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Articles tagged with: ‘chemistry‘

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New catalyst turns C-H bonds to C-Si bonds at a high rate

By Damir Beciri
One Comment17 April 2012

watson-group-1A team of researchers from the University of Delaware (UD) have reported their findings about a new chemical reaction that uses palladium as a catalyst in a process where carbon-hydrogen bonds are converted to carbon-silicon bonds. The process could lead to development of new materials, and it has a huge potential in development and manufacture… »

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oPAD – origami-inspired paper sensor

By Damir Beciri
10 March 2012

opad-sensor-1Inspired by the paper-folding art of origami, chemists at The University of Texas at Austin have developed origami Paper Analytical Device (oPAD) – a low-cost 3D paper sensor that may be able to test for diseases such as malaria and HIV. It can be produced in less than a minute without any tools or special… »

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Pyrite could be used to generate solar power after all

By Damir Beciri
One Comment29 November 2011

pyriteAlthough it has been referred as “fool’s gold” throughout the history, dating to times of ancient Rome and tricking prospectors for centuries, yellow-toned mineral pyrite found its use as an inexpensive and promising option for solar energy. Oregon State University (OSU) researchers discovered related compounds that use the advantages of the material without the downsides… »

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Insect silk research could lead to improved fiber production

By Damir Beciri
4 Comments27 November 2011

silkworm-cocoonA combined team of researchers from the Oxford University and University of Sheffield used a novel method to analyze the energy used in the formation of fibers in natural silk and synthetic materials in order to demonstrate that natural unspun silks taken from a silkworm are a thousand times more efficient than common plastics when… »

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Chemists developed a liquid storage material for hydrogen

By Damir Beciri
2 Comments23 November 2011

hydrogen-ironAside developing more efficient methods in hydrogen production, researchers around the world are developing ways to store hydrogen for subsequent use. University of Oregon (UO) chemists developed a boron-nitrogen-based liquid-phase storage material for hydrogen which is more suitable than currently known ways to store hydrogen because it can perform safely at room temperature and is… »

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The potential of rechargeable batteries based on fluoride shuttle

By Damir Beciri
23 October 2011

kit-fluoridw-shuttleLithium-ion batteries have found use in various portable devices, but their storage capacity limits the usability of those gadgets. As we mentioned in a couple of our previous articles, we need a new battery systems capable to charge faster and store more energy. Researchers from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) found a potential solution… »

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Artificial leaf uses solar energy to split the oxygen and hydrogen in water

By Damir Beciri
One Comment2 October 2011

mit-artificial-leafResearchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have produced something they’re calling an “artificial leaf” – a silicon solar cell with different catalytic materials bonded onto its two sides which enable it to produce oxygen and hydrogen. Once the material is placed under water and illuminated by sunlight, it needs external sources of power… »

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Researchers develop faster organic semiconductors for flexible displays

By Damir Beciri
27 August 2011

better-organic-electronics-1Organic semiconductors are suitable for application in thin film and flexible displays but they haven’t yet reached the speeds needed to drive high definition displays. A team of researchers, led by researchers from Stanford and Harvard universities, applied a logical approach in order to create a new material which is suitable for high-speed organic semiconductors…. »