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Better Rechargeable Batteries Coming Soon?


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Continued from page 1


further contact would be an ideal so- lution; however, it is not possible be- cause of the constant expansion and contraction of the electrode upon charging and discharging. This de- stroys the layer and exposes the met- al to the electrolyte for more reac- tions. Other approaches include arti- ficial films or physical barriers. Researchers working with Ravis-


hankar Sundararaman at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Lynden A. Archer at Cornell University have now introduced a novel alternative. By us- ing straightforward, electroless, ion- exchange chemistry, they produced in- dium coatings on lithium. Simple im- mersion in a special indium-salt solu- tion is all it takes. Some of the indium is deposited on the surface of the lithi- um electrode as metal and the lithi- um-ion concentration in the elec- trolyte simultaneously increases. The indium layer is uniform and


Manchester, UK — Scientists at the University of Manchester claim to have created the world’s first “molec- ular robot” capable of performing ba- sic tasks, including building other molecules. The robots, which are a millionth of a millimeter in size, can be programmed to move and build molec- ular structures, using a tiny robotic arm. Each individual robot is capable of manipulating a single molecule and is made up of just 150 carbon, hydro- gen, oxygen, and nitrogen atoms. To put that size into context, a billion-bil- lion of these robots piled on top of each other would be about the same size as a single grain of salt. The robots operate by carrying


out chemical reactions in special so- lutions, which can then be controlled and programmed by scientists to per- form the basic tasks. In the future, such robots could be used for medical purposes, advanced manufacturing


self-healing when the electrode is in use, as long as small amounts of the indium salt are added to the elec- trolyte. It remains intact during charge and discharge cycles, its chem- ical composition remains unchanged and side-reactions are prevented. Dendrites are also eliminated, leaving the surface smooth and compact. By using computer modeling,


the researchers were able to show why their method is so successful; lithium ions are very loosely bound to the indium coating. They form an al- loy with the indium, which allows them to move very rapidly over the surface before they cross it and are deposited on the underlying lithium electrode. In complete cells with commer-


cial cathodes, these new indium- lithium hybrid electrodes were stable over more than 250 cycles, retaining about 90 percent of their capacity. Web: www.newsroom.wiley.com r


World’s First Molecular Robot


processes and even building molecu- lar factories and assembly lines. Professor David Leigh, who led


the research at the University of Manchester’s School of Chemistry, explains, “Our robot is literally a mo- lecular robot constructed of atoms, just like you can build a very simple robot out of Lego bricks.” The robot then responds to a series of simple commands that are programmed with chemical inputs by a scientist. “Just like the robot on a car as-


sembly line, our molecular version can be programmed to position and rivet components in different ways to build different products — on a much smaller scale at a molecular level.” The research was published in


the journal Nature. “Molecular robotics represents


the ultimate in the miniaturization of machinery. Our aim is to design and make the smallest machines pos- sible,” says Professor Leigh. Web: www.manchester.ac.uk r


Contents


Tech-Op-Ed ........................... 4 Tech Watch ........................... 10 Supply Chain ........................... 12 People.................................... 14 Business News......................... 16 Business Briefs........................ 17 Management......................... 18 EMS .................................... 20 ElectronicMfg. Prods............. 26 Production............................ 56 Partnering............................. 58 Distribution........................... 60 New Products....................... 110 High-Tech Events................... 120 Editorial Calendar................. 120 Advertisers Index................... 122


Special Focus: Assembly and Production........ 62


Product Preview: productronica and The ASSEMBLY Show............... 76


See at MD&M Minneapolis, Booth 1616


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