Monday, August 17, 2015

Dancing droplets launch themselves from thin fibers (w/video)

Droplets flung by hydrophobic material may aid water purification and oil refining.

Breakthrough brings futuristic electronics a step nearer

When researchers dream about electronics of the future, they more or less dream of pouring liquids into a beaker, stirring them together and decanting a computer out onto the table. This field of research is known as self-assembling molecular electronics. But, getting chemical substances to self-assemble into electronic components is just as complicated as it sounds.

Going solid-state could make batteries safer and longer-lasting

New research paves the way for rechargeable batteries with almost indefinite lifetimes, researchers say.

The world's first electrically powered optical nanoantenna

Using electricity to make a 250 nm long nanoantenna emit light: this is what physicists have accomplished in a world first.

In catalysis, a single atom makes all the difference

Researchers show differences of a single atom in platinum clusters can modify catalytic performance.

Is graphene hydrophobic or hydrophilic?

New research investigates the hydrophobicity of epitaxial graphene, which could be used in the future to better tailor graphene coatings to applications in medicine, electronics and more.

Friday, August 14, 2015

Surprising discoveries about 2D molybdenum disulfide

Scientists have used a unique nano-optical probe to study the effects of illumination on two-dimensional semiconductors at the molecular level.