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[Images above] Credit: NIST


NANOMATERIALS

Strain enables new applications of 2D materials

Researchers at University of Belgrade (Serbia) found a way to manipulate superthin, waferlike monolayers of superconductors, such as graphene, thus changing the material’s properties to create new artificial materials for future devices.

New Flatland material: Physicists obtain quasi-2D gold

Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology researchers synthesized a quasi-2D gold film by using monolayer molybdenum disulfide as an adhesion layer. The resulting ultrathin gold films conduct electricity very well and could be useful for flexible/transparent electronics.

How to enlarge 2D materials as single crystals

Researchers at Institute for Basic Science found a substrate of Cu(110) has a lower order of symmetry than that of 2D hexagonal boron nitride, which facilitates the synthesis of 10*10 cm2 hBN single crystals.

Plumbene, graphene’s latest cousin, realized on the ‘nano water cube’

Nagoya University-led researchers created 2D material plumbene by annealing an ultrathin lead film on palladium Pd(111). The resulting surface material has the signature honeycomb structure of a 2D monolayer.


ENERGY

Quantum dots enhance stability of solar-harvesting perovskite crystals

University of Toronto Engineering researchers combined perovskite crystals and quantum dots and discovered that each one helps stabilize the other. They showed a perovskite-rich material containing quantum dots remained stable under ambient conditions for six months, about 10 times longer than materials composed of the same perovskite alone.

Researchers gain key insight into solar material’s soaring efficiency

Researchers at Colorado State University and Loughborough University reported a key breakthrough in how the performance of cadmium telluride thin-film solar cells is improved even further by the addition of another material, selenium.


MANUFACTURING

University of Akron startup makes a tougher titanium

A recent University of Akron doctoral graduate and his professor developed a method for coating titanium with a thin oxide layer that makes components made from the material tougher, able to withstand impact, and even self-lubricating.

A new way over (and under, and around) a 3D-printing hurdle

A researcher at University of Wisconsin-Madison came up with a method that reduces the need for the support structures that keep a 3D-printed object stable during creation. His approach depends on computer-assisted design models that assess the amount of sacrificial material required, and does not require exact measurements in advance.


OTHER STORIES

Scientists break record for highest-temperature superconductor

An international team of scientists studied a class of materials in which they observed superconductivity at temperatures of about -23°C (-9°F)—a jump of about 50 degrees compared to the previous confirmed record.

Wearable cooling and heating patch could serve as personal thermostat and save energy

Engineers at University of California, San Diego developed a soft, stretchy patch made of Ecoflex (a rubber material) and aluminum nitride powder that could provide personalized cooling and heating. The ultimate goal is to combine multiple patches together to create smart clothing.

Octopus-inspired wearable sensor

Researchers etched tiny, octopus-like sucker patterns on a film made from graphene and poly(dimethylsiloxane) that helped the film adhere to skin in both wet and dry environments. The device could be useful as a sensor in medical environments.

IIT-M to help potters design microwave-friendly wares

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras will help equip traditional potters in Tiruvallur (India) with tools and skills to develop a range of microwavable clay products. The Institute tweaked clay composition to make a product’s surface less porous so that it can be used in microwaves.

Bring on faster Internet: Device packs more into optical fiber

University of Queensland researchers developed a light beam device that could lead to faster internet, clearer images of space, and more detailed medical imaging because it splits a light beam into modes instead of pixels like a camera would.

Building next gen smart materials with the power of sound

RMIT researchers demonstrated a clean, green technique that can produce a customised metal-organic framework (MOF) in minutes by harnessing the precision power of high-frequency sound waves.

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