Max Planck Society

Graphene and metal nitrides improve the performance and stability of energy storage devices Supercapacitors can be charged and discharged tens of thousands of times, but their relatively low energy density compared to conventional batteries limits their application for energy storage. Now, A*STAR researchers have developed an ‘asymmetric’ supercapacitor based on metal nitrides and graphene that

For years, the process remained relatively static: PC makers like Hewlett-Packard and Apple, with well-staffed research labs and design departments, would dream up their next product and then hire a Chinese or Taiwanese fabricator to manufacture the largest number of units at the lowest possible cost. But lately, this traditional division of labor has been

Research at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute develops mass spectrometry for general use Customs officials want to detect contraband. Doctors want to know how quickly a patient is metabolizing a therapeutic drug. And suppliers of organic products, from nutritional supplements to honey, want to know their raw materials are pure. Each case calls for mass spectrometry –

Concrete is the most prevalent building material on the planet, and though the world would be pretty flat without it (not many tall buildings and structures), it does come at a price – around 5-8 percent of all human-generated atmospheric CO2 comes from the concrete industry. A culprit is Portland cement, the binding agent in

Winning the prize will mean I can develop and test the Airdrop system   Edward Linacre won the 2011 James Dyson Award for his Airdrop irrigation system, designed after an inspirational beetle Following one of Australia’s worst droughts in decades, 27-year-old Edward Linacre set out to create an irrigation system to help farmers in dried-out

A synthetic material which mimics the brightest and most vivid colours in nature, and changes colour when twisted or stretched, has been developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge, and could have important applications in the security, textile and sensing industries. Instead of through pigments, these ‘polymer opals’ get their colour from their internal

The final version of the Yellow Jacket case is expected retail for US$125 When former military police officer Seth Froom became the victim of an armed robbery it prompted him to create one of the most interesting iPhone cases to hit the market to date. This case, known as the Yellow Jacket, not only offers

Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory study potential of drag-reducing devices on semi-trucks to conserve billions of gallons, save tens of billions of dollars and spare tens of millions of tons of CO2 Each year, the more than 2 million tractor-trailer trucks that cruise America’s highways consume about 36 billion gallons of diesel fuel, representing

Scientists are reporting development of an advanced lithium-ion battery that is ideal for powering the electric vehicles now making their way into dealer showrooms. The new battery can store large amounts of energy in a small space and has a high rate capacity, meaning it can provide current even in extreme temperatures. A report on