Science

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Defects can 'Hulk-up' materials: Berkeley lab study shows properly managed damage can boost material thermoelectric performances

In the story of the Marvel Universe superhero known as the Hulk, exposure to gamma radiation transforms scientist Bruce Banner into a far more powerful version of himself. In a study at Berkeley Lab, exposure to alpha-particle radiation has been shown to transform certain thermoelectric materials into far more powerful versions of themselves.

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Cross sectional HRTEM image of bismuth telluride thin-film grown on gallium arsenide substrate.

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Toward 'green' paper-thin, flexible electronics

The rapid evolution of gadgets has brought us an impressive array of "smart" products from phones to tablets, and now watches and glasses. But they still haven't broken free from their rigid form. Now scientists are reporting in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces a new step toward bendable electronics. They have developed the first light-emitting, transparent and flexible paper out of environmentally friendly materials via a simple, suction-filtration method.

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A new, environmentally-friendly paper that glows could lead to sustainable, roll-up electronics.

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DiATOME enables surface preparation for AFM and FIB

DiATOME have partnered with EM Resolutions, a Saffron Walden-based consumables and accessories supplier for electron microscopy, to supply their range of high quality diamond knives in the UK.

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The DiATOME diamond knives for AFM sample preparation.

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Printing 3-D graphene structures for tissue engineering: A new ink formulation allows for the 3-D printing of graphene structures

Ever since single-layer graphene burst onto the science scene in 2004, the possibilities for the promising material have seemed nearly endless. With its high electrical conductivity, ability to store energy, and ultra-strong and lightweight structure, graphene has potential for many applications in electronics, energy, the environment, and even medicine.

Now a team of Northwestern University researchers has found a way to print three-dimensional structures with graphene nanoflakes. The fast and efficient method could open up new opportunities for using graphene printed scaffolds regenerative engineering and other electronic or medical applications.

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Nanosorbent Produced in Iran to Adsorb Tiny Amounts of Aromatic Hydrocarbon from Seawater

Academic researchers in Iran used a graphene-based composite nanosorbent for the extraction of tiny amounts of cyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from aqueous media.

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Efficiency record for black silicon solar cells jumps to 22.1 percent: Aalto University's researchers improved their previous record by over 3 absolute percents in cooperation with Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya

The researchers from Finland's Aalto University and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya have obtained the record-breaking efficiency of 22.1% on nanostructured silicon solar cells as certified by Fraunhofer ISE CalLab. An almost 4% absolute increase to their previous record is achieved by applying a thin passivating film on the nanostructures by Atomic Layer Deposition, and by integrating all metal contacts on the back side of the cell.

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The surface area of the best cells in the study was already 9 cm2. This is a good starting point for upscaling the results to full wafers and all the way to the industrial scale.

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Gel filled with nanosponges cleans up MRSA infections

Nanoengineers at the University of California, San Diego developed a gel filled with toxin-absorbing nanosponges that could lead to an effective treatment for skin and wound infections caused by MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), an antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This "nanosponge-hydrogel" minimized the growth of skin lesions on mice infected with MRSA - without the use of antibiotics.

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Toxin-absorbing nanoparticles are loaded into a holding gel to make a nanosponge-hydrogel, which can potentially treat local bacterial infections.

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Left-handed cosmic magnetic field could explain missing antimatter

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An artist’s impression of the Fermi Gamma ray Space Telescope (FGST) in orbit.

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Random nanowire configurations increase conductivity over heavily ordered configurations

Researchers at Lehigh University have identified for the first time that a performance gain in the electrical conductivity of random metal nanowire networks can be achieved by slightly restricting nanowire orientation. The most surprising result of the study is that heavily ordered configurations do not outperform configurations with some degree of randomness; randomness in the case of metal nanowire orientations acts to increase conductivity.

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Sample networks of Ag nanowires for 140?μm × 140?μm domain with (a) concentration just above critical percolation concentration (C?~?Cp), and (b) concentration much above critical percolation concentration (C»Cp). The voltage is applied across the horizontal direction across the domain length.

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NASA Challenges Designers to Construct Habitat for Deep Space Exploration

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