The creation of membranes is of enormous importance in biology, but also in many chemical applications developed by humans. These membranes are shaped spontaneously when soap-like molecules in water join together. Researchers at Eindhoven University of Technology now have a clear picture of the entire process. Membrane formation turns out to start with nano-droplets in…
Next Generation Photonic Memory Devices Are Light-written, Ultrafast and Energy Efficient
Light is the most energy-efficient way of moving information. Yet, light shows one big limitation: it is difficult to store. As a matter of fact, data centers rely primarily on magnetic hard drives. However, in these hard drives, information is transferred at an energy cost that is nowadays exploding. Researchers of the Institute of Photonic…
Innovative Low-energy Nanolaser Shines in All Directions
Researchers in Eindhoven have developed a new type of low-energy, nanoscale laser that shines in all directions. The key to its omnidirectional light emission is the introduction of something that is usually highly undesirable in nanotechnology: irregularities in the materials. The researchers foresee a vast range of potential applications, but first they hope their fundamental…
Epilepsy Warning Sensor Aims to Save Lives
A new high-tech bracelet, developed by scientists from the Netherlands, detects 85 percent of all severe nighttime epilepsy seizures. That is a much better score than any other technology currently available. The researchers involved think that this bracelet can reduce the worldwide number of unexpected nighttime fatalities in epilepsy patients. They published the results of…
New Catalyst Opens Door to Carbon Dioxide Capture in Conversion of Coal to Liquid Fuels
World energy consumption projections predict that coal will remain one of the world’s main energy sources in coming decades, and a growing share of it will be used in CTL, the conversion of coal to liquid fuels. Researchers from the National Institute of Clean-and-Low-Carbon Energy in Beijing and Eindhoven University of Technology have developed iron-based…
Glow-in-the-dark Paper Performs Quick Diagnostic Test
Researchers from Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) and Keio University have presented a practicable and reliable way to test for infectious diseases. All you need are a special glowing paper strip, a drop of blood, and a digital camera, as they write in the scientific journal Angewandte Chemie. Not only does this make the technology…
Micro-Spectrometer Offers a Wealth of New Smartphone Functions
‘The Dark Side’ of Quantum Computers
‘Nano-Hashtags’ Could Provide Definite Proof of Majorana Particles
In Nature an international team of researchers from Eindhoven University of Technology, Delft University of Technology and the University of California – Santa Barbara presents an advanced quantum chip that will be able to provide definitive proof of the mysterious Majorana particles. These particles, first demonstrated in 2012, are their own antiparticle at one and the same time. The…
Producing Fertilizer from Air Could Be Five Times as Efficient
African farmers who are able to produce their own fertilizer from only air. Bhaskar S. Patil brings this prospect closer with a revolutionary reactor that coverts nitrogen from the atmosphere into NOx, the raw material for fertilizer. His method, in theory, is up to five times as efficient as existing processes, enabling farms to have…
Wi-fi on Rays of Light: 100 Times Faster, and Never Overloaded
DNA Computer Brings ‘Intelligent Drugs’ A Step Closer
Artificial Leaf as Mini-Factory for Drugs
Artificial Leaf Functions as Mini Medicine Factory
Imagine being able to produce medicine sustainably and cheaply, anywhere you want … whether in the middle of the jungle or even on Mars. A “mini-factory” where sunlight can be captured to make chemical products. Inspired by the art of nature where leaves are able to collect enough sunlight to produce food, chemical engineers at…
Quick, Safe Metal Decontamination Solvent Developed
The solvents currently used to remove specific metals from water all have disadvantages: safety risks are high, the process is slow, and they are expensive or not very environmentally friendly. Researchers at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) have now produced a new type of solvent that is especially quick, safe, easy to make, cheap and…
Innovative Plastic Material Oscillates Spontaneously in Sunlight
Place this thin layer of plastic in the sun and it begins to oscillate irregularly all by itself. Now, researchers from Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) and the Humboldt University in Berlin present this material — the first that moves spontaneously under the influence of daylight — in the journal Nature Communications. According to the…