#2 Heartsound Audio

  Rechargeable batteries are part of our everyday life. Scientists are working on batteries that hold their charge longer, making them safer.  Part of this movement is a push towards all-solid-state batteries. The main challenge is discovering which solid electrolyte will work effectively. Scientists are Osaka Metropolitan University have developed an electrolyte with electrochemical stability, high conductivity and formability. Their work was published in the journal Chemistry of Materials. High conductivity was achieved by adding tantalum chloride and sodium chloride to tantalum pentoxide. The resulting electrolyte has higher electrochemical stability than regular chlorides and far better mechanical properties.  Professor Kota Motohashi is an Assistant Professor at Osaka Metropolitan University. He summarizes, "The results of this research are expected to make a significant contribution to the development of composite solid electrolytes, in addition to the glass and cry...

 City University in Hong Kong is studying the reduction of energy loss in metal nanostructures. By changing the dimensions of these structures, the scientists have unlocked their full potential. This study and research paves the way for more efficient and powerful nanoscale optical devices. Dr. Liang Yao is from the Department of Electrical Engineering at City UHK. He is the first author of this research. The paper is titled, "From Local to Nonlocal High-Quality Plasmonic Metasurfaces." It was published in the journal Physical Review Letters. Yao reports, " This breakthrough resolves the longstanding issue of energy loss, allowing for high-performance nanoscale optical devices." There is a universal rule that has been discovered. It is called the inverse square root law. It shows how changing the dimensions of the plasmonic nanostructures can greatly reduce energy loss. The study relates localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) and surface plasmon polaritons (SP...

 A new research review appeared a few weeks ago in the journal eLight. Scientists are excited about its potential. Microcombs are miniature devices that create precise time and frequency standards. Researchers claim these microcombs will bring big changes to several fields, including high-resolution measurements, high-speed communication devices and even change atomic clocks. In the past, frequency combs were complex and quite large. Microcombs are tiny and very powerful. This is possible thanks to the Kerr effect. This is also referred to as optoelectronic modulation. During this effect, light interacts with nonlinear materials. It creates a broad spectrum of cogent frequencies.  Recently, there are significant advancements in micro combs, it will lead to new methods of gathering and storing information. There is a vast array of applications for microcombs. They are considered information carriers, as they can achieve multifaceted signal generation. Microcombs are known to bo...

A group of quantum specialists, engineers, and physicists at Google research are working to best classical computers. The team has found that by reducing noise to a specific level allows Google's new Sycamore quantum chip to beat classical computers using random circuit sampling (RCS). The team published their work in the journal Nature. They modified the conditions which their processor wasrunning. They reduced the amount of noise interference to a level that surpassed classical computers running RCS.  Computer scientists have been trying to build a super computer for several decades. They haven't found one yet to run the algorithms that would take conventional computers hundred, thousands, or even millions of years to complete. They are just beginning to introduce this new technology.  One of the biggest issues that computer scientists face is errors that are created by environmental noise. This has led to a lot of research into error correction procedures. Research has led ...

  Graphene is harder than a diamond. It is stronger than steel and is as flexible as rubber. Graphene is far lighter than aluminum. There are many amazing properties to graphene. Although it's been of huge interest to scientists and researchers, there is no cheap and sustainable manufacturing method for industrial use.  Scientists from the University of Cordoba (UCO) have presented a study in a journal called the Chemical Engineering Journal. This prototype could represent a huge leap forward towards large scale manufacture of graphene. The new design has already been associated with a patent, and is based on a previous patent published by the team. It increases graphene production by 22%. This process maintains the high quality that graphene requires. The process uses the fourth state of matter. Based on plasma technology, the graphene is created by using a partially ionized gas. In nature, there are numerous natural plasmas, like the Northern Lights and even lightening. The ...

