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Penn researchers show commonalities in how different glassy materials fail

Penn researchers demonstrate that stiffness and strength scaling remain unchanged across various glassy materials, indicating a constant critical strain before catastrophic failure. This finding provides insight into the fundamental mechanism driving failure in glasses, suggesting cooperative motion of particles or atoms.

SourceUniversity of Pennsylvania·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateDec 9, 2014

Elsevier announces the launch of OA journal: Colloid and Interface Science Communications

The open access journal Colloid and Interface Science Communications provides an innovative channel for publishing short initial reports on new fundamental concepts, research findings, and topical applications. The journal covers topics such as nanomaterials, energy production and storage, biotechnologies, and pharmaceutical products.

SourceElsevier·JournalColloids and Interface Science Communications·DateMar 10, 2014

Assembly not required

Researchers at NYU, Harvard, and Dow Chemical develop a method to enhance colloidal dispersions, creating particles that spontaneously assemble into structures resembling molecules. This enables the design of complex 3-dimensional structures vital for advanced optical materials.

SourceHarvard University·JournalNature·DateOct 31, 2012

How to braid nanoropes

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces investigated the assembly of filament networks and bundles. They found that thermal motion prevents bundle formation unless crosslinker concentration exceeds a certain threshold value.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateOct 14, 2005

Mother-of-pearl in highest resolution

Researchers at Max Planck Institute have found that the surface of lime platelets in mother-of-pearl is disordered and wavy, ruling out ordered layers on the organic matrix. This discovery challenges previous understanding of nacre's composition and mechanism, offering new insights into building materials.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateOct 5, 2005

In a show of entropy's benefits, scientists find 'fuzzy' molecules can assemble precisely into distinct lattices

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that adding a 'fuzz' of chemical chains to colloidal molecules can lead to the formation of predictable arrays of lattices. This entropy-driven phenomenon offers promise for designing new materials rationally rather than through trial and error.

SourceUniversity of Pennsylvania·JournalThe Journal of Physical Chemistry B·DateOct 24, 2001