Scanning electron microsopy images before and after stability
measurement for 700 h. Interface between PBSCF cathode and BZCYYb4411 electolyte (a)
before stability measurement. (b) after stability measurement. High-magnification of
microstructure of cathode. (c) before stability measurement. (d) after stability measurement. (e)
EDS line scan at the cathode and electrolyte interface after stability measurement

By combining a high-activity cathode with a new composition of matter, fuel cell operates at 500C – a commercialization sweet spot...

A close up of DNA wires being drawn through the porous membrane. Credit: KTH

Scientists in Sweden today reported a nanoengineering innovation that offers hope for treatment of cancer, infections and other health problems – conductive wires of DNA enhanced with gold which could be used to electrically measure hundreds of biological processes simultaneously. While DNA nanowires have been in development for some time, the method developed at KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Stockholm University produces a unique 3D biosensor for better effectiveness than flat, 2D sensors. “Our geometry makes it much easier to measure several biomolecules simultaneously, and is also 100 times more sensitive,” says KTH Professor Wouter van der Wijngaart...

A section of “e-skin.” Credit: Jianliang Xiao / University of Colorado Boulder

University of Colorado Boulder researchers have developed a new type of malleable, self-healing and fully recyclable “electronic skin” that has applications ranging from robotics and prosthetic development to better biomedical devices. Electronic skin, known as e-skin, is a thin, translucent material that can mimic the function and mechanical properties of human skin. A number of different types and sizes of wearable e-skins are now being developed in labs around the world as researchers recognize their value in diverse medical, scientific and engineering fields.

The new CU Boulder e-skin has sensors embedded to measure pressure, temperature, humidity and air flow, said Assistant Professor Jianliang Xiao, who is...

Argonne scientists and collaborators used the Gammasphere, this powerful gamma ray spectrometer, to help create the right conditions to cause and spot a long-theorized effect called nuclear excitation by electron capture. Credit: Argonne National Laboratory

For the first time, physicists from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory and their collaborators, led by a team from the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, demonstrated a long-theorized nuclear effect. This advance tests theoretical models that describe how nuclear and atomic realms interact and may also provide new insights into how star elements are created. Physicists first predicted the effect, called nuclear excitation by electron capture (NEEC), over 40 years ago. But scientists had not seen it until now...