lab

Colorized image, enlarged 100,000 times, shows an ultrathin layer of molybdenum disulfide stretched over the peaks and valleys of part of an electronic device.

Published in Innovation News
25 Jun 2015

Stanford researchers stretch a thin crystal to get better solar cells

Solar cells may be a solution to global energy needs. Stanford News reports on a collaboration of mechanical engineering and physics researchers achieving an innovative crystalline solar cell with a variable band gap that can be set by stretching the lattice. This variable semiconductor could lead to solar cells that absorb more energy from the sun by being sensitive to a broader spectrum of light.

These Microbes "Eat" Electrons to make Methane

Scientists have solved a long-standing mystery about methanogens, unique microorganisms that transform electricity and carbon dioxide into methane.

In a new study, researchers demonstrate for the first time how methanogens obtain electrons from solid surfaces. The discovery could help scientists design electrodes for microbial “factories” that produce methane gas and other compounds sustainably.