Can the Motion of Checking Your Smartwatch Charge It?
Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are small devices that convert movement into electricity, and might just be what bring us into an era of energy-harvesting clothes and implants. But could TENGs, even theoretically, give us wearable electronics powered solely by the wearer's day-to-day body motion? The short answer is yes. New research published this week in APL Materials demonstrates the ability of mechanical energy produced by typical body motions to power a watch or smartphone.
Scientists Help Thin-Film Ferroelectrics Go Extreme
Scientists have created the first-ever polarization gradient in thin-film ferroelectrics, greatly expanding the range of functional temperatures for a key material used in a variety of everyday applications. The discovery could pave the way for developing devices capable of supporting wireless communications in extreme environments.
Scientists Print Nanoscale Imaging Probe onto Tip of Optical Fiber
Combining speed with incredible precision, a team of researchers has developed a way to print a nanoscale imaging probe onto the tip of a glass fiber as thin as a human hair, accelerating the production of the promising new device from several per month to several per day.
Ames Laboratory and Iowa State University Scientists Develop More Efficient Catalytic Material for Fuel Cell Applications
Scientists at Ames Laboratory have discovered a method for making smaller, more efficient intermetallic nanoparticles for fuel cell applications, and which also use less of the expensive precious metal platinum.
Argonne Welcomes Scientists to Advanced Photon Source and Center for Nanoscale Materials User Meeting
More than 400 researchers from numerous disciplines will convene at Argonne today for the annual Users' Meeting for the Advanced Photon Source and Center for Nanoscale Materials.
Finding a New Major Gene Expression Regulator in Fungi
Changing a single base in an organism's genetic code impact its traits. Subtler changes can and do happen: in eukaryotes, one such modification involves adding a methyl group to base 6 of adenine (6mA). Researchers have now found prevalent 6mA modifications in the earliest fungal lineages.
Scientists Launch Flights to Gather Detailed Data on Aerosols and Clouds
For an intensive period throughout June and July, and again next January and February, scientists from U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) laboratories will take to the skies in a specially outfitted aircraft to gather data on the properties of aerosols and clouds above the Eastern North Atlantic
Installing Solar to Combat National Security Risks in the Power Grid
Power grid vulnerabilities are one of the most prevalent national security threats. The technical community calls for building up grid resiliency using distributed energy and microgrids for stabilization as multiple sources increases the difficulty of triggering cascading blackouts, and following an attack or natural disaster, microgrids can provide localized energy security.
Bacterial Boost for Bio-Based Fuels
"Electrical" bacteria are the key ingredient in a new process developed by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory that recycles wastewater from biofuel production to generate hydrogen. The hydrogen can then be used to convert bio-oil into higher grade liquid fuels such as gasoline or diesel.
Wood Filter Removes Toxic Dye From Water
Engineers at the University of Maryland have developed a new use for wood: to filter water. Liangbing Hu of the Energy Research Center and his colleagues added nanoparticles to wood, then used it to filter toxic dyes from water.
First EPA-Approved Outdoor Field Trial for Genetically Engineered Algae
Scientists have completed the first outdoor field trial sanctioned by the EPA for genetically engineered algae. A genetically engineered strain of algae tested in outdoor ponds demonstrated that genetically engineered algae can be successfully cultivated outdoors without adversely impacting native algae populations.
First Result from Jefferson Lab's Upgraded CEBAFOpens Door to Exploring the Universal Glue
The first experimental result has been published from the newly upgraded Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility at the U.S. Department of Energy's Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. The result demonstrates the feasibility of the experiment that is designed to study quark confinement: why no quark has ever been found alone.
Researchers Develop a New Catalyst for Water Splitting
Water-splitting systems require a very efficient catalyst to speed up the chemical reaction that splits water into hydrogen and oxygen, while preventing the gases from recombining back into water. Now an international research team, including scientists at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, has developed a new catalyst with a molybdenum coating that prevents this problematic back reaction and works well in realistic operating conditions.
Study Measures Air Pollution Increase Attributable to Air Conditioning
A new University of Wisconsin-Madison study shows that the electricity production associated with air conditioning causes emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide to increase by hundreds to thousands of metric tons, or 3 to 4 percent per degree Celsius (or 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit).
Origin of Milky Way's Hypothetical Dark Matter Signal May Not Be So Dark
A mysterious gamma-ray glow at the center of the Milky Way is most likely caused by pulsars. The findings cast doubt on previous interpretations of the signal as a potential sign of dark matter.
Story Tips From the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, May 2017
ORNL aids St. Jude's brain development research with software to speed processing of microscopy images; bottleneck to breakdown lignin for biofuels may occur at plant cell wall surface; predicting how ecosystems respond to environmental change could be more precise through new process method; through quantum mechanical squeezing, researchers designed new concept to increase resolution of atomic force microscopy
"Valleytronics" Advancement Could Help Extend Moore's Law
A University at Buffalo-led team has discovered a new way to control energy levels between electronic valleys in 2-D semiconductors. The breakthrough could help extend Moore's Law, allowing industry to build computer chips that are faster, more powerful and cheaper that those available today.
Scientists Set Record Resolution for Drawing at the One-Nanometer Length Scale
Using a specialized electron microscope outfitted with a pattern generator, scientists turned an imaging instrument into a lithography tool that could be used to create and study materials with new properties.
For First Time, Researchers Measure Forces That Align Crystals and Help Them Snap Together
For the first time, researchers have measured the force that draws tiny crystals together and visualized how they swivel and align. Called van der Waals forces, the attraction provides insights into how crystals self-assemble, an activity that occurs in a wide range of cases in nature, from rocks to shells to bones.
Video Captures Bubble-Blowing Battery in Action
PNNL researchers have created a unique video that shows oxygen bubbles inflating and later deflating inside a tiny lithium-air battery. The knowledge gained from the video could help make lithium-air batteries that are more compact, stable and can hold onto a charge longer.
Study Offers New Theoretical Approach to Describing Non-Equilibrium Phase Transitions
Two physicists at Argonne offered a way to mathematically describe a particular physics phenomenon called a phase transition in a system out of equilibrium. Such phenomena are central in physics, and understanding how they occur has been a long-held and vexing goal; their behavior and related effects are key to unlocking possibilities for new electronics and other next-generation technologies.
Berkeley Lab Scientists Discover New Atomically Layered, Thin Magnet
Berkeley Lab scientists have found an unexpected magnetic property in a 2-D material. The new atomically thin, flat magnet could have major implications for a wide range of applications, such as nanoscale memory, spintronic devices, and magnetic sensors.
Stabilizing Molecule Could Pave Way for Lithium-Air Fuel Cell
Lithium-oxygen fuel cells boast energy density levels comparable to fossil fuels and are thus seen as a promising candidate for future transportation-related energy needs.
Scientists Identify Chemical Causes of Battery "Capacity Fade"
Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory identified one of the major culprits in capacity fade of high-energy lithium-ion batteries.
Modeling Reveals How Policy Affects the Adoption of Solar Energy Photovoltaics in California
Researchers at the University of California, Riverside, inspired by efforts to promote green energy, are exploring the factors driving commercial customers in Southern California, both large and small, to purchase and install solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. As the group reports this week in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, they built a model for commercial solar PV adoption to quantify the impact of government incentives and solar PV costs.