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Newly-Developed Nanocatalysts Increase Performance of Fuel Cells

Iranian researchers used nanotechnology and produced a type of nanocatalyst which modifies the performance of fuel cells.

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Lanthanide-Organic Framework Nanothermometers Prepared by Spray-Drying

A work in Advanced Functional Materials shows how spray-drying prepared MOF nanoparticles containing lanthanide metals may be used as nanothermometers operative over a wide range of temperatures, in particular, in the cryogenic range.

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Harvesting energy from electromagnetic waves: In the future, clean alternatives such as harvesting energy from electromagnetic waves may help ease the world's energy shortage

For our modern, technologically-advanced society, in which technology has become the solution to a myriad of challenges, energy is critical not only for growth but also, more importantly, survival. The sun is an abundant and practically infinite source of energy, so researchers around the world are racing to create novel approaches to "harvest" clean energy from the sun or transfer that energy to other sources.

The metasurface used for collecting electromagnetic energy is shown.

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Cobalt film a clean-fuel find: Rice University discovery is efficient, robust at drawing hydrogen and oxygen from water

A cobalt-based thin film serves double duty as a new catalyst that produces both hydrogen and oxygen from water to feed fuel cells, according to scientists at Rice University.

A side view of a porous cobalt phosphide/phosphate thin film was created at Rice University. The robust film could replace expensive metals like platinum in water-electrolysis devices that produce hydrogen and oxygen for fuel cells. The scale bar equals 500 nanometers.

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Quantization of 'surface Dirac states' could lead to exotic applications

Researchers from the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science in Japan have uncovered the first evidence of an unusual quantum phenomenon--the integer quantum Hall effect--in a new type of film, called a 3D topological insulator. In doing this, they demonstrated that "surface Dirac states"--a particular form of massless electrons--are quantized in these materials, meaning that they only take on certain discrete values. These discoveries could help move science forward toward the goal of dissipationless electronics--electronic devices that can operate without producing the vast amounts of heat generated by current silicon-based semiconductors.

Schematic showing the integer quantum Hall effect on the surface of a topological insulator The effect allows dissipationless current, without energy loss, along the edge of the material.

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Spitzer, OGLE Spot Planet Deep Within Our Galaxy

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Iranian Scientists Evaluate Dynamic Interaction between 2 Carbon Nanotubes

Results of the research have applications in the designing of nanosensors, medical nano-tools and electromechanical devices.

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Solution-grown nanowires make the best lasers

Take a material that is a focus of interest in the quest for advanced solar cells. Discover a "freshman chemistry level" technique for growing that material into high-efficiency, ultra-small lasers. The result, is a shortcut to lasers that are extremely efficient and able to create many colors of light.

Unsorted nanowire crystals immediately after production are shown.

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Gold by special delivery intensifies cancer-killing radiation

Researchers from Brown University and the University of Rhode Island have demonstrated a promising new way to increase the effectiveness of radiation in killing cancer cells.

Gold rush Cancer-seeking peptides — pHLIPs — find acidic tumor cells. By attaching gold nanoparticles to pHLIPs, cancer cells receive “antennas” for radiation therapy. Cancer cells (A) treated with gold alone (dark areas) take up far less gold than cells with gold delivered by pHLIPs (B). C and D are cellular close-up with pHLIP-delivered gold.