Rusting iron can be its own worst enemy
Atom-level simulations reveal the reason iron rusts in supposedly “inert” supercritical carbon dioxide fluid. Trace amounts of water can cause a reaction at the interface between iron and the fluid, prompting the formation of corrosive chemicals.
Rice’s Technology Development Fund backs faculty projects
Nine projects proposed by Rice researchers have been granted seed funding by Creative Ventures' Technology Development Fund.
Ultrathin solar cells get a boost
Rice University engineers boost the efficiency while retaining the toughness of solar cells made of two-dimensional perovskites.
Renewable energy will increase security and lower geopolitical risk, study shows
The transition to renewable energy will make the U.S. energy supply significantly more secure not only by decreasing the mining and materials required to build fossil fuel systems, but also by avoiding the political risks that threaten fossil fuel supply chains, according to new research from Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
Baker Institute and Baker Botts’ Annual Energy Summit to examine global energy transition
HOUSTON – (Sept. 15, 2021) – The 2021 Annual Energy Summit at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy will explore the critical issues affecting global energy markets, oil and gas, electricity, renewables and the environment in a virtual conference Sept. 29-30.
Iran’s water crisis is a warning for the US
HOUSTON – (Aug. 3, 2021) – Iran’s groundwater depletion and food security crisis is an issue of global importance reflecting not only climate change, but also a pattern of policy mismanagement, according to an expert from Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
Solar energy collectors grown from seeds
Rice University engineers have created microscopic seeds for growing remarkably uniform 2D perovskite crystals that are both stable and highly efficient at harvesting electricity from sunlight.
Houston is ready for the green energy transition, says Baker Institute expert
Houston’s “energy capital of the world” status is here to stay — no matter the type of energy — according to a new report from Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
Rice team vying for $1 million Solar Desalination Prize
A Rice team's clever design uses the power of the sun to make fresh water from saltwater, even at night.
Rice team forges path toward geothermal future
Rice scientists have joined a federal project to accelerate breakthroughs in geothermal systems for unlimited, inexpensive energy.
Research could dramatically lower cost of electron sources
Rice University engineers have discovered technology that could slash the cost of semiconductor electron sources, key components in devices ranging from night-vision goggles and low-light cameras to electron microscopes and particle accelerators.
‘Soft’ nanoparticles give plasmons new potential
Bigger is not always better, but here’s something that starts small and gets better as it gets bigger.
Industrial-strength brine, meet your kryptonite
A thin coating of the 2D nanomaterial hexagonal boron nitride is the key ingredient in a cost-effective technology developed by Rice University engineers for desalinating industrial-strength brine.
HOUSTON – (Feb. 28, 2020) – As the climate debate heats up ahead of the 2020 elections, the country's oil and gas companies want to get in front of the curve. But they may be hampered by a longstanding culture of playing defense, according to an energy industry expert at Rice University's Jones Graduate School of Business.
Rice University's Carbon Hub kicks off Feb. 13
HOUSTON -- (Feb. 6, 2020) -- Experts from industry, academia and government will gather at Rice University's Carbon Hub Kickoff Meeting Feb. 13 to discuss the challenges and opportunities of transitioning to a zero-emissions future where hydrocarbons provide both clean hydrogen energy and advanced carbon materials that help house, move and feed people.
