Soft, stretchy ‘jelly batteries’ inspired by electric eels

Hydrogel battery for wearables, soft robotics or even brain implants

01-Aug-2024 - Researchers have developed soft, stretchable ‘jelly batteries’ that could be used for wearable devices or soft robotics, or even implanted in the brain to deliver drugs or treat conditions such as epilepsy. The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, took their inspiration from electric ...

Marriage of synthetic biology and 3D printing produces programmable living materials

Applications could someday include biomanufacturing and sustainable construction

03-May-2024 - Scientists are harnessing cells to make new types of materials that can grow, repair themselves and even respond to their environment. These solid “engineered living materials” are made by embedding cells in an inanimate matrix that’s formed in a desired shape. Now, researchers report in ACS ...

Bio-based alternatives to single-use plastics

Suzano Ventures invests up to US$5 million into Bioform Technologies to further develop bio-based plastic alternatives

02-May-2024 - Suzano Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Suzano has made a strategic investment into the Canadian materials science startup, Bioform Technologies. The investment provides up to US$5 million towards the company’s seed round, enabling it to accelerate the development of its novel ...

This salt battery harvests osmotic energy where the river meets the sea

26-Apr-2024 - Estuaries — where freshwater rivers meet the salty sea — are great locations for birdwatching and kayaking. In these areas, waters containing different salt concentrations mix and may be sources of sustainable, “blue” osmotic energy. Researchers in ACS Energy Letters report creating a ...

Novel hydrogel removes microplastics from water

The material has a unique intertwined polymer network that can bind the contaminants and degrade them using UV light irradiation

16-Apr-2024 - Microplastics pose a great threat to human health. These tiny plastic debris can enter our bodies through the water we drink and increase the risk of illnesses. They are also an environmental hazard; found even in remote areas like polar ice caps and deep ocean trenches, they endanger aquatic and ...

Bio-Inspired Battery Design

Flexible Sodium-Ion Batteries Improved by Electrolyte Methylation

09-Oct-2023 - Flexible aqueous batteries, such as those used in portable electronics, often contain a hydrogel electrolyte containing water and salt. Using a chemical modification inspired by nature, a team of Chinese researchers have now significantly increased the salt stability of hydrogels used in ...

Muscles for soft robots inspired by nature

Materials researchers significantly improve the performance of hydrogel actuators

08-Sep-2023 - Robots made of metal and other solid materials are already widely used in industry. But they are too rigid and cumbersome for fine-motor activities and interaction with people, such as in nursing or medicine. Intensive research is therefore already being carried out into robots made of soft ...

Transforming flies into degradable plastics

15-Aug-2023 - Imagine using insects as a source of chemicals to make plastics that can biodegrade later — with the help of that very same type of bug. That concept is closer to reality than you might expect. Researchers will describe their progress to date, including isolation and purification of ...

You can make carbon dioxide filters with a 3D printer

09-Jun-2023 - In a new study, North Carolina State University researchers demonstrated that it’s possible to make carbon dioxide capture filters using 3D printing. Specifically, they printed a hydrogel material that can hold carbonic anhydrase, an enzyme that speeds a reaction that turns carbon dioxide and ...

Newly developed hydrogel nanocomposite for the mass production of hydrogen

“This study makes great progress in the field of photocatalysis and showcases the potential of green hydrogen production at sea with world-class performance"

03-May-2023 - A research team led by Prof. HYEON Taeghwan at the Center for Nanoparticle Research within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) in Seoul, South Korea has developed a new photocatalytic platform for the mass production of hydrogen. The group’s study on the photocatalytic platform led to the ...