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Silicon-based anode research breakthrough

By Damir Beciri
One Comment9 November 2012

rice-silicon-anode-1A group of researchers at Rice University decided to seek a different approach to their previous work in order to develop a high-capacity, durable and low-cost anode material with a great commercial potential for next-generation rechargeable lithium batteries. The newly devised method to use silicon as anode material can nearly triple the capacity of silicon-based… »

Tech»

New self-healing coating for aluminum developed to replace chromates

By Damir Beciri
28 October 2012

molybdate-based-aluminum-coatingAttempts to replace chromate coatings with non-toxic coatings have been underway since the 1980s. The awareness on effects of chromates was brought to the forefront in 1993 by the real-life incident involving Erin Brokovich and depicted in the movie released in 2000 of the same name. A research team at the University of Nevada, Reno… »

Bionics| Tech»

Butterfly wings biomimicry for dirt free coated surfaces

By Damir Beciri
One Comment19 October 2012

yang-advanced-functional-materials-dropAside the technology being used to generate the energy from the sun, the efficiency of solar panels also depends on the cleanliness of the panels. Moisture and dust debris piled up on their surface require time consuming and costly maintenance, however, a group of researchers from the University of Pennsylvania used bio-inspiration to develop a… »

Bionics| Tech»

Creating GeS nanostructures with flower patterns

By Damir Beciri
18 October 2012

nc-state-cao-flowerResearchers from North Carolina State University have devised a way to create nature inspired elements out of germanium sulfide (GeS) – a non-toxic semiconductor material – that could one day be used in creation of next-generation energy storage devices and solar cells. They managed to use this method to create flower-like GeS structures that have… »

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Next generation memory chips from silicon oxide and graphene

By Damir Beciri
17 October 2012

rice-silicon-oxide-memory-1A group of researchers from Rice University led by chemist James Tour came to a discovery that it was possible to make bits of computer memory from silicon oxide and carbon. Their research could lead to transparent, non-volatile, heat- and radiation-resistant memory chips which provide more memory storage while being smaller compared to memory chips… »

Architecture| Tech»

Using math tools to improve energy efficiency of courtyards

By Damir Beciri
17 October 2012

mediterranean-courtyard-math-tool-1While some may wonder how our ancestors managed to realize similar solutions in architecture throughout the different cultures around the world, researchers from the University of Seville (Spain) propose that climate played a major role in that process. They also used mathematical tools to reveal the phenomenon that the temperature inside the typical Mediterranean courtyard… »

Tech»

Imec’s wireless low-power active electrodes EEG headset

By Damir Beciri
7 October 2012

imec-eegImec, Holst Centre and Panasonic have developed a new prototype of a wireless electroencephalogram (EEG) headset which combines ease-of-use with ultra-low power electronics. The system is integrated into imec’s EEG headset with dry electrodes, which enables real time EEG recordings with minimal set-up time and it represents a step towards reliable high-quality wearable EEG monitoring… »

Bionics| Tech»

Inexpensive rapid diagnostic tests inspired by nature

By Damir Beciri
2 October 2012

bioinspired-medical-diagnostic-tests-teamAn international group of researchers led by researchers from the UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) bioengineered inexpensive medical diagnostic tests that take only a few minutes to yield results. These tests could find their use in new point-of-care devices for quick medical diagnosis of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), allergies, autoimmune diseases, and a wide variety of… »