New crystal structure holds promise for optoelectronic devices

New crystal structure holds promise for optoelectronic devices Tallahassee FL (SPX) Jan 06, 2017 - A Florida State University research team has discovered a new crystal structure of organic-inorganic hybrid materials that could open the door to new applications for optoelectronic devices like light-emitting diodes and lasers. The research was published this week in the journal Nature Communications. Associate Professor of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering Biwu Ma has been working with ... more

MIT scientists create super strong, lightweight 3D graphene Boston (UPI) Jan 6, 2017 - Material scientists at MIT have developed a super strong but lightweight material by fusing graphene flakes into a porous, 3D form. In its 2D form, graphene is one of the strongest materials yet tested, but researchers have struggled to maintain graphene's physical qualities in 3D form. A team of researchers at MIT found a way around the problem. When compressed in the lab using ... more

Renault-Nissan doubles down on autonomous cars Las Vegas (AFP) Jan 6, 2017 - Renault-Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn told a tech gathering Thursday the automaker is committed to self-driving cars, as he unveiled a series of initiatives to advance the technology. Speaking at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Ghosn said the Franco-Japanese group would adopt an autonomous system which keeps a human in the loop if something goes wrong with the technology. He said ... more

China takes global lead in clean energy: report Paris (AFP) Jan 6, 2017 - China's overseas investment in renewable energy projects jumped last year by 60 percent to a record $32 billion (30 billion euros), marking its leadership in the global market for clean energy, a report said Friday. In 2016, China finalised 11 foreign deals worth more than a billion dollars each, and is expected to pick up the pace this year, according to the Institute for Energy Economics a ... more

For 'intelligent' robot, chess is just a hobby Las Vegas (AFP) Jan 8, 2017 - A robot developed by engineers in Taiwan can pour coffee and move chess pieces on a board against an opponent, but he's looking for a real job. The robot developed by Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute, which spent the week playing games against opponents at the Consumer Electronics Show, was displaying what developers call an "intelligent vision system" which can see its envi ... more

Rex Tillerson goes to Washington, gets mixed review Washington (UPI) Jan 6, 2017 - The U.S. nominee for secretary of state and former Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson must address his close ties to Russia, a Senate Democrat said. Tillerson and Exxon this week parted ways in an effort to address potential conflicts of interest between his financial ties to one of the biggest oil companies in the world and becoming the nation's top diplomat. Having never served in public o ... more

Gas prices last year were the lowest in 12 years Washington (UPI) Jan 6, 2017 - A federal survey of retail gasoline prices in the United States in 2016 found consumers paid the lowest average price at the pump last year in 12 years. The U.S. Energy Information Administration said the average retail price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in the country last year was $2.14, 12 percent lower than the previous year and the lowest annual average price since 200 ... more

Weak start for oil prices after U.S. labor data New York (UPI) Jan 6, 2017 - U.S. labor figures supportive of growth sentiments from central bankers and optimism about a price floor did little to kick off an oil price rally early Friday. The U.S. Labor Department said Friday the unemployment rate of 4.7 percent and the number of those sidelined from the workforce at 7.5 million changed little in December. "Both measures edged down in the fourth quarter, after sh ... more

Safety issues found in Norwegian oil field audit Stavanger, Norway (UPI) Jan 6, 2017 - A Norwegian energy group has until February to address issues at one of its offshore assets, including evacuation routes, a safety regulator said. The Petroleum Safety Authority of Norway published the results of an October audit of operations at the Ivar Aasen field in the national waters of the North Sea. Aker BP, a merger of Norwegian energy companies and a national subsidiary of BP, ... more

Power struggle risks tipping Libya deeper into crisis Tripoli (AFP) Jan 6, 2017 - Escalating tensions between rival Libyan armed forces threaten to plunge the North African country deeper into turmoil only weeks after the fall of the Islamic State group's bastion Sirte. The deeply tribal nation has been sharply divided since the 2011 ouster of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi, with rival militias vying for influence and control of oil resources. The power struggle pit ... more