Researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology have successfully synthesized high-quality Cs3Cu2I5 thin films using a novel solid-state synthesis method. The team discovered that depositing CuI and CsI layers in specific ratios results in distinct local structures containing point defects, leading to highly efficient emissions.
A Rensselaer research team led by Sangwoo Lee found that crystal structures are not always regularly arranged. The discovery has implications for materials used in semiconductors, solar panels, and electric vehicle technologies.
Researchers from Osaka University discovered a novel material that transitions from a crystal to a liquid when exposed to ultraviolet irradiation, enabling a detailed understanding of the crystal-melting process. The material exhibits changes in luminescence during melting, indicating molecular-level changes in shape.
Research team settles decade-long debate on Ta2NiSe5's microscopic origin of symmetry breaking; structural instability hinders electronic superfluidity. Advanced experiments and calculations confirm crystal structure changes as driving force behind phase transition.
A new method developed by Cornell researchers provides tools to interpret discarded X-ray crystallography data, enabling better understanding of proteins' movement, structure, and function. This breakthrough could lead to designing new drugs targeting specific proteins.
A team of researchers has discovered a liquid quasicrystal with a dodecagonal honeycomb structure, consisting of triangular, square, and trapezoidal cells. The discovery provides new insights into the formation of these special structures and offers promising applications in optics and electronics.
Researchers deciphered the structure of the protein methyltransferase from the monkeypox virus, identifying a target for antiviral drugs. The findings may lead to the creation of new antivirals effective against not only monkeypox but also COVID-19.
A new material analysis method combines resonant X-ray diffraction and solid-state NMR to reveal the chemical order of Mo atoms in disordered Ba7Nb4MoO20. The study provides valuable insights into how a material's properties, such as ion conduction, are influenced by its hidden chemical order.
Researchers from UCI have discovered the first crystal structures of botulinum neurotoxin E, revealing a novel mechanism for its recognition of human receptors. This finding may lead to the development of new BoNT/E variants with unique pharmacological and therapeutic features.
A team of researchers used synchrotron XRD to investigate the topochemical solid-gas reduction mechanisms in a layered perovskite. The study found that surface treatment can manipulate reaction processes, and the technique can identify rate-determining steps for optimizing material design.
Scientists at Tokyo University of Science created a fracture-resistant alloy through heat-treatment, exhibiting improved elastocaloric properties and resistance to cyclical loads. The Cu-Zn-Al alloy showed significant increases in grain size, leading to enhanced cooling capabilities and paving the way for innovative refrigeration systems.
A team of researchers has observed nanoparticles self-assembling and crystalizing into solid materials in real time, revealing the growth process at nanometer resolution. The findings have implications for designing new materials, including thin films for electronic applications.
Researchers used in-situ cryogenic TEM imaging to directly observe formation of pure-phase ice I c on low-temperature substrates. The study resolves the long-standing debate about cubic ice's existence, with implications for materials science, geology, and climate science.
High-entropy metal telluride superconductors exhibit unique properties due to structural disorder and atomic vibrations. The discovery sheds light on the coupling between electrons and lattice vibrations, potentially leading to exotic superconductivity mechanisms.
Researchers utilize liquid crystal droplets to visualize electric field distribution within microelectrodes, revealing rotational and translational behaviors under applied voltage. The technique provides high spatial resolution and detection accuracy, enabling defect location analysis.
The study reveals hydrated salts can lose their facets and become soft when slowly dissolved in humid air, exhibiting liquid-like molecular mobility at their surfaces. This finding challenges the conventional understanding of crystal formation and behavior.
A team led by Xueyan Song at West Virginia University has created an oxide ceramic material that solves a longstanding efficiency problem plaguing thermoelectric generators. The breakthrough achieved record-high performance, opening up new research directions to further increase performance and enabling large-scale waste heat recovery.
Researchers at the University of Birmingham have devised a way to fabricate a complex structure, previously found only in nature, to control light in the visible range. This new approach uses self-assembled colloidal particles to create chiral photonic crystals with tailored optical properties.
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.
Scientists at Aarhus University and Berkeley Laboratory developed a method called RNA origami to design artificial RNA nanostructures. The technique allowed for the discovery of rules and mechanisms for RNA folding that will make it possible to build more ideal RNA particles for use in RNA-based medicine.
Scientists have discovered a new type of solid crystal that forms when water and table salt combine in cold and high-pressure conditions, potentially existing on the surface of Jupiter's moons. This finding has significant implications for planetary science and the search for extraterrestrial life, as it could explain the mysterious ch...
