Miniaturization is the watchword of progress. Nanoscience, studying structures on the scale of a few atoms, has been at the forefront of chemistry for some time now. Recently, researchers at the University of Tokyo developed the new strategy to construct sub-nanosized metal aggregates, building up small metal clusters into grander 3-D architectures. Their creations could…
Light Up Logic: Engineers Perform Computational Logic With Light
For the first time, researchers performed logic operations—the basis of computation—with a chemical device using electric fields and ultraviolet light. The device and the pioneering methods used open up research possibilities including low-power, high-performance computer chips. Computers need an upgrade. From smartwatches to data centers, all computers feature similar kinds of components, including processors and…
Nanometer-Sized Tubes Created from Simple Benzene Molecules
For the first time, researchers used benzene—a common hydrocarbon—to create a novel kind of molecular nanotube, which could lead to new nanocarbon-based semiconductor applications. Researchers from the Department of Chemistry have been hard at work in their recently renovated lab in the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Science. The pristine environment and smart layout…
Wireless Charger Can Easily Be Cut to Shape
Researchers from the University of Tokyo have developed a new system to charge electronic devices such as smartphones and smartwatches wirelessly. The method involves a cuttable, flexible power transfer sheet which charges devices wirelessly and can be molded or even cut with scissors to fit different-shaped surfaces and objects (Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive,…
Delicate Sensor Monitors Heart Cells with Minimal Disruption
For the first time, engineers have demonstrated an electronic device to closely monitor beating heart cells without affecting their behavior. A collaboration between the University of Tokyo, Tokyo Women’s Medical University and RIKEN in Japan produced a functional sample of heart cells with a soft nanomesh sensor in direct contact with the tissue. This device…
Little Star Sheds Light on Young Planets
Astronomers from the Department of Physics at the University of Tokyo discovered a dense disk of material around a young star, which may be a precursor to a planetary system. Their research could vastly improve models of how solar systems form, which would tell us more about our own place in the cosmos. Early in…
New Ultrathin Electronic Film Inspired by Cell Membrane
Japanese researchers have developed a new method to build large areas of semiconductive material that is just two molecules thick and a total of 4.4 nanometers tall. The films function as thin film transistors, and have potential future applications in flexible electronics or chemical detectors. These thin film transistors are the first example of semiconductive…
Breathable, Wearable Electronics Provide Long-Term Health Monitoring
A hypoallergenic electronic sensor can be worn on the skin continuously for a week without discomfort, and is so light and thin that users forget they even have it on, says a group of researchers at the University of Tokyo and their collaborators. The elastic electrode constructed of breathable nanoscale meshes holds promise for the…
Breathable, Wearable Electronics on Skin for Long-term Health Monitoring
A hypoallergenic electronic sensor can be worn on the skin continuously for a week without discomfort, and is so light and thin that users forget they even have it on, says a Japanese group of scientists. The elastic electrode constructed of breathable nanoscale meshes holds promise for the development of noninvasive e-skin devices that can…