Physical Sciences
Crystal engineering for solid-state molecular recognition
Host-guest interactions in crystalline frameworks can be exploited to selectively and reversibly adsorb molecular species within a crystalline lattice. This process is important in a variety of technological fields, including gas separation, catalysis, trapping of pollutants and carbon capture. Professor Akiko Hori (Shibaura Institute of Technology) is developing chemical approaches for optimising the building blocks of these solid-state systems. Perfluorination […]
The Lattice, the Clock, and the Microscope: A Next-Generation Quantum Simulator
Understanding systems of many interacting quantum particles remains one of the grand challenges in physics. Simulating such systems on supercomputers is impossible for more than a few particles, but promising approaches based on quantum simulators are on the horizon. Dr Sebastian Blatt’s team at the Max-Planck-Institute of Quantum Optics, and their collaborators, have made significant strides to extend the capabilities […]
Lighting Up Iridium Complexes
Iridium (Ir) is a fascinating element. A rare metal found in the Earth’s crust, Ir can bond with a variety of other elements to make different metal complexes. Such complexes have unusual and interesting interactions with light, with many complexes exhibiting strong luminescence on long timescales. This has made them widely used as molecules for bioimaging probes and organic light […]
Cellulose nanodefects: The key to biofuels and biomaterials of the future
Cellulose is a renewable polymer that can be used to produce biofuels and other bio-based materials. However, the potential of cellulose to displace petroleum-derived products had been limited by incomplete knowledge of its nanoscale characteristics. Recent research by Dr Peter Ciesielski and Dr Michael Crowley, both from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, has advanced our understanding of nanoscale defects that […]
Free Electron Lasers: The Biggest and Brightest Light Sources
Creating focused, well-behaved beams of electrons is no easy task, but something that Dr Sergio Carbajo and his team at Stanford University and the SLAC National Accelerator laboratory are experts in. They are developing new technologies to control electron generation for some of the world’s biggest and brightest lasers to make it possible to film exactly what happens in the […]
‘Mosquito method’ avoids crossed wires in optical circuitry
Electric circuitry – energy-wasting and prone to interference – is overdue an overhaul. In several industries optical fibres allow faster data transfers, and ‘fibre’ is becoming synonymous with ‘faster internet’. As technologies like cloud storage drive a desire for ever-increasing data transfer speeds, optical fibres are expected to make their way inside computers. This requires a new set of manufacturing […]
Consciousness and Quantum Mechanics wherein Planck’s constant becomes a variable
In his new book Generalized Lagrangian Approach and Behavior of Living Systems Professor Uziel Sandler, from the Jerusalem College of Technology, takes the reader on a journey from the conception of Quantum Mechanics through the development and application of a new extended Quantum Mechanics. An unexpected finding led him to a natural extension of the Hamiltonian Action and makes describing […]
Controlling hydrate crystallisation for block-free pipes
Hydrate formation is a major problem in the oil & gas industry, leading to blocked pipes and increased costs. Hydrates are crystals formed by ‘trapped’ gas in water, under specific temperature and pressure conditions. Using surfactants can inhibit and control hydrate formation, but this research area is still young. Professor Liat Rosenfeld from San José State University sheds light on […]
Multi-fidelity shape optimisation of suspension bridge decks
Over the last century, technological advances have resulted in increased length of the main span of long-span suspension bridges, making them even more vulnerable to structural vibrations caused by environmental factors, particularly wind. Dr Ibuki Kusano from the University of Stavanger, Norway, and her collaborators are investigating the structural response of suspension bridges under wind loads. The research team has […]
Careful catalysis converts CO2 emissions into useful chemicals
‘Reduce carbon dioxide emissions by reducing carbon dioxide’: at first glance, this doesn’t seem particularly insightful, but it’s the basis of research recently produced by Samuel Perry at the University of Southampton. Using the carbon dioxide reduction reaction, an electrochemical process with multiple possible products, Perry and his collaborators are working towards an electrode design that can selectively convert CO2 […]