University Research | U.S. DOE Office of Science (SC)

Goldilocks Principle Wrong for Particle Assembly: Too Hot & Too Cold is Just Right

New York University scientists discovery points to new ways to create “smart materials,” cutting-edge materials that adapt to their environment by taking new forms, and to sharpen the detail of 3D printing.

Electrically Conductive Plastics Promising for Batteries, Solar Cells

An emerging class of electrically conductive plastics called "radical polymers” may bring low-cost, transparent solar cells, flexible and lightweight batteries, and ultrathin antistatic coatings for consumer electronics and aircraft.

Researchers Look Inside to Reveal Workings of Powerful Biochemical Switch

A University of Utah-led study using X-rays and neutron beams has revealed the inner workings of a master switch that regulates basic cellular functions, but that also, when mutated, contributes to cancer, cardiovascular disease and other deadly disorders.

Winning By Losing: School of Engineering Scientists Find a Way to Improve Laser Performance

Scientists from the School of Engineering & Applied Science at Washington University in St. Louis have shown a new way to reverse or eliminate energy loss by, ironically, adding loss to a laser system to actually reap energy gains.

Tarantula Venom Illuminates Electrical Activity in Live Cells

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have created a cellular probe that combines a tarantula toxin with a fluorescent compound to help scientists observe electrical activity in neurons and other cells.

Researchers Develop World’s Thinnest Electric Generator

Columbia Engineering and the Georgia Institute of Technology have created a unique electric generator, which could open the door to mechanosensation devices that are optically transparent, extremely light, and very bendable and stretchable.

Facetless Crystals That Mimic Starfish Shells Could Advance 3D-printing Pills

In a design that mimics a hard-to-duplicate texture of starfish shells, University of Michigan engineers have made rounded crystals that have no facets.

Microscopic “Walkers” Find Their Way Across Cell Surfaces

Technology could provide a way to deliver probes or drugs to cell structures without outside guidance.

Batteries Included: A Solar Cell that Stores its Own Power

Researchers report that they’ve succeeded in combining a battery and a solar cell into one hybrid device.

Nanoparticles Get a Magnetic Handle

New method at MIT produces particles that can glow with color-coded light and be manipulated with magnets.

Stanford Scientists Create a 'Smart' Lithium-ion Battery That Warns of Potential Fire Hazards

Stanford's Yi Cui and colleagues have created a lithium-ion battery that alerts users of potential overheating and fire.

New Catalyst Could Improve Biofuels Production

Washington State University researchers have developed a new catalyst that could lead to making biofuels cheaply and more efficiently.