  BitEnergy AI is an inference technology company. The team has published a paper that describes a new technique to reduce the energy needs of AI applications. The group has proposed reducing AI's energy consumption by 95%.  The use of AI applications has gone mainstream. It has lead to a rise in energy needs and costs. Chat GPT is an LLM that requires a LOT of computing power. This means a LOT of electricity is needed to run them. Chat GPT uses 564 kWh daily. That is enough energy to power approximately 18,000 homes. Some have suggested that AI might use around 100 TWh in just a few years. (That's a Bitcoin mining operation's worth of power!) The new method is somewhat simple. The old method used complex floating multiplication (FPM). The new method uses integer addition. Apps use FPM to handle very large (or very small) numbers. This allows applications to carry out calculations. And the calculations are extremely precise. It's the most energy-intensive part of comput...

  Roy Lichtenstein once said, "Color is crucial." Color's significance extends far beyond art. Color and its creation have always mirrored technological progress. Two current examples of this are Prussian blue (the first synthetic pigment) and quantum dots in modern display technology. Scientists at ETH Zurich's Laboratory for Nanometallurgy have created a new method of making non-primitive metasurfaces. The colors of these metasurfaces represent light-matter interactions. The research was presented in the journal Advanced Optical Materials. To show what these metasurfaces can do, researchers got creative. They have recreated Lichtenstein's iconic "Sinking Sun" in nanoscale! This reproduction work shows how color (or specific resonant states) can be fabricated through meticulous control of materials and geometry. Because of this control, these metasurfaces are perfectly suited for encoding information in ways that remain imperceptible.  These metasurface...

 Scientists have pulled an oxygen atom from a molecule and replaced it with a nitrogen atom. A group of chemists at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have published in the journal Science. The team used photocatalysis to edit a furan in their lab. In the same journal, Ellie Planchinski and Tehshik Yoon published a Perspective piece. These scientists were from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Their research outlines the process and explains how it could be used to change how drugs are currently being made. Previous research has shown complex molecules are difficult to locate and apply. Chemists must create molecules from scratch when they want to change a small section, or part of a molecule, or even one atom for testing. Both Plachinski and Yoon report that even small changes can have a serious impact. Changing a single atom in a heterocycle can have a big impact on the efficacy of a drug. Chemists are searching for more efficient ways to remove a single at...

 The search for sustainable materials has led scientists to a new class of composites. These composites are called cellulose-MXene.  It was initially developed at Nanjing Forestry University and The University of Bayreuth. The new material combines cellulose with MXene. MXene is a grouping of two dimensional transition metal carbides, carbonitrides, and nitrides. The researchers published their work in the journal Bioresouces and Bioproducts. Cellulose is made from diverse sources like wood pulp. Bacterial nanocellulose is noted for it's compatibility with living organisms and it's biodegradability. Because it is so widely available and sustainable, it's the perfect candidate for the creation of composite materials. By mixing it with MXene, scientists hope to create a material with enhances performance characteristics.  MXene's are remarkable for several reasons. They have high hydrophilicity and non linear absorption coefficient. The MXene family is noted for its elect...

Hydrogen bonds can enhance the versatility and phosphorescence  of organic luminescent materials. This will forever change the anti-counterfeiting, imaging and electronic fields. A team from the University of St. Andrews is researching hydrogen bonds. It is being led by Dr. Sen Wu, Dr. Tao Wang and Professor Eli Zyman-Colman from the School of Chemistry at St. Andrews. The study was recently published in CCS Chemistry. It shows that hydrogen bonding can improve the performance of organic room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) materials.By using hydrogen bonds, light emitting materials could reach new heights in data storage and anti-counterfeiting technologies.  RTP happens when materials emit light after being excited. This creates a long term luminescent effect. Many different RTP materials have been developed. However, creating high efficiency RTP is a challenge due to its extremely complex processes. Hydrogen bonding is an important interaction between molecules. It is con...

