Artificial muscles created from gold-plated onion cells

Unlike previous artificial muscles, this one can either expand or contract to bend in different directions depending on the driving voltage applied.

Improving organic transistors that drive flexible and conformable electronics

A revolution is coming in flexible electronic technologies as cheaper, more flexible, organic transistors come on the scene to replace expensive, rigid, silicone-based semiconductors, but not enough is known about how bending in these new thin-film electronic devices will affect their performance.

New chip architecture may provide foundation for quantum computer

Researchers have developed a microfabricated ion trap architecture that holds promise for increasing the density of qubits in future quantum computers.

Breast cancer vaccines may work better with silicon microparticles

The effectiveness of cancer vaccines could be dramatically boosted by first loading the cancer antigens into silicon microparticles, scientists report.

Field-effect transistors on hybrid perovskites fabricated for first time

Researchers successfully fabricated halide organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite field-effect transistors and measure their electrical characteristics at room temperature.

Channeling valleytronics in graphene

Researchers have discovered topologically protected one-dimensional electron conducting channels at the domain walls of bilayer graphene. These conducting channels are 'valley polarized', which means they can serve as filters for electron valley polarization in future devices such as quantum computers.

Researchers kill fungus with silver nanoparticles

Researchers have found that silver nanoparticles produced with an extract of wormwood, an herb with strong antioxidant properties, can stop several strains of the deadly fungus phytophthora.

Implantable neuronal electrode nanocoating good as gold

Researchers have found that covering an implantable neural electrode with nanoporous gold could eliminate the risk of scar tissue forming over the electrode?s surface.

'Microcombing' creates stronger, more conductive carbon nanotube films

Researchers have developed an inexpensive technique called 'microcombing' to align carbon nanotubes (CNTs), which can be used to create large, pure CNT films that are stronger than any previous such films. The technique also improves the electrical conductivity that makes these films attractive for use in electronic and aerospace applications.

Graphene spintronics - from science to technology

Electronics is based on the manipulation of electrons and other charge carriers, but in addition to charge, electrons possess a property known as spin. When spin is manipulated with magnetic and electric fields, the result is a spin-polarised current that carries more information than is possible with charge alone. Spin-transport electronics, or spintronics, is a subject of active investigation within Europe's Graphene Flagship.