Tetravinylallene, a small but powerful molecule, has been synthesized for the first time

Strained, Symmetric, and New

02-Oct-2019 - Many natural compounds used in medicine have complex molecular architectures that are difficult to recreate in the lab. Help could come from a small hydrocarbon molecule, called tetravinylallene, which has been synthesized for the first time by Australian scientists. As detailed in the journal ...

How Nature splits water and powers the planet

12-Aug-2019 - An international research team including the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion (MPI CEC) in Germany and The Australian National University (ANU) has published new results on how nature performs biological water splitting, a process that underpins all life on the planet. The ...

A way to pack grains and drugs most efficiently

16-May-2017 - Scientists have discovered a way to solve a problem that has baffled humans for so long it is mentioned in the Bible: achieving the most efficient packing of objects such as grains and pharmaceutical drugs. Lead researcher Dr Mohammad Saadatfar from The Australian National University (ANU) said ...

World's thinnest lens to revolutionize cameras

15-Mar-2016 - Scientists have created the world's thinnest lens, one two-thousandth the thickness of a human hair, opening the door to flexible computer displays and a revolution in miniature cameras. Lead researcher Dr Yuerui (Larry) Lu from The Australian National University (ANU) said the discovery hinged ...

The chemistry to make a star

Chemists have created a star-shaped molecule previously thought to be too unstable to be made

02-Nov-2015 - The team created the five-pronged molecule [5]radialene, in work that could lead to more efficient ways to make medicinal agents, said lead researcher, Professor Michael Sherburn from The Australian National University (ANU). "This proof that we can make a compound that so many people thought ...

New theory leads to radiationless revolution

Physicists have found a new way confine electromagnetic energy without it leaking away

31-Aug-2015 - Physicists have found a radical new way confine electromagnetic energy without it leaking away, akin to throwing a pebble into a pond with no splash. The theory could have broad ranging applications from explaining dark matter to combating energy losses in future technologies. However, it appears ...

Making new materials with micro-explosions

01-Jul-2015 - Scientists have made exotic new materials by creating laser-induced micro-explosions in silicon, the common computer chip material. The new technique could lead to the simple creation and manufacture of superconductors or high-efficiency solar cells and light sensors, said leader of the research, ...

Building shape inspires new material discovery

31-Mar-2015 - Physicists inspired by the radical shape of a Canberra building have created a new type of material which enables scientists to put a perfect bend in light. The creation of a so-called topological insulator could transform the telecommunications industry's drive to build an improved computer chip ...

New material puts a twist in light

28-Jul-2014 - Scientists at The Australian National University (ANU) have uncovered the secret to twisting light at will. It is the latest step in the development of photonics, the faster, more compact and less carbon-hungry successor to electronics. A random find in the washing basket led the team to create ...

Diamond defect boosts quantum technology

06-Feb-2014 - New research shows that a remarkable defect in synthetic diamond produced by chemical vapor deposition allows researchers to measure, witness, and potentially manipulate electrons in a manner that could lead to new "quantum technology" for information processing. The study is published in ...