Empa (Eidgenössische Materialprüfungs- und Forschungsanstalt)

Turning streetwear into solar power plants

Empa researchers succeeded in developing a material that works like a luminescent solar concentrator and can even be applied to textiles. This opens up numerous possibilities for producing energy directly where it is needed, i.e. in the use of everyday electronics. Our hunger for energy is ... more

The Transistor out of the Printer

Empa researchers are working on electronics that come out of printers. This makes it possible to produce the circuits on all sorts of substrates, such as paper or plastic film – but there are still some hurdles to overcome. Imagine being able to easily print electronics on any surface. Toda ... more

Biofuels and sophisticated materials cycles thanks to bio-templating

Blue-green algae are among the oldest living creatures on Earth and have perfected the use of sunlight over billions of years. Empa scientists have now equipped these humble unicellular organisms with semiconductor coatings to create mini power plants, which supply biofuels and are photocat ... more

A water-based, rechargeable battery

First step to produce a cheap aquous electrolyte for powerful rechargeable batteries: Seven grams of sodium FSI (precise name: sodium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide) and one gram of water produce a clear saline solution with an electrochemical stability of up to 2.6 volts – twice as much as other ... more