  The University of Ottawa is changing what we know about light and materials. They used what's called engineered achiral (symmetric) materials. These are known as achiral plasmonic metasurfaces. These materials can absorb light differently, depending on the handedness of the light's wavelength.  . In the past, the materials did not show such a selected absorption. The new research was conducted over the last year at the University of Ottawa's Advanced Research Complex (ARC). It was led by Ravi Bhardwaj, who is a professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Ottawa and Ph.D. student Ashish Jain. This is also a long list of collaborators on this project. The information was published in ACS Nano. Professor Bhardwaj states, "For decades, we believed that these materials couldn't show any difference in how they absorb polarized light. But our research shows that by using a special kind of twisted light, we can control and tune this absorption up to 50%....

 There has been a ground breaking development in hydrogen barrier films. A team of scientists used graphene oxide (GO) and has made significant advancement in protective coatings for a multitude of applications.  The team is from Kumamoto University. It is being led by Assistant Professor Kazuto Hatakeyama and Professor Shintaro Ida of the Institute of Industrial Nanomaterials. This interesting approach was published in the journal Small. During the study, the team created a thin film from a new form of graphene. This new form does not contain any pores. Under normal circumstances, graphene oxide is known for its high ionic conductivity. This makes it difficult to use as an ion barrier. By removing the pores from the inside of graphene oxide, the team created a material with greatly improved hydrogen ion barrier properties. Compared to conventional GO films, this new graphene is 100,000 times better of a hydrogen ion barrier. The team showed this by out-of-phase proton conduct...

Nanozymes are a new material used in the field of detection. They have high catalytic activity, high adaptability and high stability. Scientists are interested in designing and preparing efficient nanozymes for food detection. Professor Huang Qing is from the Hefei Institute of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Recently, his team prepared a few Cu metal organic framework (MOF) nanozymes. The particles utilized low temperature plasma (LTP) technology. This study was recently published in Biosensors and Bioelectronics. These nanozymes mimic the activity of Laccase and are found to have different base ligands. Nanozymes showed different responses to five common bioactive substances typically found in food. Huang and his team discovered a sensor that will be used for intelligent sensing. It will identify the bioactive components in food.  These encoded array sensors are capable of high-throughput and are extremely sensitive. The sensors employ both rapid identificati...

 Earth needs clean fuel sources. Sources like hydrogen are meant to aid us toward carbon neutrality. A team in Tokyo has picked up the eco-torch.  Tohoku University, Tokyo University of Science and Mitsubishi Materials Cooperation have had a break through. The team has improved the efficency of a photocatalytic reaction that splits water into hydrogen.  Professor Yuichi Negishi is from Tohoku University. He is lead researcher on this project. He reports, "Water-splitting photocatalysts can produce hydrogen from only sunlight and water. However, the process hasn't been optimized sufficiently for practical applications. If we can improve the activity, hydrogen can be harnessed for the realization of a next generation energy society." These scientists have found a new method that uses ultra fine rhodium-chromium mixed oxide cocatalysts. The actual reaction site is in the cocatalysts, and is an important part of stoping hydrogen from reforming with oxygen to make water. Cocat...

  Researchers at UC Irvine have revealed that certain optical properties can be dramatically strengthened. This change is not from the material itself, but from giving light new properties.  The scientists showed that by enhancing the speed of incoming protons, it's possible to change how light interacts with matter. Researchers found that the optical properties of pure silicon were enhanced by an astounding four times magnitude. This breakthrough will affect the solar energy sector.  The study was on the cover of the September issue of ACS Nano. Researchers at Kazan Federal University and Tel Aviv University are working together on this new information. Dmitry Fishman is senior author and an adjunct professor of chemistry. He states, "In this study, we challenge the traditional belief that light-matter interactions are solely determined by the material. By giving light new properties, we can fundamentally reshape how it interacts with matter. As a result, existing or opt...

