17-Jan-2023

Pyroelectriccatalysis (pyro-catalysis) can convert environmental temperature fluctuations into clean chemical energy, like hydrogen. However, compared with the more common catalysis strategy, such as photocatalysis, pyro-catalysis is inefficient due to slow temperature changes in the ambient ...

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Discovery brings replacing hydrogen as a fuel cell feedstock one step closer

20-Apr-2022

Turmeric, a spice found in most kitchens, has an extract that could lead to safer, more efficient fuel cells. Researchers at theClemson Nanomaterials Institute (CNI)and their collaborators from theSri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (SSSIHL)in India discovered a novel way to combine ...

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Capacitively stored charge at platinum interfaces can be significantly higher than previously assumed

20-Jan-2022

A new method can measure the electrical (re-)charging of boundary layers between very small, metallic particles and aqueous solutions and understand it at a molecular level. Researchers from the RESOLV Cluster of Excellence at Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) have used current and voltage ...

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Researchers demonstrate the suitability of gold as a catalyst to produce methanol and acetic acid from the methane in natural gas

10-Jan-2022

A simple, low-cost method of directly converting natural gas into useful chemicals and fuels, using the precious metal gold as a key ingredient, has been proposed by researchers at Cardiff University in collaboration with researchers in Lehigh University, USA and the National Centre for Magnetic ...

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“We were surprised how powerful this new tool is, considering how straightforward it is to assemble”

06-Sep-2021

Researchers have made a tiny camera, held together with ‘molecular glue’ that allows them to observe chemical reactions in real time. The device, made by a team from the University of Cambridge, combines tiny semiconductor nanocrystals called quantum dots and gold nanoparticles using molecular ...

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A new method facilitates accurate analysis of magnetic field effects inside complex nanostructures

04-May-2021

Researchers in the Nanoscience Center of University of Jyvaskyla, in Finland and in the Guadalajara University in Mexico developed a method that allows for simulation and visualization of magnetic-field-induced electron currents inside gold nanoparticles. The method facilitates accurate analysis ...

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Using DNA structures as scaffolds, Tim Liedl has shown that precisely positioned gold nanoparticles can serve as efficient energy transmitters

09-Apr-2021

Since the inception of the field in 2006, laboratories around the world have been exploring the use of ‘DNA origami’ for the assembly of complex nanostructures. The method is based on DNA strands with defined sequences that interact via localized base pairing. “With the aid of short strands with ...

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Some catalysts show remarkable high activity - Thanks to water

28-Jul-2020

Nanocatalysts made of gold nanoparticles dispersed on metal oxides are very promising for the industrial, selective oxidation of compounds, including alcohols, into valuable chemicals. They show high catalytic activity, particularly in aqueous solution. A team of researchers from Ruhr-Universität ...

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14-Nov-2019

Using a new type of nanoreactor, researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have succeeded in mapping catalytic reactions on individual metallic nanoparticles. Their work could help improve chemical processes, and lead to better catalysts and more environmentally friendly chemical ...

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23-Aug-2019

Researchers have developed artificial 'chameleon skin' that changes colour when exposed to light and could be used in applications such as active camouflage and large-scale dynamic displays. The material, developed by researchers from the University of Cambridge, is made of tiny particles of gold ...

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