Hokkaido University researchers have developed a computational method that can predict how clusters of molecules behave and interact over time, providing critical insight for future electronics. Their findings, published in the journal Scientific Reports, could lead to the creation of a new field of science called cluster molecular electronics. Single molecule electronics is a relatively new, […]
Electron Sandwich Doubles Thermoelectric Performance
Researchers more than doubled the ability of a material to convert heat into electricity, which could help reduce the amount of wasted heat, and thus wasted fossil fuel, in daily activities and industries. Researchers from Hokkaido University and their colleagues in Japan and Taiwan have improved the ability to transform wasted heat into usable electricity […]
Why Noise Can Enhance Sensitivity To Weak Signals
A team of Japanese researchers has discovered a new mechanism to explain stochastic resonance, in which sensitivity to weak signals is enhanced by noise. The finding is expected to help electronic devices become smaller and more energy-efficient. Noise is generally a nuisance that drowns out small signals. For example, it can prevent you from catching […]
New Strategy To Design Mechano-Responsive Luminescent Materials
“Smart” materials that change color in response to a mechanical stimulus have a broad range of applications such as creating pressure-sensitive sensors and packaging that can detect tampering. Researchers at Hokkaido University have now designed a novel “mechano-responsive luminescent material” using a gold and isocyanide complex, which includes two bonded rings of carbon and hydrogen […]
Putting the Pressure on Platinum
Superconductors are materials that, when cooled below a certain temperature, conduct free-flowing electricity without it being impeded by resistance. They are used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines, magnetic levitation trains and particle accelerators like the Large Hadron Collider. Researchers are constantly on the lookout for materials that can become superconducting at higher-than-currently-possible temperatures and […]
On the Path Toward Molecular Robots
Scientists at Japan’s Hokkaido University have developed light-powered molecular motors that repetitively bend and unbend, bringing us closer to molecular robots. Researchers are working on mimicking cellular systems to develop molecular motors that can move or even deliver drugs to target tissues. Engineering such motors may ultimately lead to molecular robots that can execute more […]
Using Solid-state Materials with Gold Nanoantennas for More Durable Solar Cells
Scientists at Hokkaido University in Japan are making leeway in the fabrication of all-solid-state solar cells that are highly durable and can efficiently convert sunlight into energy. The team employed a method called “atomic layer deposition”, which allows scientists to control the deposit of very thin, uniform layers of materials on top of each other. […]
Making Electronics Safer With Perovskites
Ceramic capacitors are used in a wide variety of electronics, ranging from computers and mobile phones to telecommunications transmitter stations and high voltage laser power supplies. Capacitors act, in a way, like batteries. They are “dielectric” – they act as an electronic insulator in which an electric field can be sustained with minimum loss of […]