Cleantech and Environmental News – Latest Headlines

Avatar against food waste

Around one third of all food worldwide ends up in the trash bin instead of on our plate. With the help of digital twins, researchers are now aiming to reduce food waste, for example in the case of citrus fruits, along the production and supply chains.

June 3, 2022 Read more

Disruptive ideas needed to achieve sustainable flight by 2050

Aerospace engineers don't know the exact configuration and performance of a jet airplane powered by liquid hydrogen, but they do know that getting there by 2050 will take some big shifts from the conventional ways we design aircraft today.

June 2, 2022 Read more

Novel air-conditioning technology: Artificial muscles deliver sustainable cooling

A new type of energy efficient, ecologically sustainable cooling technology that does not require the use of climate-damaging refrigerants makes use of shape-memory materials.

June 2, 2022 Read more

Water treatment efficiently removes nanoplastics

The biologically active, slow-flow sand filters of lake water treatment would remove nanoplastics from the raw water very efficiently. This was shown both in the laboratory and in larger, realistic tests and modelling.

June 1, 2022 Read more

Solar-biomass hybrid system satisfies home heating requirements in winter

Researchers developed a computer simulation model addressing the challenge of solar power's inherent intermittency by adding biomass as another renewable energy source to advance a reliable, affordable heating solution while reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

May 31, 2022 Read more

Turning high-rise buildings into batteries

Researchers have come up with a new energy storage concept that could turn tall buildings into batteries to improve the power quality in urban settings.

May 30, 2022 Read more

Flexible carbon nanotube sheet sensor for in-pipe water quality monitoring

Using voltages generated in a carbon nanotube layer, the method does not require sampling, chemical labels, or an external light source. The application of this research may enable the on-site quality control of chemical factories or environmentally sensitive water sites.

May 28, 2022 Read more

Fastest carbon dioxide catcher heralds new age for direct air capture

New carbon sorbent is 99% efficient, lightning fast, and easily recyclable.

May 28, 2022 Read more

A unique nanocatalyst paves the way for plastic upcycling

A recently developed catalyst for breaking down plastics continues to advance plastic upcycling processes.

May 28, 2022 Read more

Toward customizable timber, grown in a lab

Researchers show they can control the properties of lab-grown plant material, which could enable the production of wood products with little waste.

May 26, 2022 Read more

Researchers develop new biobattery for hydrogen storage

A team of microbiologists has succeeded in using bacteria for the controlled storage and release of hydrogen. This is an important step in the search for carbon-neutral energy sources in the interest of climate protection.

May 25, 2022 Read more

Machine learning speeds up search for new sustainable materials

A model that rapidly searches through large numbers of materials could find sustainable alternatives to existing composites.

May 25, 2022 Read more

Secret to treating 'Achilles heel' of perovskites in solar cells

Researchers found that the tiny defects which limit the efficiency of perovskites - cheaper alternative materials for solar cells - are also responsible for structural changes in the material that lead to degradation.

May 24, 2022 Read more

Low-cost gel film can pluck drinking water from desert air

The materials that facilitate this reaction cost a mere $2 per kilogram, and a single kilogram can produce more than 6 liters of water per day in areas with less than 15% relative humidity and 13 liters in areas with up to 30% relative humidity.

May 24, 2022 Read more

Washable and recyclable solar cell-infused textiles

The discrete nature of the cells protects them - and makes the clothes more attractive, the physics and design researchers say. Promising applications include work and outdoor clothing, and curtains which react to changes in the amount of light.

May 21, 2022 Read more

Bacterial enzyme produces biodegradable polymer

Researchers discovered a bacterial enzyme that synthesizes a biopolymer whose repeating units are linked together in a way that had not been previously observed.

May 21, 2022 Read more

Researchers demonstrate organic crystals can serve as energy converters for emerging technologies

For the first time, organic crystals are shown to be highly efficient dynamic materials, capable of meeting the energy conversion needs of advanced technologies.

May 21, 2022 Read more

Recycling more precious metals from nuclear and electronic waste using the Picasso pigment, Prussian blue nanoparticles

Study shows the way forward in recovering precious metals from E-waste, a growing issue in our technology-rich society.

May 19, 2022 Read more