Inkjet printers used to be a cheaper way of printing out office documents but lately, it seems that these printers can do so much more.  Just recently researchers at the University of Cambridge developed a new type of graphene ink that allows inkjet printers to print thin film transistors with greater electron mobility and electrical conductivity.

Scientists at Nanyang Technical University (NTU) and A*STAR Institute of Microelectronics (IME) have developed a thin film silicon solar cell using nanotechnology.  The resulting solar cells are significantly cheaper than other thin film solar cells and produce almost as much electricity as traditional silicon solar cells.

Graphene is turning out to be a miracle substance for electronics and electric vehicles.  The latest use for graphene is in a new energy storage system that will enable charging electric vehicles (EVs) and plugin electric vehicles (PEVs) in less than a minute rather than hours as it does today.

Take pencil lead (graphite) separate it into one atom thick layers (graphene) add water and presto you have an amazing method for storing energy and recharging fast.  Of course there is a bit more to it but that is the gist of the research.

MIT associate professor Jeffrey Grossman had previously found out how expensive fulvalene diruthenium was able to store solar energy which led to this years discovery that carbon nanotubes combined with azobenzene work.  Not only do they work but they are much cheaper to produce and use.

Researchers at the University of Cambridge and Rutgers University have discovered that five sided (pentagonal) molecular rings they call tiles could provide the next method of manufacturing solar cells, computer chips and new display technology.  These cyclopentadienyl molecules (C₅H₅) could allow solar cells and computer chips to be built from the bottom up instead of the way they are created now, by carving down.

How would you like your banana? As packaging or car parts ? Imagine driving a car where the majority of the parts are made from fruit.  That image may not be too far in the future since Brazilian scientists have discovered that such fruits as pineapple leaves and stems, bananas, coconut shells, agave, curaua and cattails can be used to make plastics that are lighter and stronger than petroleum based plastics. Meanwhile Malasian scientists have developed a fruit based plastic called Fruitplast that is ten percent cheaper to produce and provides durable, biodegradable packaging.

Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed a new type of memory that uses 100 times less energy.  Less energy means longer battery life and cheaper storage costs.

Eric Pop, assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at the University of Illinois and affiliated with the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at Illinois, led a team of engineers in this discovery.

Placing nanocrystals of rock salt into telluride lead has turned out to be a breakthrough in efforts to turn waste heat into usable energy.  The new material should be able to convert a record 14 percent of heat waste into electricity.

Gerhard Welsch, professor of materials science and engineering at Case Western, has improved the dielectric – “the thin barrier that separates the capacitor’s positive and negative charges”.  That improvement could increase the energy stored by as much 1,000 fold over ceramic capacitors.  Meanwhile, Bor Jang of US-based Nanotek Instruments has developed a graphene supercapacitor with the power of a nickel metal hydride battery.