Articles tagged with Materials
Scientists have developed a new, efficient ethanol catalyst made from copper nanoparticles, which is cheaper than platinum and could increase the potential of ethanol fuel cells. The catalyst was created through laser melting and shows great promise for improving ethanol oxidation.
A team of researchers has developed a novel experimental system to simultaneously measure the mechanical properties and internal structure of rubber-like materials. The study found that strain within these materials is non-uniform, depending on the shape and size of composite particles.
Researchers will investigate high-entropy materials to create more sustainable and durable catalysts. The goal is to improve the efficiency of electrocatalysis, paving the way for a new generation of catalysts and reducing the reliance on rare and expensive materials.
Scientists at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have developed a system that can adjust the size, shape, and refractive index of microscopic lenses in real-time. The design uses hydrogels and polydimethylsiloxane to create a dynamic platform for soft robotics and liquid optics applications.
A team of researchers developed soft yet durable materials that glow in response to mechanical stress, using single-celled algae and a seaweed-based polymer. The materials demonstrate inherent simplicity, no electronics needed, and can be used as mechanical sensors or soft robotics, while also being resilient and self-sustaining.
Researchers from Monash University have introduced a new theoretical study on quantum impurities, exploring their behavior in two-dimensional semiconductors. The 'quantum virial expansion' method sheds light on the complex interactions between impurities and their surroundings in 2D materials.
Researchers developed and characterized nitric oxide-storing MOFs embedded in polymers with novel antibacterial potential. The nickel and copper MOFs combined to create a composite material that achieved an optimal, two-stage NO delivery system.
The interdisciplinary team, led by Kaiyuan Yang, will focus on leveraging the spin and charge of electrons in multiferroics to process and store information. The goal is to improve energy efficiency for computing devices, potentially reducing energy consumption by three orders of magnitude.
Researchers at Shibaura Institute of Technology developed a cellulose-based thickener to reduce environmental risks associated with liquefied stabilized soil. The thickener prevents bleeding, loss of fine particles, and unwanted settling, while maintaining soil strength.
Researchers from SUTD successfully applied reinforcement learning to a video game problem, creating complex movement designs that outperformed top human players. The study's findings have the potential to impact robotics and automation, ushering in a new era of movement design.
Researchers found an average of 41 microplastic particles per square meter per day settled from the atmosphere, while sediment samples contained denser particles with higher population densities. The study suggests clothing is likely the prominent source of microplastics to the Ganges River system.
Lehigh University researchers have discovered that applying magnetic forces to individual 'microroller' particles can spur collective motion, allowing the grains to flow uphill, up walls, and climb stairs. This counterintuitive phenomenon has potential applications in mixing, segregating materials, and microrobotics.
A research team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences explores how plants regulate motion speed and proposes potential strategies for biomimetic actuators. They draw inspiration from plant tissues with unique structures and compositions to develop artificial actuators responsive to humidity, solvents, heat, light, and electricity.
The study introduces a novel approach to boost cycling stability and optical modulation of typical electrochromic materials by introducing a nanostructured SnO2 nanosheet scaffold. This leads to improved color changes, optical modulation, and cycling stability in composite films.
A team of chemists at Purdue University has created a sustainable adhesive system that uses epoxidized soy oil, malic acid, and tannic acid. The new adhesive is inexpensive, effective, scalable, practical to produce and completely sustainable.
GIST researchers found that nano-sized pits on AlN surfaces cause graphene degradation at higher temperatures, leading to GaN film exfoliation failure. The study's results demonstrate the importance of substrate chemical and topographic properties for successful remote epitaxy.
The Graphene Flagship project has produced significant contributions to Europe's GDP and GVA, with an estimated return on investment of 14.5-fold. By 2030, the project aims to create over 81,000 jobs internationally.
The University of Missouri is launching a five-year, $3 million doctoral training program to prepare the next generation of scientists and engineers for emerging fields like materials science and data science. The program aims to empower future workers with both technical expertise and data-driven insights.
Researchers from Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA) have developed a fully recyclable, flame-retardant epoxy resin-based plastic. The new material retains excellent thermomechanical properties while being reshaped like a thermoplast due to the addition of a special phosphonate ester molecule.
Researchers at Brookhaven Lab's Center for Functional Nanomaterials have created a new layered structure with unique energy and charge transfer properties. The discovery could lead to advancements in technologies such as solar cells and optoelectronic devices.
