Drexel University

Engineers at Drexel University have made a breakthrough they say takes high-capacity lithium-sulfur batteries closer to commercial use, by leveraging a rare chemical phase of sulfur to prevent damaging chemical reactions.

Researchers at Drexel University have created “Faraday fabrics” that can block almost all electromagnetic waves. The key ingredient is a 2D material called MXene, and the development could help protect wearables from interference and people from potentially dangerous radiation.

Electromagnetic shielding is usually placed around electronics to prevent interference. Now, engineers have found that a 2D material called titanium carbonitride is excellent at the job, absorbing rather than reflecting electromagnetic waves.

New research is suggesting the claim that house plants improve indoor air quality is wrong. The research concludes it would take hundreds of plants in a small space to come close to the air-purifying effects of simply opening a couple of windows.

Concrete is made of a combination of cement, an aggregate such as gravel, and water. If that mixture dries too fast, then cracks can form within it as it cures. Now, however, scientists have determined that the use of coal-ash spheres can help keep that from happening.

​When calcium chloride de-icer is spread on sidewalks or roads, it reacts with the calcium hydroxide in concrete, creating calcium oxychloride. Also known as CAOXY, this substance expands within the concrete, causing it to crack. Adding bacteria, however, may keep that from happening.

As crucial as antennas are, the rigid metals they’re made of can limit what devices they can be built into. To help with that, researchers at Drexel University have developed a new kind of antenna that can be sprayed onto just about any surface.

A team at Drexel University has used the two-dimensional material MXene to develop a new type of electrode, combining the capacitance of a regular battery with the speed of a supercapacitor, which could lead to devices that recharge in a matter of seconds.

​Salt may indeed keep winter roads free of ice, but it also actively degrades them. There may be a way out of the conundrum, however. A scientist has been experimenting with making "salt-proof" concrete that incorporates waste products generated by coal furnaces and the smelting process.

​Over the years, scientists have come up with all manner of new ways to deliver medication, from sophisticated dual-sided pills to drug-packed nanoparticles. Now, researchers are working on something even more sophisticated, developing tiny bead-shaped robots controlled by magnetic fields.

Scientists have managed to embed miniature supercapacitors within a microchip, using methods compatible with standard electronics manufacturing. The advance could allow future electronics to marry the benefits of batteries and supercapacitors on the same device.

A metallic nanocoating derived from a virus of the tobacco plant could lead to more efficient steam production, improving the performance of steam turbines, air conditioning and electronics cooling systems.