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
Stable Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles for More Efficient Solar Cells and Environmental Decontamination IB-2686
APPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY: Solar energy Air and water purification / decontamination ADVANTAGES: Absorb energy over the entire solar spectrum Narrow band gap - 1.54 eV Stable after extensive use and storage Production method may expand optical absorption of other semiconductor nanostructures ABSTRACT: Sam Mao and a team of scientists at Berkeley … [Read more...] about Stable Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles for More Efficient Solar Cells and Environmental Decontamination IB-2686