Materials & Innovations

Ultraviolet-emitting glass prevents biofilm formation in marine environments

By Lisa McDonald / April 26, 2024

Biofouling is a big problem for seafaring vessels, with the U.S. Navy spending millions each year in added fuel use and cleaning costs. Researchers led by the University of Massachusetts Amherst developed an ultraviolet-emitting glass that can effectively prevent biofilm formation.

Read More

Carbon nitride breakthrough: New experimentally synthesized ultrahard compounds may rival diamond

By Guest Contributor / April 23, 2024

Certain carbon nitride compounds are predicted to rival or surpass diamond in terms of hardness, but attempts to experimentally synthesize these compounds in the past 30 years have failed. Now, in a recent groundbreaking study, researchers report successful synthesis of four covalent carbon nitrides that can all be recovered at ambient conditions.

Read More

Video: Smart beanies and tops help with navigating the world

By Lisa McDonald / March 27, 2024

Mass producing long, high-quality semiconductor fibers for use in wearable technology is challenging. Researchers at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore identified the ideal combination of materials and processing parameters to achieve consistent production of ultrathin, ultralong, high-quality semiconductor fibers using the molten-core method.

Read More

Twisted-layer structure allows bulk boron nitride ceramics to plastically deform

By Lisa McDonald / March 1, 2024

Successful plastic deformation of nitride ceramics has to date been limited to samples on the micro and nanoscale. Now, researchers from Yanshan University in China achieved plastic deformation in a bulk boron nitride ceramic by modifying its layered van der Waals structure.

Read More

Ultraviolet light-sensitive tape allows for easier and less damaging transfer of 2D materials

By Lisa McDonald / February 16, 2024

Researchers in Japan showed that adhesive tape, though not the answer to mass graphene production, may be an ideal solution for mass transfer of 2D materials.

Read More

Flexible artificial retinas: an emerging paradigm with significant potential for treating eye diseases

By Guest Contributor / February 13, 2024

To date, efforts to develop retinal prostheses have achieved limited success. But the turn toward flexible rather than rigid platforms for these devices is leading to significant advances in the research community.

Read More

Glass-coated DNA scaffolds receive power-up through inorganic infiltration

By Lisa McDonald / February 2, 2024

In July 2023, researchers announced the creation of high-strength, lightweight glass nanolattices by coating DNA origami scaffolds with silica. Their new open-access paper, published in January 2024, describes the functionalization of these glass-coated scaffolds by infiltrating the nanolattice with metal and metal oxide particles.

Read More

Solid-state electrocaloric materials heat up cooling performance

By Guest Contributor / January 19, 2024

Electrocaloric materials have potential to replace liquid refrigerant in cooling systems, thus avoiding the emission of harmful greenhouse gases. But currently, electrocaloric devices can only operate within a small temperature span. A recent study reported a new electrocaloric prototype with greatly improved temperature span and cooling power.

Read More

Video: Solar solutions shine at CES 2024

By Lisa McDonald / January 17, 2024

During CES 2024, which took place January 9–12 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, numerous companies showcased solar technology innovations. Today’s CTT highlights several key announcements made during the show.

Read More

Rooting for efficiency—vibrating rotary file speeds up root canal treatments

By Lisa McDonald / January 12, 2024

Though modern root canal treatments are not overly painful thanks to advancements in medical technology, the need to frequently clean the rotary file can lengthen procedure time. Researchers at Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS created a file that features both rotational and vibrational motion, which reduces the amount of cleaning required.

Read More