Collaborate Disseminate
Solar panels can’t operate efficiently if they’re caked in dirt, but cleaning them regularly can become a time-consuming process. Engineers in Germany have now developed an ultra-thin coating that can make solar panels and other surfaces self-cleaning…. Continue reading Ultra-thin coating makes for self-cleaning solar panels
While anti-fog sprays work to a certain extent, warming a glass surface is a better way of keeping it fog-free. A new coating material is designed to do so, and it utilizes light-absorbing gold nanoparticles instead of electricity.Continue ReadingCateg… Continue reading Gold nano-coating works like an anti-fog heating element for glasses
Although there are coatings that kill harmful microbes on frequently touched surfaces, most of those substances either have to be frequently reapplied, or they take a long time to work. A durable new coating, however, is claimed to address both shortco… Continue reading Tough, clear coating uses natural oils to kill viruses and bacteria
Finding a scratch on your car is a special kind of heartbreak, but in the future they might be gone before you even notice. Scientists in Korea have developed a coating that self-heals scratches in as little as 30 minutes when exposed to sunlight.Conti… Continue reading Self-healing coating repairs car scratches with 30 minutes of sunlight
Copper has long been known for its ability to kill viruses and bacteria on contact, which is why it’s often professionally coated onto commonly touched items such as doorknobs. A new copper nanowire spray may allow everyday folks to give existing surfa… Continue reading Copper nanowire spray makes existing surfaces antimicrobial
Copper has long been known for its ability to kill viruses and bacteria on contact, which is why it’s often professionally coated onto commonly touched items such as doorknobs. A new copper nanowire spray may allow everyday folks to give existing surfa… Continue reading Copper nanowire spray makes existing surfaces antimicrobial
Plastic wraps and containers may be great at preserving food, but they generate huge amounts of waste that can end up in the environment. Researchers at Harvard and Rutgers have developed a new plant-based, antimicrobial coating that can be sprayed ont… Continue reading New plant-based, antimicrobial, spray-on coating keeps food fresh
Industrial piping has a hard life, as it’s constantly exposed to liquids that can damage its inner surface over time. A new polymer coating could help protect such pipes, while removing toxic metals from the liquids as it does so.Continue ReadingCatego… Continue reading Waste-derived coating could protect pipes and absorb pollutants
Red wine and chocolate are notorious for staining clothes, thanks to the tannic acid that they and other substances contain. Scientists at the University of Tokyo have now used that acid in a textile coating which keeps clothes from stinking, and that … Continue reading Tannic acid utilized to “stain” odor-eliminating silver onto clothing
Windows may be important for letting natural light and warmth into a room, but sometimes they let in too much, or let your artificial warmth out instead. Researchers at Oxford have developed a new smart window coating that can be tuned on the fly to em… Continue reading Tuneable smart window coating traps heat in winter, reflects it in summer