Researchers from Tel Aviv University have for the first time created a transparent, self-repairing adhesive glass that forms spontaneously when it comes in contact with water. An international discovery published in the prestigious journal Nature: Researchers from Tel Aviv University (TAU) have created a new type of glass with unique and even contradictory properties, such as being a strong adhesive (sticky) and incredibly transparent at the same time. The glass, which forms spontaneously when comes in contact with water at…

New instrument for operando battery research with KIT light source. Synchrotrons are particle accelerators that emit electromagnetic radiation such as soft X-rays. Synchrotron radiation enables insights into the internal structure and workings of materials, so it plays an important role in the development of advanced technologies. Soft X-rays (with wavelengths around one to two nanometers) are ideal for research on electrochemical storage systems for the energy transition – but their use has been limited so far: they require a vacuum…

…that could lead to unprecedented separations. Researchers use new technique to overcome perceived limitation of membranes with pores of consistent size. Imagine a close basketball game that comes down to the final shot. The probability of the ball going through the hoop might be fairly low, but it would dramatically increase if the player were afforded the opportunity to shoot it over and over. A similar idea is at play in the scientific field of membrane separations, a key process…

An interdisciplinary team at TU Graz is revolutionising the design of sustainable buildings. The advantages and disadvantages of different construction measures are visualised in real time using VR simulation. Next-generation energy services are designed to help a building’s end users understand and visualise the benefits of new energy-efficient technologies or thermal refurbishment measures. This includes the control of heating and cooling, lighting and ventilation. In order to make this possible, Christina Hopfe, head of the Institute of Building Physics, Services…

Developers of thin-film gas sensors benefit from heated substrate platform. The Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS develops and manufactures individual heatable test chips for the characterization of new gas sensor materials. Deposited sensing layers and their application-specific parameters, such as sensitivity and selectivity, can thus be specifically evaluated. Customized chip designs allow the optimal and highly accurate characterization of these thin films. Example thermal image of a heated test substrate held by a vacuum suction cup from Fraunhofer IPMS….

As part of the Fraunhofer Center for Sensor Intelligence ZSI, the intelligent and flexible ultrasonic sensor system “SonoOne” was developed according to the modular principle. “SonoOne” can serve the rapidly developing ultrasound market, especially in the field of portable systems, with innovative and highly flexible products. On the hardware side, “SonoOne” consists of cost-effective, matchbox-sized modules that can be easily combined and configured into a complete system for a wide variety of applications and, thanks to the modular concept, can…

An approach developed by materials scientists is already yielding discoveries that could improve the efficiency and durability of metallic catalysts used in a variety of processes. A team led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has invented a technique to study electrochemical processes at the atomic level with unprecedented resolution and used it to gain new insights into a popular catalyst material. Electrochemical reactions – chemical transformations that are caused by or accompanied by the flow of electric currents…

Eyes glued to a live transmission from inside a reaction vessel, LMU researchers watch chemical reactions at work. Their results will improve the manufacture of the next generation of energy materials. Shooting a movie in the lab requires special equipment. Especially when the actors are molecules – invisible to the naked eye – reacting with each other. “Imagine trying to film tiny lava flows during a volcanic eruption. Your smartphone camera wouldn’t be up to the job. First, you’d need…

Researchers have created a new class of materials called “glassy gels” that are very hard and difficult to break despite containing more than 50% liquid. Coupled with the fact that glassy gels are simple to produce, the material holds promise for a variety of applications. Gels and glassy polymers are classes of materials that have historically been viewed as distinct from one another. Glassy polymers are hard, stiff and often brittle. They’re used to make things like water bottles or…

Strategy dialogue “Affordable housing and innovative building”. How do you establish a building’s energy efficiency? An optical mobile mapping system that is being developed at the Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques IPM is expected to provide comprehensive data that will form the basis for planning energy-efficient refurbishments. Its core element is a multispectral LiDAR sensor that measures the geometry of the building and the thermal properties of windows and façades. Generally, the renovation requirements of a building are determined…

X-ray microscopes are essential for examining components and materials because they can be used to detect changes and details in the material. Until now, however, it has been difficult to detect small cracks or tiny inclusions in the images. By developing a new method, researchers at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon are now able to visualize such changes in the nanometer regime. In particular materials research and quality assurance will profit from this development. The quality must be right. This also applies…

Innovate UK has awarded funding to further optimise a unique and flexible floating offshore wind platform for applications in the Celtic Sea, a collaboration involving Swansea University. The funding will help establish the Launchpad project to ensure that, where possible, a local supply chain will support the fabrication, manufacture, and deployment of the platform, known as PelaFlex. Led by Marine Power Systems, Swansea University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering will be working with Ledwood Mechanical Engineering, Tata Steel UK, ABP (Associated…

Part Ⅱ: From single phase to multiple phases via adjusting V content. In recent years, high-entropy carbide ceramics have received extensive attention and become another research focus in the high entropy materials field, which are also known as multi-component carbide ceramics. The multi-component carbide ceramics not only inherit the special properties of high-entropy materials brought by complex compositions, but also keep the advantages of transition metal carbide ceramics as a kind of ultra-high temperature ceramics (UHTCs), such as high melting…

With applications in clothing, construction and food storage, the new textile reduces heat from both the sun and thermal radiation from nearby buildings. This year has already seen massive heatwaves around the globe, with cities in Mexico, India, Pakistan and Oman hitting temperatures near or past 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). As global temperatures and urban populations rise, the world’s cities have become “urban heat islands,” with tight-packed conditions and thermal radiation emitting from pavement and skyscraper trapping and…

The energy transition in Germany, Europe, and across the world is driving robust demand for solar panels. Alongside high energy yields, aesthetics and acceptance are also increasingly important factors. To accommodate these trends, a team of researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE has developed an innovative solar facade element that can be incorporated into a building’s exterior practically invisibly and without any significant loss of efficiency. With the development of MorphoColor® coating technology, the experts have…

A multidisciplinary research team has developed an evidence-based predictive tool for designing complex metal alloys that can withstand extreme environments. Cooks love stainless steel for its durability, rust resistance and even cooking when heated. But few know the secret that makes stainless steel so popular. It’s the metal chromium in stainless steel, which reacts with oxygen in the air to form a stable and protective thin coating for protecting the steel underneath. These days, scientists and engineers are working to…