Materials

Organic photovoltaics (OPVs) are a promising, economical, next-generation solar cell technology for scalable clean energy and wearable electronics. But the energy conversion loss due to the recombination of photogenerated charge carriers in OPVs has hindered further enhancement of their power conversion efficiency (PCE). Recently, researchers from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) overcame this obstacle by inventing a novel device-engineering strategy to successfully suppress the energy conversion loss, resulting in record-breaking efficiency.

Everyday electronics, such as our phones, employ surface acoustic wave devices for frequency filtering and sensing. But this consumes a lot of energy, serving as a drain on battery life. Now, a team of researchers has developed a new acoustic waveguide based on the mathematical concept of topology, which will help alleviate this problem.

The Kailasanatha Temple at Ellora is the largest monolithic rock-cut monument in the world. Considered to represent the victory of its patrons, the Rashtrakuta Dynasty, over the Chalukyas, the temple is widely considered remarkable for its size, standing at 32 metres high and 78 metres long.

A research group, at the Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Engineering, has succeeded in measuring spin transport in a thin film of αNPD molecules—a material well-known in organic light emitting diodes—at room temperature. They found that this thin molecular film has a spin diffusion length of approximately 62 nm, a length that could have practical applications in developing spintronics technology. In addition, while electricity has been used to control spin transport in the past, the thin molecular film used in this study is photoconductive, allowing spin transport control using visible light.

Overeating mechanism: why "eating just one chip"🍟 is impossible, Measuring hidden energy of gamma-ray bursts, Marine species that can adapt to ocean acidification & A rough start can lead to a strong bond, Read all in our first Editor's Choice of 2023. Plus our interview on what dengue vaccine approval in EU💉means for global dengue protection.

The natural abilities of squid tissues and the creativity of chemists combine to take hydrogel research in new directions.

Controlling a material’s thermal conductivity can help insulate our homes, improve the performance of electronic devices, conserve power consumption in cars, and generate greater power efficiency. Now, a group of researchers has unveiled a novel mechanism that leads to further suppression of thermal conductivity in thermoelectric materials, something that will help develop new guidelines for producing high-performance thermoelectric materials.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are the growing trend of unique name pronunciations in Japan, an aquarium that can tell you about which fish you are looking at, and which professional baseballs are slipperiest.

Magnesium hydride has long been touted for its potential to store large amounts of hydrogen, something essential if hydrogen is to play a role in powering a sustainable future. Yet, sluggish dehydrogenation kinetics and the high temperature required to decompose and produce hydrogen from the material have stymied its use. Now, researchers have identified why this is so, paving the way for future design guidelines and widespread commercial use.

Scientists from five Asian universities, namely Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Charles Darwin University, National Defence University of Malaysia, and Newcastle University in Singapore have completed and published a comprehensive survey of the complex nature of natural fibre reinforcing composite materials.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are how mysterious enormous space bubbles are formed, how drinking sweet drinks might contribute to hair loss, and a synthetic tissue created to give pigs back their erectile function.

Rock-cut sculpture has independently arisen in various parts of the world, from subterranean structures in Malta in the Neolithic Period to tombs in ancient Egypt and the Phrygian kingdom in present-day Turkey. Read on to learn about India's earliest surviving examples of rock-cut sculpture.

- A joint research team led by DGIST Professor Kang Hong-gi and KIST Dr. Chung Seung-jun develops high-speed powerless photothermal effect temperature sensor technology using a transparent polymer thermoelectric material printing process - Opens up the possibility of direct high-resolution measurement of nano-photothermal phenomenon without interference of light, proposed for brain stimulation, cancer treatment, and ultra-fast PCR, etc.... Published online in ‘Materials Horizons’ in October

Clean hydrogen energy is a good alternative to fossil fuels and is critical for achieving carbon neutrality. Researchers around the world are looking for ways to enhance the efficiency and lower the cost of hydrogen production, particularly by improving the catalysts involved. Recently, a research team from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) developed a new, ultra-stable hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalyst, which is based on two-dimensional mineral gel nanosheets and does not contain any precious metals. The catalyst can be produced in large scale and can help achieve a lower hydrogen price in the future.

