[Images above] Credit: NIST
NANOMATERIALS
Quantum computing with graphene plasmons
Physicists from University of Vienna and Institute of Photonic Sciences in Barcelona showed tailored graphene structures enable single photons to interact with each other, which could lead to new designs for optical quantum computers.
Development of graphene with enhanced speed of high frequency signal transmission
Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) researchers developed a graphene-based high-performance transmission line with an improved operating speed of electrons. It could replace the metal used in existing high-speed semiconductor processing.
ENERGY
Just like toothpaste: Fluoride radically improves the stability of perovskite solar cells
Researchers from Eindhoven University of Technology, energy research institute Differ, Peking University, and University of Twente found adding fluoride to perovskite leaves a protective layer, significantly increasing stability of solar cells. The cells retain 90 percent of their efficiency after 1,000 hours operation in extreme testing conditions.
Copper oxide photocathodes: Laser experiment reveals location of efficiency loss
Copper oxide is theoretically a promising candidate for future solar energy conversion, but in practice, large efficiency losses occur. Researchers at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin used a femtosecond laser to determine losses take place not so much at the interfaces, but instead far more in the interior of the crystalline material.
Development of ‘transparent and flexible battery’ for power generation and storage at once
Researchers at Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) developed single-layer graphene-based multifunctional transparent devices, which could be used in various devices such as electronics and skin-attachable devices with power generation and self-charging capability.
Assessing battery performance: Compared to what?
A team from Argonne National Laboratory, University of Warwick, OVO Energy, Hawaii National Energy Institute, and Jaguar Land Rover reviewed the literature on various methods used to characterize performance of lithium-ion batteries in order to provide insight on best practices.
BIOMATERIALS
Bone graft substitute degrades naturally as bone fractures heal
Researchers at OsteoNovus developed a moldable bone substitute called Novogro Putty that can be implanted into the site of a bone fracture and degrades as the bone naturally heals. In granular form, NovoGro consists of an inorganic composite and a biodegradable polymer that imparts the proper rheological property.
ENVIRONMENT
Plastic gets a do-over: Breakthrough discovery recycles plastic from the inside out
Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory designed a recyclable plastic that, like a Lego playset, can be disassembled into its constituent parts at the molecular level, and then reassembled into a different shape, texture, and color again and again without loss of performance or quality.
A powdery idea to reduce sea-ice loss
Researchers suggest spreading hollow glass beads over ice on the northern ocean, thereby increasing sea ice’s reflectivity and slowing its melting. The powder is mainly silica, and some tests of quail and small fish showed them eating it with no apparent problems.
Just add water: Salt battery could help renewable energy use
Instead of storing electricity, Vattenfall and Swedish start-up SaltX are using calcium oxide to store heat. When calcium oxide becomes wet, it soaks up the water and becomes calcium hydroxide, releasing large amounts of heat in the process. Remove the water and it turns back into calcium oxide.
OTHER STORIES
No ink needed for these graphene artworks
Rice University researchers introduced laser-induced graphene to the world in 2014, and now the researchers are making art with the technique, which involves converting carbon in a common polymer or other material into microscopic flakes of graphene.
Discovery may lead to new materials for next-generation data storage
Researchers led by Cornell University and University of California Berkeley observed chirality for the first time in polar skyrmions in an exquisitely designed and synthesized artificial material with reversible electrical properties. The combination of polar skyrmions and these electrical properties may allow for the development of novel devices.
Colorful solution to a chemical industry bottleneck
KAUST researchers tailored the structure of graphene-oxide layers to mimic the hourglass shape of biological nanoscale water channels, creating ultrathin membranes to rapidly separate chemical mixtures.
Experimental device generates electricity from the coldness of the universe
An international team of scientists demonstrated it is possible to generate a measurable amount of electricity in a diode directly from the coldness of the universe. The infrared semiconductor device faces the sky and uses the temperature difference between Earth and space to produce electricity.