Scientists develop most sensitive way to observe single molecules

The new label-free method makes the molecules so easy to detect, it is almost as if they had labels

03-Jun-2024 - Scientists at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have developed the most sensitive method yet for detecting and profiling a single molecule — unlocking a new tool that holds potential for better understanding how the building blocks of matter interact with each other. The new method could have ...

New recycling process could find markets for ‘junk’ plastic waste

A new plastics recycling method reduces emissions by 60 percent and opens the door to the reuse of materials like plastic film, multilayer materials and colored plastics

14-Aug-2023 - Although many Americans dutifully deposit their plastic trash into the appropriate bins each week, many of those materials, including flexible films, multilayer materials and a lot of colored plastics, are not recyclable using conventional mechanical recycling methods. In the end, only about 9 ...

Industry-ready process makes plastics chemical from plant sugars

07-May-2019 - Developing renewable, plant-based alternatives for petroleum-derived chemicals is a major piece of the effort to transition away from a fossil-fuel based economy toward a more sustainable and environmentally friendly bio-based economy. But integration of novel and unproven technology into ...

Engineered microbe may be key to producing plastic from plants

08-Mar-2019 - With a few genetic tweaks, a type of soil bacteria with an appetite for hydrocarbons shows promise as a biological factory for converting a renewable -- but frustratingly untapped -- bounty into a replacement for ubiquitous plastics. Researchers, like those at the University of ...

'Stealth' material hides hot objects from infrared eyes

27-Jun-2018 - Infrared cameras are the heat-sensing eyes that help drones find their targets even in the dead of night or through heavy fog. Hiding from such detectors could become much easier, thanks to a new cloaking material that renders objects -- and people -- practically invisible. "What we have shown is ...

Bio-renewable process could help 'green' plastic

23-Jan-2018 - When John Wesley Hyatt patented the first industrial plastic in 1869, his intention was to create an alternative to the elephant tusk ivory used to make piano keys. But this early plastic also sparked a revolution in the way people thought about manufacturing: What if we weren't limited to the ...

Molecular magnetism packs power with 'messenger electron'

15-Nov-2017 - Electrons can be a persuasive bunch, or at least, a talkative bunch, according to new work from John Berry's lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The spins of unpaired electrons are the root of permanent magnetism, and after 10 years of design and re-design, Berry's lab has made a molecule ...

Thin photodetector could increase performance without adding bulk

Enabling optoelectronics advances

10-Jul-2017 - In today's increasingly powerful electronics, tiny materials are a must as manufacturers seek to increase performance without adding bulk. Smaller also is better for optoelectronic devices -- like camera sensors or solar cells -- which collect light and convert it to electrical energy. Think, for ...

Triple play boosting value of renewable fuel could tip market in favor of biomass

23-May-2017 - Technologies for converting non-edible biomass into chemicals and fuels traditionally made from petroleum exist aplenty. But when it comes to attracting commercial interest, these technologies compete financially with a petroleum-based production pipeline that has been perfected over the course ...

Air pollution increases attributable to air conditioning

05-May-2017 - When summer temperatures rise and people turn to their air conditioners to stay cool, something else also increases: air pollution. A new study in the journal Environmental Science & Technology shows that the electricity production associated with air conditioning causes emissions of sulfur ...