University of Illinois

Tiny solar cell could make a big difference

How small can a solar cell be and still be a powerhouse?

Printed electronics invigorates old electronics

Most of the well-known objectives of printed electronics remain elusive because they are glamorous, Olympian dreams based on some very exciting demonstrations in laboratories.

Smart skin powered by solar cells

Engineers have developed a device platform that combines electronic components for sensing, medical diagnostics, communications and human-machine interfaces, all on an ultrathin skin-like patch that mounts directly onto the skin and is powered by solar cells.

Smart skin: Electronics that stick and stretch like a temporary tattoo

An ultrathin, electronic patch with the mechanics of skin, applied to the wrist for EMG and other measurements.

New emphasis at the largest printed electronics event

This year's Printed Electronics USA will take place in Santa Clara on November 30 and December 1. Analysts IDTechEx who organise the largest event on the subject, have paid a lot of attention once more to the end user streams. Their presence and contributions to the latest instalment of the successful series of events will be appropriate to the new direction of this burgeoning industry.

Nanostructures on plastic aid energy harvesting

The technique, which uses a heated atomic force microscope (AFM) tip to produce patterns, could facilitate high-density, low-cost production of complex ferroelectric structures for energy harvesting arrays, sensors and actuators in nano-electromechanical systems (NEMS) and micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS).

Silver pen has the write stuff for flexible electronics

The pen is writing whole new chapters in low-cost, flexible and disposable electronics.

John Rogers honored by Lemelson-MIT Prize

Official Lemelson-MIT Prize announcement honoring mc10 co-founder John Rogers.

3D printing method advances electrically small antenna design

While most electronic components benefit from decreased size, antennas—whether in a cell phone or on an aircraft—suffer limitations in gain, efficiency, system range, and bandwidth when their size is reduced below a quarter-wavelength.

Fast charging batteries retain capacity

Braun's group have developed a three-dimensional nanostructure for battery cathodes that allows for dramatically faster charging and discharging without sacrificing energy storage capacity.

Stretchable electronics technology with standard endocardial balloon

Stretchable balloon electronics get to the heart of cardiac medicine

Using the power of self-healing to create longer lasting,safer battery

As an integral functional aspect of electric vehicles and multiple other electronic devices, lithium-ion batteries have sparked a fresh research field in which innovative production, materials and performance aspects are being explored in order to advance this increasing popular component. Researchers from the University of Illinois have investigated the possibility of self-healing li-ion batteries as reported below by the university's Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology.

Ultra low power digital memory for energy harvesting

University of Illinois engineers have developed a form of ultra-low-power digital memory that is faster and uses 100 times less energy than similar available memory.

Self-repairing solar cells

Researchers are creating a new type of solar cell designed to self-repair like natural photosynthetic systems in plants by using carbon nanotubes and DNA, an approach aimed at increasing service life and reducing cost.

Epitaxial graphene shows promise for replacing silicon in electronics

Move over silicon. There's a new electronic material in town, and it goes fast.

New solar cell self-repairs like natural plant systems

Researchers are creating a new type of solar cell designed to self-repair like natural photosynthetic systems in plants by using carbon nanotubes and DNA, an approach aimed at increasing service life and reducing cost.

Hydrogen-powered, solar-inspired nano-battery

Eduard Karpov, University of Illinois at Chicago assistant professor of civil and materials engineering, has received a three-year, $217,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to develop a new battery he is calling a catalothermionic generator.

Geckos inspire new method to print electronics on complex surfaces

Geckos are masters at sticking to surfaces of all kinds and easily unsticking themselves, too. Inspired by these lizards, a team of engineers has developed a reversible adhesion method for printing electronics on a variety of tricky surfaces such as clothes, plastic and leather.

New PV physics promises higher efficiency

Researchers from three institutions are uniting under a three-year, $1.6 million grant from the National Science Foundation to boost the output of solar cells.

NSF-funded project aims to grab more sun for solar cells

University of Oregon-led project with Oregon State and University of Illinois will involve a three-year push.