Evidence stacks up for poisonous books containing toxic dyes

21-Aug-2024 - If you come across brightly colored, cloth-bound books from the Victorian era, you might want to handle them gently, or even steer clear altogether. Some of their attractive hues come from dyes that could pose a health risk to readers, collectors or librarians. The latest research on these ...

Machine learning boosts search for new materials

Scientists have developed deep-learning models that can sift through the massive amounts of data generated by X-ray diffraction techniques

29-Dec-2023 - Scientists from theUniversity of Rochestersay deep learning can supercharge a technique that is already the gold standard for characterizing new materials. In annpj Computational Materialspaper, the interdisciplinary team describes models they developed to better leverage the massive amounts ...

Discovery of gold nanocluster 'double' hints at other shape-changing particles

21-Jun-2016 - Chemically the same, graphite and diamonds are as physically distinct as two minerals can be, one opaque and soft, the other translucent and hard. What makes them unique is their differing arrangement of carbon atoms. Polymorphs, or materials with the same composition but different structures, ...

ORNL tracks how halogen atoms compete to grow 'winning' perovskites

08-Apr-2016 - Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have found a potential path to further improve solar cell efficiency by understanding the competition among halogen atoms during the synthesis of sunlight-absorbing crystals. Photovoltaic cells that convert sunlight directly ...

A close-up view of materials as they stretch or compress

10-Sep-2015 - Materials scientists are busy developing advanced materials, while also working to squeeze every bit of performance out of existing materials. This is particularly true in the aerospace industry, where small advantages in weight or extreme temperature tolerance quickly translate into tremendous ...

Compact batteries enhanced by spontaneous silver matrix formations

Scientists use x-rays to map internal atomic transformations and advance promising lithium-based batteries

12-Jan-2015 - In a promising lithium-based battery, the formation of a highly conductive silver matrix transforms a material otherwise plagued by low conductivity. To optimize these multi-metallic batteries - and enhance the flow of electricity - scientists needed a way to see where, when, and how these ...

Stanford-SLAC team uses X-ray imaging to observe running batteries in action

20-Jul-2012 - Most electric cars, from the Tesla Model S to the Nissan Leaf, run on rechargeable lithium-ion batteries – a pricey technology that accounts for more than half of the vehicle's total cost. One promising alternative is the lithium-sulfur battery, which can theoretically store five times more ...

Vitamins doing gymnastics: Scientists capture first full image of vitamin B12 in action

Work by University of Michigan and MIT team yields new understanding of crucial reaction in the body and in CO2-scrubbing bacteria

28-Mar-2012 - You see it listed on the side of your cereal box and your multivitamin bottle. It's vitamin B12, part of a nutritious diet like all those other vitamins and minerals. But when it gets inside your body, new research suggests, B12 turns into a gymnast.In a paper published in Nature, scientists from ...

Molecules typically found in blue jean and ink dyes may lead to more efficient solar cells

02-Jul-2010 - Making better solar cells: Cornell University researchers have discovered a simple process - employing molecules typically used in blue jean and ink dyes - for building an organic framework that could lead to economical, flexible and versatile solar cells. The discovery is reported in the journal ...

Metal-organic frameworks feel the pressure of Argonne scientists

New research may be a key step towards real-world uses of MOFs

29-Sep-2008 - Scientists at U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National laboratory are putting the pressure on metal-organic frameworks (MOF). In MOF materials, metal ions can be connected by organic molecules to form scaffolding-like structures similar to a molecular Tinker toy. The struts that make up the ...