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Categories: Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry, Energy: Nuclear
Published Towards efficient lithium--air batteries with solution plasma-based synthesis of perovskite hydroxide catalysts



CoSn(OH)6 (CSO) is an effective oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst, necessary for developing next-generation lithium -- air batteries. However, current methods of synthesizing CSO are complicated and slow. Recently, an international research team synthesized CSO in a single step within 20 minutes using solution plasma to generate CSO nanocrystals with excellent OER catalytic properties. Their findings could boost the manufacturing of high energy density batteries.
Published Surprise! Weaker bonds can make polymers stronger



Chemists discovered a new way to make polymers stronger: introduce a few weaker bonds into the material. Working with polyacrylate elastomers, they could increase the materials' resistance to tearing up to tenfold by using a weaker type of crosslinker to join some of the polymer building blocks.
Published Stronger tape engineered through the art of cutting



What if you could make adhesives both strong and easily removable? This seemingly paradoxical combination of properties could dramatically change applications in robotic grasping, wearables for health monitoring, and manufacturing for assembly and recycling. A team has adapted kirigami, the ancient Japanese art of cutting paper, into a method for increasing the adhesive bond of ordinary tape by 60 times. Developing such adhesives may not by that far off through the latest research conducted by the team of Michael Bartlett, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech, and published in Nature Materials on June 22.
Published Making the most of minuscule metal mandalas



To unveil the previously elusive behavior and stability of complex metal compounds found in aqueous solutions called 'POMs', researchers have created a speciation atlas. This achievement has the potential to drive new discoveries and advancements in fields like catalysis, medicine, and beyond.
Published Physicists discover a new switch for superconductivity



A study sheds surprising light on how certain superconductors undergo a 'nematic transition' -- unlocking new, superconducting behavior. The results could help identify unconventional superconducting materials.
Published Engineers 'strike gold' with innovation that recovers heavy metals from biosolids



Engineers have developed a cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to remove heavy metals, including copper and zinc, from biosolids. The team's work advances other methods for heavy-metal removal by recycling the acidic liquid waste that is produced during the recovery phase, instead of throwing it away.
Published Clean, sustainable fuels made 'from thin air' and plastic waste



Researchers have demonstrated how carbon dioxide can be captured from industrial processes -- or even directly from the air -- and transformed into clean, sustainable fuels using just the energy from the Sun.
Published To boost supply chains, scientists are looking at ways to recover valuable materials from water



Researchers are exploring the different ways of harvesting materials from water.
Published Engineers develop a soft, printable, metal-free electrode



Engineers developed a metal-free, Jelly-like material that is as soft and tough as biological tissue and can conduct electricity similarly to conventional metals. The new material, which is a type of high-performance conducting polymer hydrogel, may one day replace metals in the electrodes of medical devices.
Published Cleaner air with a cold catalytic converter



Although passenger vehicle catalytic converters have been mandatory for over 30 years, there is still plenty of room for improvement. For instance, they only work correctly when the engine is sufficiently hot, which is not always the case, especially with hybrid vehicles. Researchers have now developed an improved catalyst that can properly purify exhaust gases even at room temperature.
Published A 'spy' in the belly



To ensure that wounds remain tightly sealed in the abdomen after surgery, researchers have developed a patch with a sensor function. The polymer patch warns before the occurrence of dangerous leaks on sutures in the gastrointestinal tract take hold, while closes the areas on its own. A new material now enables a fast, easy and non-invasive leak diagnosis.
Published Nanomaterials: 3D printing of glass without sintering



A new process enables printing of nanometer-scale quartz glass structures directly onto semiconductor chips. A hybrid organic-inorganic polymer resin is used as feedstock material for 3D printing of silicon dioxide. Since the process works without sintering, the required temperatures are significantly lower. Simultaneously, increased resolution enables visible-light nanophotonics.
Published Photosynthesis, key to life on Earth, starts with a single photon



A cutting-edge experiment has revealed the quantum dynamics of one of nature's most crucial processes.
Published For experimental physicists, quantum frustration leads to fundamental discovery



A team of physicists recently announced that they have discovered a new phase of matter. Called the 'chiral bose-liquid state,' the discovery opens a new path in the age-old effort to understand the nature of the physical world.
Published A baking soda solution for clean hydrogen storage



Scientists investigate the promising properties of a common, Earth-abundant salt.
Published A novel, completely solid, rechargeable air battery



Solid-state batteries use solid electrodes and solid electrolytes, unlike the more commonly known lithium-ion batteries, which use liquid electrolytes. Solid-state batteries overcome various challenges associated with liquid-based batteries, such as flammability, limited voltage, unstable reactants, and poor long-term cyclability and strength. Making advances in this field, researchers recently demonstrated an all-solid-state rechargeable air battery composed of a redox-active organic negative electrode and a proton-conductive polymer electrolyte.
Published New material transforms light, creating new possibilities for sensors



A new class of materials that can absorb low energy light and transform it into higher energy light might lead to more efficient solar panels, more accurate medical imaging and better night vision goggles.
Published Breaking through the limits of stretchable semiconductors with molecular brakes that harness light



A research team develops a highly stretchable and high-performance organic polymer semiconductor.
Published Mirror, mirror on the wall... Now we know there are chiral phonons for sure



New findings settle the dispute: phonons can be chiral. This fundamental concept, discovered using circular X-ray light, sees phonons twisting like a corkscrew through quartz.
Published Sustainable technique to manufacture chemicals



A newly published study details a novel mechanochemistry method that can produce chemicals using less energy and without the use of solvents that produce toxic waste.