[Images above] Credit: NIST
NANOMATERIALS
Hydrogen boride nanosheets: A promising material for hydrogen carrier
Researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology, University of Tsukuba, and colleagues in Japan report a promising hydrogen carrier in the form of hydrogen boride nanosheets. They found hydrogen can be released in significant amounts from HB sheets under ultraviolet light, even under mild conditions.
Unusually broad diffraction background marks high-quality graphene
Ames Laboratory researchers discovered in the case of highly uniform samples of graphene, diffraction studies not only show the expected sharp spots but also a very broad band of diffuse diffraction in the background.
Nanoceramics from the ball mill
Chemists at the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research found a way to produce corundum (also known as alpha-alumina), a particularly stable variant of alumina, in the form of nanoparticles using simple mechanochemistry in a ball mill.
Dietary fiber effectively purifies carbon nanotubes
Nagoya University researchers found a dietary fiber can help separate out semiconducting carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) used for making transistors for flexible electronics. They also found a thin-film transistor made with their purified semiconducting SWCNTs performed very well.
ENERGY
Charge a car in just 10 minutes?
The Pennsylvania State University mechanical engineers say they developed a lithium ion battery that can be charged sufficiently in 10 minutes to power an electric car to cover more than 350 kilometers. They say the key is to realize rapid heating so the battery does not stay at elevated temperatures for too long.
Tungsten suboxide improves the efficiency of platinum in hydrogen production
KAIST researchers presented a new strategy for enhancing catalytic activity using tungsten suboxide as a single-atom catalyst. This strategy, which significantly improves hydrogen evolution reaction in metal platinum by 16.3 times, sheds light on the development of new electrochemical catalyst technologies.
Nanotechnology breakthrough enables conversion of infrared light to energy
Researchers at KTH Royal Institute of Technology developed a film that can be applied on top of ordinary solar cells, which would enable them to use infrared light in energy conversion and increase efficiency by 10% or more.
ENVIRONMENT
Surprisingly stable plutonium compound could affect nuclear waste storage
In a series of attempts to synthesize plutonium-containing nanoparticles, scientists in Germany, Russia, and Sweden found that a compound containing plutonium in its fifth oxidation state can exist for long periods of time. Their discovery could provide information that helps scientists predict changing properties of nuclear waste.
OTHER STORIES
New coal ash aggregate helps concrete cure
Drexel University researchers developed a method for turning waste ash into a special concrete additive that helps to fortify its internal structure by promoting a uniform hardening process from the inside out.
Researchers use 3D printing to make glass optical fiber preform
Researchers developed a way to use 3D printing to create a preform that can be drawn into silica glass optical fibers. They used a commercially available direct-light projection 3D printer and a unique heating step called debinding to remove the polymer and leave behind only the silica nanoparticles.
From coffee to concrete: Researchers offer a new solution
RMIT University researchers are investigating ways to develop concrete from coffee grounds. The work initially focused on using coffee waste as a sand replacement, but with most concrete mixes containing up to 80% sand, the group found they could replace up to 10–15% of that with coffee grounds.
Concrete with improved impact endurance for defense structures developed
Engineers from the Military Studies Center at Far Eastern Federal University developed a brand-new concrete with improved impact endurance and up to 40% made of waste: rice husk cinder, limestone crushing waste, and siliceous sand. The new concrete is 6–9 times more crack resistant than types produced under GOST standards.
Invisible. Glass Design exhibition traces the history of glass in Mexico
Invisible. Glass Design, an exhibition that traces the history of glass in Mexico over the last few decades, is currently on view at the Franz Mayer Museum in Mexico City. Curated by industrial designer Emiliano Godoy, the exhibition gathers over 500 diverse items from the collections of glass companies Nouvel, Grupo Pavisa, and Vissio.