An international research group has improved graphene’s ability to catalyze the “hydrogen evolution reaction,” which releases hydrogen as a result of passing an electronic current through water. They designed a mathematically predicted graphene electrocatalyst, and confirmed its performance using high resolution electrochemical microscopy and computational modelling. The findings were published in the journal Advanced Science.…
Displacement Sensor Developed to Measure Gravity of Smallest Source Mass Ever
One of the most unknown phenomena in modern physics is gravity. Its measurement and laws remain somewhat of an enigma. Researchers at Tohoku University have revealed important information about a new aspect of the nature of gravity by probing the smallest mass-scale. Professor Nobuyuki Matsumoto has led a team of researchers to develop a gravity…
New Algorithm Optimizes Quantum Computing Problem-solving
Tohoku University researchers have developed an algorithm that enhances the ability of a Canadian-designed quantum computer to more efficiently find the best solution for complicated problems, according to a study published in the journal Scientific Reports. Quantum computing takes advantage of the ability of subatomic particles to exist in more than one state at the same…
Precision Sensor Delves Deep into Fingerprints
A fingerprint can serve as identification to access locked doors and more, but current scanners can be duped with fake or even similar fingerprints. That may change soon, thanks to a collaborative research team based in Japan. The group has developed a new proximity capacitance imaging sensor that has such high sensitivity and resolution, a…
Same Properties, Lower Cost—Copper-Based Alternative for Next-Generation Electronics
Japanese scientists have developed a technique to transform a copper-based substance into a material that mimics properties of precious and pricey metals such as gold and silver. The new medium, made of copper nanoparticles (very small copper-based structures) has promising applications in the production of electronic devices that would otherwise depend on expensive gold and…
New Materials for High-Voltage Supercapacitors
A research team led by Tohoku University in Japan has developed new materials for supercapacitors with higher voltage and better stability than other materials. Their research was recently published in the journal Energy and Environmental Science. Supercapacitors are rechargeable energy storage devices with a broad range of applications, from machinery to smart meters. They offer…
Plasma Thruster: New Space Debris Removal Technology
The Earth is currently surrounded by debris launched into space over several decades. This space junk can collide with satellites, causing damage and creating more debris. To preserve a secure space environment, the active removal or de-orbiting of space debris is an emergent technological challenge. If remedial action is not taken in the near future,…
Researchers Identify a Metal That Withstands Ultra-High Temperature and Pressure
Japanese scientists have identified a metal able to stand up to constant forces in ultrahigh temperature, offering promising applications including in aircraft jet engines and gas turbines for electric power generation. The first-of-its-kind study, published in Nature’s open access journal Scientific Reports in July 2018, describes a titanium carbide (TiC)-reinforced, molybdenum-silicon-boron (Mo-Si-B)-based alloy, or MoSiBTiC, whose high-temperature…
Treating Dementia With the Healing Waves of Sound
Ultrasound waves applied to the whole brain improve cognitive dysfunction in mice with conditions simulating vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. The research, conducted by scientists at Tohoku University in Japan, suggests that this type of therapy may also benefit humans. The team, led by cardiologist Hiroaki Shimokawa, found that applying low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) to…
Spintronics Reach a Breakthrough
Researchers at Tohoku University in Japan have discovered a switch to control the spin current, a mechanism needed for information processing with full spin-based devices. This is significant because although the technology behind detecting and generating the spin current has been established for some time, a long-missing component in the history of spintronics has been…
Silicon Chip Manipulation Technique Reshapes Drug Tests
Tohoku University researchers have improved on currently available methods for screening drugs for heart-related side effects. The method involves fabricating a tiny hole in a silicon chip over which lipid membranes, similar to those that surround cells, are encouraged to grow. An ion channel is then synthesized separately and knocked into the membrane during centrifugation.…
Graphene Stacks Up
Researchers in Japan have found a way to form two materials, each made of three layers of graphene. Each material’s graphene is stacked differently and has unique electrical properties. Their work has implications for the development of novel electronic devices, such as photo sensors that convert light into electrical energy. In 2004, two scientists realized…
Ultralow Power Consumption for Data Recording
A team of researchers at Tohoku University, in collaboration with the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) and Hanyang University, has developed new phase change material which has electrical characteristics that behave differently to those of conventional materials. This new material allows a drastic reduction in power consumption for data-recording in non-volatile…
A Visual Database of Human Plasma Compounds
Researchers in Japan have created a database of metabolites from blood samples collected from over 5,000 Japanese volunteers, making it freely available online as a valuable resource for researchers around the world. Metabolites and proteins control many of the processes inside our bodies, and also inform the interaction between our cells and their surroundings. Understanding…
Understanding How Electrons Turn To Glass
Researchers at Tohoku University have gained new insight into the electronic processes that guide the transformation of liquids into a solid crystalline or glassy state. The ability of some liquids to transition into glass has been exploited since ancient times. But many fundamental aspects of this transition phase are far from understood. Better understanding could…
Semitransparent, Flexible Solar Cells Made from Atomically Thin Sheet
Researchers at Tohoku University have developed an innovative method for fabricating semitransparent and flexible solar cells with atomically thin 2D materials. The new technology improves power conversion efficiency of up to 0.7 percent — this is the highest value for solar cells made from transparent 2D sheet materials. Transparent or semi-transparent solar cells with excellent…
Reproducing Retinal Disease on a Chip
Large Volcanic Eruption May Have Caused the First Mass Extinction
Researchers in the USA and Japan say they may have found the cause of the first mass extinction of life. There have been five mass extinctions since the divergent evolution of early animals 600 -450 million years ago (Figure 1). The cause of the third and fourth was volcanic activity, while an asteroid impact led…
UV Sensor for Wearables
Mass production technology for silicon based ultraviolet (UV) light sensors, suitable for smartphones and wearable devices in the Internet of Things (IoT) era, has been jointly developed by a research team at Tohoku University and SII Semiconductor Corp., a semiconductor manufacturer at Seiko Instruments Group. In recent years, there’s been growing interest within the healthcare…
MicroRNAs Shown to Improve Hyperglycemia
A study by Tokohu University researchers has identified two new types of microRNA (miRNA) that improved hyperglycemia in a mouse model of diabetes by stimulating the proliferation of insulin-producing pancreatic beta (β) cells. This is a key finding that may lead to the development of new diabetes treatment strategies. First discovered in the 1990s, miRNAs…