Nanotechnology Archives – The Green Optimistic

New Solar Panels Produce Electricity Under Snow

Matias Prieto — Mon, 06 May 2019 12:51:02 +0000

Harvesting solar energy can be a tough job for panels if they are buried under blankets of snow. That is why a team from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) has developed a new device that can produce electricity from snow itself. The device is a snow-based triboelectric nanogenerator or “Snow TENG”. As the […]

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Quasi-one-dimensional Metallic Conductivity for Faster, Advanced Electronics

Janina Lazo-Cruz — Sun, 04 Mar 2018 11:56:53 +0000

Since its discovery in 2004, researchers have been exploring 2D electron gas due to its unique electric properties and how it could be of use in superconductors, actuators, memory devices, etc. Its uniqueness lies in its ability to exhibit conductivity or electron mobility in two dimensions, but tightly confined in the third dimension. This restriction […]

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Single Molecule Piezoelectricity Opens New Opportunities for Nanodevices

Janina Lazo-Cruz — Fri, 23 Feb 2018 07:12:06 +0000

Piezoelectricity – the principle behind a quartz watch, voice recognition software, microphones, etc. – is the conversion of mechanical energy into electricity and vice versa. Discovered by Jacques and Pierre Curie in 1880, the piezoelectric effect was first observed when they applied pressure to a quartz crystal, which generated electric charges. This effect was called […]

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7 Reasons Why New Cell-Inspired Membrane Revolutionizes Water Treatment and Metal Recovery

Janina Lazo-Cruz — Fri, 16 Feb 2018 07:54:48 +0000

Gecko’s feet for adhesion, lotus leaf for hydrophobicity, moth’s eyes for reduction of reflectivity in solar cells, and electric eels for power generation – these are just a few examples of how we can study nature and apply them in improving current technologies. This technique is called biomimicry. Researchers in Australia, led by Benny Freeman, […]

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New Nanotech Material Could Solve On-Vehicle Hydrogen Storage Problems

Ece Polat — Mon, 06 Mar 2017 19:53:15 +0000

Scientists from Lawrence Livermore and Sandia National Laboratories developed a hydro-storage system using nanotechnology. This innovative storage system can draw a futuristic picture with hydrogen-powered vehicles. The new technology makes it possible for the hydrogen storage systems to be lightweight and low-pressure. Although these two characteristics are tough to achieve in a hydrogen storage system, a […]

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Converting Carbon Dioxide to Methane Now Possible With Rhodium

Ece Polat — Fri, 03 Mar 2017 18:51:46 +0000

Using UV light, Duke University researchers managed to develop nanoparticles that act as a catalyzer while converting carbon dioxide into methane. This new nanoparticle requires UV light as the UV light contains more energy than visible light. Scientist now look ways to proceed this reaction with natural light so the reaction can take place with […]

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Nanogenerator Powers an E-watch with Energy from Wrist Movement

Mila Luleva — Tue, 24 Nov 2015 08:49:00 +0000

Self-powered electronic watch uses high-tech mechanism to harvest the energy of the wrist movement, paving the way to battery-free devices. A team of scientists, led by Ya Yang at the Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems in China, developed a hybrid nanogenerator technology, which can harvest the energy of wrist movement to power electronic devices. […]

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New Nanomaterial Could End the Water Crisis

Mila Luleva — Fri, 13 Nov 2015 14:23:24 +0000

New nanomaterial, developed by US scientists, promises huge cost savings and boost of efficiency of water desalination. Droughts are posing severe risks to many communities around the world. If some years ago lack of access to fresh water resources was mostly a problem of the developing world, now there is simply no guarantee for anyone […]

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Can Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Make Nanofibers?

Annika Tostengard — Fri, 21 Aug 2015 06:27:06 +0000

Climate scientists now concede that in order to mitigate the effects of climate change, it is not enough to simply reduce fossil fuel emissions. No, the situation is dire enough that we need to find a way to actually remove the carbon dioxide already emitted into the atmosphere. Scientists have largely focused their efforts on […]

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Cellulose Nanopaper – Strong, Light and Green Alternative to Metals

Mila Luleva — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 19:25:01 +0000

New paper-like material made of cellulose is much stronger than metal, and could one day replace it. Alternative eco-friendly materials that can replace metals are of high demand. The reasons behind this are many, including polluting mining processes, expensive manufacturing of products made of metals, and of course, the need of making everything lighter yet […]

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Biodegradable Nanoparticles Purify Water Effectively, MIT Study

Mila Luleva — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 19:45:03 +0000

