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Materials Science - Environment - 26.07.2017

Not air con, but a cooling curtain
Climate change is leading to ever higher temperatures and aridity in many areas, making efficient room cooling increasingly important.

Physics - Materials Science - 20.07.2017

Diving into magnets
First-time 3D imaging of internal magnetic patterns Magnets are found in motors, in energy production and in data storage. A deeper understanding of the basic properties of magnetic materials could therefore impact our everyday technology. A study by Scientists at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI in Switzerland, the ETH Zurich and the University of Glasgow has the potential to further this understanding.

Health - Materials Science - 13.07.2017

Testing a soft artificial heart
ETH researchers from the Functional Materials Laboratory have developed a silicone heart that beats almost like a human heart.

Materials Science - Microtechnics - 10.07.2017

Magic off the cuff
Moving things with a wave of the hand: thanks to Empa technology this dream could soon become real. A sensor made of piezo-resistive fibers integrated in a wristband measures wrist movements and converts them into electrical signals.

Environment - Materials Science - 05.07.2017

Concrete from wood
Researchers from the National Research Programme "Resource Wood" have developed a type of concrete that largely consists of wood. The building material offers the construction industry new possibilities and is based in large part on renewable resources. Houses can be made of wood, as they were in the past - or of concrete, as they are today.

Health - Materials Science - 04.07.2017

Bandage with a voice
A novel bandage alerts the nursing staff as soon as a wound starts healing badly. Sensors incorporated into the base material glow with a different intensity if the wound's pH level changes.

Physics - Materials Science - 26.06.2017

NAWI Graz researchers measure light fields in 3D
Researchers from TU Graz and the University of Graz present the new method of 3D-plasmon tomography in Nature Communications. Light as a carrier of information is indispensable to modern communication technology. The controlled manipulation of light quanta, so-called photons, form the basis for wireless transmission or data transfer in optical glass fibres.

Materials Science - Chemistry - 13.06.2017

Hard shell, hard core
Liquid lithium-ion rechargeable batteries are dangerous. They can leak or ignite rapidly if they become overheated.

Environment - Materials Science - 01.06.2017

Ultra-stable perovskite solar cell remains stable for over a year
EPFL scientists have built a low-cost and ultra-stable perovskite solar cell that has been running at 11.2% efficiency for over a year, without loss in performance.

Materials Science - Health - 30.05.2017

3D printer inks from the woods
Empa researchers have succeeded in developing an environmentally friendly ink for 3D printing based on cellulose nanocrystals.

Materials Science - Physics - 11.05.2017

Electrostatic design of materials: TU Graz demonstrates a fundamentally new approach
Researchers at the Institute of Solid State Physics map out a radically new approach for designing optical and electronic properties of materials in Advanced Materials. Computational materials design is traditionally used to improve and further develop already existing materials. Simulations grant a deep insight into the quantum mechanical effects which determine material properties.

Materials Science - Chemistry - 02.05.2017

Sodium and magnesium to replace lithium in batteries
Scientists have produced novel electrolytes for rechargeable sodium and magnesium batteries. The research group's objective was to develop alternatives to lithium-ion technology. A project supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) aims to find new materials which can be used in rechargeable batteries and eventually provide alternatives to the current lithium batteries.

Materials Science - Transport - 28.04.2017

When electric vehicles crash, what happens to the battery?
How EV batteries behave in detail during crash loads and what influence the previous life of the battery has on its safety is being investigated by TU Graz and partners in the K-project "SafeBattery". Further photographic material available at the end of this text. Safety, range and costs: these are the three big premises of electromobility.

Environment - Materials Science - 27.04.2017

Light can improve perovskite solar cell performance
Publishing in Nature, EPFL scientists show how light affects perovskite film formation in solar cells, which is a critical factor in using them for cost-effective and energy-efficient photovoltaics. Perovskites are materials of immense interest in solar energy technology lately, as they promise to bring down the cost of solar cells to very low levels.

Materials Science - Environment - 25.04.2017

A simplified fabrication process for high efficiency solar cells
A team of EPFL and CSEM researchers in Neuchâtel has featured in Nature Energy with an astonishing new method for the creation of crystalline solar cells. These cells have electrical contacts at the back, which removes all shadowing at the front. Thanks to this new inexpensive approach, the fabrication process is greatly simplified, with efficiencies in the laboratory already surpassing 23%.

Materials Science - Health - 19.04.2017

Gelatine instead of forearm
The characteristics of human skin are heavily dependent on the hydration of the tissue - in simple terms, the water content.

Physics - Materials Science - 13.04.2017

Shedding light on the absorption of light by titanium dioxide
EPFL scientists have uncovered the hidden properties of titanium dioxide, one of the most promising materials for light-conversion technology. Figure Caption : Lattice structure of anatase TiO 2 with a graphical representation of the 2D exciton that is generated by the absorption of light (purple wavy arrow).

Materials Science - Innovation - 10.04.2017

Modern construction using long-forgotten techniques
Researchers at ETH Zurich's Department of Architecture (D-ARCH) have developed a concrete floor system that does not require steel reinforcement and is 70 percent lighter than conventional concrete floors.

Physics - Materials Science - 04.04.2017

Platelets instead of quantum dots
A team of researchers led by ETH Zurich professor David Norris has developed a model to clarify the general mechanism of nanoplatelet formation. Using pyrite, they also managed to confirm their theory. Scientists have been researching luminous coloured quantum dots (QDs) since the 1980s. These nanocrystals are now part of our everyday lives: the electronics industry uses them in LCD televisions to enhance colour reproduction and image quality.

Physics - Materials Science - 22.03.2017

Ultrafast measurements explain quantum dot voltage drop
Solar cells and photodetectors could soon be made from new types of materials based on semiconductor quantum dots. "Our latest ultrafast electro-optical spectroscopy studies provide unprecedented insights into the photophysics of quantum dots," said lead researcher Victor Klimov.