Hong Kong researchers achieved a conversion efficiency of 17% with a CIGS solar cell that is thin and portable. Thin-film solar cells can be installed on roofs and outer walls and can also be integrated into consumer products such as handbags and backpacks for charging electronic products instantly. CIGS solar cell has the highest efficiency, …
Scanning electron microscopy image showing a palladium nanoparticle with a gold antenna to enhance plasmonic sensing. (Image courtesy of Alivisatos group) Such highly coveted technical capabilities as the observation of single catalytic processes in nanoreactors, or the optical detection of low concentrations of biochemical agents and gases are an important step closer to fruition. Researchers …
The Leukocyte Infusion Therapy (LIFT) for cancer treatment pioneered by Dr. Zheng Cui of Wake Forest University has a clinical trial proceeding in China. The process is a simple transfusion of certain immune system white blood cells from people who are naturally immune to cancer to boost the immune system of people with weaker immune …
China – US manufacturing cost components from 2008 Within the next five years, the United States is expected to experience a manufacturing renaissance as the wage gap with China shrinks and certain U.S. states become some of the cheapest locations for manufacturing in the developed world, according to a new analysis by The Boston Consulting …
The University of Cambridge has pentagonal tiles which are paving the way towards organic electronics. New research paves way for the nanoscale self-assembly of organic building blocks, a promising new route towards the next generation of ultra-small electronic devices. Ring-like molecules with unusual five-fold symmetry bind strongly to a copper surface, due to a substantial …
NIST measurements show that interactions of the graphene layers with the insulating substrate material causes electrons (red, down arrow) and electron holes (blue, up arrow) to collect in “puddles”. The differing charge densities creates the random pattern of alternating dipoles and electon band gaps that vary across the layers. Credit: NIST Researchers at the National …
Transmission electron micrographs and (inset) showing the electron diffraction patterns of three quantum dot samples with average size of (a) 2.4 nanometers (b) 3.6 nm, and (c) 5.8 nm. (Image courtesy of Alivisatos group) With its promise of superfast computers and ultrapowerful optical microscopes among the many possibilities, plasmonics has become one of the hottest …
From January to March, 13,305 people were killed in mine mishaps, traffic accidents, fires and other accidents, a number down by 3,070 from the same period in 2010. Luo attributed the decline in the number of accidents and in the related death toll to the efforts of governments and businesses to ensure the safety of …
Army sniper veteran Ted Gundy, 85 years old, hit a target at 300 yards three times out of three using a 1903 A4 replica sniper gun. (the same he used in the war). Officers taught him how the Army’s custom made Remington 700 works and explained how a 1,000 yard shot can be achieved. It …
The Carnival of Nuclear Energy 41 is up at cool Hand Nuke Nuclear Green looks at the challenges for the mass deployment of renewable energy Canadian Energy Issues tell us that “The Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) has narrowed its focus recently, and is now looking at realistic and practical ways to use nuclear heat …
Cross-section of a high-temperature superconducting cable design invented at NIST. In the center are copper wires bundled with nylon and plastic insulation. The outer rings are a series of superconducting tapes wrapped in spirals around the copper. The cable is 7.5 millimeters in outer diameter. A researcher at the National Institute of Standards and Technology …