Biodegradable nanoparticles remove toxic contaminants from water and soil without leaving byproducts behind. Scientists from University of Regensburg, Germany, and their colleagues over at the MIT, discovered a way to quickly and efficiently remove dangerous pollutants from water and soil. The method, which uses nanoparticles, is much better than any existing technology, as it is […]

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New Solar Cell Fabric Charges Your Devices While You Wear It

Sarah Higman — Sat, 30 May 2015 19:37:05 +0000

Using perovskite, scientists have come up with a way to potentially create solar cell thread which could be used to create chargeable fabric. Scientists around the world are exploring ways to use the mineral perovskite in solar cells. Cells with perovskite are cheaper and easier to manufacture for solar cells and are able to convert […]

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Cheaper Graphene Possible, say Caltech Researchers

Benji Jerew — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 19:13:26 +0000

Since its official discovery just over a decade ago, graphene has taken the scientific world by storm, and scientists and researchers are just scratching the surface of possible applications in the modern and future world. Indeed, we’ve seen graphene applications in everything from electric vehicle battery packs to water purification, not to mention supercapacitors, hydrogen […]

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Water Repellent Material Created by Lasers Could Help Solar Panels

Mila Luleva — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 13:36:27 +0000

A revolutionary new laser method for etching metals resulted in the development of super water repelling material. It makes water droplets bounce off it, taking all dust particles with them, a property that gives huge promises to the solar panel industry. We all know that to maintain solar panels as efficient as they are designed to be, […]

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Nanosheets of Manganese Dioxide to Revolutionize Li-S Batteries

Mila Luleva — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 10:46:05 +0000

Researchers from University of Waterloo might just have found the missing ingredient that kept lithium-sulfur batteries from becoming the one and only desired energy storage for electric vehicles. It is a nanomaterial that is cheap, light and efficient. It is quite well established by now that although sulfur in lithium sulfur (Li-S) batteries ticks all […]

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Graphene Charges Atmosphere with Battery Running on Thin Air

Ari Luis — Sat, 20 Dec 2014 09:28:34 +0000

Graphene, the wonder material made of carbon that’s impermeable to gas and liquids, could one day be used for hydrogen batteries, based on research at The University of Manchester. The material that was first isolated and explored by a research team at the same university was found to allow protons to pass through, opening up […]

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Newly Discovered Property of Graphene to Boost Fuel Cells Efficiency

Mila Luleva — Fri, 28 Nov 2014 09:22:20 +0000

The founder of graphene discovered one more incredible property of the material that can give the ever-so-needed to boost fuel cells and hydrogen-based technologies. The strongest, thinnest, and initially known as impermeable material, in fact allows hydrogen protons to pass through. No wonder graphene is labelled as the “miracle material”. Every property or use of […]

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Your Next EV, Batteries Not Included

Ari Luis — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 01:45:55 +0000

It’s been said that the next big thing is a better battery. However, researchers at Queensland University of Technology in Australia and Rice University in Houston beg to disagree. The research team developed a flexible supercapacitor, one that can be put in every nook and cranny of the car’s hood, roof and even doors. Not […]

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Principle Behind Stained Glass Colors Solar Future Bright

Ari Luis — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 00:41:34 +0000

Researchers from the FOM Institute AMOLF in the Netherlands and Caltech recently made a breakthrough in solar power, by drawing inspiration from stained glass. For centuries, cathedrals and castles were adorned with stained glass windows whose colors mesmerized worshippers and adorers with their vivid hues that did not fade with time. These works of art […]

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Organic Solar Cell Efficiency Receives a Boost from “Nanograss”

Mila Luleva — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 09:50:32 +0000

Nanotechnology holds the key to further developments in organic solar cells and energy storage. It might sound as a very bold statement to some, but it is true, and an international team of researchers demonstrated it. They developed “nanograss“, which can boost the efficiency of organic solar cells, while providing a mean for cheap energy storage […]

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It’s a Battery, no it’s a Solar Cell, no it’s the Solar Battery!

