Posts Tagged ‘polymers’
Compress silicone to make it stiffer
RICE (US) — Silicone in the liquid crystal phase becomes 90 percent stiffer when it’s gently and repeatedly compressed. Continue…
Tuesday, April 30, 2013 12:27 - 0 Comments
Science & Technology - Apr 17, 2013 16:06 - 1 Comment
‘Smart skin’ can sense cracks in bridges
GEORGIA TECH (US) — New technology using low-cost wireless sensors could make it easier to monitor highway bridges and other structures for strain, stress, and early formation of cracks. (more…)
Science & Technology - Mar 25, 2013 12:52 - 0 Comments
Brushstrokes tame ‘unruly’ semiconductors
U. MICHIGAN (US) — Engineers have developed a “paint-on” plastic semiconductor that could pave the way for cheaper and greener electronics. (more…)
Science & Technology - Jan 21, 2013 12:19 - 0 Comments
Polymer sieve divides gases by size
CARDIFF U. (UK) — A new polymer efficiently separates gas mixtures by the size of the molecules, report researchers. (more…)
Science & Technology - Jan 8, 2013 16:29 - 0 Comments
Why DNA goes into nanopores ‘head first’
BROWN (US) — When single molecules of DNA zip through nanopores, they most often travel head first. Physicists working toward nanopore sequencing devices say a “Jell-O theory” explains why. (more…)
Science & Technology - Feb 24, 2012 11:42 - 0 Comments
Rainbow polymer reveals true colors
U. BUFFALO (US) — A new rainbow-colored polymer could lead to handheld applications for color identification. (more…)
Science & Technology - Dec 8, 2011 8:15 - 0 Comments
Bottle brush molecules filter impurities
U. BUFFALO (US) — Chemists have found a way to create tiny, tube-shaped molecular cages to capture and purify nanomaterials. (more…)
Science & Technology - Nov 22, 2011 7:25 - 0 Comments
Sort nanotubes for better electronics
STANFORD (US) — A new technique could make semiconducting carbon nanotubes more commercially viable for use in printable circuits, bendable display screens, stretchable electronics, and solar technology. (more…)
Science & Technology - Oct 4, 2011 9:39 - 0 Comments
Pump may help materials self repair
U. ILLINOIS (US) — Researchers have demonstrated a pumping method to deliver pressurized liquid healing agents into artificial microvascular systems. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Sep 19, 2011 12:21 - 2 Comments
Gel shines bright to spot bacteria
U. SHEFFIELD (UK) — Polymers that light up in the presence of bacteria could offer a new way to quickly detect infected wounds. (more…)
Science & Technology - May 3, 2011 10:28 - 0 Comments
New tricks from old polymers
IOWA STATE (US) — Organic solar cells, light-emitting diodes, and thin-film transistors could be enhanced by polymers that mimic the properties of traditional inorganic semiconductors. (more…)
Science & Technology - Mar 23, 2011 16:29 - 0 Comments
Nanomaterial bulks up under stress
RICE (US) — A synthetic material gets stronger from repeated strain much like the body strengthens bone and muscle after repeated workouts. (more…)
Top Stories - Mar 7, 2011 12:31 - 0 Comments
Crank up voltage. Watch plastics crack
DUKE (US) — Engineers have documented how polymers—commonly found in wire insulation—breakdown when subjected to ever-increasing electric voltage. (more…)
Top Stories - Feb 1, 2011 12:40 - 0 Comments
Armor protects drug-releasing polymers
U. WARWICK (UK) — Chemists have figured out a way to add armor protection to polymer vesicles designed to carry a drug payload. (more…)
Science & Technology - Jan 31, 2011 11:21 - 0 Comments
Mussels reveal how to stick to it
U. CHICAGO (US) — Taking a cue from mussels, scientists have created a synthetic sticky substance for use as an adhesive or coating for underwater machinery, in biomedical settings as a surgical adhesive, or as a bonding agent for implants. (more…)
Science & Technology - Dec 8, 2010 19:53 - 0 Comments
Coated solar cells soak up more light
IOWA STATE (US) — Polymer solar cells that absorb more light—and are therefore more efficient—are now possible thanks to a new fabrication technology. (more…)
Science & Technology - Aug 27, 2010 12:22 - 0 Comments
Stretched polymer snaps back smaller
DUKE (US)—Crazy Bands are cool because no matter how long they’ve been stretched around a kid’s wrist, they return to their original shape. But when chemists stretch a springy polymer molecule, it snaps back much smaller than it was before. (more…)
Science & Technology - Aug 25, 2010 13:05 - 2 Comments
Grafts yield patterned nano-brushes
DUKE (US)—Engineers have developed a novel approach to synthesize miniscule bristles known as nano-brushes, which are currently being used in biologic sensors and microscopic devices, such as microcantilevers. (more…)
Science & Technology - Jul 19, 2010 11:09 - 0 Comments
Twisted crystals unravel as they grow
NYU (US)—Scientists from the U.S. and Russia have created crystals that can twist and untwist, pointing to a much more varied process of crystal growth than previously thought. (more…)
