Engineering professors and their students have been working for years on creating improved energy storage materials from sustainable sources, such as glass bottles, beach sand, Silly Putty, and portabella mushrooms. Now they have turned plastic soda bottles into a nanomaterial for use in batteries. Though they don't store as much energy as lithium-ion batteries, supercapacitors … [Read more...] about Upcycling plastic waste toward sustainable energy storage
Perovskite and organic solar cells rocketed into space
Researchers have sent perovskite and organic solar cells on a rocket into space. The solar cells withstood the extreme conditions in space, producing power from direct sunlight and reflective light from the Earth's surface. The work sets the foundation for future near-Earth application as well as potential deep space missions. … [Read more...] about Perovskite and organic solar cells rocketed into space
Countries transitioning to zero carbon should look at more than technology cost
A 'one-size-fits-all' approach to producing cleaner energy based on cost alone could create social inequalities, finds a new study. … [Read more...] about Countries transitioning to zero carbon should look at more than technology cost
Molecular additives enhance mechanical properties of organic solar cell material
Computational experiments on semiconducting polymers show that under harsh loading conditions -- stretching and compression -- the addition of small molecules enhances performance and stability. The research points to a promising new direction for solar cell research. … [Read more...] about Molecular additives enhance mechanical properties of organic solar cell material
Scientists propose method for eliminating damaging heat bursts in fusion device
Researchers discover a technique for widening the windows of plasma current to enhance suppression of edge localized modes (ELMs) that can damage tokamak facilities. … [Read more...] about Scientists propose method for eliminating damaging heat bursts in fusion device