Boron

News Boron

• Sustainable Chemistry Based on Wood
  

  Some hikers carry a small solar power plant with them: a foil is attached to their backpack that converts sunlight into electricity. This allows them to charge their mobile phone while on the move. Flexible, thin and lightweight solar panels can also be attached to outdoor clothing or glued to curve more

• A new electrolyte for greener and safer batteries
  

  The future of battery technologies lies in sodium. More sustainable than lithium - which currently powers most of our devices and vehicles - sodium is also abundant on the earth’s surface. The only problem is that its ions do not move easily in the liquid electrolyte of conventional batteries, makin more

• Engineers create double layer of borophene for first time
  

  For the first time, Northwestern University engineers have created a double layer of atomically flat borophene, a feat that defies the natural tendency of boron to form non-planar clusters beyond the single-atomic-layer limit. Although known for its promising electronic properties, borophene — a sin more

Infographics Boron

Group 3 Elements

The latest in the series of infographics on groups in the periodic table, this one looks at some general information on Group 3. I’m aware that, technically (according to IUPAC) it should be referred to as Group 13. more

The Chemistry of Silly Putty

Silly putty (or science putty, as it’s sometimes referred to) is an odd material. Stretch it slowly and it happily deforms, and can be molded very easily. However, pull it apart with enough force and it’ll snap clean in two. It flows imperceptibly slowly, as if it were a thick liquid, but when rolle more

Metal Ion Flame Test Colours Chart

This graphic looks at the colour of various metal and metalloid ions that occur during flame tests. Most people probably remember doing this experiment in school chemistry lessons, if not with the full range of ions shown here, but for the uninitiated a brief explanation of the origin of the colours more