Writing in the journal NanoResearch, a team at the University of Massachusetts Amherst reports this week that they have developed bioelectronic ammonia gas sensors that are among the most sensitive ever made. The sensor uses electric-charge-conducting protein nanowires derived from the bacterium Geobacter to provide biomaterials for electrical devices. More than 30 years ago, … [Read more...] about A new, highly sensitive chemical sensor uses protein nanowires
US wind plants show relatively low levels of performance decline as they age
Wind plants in the United States -- especially the newest models -- remain relatively efficient over time, with only a 13% drop in the plants' performance over 17 years, researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory report in the May 13 issue of the journal Joule. Their study also suggests that a production tax credit provides an effective incentive to maintain the … [Read more...] about US wind plants show relatively low levels of performance decline as they age
Cold War nuke tests changed rainfall
Nuclear bomb tests during the Cold War may have changed rainfall patterns thousands of miles from the detonation sites, new research has revealed. Scientists at the University of Reading have researched how the electric charge released by radiation from the test detonations, carried out predominantly by the US and Soviet Union in the 1950s and 1960s, affected rainclouds at the … [Read more...] about Cold War nuke tests changed rainfall
Technology to remedy 3D printing's 'weak spot'
Allowing users to create objects from simple toys to custom prosthetic parts, plastics are a popular 3D printing material. But these printed parts are mechanically weak -- a flaw caused by the imperfect bonding between the individual printed layers that make up the 3D part. Researchers at Texas A&M University, in collaboration with scientists in the company Essentium, Inc. … [Read more...] about Technology to remedy 3D printing's 'weak spot'
On the road to non-toxic and stable perovskite solar cells
The promising halide perovskite materials for solar energy conversion show high efficiencies, but this comes at a cost: The best perovskite materials incorporate toxic lead which poses a hazard to the environment. To replace lead by less toxic elements is not easy since lead-free perovskites show lower stability and poor efficiencies. Now, an international collaboration has … [Read more...] about On the road to non-toxic and stable perovskite solar cells