Royal Society of Chemistry

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.

Polystyrene makes solar panels cheaper

Researchers are using polystyrene particles rather than expensive polymers to make the next generation of solar cells, which are used to make solar panels, more stable and even cheaper.

Molecular movie exposes perovskite solar cell's inner workings

A 'molecular movie' has revealed how perovskite solar cells respond to light. The work could help to explain why these structures are so adept at converting light into electricity.

Lab on a chip could monitor health, germs and pollutants

Imagine wearing a device that continuously analyzes your sweat or blood for different types of biomarkers, such as proteins that show you may have breast cancer or lung cancer.

Pac-Man meets biotechnology

Scientists increasingly use miniscule robots to solve a range of problems, from cancer treatment to water purification.

Environmental risks in 'green' material

Researchers have undertaken the first comparative life cycle analysis of piezoelectric materials as part of an EPSRC project.

Researchers invent novel materials for better batteries

Inventors are paving the way for the future with energy-efficient batteries for sensors, portable devices and electric cars.

A picture perfect power source

Using a standard inkjet printer and regular paper, scientists can now print power sources in any design imaginable.

New light harvesting potentials

Researchers have discovered significant new potentials for light harvesting through narrowing the bandgap of titania and graphene quantum dots.

Rechargeable first for promising battery tech

The first rechargeable sodium-carbon dioxide battery has been created with the help of a nanostructured cathode. The cheap and potentially powerful battery could fuel Mars vehicles as the red planet's atmosphere is 96% carbon dioxide or recycle carbon dioxide emissions on Earth.

Touch sensitive super stretchy skin shows promise for soft robots

A material that can emit different coloured light and sense touch - yet still stretch nearly five times its original length - has been invented by scientists in the US and Italy.

Dip coating to solve perovskite moisture sensitivity

Scientists from China and Australia have designed a water-resistant perovskite solar cell that can operate in a humid environment and maintain its efficiency over three weeks.

Ceramics made stronger with 3D printing

A new method for 3D printing ceramic microlattices has been developed by researchers in the US.

Doped electrodes cram charge into supercapacitors

A new supercapacitor electrode material has been created that can store much more energy than conventional supercapacitors.

Perovskite boosts silicon solar cell efficiency

A UK company claims it can boost the efficiency of a silicon solar cell by 20% by adding a layer of the light-sensitive crystal perovskite.

A step forward for graphene walkers

Scientists in China have developed a graphene-based paper which can fold itself into predesigned shapes when exposed to light or gentle heat. The material, which is created from graphene oxide, can also 'walk' across a table and turn a corner. Potential applications of the material include sensors, artificial muscles and robotics.

Blackest material ever made sets new record

The perfect black body exists only in textbooks, absorbing as it does, theoretically, all energy hitting its surface and then subsequently emitting that energy without loss.

Graphene band gap heralds new electronics

Regular graphene has no band gap - its unusually rippled valence and conduction bands actually meet in places, making it more like a metal. Nonetheless, scientists have tried to tease them apart.

New cathode material for sodium ion batteries

An international team of scientists led by the inventor of the lithium ion battery has put forward a new cathode material for its potential successor, the sodium ion battery.

Alkaline flow battery charges up renewable energy storage

Scientists have developed an alkaline flow battery that they hope will help to tackle the tricky problem of storing energy from renewable power sources such as wind and solar.