ScienceDaily: Physical Chemistry News

Autonomous energy-scavenging micro devices will test water quality, monitor bridges, more

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 15:33:33 EDT

Researchers are using photonics in their quest to "bring the lab to the sample," developing sophisticated micro instruments that scavenge power from sunlight, body heat, or other sources, for uses such as monitoring water quality or assessing bridge safety.

Nano-thermometer enables first atomic-scale heat transfer measurements

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:30:30 EDT

In findings that could help overcome a major technological hurdle in the road toward smaller and more powerful electronics, an international research team has shown the unique ways in which heat dissipates at the tiniest scales.

Metabolic model of E. coli reveals how bacterial growth responds to temperature change

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 15:47:47 EDT

Bioengineers have developed a computational model of 1,366 genes in E. coli that includes 3D protein structures and has enabled them to compute the temperature sensitivity of the bacterium's proteins. The study opens the door for engineers to create heat-tolerant microbial strains for production of commodity chemicals, therapeutic proteins and other industrial applications.

Microwaves make for faster, greener pharma manufacturing

Thu, 30 May 2013 09:46:46 EDT

Microwave radiation could provide a faster, greener way to manufacture drugs, according to researchers.

Diamonds, nanotubes find common ground in graphene

Tue, 28 May 2013 16:09:09 EDT

What may be the ultimate heat sink is only possible because of yet another astounding capability of graphene. The one-atom-thick form of carbon can act as a go-between that allows vertically aligned carbon nanotubes to grow on nearly anything, including diamonds.

Top-class biofuel from the depths of the forest

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:52:52 EDT

Tops and branches from tree-felling sites are reborn in the laboratory as compact pellets. However, the energy industry will not act until the price is right.

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.

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.

First precise MEMS output measurement technique unveiled

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:27:27 EDT

The commercial application of MEMS, or micro-electro-mechanical systems, will receive a major boost today following the presentation of a brand new way to accurately measure the power requirements and outputs of all existing and future devices.

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.

New technique to improve quality control of lithium-ion batteries

Thu, 09 May 2013 15:45:45 EDT

Researchers have created a new tool to detect flaws in lithium-ion batteries as they are being manufactured, a step toward reducing defects and inconsistencies in the thickness of electrodes that affect battery life and reliability.

'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.

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.

Laser welding as an engine of innovation

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:50:50 EDT

Can lasers perform welds precisely and reliably in the midst of thundering machinery? The prototype of a new laser welder has now withstood the worst.

Keeping beverages cool in summer: I''s not just the heat, it's the humidity

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:24:24 EDT

Those drops on the outside of your drink don't just make the can slippery. Experiments show that in hot, humid weather, condensation heats a drink more than the surrounding air.

Rivers act as 'horizontal cooling towers' for power plants, study finds

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:30:30 EDT

Running two computer models in tandem, scientists have detailed for the first time how thermoelectric power plants interact with climate, hydrology, and aquatic ecosystems throughout the northeastern US and show how rivers serve as "horizontal cooling towers" that provide an important ecosystem service to the regional electricity sector -- but at a cost to the environment.

Softening steel problem expands computer model applications

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:46:46 EDT

A new computer model has allowed the rapid design of an annealing process to soften stainless steel.

Peel-and-stick solar cells

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:28:28 EDT

It may be possible soon to charge cell phones, change the tint on windows, or power small toys with peel-and-stick versions of solar cells, thanks to new research.

Research uses mirrors to make solar energy cost competitive

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:39:39 EDT

Concentrating solar power technologies use mirrors to reflect and concentrate sunlight to produce heat, which can then be used to produce electricity, according to ongoing work by mechanical engineers. These technologies present a distinct advantage over photovoltaic (PV) cells in their ability to store the sun’s energy as thermal energy, experts say.

Solar booster shot for natural gas power plants

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:23:23 EDT

A new system reduces carbon emissions and fuel usage at natural gas power plants by 20 percent by injecting solar energy into natural gas.

