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[Images above] Credit: NIST


NANOMATERIALS

New study reveals carbon nanotubes measurement possible for the first time

Swansea University and Rice University researchers made real physical measurements of carbon nanotubes conductivity. Previous studies examining conductivity levels could only use theoretical calculations in their measurements.

Can’t get thinner than this: Synthesis of atomically flat boron sheets

Tokyo Institute of Technology researchers successfully synthesized atomically flat oxidized borophene sheets through a simple solution-based method. First, they synthesized stacked layers of borophene oxide using a potassium borohydride salt. Then, they exfoliated atomically thin layers of the borophene oxide network by putting it in dimethylformamide.

Single-layer T-graphene could be an intrinsic elemental 2D superconductor

Researchers at Nanjing University in China say a single-layer T-graphene could be an intrinsic elemental 2D superconductor with a superconducting transition temperature (Tc) of more than 20 K. The precursor potassium T-graphene intercalation compound, from which the single layer is pulled, could have record Tc values as well.

Ultrahigh thermal isolation across heterogeneously layered two-dimensional materials

National Institute of Standards and Technology and Stanford University researchers demonstrated unusually high thermal isolation across ultra-thin heterostructures. They achieved this by forming artificial stacks of monolayer graphene, molybdenum disulfide, and tungsten diselenide, with thermal resistance greater than silicon dioxide.

Insights into high quality fabrication of nanocomposites

Researchers from Singapore University of Technology and Design and collaborators published a review of research on particle reinforced metal matrix nanocomposites with selective laser melting, charting out possibilities for engineering applications.


ENERGY

New rechargeable aqueous battery challenges lithium-ion dominance

City College of New York researchers created a rechargeable high voltage manganese dioxide zinc battery with a voltage of 2.45–2.8 V. They broke the 2 V barrier by interfacially engineering two different aqueous electrolytes that deliver theoretical capacity (308 mAh/g) reversibly for many cycles.

Main culprit behind lithium metal battery failure

A research team led by University of California San Diego discovered the root cause of why lithium metal batteries fail—bits of lithium metal deposits break off from the surface of the anode during discharging and are trapped as “dead” or inactive lithium that the battery can no longer access.

Norwegian team discovers cheaper way to make hydrogen fuel

Norwegian scientists developed BaZrO3-based tubular proton ceramic electrolysers that make hydrogen from water vapor instead of liquid water. This process generates completely dry hydrogen, in contrast to other electrolytic processes that generate hydrogen contaminated with water or other molecules.


BIOMATERIALS

New hydrogels show promise in treating bone defects

Bioengineers and dentists at University of California, Los Angeles, developed a clay-enhanced hydrogel that is more porous and effective in promoting tissue repair and regeneration compared to hydrogels that are currently available.


MANUFACTURING

Lasers can weld ceramics without a furnace

Engineers led by UC Riverside and UC San Diego developed a ceramic welding technology that melts and fuses ceramic materials along the interface with an ultrafast pulsed laser. It works in ambient conditions and uses less than 50 watts of laser power, making it more practical than current ceramic welding methods that require heating the parts in a furnace.


OTHER STORIES

Scientists convert fly ash into water proofing material

Indian Institute of Technology-Hyderabad researchers found fly ash can be modified into a waterproofing material by treating it with stearic acid. When they modified fly ash with particles of varying sizes/shapes, it produced super hydrophobic material that behaved like a lotus leaf. In contrast, fly ash particles with similar shape/size behaved like a rose petal.

Technique could make better membranes for next-generation filtration

Researchers at University of California, Los Angeles, developed a new technique called thin-film liftoff (T-FLO) for creating membrane filters. The use of epoxy in the support layer is what distinguishes T-FLO—it enables the active layer to be created first so that it can be treated with chemicals or high heat without damaging the support layer.

Studying quantum phenomena in magnetic systems to understand exotic states of matter

Scientists led by Tokyo Institute of Technology characterized the magnetic excitations occurring in magnetic insulator Ba2CoSi2O6Cl2 to explore the quantum phenomenon “magnon crystallization.” They demonstrated magnon crystallization occurs in the material and attributed the origin to fundamental electronic interactions.

Mosquito incognito: Could graphene-lined clothing help prevent mosquito bites?

Brown University researchers showed multilayer graphene can provide a two-fold defense against mosquito bites. The material acts as a barrier that mosquitoes are unable to bite through, and it also blocks chemical signals mosquitoes use to sense that a blood meal is near, blunting their urge to bite in the first place.

Meet the crystal growers who sparked a revolution in graphene electronics

For graphene to achieve full potential, it must be grown on a substrate that is perfectly flat. Hexagonal boron nitride is an ideal substrate. Two Japanese researchers, Takashi Taniguchi and Kenji Watanabe, supply hundreds of laboratories with h-BN—and are now among the world’s most published researchers.

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