Gold nanoparticles coated with a thin layer of platinum may make hydrogen fuel cells more efficient, finds an IISc study. Such small spikes in efficiencies take us closer to affordable hydrogen fuel, which is considered as a cleaner replacement to conventional fuels.
Researchers from the IISc have developed a new way to design thin, porous membranes that can be used for water filtration. By carefully mixing two polymers, and adding some nanostructures, they obtained membranes with ultra small holes in it. They have also shown that these membranes are more efficient in killing the bacteria commonly found in drinking water.
Polymer based shielding materials that can block electromagnetic radiations have been developed at IISc. Developed in the Materials Engineering Department at IISc, these materials are “composites” – materials made from two or more components with very different properties. “Polymer based composites are promising materials for shielding electromagnetic radiation because of suitable properties, which can be easily controlled by using different manufacturing methods”, says the author Suryasarathi Bose.
A new protective film developed by the researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) may make organic semiconductor devices last significantly longer.
Among viruses, the Hepatitis C virus is extremely persistent – a patient sometimes cannot get rid of the virus after infection, and it remains in their cells over long periods of time. The standard HCV treatment is effective over time only in half the patients, making Hepatitis C the bane of doctors and scientists worldwide. Researchers at the Therapeutic Engineering Lab at the Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, think they may know more about why the disease is persistent. Using simulations, they found that the Hepatitis C virus and the body’s immune system get into a deadlock when the body is fighting the virus.