New material gets itself into shape

Inspired by plant components that respond to external stimuli, material scientists from ETH Zurich have devised a new method for producing composite materials from a variety of materials that adopt a pre-programmed shape ...

Charge transfer within transition-metal dyes analysed

Transition-metal complexes in dye-based solar cells are responsible for converting light into electrical energy. A model of spatial charge separation within the molecule has been used to describe this conversion. However, ...

Mechanism of iron-based hydrogen bond cleavage revealed

Hydrogen-based fuel cells hold promise for sustainable power generation, but to become practical they need to be more efficient and cost effective. Scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's (PNNL's) Center for ...

A plant cell recycles its resources in times of scarcity

To cope with changes in its aquatic environment and the nutrient deficiencies that may result, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a mobile single-cell alga, must adapt its metabolism for subsistence, notably in terms of sugar. The ...

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