Transforming polyethylene into heat-conducting material

Mar 8 | News

Most polymers—materials made of long, chain-like molecules—are very good insulators for both heat and electricity. But an MIT team has found a way to transform the most widely used polymer, polyethylene, into a material that conducts heat just as well as most metals, yet remains an electrical insulator.

Camera flash turns graphite oxide into graphene

8/13/2009 | News

A professor and students from Northwestern Univ. have discovered that an ordinary camera flash can convert an insulator into a conductor. In this flash reduction process, researchers simply hold a consumer camera flash over graphite oxide and, a flash later, the material becomes a piece of fluffy graphene. The photothermal heating process has lots of advantages over previous methods.

Breakthrough in effort to develop tiny biological fuel cells

6/22/2009 | News

Univ. of Georgia researchers have developed a successful way to grow molecular wire brushes that conduct electrical charges, a first step in developing biological fuel cells that could power pacemakers, cochlear implants, and prosthetic limbs.

Predicted spintronics material even better than theory

6/16/2009 | News

Topological insulators allow electrons to flow across their surfaces without loss of energy. According to new findings at the DOE’s particle accelerator at Stanford Univ., bismuth telluride fit that description at room temperature, a level much higher researchers anticipated. It’s a discovery that could have ramifications for spintronics designs.

Magnetoresistance becomes colossal under high pressure

6/8/2009 | News

Scientists are on the trail of a phenomenon called the “colossal magnetoresistance effect, which is up to a thousand times more powerful than the “giant magnetoresistance effect” discovered 20 years ago.

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Much ado about next to nothing

3 hours ago

The recent review of the past 10 years of the National Nanotechnology Initiative--as presented by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology--suggested the rise of nanomanufacturing as the near future of nanotechnology. But the actual proposed funding reflects a cautious approach, even about nanotech in general.

Lunar tires, space MRSA, and resonating microfluidics

Mar 5

I typically attend the annual Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy each year in pursuit of specific coverage. This year, I sought out candidates for coverage in a vacuum technology article, and pulled together some instruments for a spectroscopy guide. But as busy as that kept me, it wasn’t all mass spectrometers and vacuum pumps on the show floor.  

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NuGard Coating Ashburn Hill

Jan 7

NuGard First Response Protective Clothing are lightweight coveralls, jackets, and pants that provide protection from heat and flame while keeping the wearers body temperature constant.

Multi-Touch Music Maker

Jan 7

Professor David Wessel shows his multi-touch interface that uses computer technologies that allow him to experiment with fine controls to "caress" the instrument.