General descriptor sparks advancements in dye chemistry

Move away from inefficient trial-and-error developments to quantitatively design luminescent materials

19-May-2020 - There is an ongoing demand in biological research to accelerate the development of fluorescent probes based on the photo-induced electron transfer (PET) mechanism. By modulating PET formations, these probes significantly change fluorescence intensities, allowing a convenient route to monitor ...

Large-scale and sustainable 3D printing with the most ubiquitous natural material

08-Jun-2018 - Cellulose is one of the most abundant and broadly distributed organic compound and industrial by-product on Earth. Yet, despite decades of extensive research, the bottom-up use of cellulose to fabricate 3D objects is still plagued with problems that restrict its practical applications: ...

One-way roads for spin currents

24-May-2018 - The spin is a type of angular momentum which is intrinsic to particles, grosso modo as if they were spinning on themselves. Particles can exchange their spin, and in this way spin currents can be formed in a material. Through years of research, scientists have learned how to control such spin ...

Microscale IR spectroscopy enabled by phase change materials and metasurfaces

16-May-2018 - The mid-infrared is an interesting part of the electromagnetic spectrum that is composed of colours that cannot be seen by the human eye. Many chemical molecules resonate when illuminated by infrared light. This infrared resonance can then be used to identify or "fingerprint" the molecules. The ...

Scaling to new heights with gecko-inspired adhesive

12-Jan-2018 - Some animals, such as geckos, can easily climb up walls and across ceilings. But currently, no material exists that allows everyday people to scale walls or transverse ceilings as effortlessly. Now, scientists report a dry adhesive that could someday make it easier to defy gravity. Geckos can ...

Most stretchable elastomer for 3-D printing

14-Feb-2017 - Due to its excellent material properties of elasticity, resilience, and electrical and thermal insulation, elastomers have been used in a myriad of applications. They are especially ideal for fabricating soft robots, flexible electronics and smart biomedical devices which require soft and ...