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Archive for the ‘sustainability’ category: Page 7

Nov 27, 2024

Simple method can recover and recycle quantum dots in microscopic lasers

Posted by in categories: particle physics, quantum physics, sustainability

Researchers have discovered a way to recycle the tiny particles used to create supraparticle lasers, a technology that precisely controls light at a very small scale. The breakthrough could help manage these valuable materials in a more sustainable way.

Supraparticle lasers work by trapping light inside a tiny sphere made of special particles called quantum dots, which can absorb, emit, and amplify light very efficiently.

They are made by mixing quantum dots in a solution that helps them stick together in tiny bubbles. However, not all attempts succeed, and even successful lasers degrade over time. This leads to wasted materials, which can be expensive.

Nov 27, 2024

Solar-Powered ‘Planimal’ Cells? Chloroplasts in Hamster Cells Make Food From Light

Posted by in categories: chemistry, energy, food, sustainability

The ability of plants to convert sunlight into food is an enviable superpower. Now, researchers have shown they can get animal cells to do the same thing.

Photosynthesis in plants and algae is performed by tiny organelles known as chloroplasts, which convert sunlight into oxygen and chemical energy. While the origins of these structures are hazy, scientists believe they may have been photosynthetic bacteria absorbed by primordial cells.

Our ancestors weren’t so lucky, but now researchers from the University of Tokyo have managed to rewrite evolutionary history. In a recent paper, the team reported they had successfully implanted chloroplasts into hamster cells where they generated energy for at least two days via the photosynthetic electron transport process.

Nov 26, 2024

Spin-powered crystals dramatically improve water splitting process for clean hydrogen production

Posted by in categories: chemistry, energy, sustainability

Water splitting—breaking water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen—is a promising pathway to sustainable energy. However, this process has long been challenged by the slow chemical kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction that make hydrogen production inefficient and costly.

An international research team has now uncovered a solution. By using special crystals with unique intrinsic “chiral” structures—meaning they have a distinctive left or right-handed atomic arrangement—researchers have dramatically improved the water splitting process.

The findings are published in the journal Nature Energy.

Nov 25, 2024

Novel physical reservoir computing device mimics human synaptic behavior for efficient edge AI processing

Posted by in categories: chemistry, health, robotics/AI, solar power, sustainability

Researchers at Tokyo University of Science have developed a solar cell-based optoelectronic device that mimics human synapses for efficient edge AI processing.


Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly useful for the prediction of emergency events such as heart attacks, natural disasters, and pipeline failures. This requires state-of-the-art technologies that can rapidly process data. In this regard, reservoir computing, specially designed for time-series data processing with low power consumption, is a promising option.

It can be implemented in various frameworks, among which physical reservoir computing (PRC) is the most popular. PRC with optoelectronic artificial synapses (junction structures that permit a nerve cell to transmit an electrical or chemical signal to another cell) that mimic human synaptic elements are expected to have unparalleled recognition and processing capabilities akin to the human visual system.

Continue reading “Novel physical reservoir computing device mimics human synaptic behavior for efficient edge AI processing” »

Nov 25, 2024

A Trick of Light: UC Irvine researchers turn Silicon into Direct Bandgap Semiconductor

Posted by in categories: solar power, sustainability, transportation

Discovery enables manufacturing of ultrathin solar panels, advanced optoelectronics.

By creating a new way for light and matter to interact, researchers at the University of California, Irvine have enabled the manufacturing of ultrathin silicon solar cells that could help spread the energy-converting technology to a vast range of applications, including thermoelectric clothing and onboard vehicle and device charging.

The development, subject of a paper recently published as the cover story in the journal ACS Nano, hinges on the UC Irvine researchers’ conversion of pure silicon from an indirect to a direct bandgap semiconductor through the way it interacts with light.

Nov 25, 2024

Quantum Physics Unlocks Hidden Energy for a Cleaner Future

Posted by in categories: energy, quantum physics, sustainability

A breakthrough at Rice University enhances thermophotovoltaic systems with a new thermal emitter design, achieving over 60% efficiency.

This could transform energy conversion, making it a viable alternative to batteries for grid-scale energy storage and sustainable industry practices.

Researchers at Rice University have developed an innovative way to enhance thermophotovoltaic (TPV) systems, which convert heat into electricity using light. Drawing inspiration from quantum physics, engineer Gururaj Naik and his team designed a highly efficient thermal emitter that works within realistic design constraints.

Nov 24, 2024

How Wastewater and Gas Flares Could Supercharge Green Hydrogen Production

Posted by in categories: energy, engineering, information science, sustainability

Oil and gas extraction in places like Texas’ Permian Basin leads to several waste products, including significant amounts of wastewater and flares firing into the sky. Texas Engineer Vaibhav Bahadur is researching how those byproducts, which are harmful to the environment, could be repurposed to serve as key elements in the creation of “green” hydrogen.

Bahadur, an associate professor in the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering, recently published a new paper in the journal Desalination about a new way to potentially produce green hydrogen. It involves using the energy wasted via gas flaring to power reverse osmosis, a common, low-energy technique used for municipal water treatment. Hydrogen production requires pristine water, and this process satisfies that need by removing salts and other elements from the equation.

Learn more about green hydrogen in the Q&A with Bahadur below, as well as his research, next steps and its broader implications.

Nov 23, 2024

Are you drinking toxic water? Study discovers new chemical that has been present in water for about a century

Posted by in categories: chemistry, sustainability

Is the chemical toxic?

While the scientists are unsure about the toxicity of the chemical, it is concerning since chloronitramide anion bears resemblance to other chemicals that are toxic in nature. David Wahman, one of the study’s authors and a research environmental engineer at the Environmental Protection Agency, said, “It has similarity to other toxic molecules. We looked for it in 40 samples in 10 US chlorinated drinking water systems located in seven states. We did find it in all the samples.”

Nov 23, 2024

Why clean air is a luxury that many can’t afford

Posted by in category: sustainability

Although almost everyone in the world now breathes air that is polluted in some way, the unfolding story of air pollution is one of environmental inequality.

Every time Mithilesh turns on her stove to cook, her eyes begin to burn. The small home the 29-year-old housewife shares with her husband, daughter, son and elderly in-laws in the slums of the Indian capital Delhi quickly fills up with smoke, making it hard for anyone to see.

Mithilesh has cooked over a traditional chulha – a metal coated combustor stove that uses firewood as fuel – since she was 13 years old. She often has difficulty breathing and experiences uncontrolled bouts of coughing.

Nov 22, 2024

Goodbye Microplastics: New Recyclable Plastic Breaks Down Safely in Seawater

Posted by in categories: materials, sustainability

A new durable, biodegradable plastic breaks down in seawater, offering a potential solution to microplastic pollution.

This material, based on supramolecular structures, can be tailored for different uses and is fully recyclable, enhancing its environmental benefits.

New Sustainable Plastic

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