Jan 13, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Supercapacitors are energy-storage devices that complement rechargeable batteries, and could even partially replace them. Current supercapacitors do not have sufficient energy density, so they don’t last long enough. A novel approach for making a supercapacitor with a “breathing” electrode is far superior. As the team...
Swarm intelligence caused by physical mechanisms
Jan 13, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Seemingly spontaneously coordinated swarm behaviour exhibited by large groups of animals is a fascinating and striking collective phenomenon. Experiments conducted by researchers at Leipzig University on laser-controlled synthetic microswimmers now show that supposed swarm intelligence can sometimes also be the result of simple and generic...
Artificial nerve cells – almost like biological
Jan 13, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Researchers at Linköping University (LiU) have created an artificial organic neuron that closely mimics the characteristics of biological nerve cells. This artificial neuron can stimulate natural nerves, making it a promising technology for various medical treatments in the future. Work to develop increasingly functional artificial...
Quantum measurements more precise than ever before
Jan 13, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Measurements are not all the same. While everyday objects, e. g., the components of a car, can be measured quite easily in terms of size, weight, and composition. The situation is quite different when tiny quantum objects, such as light particles, are to be examined...
Feathered robotic wing paves way for flapping drones
Jan 13, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Birds fly more efficiently by folding their wings during the upstroke, according to a recent study (Advanced Intelligent Systems, "Robotic Avian Wing Explains Aerodynamic Advantages of Wing Folding and Stroke Tilting in Flapping Flight") led by Lund University in Sweden. The results could mean that...
Enabling nanoscale thermoelectrics with a novel organometallic molecular junction
Jan 12, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Multinuclear organometallic junctions might be the key to realizing high-performance thermoelectric devices at the nanoscale, as revealed by scientists at Tokyo Tech and Korea University. The unique electronic structure of organometallic ruthenium alkynyl complexes allowed the researchers to achieve unprecedented heat-to-electricity conversion performance in molecular...
Turning abandoned mines into batteries
Jan 12, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Renewable energy sources are central to the energy transition toward a more sustainable future. However, as sources like sunshine and wind are inherently variable and inconsistent, finding ways to store energy in an accessible and efficient way is crucial. While there are many effective solutions...
Screen-printing method can make wearable electronics less expensive
Jan 12, 2023 (Nanowerk News) The glittering, serpentine structures that power wearable electronics can be created with the same technology used to print rock concert t-shirts, new research shows. The study, led by Washington State University researchers, demonstrates that electrodes can be made using just screen printing, creating a stretchable,...
Novel design helps develop powerful microbatteries
Jan 12, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Translating electrochemical performance of large format batteries to microscale power sources has been a long-standing technological challenge, limiting the ability of batteries to power microdevices, microrobots and implantable medical devices. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers have created a high-voltage microbattery (> 9 V), with high-energy...
Electron injection in fullerenes builds novel crystalline carbons
Jan 12, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Charge injection has been widely utilized to tune the energy level of electrons in semiconductors without altering their microscopic structure. Recently, a research team led by Professor ZHU Yanwu from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has discovered another function of charge injection....