Innovative self-cooling, thermoelectric system consumes no electricity

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 07:54:54 EDT

Researchers have produced a prototype of a self-cooling thermoelectric device that achieves “free” cooling of over 30ºC in devices that give off heat. It is a piece of equipment that acts as a traditional cooler but which consumes no electricity because it obtains the energy it needs to function from the very heat that has to be dissipated.

Carbon dioxide released from burning fuel today goes back into new fuels tomorrow

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:28:28 EDT

The search for ways to use megatons of carbon dioxide that may be removed from industrial smokestacks during efforts to curb global warming has led to a process for converting that major greenhouse gas back into the fuel that released it in the first place.

Organic semi-conductors could revolutionize electronics

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 08:48:48 EDT

Organic semi-conductors could revolutionize electronics in various areas. Nowadays, components put out such high performances that they are used in small devices like mobile phones. With larger devices, however, the organic components heat up in such an uncontrollable manner that they break down or conduct electricity in an irregular way. Physicists and mathematicians have now analyzed the typical feedback effects and they describe them for organic semi-conductors.

Research could improve heat dissipation in 3-D systems

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 10:11:11 EDT

Researchers have won a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) contract to develop three-dimensional chip-cooling technology able to handle heat loads as much as ten times greater than systems commonly used today.

Bioglass helping to mend bones

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:16:16 EDT

Researchers at the University of the Basque Country have been studying new materials or implants that are of interest in medicine and in helping to mend bones, in particular. They have in fact measured the effect that the bioglass has on the thermal degradation of polymers currently used in medicine.

Embedding photovoltaic modules more quickly

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:12:12 EDT

The market for solar modules is highly competitive. For this reason, companies must save on costs, such as by using a new process. It embeds the cells twice as fast into their protective plastic sheathing -- and therefore saves time and money.

'Waste heat' may economize CO2 capture

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 09:06:06 EDT

Scientists have found it may be possible to use "waste" heat to remove CO2 instead of the higher pressure steam needed to make electricity.

Cold cities less sustainable than warm cities, research suggests

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 07:57:57 EDT

Living in colder climates in the US is more energy demanding than living in warmer climates. Scientists have calculated that climate control in the coldest large metropolitan area in the country – Minneapolis – is about three-and-a-half times more energy demanding than in the warmest large metropolitan area – Miami.

Quantum computing? Physicists' new technique for cooling molecules may be a stepping stone to quantum computing

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 14:41:41 EDT

At the heart of next-generation computers may be a collection of ultracold molecules held at temperatures a mere fraction of a degree above absolute zero. By combining two traditional atomic cooling technologies, physicists have pioneered a new technique for bringing normally springy molecules to a frozen standstill. Their results may be an important stepping stone towards future quantum computing.

Engineers enable 'bulk' silicon to emit visible light for the first time

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:35:35 EDT

Electronic computing speeds are brushing up against limits imposed by the laws of physics. Photonic computing, where photons replace comparatively slow electrons in representing information, could surpass those limitations, but the components of such computers require semiconductors that can emit light. Now, new research has enabled "bulk" silicon to emit broad-spectrum, visible light for the first time, opening the possibility of using the element in devices that have both electronic and photonic components.

New type of solar structure cools buildings in full sunlight

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:25:25 EDT

Scientists have designed an entirely new form of cooling panel that works even when the sun is shining. Such a panel could vastly improve the daylight cooling of buildings, cars and other structures by radiating sunlight back into the chilly vacuum of space.

A milestone for new carbon-dioxide capture/clean coal technology

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 09:54:54 EDT

An innovative new process that releases the energy in coal without burning -- while capturing carbon dioxide, the major greenhouse gas -- has passed a milestone on the route to possible commercial use, scientists are reporting. Their study describes results of a successful 200-hour test on a sub-pilot scale version of the technology using two inexpensive but highly polluting forms of coal.

Paraffin encapsulated in beach sand material as a new way to store heat from the sun

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:24:24 EDT

The search for sustainable new materials to store heat captured from the sun for release during the night has led scientists to a high-tech combination of paraffin wax and sand. They have now reported on the heat-storing capability of this microencapsulated sand.

Open software platform to bring down energy costs

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 09:54:54 EDT

Energy is getting more and more expensive, and experts are predicting record electricity and heating prices. A software platform promises to lighten the load for households and businesses by making it easier for consumers to put renewables to good effect.

