Tech

A group from Brazil and an HZB team have investigated a novel composite membrane for ethanol fuel cells. It consists of the polymer Nafion, in which nanoparticles of a titanium compound are embedded by the rarely explored melt extrusion process. At BESSY II they were able to observe in detail, how the nanoparticles in the Nafion matrix are distributed and how they contribute to … [Read more...] about User research at BESSY II: How new materials increase the efficiency of direct ethanol fuel cells

At the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI, researchers have gained insights into a promising material for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). The substance enables high light yields and would be inexpensive to produce on a large scale -- that means it is practically made for use in large-area room lighting. Researchers have been searching for such materials for a long time. The … [Read more...] about In search of the lighting material of the future

Lithium-sulfur batteries have been hailed as the next big step in battery technology, promising significantly longer use for everything from cellphones to electric vehicles on a single charge, while being more environmentally sustainable to produce than current lithium-ion batteries. However, these batteries don't last as long as their lithium-ion counterparts, degrading over … [Read more...] about Next-generation batteries take major step toward commercial viability

In recent years, lithium-ion batteries have become better at supplying energy to Soldiers in the field, but the current generation of batteries never reaches its highest energy potential. Army researchers are extremely focused on solving this challenge and providing the power Soldiers demand. At the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command's Army Research Laboratory, … [Read more...] about New opportunity to develop high-energy batteries

A key challenge to capturing and controlling fusion energy on Earth is maintaining the stability of plasma -- the electrically charged gas that fuels fusion reactions -- and keeping it millions of degrees hot to launch and maintain fusion reactions. This challenge requires controlling magnetic islands, bubble-like structures that form in the plasma in doughnut-shaped tokamak … [Read more...] about Scientists explore the power of radio waves to help control fusion reactions