Polymer breakthrough inspired by trees and ancient Celtic Knots
Last update Polymer breakthrough inspired by trees and ancient Celtic Knots, May 22, 2013
Polymers news
Nanocoating helps fight furniture fires without toxic flame retardants
Scaled-down 'memory' polymer holds key to stronger and smarter mesoscopic materials
Polymer platform technology innovates drug delivery
Accidental discovery may lead to improved polymers
Evolutionary oomph: Researchers describe way to create synthetic polymers using genetic coding in DNA
Bioglass helping to mend bones
Revolutionary atmospheric-pressure plasma boosts adhesion of polymer films for roll-to-roll solar-cell production
Polymer coating could be breakthrough in diagnostic technology
First success in real time observation of process of solubilization of CNT by polymer
Targeting treatment: Research aims to improve personal care, medicinal products
Light makes pores bigger: Photo-growth of pores in a polymer gel network
Polymer film that gradually releases DNA coding for viral proteins could offer better alternative to vaccines
Team achieves more efficient gas separations using new polymer that selectively sieves gas molecules
Biopolymer: Designer interfaces between biological and artificial systems
New biomaterial gets 'sticky' with stem cells
Scientists image the molecular structure of polymer blends
Need to filter water? Fight infection? Just open package, mix polymers
Dartmouth research pursues problematic polymers
Computer memory could increase fivefold from advances in self-assembling polymers
Improving lithium battery performance
A step toward stronger polymers: Counting loops that weaken materials could help researchers eliminate structural flaws
Increasing glycopolymer-based drug delivery success
Newly developed synthetic mat could one day cool buildings
NASA researchers replace silica with polymers to create more flexible aerogels
Quantum dot LED approaches theoretical maximum efficiency
May 14, 2013
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Errors on Viking sun compass hint at alternative purpose
Apr 30, 2013
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Scaling up polymer blobs
Scientists use simulations to test the limits of their object of study—in this case thin films of polymers—to extremes of scale. In a study about to be published in the European Physical Journal E, Nava S ...
Breakthrough in kitchen furniture production: Biocomposites challenge chipboard
Biocomposites challenge chipboard as furniture material. Researchers at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland have developed a kitchen furniture framework material from plastic polymers reinforced with natural fibre. The ...
New composite nanofibers next chapter in orthopaedic biomaterials
Bioengineered replacements for tendons, ligaments, the meniscus of the knee, and other tissues require re-creation of the exquisite architecture of these tissues in three dimensions. These fibrous, collagen-based ...
Researchers create carbon dioxide-separating polymer
(Phys.org) -- Carbon dioxide is the primary greenhouse gas emitted through human activities, such as the combustion of fossil fuels for energy and transportation, and it is widely accepted that it is one of the primary greenhouse ...
Anchoring points determine fate of stem cells
(Phys.org) -- Researchers were positive: a substrate’s softness influences the behaviour of stem cells in culture. Now other researchers have made a new discovery: the number of anchoring points to which ...
Tests find Rossi's E-Cat has an energy density at least 10 times higher than any conventional energy source
(Phys.org) —In the ongoing saga of Andrea Rossi's energy catalyzer (E-Cat) that promises clean, cheap power for the world, the latest events continue to bring as many questions as answers. Several scient ...
Controlling mood through the motions of mitochondria
(Medical Xpress)—Regulating the distribution of power in neurons is done by a system that makes the national electric grid look simple by comparison. Each neuron has several thousand mitochondria confined ...
Gold nanocrystal vibration captured on billion-frames-per-second film (w/ video)
A billon-frames-per-second film has captured the vibrations of gold nanocrystals in stunning detail for the first time.
Accurate distance measurement resolves major astronomical mystery
(Phys.org) —Sometimes astronomy is like real estate—what's important is location, location, and location. Astronomers have resolved a major problem in their understanding of a class of stars that undergo ...
A quantum simulator for magnetic materials
Physicists understand perfectly well why a fridge magnet sticks to certain metallic surfaces. But there are more exotic forms of magnetism whose properties remain unclear, despite decades of intense research. ...
A hidden population of exotic neutron stars
(Phys.org) —Magnetars – the dense remains of dead stars that erupt sporadically with bursts of high-energy radiation - are some of the most extreme objects known in the Universe. A major campaign using ...
