Category Technology/Electronics

Conceptual model shows how porphyrin COFs embedded in a cathode could be used to split carbon dioxide (CO2) into carbon monoxide (CO) and oxygen for making renewable fuels and other valuable chemical products. Credit: Courtesy of Omar Yaghi, Berkeley Lab/UC Berkeley

Porphyrin CO2 catalysts have been incorporated into the sponge-like crystals of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) to create a molecular system that not only absorbs carbon dioxide, but also selectively reduces it to CO, a primary building block for a wide range of chemical products including fuels, pharmaceuticals and plastics.

With the reduction of atmospheric CO2 emissions in mind, Yaghi and his MIU group designed and developed the first COFs as a means of separating CO2 from flue gases...

Coupling with perovskite solar cell holds potential for cleaner cars, home power sources and more. Researchers have wired 4 perovskite solar cells in series to enhance the voltage and directly photo-charged lithium batteries with 7.8% efficiency – the most efficient reported to date, the researchers believe.

“Others have used polymer solar cells to charge lithium batteries, but not with this efficiency.” Perovskite solar cells have active materials with a crystalline structure identical to the mineral perovskite and are considered a promising new design for capturing solar energy. Compared to silicon-based cells, they convert a broader spectrum of sunlight into electricity..

Dai’s lab made multilayer solar cells, which increases their energy density, performance and stability...

Visualization of dark matter as energy confined within non-radiating anapoles. Credit: Andrey Miroshnichenko

Akin to throwing a pebble into a pond with no splash, this theory could have many apps from explaining dark matter to combating energy losses in future technologies. It appears to contradict a fundamental tenet of electrodynamics, that accelerated charges create electromagnetic radiation, said Dr Miroshnichenko, ANU. “This problem has puzzled many people. It took us a year to get this concept clear in our heads.”

The fundamental new theory could be used in quantum computers, lead to new laser technology and may even hold the key to understanding how matter itself hangs together...

3-D-printed microfish contain functional nanoparticles that enable them to be self-propelled, chemically powered and magnetically steered. The microfish are also capable of removing and sensing toxins. Credit: J. Warner, UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering.

These microrobots are powered by H2O2 and magnetically controlled. They will inspire a new generation of ‘smart’ microrobots that have diverse capabilities such as detoxification, sensing and directed drug delivery, the nanoengineers of University of California, SD said.

The technique used to fabricate the microfish provides many improvements over other methods with locomotion mechanisms, eg microjet engines, microdrillers and microrockets...