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- Biosensor for heavy metals
A team of Empa scientists has developed a biosensor which allows them to detect elevated concentrations of copper in a simple, quick and economic way. Copper, like other heavy metals is problematic... - How to produce microlenses from dyes
Researchers are on the lookout for rapid, reliable and affordable switches for the opto-electronics of the future. An Empa team now presents a potential solution: dye droplets measuring just a few ... - Textiles made from synthetic fibers release microfibers
Even before the UN Ocean Conference in early June, we already knew about the disastrous ways in which plastic affects the world's oceans. Billions of pieces of plastic are floating in the oceans. T... - Solid-state electrolyte that is able to compete with liquid electrolytes
Liquid lithium-ion rechargeable batteries are dangerous. They can leak or ignite rapidly if they become overheated. So-called solid-state lithium-ion batteries are a way of reducing these risks. Ho... - Printed 3D structures based on cellulose nanocrystals
Empa researchers have succeeded in developing an environmentally friendly ink for 3D printing based on cellulose nanocrystals. This technology can be used to fabricate microstructures with outstand... - Sodium and magnesium to replace lithium in batteries
Empa scientists supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) have produced novel electrolytes for rechargeable sodium and magnesium batteries. The research group's objective was to dev... - Measuring entropy
A scanning tunneling microscope (STM), used to study changes in the shape of a single molecule at the atomic scale, impacts the ability of that molecule to make these changes; the entropy of the mo... - Creating the tiniest structures on surfaces
Nanotechnology is regarded as the key technology of the 21st century, delivering the fundamental methods, which allow objects just a few hundred nanometers in size to be produced in any required sh...
- Innovation Award for new flame retardant
The Empa Innovation Award 2016 went to chemist Sabyasachi Gaan and his team. The researchers were recognized for the development of new, non-toxic and environmentally friendly fireproofing agents f... - Nanostructures against antibiotic resistance
Several peptides have an antibacterial effect - but they are broken down in the human body too quickly to exert this effect. Empa researchers have now succeeded in encasing peptides in a protective... - How chiral biomolecules imprint their handedness on crystal surfaces
The lack of mirror symmetry - that is, structures appear either only in a left- or right-handed fashion - is a striking property of the biological world. This so-called homochirality is seen at the...
- Electrochemistry to satisfy mass demand: the pyrite battery
High-performance lithium ion batteries face a major problem: Lithium will eventually start to run out. Researchers from Empa and ETH Zurich have now discovered an alternative: the "fool's gold batt... - Structure of "concrete disease" solved
When bridges, dam walls and other structures made of concrete are streaked with dark cracks after a few decades, the culprit is AAR: the alkali-aggregate reaction. Also called the "concrete disease... - New class of materials: hybrid aerogels with biopolymers
Although they are considered to be the best insulators of all, silicate-based aerogels have the disadvantages of being brittle and tending to produce dust. With the development of a hybrid aerogel ... - Laser-optic measuring techniques to optimize diesel cat
The scandal surrounding VW has thrust nitric oxide (NOx) emissions from diesel vehicles into the limelight. Owing to the different engine technologies, these have always been higher than in gasolin... - A more realistic risk assessment of nanomaterials in the environment
A wide range of industrially synthesized nanomaterials are present in products we use daily and, in the meantime, are part of our everyday life. Due to their exceptional properties (e. g., increase... - First measurements of halogenated coolants and foaming agents in the atmosphere
4th generation halogenated coolants and foaming agents have only been in use for a few years. They have replaced persistent greenhouse gases such as R134a, which were used in (car) air conditioning...
- Nanosafety research - there's room for improvement
Empa toxicologist Harald Krug has lambasted his colleagues in the journal Angewandte Chemie. He evaluated several thousand studies on the risks associated with nanoparticles and discovered no end o... - Graphene ribbons from differently doped sub-segments developed
Graphene is a semiconductor when prepared as an ultra-narrow ribbon - although the material is actually a conductive material. Researchers from Empa and the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Researc... - Producing hydrogen with sunlight
All over the world researchers are investigating solar cells which imitate plant photosynthesis, using sunlight and water to create synthetic fuels such as hydrogen. Empa researchers have developed... - The thinnest feasible membrane filters made of graphene
A new nano-membrane made out of the "wonder material" graphene is extremely light and breath-able. Not only can this open the door to a new generation of functional waterproof clothing, but also to... - Nanocellulose sponges to combat oil pollution
A new, absorbable material from Empa wood research could be of assistance in future oil spill accidents: a chemically modified nanocellulose sponge. The light material absorbs the oil spill, remain... - Antimony nanocrystals may be used as alternative anode materials in future high-energy-density batteries
The hunt is on - for new materials to be used in the next generation of batteries that may one day replace current lithium ion batteries. Today, the latter are commonplace and provide a reliable po... - No nano-dust danger from facade paint
After 42 months the EU research project "NanoHouse" has ended, and the verdict is a cautious "all clear" - nanoparticles in the paint used on building façades do not represent a particular health r...
- Unique surface analysis instrument
The 3D NanoChemiscope is a miracle of state-of-the-art analysis technology. As a further development of well-known microscopic and mass spectroscopic methods, it maps the physical and chemical surf...