Headline: Ytterbium thin-disk lasers pave the way for sensitive detection of atmospheric pollutants

■ Release Date: 2024.11.18

■ Published by: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light

■ Keywords: ytterbium, methane, greenhouse gas

■ Abstract:

Alongside carbon dioxide, methane is a key driver of global warming. To detect and monitor the climate pollutants in the atmosphere precisely, scientists have developed an advanced laser technology. A high-power ytterbium thin-disk laser drives an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) to generate high-power, stable pulses in the short-wave infrared (SWIR) spectral range. This allows researchers to detect and analyze a wide variety of atmospheric compounds. This novel method can play a crucial role in tracking greenhouse gas cycles and the effects of climate change.

Headline: Machine learning and supercomputer simulations help researchers to predict interactions between gold nanoparticles and blood proteins

■ Release Date: 2024.11.18

■ Published by: University of Jyväskylä - Jyväskylän yliopisto

■ Keywords: gold, nanoparticles, blood proteins

■ Abstract:

Researchers have used machine learning and supercomputer simulations to investigate how tiny gold nanoparticles bind to blood proteins. The studies discovered that favorable nanoparticle-protein interactions can be predicted from machine learning models that are trained from atom-scale molecular dynamics simulations. The new methodology opens ways to simulate efficacy of gold nanoparticles as targeted drug delivery systems in precision nanomedicine.

Headline: Battery research with X-ray microscope

■ Release Date: 2024.11.19

■ Published by: Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie

■ Keywords: cathode, lithium, batteries

■ Abstract:

New cathode materials are being developed to further increase the capacity of lithium batteries. Multilayer lithium-rich transition metal oxides (LRTMOs) offer particularly high energy density. However, their capacity decreases with each charging cycle due to structural and chemical changes. Using X-ray methods at BESSY II, teams from several research institutions have now investigated these changes for the first time with highest precision: at the unique X-ray microscope, they were able to observe morphological and structural developments on the nanometer scale and also clarify chemical changes.

Headline: Perovskite research boosts solar cell efficiency and product life

■ Release Date: 2024.11.19

■ Published by: University of Surrey

■ Keywords: perovskite, solar cell, silicon

■ Abstract:

An international team has identified a strategy to improve both the performance and stability for solar cells made out of the 'miracle material' perovskite by mitigating a previously hidden degradation pathway.

Headline: Tumor cells suffer copper withdrawal

■ Release Date: 2024.11.20

■ Published by: Wiley

■ Keywords: copper, copper ions, nanofibers

■ Abstract:

While toxic in high concentrations, copper is essential to life as a trace element. Many tumors require significantly more copper than healthy cells for growth -- a possible new point of attack for cancer treatment. Medical researchers have now introduced a novel method by which copper is effectively removed from tumor cells, killing them.

Headline: Turning carbon emissions into methane fuel

■ Release Date: 2024.11.20

■ Published by: Ohio State University

■ Keywords: methane, energy, carbon capture

■ Abstract:

Chemists have developed a novel way to capture and convert carbon dioxide into methane, suggesting that future gas emissions could be converted into an alternative fuel using electricity from renewable sources.

Headline: Stability of perovskite solar cells doubled with protective coating

■ Release Date: 2024.11.21

■ Published by: Northwestern University

■ Keywords: perovskite, solar cells, silicon

■ Abstract:

Scientists have developed a new protective coating that significantly extends the life of perovskite solar cells, making them more practical for applications outside the lab.