New Electron Microscopy Technique Offers First Look at Previously Hidden Processes

Northwestern researchers have developed a new microscopy method that allows scientists to see the building blocks of “smart” materials.

Standard Digital Camera and AI to Monitor Soil Moisture

Researchers are using a standard RGB digital camera to accurately monitor soil moisture.

Nanoparticle Gel Unites Oil and Water in Manufacturing-Friendly Approach

This novel gel-creation method could open applications in water filtration, batteries, and smart windows.

Desalination Process Removes Toxic Metals

The desalination method produces clean water while, at the same time, potentially capturing valuable metals such as gold.

Filters from Tree Branches Purify Drinking Water

Prototypes show promise as a low-cost, natural filtration option.

Using Wood Byproducts to Produce Sustainable Bioplastics

The high-quality bioplastics can be molded into a film that can be used in plastic bags and packaging.

Optical Device Fine-Tunes the Color of Light

The new photonic architecture could transform digital communications, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing.

New Electron Microscopy Technique Offers First Look at Previously Hidden Processes

Northwestern researchers have developed a new microscopy method that allows scientists to see the building blocks of “smart” materials being formed at the nanoscale.

Hot Water on Demand

With a clever design by NASA, waiting for hot water could be a thing of the past.

Smart Aerogel Turns Air into Drinking Water

This invention achieves sustainable freshwater production in a variety of climates at minimal energy cost.

Device Measures Toxic Lead in Minutes

The portable lab-on-a-chip detects many contaminants in water supplies.

Material System Harnesses Evaporation to Keep Items Cool

Inspired by camel fur, a two-layered material could provide extended cooling to preserve the freshness of perishable goods.

Advanced Supercritical Water Oxidation Reactor

This technology has potential across many industries including water reclamation and treatment, and waste destruction in liquid waste streams.

Copolymer Removes Toxins from Water

Researchers have demonstrated that they can attract, capture, and destroy perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of federally regulated substances nicknamed “the forever...

Generating Renewable Hydrogen Fuel from the Sea

Membranes that remove salt from water help split sea water into fuel.

Portable Tool Analyzes Microbes in the Environment

This device could be used to find threats to ecosystems.

Biohybrid Can Turn Carbon Dioxide into New Products

Applications exist both on Mars and on Earth.

Selecting Pressure Sensors for Autoclaves

Find the right pressure sensors for your sterilization applications.

Space Station Garden Shines Light on Earth-Based Horticulture

NASA’s LED lighting system enables food and other crops to be grown indoors in places like skyscrapers.

Q&A: Simple Solar-Powered Desalination

Lenan Zhang and his team at MIT developed a small, economical, highly efficient device to provide fresh drinking water using only the Sun for its energy input.

Powder Particles for Corrosion Prevention in Rebar

The coating protects parking decks, bridges, concrete piers, offshore platforms, buildings, and cooling towers.

Smartphone System Tests for Lead in Water

This inexpensive system can detect lead levels below EPA standards.

NASA's Thirst for Water on Mars Quenched by Student Innovators

NASA and universities from across the country are teaming up to support a continued human presence on the Moon and ultimately Mars.

Robotic “Cockroach” Explores Underwater Environments

This microbot can walk on land, swim, and walk underwater.

Ultra-Thin Layers of Rust Generate Electricity from Flowing Water

When combined with saltwater, rust can be a source of electricity.

Battery-Free Sensor for Underwater Use

To investigate oceans, researchers aim to build a submerged network of interconnected sensors that sends data to the surface. Supplying constant power to scores of sensors designed to stay for long...

2019 'Create the Future' Sustainable Technologies Category Winner: Wave-Powered Water Desalination

Learn about the world's first wave-driven desalination system.

Rose-Inspired Device Collects and Purifies Water

A new device, inspired by a rose, inexpensively collects and purifies water. The device is a new approach to solar steaming for water production — a technique that uses energy from sunlight...

Surface Treatment Could Improve Refrigeration Efficiency

Unlike water, liquid refrigerants and other fluids that have a low surface tension spread quickly into a sheet when they come into contact with a surface. For many industrial...