tags | Now | Drexel University

Addressing the Elephant in the Circuit — Finally, a Shrinkable Alternative for Capacitors

One of the last remaining unshrinkable obstacles blocking the progress of fully integrated, wearable technology is the clunky component that absorbs and disburses stray electricity and converts alternating current from a power source into the direct current used by most devices. Due to a meager selection of materials that can perform those diverse functions, these components — called electrolytic capacitors — tend to be a limiting factor when it comes to downsizing electronics. But a breakthrough by materials science and engineering researchers at Drexel University and Sungkyunkwan University in Korea could eventually replace them with a capacitor so thin and flexible that it’s literally painted on.

Standing in for a Kidney, MXene Materials Could Give Dialysis Patients the Freedom to Move

A type of two-dimensional layered material, created at Drexel University, has emerged as a candidate to assist in replacing the body’s waste filtration system in wearable kidneys.

Drexel's Spray-On Antennas Could Be the Tech Connector of the Future

A group of researchers from the College of Engineering recently reported a method for spraying invisibly thin antennas, made from a type of two-dimensional, metallic material called MXene, that perform as well as those being used in mobile devices, wireless routers and portable transducers.

Once a Performance Barrier, This Material Quirk Could Strengthen Our Telecommunication Connections

Researchers who study and manipulate the behavior of materials at the atomic level have discovered a way to make a thin material that enhances the flow of microwave energy. The advance, which could improve telecommunications, sheds new light on structural traits, generally viewed as static and a hindrance, that, when made to be dynamic, are actually key to the material’s special ability.

Drexel's Polymer Pill Proves it Can Deliver

Selecting the right packaging to get precious cargo from point A to point B can be a daunting task at the post office. For some time, scientists have wrestled with a similar set of questions when packaging medicine for delivery in the bloodstream: How much packing will keep it safe? Is it the right packing material? Is it too big? Is it too heavy? Researchers from Drexel University have developed a new type of container that seems to be the perfect fit for making the delivery.

Drexel's Scale-Fighting Force Field Protects Air Conditioning Systems From Mineral Deposition

Mineral deposition or scaling, is a naturally occurring phenomenon at the root of a number of problems that could menace water-cooled HVAC systems. Drexel University Professor Young Cho, PhD, who has studied the problem for decades, invented a device that can generate an electric field to ward off scaling in systems of all sizes.

A Soft Solution to the Hard Problem of Energy Storage

Recently published research from Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania, shows a new technique for manipulating two-dimensional materials that allows them to be shaped into films of a practically usable thickness, while maintaining the properties that make them exceptional candidates for use in supercapacitor electrodes.

Betsy Payne teachers WINS I students about oyster dissection.

WINS Program Celebrates 35 Years of Opportunity

The Women in Natural Sciences program at the Academy of Natural Sciences introduces Philadelphia-area high school girls to STEM-focused interactive learning and careers.

Drexel to Establish NSF Plasma Research and Development Center with Michigan and George Washington

With support from the National Science Foundation, researchers from Drexel University, the University of Michigan and George Washington University will work with interested companies to uncover new ways to use high-pressure plasma technology.

A High(er)-Definition Nose — Drexel's MXene Material Could Improve Sensors That Sniff

Sensors that sniff out chemicals in the air to warn us about everything from fires to carbon monoxide to drunk drivers to explosive devices hidden in luggage have improved so much that they can even detect diseases on a person’s breath. Researchers from Drexel University and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have made a discovery that could make our best “chemical noses” even more sensitive.

Meet Drexel’s New 10-Foot-Tall Teaching Tool

The steel teaching sculpture installed outside the Bossone Research Enterprise Center contains all of the members and connections found on any steel building, giving engineering students a hands-on way to visualize what they learn in class.

Drexel Researchers Make a Carbon Nanofiber Supercapacitor (Without The Flammable Ingredients)

A group of Drexel University researchers have created a fabric-like material electrode that could help make energy storage devices — batteries and supercapacitors — faster and less susceptible to leaks or disastrous meltdowns. Their design for a new supercapacitor, which looks something like a furry sponge infused with gelatin, offers a unique alternative to the flammable electrolyte solution that is a common component in these devices.