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New method for ultra-fast detection of coronavirus using nanosensors

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The ability of gold particles to reflect light in different colors is used in applications from stained glass to pregnancy tests.

Feb 6, 2023

Study sheds light on carbon-based Janus films

Phys.org - Scientific News Websites

Unique physical/chemical properties and synergetic multi-functions have given Janus films great potential in sensing, actuation, advanced separation, energy conversion and storage, etc. Combining the unique advantages of carbon nanomaterials in el...

Feb 6, 2023

Researchers Develop Chip-Size Titanium-Doped Sapphire Laser

Photonics Media - Scientific News Websites

A team of researchers has developed what is reportedly the first chip-scale titanium-doped sapphire laser — an innovation that could lead to new applications ranging from atomic clocks to quantum computing and spectroscopic sensors. The titanium...

Feb 6, 2023

The Aftershocks of the EV Transition Could Be Ugly

IEEE Spectrum - Scientific and Educational Websites

The introduction of any new system causes perturbations within the current operating environment, which in turn, create behavioral responses, some predictable, many not. As University of Michigan professor emeritus and student of system-human...

Feb 4, 2023

Graphenano and the University of Valencia report major milestone with first cell made without metals

Graphene Info - Scientific and Educational Websites

Graphenano and the Institute of Molecular Science (ICMol) of the University of Valencia have developed a battery cell without current collectors or metal terminals, which uses graphene and carbon nanomaterials instead. The system enables the crea...

Feb 4, 2023

Nano drug delivery breakthrough reveals new possibilities for the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis

Phys.org - Scientific News Websites

A recent breakthrough publication by scientists at the Masonic Medical Research Institute have discovered a novel way of treating pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive incurable disease that results in the stiffening of the lungs through scarring, usi...

Feb 3, 2023

Scientists develop new device to detect brain tumors using urine

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Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan have used a new device to identify a key membrane protein in urine that indicates whether the patient has a brain tumor. This protein could be used to detect brain cancer, avoiding the need for invasive te...

Feb 3, 2023

PsiQuantum Partners with DARPA; FISBA Acquires Gray Optics: Week in Brief: 02/03/23

Photonics Media - Scientific News Websites

Tailwind Acquisition Corp. and NUBURU have completed their previously announced business combination, resulting in NUBURU becoming a publicly listed company. The combined company now operates under the name Nuburu Inc. with its common stock now tr...

Feb 3, 2023

New nanotechnology-based test can detect and profile prostate cancers even in microscopic amounts

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Cedars-Sinai Cancer investigators have developed a new nanotechnology-based test that can detect and profile prostate cancers-;even in microscopic amounts.

Feb 2, 2023

Nanotube Yarns Harvest Energy From Movement ",plain_text=" Novel yarns made with carbon nanotubes can generate electricity from mechanical energy better than any other material to date, a new study finds.The high-tech yarns, known as twistrons, can be sewn into clothes to produce electricity from human motion or deployed in the ocean to harvest energy from waves, researchers say.Electromagnetic generators, which essentially function as electric motors run in reverse, have long been used to convert mechanical energy from wind and water to electricity. Although these perform well on large scales, they perform much less well on smaller scales. Therefore, researchers have investigated a wide variety of materials to harvest mechanical energy—for instance, using body motions to power wearable electronics.Scientists first reported the invention of twistrons about five years ago. They created these materials by spinning carbon nanotubes into high-strength, lightweight fibers that can also incorporate electrolytes. Twisting or stretching these yarns increases their density, which in turn generates a voltage that can drive an electric current.“Our dream in the future is to be able to use our twistrons to harvest the mechanical energy in the oceans to power cities,” says study senior author Ray Baughman, a materials scientist at the University of Texas at Dallas.Previous research found that twistrons displayed the highest peak power of any material when it came to harvesting energy from stretching motions with frequencies between 0.1 and 30 hertz. This made them potentially interesting for a wide range of applications, such as generating energy from clothing or the ocean. However, these prior twistrons had an energy conversion efficiency of 7.6 percent at best from either twisting or stretching.In the new study, the researchers sought to dramatically increase twistron efficiency. They have now achieved efficiencies of 17.4 percent from stretching and 22.4 percent from twisting.“We saw a dramatic increase in efficiency,” Baughman says.In order for them to generate electricity when compressed, previous twistrons were twisted until they coiled like an overtwisted rubber band. In the new study, the scientists instead created twistrons by intertwining three individual strands of spun carbon nanotube fibers to make a single yarn, much like how traditional wool or cotton yarns are constructed.“Our dream in the future is to be able to use our twistrons to harvest the mechanical energy in the oceans to power cities.” —Ray Baughman, UT DallasConventional yarns are typically made with strands that are twisted in one direction and then are plied together in the opposite direction to make the final yarn. This heterochiral construction provides stability against untwisting.However, in experiments, the researchers saw the best performance from homochiral yarns, whose strands are twisted and plied in the same direction. This design resulted in “a very large increase in the yarn’s density laterally when it got stretched,” Baughman says. “This leads to increased voltage and more current.”All in all, when it comes to harvesting energy from motions with frequencies greater than 2 hertz, the average and peak power of the new twistrons substantially exceed that of any other known material. They also show a higher power output over a wide frequency range than any other known material, researchers say.In proof-of-concept experiments, the researchers showed a twistron array weighing only 3.2 milligrams could charge a supercapacitor, which could in turn power either five small LEDs, an electronic watch, or a digital humidity and temperature sensor with a 2.8-inch liquid-crystal display. They also sewed twistrons into a cotton fabric patch that was then wrapped around a person’s elbow, where it could produce electricity from arm bending for potential applications in sensing and energy harvesting.In addition, the scientists explored generating electricity from ocean waves by attaching a twistron between a balloon and the bottom of an aquarium filled with saltwater. They found that it could supply an average power of about 15 to 17 watts per kilogram in scenarios that simulated either regular waves or turbulent waters.There are materials known as dielectric elastomers that are better in terms of average power when it comes to harvesting energy from motions with very low frequencies, Baughman notes. However, these also need roughly 1,000 volts of input electricity to work, whereas the new twistrons can operate using just electric charges supplied by their electrolytes, he adds.In the future, “We want to make the twistrons cheaper,” Baughman says. Although twistrons are currently likely too expensive for wave energy applications, they may still find use in smaller-scale applications, such as sensors and clothing, he notes.“We’re also working on materials other than carbon nanotubes for these applications,” Baughman adds.The scientists detailed their findings online 26 January in the journal Nature Energy. They have applied for a patent on the technology.

IEEE Spectrum - Scientific and Educational Websites

Novel yarns made with carbon nanotubes can generate electricity from mechanical energy better than any other material to date, a new study finds.The high-tech yarns, known as twistrons, can be sewn into clothes to produce electricity from human m...

Feb 2, 2023