ScienceDaily: Inorganic Chemistry News

Atomic-scale investigations solve key puzzle of LED efficiency

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:03:03 EDT

From the high-resolution glow of flat screen televisions to light bulbs that last for years, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) continue to transform technology. The celebrated efficiency and versatility of LEDs -- and other solid-state technologies including laser diodes and solar photovoltaics -- make them increasingly popular. Their full potential, however, remains untapped, in part because the semiconductor alloys that make these devices work continue to puzzle scientists. Scientists have now used electron microscopy imaging techniques to settle a solid-state controversy and raise new experimental possibilities.

New filtration material could make petroleum refining cheaper, more efficient

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:41:41 EDT

A newly synthesized material might provide a dramatically improved method for separating the highest-octane components of gasoline.

A quantum simulator for magnetic materials

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:36:36 EDT

Physicists have developed a quantum simulator that allows arranging atoms in a way that they mimic the behavior of electrons in magnetic materials. The experiment opens up the possibility of systematically studying poorly understood properties of novel materials. The fresh insights might lead to designs for new magnetic materials.

Stitching defects into world’s thinnest semiconductor

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:38:38 EDT

Researchers have grown high-quality crystals of molybdenum disulfide, the world's thinnest semiconductor, and studied how these crystals stitch together at the atomic scale to form continuous sheets, gaining key insights into the optical and electronic properties of this new "wonder" material.

Quest for quantum computing advanced

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:29:29 EDT

Scientistst investigating the properties of ultra-thin films of new materials are helping bring quantum computing one step closer to reality.

Detecting mirror molecules: New technique reliably tells left-handed from right-handed variant of a compound

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:12:12 EDT

Physicists have developed a novel technique that can detect molecular variants in chemical mixtures -- greatly simplifying a process that is one of the most important, though time-consuming, processes in analytical chemistry.

Carbon capture: Making use of minerals

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:10:10 EDT

Ammonium salts could provide a viable way of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere via carbon mineralization, studies suggest.

New technique may open up an era of atomic-scale semiconductor devices

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:20:20 EDT

Researchers have developed a new technique for creating high-quality semiconductor thin films at the atomic scale -- meaning the films are only one atom thick. The technique can be used to create these thin films on a large scale, sufficient to coat wafers that are two inches wide, or larger.

Polymer breakthrough inspired by trees and ancient celtic knots

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:53:53 EDT

A new slow-motion method of controlling the synthesis of polymers, which takes inspiration from both trees and Celtic knots, opens up new possibilities in areas including medical devices, drug delivery, elastics and adhesives.

Unique method creates correct mirror image of molecule

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:52:52 EDT

Many molecules have a right and a left form, just like shoes. In pharmaceuticals, it is important that the correct form of the molecule is used. Researchers have been able to produce the one mirror image by using crystals with special properties. This can have a major impact on the production of pharmaceuticals.

Nanoantennas improve infrared sensing

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:29:29 EDT

Engineers have used a pattern of nanoantennas to develop a new way of turning infrared light into mechanical action, opening the door to more sensitive infrared cameras and more compact chemical-analysis techniques.

Kinks and curves at the nanoscale: New research shows 'perfect twin boundaries' are not so perfect

Sun, 19 May 2013 19:04:04 EDT

Since 2004, materials scientists and nanotechnology experts have been excited about a special of arrangement of atoms called a "coherent twin boundary" that can add enormous strength to metals like gold and copper. The CTBs are described as "perfect," appearing like a one-atom-thick plane in models and images. New research shows that these boundaries are not perfect. Even more surprising, the newly discovered kinks and defects appear to be the cause of the CTB's strength.

World's smallest liquid droplets ever made in the lab, experiment suggests

Thu, 16 May 2013 20:06:06 EDT

Physicists may have created the smallest drops of liquid ever made in the lab. That possibility has been raised by the results of a recent experiment at the Large Hadron Collider, the world's largest and most powerful particle collider located at the European Laboratory for Nuclear and Particle Physics (CERN) in Switzerland. Evidence of the minuscule droplets was extracted from the results of colliding protons with lead ions at velocities approaching the speed of light.

Add boron for better batteries

Thu, 16 May 2013 16:17:17 EDT

A graphene-boron compound is theoretically capable of storing double the energy of common graphite anodes used in lithium-ion batteries.

Beautiful 'flowers' self-assemble in a beaker

Thu, 16 May 2013 14:22:22 EDT

With the hand of nature trained on a beaker of chemical fluid, the most delicate flower structures have been formed in a laboratory -- and not at the scale of inches, but microns. These minuscule sculptures, curved and delicate, don't resemble the cubic or jagged forms normally associated with crystals, though that's what they are. Rather, fields of carnations and marigolds seem to bloom from the surface of a submerged glass slide, assembling themselves a molecule at a time.

