Zhenan Bao

A prototype lithium-ion battery, that incorporates the polymer

Electronics

Self-healing electrode coating could lead to longer-lasting batteries

Scientists have developed a conductive elastic polymer coating for lithium-ion battery electrodes, that heals its own cracks after each use. It's been shown to allow silicon electrodes to last up to 10 times longer.

Stanford scientists have used DNA molecules to assemble high-performance graphene transistors (Image: Anatoliy Sokolov/Bao Group/Stanford Engineering)

Electronics

Stanford scientists use DNA to assemble graphene transistors

Researchers at Stanford University have used DNA strands to help manufacture transistors made of graphene in a development that paves the way for the large-scale manufacturing of high-performance, low-power integrated circuits.

The flexible organic transistor, made with flexible polymers and carbon-based materials, that forms the foundation for the artificial skin (Image: L.A. Cicero)

Robotics

'Super skin' powered by stretchable solar cells

Stanford researchers are enhancing the capabilities of its touch-sensitive artificial skin to allow it to detect chemical and biological molecules and run on solar power using stretchable solar cells.