APPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY: Artificial photosynthetic system ADVANTAGES: High reaction rate keeps up with photon flux at high solar intensity Stable Uses abundant, inexpensive elements Conducive to scalable manufacturing ABSTRACT: Heinz Frei and Feng Jiao of Berkeley Lab have developed a visible light driven catalytic system for oxidizing water. … [Read more...] about Nanostructured Water Oxidation Catalysts IB-2832
Holey Silicon as an Efficient Thermoelectric Material JIB-2854
ABSTRACT: Peidong Yang and his colleagues at Berkeley Lab have created a new type of nanostructure with enhanced thermoelectric performance: thin single-crystalline silicon membranes that have been decorated with a high density of nanoscopic holes. These "holey silicon" (HS) nanostructures exhibit good mechanical strength and reproducibly low thermal conductivity while … [Read more...] about Holey Silicon as an Efficient Thermoelectric Material JIB-2854
Water Based Process for Fabricating Thermoelectric Materials IB-2859
APPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY: Solid state cooling of integrated circuits Electronically cooled fabrics Power generation from waste heat ADVANTAGES: Scalable fabrication process Reduced production cost Improved thermoelectric efficiency ABSTRACT: Berkeley Lab scientists Rachel Segalman, Jeffrey Urban and Kevin See have invented a water based process … [Read more...] about Water Based Process for Fabricating Thermoelectric Materials IB-2859
Metal-Oxo Catalysts for Generating Hydrogen from Water JIB-2724
APPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY: Sustainable energy/power source Refinement of metal ores Production of chemicals (e.g., hydrochloric acid, ammonia, unsaturated fats and oils) ADVANTAGES: Low cost Energy efficient Clean and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels Can be used with sea water and other abundant, untreated water … [Read more...] about Metal-Oxo Catalysts for Generating Hydrogen from Water JIB-2724
Ternary Compound Nanocrystals for Photovoltaic Devices IB-2740
APPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY: Solar cells ADVANTAGES: Higher efficiency than either pure PbS-based or pure PbSe-based PV devices Nanocrystals synthesized in one-pot method ABSTRACT: A. Paul Alivisatos and colleagues at Berkeley Lab have developed solar cells based on highly confined nanocrystals of the ternary compound PbSxSe1-x. The crystalline, … [Read more...] about Ternary Compound Nanocrystals for Photovoltaic Devices IB-2740