Science

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Toward a low-cost 'artificial leaf' that produces clean hydrogen fuel

For years, scientists have been pursuing "artificial leaf" technology, a green approach to making hydrogen fuel that copies plants' ability to convert sunlight into a form of energy they can use. Now, one team reports progress toward a stand-alone system that lends itself to large-scale, low-cost production.

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Scientists are getting closer to copying plants' ability to convert sunlight into fuel.

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Lengthening the life of high capacity silicon electrodes in rechargeable lithium batteries: Novel rubber-like coating could lead to longer lasting batteries

A new study will help researchers create longer-lasting, higher-capacity lithium rechargeable batteries, which are commonly used in consumer electronics. Researchers showed how a coating that makes high capacity silicon electrodes more durable could lead to a replacement for lower-capacity graphite electrodes.

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Silicon nanoparticles coated in alucone (yellow spheres outlined in orange) expand and contract easily on charging and use. But left to their native silicon oxide covering (yellow spheres in blue), they break down fast on recharging.

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Atmospheric carbon dioxide used for energy storage products

Researchers have discovered a fascinating new way to take some of the atmospheric carbon dioxide that's causing the greenhouse effect and use it to make an advanced, high-value material for use in energy storage products.

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Nanoporous graphene

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Nutrition, Safety Key To Consumer Acceptance of Nanotech, Genetic Modification In Foods

This study investigates heterogeneous consumer preferences for nanofood and genetically-modified (GM) food and the associated benefits using the results of choice experiments with 1,117 US consumers. We employ a latent class logit model to capture the heterogeneity in consumer preferences by identifying consumer segments. Our results show that nano-food evokes fewer negative reactions compared with GM food. We identify four consumer groups: ‘Price Oriented/Technology Adopters', ‘Technology Averse', ‘Benefit Oriented', and ‘New Technology Rejecters'. Each consumer group has a distinctive demographic background, which generates deeper insights into the diversified public acceptance of nano-food and GM food. Our results have policy implications for the adoption of new food technologies.

New research from North Carolina State University and the University of Minnesota shows that the majority of consumers will accept the presence of nanotechnology or genetic modification (GM) technology in foods - but only if the technology enhances the nutrition or improves the safety of the food.

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Iranian Scientists Refine Wastewater of Nuclear Power Plants Using Nanoparticles

Iranian researchers from Zabol University designed and produced a type of sorbent nanoparticles to extract small amounts of uranium from wastewater.

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Simple, Biocompatible Method Developed for Production of Antibacterial Cotton Fabrics

Iranian researchers from Amirkabir University of Technology presented a simple and cost-effective method for the production of antibacterial cotton fabrics.

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Graphene layer reads optical information from nanodiamonds electronically: Possible read head for quantum computers

Nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamonds could be used to construct vital components for quantum computers. But hitherto it has been impossible to read optically written information from such systems electronically. Using a graphene layer, a team of scientists headed by Professor Alexander Holleitner of the Technische Universität München has now implemented just such a read unit.

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Vision of a future quantum computer with chips made of diamond and graphene

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Single-atom gold catalysts may offer path to low-cost production of fuel and chemicals

New catalysts designed and investigated by Tufts University School of Engineering researchers and collaborators from other university and national laboratories have the potential to greatly reduce processing costs in future fuels, such as hydrogen. The catalysts are composed of a unique structure of single gold atoms bound by oxygen to several sodium or potassium atoms and supported on non-reactive silica materials. They demonstrate comparable activity and stability with catalysts comprising precious metal nanoparticles on rare- earth and other reducible oxide supports when used in producing highly purified hydrogen.

The work, which appears in the November 27, 2014, edition of Science Express, points to new avenues for producing single-site supported gold catalysts that could produce high-grade hydrogen for cleaner energy use in fuel-cell powered devices, including vehicles.

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Production of Anticancer Drug from Nanofibers in Iran

Iranian researchers produced a new nanodrug and investigated its applications to increase the effectiveness and performance of anticancer drugs.

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Laser link offers high-speed delivery

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The gold standard for EDRS.

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