Lab-grown wood could be future of furniture
American scientists are working on a plan to "grow" wood in a laboratory without sunlight or soil.
March 4, 2021 • ~3 min
Smart materials: From tiny robots to colour-swapping clothes
A report examines the potential of materials that can change shape, adapt and repair themselves.
Feb. 18, 2021 • ~5 min
Super-light smart gel nets drinking water from air
A new aerogel can suck up water vapor in the air and then release it as clean drinking water, researchers report. It doesn't even need a power source.
Feb. 2, 2021 • ~4 min
Soap simplifies making 2D nanosheets
Just a little soap helps clean up the challenging process of preparing two-dimensional hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), chemists report.
Jan. 28, 2021 • ~5 min
Smashing nanoclusters can make harder metals
A new way to make bulk metals with enhanced properties like hardness starts with smashing individual nanoclusters.
Jan. 26, 2021 • ~6 min
Solar panels capture more sunlight with capsaicin - the chemical that makes chili peppers spicy
Chemicals found in food and solar cell technology have an interesting history – as my own research shows.
Jan. 13, 2021 • ~6 min
Fluorine may replace lithium for rechargeable batteries
Fluorine, a relatively abundant and light element, may be a good substitute for lithium without changing how long batteries last much.
Dec. 17, 2020 • ~6 min
Atlas shows off 466 carbon nanotube colors
New research maps out a huge number of carbon nanotube colors. "Carbon, which we see as black, can appear transparent or take on any color of the rainbow."
Dec. 15, 2020 • ~8 min
New way to make perovskite solar cells is super fast
A new method of making perovskite cells for solar modules could be cheap and fast enough to make it scalable, researchers say.
Dec. 1, 2020 • ~8 min
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