Ari Luis — Thu, 09 Oct 2014 12:27:32 +0000

Scientists at Ohio State University are at a loss as to what to call their new invention. It produces electricity like a solar cell, but it also stores energy like a battery. In an article recently published in Nature Communications, the researchers succeeded in producing the hybrid device that is set to tame solar energy […]

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Nanotechnology Could Make Pure Lithium Battery Possible

Benji Jerew — Tue, 29 Jul 2014 14:08:40 +0000

Currently, most portable devices use lithium-ion battery technology, in spite of the fact that a pure lithium battery could offer much more capacity. The problem is with longevity, as a pure lithium battery may have 300% the capacity of a lithium-ion battery, but it can only be cycled between 50 and 100 times before it […]

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Move Over Giant Hard Drives, Scientists Store 1TB of Data in a Spoon of Liquid

Mila Luleva — Fri, 25 Jul 2014 12:42:45 +0000

Advances in the field of nanotechnology have managed to completely transform our portable electronic gadgets from what they used to be. The most fascinating part is, the new and improved technologies, are not only better, but also cooler. After all, who wouldn’t want to be able to store the entire content of their laptop, in a […]

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Plastic Graphene Substitute Developed in Korea

Benji Jerew — Fri, 04 Jul 2014 16:50:09 +0000

For all the properties of the latest wünder-material, graphene, it still remains an expensive acquisition, making even graphene research and development an expensive proposition. The growing list of graphene properties includes possible application in water treatment, solar power, electric vehicles, even electronics. Unfortunately, even these improvements in efficiency may not be enough to offset how […]

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What Is Graphene, Anyway?

Benji Jerew — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 16:48:15 +0000

We’ve covered graphene on this site a number of times, but of course, what is it? Where does it come from? What does it do? Can you buy it? Will it give you superpowers? Well, as far as giving you superpowers, I’m not sure we’ve gotten that far in our development as a species to […]

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Saltwater Graphene Generator Discovered

Benji Jerew — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 16:09:10 +0000

Scientists and researchers are still coming up with ways to use graphene, perhaps the greatest wünder-material in recent memory. Graphene, an atom-thick single-layer two-dimensional lattice of pure carbon, has been known for decades, yet only recently has been getting the attention it deserves. So far, research into graphene has yielded, at least, prototype technologies in […]

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StoreDot’s New Nanodot Battery Charges in 30 Seconds

Mila Luleva — Wed, 09 Apr 2014 12:39:44 +0000

Clock is ticking, you are late for an appointment, you know you do not have any time to waste and suddenly you realize, your phone has run out of battery. Sounds familiar? We all know how this story continues, and it is almost never a pretty picture, but imagine this. Instead of a conventional phone […]

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Nanoparticle Coating Increases Aircraft Fuel Efficiency and Engine Life

Benji Jerew — Fri, 28 Mar 2014 19:11:27 +0000

Aircraft engines, specifically the turbojets that are used on aircraft from the humble passenger plane to the monstrous C-17, burns millions of tons of fuel every year, meaning fuel efficiency is a major concern. Of course, aircraft fuel efficiency isn’t just a concern for the operators’ bottom line, since better fuel efficiency reduces refueling costs. […]

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Nanotechnology – Silicon Solar Cell Reactive to Infrared Radiation

Benji Jerew — Fri, 28 Mar 2014 18:50:01 +0000

To be clear, all light, visible and invisible, is radiation, and solar cells react to this radiation by producing an electric current. Silicon solar cells, however, aren’t well-known for being reactive to infrared radiation, at least not very effectively. Silicon is an excellent choice for converting light in the visible spectrum to electricity, but outside […]

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Green Process Creates New Nanoporous Materials, UConn

Benji Jerew — Fri, 28 Feb 2014 17:06:08 +0000

As our knowledge of chemistry continues to advance, we keep finding new ways to apply the same basic elements. Finding a green process that is better than conventional means just makes it even better. Thanks to a $420,000 grand from the Us Department of Energy’s division of Basic Energy Sciences, researchers at the University of […]

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Nanogenerator Could Make for Self-Charging Smartphones

Benji Jerew — Wed, 26 Feb 2014 15:01:13 +0000

Chances are, there are a couple places your smartphone might be, either in your pocket or purse, or on your desk. Today’s smartphones are more power-hungry than ever, and our desire for connectivity is energy-intensive. At home or at the office, you’re more likely to have your smartphone in a charging dock to keep it […]

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New Nano-Porous Silver Electrocatalyst Could Convert Carbon Dioxide Into Sustainable Energy

Mila Luleva — Tue, 04 Feb 2014 18:01:52 +0000

New nano-porous silver electrocatalyst, developed by a team of researchers from University of Delaware, is a promising new discovery that can provide solution to two of the main problems of recent days- this of excess amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and that of limited sustainable energy production. The scientists were able to convert […]

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Understanding Electric Vehicle Batteries on a Microscopic Level

