January_AMP_Digital

7 / 54

A D V A N C E D
M A T E R I A L S
&
P R O C E S S E S | J A N U A R Y
2 0 1 7
7
Are you working with or have you
discovered a material or its properties
that exhibit OMG - Outrageous
Materials Goodness?
Send your submissions to
Julie Lucko at
.
CRAB SHELLS COULD HELP
HEAL WOUNDS
Chitosan is a sugar typically de-
rived from shrimp and crab shell waste,
which is known for its biocompatible,
biodegradable,antibacterial,antifungal,
analgesic, and hemostatic properties.
This makes it an excellent candidate for
a number of biomedical applications,
except that it has limited mechanical
strength. Researchers are working on
developing composites that combine
chitosan with nanofillers, making the
resulting material stronger.
Scientists at the University of
Minho, Portugal, are finding success
in combining bioactive glass nanopar-
ticles with chitosan to develop syn-
thetic bone grafts. Bioactive glass is a
glass-ceramic biomaterial that binds
well to physiological structures such as
bone. Bone cells were found to grow rel-
atively quickly and cover grafts made of
bioactive glass and chitosan. Graphene
oxide has been used in combination
with chitosan to develop nanocarriers
that can deliver drugs to target tissues,
avoiding the negative side effects that
conventional drugs can have on oth-
er bodily tissues. Silver nanoparticles
are also being tested as nanofillers in
combination with chitosan to devel-
op wound dressings with antibacteri-
al properties. While initial results are
promising, further research is needed.
SELF-CHARGING ELECTRIC
BIKE BOOSTS PEDAL POWER
VELLO Bike+ is said to be the first
self-charging, electric folding bike on
the market—the battery can be fully re-
charged while riding, meaning cyclists
will never run out of power. The energy
with this new system is harvested as be-
fore, by braking and pedaling downhill,
but it now converts mechanical energy
into electrical energy due to the inte-
grated kinetic energy recovery system.
In this way, additional energy is gen-
erated to recharge the lithium-ion bat-
tery and released to give an extra boost
when riding uphill. The self-charging
mode can be deactivated and set to the
highest assistance level to provide con-
stant pedal support for at least 35 km
(20 miles) at a speed of max. 25 km/h
(15 mph). When the battery is empty, it
can be recharged by connecting it to the
power socket. Through the free app, us-
ers can set the level of pedal assistance,
track their route, and even lock their
bike remotely. .
SHIRT POWERS PHONES WITH
SUN RAYS
Scientists report the first fibers
suitable for weaving into tailorable tex-
tiles that can capture and release solar
energy. To collect solar power, Wen-
jie Mai at Jinan University, Xing Fan of
Chongqing University, and colleagues
in China, created two different types of
fibers. One contains titanium or a man-
ganese-coated polymer along with zinc
oxide, a dye, and an electrolyte. These
fibers are interlaced with copper-coat-
ed polymer wires to create the solar cell
section of the textile. To store power,
researchers developed a second type of
fiber made of titanium, titaniumnitride,
a thin carbon shell to prevent oxidation,
and an electrolyte. These fibers are wo-
ven with cotton yarn. When combined,
the new materials form a flexible tex-
tile that can be cut and tailored into a
smart garment that is fully charged by
sunlight. Researchers say the clothing
could power small electronics includ-
ing tablets and phones. For more infor-
mation: Wenjie Mai, wenjiemai@gmail.
com, .
Chitosan is a sugar typically derived
from shrimp and crab shell waste.
Courtesy of Alex Barabas.
VELLO Bike+ is a self-charging, electric
folding bike.
A new textile that captures and stores
solar energy can be cut and sewn
to make clothes that power small
electronics. Courtesy of the American
Chemical Society.
OMG!
OUTRAGEOUSMATERIALSGOODNESS