Topics We Like
astronomy psychology endangered species entanglement legal drama geeking out defining science politics statistical analysis art particle physics medicine natural disasters computer science biotechnology nature engineering artificial intelligence Cal Academy LHS The Coalition nanomaterials electronics science writing conservation Nobel prize nuclear energy energy efficiency genetics ethicsCategories
Stuff for Us!
Tag Archives: nanomaterials
Hydrogen production with disorder-engineered nanoparticles
One great example of nanomaterials that can address environmental problems is photocatalytic water splitting, which produces hydrogen gas through a chemical reaction that consumes only water and sunlight. This eco-friendly hydrogen can power zero-emissions fuel cells found in cars and a number of other emerging clean technologies. The goal is to replace conventional methods of manufacturing hydrogen, which generally consume fossil fuels and/or large amounts of electricity.
In photocatalysis, materials like titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles catalyze water splitting by absorbing light and transferring the light’s energy to nearby water molecules. In turn, the water breaks apart into its constituent elements, hydrogen and oxygen. Because of the absorption properties of TiO2, artificially generated ultraviolet light is required for the reaction to proceed efficiently. However, in a recent publication in Science, a group of Berkeley Lab researchers have shown that a slightly modified version of TiO2 nanoparticles can split water under natural sunlight.
Jump out of your skin and into your e-skin
Last time, I wrote about the reverse-engineering of natural processes to develop more efficient solar cells. It turns out that photovoltaics research is not the only field being guided by nature. This month, the journal Nature Materials published two reports describing a pair of successful attempts to fabricate artificial skin – flexible, stretchable arrays of highly sensitive pressure sensors that produce electrical signals in response to contact. The so-called “e-skin” can be used in applications such as robotics and manufacturing to provide a softer touch during manipulation delicate objects.
Coming soon to Berkeley: Energy efficient electronics using nanotechnology
To date, nanotechnology has generated lots of excitement in the scientific community, but it hasn’t exactly brought about transformative changes in the life of the average person. In an effort turn that corner, UC Berkeley recently established the Center for Energy Efficient Electronics Science (E3S), where researchers will work to develop a new generation of nanotechnology-based computer chips that require so little energy that they may never need to be plugged in or recharged. The applications of this research go far beyond improving your laptop’s battery life (important as that might be) and into the realm of making entirely new technologies viable, like biosensors and ubiquitous wireless networks. E3S is led by EECS professor Eli Yablonovitch, whose long list of honors includes his very own Wikipedia entry.
