[Images above] Credit: NIST
NANOMATERIALS
Quantum effects make magnetene surprisingly slippery
Researchers at the University of Toronto in Canada and Rice University report that the ultraslippery nature of 2D magnetene could be down to quantum effects rather than the mechanics of physical layers sliding across each other.
ENERGY
New device advances commercial viability of solar fuels
Researchers developed a new artificial photosynthesis device with remarkable stability and longevity. The photoelectrochemical cell is made from copper oxide coated with silver on top and gold/iron oxide underneath.
Nanodiamonds are key to efficient hydrogen purification
Researchers describe how nanodiamond-reinforced composite membranes can purify hydrogen from its humid mixtures, making the hydrogen generation processes vastly more efficient and cost-effective.
New smart-roof coating enables year-round energy savings
Researchers developed an all-season temperature-adaptive radiative coating of vanadium dioxide that outperforms existing roof coatings for energy saving in 12 of the 15 climate zones, particularly in regions with wide temperature variations between day and night.
Energy-saving glass that ‘self-adapts’ to heating and cooling demand
An international research team led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore developed a material that, when coated on a glass window panel, effectively self-adapts to heat or cool rooms. The self-adaptive glass consists of vanadium dioxide nanoparticles composite, PMMA, and a low-emissivity coating.
Spray-on coating could make solar panels snow-resistant
A University of Michigan-led team demonstrated an inexpensive, clear coating that reduced snow and ice accumulation on solar panels, enabling them to generate up to 85% more energy in early testing.
ENVIRONMENT
Dark fiber seismic network finds missed aftershocks in Chinese earthquake
Just days after a 2020 magnitude 5.1 earthquake in Tangshan, China, researchers turned nearly 8 kilometers of unused telecom fiber optic cable into a seismic array that detected dozens of aftershocks that were missed by permanent seismic stations.
Understanding cobalt’s human cost
After studying the impacts of mining cobalt on communities in Africa’s Democratic Republic of the Congo, an interdisciplinary team of researchers is calling for more data into how emerging technologies affect human health and livelihoods.
OTHER STORIES
Fabricating stable, high-mobility transistors for next-generation display technologies
Researchers from Tokyo Institute of Technology used indium tin zinc oxide to fabricate stable thin film transistors for use in next-generation display technologies.
Selective separation could help alleviate critical metals shortage
A sulfidation approach developed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers could make it easier to separate critical metals from mining ores and recycled materials.
How to transform silicon carbide vacancies into quantum information
Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Chicago used a combination of sophisticated computational tools to produce simulations that should help scientists improve control over the formation of vacancies in silicon carbide.
Sustainable circuits printed from graphite-loaded shellac ink
Researchers from the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials, Science, and Technology developed a novel material for printing circuits that consists of elongated graphite platelets mixed with tiny soot particles contained within a matrix of shellac.