Benji Jerew — Tue, 14 Jan 2014 13:23:29 +0000

Electric vehicles, in the last decade, have become more affordable and reliable than ever before, but perhaps taking an even closer look can help researchers develop better solutions. Of course, better solutions for electric vehicle batteries would need to fulfill a number of requirements. Increased energy density (Wh/kg) would increase the range of the vehicle, […]

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Miniature Wind Power Could Charge Personal Electronic Devices

Benji Jerew — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 16:31:52 +0000

Personal electronic devices, such as smartphones, mp3 and mp4 players, among others, have become more powerful, and more power-hungry, over time. Could miniature wind power devices save grid energy? Researchers at the University of Texas at Arlington have designed a tiny wind power device that could be used to power these power-hungry devices. How small, […]

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New Power Generating Backpack Brings Together Energy and Exercise

Danny Harper — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 09:09:40 +0000

Want to stay healthy and active while creating usable energy? You may be able to have your cake and eat it too with new “wearable generator” technology. By bringing two differently charged surfaces into contact, and then separating them, Zhong Lin Wang and colleagues at the Georgia Institute of Technology have created what is called […]

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Cellulose Nanocrystals, a Potentially Green Alternative to Steel and Carbon Nanotubes

Mila Luleva — Thu, 19 Dec 2013 19:17:22 +0000

Every time cellulose was mentioned in one of your news pieces, it has always been about biofuels. Green algae digesting it and improving biogas production, various processes converting it into fuel, you name it. But this time, scientists from Purdue University in Indiana, have found a different property of the product, one that can potentially […]

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Nanotech Stars – NIST Method Produces Graphene More Efficiently

Benji Jerew — Wed, 11 Dec 2013 15:08:53 +0000

Researchers have been finding numerous possible applications for the wonder-material called graphene, but mass-production has, so far, escaped them. So far, graphene production in small quantities has been found to be most efficient on particles of copper, smaller than 1µm (micrometer). Of course, any growth of graphene is going to be on this tiny scale, […]

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Graphene Synthetic Fuel Catalyst Developed by University of Illinois at Chicago

Benji Jerew — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 12:58:52 +0000

Synthetic fuels can turn practically any vehicle carbon-neutral, since the vehicle would emit the same carbon dioxide that was used to make the fuel in the first place. Actually, this is exactly the draw of biofuels, except that, with synthetic fuels, you don’t have to wait for the plants to grow. I guess you could […]

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Could Graphene Rescue Lithium-Sulfur Battery Technology?

Benji Jerew — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 20:51:08 +0000

Theoretically-speaking, lithium-sulfur batteries [LiS] could be vastly superior to current lithium-ion [Li-Ion] battery technology, except for a couple of debilitating problems. Recent research done at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory [BNL] seems to indicate that graphene has come to the rescue, once again. In comparison to Li-Ion batteries, LiS batteries have more capacity, up to four […]

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MXenes: The Graphene-Like Material That Could Revolutionize Lithium-Ion Batteries

Benji Jerew — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 20:58:41 +0000

We’ve heard a lot about graphene, a single-layer hexagonal arrangement of carbon atoms, about which it has been said might revolutionize lithium-ion battery, water filtration, and even reduce emissions. Scientists are still discovering all the wonderful things that graphene might be able to do, but we’re still waiting for a lithium-ion battery with 2,000kWh/kg and […]

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Plastic Shopping Bags Recycled into Nanomaterial

Leigh Hutchens — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 02:24:33 +0000

At the University of Adelaide in Australia, plastic shopping bags have become high-tech nanomaterial. Researchers at the University of Adelaide’s Nanotech Research Group have figured out how to take non-biodegradable plastic shopping bags and turn them into carbon nanotube membranes, thereby turning a serious threat to the ecosystem into a resource with a host of […]

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High-Performance Superconductors Developed, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Benji Jerew — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 21:29:41 +0000

Superconductors typically find their way into power generation and transmission applications, where losses are unacceptable or great amounts of current are needed to flow. When cooled to a critical temperature, superconductors offer near zero resistance to electrical flow, eliminating heat generation. Additionally, superconductors don’t need to be nearly as robust as standard ambient-temperature conductors. For […]

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Panasonic’s New Water Purification Technology Runs on Solar Power

Benji Jerew — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 14:53:47 +0000

Modern water purification methods exist that can easily get rid of water contaminants, even salt and bacteria, but some organic toxins and toxic metals, such as arsenic and hexavalent chromium need special processing [read: expensive and carbon-intensive] to be removed. Water purification by reverse osmosis, filters, and chlorination does not affect these toxic metals or […]

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