[Image above] Credit: ACerS
NANOMATERIALS
Researchers measure giant light-conversion effect in chiral carbon nanotubes
Rice University researchers created large, highly ordered films of chiral carbon nanotubes. Measurements showed the films can convert the color of light at a rate two to three orders of magnitude greater than conventional materials.
ENERGY
Solar cells on vehicles can take the pressure off the grid in Europe
Findings from the European research project SolarMoves suggest that solar modules integrated into vehicles can significantly reduce electricity demand and the strain on the power grid. In the best-case scenario, a passenger car in Central Europe can generate up to 55% of its annual energy needs; in Southern Europe, this figure can reach up to 80%.
Scientists generate electricity from ambient moisture using everyday ingredients
An international research team led by Queen Mary University of London developed an innovative method to power wearable electronics using ambient moisture and simple, nontoxic materials commonly found in the kitchen. The highly stable, biodegradable moisture-electric generator consists of gelatin, table salt, and activated carbon.
ENVIRONMENT
Faster, cleaner way to extract lithium for EV batteries
Columbia University researchers developed a fast new technique that pulls lithium directly from salty underground brines using a temperature-sensitive solvent. The method also works on low-quality lithium sources that current technologies struggle to use.
Global ‘treasure map’ points to hidden rare earth deposits
By combining thousands of rock samples with seismic images of Earth’s deep interior, researchers led by the University of Cambridge created a global “treasure map” that shows where rare earth elements are most likely to form.
Ice may release more iron than climate models predict
Umeå University researchers showed that ice actively speeds up the breakdown of iron minerals and may release more iron than current environmental models account for. This information can improve predictions of how nutrient cycles, carbon storage, and water quality will change in polar and mountain regions as the planet warms.
MANUFACTURING
Thermal evaporation enables creation of ultrathin perovskite solar cells
Nanyang Technological University researchers created perovskite solar cells that are about 50 times thinner than conventional perovskite solar cells. To make the ultrathin cells, the researchers used an industrially compatible method known as thermal evaporation, which involves heating source materials in a vacuum chamber until they evaporate.
Scalable manufacturing of perovskite photovoltaics
Researchers at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and the University of Valencia developed a fast, solvent-free vacuum process that uniformly deposits perovskite layers at high throughput, even on textured silicon surfaces.
OTHER STORIES
Ferrotoroidic material stores four magnetic states
Neutron experiments at the Institut Laue-Langevin revealed how a ferrotoroidic material made of lithium, nickel, iron and phosphate can store information in four distinct magnetic states. Although the material studied here operates at very low temperatures (below –200°C), it provides an important proof of concept.
Scientists discover atoms suddenly spinning backward in quantum experiment
An international team of researchers led by Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf directly observed how angular momentum moves through a crystal lattice for the first time, revealing an unexpected quantum effect that causes the direction of rotation to reverse.
Nanoscale device converts infrared into visible light
Researchers at the University of New South Wales developed a nanoscale device capable of converting low-energy infrared and red light into higher-energy visible light. They achieved photon conversion efficiencies of 8.2%.
New research offers more sustainable solution to maintain white wine clarity
Researchers at the University of California, Davis developed a flow-through system to treat protein-unstable white and rosé wines. Their method serves as an alternative to bentonite, which is easy to use but cannot be reused.