MAROKO133 Update ai: MIT scientists shrink light-bending devices 2,000 times in a major br

📌 MAROKO133 Eksklusif ai: MIT scientists shrink light-bending devices 2,000 times

Researchers have developed a new shrinking technique that enables the creation of tiny 3D photonic devices capable of manipulating visible light. The method, named implosion carving (ImpCarv), creates vacancies within a material before shrinking it to nearly 1/2,000 of its original volume, producing nanoscale structures with highly detailed features.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) team fabricated devices in various complex shapes, including helices and butterfly wing-inspired designs. The breakthrough could support future optical computing systems and other technologies that rely on controlling light at extremely small scales. “We envision ImpCarv as a scalable and cost-effective platform for fabricating nanoprecise 3D metastructures,” said the team in their research paper.

Laser vacancy fabrication

Photonic devices, which manipulate and transmit light, could serve as energy-efficient alternatives to semiconductor chips in future optical computing systems. However, existing manufacturing methods have struggled to achieve the 100-nanometer resolution needed to guide visible light, which has wavelengths ranging from 380 to 750 nanometers.

Two-photon lithography can create 3D nanoscale structures using light, but its resolution remains above 100 nanometers. Electron-beam lithography can produce smaller features on silicon chips, though it is limited to flat, two-dimensional structures.

To overcome these limitations, MIT researchers developed a method called “implosion carving,” based on the earlier concept of implosion fabrication. The technique uses a laser to create tiny vacancies within a hydrogel by exciting a photosensitizing dye that generates reactive oxygen species. These reactive molecules cut the hydrogel’s chemical bonds, forming precisely targeted voids with different optical properties from the surrounding material, MIT News reported.

After the vacancy pattern is formed, the hydrogel is shrunk through a two-step process involving ion soaking and supercritical drying. The material contracts more than tenfold in each dimension, reducing its volume by roughly 2,000 times while preserving nanoscale features.

Tiny optical networks

To demonstrate the flexibility of their technique, the researchers created several complex 3D structures, including a helix and a design inspired by a butterfly wing. Some of these structures were too thin and had aspect ratios too high to be fabricated using conventional two-photon lithography methods.

The team also developed a photonic device capable of performing a simple digit-classification task commonly used to evaluate neural networks. In the demonstration, the device received an input digit, such as 1 or 5, and illuminated a specific output location corresponding to the detected number, according to the press release .

The device functioned through carefully patterned vacancies distributed throughout the hydrogel structure. As light passed through multiple patterned layers, the vacancies diffracted the incoming light, allowing the output to depend on the shape of the digit entered into the system. Researchers described the setup as a purely optical system capable of performing optical computing.

According to the team, the technology allows material properties to be controlled at millions of tiny locations, creating complex design challenges that can be addressed using deep-learning algorithms to optimize optical system performance.

The researchers now plan to apply the same principles to optical devices that can classify cells flowing through microfluidic systems, potentially enabling the detection of rare circulating tumor cells in blood samples. The method could also support high-throughput imaging and the fabrication of 3D nanofluidic devices.

🔗 Sumber: interestingengineering.com

📌 MAROKO133 Update ai: From air to tank: New catalyst tech pumps out 110lb of fuel

As an effective blockade chokes the Strait of Hormuz and sends shipping costs soaring, a team of South Korean scientists has found a way to mine for oil in the one place no blockade can reach: the atmosphere.

Researchers at the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) have developed a technology that directly captures carbon dioxide (CO2) from industrial emissions and converts it into high-grade gasoline and naphtha.

For this, a proprietary catalyst and a streamlined process were developed that skip intermediate steps, immediately converting CO2 and hydrogen into liquid hydrocarbons.

Notably, the new pilot plant is already producing 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of liquid fuel every day. 

“Successful commercialization could substantially reduce dependence on imported petroleum and strengthen national energy security by establishing alternative carbon feedstock systems,” the team noted. 

Direct hydrogenation

Regular carbon dioxide conversion relies on a cumbersome two-stage approach: first, the gas must be heated to over 800°C (1472°F) to drive the reverse water-gas shift reaction and produce carbon monoxide. This intermediate is then processed through Fischer–Tropsch synthesis under high pressure to create liquid fuel. 

With these extreme temperature and pressure requirements, the process demands complex, multi-stage facilities that are both energy-intensive and expensive to maintain.

In this development, the team replaces this two-step conversion process with a streamlined direct hydrogenation method. 

Using a specialized catalyst, CO2 and hydrogen were converted into liquid hydrocarbons in a single stage at much milder temperatures of around 330°C (626°F). This shortcut reduces energy consumption and complexity. 

Moreover, it achieved a 50% synthesis yield of liquid hydrocarbons. It could pave the way for cost-effective, commercial-scale production of sustainable fuels such as gasoline and naphtha.

“The pilot plant’s daily output of 50 kg is roughly equivalent to three 20-liter jerrycans of fuel,” the researchers noted. 

The success builds on the initial 5 kg-per-day mini-pilot. Following this, the joint research team successfully launched Korea’s first direct CO2 hydrogenation pilot plant, scaling production to 50 kg daily by late 2025.

This milestone serves as the foundation for the project’s next ambitious phase.

Large-scale production

The timing of this breakthrough is no accident. The 2026 Iran War is said to be choking off 20 percent of the world’s oil supply. 

With 70% of South Korea’s crude oil flowing through the Strait of Hormuz, the current blockade has triggered a systemic crisis, exposing vulnerabilities in everything from petrochemicals and semiconductors to the national economy.

Three 20-liter jerrycans of fuel a day might seem small, but the roadmap is massive. The joint team — which includes heavyweights GS Engineering & Construction and Hanwha TotalEnergies — is already drafting blueprints for a commercial plant capable of producing 100,000 tons annually.

The development is important for Power-to-Liquids (PtL) systems, which can be integrated with renewable energy. This synergy enables the conversion of renewable electricity, captured CO2, and green hydrogen into carbon-neutral liquid fuels, creating a sustainable, high-efficiency energy cycle.

It could open the path to commercialization by offering a cost-effective, stable alternative to usual petroleum feedstocks for fuels and petrochemicals. 

Ultimately, these advancements provide a streamlined, scalable path for replacing crude oil with sustainable, carbon-derived raw materials.

The findings were published in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering.

🔗 Sumber: interestingengineering.com