Due to their strength, electrical conductivity and surface area, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are increasingly finding application in advanced electronics, energy-storage installations, batteries, medical devices, separation processes and much more. A new CNT production technology developed by the SPICE division of…
Protein nanocages are hollow structures that can be used for a variety of applications in medical fields, including for drug and vaccine delivery. Now, groundbreaking work from the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt; www.pitt.edu) has shown that a class of protein…
By leveraging the peculiar laws of quantum physics, quantum computing aims to render currently intractable scientific problems feasible. Using quantum-enhanced simulations for accelerating catalyst design is an example of an area where quantum computers could be brought to bear on…
Results from recent testing indicate that automotive components made from a novel aluminum alloy, via 3D printing, outperformed those made from traditional aluminum alloys. Traditional wrought aluminum alloys are challenging to process using additive manufacturing (3D printing), so researchers have…
Most existing carbon-dioxide removal (CDR) approaches have focused on air, but the volumetric concentration of dissolved inorganic CO2 in surface water is much higher (150X) than its concentration in the atmosphere. Removing CO2 from water could prove to be a…
Pyrolysis has received much attention as a technology capable of breaking down waste plastics in recycling processes, but existing pyrolysis approaches often give rise to products with broad molar mass distributions and poor yields. Catalysts can improve yield and selectivity,…
A first-of-its-kind energy-recovery system harnesses the energy of water flow and pressure in pipelines to produce renewable energy. The patented HydroXS unit, developed by InPipe Energy, Inc. (Portland, Ore.; www.inpipeenergy.com) in collaboration with Grundfos Corp. (Brookshire, Tex.; www.grundfos.com/us), is a…
Two recent developments at Queens Carbon Inc. (Pine Brook, N.J.; www.queenscarbon.com), a spinoff company from Rutgers University (New Brunswick, N.J.; www.rutgers.edu), illustrate the potential for reducing the high carbon-dioxide emissions that result from cement and concrete production. Both are results…
The Netherlands-based startup company Ore Energy (Amsterdam, the Netherlands; www.oreenergy.com) recently announced that it has successfully connected its flagship iron-air battery system to the electric grid in the city of Delft, the Netherlands. It is the first iron-air battery system…
Breaking the stable carbon-fluorine bonds within per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is one of the most significant challenges in mitigating persistent PFAS pollution. The Hydrothermal Alkaline Technology (HALT; diagram), invented at the Colorado School of Mines (Golden, Colo.; www.mines.edu) and…