Phys.org December 17, 2024 The synergistic integration of all the components for efficient light harvesting, cascade electron transfer, and efficient biocatalytic reactions presents a formidable challenge. Researchers in the UK described the bottom-up construction of a visible-light-driven chemical–biological hybrid nanoreactor with augmented photocatalytic efficiency by anchoring an α-carboxysome shell encasing on the surface of a hydrogen-bonded organic molecular crystal, a microporous α-polymorph of tetra(4′-carboxyphenyl)pyrene (TBAP-α). Within this hybrid photobiocatalyst, TBAP-α functioned as an antenna for visible-light absorption and exciton generation, supplying electrons for hydrogen production by H–S in aqueous solutions. This coordination allowed the hybrid nanoreactor to execute hydrogen evolution […]
Tag Archives: S&T UK
Simple method can recover and recycle quantum dots in microscopic lasers
Phys.org November 26, 2024 Supraparticles comprising semiconductor colloidal quantum dots as building blocks are a new class of microscopic lasers with a wide host of applications. Despite the recent advances in their fabrication, there have been no reports of their quantum dot components being recovered for use in a circular economy. Researchers in the UK demonstrated a novel method for the recycling of whispering-gallery-mode supraparticle lasers with a quantum dot recovery yield of 85%. The photoluminescence quantum yield of the recycled quantum dots was retained at 83 ± 16% from the initial batch of 86 ± 9%. The recycled quantum […]
Experts warn of political risks in Antarctic curtain geoengineering proposal
Phys.org November 18, 2024 Should current unmitigated emissions continue, there is a growing chance of collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, one of the planetary climate tipping points at the greatest risk of being crossed. Such a collapse would subject the world to an increase of several metres in average global sea-level rise over just a few centuries. There is an academic debate about the potential of supporting glacial stability through artificial infrastructures such as an undersea ‘curtain’. However, this ‘ice sheet conservation’ would come with significant yet unforeseeable technical and environmental risks. Researchers in the UK argued that […]
Measurements from ‘lost’ Seaglider offer new insights into Antarctic ice melting
Phys.org November 8, 2024 Solar-warmed surface waters subduct beneath Antarctica’s ice shelves because of wind forcing, but this process is poorly observed and its interannual variability is yet to be assessed. Researchers in the UK observed a 50-meter-thick intrusion of warm surface water immediately beneath the Ross Ice Shelf. Temperature in the uppermost 5 meters decreased toward the ice base in near-perfect agreement with an exponential fit, consistent with the loss of heat to the overlying ice. They found that Ekman forcing drove a heat transport into the cavity sufficient to contribute considerably to near-front melting; this transport increased over […]
A space walking robot could build a giant telescope in space
Phys.org November 7, 2024 Key requirements for next-generation space manipulators include dexterity, modularity, redundancy, workspace enhancement, and autonomous mobility. Researchers in the UK addressed these issues with a novel seven-degrees-of-freedom dexterous End-Over-End Walking Robot (E-Walker) for future In-Space Assembly and Manufacturing missions. They considered the in-situ robotic assembly of the primary mirror of a 25 m Large Aperture Space Telescope (LAST). Comparing the power, time, control and motion planning complexities of eleven mission Concept of Operations (ConOps), the trade-off analysis shortlisted a potential mission scenario. The operational assessments of two potential mission ConOps were compared to estimate the time required […]
Graphene-based memristors move a step closer to benefiting next-generation computing
Phys.org October 22, 2024 Memristors based on graphene is a promising alternative to contemporary field-effect transistor (FET) technology achieves higher integration density and lower power consumption. The use of graphene as electrodes in memristors could also increase robustness against degradation mechanisms. To realize this researchers in the UK have developed a process for direct growth of high-quality monolayer graphene on sapphire wafers in a mass-producible, contamination-free, and transfer-free manner using a commercially available metal–organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) system. Using their process they developed graphene-electrode based memristors incorporating graphene electrodes at wafer scale. The memristor demonstrated promising characteristics in terms […]
First liquid-liquid extraction trial finds porous liquids can separate harmful or unwanted alcohols from mixtures
Phys.org September 18, 2024 Researchers in the UK explored the application of porous liquids for the separation of miscible liquids, using MEG/water (MEG=monoethylene glycol) and EtOH/water as proof-of-principle. PLs ZIF-8@PDMS (PL1, PDMS=polydimethylsilicone) or ZIF-8@sesame oil (PL2) each consisting of 25 wt % of the hydrophobic microporous material ZIF-8 was dispersed in PDMS or sesame oil respectively were physically stable to sedimentation. MEG was selectively extracted through a membrane from approximately into the PL phase. The PL could also be regenerated and re-used, suggesting its potential for continuous, cyclic extraction, PL3 (silicalite-1@PDMS) was effective in selective alcohol extraction from beverages. According to […]
Enhancing microbe memory to better upcycle excess COâ‚‚
Phys.org August 30, 2024 Microbial cells often lose the multicopy expression plasmids during long-term cultivations. Because of the advantages related to titers, yields, and productivities plasmid stability is essential for industrially relevant biobased processes. Researchers in the UK designed and tested plasmid addiction systems based on the complementation of essential genes. They stabilized a multicopy plasmid by implementing a plasmid addiction tool based on the complementation of mutants lacking RubisCO, which is essential for CO2 fixation. Expressing the mevalonate pathway operon (MvaES) using this addiction system resulted in the production of carbon yields of ∼25%. According to the researchers the […]
Optical fibers fit for the age of quantum computing
Phys.org July 29, 2024 Researchers in the UK summarized recent progress in the development and applications of microstructured optical fibers for quantum technologies. The optical nonlinearity of solid-core and gas-filled hollow-core fibers provides a valuable medium for the generation of quantum resource states as well as for quantum frequency conversion between the operating wavelengths of existing quantum photonic material architectures. The low loss, low latency, and low dispersion of hollow-core fibers make these fibers particularly attractive for both short- and long-distance links in quantum networks. Hollow-core fibers also promise to replace free-space optical components in a wide range of atomic […]
What do research organizations think about open access publishing?
Phys.org July 8, 2024 Research Consulting and the Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS) was commissioned to determine to what extent the vision, mission and objectives set out in the towards responsible publishing (TRP) proposal serve the needs of the global research community. Through a consultative approach, researchers in the UK sought to assess whether there is appetite for the type of change proposed by cOAlition S (an international consortium of research funding and performing organization’s) in the TRP proposal. In addition, they aimed to understand how the ‘Towards Responsible Publishing’ proposal may be modified or refined to ensure […]