Researchers at Universität Leipzig have developed a new method to analyze complex, tiny crystals like phosphorus oxide nitride. The technique successfully uncovers the structure of previously difficult-to-analyze compounds, offering potential for novel phosphors in future studies.
The study explores the impact of counteranions on stacked ion pairs, leading to variations in energy and orientation. The researchers developed a diverse set of assemblies with tunable properties by incorporating alkyl groups into positively charged squarylium dyes.
Scientists at the University of Jena have solved a decades-long puzzle by studying quartz samples under extreme pressure. They discovered that characteristic lamellae, which are often used to detect asteroid impacts, form when quartz transforms into a more tightly packed phase under high pressure.
Scientists discovered a new hexameric structure of RepB protein, which initiates DNA replication for antibiotic resistance plasmids. The study highlights the importance of developing new antibiotics and understanding how resistance spreads.
A University of Houston engineer has made a groundbreaking discovery that could improve pharmaceuticals by controlling the growth of ammonium urate crystals. By manipulating tautomers, researchers found that a small fraction can control crystal growth, potentially preventing crystallization and related health issues.
The researchers aim to create a set of tools to help other chemists select and produce the right crystal structures for new drugs, potentially saving time and cost. By understanding how molecules crystallize, they hope to speed up the development process and lower costs.
Researchers have discovered a new form of carbon, LOPC, which consists of 'broken C60 cages' connected by long-range periodicity. The formation of LOPC occurs under specific temperature and carbon/Li3N ratio conditions, and its characterization reveals unique electrical conductivity properties.
Researchers used density functional theory to investigate the mechanical properties of superionic ice XVIII, which is thought to make up a large part of Neptune and Uranus. The study found that dislocations in the crystal lattice produce shear, leading to macroscopic deformations and potentially influencing the planets' magnetic fields.
Scientists have discovered a new form of carbon, LOPC, formed by heating fullerenes with lithium nitride. The new carbon consists of 'broken C60 cages' connected with long-range periodicity, exhibiting unique electrical conductivity properties.
A research team at USTC discovered a novel long-range ordered porous carbon (LOPC) crystal formed by charging C60 molecules with Li3N, preserving periodic stacking of nanomaterials. LOPC exhibits characteristics of both long-range order and partially broken C60 molecules, making it suitable for various applications.
A new study uses serial femtosecond X-ray crystallography to reveal the structure of NendoU protein at room temperature. The resulting high-resolution image shows that the protein's flexibility plays a crucial role in its functional mechanism, which is essential for designing antiviral drugs against SARS-CoV-2.
Chemists from Rice University and the University of Texas at Austin found that increasing charge-acceptor molecules on semiconducting nanocrystals can lead to reduced electron transfer rates in hybrid materials. The study highlights the importance of considering ligand-ligand interactions when designing light-activated nanomaterials fo...
Researchers at Kyoto University have developed nanoantennas that significantly increase the efficiency and photoluminescence of white LEDs by replacing aluminum with titanium dioxide. This breakthrough enables the creation of intensely bright yet energy-saving solid-state lighting solutions.
Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory develop a new method to create crystalline materials with two or more elements, yielding previously unknown compounds with exotic properties. The discovery has potential applications in superconductors, energy transmission, high-speed transportation, and energy-efficient microelectronics.
Researchers have created a structure of linked vortices that cannot break apart due to their fundamental properties. This discovery has implications for quantum computing and particle physics, and could lead to more accurate logical operations in topological quantum computing.
Researchers at Nagoya University have uncovered the mechanism behind ruthenium phosphide's transition from metal to insulator, revealing a unique crystal structure and molecular bonding. This discovery could lead to the development of faster responding sensors and smart windows that change light transmittance depending on temperature.
Researchers at Lehigh University have received a $1.2 million NSF grant to purchase a new plasma focused ion beam system for studying material deformation at the nanoscale. The system enables in situ mechanical testing and EBSD analysis, allowing for detailed study of microstructural elements and
Researchers at Nagoya University have achieved a breakthrough in developing deep-ultraviolet laser diodes, which could revolutionize applications such as sterilization and medicine. The team successfully reduced the operating power needed for continuous-wave lasing to just 1.1W at room temperature.
A team of researchers from Korea investigated the dynamics of the p-Laplacian AC equation, finding that solutions maintain three criteria: phase separation, boundedness, and energy decay properties. They also identified an advantage of p-AC equation over classical Laplacian in adjusting interface sharpness.
