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Category: engineering – Page 47

Morphable materials: Researchers coax nanoparticles to reconfigure themselves

A view into how nanoscale building blocks can rearrange into different organized structures on command is now possible with an approach that combines an electron microscope, a small sample holder with microscopic channels, and computer simulations, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Michigan and Indiana University.

The approach could eventually enable smart materials and coatings that can switch between different optical, mechanical and electronic properties.

“One of my favorite examples of this phenomenon in nature is in chameleons,” said Tobias Dwyer, U-M doctoral student in chemical engineering and co-first author of the study published in Nature Chemical Engineering (“Engineering and direct imaging of nanocube self-assembly pathways”). “Chameleons change color by altering the spacing between nanocrystals in their skin. The dream is to design a dynamic and multifunctional system that can be as good as some of the examples that we see in biology.”

New statistical mechanics formula suggests urban street networks and building density shape severity of floods

Cities around the globe are experiencing increased flooding due to the compounding effects of stronger storms in a warming climate and urban growth. New research from the University of California, Irvine suggests that urban form, specifically the building density and street network of a neighborhood, is also affecting the intensity of flooding.

For a paper published today in Nature Communications, researchers in UC Irvine’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering turned to statistical mechanics to generate a new formula allowing to more easily assess flood risks presented by land development changes.

Co-author Mohammad Javad Abdolhosseini Qomi, UC Irvine associate professor of civil and environmental engineering who holds a joint appointment in UC Irvine’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering, said that he and his colleagues were inspired by how physicists study intricate systems such as disordered porous solids, glasses and complex fluids to develop universal theories that can explain city-to-city variations in flood hazards.

New technique prints metal oxide thin film circuits at room temperature

Researchers have demonstrated a technique for printing thin metal oxide films at room temperature, and have used the technique to create transparent, flexible circuits that are both robust and able to function at high temperatures.

The paper, “Ambient Printing of Native Oxides for Ultrathin Transparent Flexible Circuit Boards,” was published August 15 in the journal Science.

“Creating metal oxides that are useful for electronics has traditionally required making use of specialized equipment that is slow, expensive, and operates at high temperatures,” says Michael Dickey, co-corresponding author of a paper on the work and the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at North Carolina State University.

Huge Lake on Mars // Fate of Milkdromeda // Hope for VIPER Rover

Vast amounts of water found on Mars, but there’s a catch, Milky Way and Andromeda might not merge after all, a planet found before it gets destroyed, and an easier way to terraform Mars.

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00:00 Intro.
00:16 Water found on Mars.
02:55 Huge lake on Mars.
04:20 Terraforming Mars.
08:05 VIPER might be saved.
09:38 Milkdromeda might not be happening.
10:53 Vote results.
11:28 Planet on the verge of destruction.
13:09 New way of detecting supermassive black holes.
14:21 Vera Rubin’s secondary mirror.
15:40 More space news.
16:11 Livestreams and Q\&A

Host: Fraser Cain.

Continue reading “Huge Lake on Mars // Fate of Milkdromeda // Hope for VIPER Rover” | >

Researchers Develop Innovative Battery Recycling Method

A research team at Rice University led by James Tour, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Professor of Chemistry and professor of materials science and nanoengineering, is tackling the environmental issue of efficiently recycling lithium ion batteries amid their increasing use.

The team has pioneered a new method to extract purified active materials from battery waste as detailed in the journal Nature Communications on July 24. Their findings have the potential to facilitate the effective separation and recycling of valuable battery materials at a minimal fee, contributing to a greener production of electric vehicles (EVs).

“With the surge in battery use, particularly in EVs, the need for developing sustainable recycling methods is pressing,” Tour said.

Engineering Toxoplasma gondii secretion systems for intracellular delivery of multiple large therapeutic proteins to neurons

Bracha et al.

Toxoplasma gondii culture and maintenance.

Type I RH and type II Pru and ME49 strain T. gondii were grown in HFF in high-glucose Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium (DMEM) supplemented with 4 mM l-glutamine, 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and 1% penicillin/streptomycin or 20 μg ml−1 gentamicin antibiotics (‘complete DMEM’) at 37 °C with 5% CO2. Cultures were monitored daily and T. gondii were passaged by transferring 1–3 drops (20–100 μl) of the supernatant of a lysed dish (containing extracellular parasites) into a fresh dish with confluent HFF cells. Type I RH and type II Pru strains were validated by PCR–restriction-fragment length polymorphism (primers described in Supplementary Table 1)81 or by passage into Cre Reporter cell lines to confirm Cre recombination as previously described16.

Intuitive Machines seeks to take over NASA’s VIPER lunar rover

Intuitive Machines reported revenue of $41.4 million in the second quarter, more than double the $18 million the company reported in the same quarter of 2023. It had an operating loss of $28.2 million in the quarter, also more than double the $13.2 million operating loss it reported in the same quarter a year ago.

The company attributed the increase in revenue to new work, such as a NASA engineering services contract that started late last year as well as initial work on a Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services contract the company received in April.

The increased losses came from what Steve Vontur, chief financial officer, described as “non-cash impacts” to modifications to its next two lunar lander missions, IM-2 and IM-3, both flying payloads for NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program.

New genetically engineered wood can store carbon and reduce emissions

Researchers at the University of Maryland genetically modified poplar trees to produce high-performance, structural wood without the use of chemicals or energy-intensive processing. Made from traditional wood, engineered wood is often seen as a renewable replacement for traditional building materials like steel, cement, glass and plastic. It also has the potential to store carbon for a longer time than traditional wood because it can resist deterioration, making it useful in efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

But the hurdle to true sustainability in engineered wood is that it requires processing with volatile chemicals and a significant amount of energy, and produces considerable waste. The researchers edited one gene in live poplar trees, which then grew wood ready for engineering without processing.

The research was published online on August 12, 2024, in the Journal Matter.

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