SunHydrogen Inc., a US-based company that develops solar-powered nanoparticle systems that separate hydrogen from water by mimicking photosynthesis, has extended its research agreement with the University of Iowa for the development and commercialization of the company’s GEN 2 nanoparticle hydrogen production panels, with a much higher solar-to-hydrogen efficiency and lower production costs compared to its GEN 1 hydrogen panels.
“As we move closer to building a full demonstration pilot plant with our first-generation technology, our efforts are focused on replicating the success we have had in the University of Iowa Labs with commercial entities that will integrate the essential components of the solar hydrogen generation device including protective coatings, catalysts and membranes” said Tim Young, CEO of HyperSolar.
The agreement also covers the extensive development work to complete and commercialize the company’s GEN 2 nanoparticle hydrogen production panels that will deploy a much higher solar-to-hydrogen efficiency than GEN 1 at lower manufacturing cost. The work will continue to be led by University of Iowa Assistant Professor Dr. Syed Mubeen and HyperSolar CTO Dr. Joun Lee.
A research proposal submitted by the Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN) and Nuclear Science and Technology (NST) Department at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory, with the startup Forge Nano as a partner, has been selected as a 2020 Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF) project. The project that Brookhaven Lab and Forge Nano scientists will partner on is “Maturation of Technology for Trapping Xenon and Krypton.” Brookhaven will partner with Forge Nano to scale up the manufacture of the lab-demonstrated nanocages to maximize the surface area for trapping Kr and Xe atoms.
Exir Royan Tabiat Inc, an Iran-based company, has succeeded in developing a oil-in-water nanoemulsion technology that enables the production of flavored omega-infused bottled water. The company designed the technology of producing oil-in-water nanoemulsion upon the request of a South Korean company involved in the food and beverage industry. The Korean company has now licensed this technology for fortifying its flavored bottled water with omega-6 and fatty acids. Given the unpleasant smell and taste of omega fish oil supplements available on the market, some people and particularly children do not like to add them to their daily diet. However, fatty acids play a vital role in the growth and development of children, and even studies have shown that vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids, specifically DHA, have the potential to significantly improve the symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Hence, the company used its proprietary nanotechnology as a way around this problem and produced a fatty acid supplement that not only does not smell but also is highly absorbable, due mainly to the superior quality of the resulting oil-in-water nanoemulsion.
Creative Diagnostics has launched a full range of PLGA nanoparticles with multiple sizes from 100 nm to 500 µm. These new highly uniform PLGA particles are mostly made with an L/G ratio of 50/50 and a few kinds with an L/G ratio of 75/25. The company Creative Diagnostics now offers new PLGA nanoparticles for researchers focusing on study fields like cell labeling, coating materials for drugs, drug carriers, and drug delivery.
Nissan Chemical America Corporation has partnered with industrial gas supplier, Messer Americas, to improve oil and gas production. Their collaborative treatment, nanoActiv HnP—an energized, fast turnaround style “Huff ‘n Puff”—incorporates nanoActiv with a carbon dioxide (CO₂) or nitrogen (N₂) gas application method to enhance oil and gas recovery.
Taopatch is a quantum dot based swearable patch for improving posture, reducing chronic pain and helping with emotional and physical well-being. Early bird pledges are available at Indiegogo from $149 (£119) and worldwide deliveries are expected August 2020.
CENS Materials, a portfolio company of Incubit Ventures has completed an investment round of $1.5 million, led by the UK based investor Vincent Tchenguiz (Consensus Group). CENS develops a proprietary, industrial process, that significantly increases the battery’s energy capacity and cuts the charging time, both are critical elements for electric vehicles (EV), drones, and other devices powered by batteries. CENS’ solution is based on carbon nanotubes (CNT). CENS process efficiently disperses CNT on Li-Ion battery cathode and anode powder. The process generates highly dispersed 3-D conductive network of CNT which drives Li ions along the nano tubes. This mechanism sharply increases battery capacity under high power mode. CENS solution is a powder in/powder out process, therefore it does not affect the existing production line and does not require infrastructure modifications.
Nanotech Security Corp., a developer of nano-optic security features used in the government and banknote and brand protection markets, has launched LumaChrome™, a colour-shifting film into the brand protection market. Nanotech has designed several unique colour combinations with multiple application formats exclusively for the brand protection marketplace. LumaChrome colour-shifting film can be customized with brand names, logos or taglines and is available in multiple widths and formats or can be converted into pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) labels, patches, or stripes for direct application.
Quantum dot company UbiQD, Inc. and the Solvay Group are partnering on the development of luminescent greenhouse technology under UbiQD’s UbiGro® family of specialty agricultural products. UbiGro® is a layer of light that helps plants get more from the sun. Powered by UbiQD’s safe and bright quantum dots, UbiGro® uses fluorescence to create a more optimal light spectrum for crops. UbiQD’s dots convert underutilized colors of light from the sun, such as blue and UV, to more photosynthetically active colors of light.
