A novel, simple and extremely compact radiation source for terahertz waves has been developed at TU Wien. The possible applications are manifold. Terahertz radiation has a wavelength of typically a little less than one millimetre – a technically difficult range. Electromagnetic waves with longer wavelengths can be generated with ordinary electronic components (such as transistors) and antennas. Smaller wavelengths can be obtained with ordinary light sources, such as lasers or LEDs. However, the terahertz range in between is still a…

A group of chemists from Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), Lithuania synthesised materials that were used for constructing a record-breaking perovskite solar module, with an efficiency of 21.4 per cent. This was achieved through the passivation of the active solar cell layer, which increases the efficiency of the cell and significantly improves its stability. Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are one of the world’s fastest-growing solar cell technologies. These elements are thin-layered, lightweight, flexible, and are made of low-cost materials. However,…

Maps are essential for exploring trackless wilderness or vast expanses of ocean. The same is true for scientific studies that try to open up new fields and develop brand-new devices. A journey without maps and signposts tends to end in vain. In the world of “neuromorphic devices,” an electronic device that mimics neural cells such as our brain, researchers have long been forced to travel without maps. Such devices will lead to a fresh field of brain-inspired computers with substantial…

7 times increased durability compared to conventional commercial catalysts. Empirical research conducted at an industrial field to check commercialization (Kumho Petrochemical – Cogeneration Power Plant). Recently, there has been growing demand for DeNOx catalysts that can treat nitrogen oxides (NOx) at low temperatures, to increase energy efficiency when processing flue gas in industrial combustion facilities. NOx are emitted during the combustion of fossil fuels and are the leading cause of ultrafine particles (UFPs) formed via chemical reactions in the atmosphere….

Inspired by the growth of bones in the skeleton, researchers at the universities of Linköping in Sweden and Okayama in Japan have developed a combination of materials that can morph into various shapes before hardening. The material is initially soft, but later hardens through a bone development process that uses the same materials found in the skeleton. When we are born, we have gaps in our skulls that are covered by pieces of soft connective tissue called fontanelles. It is…

Twisted semiconductor nanostructures convert red light into the twisted blue light in tiny volumes, which may help develop chiral drugs. Twisted nanoscale semiconductors manipulate light in a new way, researchers at the University of Bath and the University of Michigan have shown. The effect could be harnessed to accelerate the discovery and development of life-saving medicines as well as photonic technologies. Specifically, the photonic effect could help enable rapid development and screening of new antibiotics and other drugs through automation—essentially,…

Inspired by nature: Electro-biocatalytic CO2 fixing replaces fossil resources. Making important raw materials for fine chemicals out of carbon dioxide really works. As part of the Max Planck collaborative project eBioCO2n, a team of researchers from Fraunhofer IGB have successfully performed a first ever fixation of CO2 via a multi-enzyme enzyme reaction driven by electricity yielding a prospective intermediate for the chemical industry. The process for electro-biocatalytic CO2 fixation was recently published and is considered a “hot paper.” Burning fossil…

New platform can program the transformation of 2D stretchable surfaces into specific 3D shapes. Flat materials that can morph into three-dimensional shapes have potential applications in architecture, medicine, robotics, space travel, and much more. But programming these shape changes requires complex and time-consuming computations. Now, researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have developed a platform that uses machine learning to program the transformation of 2D stretchable surfaces into specific 3D shapes. “While machine learning…

Insights into the atomistic dynamics of emerging solid-state batteries will help speed their evolution. Materials scientists at Duke University have revealed paddlewheel-like molecular dynamics that help push sodium ions through a quickly evolving class of solid-state batteries. The insights should guide researchers in their pursuit of a new generation of sodium-ion batteries to replace lithium-ion technology in a wide range of applications such as data centers and home energy storage. The results appeared online November 10 in the journal Energy…

USC Viterbi researchers create first nano-sized, molecular device potentially capable of sensing and altering the cell’s electric field, ushering in new possibilities for basic research. Bioelectricity, the current that flows between our cells, is fundamental to our ability to think and talk and walk. In addition, there is a growing body of evidence that recording and altering the bioelectric fields of cells and tissue plays a vital role in wound healing and even potentially fighting diseases like cancer and heart disease. Now, for the first…

Technology opens door to ubiquitous, more easily fabricated electronic screens. In a groundbreaking new study, researchers at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities used a customized printer to fully 3D print a flexible organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. The discovery could result in low-cost OLED displays in the future that could be widely produced using 3D printers by anyone at home, instead of by technicians in expensive microfabrication facilities. The research is published in Science Advances, a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by…

New research introduces adaptable smart window design that can heat or cool a house. Homeowners know that the type of windows in a house contribute greatly to heating and cooling efficiency. And that’s a big deal—maintaining indoor temperatures consumes great amounts of energy and accounts for 20 to 40 percent of the national energy budgets in developed countries. New research from the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Oxford takes energy efficient windows a step further by proposing a…

Geothermal systems are becoming an increasingly important source of clean and, above all, baseload-capable energy. But the wells, which can be several thousand meters deep, are risky, and things can sometimes go wrong. Fraunhofer scientists have now developed an innovative tool that enables additional branches to be drilled off of the main well. This decreases the risk of dry boreholes and improves the output. Geothermal energy is an inexhaustible energy source. Hot water from reservoirs, fissures and cracks can be…

… supplies buildings with renewable energy. The rate of renovation in the building sector is still too low to achieve the energy transition by the target date set by the German federal government. However, increased use of prefabricated components can help accelerate this process. Researchers at the Fraunhofer IBP and the Fraunhofer IEE are developing a facade module that integrates the technical building equipment and supplies it with renewable energy to heat, cool and ventilate the adjoining rooms. This is…

Researchers have incorporated phosphorene nanoribbons into new types of solar cells, dramatically improving their efficiency. Phosphorene nanoribbons (PNRs) are ribbon-like strands of the 2D material phosphorous, which, similar to graphene, are made of single-atom-thick layers of atoms. PNRs were first produced in 2019, and hundreds of theoretical studies have predicted how their properties could enhance all kinds of devices, including batteries, biomedical sensors, and quantum computers. However, none of these predicted exciting properties have so far been demonstrated in actual…

The rechargeable battery can be woven and washed, and could provide power for fiber-based electronic devices and sensors. Researchers have developed a rechargeable lithium-ion battery in the form of an ultra-long fiber that could be woven into fabrics. The battery could enable a wide variety of wearable electronic devices, and might even be used to make 3D-printed batteries in virtually any shape. The researchers envision new possibilities for self-powered communications, sensing, and computational devices that could be worn like ordinary…