Lifeboat Foundation

Semiconductors are the foundation of all modern electronics. Now, researchers at Linköping University, Sweden, have developed a new method where organic semiconductors can become more conductive with the help of air as a dopant. The study, published on May 15 in the journal Nature, is a significant step toward future cheap and sustainable organic semiconductors.

“We believe this method could significantly influence the way we dope organic semiconductors. All components are affordable, easily accessible, and potentially environmentally friendly, which is a prerequisite for future sustainable electronics,” says Simone Fabiano, associate professor at Linköping University.

Semiconductors based on conductive plastics instead of silicon have many potential applications. Among other things, organic semiconductors can be used in digital displays, solar cells, LEDs, sensors, implants, and for energy storage.

The transcript features an interview with renowned science fiction author Isaac Asimov, discussing his predictions and visions for the future of space exploration, computers, robotics, and humanity’s role in shaping that future. It touches on concepts like permanent space settlements, harnessing solar power, the increasing importance of computers and AI, the impacts of robotics on jobs, and taking an optimistic yet cautionary view of technological progress. It also covers some earlier inaccurate and exaggerated predictions about robots replacing humans, as well as actual technological developments in 1982 like artificial hearts and fusion reactors. The overall theme is Asimov’s hopeful but measured outlook on future scientific and technological advancements.

Floating photovoltaics (FPV), also known as floating solar farms, are photovoltaic systems that can be deployed on the sea’s surface or on other bodies of water. While their environmental impact is still the topic of debate worldwide, these systems could be highly advantageous for generating renewable energy, particularly in warm regions where available land is scarce or costly.

Researchers at Linköping University in Sweden have developed a battery constructed from zinc and lignin that can be recharged over 8,000 times. This innovation aims to offer an affordable and eco-friendly battery alternative, especially for regions with limited electricity access. The findings are detailed in the journal Energy & Environmental Materials.

“Solar panels have become relatively inexpensive, and many people in low-income countries have adopted them. However, near the equator, the sun sets at around 6 PM, leaving households and businesses without electricity. The hope is that this battery technology, even with lower performance than the expensive Li-ion batteries, will eventually offer a solution for these situations,” says Reverant Crispin, professor of organic electronics at Linköping University.

NASA ’s upcoming Gateway space station, set to orbit the Moon, will rely heavily on its Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) for energy and maintaining its orbit. Currently under development with Maxar Technologies, the PPE uses solar electric propulsion to efficiently power the station. This system, designed to significantly reduce the need for propellant, will be integrated with Gateway’s habitation module and launched to support deep space exploration and future Artemis missions to Mars.

As astronauts live and work on Gateway to enable sustained exploration and research in deep space, their efforts will be made possible by Gateway’s Power and Propulsion Element (PPE). A foundational component of the lunar outpost and the most powerful solar electric spacecraft ever flown, PPE will provide Gateway with power and allow it to maintain its unique orbit around the Moon.

Gateway will be humanity’s first space station in lunar orbit and serve as an essential element of NASA’s Artemis missions. As astronauts live and work on Gateway to enable sustained exploration and research in deep space, their efforts will be made possible by the Power and Propulsion Element (PPE). A foundational component of the lunar outpost and the most powerful solar electric spacecraft ever flown, PPE will provide Gateway with power and allow it to maintain its unique orbit around the Moon.

A research team headed by chemists at the University of California, Irvine has discovered a previously unknown way in which light interacts with matter, a finding that could lead to improved solar power systems, light-emitting diodes, semiconductor lasers and other technological advancements.

Perovskites are among the most researched topics in materials science. Recently, a research team led by Prof. LOH Kian Ping, Chair Professor of Materials Physics and Chemistry and Global STEM Professor of the Department of Applied Physics of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), Dr Kathy LENG, Assistant Professor of the same department, together with Dr Hwa Seob CHOI, Postdoctoral Research Fellow and the first author of the research paper, has solved an age-old challenge to synthesise all-organic two-dimensional perovskites, extending the field into the exciting realm of materials. This breakthrough opens up a new field of 2D all-organic perovskites, which holds promise for both fundamental science and potential applications.

This research was published in the journal Science (“Molecularly thin, two-dimensional all-organic perovskites”).

Perovskites are named after their structural resemblance to the mineral calcium titanate perovskite, and are well known for their fascinating properties that can be applied in wide-ranging fields such as solar cells, lighting and catalysis. With a fundamental chemical formula of ABX 3, perovskites possess the ability to be finely tuned by adjusting the A and B cations as well as the X anion, paving the way for the development of high-performance materials.

Learn more on SunDay:

Better technology and falling launch costs revive interest in a science-fiction technology.

Perovskite, a revolutionary material, promises to surpass silicon efficiency and usher in a new era of affordable, sustainable solar energy.