Rice University

'Smart skin' simplifies spotting strain in structures

Invention can use fluorescing carbon nanotubes to reveal stress in aircraft, structures.

A way to control the colour of OLEDs

Organic light-emitting diodes are used in smartphones and televisions to facilitate the high-contrast display of colours. Conjugated polymers are also often employed as organic semiconductors in such diodes. Researchers have found out how the spatial structure of these polymers can be used to control the colours of the OLEDs and help to increase the brightness of monitors.

Stretchy solar cells a step closer

Organic solar cells that can be painted or printed on surfaces are increasingly efficient, and now show promise for incorporation into applications like clothing that also require them to be flexible.

Nanotubes may give the world better batteries

Scientists' method quenches lithium metal dendrites in batteries that charge faster, last longer.

Nanotubes may give the world better batteries

Scientists are counting on films of carbon nanotubes to make high-powered, fast-charging lithium metal batteries a logical replacement for common lithium-ion batteries.

Nanotube rebar makes graphene twice as tough

Rebar graphene is the nanoscale analog of rebar (reinforcement bars) in concrete, in which embedded steel bars enhance the material's strength and durability. Rebar graphene, developed by the Rice lab of chemist James Tour in 2014, uses carbon nanotubes for reinforcement.

Scientists go deep to quantify perovskite properties

Scientists have discovered electronic properties in quantum-scale devices that are likely to impact the growing field of low-cost perovskite based optoelectronics.

Next-generation wireless pacemakers

A Rice University student team's demonstration of a next-generation, wireless pacemaker array could point to the future of medical sensors.

DexMat

DexMat are manufacturers of continuous CNT fibres, yarns, tapes, and sheets via a wet spinning process developed at Rice University. Founder Dr Dmitri Tsentalovich spoke with IDTechEx technology analyst Dr Richard Collins.

Patterned graphene onto food, paper, cloth, cardboard

Scientists who introduced laser-induced graphene have enhanced their technique to produce what may become a new class of edible electronics.

Study boosts hope for cheaper fuel cells

Nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes or modified graphene nanoribbons may be suitable replacements for platinum for fast oxygen reduction, the key reaction in fuel cells that transform chemical energy into electricity, according to Rice University researchers.

Carbon nanotubes devices may have a limit to how 'nano' they can be

Carbon nanotubes bound for electronics not only need to be as clean as possible to maximize their utility in next-generation nanoscale devices, but contact effects may limit how small a nano device can be, according to researchers.

Nanotubes go with the flow to penetrate brain tissue

Researchers have invented a device that uses fast-moving fluids to insert flexible, conductive carbon nanotube fibers into the brain, where they can help record the actions of neurons.

Helping hands guide robots as they learn

Like toddlers, robots can use a little help as they learn to function in the physical world. That's the purpose of a Rice University program that gently guides robots toward the most helpful, human-like ways to collaborate on tasks.

Need for speed makes genome editing efficient, if not better

Researchers have developed a computational model to quantify the mechanism by which CRISPR-Cas9 proteins find their genome-editing targets.

Nanotube fiber antennas as capable as copper

Fibers made of carbon nanotubes configured as wireless antennas can be as good as copper antennas but 20 times lighter, according to researchers. The antennas may offer practical advantages for aerospace applications and wearable electronics where weight and flexibility are factors.

Asphalt helps lithium batteries charge faster

A touch of asphalt may be the secret to high-capacity lithium metal batteries that charge 10 to 20 times faster than commercial lithium-ion batteries, according to scientists.

Pushing battery tech forward

Tests show a battery with the nickel sulfide-iron sulfide cathode could be depleted and recharged more than 5,000 times before degrading.

Freeze-dried foam soaks up carbon dioxide

Materials scientists have created a light foam from two-dimensional sheets of hexagonal-boron nitride that absorbs carbon dioxide.

Laser-induced graphene from wood

University scientists have made wood into an electrical conductor by turning its surface into graphene.