first design, shaped like a matchbook, stacked 4 modules together. The ninja star version, which measures about 2...

Fig.1: Crystal structure of (Ga,Mn)As. Mn ions substituted for Ga have a magnetic moment, and the magnetic moment of each Mn ion aligns along the same direction when (Ga,Mn)As becomes a ferromagnet. Credit: Seigo Souma

A research group at Tohoku University’s WPI-AIMR has succeeded in finding the origin and the mechanism of ferromagnetism in Mn-doped GaAs. The discovery is significant as it will accelerate the development of the spintronic element. GaAs, like silicon, is a well-known semiconductor commonly used in high-speed electronic devices and laser diodes.

When manganese (Mn) atoms are doped into a GaAs crystal ((Ga,Mn)As), the crystal exhibits characteristics and properties of both the semiconductor and magnet...

UPV researchers have developed new synthetic models of human tissues that simulate electromagnetic properties of different tissues and organs. Known as phantoms, these models may be of interest for the development of new technologies for use in medical screening and evaluation of 5G mobile communication devices.

Recently, there has been a growing interest in the use of telecomms devices for clinical diagnosis. Tiny sensors and monitoring units can be incorporated into capsules and ingested orally, recording biological data inside the body and transmitting it to the outside. These devices communicate wirelessly, sending electromagnetic waves through the body, which acts as a transmission medium...

How the catalyst works. Credit: University of Melbourne

A radical new process that allows hydrogen to be efficiently sourced from liquid formic acid could be one step forward in making the dream of hydrogen-powered cars an economic reality. Using formic acid to produce hydrogen has never been considered viable because it requires high temperatures to decompose and also produces waste by-products. But the Uni of Melbourne’s Professor Richard O’Hair has led an international team of scientists in designing a molecular catalyst that forces formic acid to produce only H2 and CO2 and at a low temperature of only 70°C.

It marks a new frontier in catalyst design at the molecular level...