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Energy

Interdisciplinary Research Centre
 

Let there be light: Bright future for solar panels, TV screens and more

From brighter TV screens to better medical diagnostics and more efficient solar panels, new research has discovered how to make more molecules stick to the surface of tiny nanocrystals, in a breakthrough that could lead to improvements in everyday technology.

Ancient 3D paper art, kirigami, could shape modern wireless technology

The future of wireless technology -- from charging devices to boosting communication signals -- relies on the antennas that transmit electromagnetic waves becoming increasingly versatile, durable and easy to manufacture. Researchers believe kirigami, the ancient Japanese art of cutting and folding paper to create intricate three-dimensional designs, could provide a model for manufacturing the next generation of antennas.

New 3D printing technique creates unique objects quickly and with less waste

A new technique enables makers to finely tune the color, shade, and texture of 3D-printed objects using only one material. The method is faster and uses less material than other approaches.

Illuminating quantum magnets: Light unveils magnetic domains

Scientists have used light to visualize magnetic domains, and manipulated these regions using an electric field, in a quantum antiferromagnet. This method allows real-time observation of magnetic behaviors, paving the way for advancements in next-generation electronics and memory devices, as well as a deeper understanding of quantum materials.

New paradigm of drug discovery with world's first atomic editing?

Researchers have successfully develop single-atom editing technology that maximizes drug efficacy.

A new method makes high-resolution imaging more accessible

Researchers devised a way to expand tissue 20-fold in a single step. Their simple, inexpensive method could pave the way for nearly any biology lab to perform nanoscale imaging.

A methodology to read QR codes on uneven surfaces

Sometimes, we try to capture a QR code with a good digital camera on a smartphone, but the reading eventually fails. This usually happens when the QR code itself is of poor image quality, or if it has been printed on surfaces that are not flat -- deformed or with irregularities of unknown pattern -- such as the wrapping of a courier package or a tray of prepared food. Now, a team has designed a methodology that facilitates the recognition of QR codes in these physical environments where reading is more complicated.

Engineering perovskite materials at the atomic level paves way for new lasers, LEDs

Researchers have developed and demonstrated a technique that allows them to engineer a class of materials called layered hybrid perovskites (LHPs) down to the atomic level, which dictates precisely how the materials convert electrical charge into light. The technique opens the door to engineering materials tailored for use in next-generation printed LEDs and lasers -- and holds promise for engineering other materials for use in photovoltaic devices.

Scientists cut harmful pollution from hydrogen engines

Scientists have discovered a low-cost method to significantly reduce this pollution from hydrogen internal combustion engines by improving the efficiency of their catalytic converters. The researchers found that infusing platinum in catalytic converters with a highly porous material called Y zeolites greatly enhances the reactions between nitrogen oxides and hydrogen, converting unhealthful nitrogen oxides into harmless nitrogen gas and water vapor.

Researchers create the first ever visualization of photoexcited charges traveling across the interface of two semiconductor materials

Researchers have observed electric charges traveling across the interface of two different semiconductor materials. Using scanning ultrafast electron (SUEM) techniques, the research team has directly visualized the fleeting phenomenon for the first time.

It could take over 40 years for PFAS to leave groundwater

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals, known commonly as PFAS, could take over 40 years to flush out of contaminated groundwater.

A look into 'mirror molecules' may lead to new medicines

Chemists have developed a new chemical reaction that will allow researchers to synthesize selectively the left-handed or right-handed versions of 'mirror molecules' found in nature and assess them for potential use against cancer, infection, depression, inflammation and a host of other conditions.

Ordered defects may be key for solution-deposited semiconductors, enabling high-speed printable circuits and next-generation displays

A new solution deposition process for semiconductors yields high-performing transistors by introducing more defects, counterintuitively. Researchers used these devices to construct high- speed logic circuits and an operational high-resolution inorganic LED display.

A holy grail found for catalytic alkane activation

An organic catalyst offers chemists precise control over a vital step in activating hydrocarbons.

A stiff material that stops vibrations and noise

Materials researchers have created a new composite material that combines two incompatible properties: stiff yet with a high damping capacity.

No bolts about it: New technology improves structural strength

Researchers have significantly improved a new joining technology, interlocking metasurfaces (ILMs), designed to increase the strength and stability of a structure in comparison to traditional techniques like bolts and adhesives, using shape memory alloys (SMAs). ILMs offer the potential to transform mechanical joint design in manufacturing for aerospace, robotics and biomedical devices.

The new fashion: Clothes that help combat rising temperatures

A team of international researchers has developed a natural fabric that urban residents could wear to counter rising temperatures in cities worldwide, caused by buildings, asphalt, and concrete.

Snowflake dance analysis could improve rain forecasts

Research observing the physical motion of falling ice crystals could help scientists better estimate where and when these crystals will melt into raindrops.

Inspired by Spider-Man, a lab recreates web-slinging technology

Researchers took the imaginary scenes from Spider-Man seriously and created the first web-slinging technology in which a fluid material can shoot from a needle, immediately solidify as a string, and adhere to and lift objects.

Octopus-inspired technology successfully maneuvers underwater objects

Scientists are using mechanisms inspired by nature to create new technological innovations. A team has now created an octopus-inspired adhesive, inspired by the shape of octopus suckers, that can quickly grab and controllably release challenging underwater objects. Having the ability to grab and release these underwater objects like heavy rocks, small shells, and soft beads, and other debris could be a powerful tool for underwater salvage and even rescue operations.