Posts by Lisa McDonald
Hybrid SmartMat@2020 welcomes virtual and in-person participants to Thailand
The 5th International Conference on Smart Materials and Nanotechnology took place Dec. 1–4, 2020, at the Nongnooch Pattaya Garden & Resort in Thailand. The hybrid conference welcomed over 605 participants from around the world for several days of talks, committee meetings, and networking.
Read MoreLifting the veil on record efficiency: Researchers detail how they created record-setting perovskite/silicon tandem solar cell
In January, researchers at Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin announced they created perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells with 29.15% power conversion efficiency. A recently published paper details how they fabricated and tested these record-setting cells.
Read MoreVideo: Clay tiles help restore coral reefs
Coral reefs are experiencing massive die-offs because of bleaching, ocean acidification, and pollution, among other factors. Coral restoration is a top priority for marine researchers, and a team of marine scientists and architects at the University of Hong Kong is exploring using 3D printing to fabricate structurally complex clay tiles for coral to grow on.
Read MoreOther materials stories that may be of interest
Batteries mimic mammal bones for stability, nanoengineered cement seals leaky gas wells, and other materials stories that may be of interest for December 16, 2020.
Read MoreAsking big questions of a microscopic particle: Scientists probe secrets of ancient mummy painting
Ancient mummy portraits that were buried with mummies in Roman Egypt still hold many secrets about how and why they were created. A new study takes a deep dive into the materials secrets hiding in an ancient pigment particle and discovers some interesting insights into the people who created these unique works of art.
Read MoreCeramic and glass business news of the week for December 14, 2020
CeramTec expands piezoceramic competence center, DOE Office of Energy Efficiency launches new portal for funding opportunities, and more ceramic and glass business news of the week for December 14, 2020.
Read MoreManipulate light on the nanoscale: Proposed quantum dot–graphene scheme improves conversion of light into surface waves
Surface plasmon polaritons are a type of surface wave that, when harnessed, show potential to improve various processes that take place on the nanoscale, such as molecular imaging. Researchers from two places in Russia propose a new scheme using quantum dots and graphene to more efficiently convert light into surface plasmon polaritons for use in such applications.
Read MoreVideo: Gitanjali Rao, TIME’s first-ever Kid of the Year
From gun control advocacy to climate change activism, young people are increasingly speaking up and making their voices heard on an international stage. In recognition of the tremendous influence that young people carry today, Time announced its first-ever Kid of the Year, 15-year-old materials scientist and inventor Gitanjali Rao.
Read MoreOther materials stories that may be of interest
New tool enables economic glass design, hollow-core fibers outperform silica glass counterparts, and other materials stories that may be of interest for December 9, 2020.
Read MoreDynamic geometric modeling allows fabrication of complex-shaped ceramic bone implants
Conventional CAD modeling of ceramic bone implants is limited in the structures that it can design. Researchers at Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology in Russia explored using function representation modeling instead to expand the design possibilities.
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