chemical and biomolecular engineering

an array of green lights that look like LEDs

Oct 11, 2024

Engineering Perovskite Materials at the Atomic Level Paves Way for New Lasers, LEDs

New technique dictates precisely how layered hybrid perovskite materials convert electrical charge into light.

Oct 4, 2024

Podcast: Microplastics

Nathan Crook talks microplastics - and the microbes that can eat them.

photo of nc state university's iconic belltower

Aug 22, 2024

For First Time, DNA Tech Offers Both Data Storage and Computing Functions

The new DNA computer is the first that can repeatedly store, retrieve, compute, erase and rewrite data.

a flexible circuit has been printed onto a piece of polymer. the polymer and circuit are being crumpled by a pair of gloved hands. the circuit is lighting up an LED. the image is a photograph, not an illustration.

Aug 15, 2024

New Technique Prints Metal Oxide Thin Film Circuits at Room Temperature

Researchers have used the new technique to create transparent, flexible circuits.

An image of a piece of advanced technology that looks like a brain.

Jul 11, 2024

AI Powers Interdisciplinary Innovation

At NC State University, interdisciplinary teams are leveraging AI to revolutionize research in agriculture, chemical engineering, education and more.

image shows robot in a lab, standing in front of a whiteboard that shows a range of catalytic reactions

Feb 27, 2024

AI-Driven Lab Speeds Catalysis Research

The new tool, called Fast-Cat, can provide more information in five days than is possible in six months of conventional testing.

cartoonish image shows a person holding a computer and looking up at a maze of paths that all lead to different glowing lights

Feb 15, 2024

Do AI-driven Chemistry Labs Actually Work? New Metrics Promise Answers

The idea of a self-driving lab is wonderful. But how well do they actually work?

View of biopolymer film on left and microscopic view of the film on right.

Dec 11, 2023

Researchers Combine Biopolymers Derived From the Ocean to Replace Synthetic Plastic Films

Crustacean and seaweed materials combined in a unique way could provide a sustainable alternative to plastic films.

illustration shows a robot conducting chemistry experiments in front of a high-tech machine

Nov 13, 2023

Autonomous Lab Discovers Best-in-Class Quantum Dot in Hours; It Would Have Taken Humans Years

A new autonomous system can identify how to synthesize “best-in-class” materials for specific applications in hours, rather than years.

plastic fibers and debris float in blue ocean water with fish swimming nearby

Sep 14, 2023

Genetically Modified Bacteria Break Down Plastics in Saltwater

The modified organism breaks down a plastic called PET, which is a significant contributor to microplastic pollution in oceans.

a metallic spider sits on a white table. the spider has a glowing LED on its head

Jul 5, 2023

Researchers Create Highly Conductive Metallic Gel for 3D Printing

The metallic gel is highly electrically conductive and can be used to print 3D solid objects at room temperature.

image shows an electronic patch attached to the leaf of a tomato plant

Apr 12, 2023

Multifunctional Patch Offers Early Detection of Plant Diseases, Other Crop Threats

The patch can be applied to the leaves of plants to monitor crops for different pathogens – such as viral and fungal infections – and stresses such as drought or salinity.

a robot with a computer brain moves brightly colored chemicals around a board

Mar 15, 2023

Self-Driven Laboratory, AlphaFlow, Speeds Chemical Discovery

The system has already found a more efficient (and previously unheard of) way to produce high-quality semiconductor nanocrystals.

complex diagram showing all of the ways one can change the morphology of soft polymers

Mar 10, 2023

Some Stirring Required: Fluid Mixing Enables Scalable Manufacturing of Soft Polymer Structures

A new, scalable technique allows users to manufacture soft polymer materials in a dozen different structures, or morphologies.

Feb 3, 2023

Researchers Develop Elastic Material That Is Impervious to Gases and Liquids

Applications for the material include use as packaging for high-value technologies that require protection from gases, such as flexible batteries.