DNA-guided assembly yields novel ribbon-like nanostructures

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:39:39 EDT

DNA "linker" strands coax nano-sized rods to line up in way unlike any other spontaneous arrangement of rod-shaped objects. The arrangement -- with the rods forming "rungs" on ladder-like ribbons -- could result in the fabrication of new nanostructured materials with desired properties.

New insights into how materials transfer heat could lead to improved electronics

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:56:56 EDT

Researchers have published new insights into how materials transfer heat, which could lead eventually to smaller, more powerful electronic devices.

Observation of second sound in a quantum gas

Wed, 15 May 2013 13:15:15 EDT

Second sound is a quantum mechanical phenomenon, which has been observed only in superfluid helium. Physicists have now proven the propagation of such a temperature wave in a quantum gas.

Significant improvement in performance of solar-powered hydrogen generation

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:51:51 EDT

Using a powerful combination of microanalytic techniques that simultaneously image photoelectric current and chemical reaction rates across a surface on a micrometer scale, researchers have shed new light on what may become a cost-effective way to generate hydrogen gas directly from water and sunlight.

Friction in the nano-world: Physicists discover a new kind of friction

Wed, 15 May 2013 11:38:38 EDT

Whether in vehicle transmissions, hip replacements, or tiny sensors for triggering airbags: The respective components must slide against each other with minimum friction to prevent loss of energy and material wear. Investigating the friction behavior of nanosystems, scientists have discovered a previously unknown type of friction that sheds new light on some previously unexplainable phenomena.

Obtaining polymers with à la carte optical and electrical properties

Wed, 15 May 2013 08:53:53 EDT

Scientists have created nanostructured composite materials with specific optical and electrical properties that vary according to size. These properties allow researchers to synthesize particles of the size corresponding to the desired properties, and by adding these particles to polymers, to give the final product one specific property or another.

New uses for tiny carbon nanotubes: Adding ionic liquid to nanotube films could build smaller gadgets

Tue, 14 May 2013 19:06:06 EDT

Nanotubes are stronger than steel and smaller than any element of silicon-based electronics. They can potentially process information faster while using less energy. The challenge has been figuring out how to incorporate these properties into useful electronic devices. Now scientists have discovered that by adding ionic liquid -- a kind of liquid salt -- they can modify the optical transparency of single-walled carbon nanotube films in a controlled pattern.

Chemists demonstrate nanoscale alloys so bright they could have potential medical applications

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:28:28 EDT

Alloys like bronze and steel have been transformational for centuries, yielding top-of-the-line machines necessary for industry. As scientists move toward nanotechnology, however, the focus has shifted toward creating alloys at the nanometer scale -- producing materials with properties unlike their predecessors. Now, new research demonstrates that nanometer-scale alloys possess the ability to emit light so bright they could have potential applications in medicine.

Engineered biomaterial could improve success of medical implants

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:28:28 EDT

Expensive, state-of-the-art medical devices and surgeries often are thwarted by the body's natural response to attack something in the tissue that appears foreign. Now, engineers have demonstrated in mice a way to prevent this sort of response.

Scientists uncover fundamental property of astatine -- rarest naturally occurring element on Earth

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:27:27 EDT

Scientists have carried out ground-breaking experiments to investigate the atomic structure of astatine (atomic number 85), the rarest naturally occurring element on Earth. Through experiments conducted at the radioactive isotope facility ISOLDE at CERN, scientists have accessed, for the first time, the ionization potential of the astatine atom. The successful measurement fills a long-standing gap in Mendeleev's periodic table, since astatine was the last element present in nature for which this fundamental property was unknown.

Bacterium counteracts 'coffee ring effect'

Tue, 14 May 2013 08:53:53 EDT

Ever notice how a dried coffee stain has a thicker outer rim, while the middle of the stain remains almost unsoiled? This 'coffee ring effect' also occurs in other materials. Researchers have now discovered how to counteract coffee rings with 'surfactants', i.e. soap. The key to the discovery was not a kitchen towel, but a bacterium that counteracts the coffee ring effect at the microscopic level.

Physicists light 'magnetic fire' to reveal energy's path

Mon, 13 May 2013 11:52:52 EDT

Physicists have uncovered how energy is released and dispersed in magnetic materials in a process akin to the spread of forest fires, a finding that has the potential to deepen our understanding of self-sustained chemical reactions.

Molecular basis of strawberry aroma

Mon, 13 May 2013 11:09:09 EDT

You know that summer is here when juicy red strawberries start to appear on the shelves. In Germany, this seasonal fruit has never been more popular: on average 3.5 kilos per head were consumed in 2012 -- a full kilogram more than ten years ago. Scientists decided to find out what gives strawberries their characteristic flavor.

Solar panels as inexpensive as paint?

