Superhydrophobic graphene surfaces mimic the properties of butterfly wings and rose petals

30-01-2012

Butterfly wings, rose petals and many other natural surfaces repell water strongly; they are superhydrophobic. Such surfaces have a hierarchical structure on the micrometer or nanometer scale. Their attractive properties and spectacular iridescent colors have triggered a group led by Hong-Bo ...

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New displays that change color under the influence of magnets

22-03-2011

Chinese researchers have created microscopic capsules that change color when a magnetic field is applied. When the capsules are collected into an array, magnetic fields can be used to create colored patterns on an extremely small scale. Many animals use tiny physical changes at their skin or ...

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New computer simulations may help in the design of efficient molecular wires

21-04-2010

Two types of trends can be identified in the length-dependent conductance of molecular wires, according to Chinese scientists. In an article published in ChemPhysChem, Jianwei Zhao and colleagues describe different length–conductivity relationships in molecular wires depending on the ...

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10-11-2009

Scientists have invented a carbon-based sponge that can soak up organic pollutants, such as oils and solvents, from the surface of water. No water is absorbed and the sponge can then be wrung out and reused, like an ordinary household sponge. Absorbing up to 180 times its own weight in ...

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Tungsten carbide as catalyst for cost-effective conversion of cellulose into industrially useful carbon compounds

25-09-2008

Alternatives to fossil fuels and natural gas as carbon sources and fuel are in demand. Biomass could play a more significant part in the future. Researchers in the USA and China have now developed a new catalyst that directly converts cellulose, the most common form of biomass, into ethylene ...

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