The Shape Memory Effect
The Shape Memory Effect “Dad? You know how I’ve been taking driving lessons and you said I could use your car to practice?”“Yeah?”“And you know how you said to be extra careful and not dent it or anything?”“… What happened?“I… might have dented it. But it was an accident, and it won’t happen again and […]
Crystal polymorphism: from chocolate to pharmaceuticals
Crystal Polymorphism from Chocolate to Pharmaceuticals Any fans of the Great British Bake Off will know the precision needed to succeed in chocolate week and gain a Paul Hollywood handshake for making perfectly tempered chocolate. Tempered chocolate refers to a specific arrangement (known as Form V) of cocoa butter molecules which give it the perfect […]
Electrons to characterise batteries
Electrons to Characterise Batteries We have all used some form of battery in our life, for instance in our laptops, handphones or even electric vehicles. The most prominent type of a battery is the Li-ion battery (LIB), which was first proposed in the 1970s and was commercially used in 1991. Why are we still researching […]
Automated control of really small things
Automated Control of Really Small Things Nanostructured materials have dimensions approaching atomic length scales. When these materials are first developed in the lab there is a drive to demonstrate their exceptional (opto)electronic properties by incorporating them into functional devices such as transistors, lasers, solar cells, and photodetectors. This early proof-of-concept stage requires precise and time-consuming […]
Bacteria – mini fuel-forming factories!
Bacteria – Mini Fuel-Forming Factories! The need for a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels has never been more pressing. Not only does the burning of fossil fuels emit harmful greenhouse gases that drive global warming, the world is currently facing an energy crisis, with many unable to afford to pay the high price for oil […]
Folding DNA to trap light at the nanoscale
Folding DNA to Trap Light at the Nanoscale Over the past century, the invention of antennas has revolutionised the way our society works. From giant telescopes that allow us to observe the universe of many light-years ago, to the simple TV devices or cellular phones, we are now able to communicate with objects that are […]
Harnessing the power of sunlight
Harnessing the Power of Sunlight Remember the famous Stefan–Boltzmann law and Arrhenius equation in high school chemistry classes? Yes! Based on the fundamental principles of physical chemistry coupled with good foresight, Swedish Nobel Laureate Svante Arrhenius predicted the effects of climate change way ahead of his time in 1896. He proposed that a doubling of […]