Researchers map out an alternative energy future for New York

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 09:26:26 EDT

A new study outlines a path to statewide renewable energy conversion, and away from natural gas and imported fuel.

The dynamic of Spain's population follows the maximum entropy principle

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 12:38:38 EDT

A team of Spanish and Argentinean researchers has verified that the distribution of the inhabitants in each Spanish province evolves in accordance with the maximum entropy principle in the field of physics. Therefore, this evolution is predictable. The results have allowed authors to put forward a 'socio-thermodynamic' theory that applies the laws of thermodynamics to collective human behavior.

Researchers solve riddle of what has been holding two unlikely materials together

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 09:15:15 EDT

For years, researchers have developed thin films of bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) -- which converts heat into electricity or electricity to cooling -- on top of gallium arsenide (GaAs) to create cooling devices for electronics. But while they knew it could be done, it was not clear how -- because the atomic structures of those unlikely pair of materials do not appear to be compatible. Now researchers have solved the mystery, opening the door to new research in the field.

Temp-controlled 'nanopores' may allow detailed blood analysis

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 18:38:38 EST

Tiny biomolecular chambers called nanopores that can be selectively heated may help doctors diagnose disease more effectively, according to a new research.

New player in electron field emitter technology makes for better imaging and communications

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 14:38:38 EST

Scientists have built a practical, high-efficiency nanostructured electron source. This new, patent-pending technology could lead to improved microwave communications and radar, and more notably to new and improved X-ray imaging systems for security and healthcare applications.

Heating with powder and plastic wastes

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 14:51:51 EST

Disposing of waste – whether it is coating powder or swarf – is expensive. In the future, a combustor for powdery residues will enable companies to cut disposal costs and heating costs at the same time.

NASA on course to launch Orion flight test

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 04:16:16 EST

The first spacecraft NASA has designed to fly astronauts beyond Earth orbit since the Apollo era is well on its way to making a flight test next year, agency officials said Wednesday. The mission is planned for launch in September 2014, and will see an Orion capsule orbit Earth without a crew and return through the atmosphere at speeds unseen since astronauts last returned from the moon in 1972.

Faster, more efficient technique for creating high-density ceramics

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:59:59 EST

Scientists have developed a technique for creating high-density ceramic materials that requires far lower temperatures than current techniques -- and takes less than a second, as opposed to hours. Ceramics are used in a wide variety of technologies, including body armor, fuel cells, spark plugs, nuclear rods and superconductors.

Researchers 'nanoweld' by applying light to aligned nanorods in solid materials

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:39:39 EST

Researchers have developed a way to melt or "weld" specific portions of polymers by embedding aligned nanoparticles within the materials. Their technique, which melts fibers along a chosen direction within a material, may lead to stronger, more resilient nanofibers and materials.

When water speaks: Solvents make catalysts more efficient

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 08:47:47 EST

Why certain catalyst materials work more efficiently when they are surrounded by water instead of a gas phase is unclear. Chemists have now gleaned some initial answers from computer simulations. They showed that water stabilizes specific charge states on the catalyst surface.

Researchers coat spinal polymer implants with bioactive film to improve bonding with bone

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:25:25 EST

Researchers have for the first time successfully coated polymer implants with a bioactive film. The discovery should improve the success rate of such implants -- which are often used in spinal surgeries.

Shifting sands: Force is the key to granular state-shifting

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 08:50:50 EST

Ever wonder why sand can both run through an hourglass like a liquid and be solid enough to support buildings? It's because granular materials -- like sand or dirt -- can change their behavior, or state. Researchers have found that the forces individual grains exert on one another are what most affect that transition.

A quantum dot energy harvester

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 07:56:56 EST

A new type of nanoscale engine has been proposed that would use quantum dots to generate electricity from waste heat, potentially making microcircuits more efficient. The engines would be microscopic in size, and have no moving parts. Each would only produce a tiny amount of power but by combining millions of the engines in a layered structure, enough of them could make a notable difference in the energy consumption of a computer.

