Science and Enterprise

Tag: energy

  • Polymer Light-Trapping Properties Enhanced for Photonics

    Researchers at North Carolina State University and University of North Carolina developed a process for enhancing a polymer’s ability to trap light waves, making it a better material for photonic semiconductors. The team led by NC State materials scientist Lewis Reynolds published its findings online in a recent issue of the journal Applied Physics Letters.…

  • Air-Breathing Biobattery Developed for Medical Devices

    Researchers at the Institute of Physical Chemistry in Warsaw, part of the Polish Academy of Sciences, developed a power source for implanted medical devices that works with the body’s chemistry, including oxygen taken from the from the air. The team working in the lab of the institute’s Marcin Opallo developed a prototype battery that powers…

  • E-Car Charger Company Licenses National Lab Power Technology

    AeroVironment Inc., a developer of electric transportation systems in Monrovia, California, licensed technology from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Richland, Washington that keeps electric car chargers from over-taxing the electrical power grid. Financial aspects of the licensing deal between AeroVironment and Battelle Memorial Institute, which operates PNNL for Department of Energy, were not disclosed.…

  • Industry Technology Formulas Given Real-World Tests

    Engineers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Santa Fe Institute in New Mexico found two formulas for predicting technological change, including Moore’s Law, produce reasonably accurate forecasts. The team led by MIT engineering systems professor Jessika Trancik (pictured right), formerly a postdoctoral fellow at Santa Fe Institute, published its findings last week in the online…

  • Material Engineered to More Efficiently Capture CO2

    Researchers at University of South Florida in Tampa and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia (KAUST) developed a new type of metal-organic material with the ability to effectively capture carbon dioxide in the presence of water vapor, which had not been previously possible. The team led by South Florida chemistry professor…

  • Nanoscale Technique Welds Polymer Materials with Light

    Physicists and materials scientists at North Carolina State University in Raleigh developed a technique to attach portions of polymers by melting aligned nanoparticles with light waves. The researchers describe their process in a recent online issue of the journal Particle & Particle Systems Characterization (paid subscription required). The team led by physicists Jason Bochinski and…

  • Robotic Bat Wing Developed to Simulate Flight Dynamics

    Biologists and engineers at Brown University in Providence created a robotic bat wing that simulates the aerodynamics of bats, but can also be applied to the design of small pilotless aircraft. The team from the labs of Brown engineer Kenneth Breuer and biologist Sharon Swartz published results from early experiments with the device in the…

  • Process Replaces Platinum with Iron as Fuel Cell Catalyst

    Chemists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington designed a process that makes it possible for iron to replace expensive platinum as a catalyst to make electricity in hydrogen fuel cells. The team led by PNNL’s Morris Bullock published its findings online in yesterday’s issue of the journal Nature Chemistry (paid subscription required). Bullock,…

  • Feasibility Shown of Spintronic Enabling Organic Materials

    Engineers at University of Utah in Salt Lake City developed a process to create organic materials with the ability to conduct electricity on their edges, while the inside acts as an insulator. The team led by Utah professor Feng Liu published its findings in yesterday’s issue of the journal Nature Communications (paid subscription required). Materials…

  • Process Adds New Properties to Ferroelectric Materials

    Materials scientists at University of Illinois in Urbana developed a new type of thin metal oxide film with a built-in electric field, useful  for semiconductor devices such as computer memory. The team led by Illinois professor Lane Martin published their findings online in a recent issue of the journal Advanced Materials (paid subscription required). Lane,…