An international team of researchers has studied the heterostructures of layered antiferromagnets, painting a better picture of what happens when two different magnetic orders are combined.

There is a small area on the electromagnetic spectrum occupied by terahertz waves, where conventional electronic devices struggle to operate. Still, engineering devices that can take advantage of terahertz waves are crucial for the development of future wireless technology such as 6G and 7G. Using a graphene transistor, a research team has successfully detected terahertz waves with a fast response and high sensitivity at room temperature.

In baseball, even the smallest detail can tip the scales in favor of the batter or the pitcher. A recent publication has highlighted how rosin powder helps maintain a more constant friction when pitching, something that could bring about a fairer playing field in Major League Baseball.

Understanding how bats tolerate viral infections, Material separates water from...water, The virtual sense of touch polished to next level and COVID-19 negatively impacted early-careers and female researchers. Read all in the December's Editor's Choice.

Researchers at The University of Tokyo develop a simple but effective method of bonding polymers with galvanized steel, a material ubiquitous in the automobile industry, to cheaply and easily create a lightweight and durable product.

A research group at Osaka Metropolitan University has discovered that 2,5-distyrylpyrazine (DSP) crystals undergo a unique photoreaction. Normally, photoreactive color changes proceed uniformly throughout photomechanical molecular crystals, so that all parts of each crystal change color at the same time. However, when light shines evenly on a DSP crystal, the photoreaction propagates from edge to center, deviating from conventional photochemistry models. The group found that this phenomenon was caused by a surface effect and a cooperative effect, which make reactivity extremely high for molecules at the crystal’s edge and those adjacent to molecules that have already changed color.

Scientists from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia have reported a novel way to produce reinforced concrete materials using tin slag aggregates, which is a by-product of the smelting process. This way of producing concrete enables tin slag to become a useful material, as well as reducing the amount of natural resources used, which in turn contribute to reducing carbon footprint in the construction industry.

A new coating for tiny packages called liposomes could allow them to carry vaccines and drugs into and around the body more safely.

Quinine and various drugs based on its chemical structure have been used to treat malaria for centuries. But parasites resistant to antimalarial drugs are becoming apparent. To pave the way for future medicine development, an efficient way to synthesize quinine was needed. And now a research team from Tohoku University has achieved just that.

What if you could tell if your surroundings contained COVID-19 particles or droplets the moment they or you entered the vicinity? This is now closer to reality. A research group has engineered a battery-less, self-powering device that can wirelessly transmit the detection of coronavirus in the air.

Tin sulfide (SnS) solar cells have shown immense promise in the rush to develop more environmentally friendly thin-film solar cells. Yet for years SnS solar cells have struggled to achieve a high conversion efficiency. To overcome this, a SnS interface exhibiting large band bending was necessary, something a research group has recently achieved.

Machine learning and robotic process automation combine to speed up and simplify a process used to determine crystal structures.

Precise control of quantum systems, such as quantum computers, is of great importance for modern quantum science. One way this has been done is via spin echoes. A research group has discovered a new type of echo, labelling them “energy-band echoes.”

Scientists from 4 Asian universities, namely Sri Ramakrishna Engineering College, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, and Newcastle University in Singapore have reported a novel way to produce lightweight reinforced resin composite materials using clay particles with the potential to lower carbon emission, compared to conventional carbon particles.

Most metal and alloys possess a high elastic strain rate at the micro level. But this changes when they are in their bulk shape, as they are for everyday engineering applications. Now, a research group has developed a bulk copper-based alloy boasting the largest tensile elastic strain at room temperature to date.

Practised in only three countries in the world, the process of making double Ikat is intricate and demands a degree of mathematical precision while weaving the textile on the loom.