Graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms, is an attractive electrode material for supercapacitor applications because of its high surface area.Scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and Princeton University investigated how the surface chemistry of graphene affects the charge storage mechanism. They found that the defects on the graphene surface alter the liquid's interaction with the surface. The ionic liquid's cations aggregate near a defect, and the anions are repelled by it, altering the molecular arrangement of the ionic liquid on the surface.

Traditional supercapacitors are made of high surface area carbon. However, graphene potentially has the highest surface area among carbon materials and, thus, could significantly increase the specific capacity. It is difficult to understand and control how the charged ionic species are incorporated and transported in the graphene electrodes. The team's research provides fundamental insights into the molecular structures built when graphene has functional groups or defects that interact with the electrolyte. The study provides scientists with a basic understanding to create better materials for energy storage."

"Researchers at TU Delft have opened the way for the realization of the next generation of high-efficiency, cost-effective and ultra-thin crystalline silicon solar cells. They are the first in the world to come very close (99.8%) to the theoretical limit of absorption enhancement (light trapping) in a broad light spectrum range. An experimental demonstration of this absorption enhancement limit in solar cells has been elusive for the last thirty years." 

"University of Waterloo physicists have succeeded in measuring how the surfaces of glassy materials flow like a liquid, even when they should be solid. Understanding the mobility of glassy surfaces has implications for the design and manufacture of thin-film coatings and also sets practical limits on how small we can make nanoscale devices and circuitry." 

"Porous films, which use similar properties to those seen in moth eyes in combination with nanoparticles, are being developed into robust, self-cleaning antireflective coatings for use on both plastic and glass.Details of the coatings, which were developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge, were recently outlined in the journal Nano Letters.

Antireflective coatings need to reflect as little light as possible in order to be effective, but it is extremely difficult to produce them as a single layer. The antireflective properties of moth eyes come not from a single layer, but from a hexagonal pattern of tiny bumps. The spaces between these bumps are so small that incoming beams of light see the eye's surface as a single layer, essentially removing the interface between the air and the surface, allowing moths to see at night and be less visible to predators.The problem with synthetic versions of moth eye coatings is that the tiny spaces which make the coating antireflective in the first place can very quickly become clogged with dirt, which causes the antireflective effect to be lost."

"Researchers at Tyndall National Institute, Ireland, have produced the first ever atom-by-atom simulation of nanoscale film growth by ALD.Growth simulations could help to improve the ALD process, but until now, were not accurate enough over experimental timescales.

While quantum mechanical simulations give an accurate atom-by-atom picture of individual ALD reactions at the tiniest scales, this is still much shorter from what can be measured in the lab. The Tyndall group led by Dr. Simon Elliott has for the first time combined the accuracy from the quantum mechanical level with the statistics needed to follow how thousands of atoms react millions of times a second, building up layers of material, as in the lab."

"The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) has developed novel backplane fabrication processes to allow the bending of Organic Thin Film Transistors (OTFT) arrays to small radii (1 mm) without a significant reduction in device performance. The work undertaken demonstrates progress towards optimum Organic Semiconductor (OSC)/OTFT processing and performance to enable their integration into ultra-flexible active matrix organic light emitting diode AMOLED backplanes. High performance OSC materials with charge mobility suitable for OLED driving were used in the tests on 50 micron thick PEN film."

"One of the world's most common and costly chemical reactions, corrosion happens frequently at the boundaries between water and metal surfaces. In the past, the process of corrosion has mostly been studied from the metal side. 

However, in a new study, scientists at the Center for Nanoscale Materials at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory investigated the problem from the other side, looking at the dynamics of water containing dissolved ions located in the regions near a metal surface." 

"Here is what's happening in thin-film PV now. Gone are the legacy thin-film market segments made purely by technology type. All manufacturers of thin-film solar panels now fit into four groupings:  

1. Any thin-film (e.g. CIGS, CdTe) manufacturer with proven volume capability. Their business encompasses R&D, production, sales and marketing. The leaders are First Solar, Solar Frontier, Sharp and 3Sun each with technologies chosen over 10 years ago. 
2. a-Si manufacturers located in either China or Taiwan. 
3. a-Si manufacturers located mostly in Southeast Asia and Japan. 
4. Other thin-film manufacturers, including organics. 

"An international team of scientists, led by a research group at the University of Arkansas have found that platinum nanoparticles limit their size and organize into specific patterns when bonded to freestanding graphene.

While displaying this behavior, the bonded platinum nanoparticles maintain an effective surface area functioning as a catalyst for chemical reactions, a discovery that could lower the production costs of platinum-catalyzed fuel cells."

"Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a "superabsorbing" cell design that may significantly improve the light absorption efficiency of a thin film solar cell and drive down manufacturing costs.The design could decrease the thickness of the semiconductor materials used in thin film solar cells by more than one order of magnitude without compromising the capability of solar light absorption." 

"The 2014 National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) Strategic Plan updates and replaces the prior NNI Strategic Plan released in February of 2011. As called for in the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act, the NNI Strategic Plan describes the NNI vision and goals and the strategies by which these goals are to be achieved, including specific objectives within each of the goals. The Plan describes the NNI investment strategy and the investment categories. 

The National Nanotechnology Initiative Strategic Plan is the framework that underpins the nanotechnology work of the NNI agencies. It aims to ensure that advancements in and applications of nanotechnology continue in this vital area of R&D, while addressing potential concerns about future and existing applications. Its purpose is to facilitate achievement of the NNI vision and goals by laying out guidance for agency leaders, program managers, and the research community regarding planning and implementation of nanotechnology R&D investments and activities" 

"Sales are continuing their upward trajectory, with 91 percent of this year's Top Glass Fabricators reporting an increase in overall sales volume over the previous year. This compares to 83 percent who reported increased sales in 2011 over 2010.

To provide a comprehensive view of the glass fabrication market in the United States and Canada, Glass Magazine continues its special series on fabricators with the 4th Annual Top Glass Fabricators Special Report. In addition to the list of Top Glass Fabricators-based on annual sales volume-the report includes market statistics related to sales volume, product demand and acquisition plans."