Purdue University

Refillable technology for electric cars

Refillable' technology could provide enough energy to drive an electric car up to 3,000 miles.

Cutting the cost of fuel cells in electric vehicles

The 2019 Toyota Mirai electric vehicle touts zero emissions, thanks to a fuel cell that runs on hydrogen instead of gasoline. But the Mirai has barely left California, partly because today's fuel cell electrodes are made of super expensive platinum.

Unleashing perovskites' potential for solar cells

Researchers have been able to decipher a key aspect of the behavior of perovskites made with different formulations: With certain additives there is a kind of "sweet spot" where greater amounts will enhance performance and beyond which further amounts begin to degrade it.

New design improves firefighting robots

A new design in firefighting robots, already successfully tested in the field, could make firefighters' jobs less dangerous and address one of the biggest challenges with firefighting robots - the ability to maneuver in a burning structure.

Sodium ion battery research could power up renewable energy storage

Longer life and increased capacity for a new technology battery that could be the workhorse of a renewable energy grid are the goals of a study of the effect of charging cycles on the structure of anodes in sodium ion batteries.

High-temperature electronics? That's hot

From iPhones on Earth to rovers on Mars, most electronics only function within a certain temperature range. By blending two organic materials together, researchers could create electronics that withstand extreme heat.

3D printer for energetic materials

Researchers have devised a method of 3D printing that can produce energetic materials with fine geometric features faster and with less expense than traditional methods, while also being safer and more environmentally friendly.

Bendable smartphone technology could save lives

A university team has designed a glass-like polymer to conduct electricity for transparent and flexible electronics. The innovative polymer film, which has the look and feel of glass, can be inexpensively and sustainably produced on a large scale because it originates from earth-abundant materials.

Electrical stimulation could cure digestive disorders

More than 60 million people in the U.S. suffer from disorders in the gastrointestinal tract that could be cured by electrical stimulation, but scientists don't fully understand the therapy's effects on a critical organ: the stomach.

New material, manufacturing process, uses sun's heat for cheaper power

Researchers have developed a new material and manufacturing process that would make one way to use solar power - as heat energy - more efficient in generating electricity.

Simple stickers may save lives of heart patients, athletes

Heart surgery can be traumatic for patients. Having to continuously monitor your status without a doctor when you are back home can be even scarier. Imagine being able to do that with a simple sticker applied to your body.

New 3D-printed cement paste gets stronger when it cracks

What if the inherent weaknesses of a material actually made houses and buildings stronger during wildfires and earthquakes? Researchers have 3D-printed cement paste, a key ingredient of the concrete and mortar used to build various elements of infrastructure, that gets tougher under pressure like the shells of arthropods such as lobsters and beetles.

Robots and drones making their own decisions? That's the goal

What if a parent could feel safe allowing a drone to walk their child to the bus stop? Robots working without human intervention? That might occur sooner than you think with a new avenue of artificial intelligence.

Super cheap earth element to advance new battery tech to the industry

Most of today's batteries are made up of rare lithium mined from the mountains of South America. If the world depletes this source, then battery production could stagnate. Sodium is a very cheap and earth-abundant alternative to using lithium-ion batteries that is also known to turn purple and combust if exposed to water - even just water in the air.

Wearable could help pregnant woman improve outcomes

Pregnant women could use a wearable app to detect whether they have or are susceptible to a condition that leads to serious health complications for them or their unborn child.

Wearable 'microbrewery' saves human body from radiation damage

The same way that yeast yields beer and bread can help hospital lab workers better track their daily radiation exposure, enabling a faster assessment of tissue damage that could lead to cancer.

Future electronic components to be printed like newspapers

A new manufacturing technique uses a process similar to newspaper printing to form smoother and more flexible metals for making ultrafast electronic devices.

Phoneme project creates new haptic communications future

Communication could step beyond reading a cellular phone screen with a new technique by researchers to learn and read messages through a person's sense of touch.

Now you can 3D print clay, cookie dough - or solid rocket fuel

It's now possible to 3D print extremely viscous materials, with the consistency of clay or cookie dough with fine precision. This development may soon allow the creation of customized ceramics, solid rockets, pharmaceuticals, biomedical implants, foodstuffs, and more.

Gene editing just got easier

An international team of researchers has made CRISPR technology more accessible and standardized by simplifying its complex implementation. The simpler, faster CRISPR offers a broad platform for off-the shelf genome engineering that may lower the barrier of entry for this powerful technology.