  A new plutonium isotope has been discovered, it is called plutonium-227. A study was recently published in Physical Review C. The researchers are from the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).  Shell closures are the magic number of proton and neutrons. In previous research, analysis revealed a weakening of the neutron shell closure 126 up to uranium. Scientists are interested in exploring whether the shell closure would fade in the transuranium region. Professor Gan Zaiguo is from the IMP. He explains, "We have discovered the presence of the shell closure in neptunium isotopes through a series of experiments. However, due to the absence of experimental data, the robustness of this closure in plutonium isotopes remains unknown." Scientists wanted to probe for unknown plutonium isotopes. The researchers at IMP and the team performed an experiment at the gas-filled recoil separator. The device is called the Spectrometer for Heavy Atoms an...

 A new milestone in isotope study has been reached. Scientists at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) are working with a high-powered beam of uranium ions. The team accelerated the beam to an amazing 10.4 kilowatts of continuous beam power. The study was published in the journal Physical Review Accelerators and Beams. Of all the elements, uranium is the most difficult to accelerate. It is, however, extremely important to research. The National Academy of Sciences and the Nuclear Science Advisory Committee has identified 17 programs with rare isotope beams. About half of the programs require a uranium primary beam. Scientists understand the value of uranium, as it creates a diverse selection of isotopes after fission or fragmentation.  FRIB has had a major milestone establishing the acceleration of a uranium beam with unequaled power. The advancement opens new door to research with rare isotopes. Within eight hours of beginning operations, three new isotopes were identif...

  Our changing world is sparking interest in bio-based materials and energy-efficient technologies. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are part of this movement. They are derived from renewable resources and have potential uses for composites, packaging and even in biomedical materials. The production of CNCs is involved. It’s major challenge is the energy used during the drying process. This requires the removal of large amounts of water from low concentration suspensions. A team of scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with Purdue University have created a multi-frequency drying technology. Using ultrasonics, the method speeds up the drying process and reduces the amount of energy used. The study was published in the Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts. The research compared the energy efficiency, product quality and drying kinetics of the different drying methods. The ultrasonic process showed an amazing 50% reduction in drying time, with little change in part...

  An ion's path is dependent on several complex processes. Ions need to reorganize their solvation shell. This reorganization must occur before they can interrelate into battery cathodes, find ion channels in biochemical membranes or even absorb and change into chemicals like green hydrogen.  An interesting study about transition state theory is coming from the Interface Science Department of the Fritz-Haber Institute. It was published in the journal Nature Communications.  In the past, researchers found that the kinetics of interfacial ion solvation are ruled by compensation effects between entropy and enthalpy. An example is that if the elevation of the mountain in front of this ion is raised, the number of available hiking trails increases. This makes it more likely for an ion to go for a hike.  Michael Polanyi was head of the Physical Chemistry Department until 1933. The current team interpreted the kinetics according to statistical physics and the Erying-Evans-P...

  A study was published in Biosensors and Bioelectronics. It was part of the journal's highlight series, "Young Scientists in the Americas." A team at the University of Hawaii at Manoa have discovered a new way to manufacture wearable health sensors, making them more affordable and accessible. Wearable sensors are critical in monitoring vital signs and other health issues. They can provide real-time health insights and personalized medical care. The production of these devices requires specialized technical expertise, which limits their accessibility. A team was lead by Assistant Professor Tyler Ray in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology. They have introduced a low cost method for producing sensors. The sensors are made from a stencil-based technique and use laser-induced graphene (LIG). This is an important material used in the production of wearable sensing platforms.  Ray states, "This advancement allows us to ...

  Antiferromagnetic spintronics has had an interesting break through. Research is being crafted from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Spintronics has had limited functions because of their need for excessive power. The team has been using a technique called B-doping. This is the introduction of boron into magnetoelectric oxides. This process can control magnetic fields at high temperatures that often appear in electronics.  The study was recently published in the journal Advances Functional Materials. Christian Binek is a Charles Bessey Professor of physics. He reports that this has been the "holy grail" of this type of research.  Spintronics is the driving force behind the technology of next generation nano electronic devices. Many discoveries over the last three decades were made in the spintronics field. One major stumbling block was the search for a quantum material whose magnetic states could be altered by electronic means and altered in above-room temperature con...

