Future Innovations Archives - Spotlight Magazine

Biohybrid leaf mimics photosynthesis to turn CO₂ and sunlight into useful chemicals

Researchers have demonstrated a new and sustainable way to make the chemicals that are the basis of thousands of products—from plastics to cosmetics—we use every day.This post was originally published on this site

Prototype LED as thin as wallpaper can glow like the sun

Light bulbs come in many shapes and styles: globes, twists, flame-like candle tips and long tubes. But there aren’t many thin options. Now, researchers report in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces that they have created […]

‘Chinese lantern’ structure shifts into more than a dozen shapes for various applications

Researchers have created a polymer “Chinese lantern” that can snap into more than a dozen curved, three-dimensional shapes by compressing or twisting the original structure. This rapid shape-shifting behavior can be controlled remotely using a […]

Light-controlled electron gas hints at future of ultra-fast electronics

In the future, could our mobile phones and internet data operate using light rather than just electricity? Now, for the first time, an international research team led by CNRS researchers working at the Albert Fert […]

Scientists create world’s first chip that combines 2D materials with conventional silicon circuitry

For the first time, scientists have created a fully functional memory chip only a few atoms thick and integrated it into conventional chips. This advance could pave the way for more powerful and energy-efficient electronic […]

High-performance supercapacitor made from upcycled water bottles

Lots of single-use water bottles made from poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) end up in landfills, but there’s a growing interest in upcycling them instead. Researchers in Energy & Fuels report on new heat-based fabrication methods to […]

3D printing method ‘grows’ intricate, ultra-strong materials inside water-based gel

Vat photopolymerization is a 3D printing technique in which a light-sensitive resin is poured into a vat, and then selectively hardened into a desired shape using a laser or UV light. But this process is […]

Hybrid film boosts energy harvesting from motion by up to 450%

A new study led by (PI) Professor M. Jasim Uddin, Ph.D., Professor of Mechanical Engineering at SUNY Polytechnic Institute, has been published in ACS Omega, advancing the frontier of sustainable, self-powered technologies.This post was originally […]

Study finds new strategies to extend the life of used solar panels

Australia’s rapid uptake of solar panels is creating a looming waste problem with most solar photovoltaic (PV) panels being directed to landfill at the end of their life.This post was originally published on this site

Thin solar-powered films purify water by killing bacteria even in low sunlight

Around 4.4 billion people worldwide still lack reliable access to safe drinking water. Newly designed, thin floating films that harness sunlight to eliminate over 99.99% of bacteria could help change that, turning contaminated water into […]