Researchers in South Korea have made a two-dimensional nitrogen-containing crystal that they say could rival graphene and silicon as a semiconductor material for electronics. The new 2D material could also find applications in energy storage and catalysis, the researchers say.
Lithium-ion batteries are everywhere. They're in our electronics, our smart cars, and our power tools. As their popularity grows, so do concerns over their environmental impact. Many lithium-ion batteries contain toxic chemicals, such as fluorine, making their disposal and storage a costly issue, both environmentally and fiscally. A new study published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition points to at least one way the toxicity of lithium-ion batteries might be decreased. Utilizing first principles' theory, the report suggests that by altering the make-up of the batteries' electrolytes, toxic halogens can be replaced by far more environmentally friendly chemicals.
Biologists tend to analyze the world by using a top-down approach, while physicists prefer to tackle problems from a bottom-up stance. When those two fields meet, however, new insights and discoveries can result. An article published in Science reports just such a breakthrough: the first soft, shape-shifting vesicle ever known to be synthesized in a lab.