Motion quotient: IQ predicted by ability to filter motion (w/ video)
A brief visual task can predict IQ, according to a new study. This surprisingly simple exercise measures the brain's unconscious ability to filter out visual movement. The study shows that individuals whose ...
Researcher admits mistakes in stem cell study
A blockbuster study in which US researchers reported that they had turned human skin cells into embryonic stem cells contained errors, its lead author has acknowledged. ...
Google Drive sports new view and scan enhancements
(Phys.org) —Google Drive has a new look and functions. The makeover in Google Drive features scanning and interface enhancements that put the user into "card" mode. The enhancements make it easy for the ...
Hubble reveals the ring nebula's true shape
(Phys.org) —The Ring Nebula's distinctive shape makes it a popular illustration for astronomy books. But new observations by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope of the glowing gas shroud around an old, dying, ...
Researchers develop way to strengthen proteins with polymers
Proteins are widely used as drugs — insulin for diabetics is the best known example — and as reagents in research laboratories, but they react poorly to fluctuations in temperature and are known to degrade in storage.
Untangling the mysteries of spider silk
Spiders weave a web even more tangled than originally thought – at least on the nanoscale level, according to a new study performed at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory.
Bio-inspired polymer synthesis enhances structure control
A new bio-inspired approach to synthesising polymers will offer unprecedented control over the final polymer structure and yield advances in nanomedicine, researchers say.
Emerging theoretical framework may guide researchers through the complex world of multiblock polymers
(Phys.org) -- Thanks to advances in polymer chemistry and a wide variety of monomer constituents to choose from, the world of multiblock polymers is wide open. These polymers can result in an astonishing array ...
Battery cathode made of waste byproducts from paper industry promises sustainable energy storage
A breakthrough for inexpensive electricity from solar cells, and a massive investment in wind power, will mean a need to store energy in an intelligent way. According to research at Linköping University (Sweden), published ...
Process makes polymers truly plastic
Just as a chameleon changes its color to blend in with its environment, Duke University engineers have demonstrated for the first time that they can alter the texture of plastics on demand, for example, switching ...
New way to shape thin gel sheets proposed
Inspired by nature's ability to shape a petal, and building on simple techniques used in photolithography and printing, researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have developed a new tool for ...
Japan scientist makes violin strings from spider silk
A Japanese scientist said he has made violin strings out of spider silk and claims that -- in the right hands -- they produce a beautiful sound.
Scientists develop cheaper, more efficient fuel cells
(Phys.org) —Using the Canadian Light Source (CLS) synchrotron, researchers have discovered a way to create cheaper fuel cells by dividing normally expensive platinum metal into nanoparticles (or even single ...
Solar Kettle allows for boiling water off the grid
(Phys.org) —A company called Contemporary Energy has unveiled a new device it calls the Solar Kettle. It looks very much like a normal coffee thermos, but has flaps on one side that open to allow for collecting ...
NASA head views progress on asteroid lasso mission
Surrounded by engineers, NASA chief Charles Bolden inspected a prototype spacecraft engine that could power an audacious mission to lasso an asteroid and tow it closer to Earth for astronauts to explore.
Scotland to deploy largest hydro-electric wave energy farm to date (w/ video)
(Phys.org) —Fergus Ewing, Scotland's energy minister, has announced plans for the deployment of 40 to 50 Oyster hydro-electric wave devices off the country's northwestern shore. The new facility will be ...
Scientists offer first definitive proof of bacteria-feeding behavior in green algae
A team of researchers has captured images of green alga consuming bacteria, offering a glimpse at how early organisms dating back more than 1 billion years may have acquired free-living photosynthetic cells. ...
Weird science: Crystals melt when they're cooled
(Phys.org) —Growing thin films out of nanoparticles in ordered, crystalline sheets, to make anything from microelectronic components to solar cells, would be a boon for materials researchers, but the physics ...
Reforestation study shows trade-offs between water, carbon and timber
More than 13,000 ships per year, carrying more than 284 million tons of cargo, transit the Panama Canal each year, generating roughly $1.8 billion dollars in toll fees for the Panama Canal Authority. Each time a ship passes ...
