Unexpected discovery leads to a better battery

An unexpected discovery has led to a rechargeable battery that's as inexpensive as conventional car batteries, but has a much higher energy density.

New spin Seebeck thermoelectric device with higher conversion efficiency created

A research team has created a thermoelectric device using cutting edge thermoelectric conversion technology. The new technology, known as the spin Seebeck effect, has conversion efficiency 10 times higher than the conventional method.

The light stuff: A brand-new way to produce electron spin currents

Physicists are the first to demonstrate using non-polarized light to produce a spin voltage in a metal.

Rare Earth atoms see the light

Physicists discover a promising route for combined optical and solid state-based quantum information processing.

Novel anti-biofilm nanocoating offers significant anti-adhesive potential

Anti-adhesive patches that are developed from naturally occurring biomaterials can prevent destructive bacterial biofilm from forming on metal surfaces when they are immersed in water and other damp environments.

Scientists propose non-animal tools for assessing the toxicity of nanomaterials

A workshop organized last year by the PETA International Science Consortium Ltd has resulted in an article that describes aerosol generation and exposure tools that can be used to predict toxicity in human lungs following inhalation of nanomaterials.

Engineers develop micro-sized, liquid-metal particles for heat-free soldering

Researchers found a way to make micro-scale, liquid-metal particles that can be used for heat-free soldering plus the fabricating, repairing and processing of metals - all at room temperature.

Folding molecules into screw-shaped structures

An international research team describes the methods of winding up molecules into screw-shaped structures. With the aid of artificial molecules, the researchers imitated the principles underlying the assigning a specific function to biomolecules in nature.

Physicists detect the enigmatic spin momentum of light

Radiation pressure is produced by the momentum carried by light, and it plays a crucial role in a variety of systems, from atomic to astronomical scales.

The reliability of material simulations put to test

Several international scientists from over 30 universities and institutes teamed to investigate to what extent quantum simulations of material properties agree when they are performed by different researchers and with different software.