In search of going greener with battery technology, collaborating principle investigators Igor Luzinov and Gleb Yushin, of their respective Schools of Materials Science and Engineering at Clemson University and Georgia Tech, have identified a new polymer known as alginate that is capable of boosting battery capacity and performance. The material works as a more efficient binder of silicon or graphitic nanoparticles in the production of battery electrodes – cathodes and anodes. Furthermore, alginate, which is produced by and extracted from rapidly growing brown algae, offers a non-toxic and environmentally friendly alternative to current battery technologies. The findings are published in a recent report in Science.

The multi-component, bulky, and outdated device platforms used in clinical and research lab settings for monitoring human physiologic activity may soon be replaced with ultrathin electronic patches that adhere to skin and stretch like temporary tattoos. Headed by materials scientist John A. Rogers from the University of Illinois, a group of engineers developed the innovative skin-mounted electronic device and have demonstrated practical use in acquiring physiological information from the heart, brain, and skeletal muscles. The technology makes use of an array of electronic components including multifunctional sensors, LEDs, circuit elements (transistors, diodes, and capacitors), wireless power coils, and radio frequency elements for communication. The research is described in the August 12 issue of Science.

Over the past few years there has been an explosion of graphene-related news being reported throughout all avenues of media yet many people are unaware of what graphene is and why there is so much fuss over this mystery material.

So, what is graphene?

Talk about creativity! We are excited to bring you another year of the Penn State Materials Visualization competition. They get better with each year, and the technology keeps growing and unfolding, or maybe it just looks that way from seeing the decreasing scale of unfolding ends at a single 500 micron square, that came in 3rd for visual appeal. See the entire gallery.

Researchers at Kansas State University have developed a new mechanical adhesive whose unique properties might make it well suited to be in every astronaut's toolbox. Unlike traditional chemical adhesives which can become brittle when moisture is removed, this new adhesive - made from peptides - actually forms a stronger bond.

In the latest issue of the American Chemistry Society's journal Langmuir, Bar-Ilan University researcher, Aharon Gedanken and colleagues report successful lab tests of a material intended for use as a new food packaging material.

Researchers from Purdue University have developed a new type of sensor that allows rapid detection of chemical compounds in a person's respiration. The new approach is at least 100 times more accurate than current technologies - detecting biomarkers in the parts per billion to parts per million range - and may lead to wide-spread use of breathalyzers in detecting the possible presence of cancer and other diseases.

The technology works by detecting changes in electrical resistance or conductance as gases pass over sensors built on top of tiny heating devices on electronic chips, called "microphotplates".

Carlos Martinez, assistant professor of Materials Engineering, and key investigator of the new sensors commented; "We are talking about creating an inexpensive, rapid way of collecting diagnostic information about a patient. It might say, 'there is a certain percentage that you are metabolizing a specific compound indicative of this type of cancer,' and then additional, more complex tests could be conducted to confirm the diagnosis."

This 1mm tall robot is ultralight, thermal powered and the latest design from the Karl F. Böhringer, MEMS Laboratory at the University of Washington. Referred to as "Insect like" this free moving omnidirectional rectangle is capable of carrying impressive loads of up to 7 times its own weight.

Keith Cowing - Keith Cowling is editor of NASA Watch, an online publication devoted to the free and uncensored exchange of information on space policy and NASA operations. His May 2010 presentation talks about some of the impromptu hacks needed to get things accomplished during NASA missions.

About two weeks ago I saw an announcement for the Materials Visualization Competition (MVC10) put on by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Materials Research Institute at Penn State. MVC10 is a scientific visual and artistic competition started to highlight the quality of research in materials at Penn State. See the entire gallery.