– parallel measurement of multiple water parameters with a single sensor chip. Fraunhofer IPMS revolutionizes environmental analysis with new n-well integration technology for ISFETs. A groundbreaking integration technology for the simultaneous measurement of various water parameters using ion-sensitive field-effect transistors (ISFETs) is presented by the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS. The newly developed n-well integration technology makes it possible to measure pH values, nitrate, phosphate and potassium concentrations in parallel and continuously with only one sensor chip. This innovation…

I’m not touching you! When another person’s finger hovers over your skin, you may get the sense that they’re touching you, feeling not necessarily contact, but their proximity. Similarly, researchers reporting in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces have designed a soft, flexible film that senses the presence of nearby objects without physically touching them. The study features the new sensor technology to detect eyelash proximity in blink-tracking glasses. Noncontact sensors can identify or measure an object without directly touching it….

Researchers have harnessed the power of artificial intelligence to significantly advance the discovery and optimization of multicomponent metal oxide electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). This breakthrough has the potential to revolutionize the efficiency and affordability of renewable energy technologies such as hydrogen fuel cells and batteries, paving the way for a sustainable energy future. Details of the findings were published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry A on April 23, 2024. The study analyzed 7,798 distinct metal oxide…

– making new bio-based material solutions tangible on a pilot scale. The INN PRESSME joint project, funded by the European Union with around 14 million euros, was launched three years ago. The aim of the 27 project partners from nine European countries is to establish a Europe-wide ecosystem for the development and production of plant-based, recyclable, and/or biodegradable packaging, energy, and transportation solutions, as well as consumer goods. The planned nine test cases with prototypes have currently been completed, and…

Microstructure simulations reveal strong influence of elastic deformation on the charging behavior of layered oxides used as cathode of sodium-ion batteries. Research into new battery materials is aimed at optimizing their performance and lifetime and at reducing costs. Work is also underway to reduce the consumption of rare elements, such as lithium and cobalt, as well as toxicconstituents. Sodium-ion batteries are considered very promising in this respect. They are based on principles similar to those of lithium-ion batteries, but can…

For the first time, scientists at the Cavendish Laboratory have found that a single ‘atomic defect’ in a thin material, Hexagonal Boron Nitride (hBN), exhibits spin coherence under ambient conditions, and that these spins can be controlled with light. Spin coherence refers to an electronic spin being capable of retaining quantum information over time. The discovery is significant because materials that can host quantum properties under ambient conditions is quite rare. The findings published in Nature Materials, further confirm that…

The material could be made as a thin coating to analyze air quality in industrial or home settings over time. Most systems used to detect toxic gases in industrial or domestic settings can be used only once, or at best a few times. Now, researchers at MIT have developed a detector that could provide continuous monitoring for the presence of these gases, at low cost. The new system combines two existing technologies, bringing them together in a way that preserves…

The production of cement, metals and many chemical commodities requires extremely high temperatures of over a thousand degrees Celsius. At present, this heat is usually obtained by combusting fossil fuels: coal or natural gas, which emit large amounts of greenhouse gases. Heating with renewable electricity is not an alternative, as this would be inefficient at these high temperatures. Although much of our economy and society will need to become carbon neutral in the coming decades, these industrial processes are likely…

Semiconductors are the foundation of all modern electronics. Now, researchers at Linköping University, Sweden, have developed a new method where organic semiconductors can become more conductive with the help of air as a dopant. The study, published in the journal Nature, is a significant step towards future cheap and sustainable organic semiconductors. “We believe this method could significantly influence the way we dope organic semiconductors. All components are affordable, easily accessible, and potentially environmentally friendly, which is a prerequisite for…

The power of combining different views. Lithium-Ion batteries presently are the ubiquitous source of electrical energy in mobile devices, and the key technology for e-mobility and energy storage. Massive interdisciplinary research efforts are underway both to develop practical alternatives that are more sustainable and environmentally friendly, and to develop batteries that are safer, more performing, and longer-lasting – particularly for applications demanding high capacity and very dense energy storage. Understanding degradations and failure mechanisms in detail opens opportunities to better…

North Carolina State University researchers have demonstrated a technique that allows people who manufacture metal machine parts with 3D printing technologies to conduct automated quality control of manufactured parts during the finishing process. The technique allows users to identify potential flaws without having to remove the parts from the manufacturing equipment, making production time more efficient. “One of the reasons people are attracted to 3D printing and other additive manufacturing technologies is that these technologies allow users to quickly replace…

LZH and Cutting Edge Coatings at Optatec… At Optatec 2024, the Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V. (LZH) and Cutting Edge Coatings GmbH (CEC) present new opportunities in coating technologies for the future of optics manufacturing. The exhibition takes place from May 14th to 16th in Frankfurt. LZH and CEC can be found in Hall 3.1 at a shared booth (627). CEC Navigator 2500 – the IBS coating system for large-area substrates and very high productivity. Photo: Cutting Edge Coatings GmbH The…

In recent years, micro-optical projectors have become well established for automotive applications. These projectors enable cars to communicate with their surroundings. Researchers at Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF have now developed a dynamic indicator light that guarantees maximum visibility in a compact form, even under daylight conditions. The blinker will be presented for the first time at OPTATEC 2024 in Frankfurt (Main) from May 14 to 16. Principle of a conventional micro-optical projector based on apertures…

Good vibrations… What if your earbuds could do everything your smartphone can do already, except better? What sounds a bit like science fiction may actually not be so far off. A new class of synthetic materials could herald the next revolution of wireless technologies, enabling devices to be smaller, require less signal strength and use less power. The key to these advances lies in what experts call phononics, which is similar to photonics. Both take advantage of similar physical laws…

The new technique can modify the nanostructure of bulk and 2D crystals without a cleanroom or expensive etching equipment. In a new paper published on May 1 in the journal Science Advances, researchers at Columbia Engineering used commercially available tabletop lasers to create tiny, atomically sharp nanostructures, or nanopatterns, in samples of a layered 2D material called hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). While exploring potential applications of their nanopatterned structures with colleagues in the Physics Department, the team found that their…

Scientists developed microcapacitors with ultrahigh energy and power density, paving the way for on-chip energy storage in electronic devices. In the ongoing quest to make electronic devices ever smaller and more energy efficient, researchers want to bring energy storage directly onto microchips, reducing the losses incurred when power is transported between various device components. To be effective, on-chip energy storage must be able to store a large amount of energy in a very small space and deliver it quickly when…