  There were two pioneers of quantum mechanics. They are Niels Bohr and John von Neumann. Analysis suggests that their ideas were more similar than previously thought. In the beginning years of quantum theory, these two thinkers had two separate ideas about how measurements of quantum states should be explained. Bohr believed that these measurements require a division between the quantum system being measured and the classical device performing the measurement. Von Neumann believed that quantum mechanics applies to everything, including the measurement device. In the 100 years since these theories were first explored, quantum researchers have seen these two theorists as having conflict with each other.  New research shows both Bohr's and von Neumann's theories are far closer than previously thought. The research was published in The European Physical Journal, with Frederico Laudisa as head author.  Measurement is at the core of Bohr's interpretation of quantum mechanics.T...

  Research has unearthed new findings about the early universe and could produce the world's strongest electromagnetic fields. Physicists at RIKEN are studying the Standard Model of particle physics. When hot matter is squished down into an ultra dense object, it forms a plasma that is comprised of subatomic particles. This plasma is referred to as quarks and gluons. Experiments were required to confirm these theories. Hidetoshi Taya is from the RIKEN Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical Sciences Program. He reports, "Although such expectations exist, there are huge theoretical uncertainties, especially at ultra high densities. Thus, experiments are greatly needed to study the extreme form of matter." Scientists collide charged atoms, or heavy ions together. In this experiment, the researchers observed the created plasma. For the past few decades, these tests used super high energy levels to create high temperatures. Researchers around the world have shifted to ...

  When making coffee, water and aromatic substances can pass through the filter, unchecked, while the finer coffee powders get stuck to the filter. Scientists realized that filtering only by size is not effective for cleaning or separating chemical substances. Some of these chemical substances can include colorant in water, or even various charged atoms, called ions. Different techniques are needed to separate different ions of similar size. In biology, cell membranes are capable of the separation. They allow additional processes to take place in the thin “pores” of the sieve. Creating these sieves is still difficult.  New research was published by the Max Planck Society in the journal Advanced Materials. Scientists Christopher Synatschke and Tanja Weil from the department of “Synthesis of Macromolecules,” have created a new filter.  This filter contains a membrane that is 20 nm thick. It is able to separate different types of ions or even a mixture of different dyes....

  New research into organic semiconductors is being led by the University of St. Andrews. It provides understanding into sustainable temperature sensors for use in our everyday technology. The third-generation of emitters used in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) uses something called thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TDAF). They are of interest to researchers as alternatives to noble metal with phosphorescent components used in OLEDs like mobile phones. Sensors and the introduction of organic semiconductors has been far less researched.  This research was published in Nature Communications. It was led by Professor Eli Zysman-Colman from the School of Chemistry. The team has found an interesting organic compound. It is used for colorimetric temperature sensing. It has the widest spectral and temperature range as compared to other optical temperature probes. Prof. Zysman-Colman summarizes, “Clever control of the populations of emitter molecules and aggregates is res...

  Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are used in devices like electric vehicles, energy storage systems, laptops and smartphones. Nickel and cobalt are used in the cathodes of these batteries and supplies are limited. The Deportment of Energy’s Berkeley Lab offers the potential for a low cost solution. On September 19, a new study was published in the journal Nature Technology.  Manganese is the 5th most abundant material on earth. It is found to be useful in cathode materials. These materials are called disordered rock salts or DRX.  In order to perform, DRX has to be ground down to nanoscale. This is an energy intensive process. A  new study found that manganese based cathodes can work well with particles that are 1,000 times larger than expected!  Han-Ming Hau researches battery technology at Berkeley Lab and is a Ph.D student. He reports, “There are many ways to generate power with renewable energy, but the importance lies in how you store it. By applying ou...