Mon, 13 May 2013 10:36:36 EDT

Researchers are helping develop a new generation of photovoltaic cells that produce more power and cost less to manufacture than what's available today.

Nano-breakthrough: Solving the case of the herringbone crystal

Sun, 12 May 2013 14:12:12 EDT

Leading nanoscientists created beautiful, tiled patterns with flat nanocrystals, but they were left with a mystery: Why did some sets of crystals arrange themselves in an alternating, herringbone style? To find out, they turned to experts in computer simulation.

Perfectly doped quantum dots yield 'colors to dye for'

Fri, 10 May 2013 12:45:45 EDT

This focuses on an ultra-precise method for doping the tiny semiconductors produces vivid hues.

Heady mathematics: Describing popping bubbles in a foam

Thu, 09 May 2013 14:21:21 EDT

Two applied mathematicians have found a way to mathematically describe the evolution and disappearance of a foam. Using these equations, they were able to generate a movie that shows the complex draining, popping and rearrangement of these bubbles as the foam vanishes.

New advance in biofuel production

Thu, 09 May 2013 12:37:37 EDT

Researchers have developed an enzyme-free ionic liquid pretreatment of cellulosic biomass that makes it easier to recover fermentable sugars for biofuels and to recycle the ionic liquid.

Scientists demonstrate pear shaped atomic nuclei

Thu, 09 May 2013 10:43:43 EDT

Scientists have shown that some atomic nuclei can assume the shape of a pear which contributes to our understanding of nuclear structure and the underlying fundamental interactions.

Researchers find a way to make steel without greenhouse-gas emissions

Wed, 08 May 2013 13:31:31 EDT

Steelmaking, a major emitter of climate-altering gases, could be transformed by a new process.

Graphene quantum dots may someday tell if it will rain on Mars

Wed, 08 May 2013 13:18:18 EDT

Chemical engineers may be able to improve humidity and pressure sensors, particularly those used in outer space.

Engineers fine-tune the sensitivity of nano-chemical sensor

Wed, 08 May 2013 12:28:28 EDT

Researchers have discovered a technique for controlling the sensitivity of graphene chemical sensors.

'Invisibility cloak' for thermal flow constructed

Wed, 08 May 2013 09:29:29 EDT

By means of special metamaterials, light and sound can be passed around objects. Researchers have now succeeded in demonstrating that the same materials can also be used to specifically influence the propagation of heat. A structured plate of copper and silicon conducts heat around a central area without the edge being affected.

New mechanism converts natural gas to energy faster, captures carbon dioxide

Tue, 07 May 2013 12:48:48 EDT

Chemical engineering researchers have identified a new mechanism to convert natural gas into energy up to 70 times faster, while effectively capturing the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.

Cleaner, low temperature nuclear fuels?

Tue, 07 May 2013 11:55:55 EDT

The search for cleaner, low temperature nuclear fuels has produced a surprising result for a team of experts. First they created a stable version of a 'trophy molecule' that has eluded scientists for decades. Now they have discovered that the bonding within this molecule is far different than expected. Remarkably their findings have shown that it behaves in much the same way as its counterparts in the well-known transitional metals such as chromium, molybdenum and tungsten.

New technique to track cell interactions in living bodies developed

Mon, 06 May 2013 18:16:16 EDT

Researchers have developed a new technique to see how different types of cells interact in a living mouse.

Unique method for creating uniform nanoparticles developed

Mon, 06 May 2013 11:40:40 EDT

Researchers have developed unique approach for the synthesis of highly uniform icosahedral nanoparticles made of platinum. Results showed that the key factors for the shape control include fast nucleation, kinetically controlled growth, and protection from oxidation by air.

In vivo flexible large scale integrated circuits developed

Mon, 06 May 2013 11:39:39 EDT

A team of researchers in Korea has developed in vivo silicon-based flexible large scale integrated circuits for bio-medical wireless communication.

Engineers manipulate a buckyball by inserting a single water molecule

Mon, 06 May 2013 10:33:33 EDT

Engineering researchers have developed a technique to isolate a single water molecule inside a buckyball and drive motion of the "big" nonpolar ball through the encapsulated "small" polar H2O molecule, a controlling transport mechanism in a nanochannel under an external electric field. This method could lead to new applications including effective ways to control drug delivery and to assemble C60-based functional 3D structures at the nanoscale level.

Invisible pattern can put a stop to counterfeit designer clothing

Mon, 06 May 2013 09:51:51 EDT

There is now a way to differentiate between designer clothing and knockoffs. Researchers have produced a thread with unique optical properties, which can be used to create invisible patterns in fabrics that are only visible under polarized light.

Microwave oven cooks up solar cell material

Mon, 06 May 2013 09:49:49 EDT

Metallurgists used an old microwave oven to produce a nanocrystal semiconductor rapidly using cheap, abundant and less toxic metals than other semiconductors. They hope it will be used for more efficient photovoltaic solar cells and LED lights, biological sensors and systems to convert waste heat to electricity.

