Prof. Li Gang invented a novel technique to achieve breakthrough efficiency with organic solar cells. Credit: Hong Kong Polytechnic University Topics: Chemistry, Green Tech, Materials Science, Photonics, Research, Solar Power Researchers from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have achieved a breakthrough power-conversion efficiency (PCE) of 19.31% with organic solar cells (OSCs), also known asContinue reading “Organic Solar Cells…”
Category Archives: Materials Science
ALPS and Dark Matter…
Magnet row of the ALPS experiment in the HERA tunnel: In this part of the magnets, intense laser light is reflected back and forth, from which axions are supposed to form. Credit: DESY, Marta Maye Topics: Dark Matter, Materials Science, Particle Physics, Quantum Mechanics The ALPS (Any Light Particle Search) experiment, which stretches a totalContinue reading “ALPS and Dark Matter…”
Nano Sanitizer…
The disinfectant powder is stirred in bacteria-contaminated water (upper left). The mixture is exposed to sunlight, which rapidly kills all the bacteria (upper right). A magnet collects the metallic powder after disinfection (lower right). The powder is then reloaded into another beaker of contaminated water, and the disinfection process is repeated (lower left). (Image credit: TongContinue reading “Nano Sanitizer…”
Balsa Chips…
Modified wood modulates electrical current: researchers at Linköping University, together with colleagues from the KTH Royal Institute of Technology, have developed the world’s first electrical transistor made of wood. (Courtesy: Thor Balkhed) Topics: Applied Physics, Biomimetics, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Research Researchers in Sweden have built a transistor out of a plank of wood byContinue reading “Balsa Chips…”
A Charge For All Seasons…
The new composition for fluorine-containing electrolytes promises to maintain high battery charging performance for future electric vehicles even at sub-zero temperatures. (Image by Shutterstock.) Topics: Battery, Chemistry, Climate Change, Global Warming, Lithium, Materials Science Scientists developed a new and safer electrolyte for lithium-ion batteries that work as well in sub-zero conditions as it does atContinue reading “A Charge For All Seasons…”
Superconductors, 3D Disorder, Fractals…
Fractals are a never-ending pattern that you can zoom in on, and the image doesn’t change. Fractals can occur in two dimensions, like frost on a window, or in three dimensions, like the limbs of a tree. A recent discovery from Purdue University researchers has established that superconducting images, seen above in red and blue,Continue reading “Superconductors, 3D Disorder, Fractals…”
TEG…
The new self-powered thermoelectric generator device uses an ultra-broadband solar absorber (UBSA) to capture sunlight, which heats the generator. Simultaneously, another component called a planar radiative cooling emitter (RCE) cools part of the device by releasing heat. Credit: Haoyuan Cai, Jimei University. Topics: Alternate Energy, Battery, Chemistry, Energy, Materials Science, Thermodynamics Researchers have developed aContinue reading “TEG…”
Strange Metals II…
Credit: CC0 Public Domain Topics: Applied Physics, Chemistry, Materials Science, Metamaterials, Quantum Mechanics The behavior of so-called “strange metals” has long puzzled scientists—but a group of researchers at the University of Toronto may be one step closer to understanding these materials. Electrons are discrete, subatomic particles that flow through wires like molecules of water flowingContinue reading “Strange Metals II…”
Caveat Modifier…
The Biofire Smart Gun. Photographer: James Stukenberg for Bloomberg Businessweek Topics: Biometrics, Biotechnology, Computer Science, Democracy, Materials Science, Semiconductor Technology Tech Target (Alyssa Provazza, Editorial Director): “A smartphone is a cellular telephone with an integrated computer and other features not originally associated with telephones, such as an operating system, web browsing, and the ability to runContinue reading “Caveat Modifier…”
Catalysis and Energy Savings…
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Topics: Chemistry, Computer Modeling, Environment, Materials Science In an advance, they consider a breakthrough in computational chemistry research. University of Wisconsin–Madison chemical engineers have developed a model of how catalytic reactions work at the atomic scale. This understanding could allow engineers and chemists to develop more efficient catalysts and tune industrialContinue reading “Catalysis and Energy Savings…”
Physics and Nano 