Search results for "hydrogen"
One step closer to sustainable hydrogen production
Splitting water into its hydrogen and oxygen parts may sound like science fiction, but it's the end goal of chemists and chemical engineers like Christopher Murray of the University of Pennsylvania and Matteo Cargnello of Stanford University. They work in a field called photocatalysis, which, at its most basic, uses light to speed up chemical reactions. They've come a step closer to such a feat by tailoring the structure of a material called tita...
‘Pee power’ researchers turn urine into sustainable power source
Researchers at the University of Bath have developed an innovative miniature fuel cell that can generate electricity from urine, creating an affordable, renewable and carbon-neutral way of generating power.
Gasification could boost efficiency of coal-powered plants
Most of the world's nations have agreed to make substantial reductions in their greenhouse gas emissions, but achieving these goals is still a considerable technological, economic, and political challenge. The International Energy Agency has projected that, even with the new agreements in place, global coal-fired power generation will increase over the next few decades.
Ruthenium nanoframes open the doors to better catalysts
The world is run by catalysts. They clean up after cars, help make fertilizers, and could be the key to better hydrogen fuel. Now, a team of chemists, led by Xiaohu Xia from Michigan Technological University, has found a better way to make metal catalysts.Last week,Nano Letterspublished the team's study, which covers how the researchers made a catalyst for the first time out of the metal ruthenium. The break-through is not limited to this one met...
Scientists discover design principle for building nanostructures
When it comes to the various nanowidgets scientists are developing, nanotubes are especially intriguing. That's because hollow tubes that have diameters of only a few billionths of a meter have the potential to be incredibly useful, from delivering cancer-fighting drugs inside cells to desalinating seawater. But building nanostructures is difficult. And creating a large quantity of nanostructures with the same trait, such as millions of nanotubes...
Feeding our insatiable appetite for batteries
The vast array of consumer devices that we use today all need rechargeable batteries. A key element of these batteries is so-called ‘white petroleum’ or lithium – an essentially irreplaceable component of laptops, mobile phones, electric cars and some pharmaceutical applications – which is rocketing in value. Specialists estimate that lithium demand will outstrip supply by 2023, with the vast majority coming from rechargea...
Device studies gold nanoparticles in depth
Artists have used gold nanoparticles for centuries, because they produce vibrant colors when sunlight hits them. Their unique optical-electronics properties have put gold nanoparticles at the center of research, solar cells, sensors, chemotherapy, drug delivery, biological and medical applications, and electronic conductors. The properties of gold nanoparticles can be tuned by changing their size, shape, surface chemistry etc., but controlling th...
Laser method creates micro energy units
In the race to design smaller handheld devices and smartphones, a key factor is decreasing the sizes of components. As the demand for thinner and lighter microelectronic devices increases, manufacturers often are limited by how oddly shaped the energy sources must become to make them conform to the smaller space. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri, have developed a method of transferring an energy source to virtually any shape.
Solar fuels: A refined protective layer for the 'artificial leaf'
A team at the HZB Institute for Solar Fuels has developed a process for providing sensitive semiconductors for solar water splitting ('artificial leaves') with an organic, transparent protective layer. The extremely thin protective layer made of carbon chains is stable, conductive, and covered with catalysing nanoparticles of metal oxides. These accelerate the splitting of water when irradiated by light.
Research explores safer fuel for nuclear reactors
Michael Tonks, assistant professor of mechanical and nuclear engineering, Penn State, and director, Microstructure Science and Engineering Laboratory, Penn State, is involved with three projects through the Department of Energy's Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP).These projects are exploring new materials for nuclear fuel, which could make current LWRs safer.