http://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. (Phys.org) —Chemical researchers D K Abdullah and Ahmad Shamsuri of University Putra Malaysia have found a way to synthesize vanillin from sawdust in an environmentally friendly way. In their paper they've uploaded to the preprint server arXiv, the two describe how they used an ionic liquid to dissolve lignin found in rubber tree sawdust to produce vanillin. http://phys.org/news290852606.html Chemistry Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:00:01 EST news290852606 Drones – UAVs or unmanned aerial vehicles – are not exactly ubiquitous yet. But that future may not be far away. http://phys.org/news290413725.html Technology Fri, 14 Jun 2013 07:28:52 EST news290413725 (Phys.org) —Researchers have demonstrated a method for "temporal cloaking" of optical communications, representing a potential tool to thwart would-be eavesdroppers and improve security for telecommunications. http://phys.org/news289665984.html Physics Wed, 05 Jun 2013 15:46:49 EST news289665984 (Phys.org) —North Carolina State University researchers have identified a new mechanism to convert natural gas into energy up to 70 times faster, while effectively capturing the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2). http://phys.org/news287142696.html Chemistry Tue, 07 May 2013 10:51:47 EST news287142696 Early-stage nanotech company SiO2 Nanotech has begun beta testing commercial applications of its anti-fogging technology for corporate partners. The new technology, which was developed from patented research conducted in the lab of Nicole Herbots, professor emerita in the ASU Department of Physics, can be used on a variety of different surfaces, including glass and plastics. http://phys.org/news287134439.html Nanotechnology Tue, 07 May 2013 08:34:17 EST news287134439 (Phys.org)—Researchers at University of California, Santa Barbara, in collaboration with colleagues at the École Polytechnique in France, have conclusively identified Auger recombination as the mechanism that causes light emitting diodes (LEDs) to be less efficient at high drive currents. http://phys.org/news285931625.html Physics Tue, 23 Apr 2013 10:27:13 EST news285931625 (Phys.org)—Although scientists know that when silicon mixes with water, hydrogen is produced through oxidation, no one expected how quickly silicon nanoparticles might perform this task. As a new study has revealed, 10-nm silicon nanoparticles can generate hydrogen 150 times faster than 100-nm silicon nanoparticles, and 1,000 times faster than bulk silicon. The discovery could pave the way toward rapid "just add water" hydrogen generation technologies for portable devices without the need for light, heat, or electricity. http://phys.org/news278228854.html Nanotechnology Thu, 24 Jan 2013 09:00:01 EST news278228854 Scientists at Aalto University have demonstrated results that show a huge improvement in the light absorption and the surface passivation of silicon nanostructures. This has been achieved by applying atomic layer coating. The results advance the development of devices that require high sensitivity light response such as high efficiency solar cells. http://phys.org/news277714201.html Technology Fri, 18 Jan 2013 06:50:22 EST news277714201 (Phys.org)—Researchers in the Semiconductor and Dimensional Metrology Division's Nanoelectronic Device Metrology (NEDM) Project have demonstrated the first documented case of electron spin transport in an organic device. http://phys.org/news274962942.html Physics Mon, 17 Dec 2012 10:36:14 EST news274962942 (Phys.org)—For many years, researchers have strived to reach the goal of 10% efficiency for polymer-based organic photovoltaic (OPV) solar cells, a target widely considered to be the threshold for commercial applications. Now in a new study, researchers at the South China University of Technology in Guangzhou have constructed an inverted OPV that has set a new record with a certified efficiency of 9.2%, a significant improvement over the previous record-high efficiency of 8.37%. Expecting the new design to catalyze developments to the 10% target in the near future, the research team is partnering with Houston-based Phillips 66 and Solarmer, a photovoltaic company in El Monte, California, to prepare for commercialization. http://phys.org/news265633242.html Physics Fri, 31 Aug 2012 12:01:00 EST news265633242 In a conference center room on Microsoft's Redmond campus last week, a slim, bespectacled CEO clad in a white lab coat was waving his arms wildly. http://phys.org/news260726443.html Technology Thu, 05 Jul 2012 17:10:01 EST news260726443 (Phys.org) -- Titanium dioxide, or titania, is an inorganic material commonly used as a whitening agent in food and toothpaste. It is also used as one of the main active ingredients in sunscreens. The properties that make titania useful in commercial applications — namely its whitening ability and high refractive index — are now being exploited in a wide range of technological applications. http://phys.org/news260617883.html Nanotechnology Wed, 04 Jul 2012 10:52:13 EST news260617883 Researchers have delved into the dynamics of vapour condensation on surfaces. Project outcomes have potential commercial applications to a variety of fields. http://phys.org/news257587239.html Chemistry Wed, 30 May 2012 09:20:03 EST news257587239 From man-made toxic chemicals such as industrial by-products to poisons that occur naturally, a water or food supply can be easily contaminated. And for every level of toxic material ingested, there is some level of bodily response, ranging from minor illness to painful certain death. http://phys.org/news256223639.html Chemistry Mon, 14 May 2012 14:14:09 EST news256223639 (Phys.org) -- With the age of the incandescent light bulb fading rapidly, the holy grail of the lighting industry is to develop a highly efficient form of solid-state lighting that produces high quality white light. http://phys.org/news255716825.html Nanotechnology Tue, 08 May 2012 17:27:23 EST news255716825 (PhysOrg.com) -- A new, single-step method of fabricating microcapsules, which have potential commercial applications in industries including medicine, agriculture and diagnostics, has been developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge. The findings are published last Friday (Feb. 10) in the journal Science. http://phys.org/news248342783.html Nanotechnology Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:06:37 EST news248342783 (PhysOrg.com) -- Accelerator technology has made huge leaps forward, prompting important developments well beyond high energy physics in areas as diverse as energy and the environment, medicine, industry, national security and discovery science. But the capacity to translate accelerator breakthroughs into commercial applications has lagged behind. http://phys.org/news245645106.html Physics Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:00:01 EST news245645106 Researchers at the Catalan Institute of Nanotechnology have successfully demonstrated a new method for producing a wide variety of complex hollow nanoparticles. The work, published this week in Science, applies well known processes of corrosion in a novel manner to produce highly complex cage-like nanoscale structures with potential applications in fields from medicine to industrial processing. http://phys.org/news242574665.html Nanotechnology Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:00:01 EST news242574665 Insects can run up walls, hang from ceilings, and perform other amazing feats that have for centuries fascinated human observers. Now scientists from the Zoological Institute at the University of Kiel, in Germany, who have been studying these able acrobats, have borrowed some of the insects' tricks to make a dry tape that can be repeatedly peeled off without losing its adhesive properties. http://phys.org/news239622711.html Nanotechnology Fri, 04 Nov 2011 10:52:05 EST news239622711 (PhysOrg.com) -- A new thin-film coating process for manufacturing thermal batteries used in nuclear weapons and other munitions that was invented at Sandia National Laboratories will be industrialized under a new corporate partnership with a Maryland company. The process could lead to create lighter batteries in a variety of shapes for future applications. http://phys.org/news226223615.html Technology Thu, 02 Jun 2011 08:54:29 EST news226223615 (PhysOrg.com) -- It takes five men to change a light bulb*, even more to pack a shipping crate. After all, filling space is very hard. But a European project has developed tools to optimise packing problems in just a few seconds -- no joking... http://phys.org/news187609761.html Technology Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:10:04 EST news187609761