Combining conductive foam with other materials for capable new composites

15-Feb-2019

Laser-induced graphene (LIG), a flaky foam of the atom-thick carbon, has many interesting properties on its own but gains new powers as part of a composite. The labs of Rice University chemist James Tour and Christopher Arnusch, a professor at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel, ...

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Coating could reduce the flammability of polyurethane foam

14-Feb-2019

Texas A&M University researchers are developing a new kind of flame-retardant coating using renewable, nontoxic materials readily found in nature, which could provide even more effective fire protection for several widely used materials. Dr. Jaime Grunlan, the Linda & Ralph Schmidt '68 Professor ...

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Effort to build bottom-up chiral polymers with unique functions

14-Feb-2019

As below, so above. That seems to be an operating principle for molecules that start with a basic chirality - or "handed-ness" -- and pass it on as they combine into larger structures. An international team that included Rice University materials scientist Edwin Thomas pried a new, fundamental ...

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13-Feb-2019

Michigan State University researchers have measured for the first time the nuclei of three protein-rich calcium isotopes. One of the most fundamental properties of the nucleus is its size. The nuclear radius generally increases with the number of proton and neutron constituents. However, when ...

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Gas-trapping framework married to light-powered nanocatalysts

13-Feb-2019

When Rice University chemist and engineer Hossein Robatjazi set out to marry a molecular sieve called MOF to a plasmonic aluminum nanoparticle two years ago, he never imagined the key would be the same process nature uses to petrify wood. In a new paper Robatjazi and co-authors with Rice's ...

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Chemists discover way to simplify synthesis of valuable precursor for drugs, other compounds

12-Feb-2019

Rice University scientists have given organic chemists a boost with their latest discovery of a one-step method to add nitrogen to compounds for drugs, pesticides, fertilizers and other products. Rice synthetic organic chemist László Kürti said the method is a major step forward as it quickens ...

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12-Feb-2019

Acrylics are an incredibly diverse and useful family of chemicals used in all kinds of products, from diapers to nail polish. Now, a team of researchers from UConn and ExxonMobil describe a new process for making them. The new method would increase energy efficiency and reduce toxic ...

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Study on monolayer tungsten ditelluride could lead to more energy-efficient electronic devices

12-Feb-2019

A research team comprised of scientists at the University of California, Riverside, and the University of Washington has for the first time directly imaged "edge conduction" in monolayer tungsten ditelluride, or WTe2, a newly discovered 2-D topological insulator and quantum material. The research ...

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11-Feb-2019

A new type of electric vehicle power using “refillable” technology has taken another giant leap in advancing alternative energy with testing that shows it could provide enough energy to run a car for about 3,000 miles. The technology employs a novel type of “flow” battery that is being ...

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Plastic waste could be turned into clean fuels, other products

08-Feb-2019

The United Nations estimates that more than 8 million tons of plastics flow into the oceans each year. A new chemical conversion process could transform the world's polyolefin waste, a form of plastic, into useful products, such as clean fuels and other items. "Our strategy is to create a driving ...

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