Tag: chemistry

  • Binding Process Developed for Antimicrobial Surfaces

    An undergraduate research project at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts led to creation of process to bind antimicrobial peptides to gold and silicon surfaces. The students, working under the direction of chemical engineering professor Terri Camesano, published their findings in a recent issue of the journal ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces (paid subscription required). The…

  • Membrane Technology to be Studied for Industrial Processes

    Engineers and materials scientists at University of Minnesota in Minneapolis received funding from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop membrane technology for energy-efficient separations in a range of process industries. The three-year, $1.8 million grant from the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E) aims to adapt lab research on nanotechnology for membranes that can improve…

  • Process Developed to Grow Carbon Nanotubes on Graphene

    Researchers from Rice University in Houston developed a method of growing seamless carbon nanotubes on graphene, with a high surface area and electric conductivity. The team that included members from Tianjin University in China and University of Texas at San Antonio published their findings today in the journal Nature Communications (paid subscription required). James Tour…

  • Anti-Freeze Molecule Behavior Identified, Analyzed

    The freezing of water and other substances is normally attributed to temperature, but chemistry researchers at New York University found other molecular processes taking place that influence freezing, with potential applications in food processing and other industries. The NYU team published its findings today online in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences…

  • Process Devised to Reinforce Injectable Hydrogels in Body

    Chemical engineers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology developed a way to add structure to hydrogels injected in the body as treatments, to prevent them from liquifying. The team led by MIT engineering professor Bradley Olsen (pictured left) published its findings recently in an online issue of the journal Advanced Functional Materials; paid subscription required. Olsen,…

  • High-Strength Muscle-Emulating Nanotech Yarn Developed

    Engineers and materials scientists from the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Australia, China, and Korea developed a super-strong yarn based on carbon nanotubes with the contracting ability of muscles. The team led by Ray Baughman of University of Texas in Dallas published its findings in this week’s issue of the journal Science (paid subscription required). The yarn…

  • Stronger, Tougher Steel Variety Developed

    Engineers at Wayne State University in Detroit developed a new type of steel that they say is stronger and more resistant to fracture, and can also resist the fatigue encountered with similar materials. The work of engineering professor Susil Putatunda, leading this research group, is supported by National Science Foundation, Michigan Initiative for Innovation and…

  • Solar Cell Developed from Carbon-Based Nanotech Materials

    Researchers at Stanford University in California developed a solar cell made entirely of carbon, instead of silicon and more expensive materials found in current solar cells. The team that included contributors from University of Rochester in New York and Nankai University in China published their findings today in the online issue of the journal ACS…

  • Study to Boost High-Speed Railroad Ties’ Durability

    Research underway at Kansas State University in Manhattan aims to improve the durability of railroad ties designed for high speed rail systems in the U.S. and elsewhere. The work led by Kansas State engineering professor Kyle Riding is funded in part by a $1.2 milion grant from the Federal Railroad Association, an agency of the…

  • Process Developed for Mass Nanotube Semiconductor Assembly

    Researchers at IBM Corporation’s Thomas Watson research lab in New York developed a method for assembling high densities of carbon nanotubes on a wafer surface, a key advance in fabricating semiconductors. The IBM team led by Hongsik Park (picured right) published its findings yesterday online in the journal Nature Nanotechnology; paid subscription required. Carbon nanotubes…