  The Laboratorie Aime Cotton (LAC) in Orsay, France has been a leader in atomic research since the 1960’s. They claim to have made significant progress in the classification of very complex atomic spectra. The improvements have occurred for two reasons. The first being the development of Fourier transform spectroscopy, the second is from theoretical interpretation of atomic spectra.  The research was published in the European Physical Journal D.  Sophie Kroger is from the Berlin University of Technology and Economics. She carried out detailed observation and analysis of protactinium’s infrared (IR) spectrum. She observed twenty new energy levels that were previously not detectable. The study provided deeper insights into atomic structures and interactions.  IR spectra show the wavelengths absorbed by the atomic samples as they interact with the light. These spectra showed conclusive information about hyperfine structures. Hyperfine structures are tiny variations in ...

  Covalent bonds are two atoms that are bound together by sharing a pair of electrons. This forms the staging that underlines the majority of organic compounds.  In 1931, Linus Pauling theorized that covalent bonds could be made from a single, unpaired electron. It was thought that these single-electron bonds would be weaker than the standard covalent bond having a pair of electrons.  Since then, researchers have observed single-electron bonds, but never in carbon or hydrogen. The search to find one-electron bonds shared between carbon atoms has eluded scientists.  Recently, an article was published in the journal Nature. The article was written by researchers at Hokkaido University. They have isolated a compound in which a single electron is shared between two carbon atoms in a remarkably stable covalent bond. This bond is referred to as a sigma bond.  Professor Yusuke Ishigaki is co-author of this study. He is from the Department of Chemistry at Hokkaido Unive...

  Scientists have developed a new nanoparticle that can prevent scaling and stabilize a liquid mixture. This would make the oil extraction process more efficient and environmentally friendly. The material can be used with other devices that handle water-oil emulsions. Amir Sheikhi is an associate professor of chemical engineering. He reports, “ We aimed to tackle the challenge of calcium carbonate formation, known as scaling, in two phase oil/water systems, dealt with numerous water based in industries, such as oil and gas sectors.”  Two phase systems are used in many industries,  from oil and gas, to even food and cosmetics. Water coexists with an immiscible phase. An example is an oil or organic solvent that will not mix with water. If this system undergoes sealing, it will cause serious operational hazards. Sheikhi reports, “ Current anti-scaling solutions either have adverse environmental impacts or are limited to working only in single phase aqueous media.”  She...

  How a battery performs depends on the non-uniformity and failure of individual electrode particles. An understanding of the reaction mechanisms is key to advancing battery research and extending battery lifespan.  Observations of real-time electrochemical evolutions is very difficult using contemporary methods. They lack spatial resolution and sensitivity.  Researchers in China from the Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy of Science are studying nanoscale electrochemical evolutions in batteries.  Scientists from Suo Liuman’s and Liu Gangquin’s teams have created a quantum sensing approach that is based on diamond nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers.  The study was published on September 10th, in a journal called “Device”. The study was titled, “Operando quantum sensing captures the nanoscale electrochemical evolutions in a battery.”  Scientists found that NV sensors provide spatial resolution from one nanometer to one micron. They are sensitive to varia...

  Researchers have been working on a new device that will change the world of complex, quantum computers and networks. They are looking to advance the scalability of solid state color centers. Solid-state color centers are photon spin interfaces. They are also good candidates for qubit nodes. These are important units for processing and storing quantum information.  Solid state color centers can absorb  light at specific wavelengths.  To be useful in the real world, they must work in a fast and controllable manner. The center should also allow the fine-tuning of their optical, transition frequencies, and spin manipulation. The new device offers all these functions and allows for the system to be scalable.  At the frontiers in optics and laser science (FiOLS), D. Andrew Golter spoke at the Colorado convention in Denver. “ Future large scale, quantum technologies will require building blocks that include all necessary functionality, while also holding the potentia...