Nature Communications

Technique prints rounded, facetless crystals for LEDs, solar cells, and pills

By April Gocha / November 10, 2014

Researchers from the University of Michigan have figured out how to craft rounded crystals—a development that could advance LEDs, solar cells, functional coatings, and pharmaceutics—that resemble the bumpy surface of starfish shells.

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In-ter-face! Properties of nanocomposite oxide ceramics driven by interface details

By April Gocha / October 7, 2014

Researchers at Los Alamos National Lab have discovered some interesting secrets lying at the interfaces within nanocomposite oxide ceramics—secrets that help open the door to better batteries, fuel cells, nuclear materials, and more.

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Phase-change materials and correlated oxides gain ground on silicon for top spot in future electronics

By April Gocha / September 30, 2014

Silicon has long reigned supreme in electronics. But the wonder material is quickly approaching its limit in devices that long to be smaller, run faster, and do more—so new emerging materials are quickly entering the race to replace silicon.

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AAA battery-powered water splitter generates clean hydrogen for a clean future

By April Gocha / September 8, 2014

A group of researchers from Stanford is leading a new charge—their simple water splitter only needs a AAA battery and skips the precious metal catalysts present in other splitters, making a cheaper device that shows promise for making a hydrogen future all the more possible.

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Building a better flight: Synchrotron’s X-rays probe the failure of thermal barrier coatings

By April Gocha / August 29, 2014

An international team of researchers recently got a rare glimpse into what happens in thermal barrier coatings as they operate—by using a custom-built furnace and some heavy-duty X-rays.

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Video: Catching carbon dioxide—new material helps contain greenhouse gas release from natural gas wellheads

By April Gocha / June 19, 2014

A new material developed by scientists at Rice University may help ease some of the burdens behind natural gas preparation by replacing current costly and energy-intensive techniques to isolate natural gas from contaminating carbon dioxide gases from natural gas wells.

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An attractive gut? Artificial magnetic bacteria may monitor human health

By April Gocha / May 16, 2014

Artificially magnetic probiotic bacteria may have future uses as human health monitors, and a new magnetic chip may improve single cell analyses to better detect rare genetic changes.

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New energy landscapes reveal glass states have rough fractal basins

By April Gocha / April 29, 2014

New research from Duke University updates the energy landscape of glasses and shows that the landscape, which maps all possible energy levels of the glass molecules, is much rougher than previously believed.

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A new path to the synthesis of monomodal mesoporous metal oxides

By April Gocha / March 4, 2014

Researchers at the University of Connecticut have made drastic improvements to traditional methods for generating monomodal mesoporous materials, opening the gates to improved manufacturing techniques for uniform and controllable mesoporous materials.

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Inspired by nacre: 3D laser-engraved glass is 200 times stronger

By April Gocha / February 28, 2014

Scientists at McGill University show that the introduction of microcracks can strengthen glass by mimicking the microstructure of nacre to provide durability and flexibility to an otherwise brittle material.

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