Content for EPFL.Edu

Objects can now be 3D-printed in opaque resin

“A team of EPFL engineers has developed a 3D-printing method that uses light to make objects out of opaque resin in a matter of seconds. Their breakthrough could have promising applications in the biomedical industry, such as to make artificial …

A new law unchains fusion energy

“Physicists at EPFL, within a large European collaboration, have revised one of the fundamental laws that has been foundational to plasma and fusion research for over three decades, even governing the design of megaprojects like ITER. The update shows that …

Improving the efficiency of tandem solar cells

“EPFL scientists in Neuchâtel have developed a tandem solar cell that can deliver a certified efficiency of 29.2%. This achievement was made possible by combining a perovskite solar cell with a textured silicon solar cell. Solar cells made of …

Maintaining the structure of gold and silver in alloys

“EPFL engineers have developed a low-temperature annealing method that maintains the structure of gold and silver when the two metals are combined in an alloy. Their discovery will prove useful in the manufacture of contact lenses, holographic optical elements and …

Launching robots into lunar caves

“A hundred meters below the surface of the moon lie caves untouched by humans. They were discovered about ten years ago, but space agencies want to send robots to investigate these mysterious cavities before astronauts venture in. “On the moon …

EPFL and DeepMind use AI to control plasmas for nuclear fusion

“Scientists at EPFL’s Swiss Plasma Center and DeepMind have jointly developed a new method for controlling plasma configurations for use in nuclear fusion research. EPFL’s Swiss Plasma Center (SPC) has decades of experience in plasma physics and plasma …

Novel printing process switches materials from black to transparent

“EPFL researchers have developed a new type of printing process that involves removing material rather than depositing it. Their method could be particularly useful for printing banknotes and ID documents, for example. “We’ve developed an entirely new printing process …

Getting hydrogen out of banana peels

“Scientists at EPFL have developed a way to maximize hydrogen yields from biowaste within a few milliseconds. The method uses rapid photo-pyrolysis to produce hydrogen gas and solid conductive carbon from banana peels. As the world’s energy demands increase …

Quantum dots boost perovskite solar cell efficiency and scalability

“Scientists at EPFL have boosted the efficiency and scalability of perovskite solar cells by replacing their electron-transport layers with a thin layer of quantum dots. Perovskites are hybrid compounds made from metal halides and organic constituents. They show great potential …

Scientists overcome a hurdle on the path to renewable-energy storage

“EPFL scientists have observed how catalysts behave at the particle level during water electrolysis. Catalysts play a crucial role in this reaction, in which water splits into hydrogen and oxygen. By shedding light on the underlying mechanism of the functional …