Improving materials that convert heat to electricity and vice-versa: Turning waste heat into electricity

Sun, 05 May 2013 14:59:59 EDT

Thermoelectric materials can be used to turn waste heat into electricity or to provide refrigeration without any liquid coolants, and new study has found a way to nearly double the efficiency of a particular class of them that's made with organic semiconductors.

'Going negative' pays for nanotubes

Fri, 03 May 2013 11:47:47 EDT

Researchers turn carbon nanotubes into negatively charged liquid crystals that could enhance the creation of fibers and films.

Dual-color lasers could lead to cheap and efficient LED lighting

Thu, 02 May 2013 22:58:58 EDT

A new semiconductor device capable of emitting two distinct colors has been created by a group of researchers in the US, potentially opening up the possibility of using light emitting diodes (LEDs) universally for cheap and efficient lighting.

How graphene and friends could harness the Sun's energy hitting walls

Thu, 02 May 2013 14:25:25 EDT

Combining wonder material graphene with other stunning one-atom thick materials could create the next generation of solar cells and optoelectronic devices, scientists have revealed. Researchers have shown how building multi-layered heterostructures in a three-dimensional stack can produce an exciting physical phenomenon exploring new electronic devices. The breakthrough, published in Science, could lead to electric energy that runs entire buildings generated by sunlight absorbed by its exposed walls; the energy can be used at will to change the transparency and reflectivity of fixtures and windows depending on environmental conditions, such as temperature and brightness.

Printable functional 'bionic' ear melds electronics and biology

Wed, 01 May 2013 19:32:32 EDT

Scientists used off-the-shelf printing tools to create a functional ear that can "hear" radio frequencies far beyond the range of normal human capability. The researchers' primary purpose was to explore an efficient and versatile means to merge electronics with tissue. The scientists used 3-D printing of cells and nanoparticles followed by cell culture to combine a small coil antenna with cartilage, creating what they term a bionic ear.

Shaking things up: Researchers propose new old way to purify carbon nanotubes

Wed, 01 May 2013 14:51:51 EDT

An old, somewhat passé, trick used to purify protein samples based on their affinity for water has found new fans: materials scientists are using it to divvy up solutions of carbon nanotubes, separating the metallic nanotubes from semiconductors. They say it's a fast, easy and cheap way to produce high-purity samples of carbon nanotubes for use in nanoscale electronics and many other applications.

Discovery of new gigantic swelling phenomenon of layered crystal driven by water

Wed, 01 May 2013 14:41:41 EDT

Scientists have discovered an intriguing phenomenon in which an inorganic layered crystal expanded and contracted by 100 times its original size in a few seconds in an aqueous solution, displaying a behavior similar to a living cell.

New research helps to show how turbulence can occur without inertia

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:21:21 EDT

For more than a century, the field of fluid mechanics has posited that turbulence scales with inertia, and so massive things, like planes, have an easier time causing it. Now, new research has shown that this transition to turbulence can occur without inertia at all.

Counter-intuitive behavior of microgel composed of soft polymer blobs

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:23:23 EDT

A new study explores the counter-intuitive behavior of a microgel composed of soft polymer blobs. Being a physicist offers many perks. For one, it allows an understanding of the substances ubiquitous in everyday industrial products such as emulsions, gels, granular pastes or foams. These are known for their intermediate behavior between fluid and solid. Paint, for example, can be picked up on a paintbrush without flowing and spread under the stress of the brush stroke like a fluid.

Mysterious catalyst explained: How tiny gold particles aid the production of plastic components

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:16:16 EDT

From methanol to formaldehyde -- this reaction is the starting point for the synthesis of many everyday plastics. Using catalysts made of gold particles, formaldehyde could be produced without the environmentally hazardous waste generated in conventional methods. Scientists now report in detail on what happens on the gold surface during the chemical reaction.

Movement of pyrrole molecules defy 'classical' physics

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:54:54 EDT

Quantum laws loom ever larger in physical world as new research finds quantum phenomena in effect on a molecular level.

Ceramic foam cleans up exhaust gases

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:25:25 EDT

The introduction next year of the Euro 6 exhaust-gas standard means that catalytic converters will become more expensive, above all for diesel vehicles. Scientists are working on a catalytic substrate made of ceramic foam which, because of its structure, is more efficient and therefore more economic. Not only that – it also requires less noble metal coating.

Materials: Two ways to tame a radical

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 22:23:23 EDT

Trapping free electrons with polycyclic aromatic molecules creates materials with enhanced optical, electronic and magnetic properties.

Microelectronics: Taking the heat off microfluidic chips

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 22:23:23 EDT

Replacing a high-temperature processing technique with an infrared treatment allows the manufacture of tiny devices without damaging the polymer components.