[Images above] Credit: NIST
ENERGY
MOFs offer better way to produce green hydrogen
Oregon State University researchers used a metal–organic framework to make a catalyst that, when exposed to sunlight, quickly and efficiently split water into hydrogen. The catalyst consisted of ruthenium oxide and titanium oxide doped with sulfur and nitrogen.
First universal principles for designing solid-state batteries
A Korean research team presented the first universal design principles for solid-state batteries, signaling a paradigm shift in battery design research that previously lacked standard benchmarks. They defined the quantitative design parameters of the battery as the balance threshold, percolation threshold, and loading threshold.
BIOMATERIALS
Protein reduces toxicity of graphene oxide for drug delivery
King’s College London researchers investigated and identified proteins that form a hardened coating on graphene oxide and help mitigate its toxicity, thus improving the potential for this material to be used as a drug delivery system.
Polish and Taiwanese scientists working on new 3D-printed dental implants
Researchers at Wrocław University of Science and Technology and National Taipei University of Technology are developing dental implants made from 3D-printed ceramic structures connected to a metal core. Thanks to the use of biodegradable magnesium, bone tissue will be able to gradually grow into the implant.
ENVIRONMENT
Using big data to produce bigger return for growers, less environmental impact
Two South Dakota State University researchers are partnering with 20 eastern South Dakota farming operations and Gevo, a renewable chemicals and advanced biofuels company, to pursue practices that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase farm profitability.
Coal ash could be used for wastewater treatment
Researchers from Krasnoyarsk Science Center of Russian Academy of Sciences investigated the possibility of using coal ash microspheres to create ceramic membranes for wastewater treatment. Their membranes showed an almost 100% purification efficiency when removing microsilica particles from water.
OTHER STORIES
Diamond helps build efficient 3D computer chips
Researchers led by Stanford University showed that adding diamond layers to computer chips significantly boosts heat transfer. Also critical to success were silicon carbide boundary layers between the diamond and silicon to act as thermal bridges.
New 3D-integrated metal oxide transistors for compact and high density electronics
Researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology developed new 3D integrated metal oxide transistors that can be vertically stacked onto each other. The new vertical design enables a greater transistor density within a given area.