New coal technology harnesses energy without burning, nears pilot-scale development

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 09:35:35 EST

A new form of clean coal technology reached an important milestone recently, with the successful operation of a research-scale combustion system at Ohio State University.

Bioinspired fibers change color when stretched

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 15:19:19 EST

Materials scientists have invented a new fiber that changes color when stretched. Based on the "bastard hogberry" plant, the new fiber could lend itself to the creation of smart fabrics that visibly react to heat or pressure.

Slow-release 'jelly' delivers drugs better

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 15:19:19 EST

Biomedical engineers have developed a new delivery system that overcomes the shortcomings of a promising class of peptide drugs -- very small proteins -- for treating diseases such as diabetes and cancer.

Just add water: How scientists are using silicon to produce hydrogen on demand

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 14:32:32 EST

Super-small particles of silicon react with water to produce hydrogen almost instantaneously, without the need for light, heat or electricity, according to new research.

Bio-tiles and heat-resistant biopolymers

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 10:57:57 EST

Even tiles can be organic – if they are made of renewable raw materials. They are more resource-efficient than their ceramic counterparts and unlock new creative options for design. Bioplastics made of polylactides (PLA) are becoming more heat-resistant, thereby making them suitable for high-temperature filling processes in the food industry as well. Researchers are showing how renewable, biodegradable and biostable raw materials can be used in architecture, interior design and the packaging industry.

How to treat heat like light: New approach using nanoparticle alloys allows heat to be focused or reflected just like electromagnetic waves

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 09:27:27 EST

A new technique provides a new way of manipulating heat, allowing it to be controlled much as light waves can be manipulated by lenses and mirrors.

New biochip technology uses tiny whirlpools to corral microbes

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 12:29:29 EST

Researchers have demonstrated a new technology that combines a laser and electric fields to create tiny centrifuge-like whirlpools to separate particles and microbes by size, a potential lab-on-a-chip system for medicine and research.

A temperature below absolute zero: Atoms at negative absolute temperature are the hottest systems in the world

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 14:35:35 EST

On the absolute temperature scale, which is used by physicists and is also called the Kelvin scale, it is not possible to go below zero – at least not in the sense of getting colder than zero kelvin. According to the physical meaning of temperature, the temperature of a gas is determined by the chaotic movement of its particles – the colder the gas, the slower the particles. At zero kelvin (minus 273 degrees Celsius) the particles stop moving and all disorder disappears. Thus, nothing can be colder than absolute zero on the Kelvin scale. Physicists have now created an atomic gas in the laboratory that nonetheless has negative Kelvin values. These negative absolute temperatures have several apparently absurd consequences: although the atoms in the gas attract each other and give rise to a negative pressure, the gas does not collapse – a behavior that is also postulated for dark energy in cosmology.

Jumping droplets help heat transfer: Scalable nanopatterned surfaces for more efficient power generation and desalination

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 14:32:32 EST

Many industrial plants depend on water vapor condensing on metal plates: In power plants, the resulting water is then returned to a boiler to be vaporized again; in desalination plants, it yields a supply of clean water. The efficiency of such plants depends crucially on how easily droplets of water can form on these metal plates, or condensers, and how easily they fall away, leaving room for more droplets to form. The key to improving the efficiency of such plants is to increase the condensers' heat-transfer coefficient -- a measure of how readily heat can be transferred away from those surfaces. Now researchers have done just that: designing, making and testing a coated surface with nanostructured patterns that greatly increase the heat-transfer coefficient.

Nanoparticles reach new peaks: Researchers show short laser pulses selectively heat gold nanoparticles

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 13:11:11 EST

Researchers have found a way to selectively heat diverse nanoparticles in a batch that could advance their medical and industrial use.

Super-fine sound beam could one day be an invisible scalpel

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 17:39:39 EST

A carbon-nanotube-coated lens that converts light to sound can focus high-pressure sound waves to finer points than ever before. The engineering researchers who developed the new therapeutic ultrasound approach say it could lead to an invisible knife for noninvasive surgery.

Microwave-assisted method for producing thin films

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 13:36:36 EST

Scientists have demonstrated that assembly of so-called thin films is possible at low temperatures. They are working toward the assembly of thin films in a variety of materials.