Nanotech roundup: a cheap oil guzzler, vitamin lasers, and quantum algae | Liesbeth Venema

A biocompatible laser and a material that can absorb 100 times its own weight in oil feature in this month's roundupSuck it upAerogel is a remarkable material. Made entirely from carbon, it is the lightest material on Earth, weighing a seventh as much as air. In addition, it can absorb 900 times its own weight in oil. Highly porous, ultralight solids such as this have many possible applications beyond mopping up oil spills – for example as electrodes in high-power rechargeable batteries, or protection against extreme heat, or for detecting gas pollutants.Researchers at the Harbin Institute of Technology in China have now made a carbon-based foam that may not be as light as aerogel but has other useful properties. For a start, it can be produced cheaply from a foam of polyurethane, a commonplace plastic used as packing material.The group developed a procedure that effectively hollows out the material, resulting in a structure of interconnected tubes each less than a micrometre thick. The foam can absorb up to 100 times its weight in oil, according to a report in Chemistry World.Moreover, in one of the production steps, the material is dipped into a solution containing metals such as iron or copper so that the finished foam is magnetic. This opens up possibilities for remotely steering the foam to where it is needed, for example in laboratory water-oil separation processes, or for cleaning up oil spills. Edible lasers, anyone?Scientists are developing miniature electrical and...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Tags: theguardian.com Blogposts Oil spills Solar power Medical research Nanotechnology Physics Chemistry Environment Science Source Type: news