Energy: Technology
Published

A butterfly's first flight inspires a new way to produce force and electricity      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have uncovered the promising capability of chitin as a sustainable smart biomaterial. Through water exchange with the environment, humidity-responsive chitinous films can generate mechanical and electrical energy for potential use in engineering and biomedical applications.

Energy: Technology Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

'Quantum avalanche' explains how nonconductors turn into conductors      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The study takes a new approach to answer a long-standing mystery about insulator-to-metal transitions.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Technology Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Renewable solar energy can help purify water, the environment      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Chemists have demonstrated that water remediation can be powered in part -- and perhaps even exclusively -- by renewable energy sources.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Technology
Published

Device makes hydrogen from sunlight with record efficiency      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Engineers have created a device that turns sunlight into hydrogen with record-breaking efficiency by integrating next-generation halide perovskite semiconductors with electrocatalysts in a single, durable, cost-effective and scalable device.

Energy: Batteries Energy: Technology
Published

Aluminum materials show promising performance for safer, cheaper, more powerful batteries      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers are using aluminum foil to create batteries with higher energy density and greater stability. The team's new battery system could enable electric vehicles to run longer on a single charge and would be cheaper to manufacture -- all while having a positive impact on the environment.

Energy: Technology Engineering: Graphene Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

Researchers put a new twist on graphite      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers report that it is possible to imbue graphite -- the bulk, 3D material found in No. 2 pencils -- with physical properties similar to graphite's 2D counterpart, graphene. Not only was this breakthrough unexpected, the team also believes its approach could be used to test whether similar types of bulk materials can also take on 2D-like properties. If so, 2D sheets won't be the only source for scientists to fuel technological revolutions. Bulk, 3D materials could be just as useful.

Energy: Batteries Energy: Technology Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Dry manufacturing process offers path to cleaner, more affordable high-energy EV batteries      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Early experiments have revealed significant benefits to a dry battery manufacturing process. This eliminates the use of toxic solvents while showing promise for delivering a battery that is durable, less weighed down by inactive elements and able to maintain high energy storage capacity after use. Such improvements could boost wider EV adoption, helping to reduce carbon emissions and achieve U.S. climate goals.

Energy: Technology Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

Researchers achieve historic milestone in energy capacity of supercapacitors      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

In a new landmark chemistry study, researchers describe how they have achieved the highest level of energy storage -- also known as capacitance -- in a supercapacitor ever recorded.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Technology
Published

Bifacial perovskite solar cells point to higher efficiency      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A bifacial perovskite solar cell, which allows sunlight to reach both sides of the device, holds the potential to produce higher energy yields at lower overall costs.

Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR)
Published

Improving urban planning with virtual reality      (via sciencedaily.com) 

What should the city we live in look like? How do structural changes affect the people who move around it? Cartographers use virtual reality tools to explore these questions before a great deal of money is spent on building measures. Using the Unity3 game engine, they recreate scenarios in 3D where people can experience potential changes through immersion. They were able to prove that the physical reaction to this experience is measurable.

Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR)
Published

Researchers develop approach that can enable inexpensive mass manufacturing of micro-LED displays      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research describes a continuous roller printing approach that can precisely transfer thousands of microscopic semiconductor devices in a single shot. This method paves the way to creating large-scale arrays of optical components and could be used to rapidly manufacture micro-LED displays.

Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR)
Published

Testing real driverless cars in a virtual environment      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have developed new software to aid in the development, evaluation and demonstration of safer autonomous, or driverless, vehicles. Called the Vehicle-in-Virtual-Environment (VVE) method, it allows the testing of driverless cars in a perfectly safe environment.

Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR) Mathematics: Modeling Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General
Published

Turning old maps into 3D digital models of lost neighborhoods      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Imagine strapping on a virtual reality headset and 'walking' through a long-gone neighborhood in your city -- seeing the streets and buildings as they appeared decades ago. That's a very real possibility now that researchers have developed a method to create 3D digital models of historic neighborhoods using machine learning and historic Sanborn Fire Insurance maps.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Energy: Technology Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Physics: General
Published

Don't wait, desalinate: A new approach to water purification      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A water purification system separates out salt and other unnecessary particles with an electrified version of dialysis. Successfully applied to wastewater with planned expansion into rivers and seas, the method saves money and saps 90% less energy than its counterparts.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Energy: Batteries Energy: Technology
Published

Towards efficient lithium--air batteries with solution plasma-based synthesis of perovskite hydroxide catalysts      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

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.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Technology Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Perovskite solar cells set new record for power conversion efficiency      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Perovskite solar cells have attained now attained the extremely high efficiency rate of 24.35% with an active area of 1 cm2. This ground-breaking achievement in maximizing power generation from next-generation renewable energy sources will be crucial to securing the world's energy future.

Energy: Technology
Published

Breakthrough innovation could solve temperature issues for source-gated transistors and lead to low-cost, flexible displays      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Low-cost, flexible displays that use very little energy could be a step closer, thanks to an innovation that solves a problem that has plagued source-gated transistors (SGT).

Computer Science: General Energy: Technology Physics: Optics
Published

New microcomb device advances photonic technology      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have outlined a new high-speed tunable microcomb that could help propel advances in wireless communication, imaging, atomic clocks, and more.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Thermodynamics Energy: Technology Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Inside-out heating and ambient wind could make direct air capture cheaper and more efficient      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Chemical engineers use coated carbon fibers and eliminate steam-based heating in their simpler design, which also can be powered by wind energy.