Headline: Proposed design could double the efficiency of lightweight solar cells for space-based applications
■ Release Date: 2023.6.6
■ Published by: Cell Press
■ Keywords: solar cells, silicon, gallium arsenide
■ Abstract:
When it comes to supplying energy for space exploration and settlements, commonly available solar cells made of silicon or gallium arsenide are still too heavy to be feasibly transported by rocket. To address this challenge, a wide variety of lightweight alternatives are being explored, including solar cells made of a thin layer of molybdenum selenide, which fall into the broader category of 2D transition metal dichalcogenide (2D TMDC) solar cells. Researchers propose a device design that can take the efficiencies of 2D TMDC devices from 5%, as has already been demonstrated, to 12%.
Headline: The problems with coal ash start smaller than anyone thought
■ Release Date: 2023.6.6
■ Published by: Duke University
■ Keywords: coal, coal ash, arsenic
■ Abstract:
Burning coal doesn't only pollute the air. The resulting ash can leach toxic chemicals into the local environments where it's kept. New research shows that the toxicity of various ash stockpiles relies heavily on its nanoscale structures, which vary widely between sources. The results will help researchers predict which coal ash is most environmentally dangerous.
Headline: New study could help unlock 'game-changing' batteries for electric vehicles and aviation
■ Release Date: 2023.6.7
■ Published by: University of Oxford
■ Keywords: battery, electric vehicles, lithium metal
■ Abstract:
Researchers have revealed the mechanisms that cause lithium metal solid-state batteries to fail. The new insights could help overcome the technical issues with solid-state batteries, unlocking a game-changing technology for electric vehicles and aviation.
Headline: Physicists discover an exotic material made of bosons
■ Release Date: 2023.6.7
■ Published by: University of California - Santa Barbara
■ Keywords: tungsten diselenide, tungsten disulfide, boson
■ Abstract:
Take a lattice -- a flat section of a grid of uniform cells, like a window screen or a honeycomb -- and lay another, similar lattice above it. But instead of trying to line up the edges or the cells of both lattices, give the top grid a twist so that you can see portions of the lower one through it. This new, third pattern is a moiré, and it's between this type of overlapping arrangement of lattices of tungsten diselenide and tungsten disulfide where physicists found some interesting material behaviors.
Headline: Water molecules define the materials around us
■ Release Date: 2023.6.7
■ Published by: Columbia University
■ Keywords: copper, iron, rubber
■ Abstract:
A new paper argues that materials like wood, bacteria, and fungi belong to a newly identified class of matter, 'hydration solids.' The new findings emerged from ongoing research into the strange behavior of spores, dormant bacterial cells.
Headline: Liquid metal sticks to surfaces without a binding agent
■ Release Date: 2023.6.9
■ Published by: Cell Press
■ Keywords: liquid metal, silicone, plastic
■ Abstract:
Everyday materials such as paper and plastic could be transformed into electronic 'smart devices' by using a simple new method to apply liquid metal to surfaces, according to scientists. The study demonstrates a technique for applying a liquid metal coating to surfaces that do not easily bond with liquid metal. The approach is designed to work at a large scale and may have applications in wearable testing platforms, flexible devices, and soft robotics.
