New research suggests that the life of lithium-ion batteries could be more than doubled by using graphene girders at the electrodes.
Researchers from the Chinese Harbin Institute of Technology have developed an intriguing material that combines a soft, self-healing polymer with a tough layer of graphene oxide and could one day form the basis of ultra-tough scratch resistant coatings.
Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology and the Beijing University of Technology have exploited graphene’s thermoelectric properties to create a new kind of radiation detector. Classified as a bolometer, the new device has a fast response time and, unlike most other bolometers, works over a wide range of temperatures. With a simple design and relatively low cost, this device could be scaled up, enabling a wide range of commercial applications.
Researchers from Clemson’s Nanomaterials Institute (CNI) have made progress towards their goal to produce wireless power using triboelectricity – a green energy source invented by the CNI In March 2017. The simple triboelectric nanogenerator, or U-TENG, is a small device made simply of plastic and tape that generates electricity from motion and vibrations. When the two materials are brought together – through clapping your hands or tapping your feet, for example – a voltage is generated that is detected by a wired, external circuit. Electrical energy, by way of the circuit, is then stored in a capacitor or a battery until it’s needed.