Scientists at Tel Aviv University have developed a method to create the thinnest possible ladder steps made of distinct electric potentials, which can be used as independent information units. The discovery enables the creation of novel devices with potential applications in electronics and optomechanics.
A team of researchers used molecular dynamics simulations and electrochemical 3D atomic force microscopy to study the electric double layer structure of an ionic liquid on crystalline electrodes. They found that intermolecular interactions among cations and anions are stronger than electrode-specific interactions, proposing a key descr...
A team of researchers from Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology has discovered thermodynamically stable phases in Y–Ce–H and La–Ce–H systems that exhibit high-temperature superconductivity. Calculations predicted Tc values of up to 173 K, paving the way for the development of more energy-efficient and sustainable societies.
Researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology have identified truly chiral phonons in cinnabar, a three-dimensional material. The discovery was made using a combination of theoretical calculations and experimental techniques, allowing for the determination of chirality with improved resolution.
Researchers have discovered a synthetic sulfide mineral that converts heat into electricity efficiently and safely. The novel material, composed of copper, manganese, germanium, and sulfur, shows two crystal structures within the same material and has a stable temperature range up to 400 degrees Celsius.
SourceWiley·JournalAngewandte Chemie International Edition·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 8, 2022
Researchers develop Janus Bi, a platform for creating highly asymmetrical nano-architectures with 2D materials, inspired by nature's efficient light transformation processes. The project aims to produce scalable nanotechnological objects with light conversion capabilities.
A University of Illinois team discovered liquid crystalline epoxy resins with high thermal conductivity, outperforming common polymers by up to 5 times. The breakthrough was achieved by precisely controlling the lengths of ethylene repeat units in the polymer structure.
Researchers from Northwestern University have synthesized open-channel superlattices with pores ranging from 10 to 1,000 nanometers in size. The new findings will enable the use of these colloidal crystals in molecular absorption and storage, separations, chemical sensing, catalysis, and optical applications.
Researchers have reported the first observation of switchable chiral transport in a structurally achiral crystal, Kagome superconductor CsV3Sb5. The team proposes a model where electrons arrange themselves in patterns that violate mirror symmetry, even though atoms are arranged symmetrically.
Researchers developed a computational protocol called MACH that can quickly determine whether a given compound will form a crystal hydrate. The tool uses rules to systematically determine where water would likely be inserted into a crystal, providing essential knowledge for drug development and formulation.
Researchers at UT Austin developed a semicrystalline polymer that combines strength and flexibility, overcoming challenges of mixed materials in robotics and electronics. The new material is 10 times as tough as natural rubber and can be controlled with light.
The study reveals that calcium oxalate crystals are responsible for the formation of microscopic cavities in fossilized leaves. The researchers found clear parallels in closely related species, suggesting a biological function for the crystals.
A search of the Cambridge Structural Database found nearly 1,800 conglomerate crystal structures with spontaneous enriched chirality, augmenting synthetic building blocks for medicinal chemists. This discovery introduces a new pool of chiral molecules outside of natural sources, potentially leading to more effective treatments.
Scientists developed a novel cell-free protein crystallization (CFPC) method that allows rapid and direct formation of protein crystals without purification processes. The technique has enabled the analysis of unstable proteins, increasing knowledge of cellular processes and functions.
Scientists at the University of Liège have successfully manipulated the shape and symmetry of floating crystals by navigating between metastable states. The researchers used two experimental techniques: applying a horizontal magnetic field to induce deformation or controlling the growth of an assembly using thermocapillary fluxes.
A team of researchers led by Goethe University Frankfurt analyzed a diamond from Botswana, revealing significant amounts of water stored in the transition zone. The discovery has far-reaching consequences for the dynamic situation inside the Earth, potentially altering global material circulation.
A team of researchers from NIST, UW-Madison, and Argonne National Laboratory identified key compositions that enable consistent 3D-printing of 17-4 PH stainless steel with favorable properties. The new findings could help producers cut costs and increase manufacturing flexibility.
Researchers have developed a novel carrier doping method for p-type semiconductors, which improves photovoltaic device performance by increasing hole concentration. The new method uses alkali ion impurities to enhance conductivity in copper(I)-based semiconductors.
Researchers from Rice University and partners identified three promising candidate materials using a new framework that cross-references information in a database of known materials with theoretical calculations. The method could help explore strongly correlated topological matter, a large and largely uninvestigated landscape.
Researchers found that a 2% reduction in atomic distance on the surface leads to a significant decrease in hydrogen ion conductivity, reducing fuel cell performance. Developing methods to mitigate this strain is crucial for improving high-performance fuel cells for clean energy production.