Professor argues Earth's mantle affects long-term sea-level rise estimates
From Virginia to Florida, there is a prehistoric shoreline that, in some parts, rests more than 280 feet above modern sea level. The shoreline was carved by waves more than 3 million years ago—possible ...
Engineers pioneer flat spray-on optical lens
A University of British Columbia engineer and a team of U.S. researchers have made a breakthrough utilizing spray-on technology that could revolutionize the way optical lenses are made and used.
University of Illinois biophysicists measure mechanism that determines fate of living cells
(Phys.org) —New tension gauge tether (TGT) laboratory method developed at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has broad applications for research into stem cells, cancer, infectious disease, ...
Cradle turns smartphone into handheld biosensor
(Phys.org) —Researchers and physicians in the field could soon run on-the-spot tests for environmental toxins, medical diagnostics, food safety and more with their smartphones.
New filtration material could make petroleum refining cheaper, more efficient
A newly synthesized material might provide a dramatically improved method for separating the highest-octane components of gasoline. Measurements at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) ...
Ferrets, pigs susceptible to H7N9 avian influenza virus
Chinese and U.S. scientists have used virus isolated from a person who died from H7N9 avian influenza infection to determine whether the virus could infect and be transmitted between ferrets. Ferrets are often used as a mammalian ...
Multiple research teams unable to confirm high-profile Alzheimer's study
Teams of highly respected Alzheimer's researchers failed to replicate what appeared to be breakthrough results for the treatment of this brain disease when they were published last year in the journal Science.
Review: Google music plan solid, serendipitous
Google's new music service offers a lot of eye candy to go with the tunes. The song selection of around 18 million tracks is comparable to popular services such as Spotify and Rhapsody, and a myriad of playlists ...
Bittersweet: Bait-averse cockroaches shudder at sugar
Sugar isn't always sweet to German cockroaches, especially to the ones that avoid roach baits. In a study published May 24 in the journal Science, North Carolina State University entomologists show the ne ...
Smart, self-healing hydrogels open new possibilities in medicine, engineering
University of California, San Diego bioengineers have developed a self-healing hydrogel that binds in seconds, as easily as Velcro, and forms a bond strong enough to withstand repeated stretching. The material ...
Squeezing polymers produces chemical energy but raises doubts about implant safety
A polymer is a mesh of chains, which slowly break over time due to the pressure from ordinary wear and tear. When a polymer is squeezed, the pressure breaks chemical bonds and produces free radicals: ions with unpaired electrons, ...
The future of manmade materials
(PhysOrg.com) -- There's nothing ordinary about the materials being designed in the Stupp Laboratory at Northwestern University. Many of the futuristic fibers, films, gels, coatings and putty-like substances have led to important ...
Ordered planar polymers created for the first time
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists under the direction of ETH Zurich have created a minor sensation in synthetic chemistry. They succeeded for the first time in producing regularly ordered planar polymers that form ...
Understanding properties of polyelectrolytes gives control over responsive polymer microstructures
Polymer films that undergo nanoscale structural transformations in response to external stimuli are key components of devices like biosensors and artificial membranes. One of the best materials for manufacturing ...
Scientists discover molecule triggers sensation of itch
Scientists at the National Institutes of Health report they have discovered in mouse studies that a small molecule released in the spinal cord triggers a process that is later experienced in the brain as ...
Brain uses internal 'average voice' prototype to identify who is talking
(Medical Xpress)—The human brain is able to identify individuals' voices by comparing them against an internal 'average voice' prototype, according to neuroscientists.
Economic incentives increase blood donation without negative consequences
Can economic incentives such as gift cards, T-shirts, and time off from work motivate members of the public to increase their donations of blood?
White tiger mystery solved
White tigers today are only seen in zoos, but they belong in nature, say researchers reporting new evidence about what makes those tigers white. Their spectacular white coats are produced by a single change ...
Submerged structure stumps Israeli archaeologists
The massive circular structure appears to be an archaeologists dream: a recently discovered antiquity that could reveal secrets of ancient life in the Middle East and is just waiting to be excavated.
Antibiotics: A new understanding of sulfonamide nervous system side effects
Since the discovery of Prontosil in 1932, sulfonamide antibiotics have been used to combat a wide spectrum of bacterial infections, from acne to chlamydia and pneumonia. However, their side effects can include serious neurological ...
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