Researchers developed a nanoscale material technique called inverse thermal degradation (ITD) to control high-temperature flames and tune material properties. By regulating oxygen access, ITD allows for smoldering rather than bursting into flames, producing carbon tubes with desired characteristics.
Researchers developed an eco-friendly thermoplastic polyurethane using biomass-based polyester polyols and butane diols, boasting exceptional properties. The resulting material exhibits a remarkable biocarbon content of up to 97% and comparable mechanical properties to petroleum-based alternatives.
Researchers have exposed trap-assisted Auger-Meitner recombination as a major loss mechanism in blue and UV light-emitting diodes (LEDs). This phenomenon leads to higher loss rates compared to phonon-mediated processes, affecting device efficiency.
Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a new robot called RoboMapper that can conduct experiments more efficiently and sustainably to develop new semiconductor materials. The robot automates the process of testing multiple samples simultaneously, reducing time and energy consumption by nearly 10 times.
Researchers at the University of Missouri have developed a new type of nanoclay material that can be customized to perform specific tasks. This breakthrough could lead to advances in fields such as medical science, environmental science, and more.
Researchers from the University of Iowa and Brookhaven National Laboratory create 14 organic-inorganic hybrid materials, including seven entirely new ones, to advance clean energy and safe nuclear energy. The study reveals new bonding mechanisms and insights into material separations and recycling.
Researchers from Sandia National Laboratories have discovered that metals can heal themselves by fusing back together microscopic cracks without human intervention. This breakthrough could lead to the development of self-healing machines and structures, reducing wear and tear damage and making them safer and longer-lasting.
Researchers from Japan have solved a long-standing puzzle of porous soft materials, revealing the importance of elastic heterogeneity in tuning molecular adsorption/desorption properties. The study provides physicochemical insight into the origin of elastic heterogeneity within MOFs, with applications to imparting targeted properties.
A team of researchers at the University of Washington has discovered a way to imbue bulk graphite with physical properties similar to those of graphene, a single-layer sheet. This breakthrough could unlock new approaches for studying unusual and exotic states of matter and bring them into everyday life.
Researchers at Rice University have created a new type of storage container that effectively prevents surface contamination for at least six weeks. The technology relies on an ultraclean wall with tiny bumps and divots, which attracts VOCs in air inside the containers.
Researchers propose a novel route for constructing 1D/2D carbon nanostructures with tunable aspect ratios and high nitrogen content, employing small molecule-formamide. The approach leads to the formation of polyaminoimidazole (PAI) and exhibits an extremely high N content exceeding 40 atomic percent.
A team of researchers has developed a scalable and efficient method to fabricate chitin hydrogels, which show promise for biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility and biodegradability. The fabricated chitin hydrogels possess excellent mechanical properties, high water content, and antifouling performance.
Researchers at the University of Minnesota have created a thin film of a unique semimetal material that can generate more computing power and memory storage while using significantly less energy. The study, published in Nature Communications, has important findings about the physics behind its unique properties.
Researchers at Drexel University have developed a photocatalytic titanium oxide nanofilament material that can harness sunlight to unlock the potential of hydrogen as a fuel source. The material outperforms current methods and is stable for months, offering a sustainable and affordable path to creating hydrogen fuel.
Researchers demonstrate critical roles of metal cocatalysts in modulating surface oxidation kinetics and selectivity in methane oxidation. Metal cocatalysts play a key role in promoting CO2 production over C2H6 formation.
Scientists verify that amorphous materials can host unique topological properties, applicable to sensing technology and IoT development. They successfully demonstrated the anomalous Hall effect and Nernst effect in iron-tin amorphous thin films.
Researchers found a new type of grain-interior planar defect induced by ordered distribution of heteroatoms on W and C crystal planes, which display distinct characteristics. The defects' high stability may reduce transgranular fracture risk, allowing for optimal mechanical performance.
Researchers developed a polarization-angle-resolved Raman microscope to visualize disorder effects on ferroelectric polarization. The study reveals slow response of nanometer-scale electric polarization, enabling significant charge storage and enhanced dielectric properties.
Ferroelectric materials like hafnia show promise for non-volatile random-access memory (RAM) due to their stability at high temperatures. Hafnia's unique properties, including the movement of oxygen vacancies, make it an attractive candidate for memristors that mimic brain-like computer architectures.
Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University successfully created a new molecule by combining two types of reactions, showing potential for development of functional materials. The study's findings contribute to the synthesis of macrocyclic molecules with unique properties.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and Penn State University have discovered novel ferroelectric materials that can switch at the atomic level, enabling more efficient microelectronics. The findings hold promise for applications such as non-volatile memory, electro-optics, and energy harvesting.
