Researchers have used sound waves to precisely manipulate atoms and molecules, accelerating the sustainable production of breakthrough smart materials. Metal-organic frameworks, or MOFs, are incredibly versatile and super porous nanomaterials that can be used to store, separate, release or protect almost anything. Predicted to be the defining material of the 21st century, MOFs are ideal…
From Toilet to Brickyard: Recycling Biosolids to Make Sustainable Bricks
How can you recycle the world’s stockpiles of treated sewage sludge and boost sustainability in the construction industry, all at the same time? Turn those biosolids into bricks. Biosolids are a by-product of the wastewater treatment process that can be used as fertiliser, in land rehabilitation or as a construction material. Around 30 percent of the…
New Technology to Allow 100-Times-Faster Internet
Groundbreaking new technology could allow 100-times-faster internet by harnessing twisted light beams to carry more data and process it faster. Broadband fiber-optics carry information on pulses of light, at the speed of light, through optical fibers. But the way the light is encoded at one end and processed at the other affects data speeds. This…
Clever Coating Opens Door to Smart Windows
Researchers from RMIT University in Melbourne Australia have developed a new ultra-thin coating that responds to heat and cold, opening the door to “smart windows”. The self-modifying coating, which is a thousand times thinner than a human hair, works by automatically letting in more heat when it’s cold and blocking the sun’s rays when it’s…
Liquid Metal Discovery Ushers in New Wave of Chemistry and Electronics
Researchers from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, have used liquid metal to create two-dimensional materials no thicker than a few atoms that have never before been seen in nature. The incredible breakthrough will not only revolutionize the way we do chemistry but could be applied to enhance data storage and make faster electronics. The “once-in-a-decade”…
Stretchable Nano-Devices Towards Smart Contact Lenses
Researchers at RMIT University and the University of Adelaide have joined forces to create a stretchable nano-scale device to manipulate light. The device manipulates light to such an extent that it can filter specific colours while still being transparent and could be used in the future to make smart contact lenses. Using the technology, high-tech…
Revolutionary New Weapon In Air Pollution Fight
People could soon be using their smartphones to combat a deadly form of air pollution, thanks to a potentially life-saving breakthrough by RMIT University researchers in Melbourne, Australia. Experts have developed the first low-cost and reliable method of detecting nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a significant air pollutant than contributes to more than seven million deaths worldwide…
Liquid Metal Pump a Breakthrough for Micro-Fluidics
RMIT University researchers in Melbourne, Australia, have developed the world’s first liquid metal enabled pump, a revolutionary new micro-scale device with no mechanical parts. The unique design will enable micro-fluidics and lab-on-a-chip technology to finally realise their potential, with applications ranging from biomedicine to biofuels. The research has been published this week in Proceedings of…