Electricity-conducting bacteria yield secret to tiny batteries, big medical advances (05/04/2019)
These
strange bacteria conduct electricity via a structure never before seen in
nature -- a structure scientists can co-opt to miniaturize electronics, create
powerful-yet-tiny batteries, build pacemakers without wires and develop a host
of other medical advances.
New 'blue-green' solution for recycling world's batteries (05/04/2019)
Materials
scientists demonstrate an environmentally friendly solution to remove valuable
cobalt and lithium metals from spent lithium-ion batteries. The metals and the
eutectic solvent they use to extract them can then be recycled.
Skyrmions could provide next generation data storage (03/04/2019)
Scientists at the
Universities of Birmingham, Bristol and Colorado, Boulder have moved a step closer
to developing the next generation of data storage and processing devices, using
an emerging science called skyrmionics.
Tiny optical elements could one day replace traditional refractive lenses (02/04/2019)
A
Northwestern University research team has developed tiny optical elements from
metal nanoparticles and a polymer that one day could replace traditional
refractive lenses to realize portable imaging systems and optoelectronic
devices.
New approach could boost energy capacity of lithium batteries (01/04/2019)
Researchers
around the globe have been on a quest for batteries that pack a punch but are
smaller and lighter than today's versions, potentially enabling electric cars
to travel further or portable electronics to run for longer without recharging.
Now, researchers at MIT and in China say they've made a major advance in this
area, with a new version of a key component for lithium batteries, the cathode.
Supercomputers help supercharge protein assembly (01/04/2019)
Using
proteins derived from jellyfish, scientists assembled a complex sixteen protein
structure composed of two stacked octamers by supercharging alone. This
research could be applied to useful technologies such as pharmaceutical
targeting, artificial energy harvesting, 'smart' sensing and building
materials, and more. Computational modeling through XSEDE allocations on
Stampede2 (TACC) and Comet (SDSC) refined measurements of structure.
New polymer mixture creates ultra-sensitive heat sensor (01/04/2019)
Scientists
have developed an ultra-sensitive heat sensor that is flexible, transparent and
printable. The results have potential for a wide range of applications -- from
wound healing and electronic skin to smart buildings.
Boosting the 'brains' of computers with less wasted energy (01/04/2019)
Many
internal components used in today's computers reach temperatures that are hot
enough to cook a Thanksgiving meal. The heat produced by the computations can
easily burn human skin and tissue – and much of the heat is simply wasted
energy, a byproduct of the computer's internal functions.
Artificial intelligence automatically detects disturbances in power supply grids (01/04/2019)
The
grid is changing as the big, centralized providers of the past are replaced by
smaller, distributed suppliers. Keeping such complex networks running stable
requires high-resolution sensor technology – AI provides a way to make accurate
predictions and automatically detect any disturbances or anomalies in real
time. Here is how Fraunhofer researchers developed the compression techniques,
algorithms and neural networks to make a power supply fit for the future.
Methane promising route for storage of renewable energy from sun and wind (01/04/2019)
Storing
renewable electricity in molecules can solve two problems at once: first of all
environmentally harmful CO2 can be used as a feedstock, and secondly it
can enhance the capacity to store renewable electricity in chemical bonds for
long periods of time. The latter is necessary because traditional batteries do
not yet have the capacity to ensure enough flexibility, stability and security
to store wind and solar energy on a large scale for extended time periods.
Utrecht University researchers published a Perspective article on the status
quo of "power to methane" earlier this month in Nature Catalysis.