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Categories: Chemistry: General, Physics: Optics
Published Spontaneous curvature the key to shape-shifting nanomaterials
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Inspired by nature, nanotechnology researchers have identified 'spontaneous curvature' as the key factor determining how ultra-thin, artificial materials can transform into useful tubes, twists and helices.
Published Opening a window on the brain
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have introduced a new method for in vivo brain imaging, enabling large-scale and long-term observation of neuronal structures and activities in awake mice. This method is called the 'nanosheet incorporated into light-curable resin' (NIRE) method, and it uses fluoropolymer nanosheets covered with light-curable resin to create larger cranial windows.
Published A key to the future of robots could be hiding in liquid crystals
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Robots and cameras of the future could be made of liquid crystals, thanks to a new discovery that significantly expands the potential of the chemicals already common in computer displays and digital watches. The findings are a simple and inexpensive way to manipulate the molecular properties of liquid crystals with light exposure.
Published Researchers use liquid crystals to control polarization inside laser-written waveguides
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a new way to control and manipulate optical signals by embedding a liquid crystal layer into waveguides created with direct laser writing. The new devices enable electro-optical control of polarization, which could open new possibilities for chip-based devices and complex photonic circuits based on femtosecond-written waveguides.
Published Evolution-capable AI promotes green hydrogen production using more abundant chemical elements
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A research team has developed an AI technique capable of expediting the identification of materials with desirable characteristics. Using this technique, the team was able to discover high-performance water electrolyzer electrode materials free of platinum-group elements -- substances previously thought to be indispensable in water electrolysis. These materials may be used to reduce the cost of large-scale production of green hydrogen -- a next-generation energy source.
Published Researchers create coating solution for safer food storage
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Galvanized steel containers and surfaces are used for harvested produce because of their durability, strength and lower cost compared to stainless steel. However, bacteria residing in storage containers can cause corrosion. The new coating will reduce corrosion by at least 70 percent, researchers say.
Published AI-enabled atomic robotic probe to advance quantum material manufacturing
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have pioneered a new methodology of fabricating carbon-based quantum materials at the atomic scale by integrating scanning probe microscopy techniques and deep neural networks. This breakthrough highlights the potential of implementing artificial intelligence at the sub-angstrom scale for enhanced control over atomic manufacturing, benefiting both fundamental research and future applications.
Published Scientists make nanoparticles dance to unravel quantum limits
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The question of where the boundary between classical and quantum physics lies is one of the longest-standing pursuits of modern scientific research and in new research, scientists demonstrate a novel platform that could help us find an answer.
Published It's not only opposites that attract -- new study shows like-charged particles can come together
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A study shows that similarly charged particles can sometimes attract, rather than repel. The team found that like-charged particles suspended in liquids can attract one another at long-range, depending on the solvent and the sign of the charge. The study has immediate implications for processes that involve interactions in solution across various length-scales, including self-assembly, crystallization, and phase separation.
Published Better neutron mirrors can reveal the inner secrets of matter
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Improved neutron mirrors can increase the efficiency of material analysis in neutron sources such as the ESS. The improved mirror has been developed by coating a silicon plate with extremely thin layers of iron and silicon mixed with boron carbide.
Published Researchers improve the stability of perovskite solar cells
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Perovskite solar cells are considered the strongest contender to replace silicon solar cells. While they achieve high power conversion energy, they also suffer from lead leakage and perovskite degradation due to moisture. Now scientists leverage the technique of interfacial passivation, where lead ions are bound by crown ether B18C6, obtaining 21.7% power conversion energy. The crown ether also resists degradation due to moisture for 300 hours at room temperature and 85% humidity.
Published Scientists reveal how light behaves in formless solids
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source For a long time, it was thought that amorphous solids do not selectively absorb light because of their disordered atomic structure. A new study disproves this theory and shows that amorphous solids actually exhibit dichroism, meaning that they selectively absorb light of different polarizations.
Published A bright idea for recycling rare-earth phosphors from used fluorescent bulbs
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Recycling facilities collect glass and mercury from thrown away fluorescent bulbs, but discarded lighting could also supply rare-earth metals for reuse. The 17 metals referred to as rare earths aren't all widely available and aren't easily extracted with existing recycling methods. Now, researchers have found a simpler way to collect slightly magnetic particles that contain rare-earth metals from spent fluorescent bulbs.
Published How molecular 'handedness' emerged in early biology
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Chemists fill a major gap in origin-of-life theories.
Published Researchers develop novel method to photosynthesize hydrogen peroxide using water and air
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a microporous covalent organic framework with dense donor-acceptor lattices and engineered linkages for the efficient and clean production of hydrogen peroxide through the photosynthesis process with water and air.
Published Light stimulates a new twist for synthetic chemistry
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Molecules that are induced by light to rotate bulky groups around central bonds could be developed into photo-activated bioactive systems, molecular switches, and more.
Published New disease testing component facilitates lower-cost diagnostics
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Biomedical researchers have developed a new, less expensive way to detect nuclease digestion -- one of the critical steps in many nucleic acid sensing applications, such as those used to identify COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.
Published Low-Temperature Plasma used to remove E. coli from hydroponically grown crops
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In a new study, a team sterilized a hydroponic nutrient solution using low-temperature plasma generated from electricity and the oxygen in the atmosphere. This new sterilization technique may allow farmers to grow crops without the use of chemical pesticides, representing an important advance in agricultural technology for sustainable crop production.
Published Diamonds are a chip's best friend
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New technologies aim to produce high-purity synthetic crystals that become excellent semiconductors when doped with impurities as electron donors or acceptors of other elements. Researchers have now determined the magnitude of the spin-orbit interaction in acceptor-bound excitons in a semiconductor. They broke through the energy resolution limit of conventional luminescence measurements by directly observing the fine structure of bound excitons in boron-doped blue diamond, using optical absorption.
Published Trapping and excitation of the simplest molecule
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The simplest possible molecule H2+ was one of the very first molecules to form in the cosmos. This makes it significant for astrophysics, but also an important object of research for fundamental physics. It is difficult to study in experiments. However, a team of physicists has now succeeded in measuring the vibrations of the molecule with a laser.