Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2019: Lithium-ion batteries
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2019 is being awarded to John B. Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham, and Akira Yoshino "for the development of lithium-ion batteries."
Electricity
A close up on the real world: Atomic migration under ambient conditions
Researchers have reported an environmental transmission electron microscopy technique that has allowed in situ visualization of the atomic changes of a metal surface in an electric field under ambient conditions. The activation of oxygen gas molecules by electron tunneling was found to result in atomic migration that could be followed progressively. It is hoped that the tunneling-electron-attached-gas process will provide valuable insight for the development of nanoparticle catalyst and quantum material applications.
Read moreAxion particle spotted in solid-state crystal
Scientists have spotted a famously elusive particle: The axion – first predicted 42 years ago as an elementary particle in extensions of the standard model of particle physics.
Read moreNew fluorescence method reveals signatures of individual microbes
Researchers have developed a new method that reveals the unique fluorescence patterns produced by individual cells in mixtures of bacteria, yeast and fungi. They combined confocal microscopy with micro-spectroscopy to determine the fluorescence signatures from different types of microbes. They trained machine learning systems to analyze the images and identify different individual cells and cell-types automatically, even those with very similar shapes and sizes.
Read morePatient cancer cells reliably grow on new 3D scaffold, showing promise for precision medicine
A new 3D structure for growing cell cultures could enable doctors to test medications on model tumors grown from a patient's own cells, according to a team of engineers and cancer researchers.
Read moreNew liquid crystals allowing directed transmission of electricity synthesized
Liquid and solid – most people are unaware that there can be states in between. Liquid crystals are representative of one such state. While the molecules in liquids swim around at random, neighboring molecules in liquid crystals are aligned as in regular crystal grids, but the material is still liquid.
Read moreDevelopment of highly sensitive diode, converts microwaves to electricity
A group of researchers developed a highly sensitive rectifying element in the form of a nanowire backward diode, which can covert low-power microwaves into electricity. The new technology is expected that the newly-developed nanowire backward diode will be applied in using plentiful ambient radio wave energy in 5G communications, serving as a stable power source of sensors and contributing to battery-free sensors.
Read moreLight work for superconductors
For the first time researchers successfully used laser pulses to excite an iron-based compound into a superconducting state. This means it conducted electricity without resistance. The iron compound is a known superconductor at ultralow temperatures, but this method enables superconduction at higher temperatures. It is hoped this kind of research could greatly improve power efficiency in electrical equipment and electronic devices.
Read moreNew technique to improve ductility of ceramic materials for missiles, engines
Researchers have developed a new process to help overcome the brittle nature of ceramics and make it more ductile and durable. The team calls the process 'flash sintering,' which adds an electric field to the conventional sintering process used to form bulk components from ceramics.
Read moreLighting the path to renewable energy
Scientists have developed a novel, standardized way of quantifying and comparing these variations in solar power. The new study may help guide the development and performance of solar photovoltaic farms — systems that harness the sun's energy and convert it to electricity.
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