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[Images above] Credit: NIST

NANOMATERIALS

Scientists ‘squeeze’ nanocrystals in a liquid droplet into a solid-like state—and back again

A team led by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found a way to make a liquid-like state behave more like a solid, and then to reverse the process.

Tying electrons down with nanoribbons

Scientists are experimenting with narrow strips of graphene, called nanoribbons for new electronic devices, but University of California, Berkeley scientists have discovered another possible role for them: as nanoscale electron traps with potential applications in quantum computers.

ENERGY

Lining up the surprising behaviors of a superconductor with one of the world’s strongest magnets

Scientists have discovered that the electrical resistance of a copper-oxide compound depends on the magnetic field in a very unusual way—a finding that could help direct the search for materials that can perfectly conduct electricity at room temperature.

Scientists design material that can store energy like an eagle’s grip

Scientists at Queen Mary University of London and University of Cambridge have created materials that can store energy like an eagle stores it in its feet, be squeezed repeatedly without damage, and even change shape if necessary.

Converting carbon dioxide into methane or ethane selectively

Researchers have developed high-efficiency photocatalysts that convert carbon dioxide into methane or ethane with graphene-covered reduced titanium dioxide. The finding is expected to be utilized in the carbon dioxide reduction and recycling industries.

ENVIRONMENT

Taming defects in nanoporous materials to put them to a good use

Researchers are investigating how the properties of metal-organic frameworks, a class of materials resembling microscopic sponges, can be adjusted by taking advantage of their defects to make them better at capturing CO2.

OTHER STORIES

A superconductor story with a twist

Rice physicists and their colleagues used simulations and neutron scattering experiments that show the atomic structure of materials to reveal tiny distortions of the crystal lattice in a so-called iron pnictide compound of sodium, iron, nickel and arsenic.

Research finds 3-D printers offer alternate method to create microfluidic probes

Researchers used a 3-D printer to create a functional, integrated, and inexpensive microfluidic probe to study cancer cells and other living organisms in a Petri dish, suggesting that 3-D printers can provide a sophisticated, less expensive MFP, which works just as effectively.

Researchers find seed coats could lead to strong, tough, yet flexible materials

Inspired by elements found in nature, researchers say the puzzle-like wavy structure of the delicate seed coat, found in plants like succulents and some grasses, could hold the secret to creating new smart materials strong enough to be used in items like body armor, screens, and airplane panels.

NUS and Boreal Space collaborate to examine how graphene reacts to extreme space conditions and explore its potential for satellite applications

The Centre for Advanced Two-Dimensional Materials at National University of Singapore has teamed up with Boreal Space to test properties of graphene after it has been launched into the stratosphere. The results could provide insights into how graphene could be used for space and satellite technologies.

The 2-D form of tungsten ditelluride is full of surprises

Researchers have discovered that when two monolayers of the 2-D form of tungsten ditelluride are combined, the resulting “bilayer” develops a spontaneous electrical polarization, or “ferroelectric switching”—which can be flipped between two opposite states by an applied electric field.

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