Researchers from the the National University of Singapore (NUS) have made a significant contribution towards resolving the global issue of plastic waste, by creating a way to convert plastic bottle waste into aerogels for many useful applications. Plastic bottles are commonly made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is the most recycled plastic in the world.…
Graphene Enters The Stratosphere
The Centre for Advanced Two-Dimensional Materials (CA2DM) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) has teamed up with US-based aerospace company Boreal Space to test the properties of graphene after it has been launched into the stratosphere. The results could provide insights into how graphene could be used for space and satellite technologies. “Graphene’s usefulness…
Engineers Invent Smart Microchip That Can Self-Start And Operate When Battery Runs Out
The Internet of Things (IoT), while still in its infancy, is shaping the future of many industries and will also impact daily life in significant ways. One of the key challenges of moving IoT devices from concept to reality is to have long-lasting operation with tightly constrained energy sources, and thus extreme power efficiency. IoT…
NUS Researchers Turn Fashion Waste Into Multifunctional Material
A research team from the National University of Singapore (NUS) Faculty of Engineering has successfully devised a fast, cheap and green method to convert cotton-based fabric waste, such as unwanted clothing, into highly compressible and ultralight cotton aerogels. The researchers also demonstrated the application of this novel material to keep military water bottles cold and…
Researchers Develop Wireless Light Switch For Targeted Cancer Therapy
A team of scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has developed a way to wirelessly deliver light into deep regions of the body to activate light-sensitive drugs for photodynamic therapy (PDT). While PDT is a powerful light-induced cancer treatment, it is often limited to surface cancers due to the low penetration of light…
‘Toolboxes’ For Quantum Cybersecurity
A quantum information scientist from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has developed efficient “toolboxes” comprising theoretical tools and protocols for quantifying the security of high-speed quantum communication. Assistant Professor Charles Lim is part of an international team of experimental and theoretical scientists from Duke University, Ohio State University and Oak Ridge National Laboratory that…
Novel ‘Converter’ Heralds Breakthrough In Ultra-Fast Data Processing At Nanoscale
Advancement in nanoelectronics, which is the use of nanotechnology in electronic components, has been fueled by the ever-increasing need to shrink the size of electronic devices in a bid to produce smaller, faster and smarter gadgets such as computers, memory storage devices, displays and medical diagnostic tools. While most advanced electronic devices are powered by…
Engineers Achieve Significant Breakthrough In Spin Wave Based Information Processing Technology
Conventional electronic devices make use of semiconductor circuits and they transmit information by electric charges. However, such devices are being pushed to their physical limit and the technology is facing immense challenges to meet the increasing demand for speed and further miniaturisation. Spin wave based devices, which utilise collective excitations of electronic spins in magnetic…
NUS Researchers Achieve Major Breakthrough in Flexible Electronics
Semiconductors, which are the very basic components of electronic devices, have improved our lives in many ways. They can be found in lighting, displays, solar modules and microprocessors that are installed in almost all modern day devices, from mobile phones, washing machines, and cars, to the emerging Internet of Things. To innovate devices with better…
Quantum Satellite Device Tests Tech for Global Quantum Network
You can’t sign up for the quantum internet just yet, but researchers have reported a major experimental milestone towards building a global quantum network — and it’s happening in space. With a network that carries information in the quantum properties of single particles, you can create secure keys for secret messaging and potentially connect powerful…
Two-Dimensional Materials for Printable Photonics & Electronics
A team of scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has successfully developed a method to chemically exfoliate molybdenum disulfide crystals, a class of chalcogenide compounds, into high quality monolayer flakes, with higher yield and larger flake size than current methods. The exfoliated flakes can be made into a printable solution, which can be…
Bio-Inspired Method for Growing Graphene for High-End Electronic Devices
A team of researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS), led by Professor Loh Kian Ping, who heads the Department of Chemistry at the NUS Faculty of Science, has successfully developed an innovative one-step method to grow and transfer high-quality graphene on silicon and other stiff substrates, opening up opportunities for graphene to be…