King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)

Energy Harvesting Plastics Pass the Acid Test

A polymer previously used to protect solar cells may find new applications in consumer electronics, reveals a team studying thin films capable of converting thermal energy into electricity.

Multisensory Graphene-based Skin Can Sense in Extreme Environments

Harsh environments that are inhospitable to existing technologies could now be monitored using sensors based on graphene. An intriguing form of carbon, graphene comprises layers of interconnected hexagonal rings of carbon atoms, a structure that yields unique electronic and physical properties with possibilities for many applications.

Inkjet Printed Thin Skinned Solar Panels

Solar cells can now be made so thin, light and flexible that they can rest on a soap bubble. The new cells, which efficiently capture energy from light, could offer an alternative way to power novel electronic devices, such as medical skin patches, where conventional energy sources are unsuitable.

Moisture Sucking Gels Give Solar Panels the Chills

A cooling system developed at KAUST has improved the efficiency of a prototype solar panel up to 20 percent and requires no external energy source to operate.

Powering Devices Goes Skin Deep

Soft and flexible materials can be used to ultrasonically charge bioelectronic implants, which could help to reduce the need for surgical treatment.

Hybrid Transistor Improves Next-Generation Displays

An innovative manufacturing technique has led to the development of hybrid organic transistors for use in next-generation electronic displays and large-area electronics.

Quantum Solutions

Quantum Solutions was spun out of the King Abdullah University (KAUST) in 2017 and started sales in 2018.

KAUST and ARMOR Collaborate on Next Gen Solar Tech

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in collaboration with ARMOR has created a new style of outdoor seating, incorporating flexible, lightweight and semi-transparent solar technologies.

Power Dressing

Wearable electronics could be perpetually powered by stretchy, self-mending materials that use body heat to generate electricity. Three carefully curated organic compounds have been combined to develop a prototype thermoelectric material that is both stretchy and self-healing, can generate its own electricity, and is robust enough to withstand the stresses and strains of daily life.

Harnessing Hot Carriers for High Efficiency Solar Cells

Two-dimensional solar materials may offer a way to extract more energy from sunlight. By tuning the structure of a 2D perovskite solar material, researchers have shown they can prolong the lifetime of highly energetic hot carriers generated by light striking the material. The approach could offer a way to capture solar energy more efficiently.

Plastic Biosensor Finds Sweet Success

An electronic biosensor powered using the glucose in bodily fluids has been developed by researchers. The device pairs an electron-transporting polymer with an enzyme that extracts electrons from its reaction with glucose to drive its circuitry. The plastic biosensor could act as a continuous monitor of key health indicators, such as blood sugar levels in diabetes patients.