A research group has solved the long-standing mystery of how a quantized vortex interacts with a normal fluid in motion. They found that a specific model accounting for changes in the normal fluid and incorporating accurate mutual friction is most compatible with experimental results.
Anionic Pt(0) complexes, highly reactive and unstable, have been stabilized by electron-accepting boron compounds. This breakthrough enables researchers to elucidate their molecular structures for the first time. The findings provide new guidelines for creating these active chemical species.
Researchers at Pusan National University have developed high-adsorption phosphates that can efficiently capture radionuclide cesium ions. These phosphates outperform standard adsorbents with record-high adsorption capacities, making them promising candidates for radioactive waste disposal.
Researchers seek high stereoselectivity in aryne reactions due to their reactivity and instability. Professor Ken Kamikawa's review article explores various asymmetric reactions, outlining their characteristics and prospects.
The City University of Hong Kong has developed a novel electron microscope that combines scanning and transmission electron microscope modes in a compact format. The device can produce high-resolution images in five minutes, enabling the study of atom dynamics and beam-sensitive materials.
An international team of physicists creates a material with ultra-low density by controlling the three-dimensional shape of rigid microscopic filaments. The study shows that shape can be used to create materials with novel properties, such as glass-like behavior even in high water content suspensions.
A team of scientists created a mathematical model that accurately describes microstructures by integrating data from highly magnified images taken during experiments. The findings provide insight into how microstructures change at high temperatures and have implications for the development of new materials.
Researchers at Nagoya University have successfully synthesized barium titanate nanosheets with a thickness of 1.8 nanometers, the thinnest freestanding film ever created with ferroelectric properties. This achievement paves the way for the development of smaller and more efficient devices such as memories and capacitors.
Researchers at Nagoya University have synthesized methylene-bridged [n]cycloparaphenylenes ([n]MCPPs) with varying ring sizes, exhibiting unique properties such as fluorescence and paratropic belt currents. The discovery has significant implications for studying magnetic properties of aromatic nanobelts.
Researchers from Japan have synthesized two di-superatomic molecules composed of Ag and evaluated the factors involved in their formation. The study found that a twist between the two icosahedral structures stabilizes the nanocluster by shortening the distance between them. Additionally, the presence of Pd and Pt central atoms was foun...
Max Planck scientists explore the possibilities of artificial intelligence in materials science, discussing how combining physics-based modeling with AI can unlock complex material designs. The research focuses on overcoming limitations of traditional methods and handling sparse, noisy data.
Researchers engineered a lightweight material by fine-tuning interlayer interactions in 2D polymers, retaining desirable mechanical properties even as a multilayer stack. The material's strong interlayer interaction is attributed to hydrogen bonding among special functional groups.
A team led by Professor Yoshihiro Yamazaki from Kyushu University discovered the chemical innerworkings of a perovskite-based electrolyte developed for solid oxide fuel cells. By combining synchrotron radiation analysis, large-scale simulations, machine learning, and thermogravimetric analysis, they found that protons are introduced at...
A research team at Osaka Metropolitan University has developed a technique to directly observe changes in the electronic state of light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs) during electroluminescence. This breakthrough enables improvements in luminous efficiency, paving the way for more efficient and reliable OLEDs and LECs.
The new technique allows for the production of a dozen different soft polymer material morphologies, including ribbons, nanoscale sheets, rods, and branched particles. By precisely controlling three sets of parameters during manufacturing, researchers can fine-tune the morphology of polymeric materials at the micro- and nano-scale.
Scientists from the University of Groningen develop complex oxide devices for energy-efficient computing, including magneto-electric spin-orbit and memristive devices. These materials have potential applications in novel computing architectures, such as random number generators.
Researchers discovered a property in single-layer ferroelectric materials that allows them to bend in response to an electrical stimulus. This bending behavior enables the creation of nano-scale switches or motors, which can be controlled using electrical signals.
Channeling ions into grain boundaries in perovskite materials improves the stability and operational performance of perovskite solar cells, paving the way for more efficient and practical solar cell technologies. This breakthrough finding may also inform the development of more efficient energy storage technologies.
Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin developed a new method to create dust-resistant surfaces using nanocoining and nanoimprinting techniques. The resulting surfaces can clean themselves due to their tightly packed pyramid-shaped structures, which prevent dust particles from sticking to the material.