[Images above] Credit: NIST
NANOMATERIALS
Staying ahead of the curve with 3D curved graphene
Researchers led by Tohoku University amplified 3D graphene’s electrical properties by controlling its curvature. The structure, with a curvature radius down to 25–50 nanometers, retained the basic electronic properties of 2D graphene well.
Improving quantum dot interactions, one layer at a time
Osaka City University scientists and colleagues in Japan found they could detect and control quantum resonance by using cadmium telluride quantum dots connected with short N-acetyl-L-cysteine ligands. They controlled the distance between quantum dot layers by placing a spacer layer between them made of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes.
Controlling fully integrated nanodiamonds
Researchers at the University of Münster succeeded in fully integrating nanodiamonds into nanophotonic circuits and at the same time addressing several of these nanodiamonds optically. They also succeeded in running two magnetic field sensors, based on the integrated nanodiamonds, in parallel on one chip.
Shining a light on nanoscale dynamics
Physicists from the University of Konstanz, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and the University of Regensburg demonstrated that ultrashort electron pulses experience a quantum mechanical phase shift through their interaction with light waves in nanophotonic materials, which can uncover the nanomaterials’ functionality.
Kevlar-ceramic aerogel nanocomposite material improves thermal protection textiles
Researchers at the University at Buffalo demonstrated a ceramic aerogel nanocomposite material with low density, low thermal conductivity, and high compressive mechanical strength of 1.1 MPa. The key to this fabrication method is the in situ crosslinking that takes place between the silica preceramic aerogel precursor and the Kevlar fibers.
Ultrathin spray-applied MXene antennas are ready for 5G
Drexel University researchers reported that their MXene antennas, which have been in development at Drexel for just over two years, are already performing nearly as well as the copper antennas found in most mobile devices on the market today.
Strain engineering of 2D semiconductor and graphene
Researchers from City University of Hong Kong wrote a review article summarizing recent developments in the field of strain engineering of 2D materials. At the end, they present the diverse applications in optical devices, optoelectronics, and other photonics applications.
ENERGY
Stable catalysts for new energy
Researchers at Vienna University of Technology and Comet Center for Electrochemistry and Surface Technology proved the stabilization of zinc oxide catalysts. They now are working on making zinc oxide even more efficient and transferring the physical principle of this stabilization to other materials.
Researchers decipher structure of promising battery materials
Researhers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and other institutions found a way to control the growth of crystals of several kinds of metal organic frameworks, which made it possible to produce crystals large enough to be probed by a battery of tests and decode the structure of these materials.
Creating higher energy density lithium-ion batteries for renewable energy applications
Researchers investigated origins of degradation in high energy density lithium-ion battery cathode materials and developed strategies for mitigating the degradation mechanisms. They employed surface chemical characterization as a strategy for identifying, minimizing residual hydroxide and carbonate impurities from synthesis of nickel, cobalt, aluminum nanoparticles.
BIOMATERIALS
Quantum nanodiamonds may help detect disease earlier
Researchers led by University College London found the quantum sensing abilities of nanodiamonds can be used to improve the sensitivity of paper-based diagnostic tests, potentially allowing for earlier detection of diseases such as HIV.
ENVIRONMENT
Recycled concrete could be a sustainable way to keep rubble out of landfill
Researchers at University of British Columbia Okanagan conducted side-by-side comparisons of recycled and conventional concrete within two common applications: a building foundation and a municipal sidewalk. They found the recycled concrete had comparable strength and durability after five years of being in service.
MANUFACTURING
Electricity-generating flexible glass using high-speed manufacturing process
SolarWindow Technologies, Inc. announced they produced its electricity-generating flexible glass using roll-to-roll processing, a high-speed method typical to commercial manufacturing of tinted window films, digital displays, printed electronics, and semiconductors.
A route for avoiding defects during additive manufacturing
Carnegie Mellon University researchers showed how pores form during metals additive manufacturing and become defects trapped in solidifying metal. The practical value of this research is that it can inform industry on how to predict and improve 3D printing processes.
Patterning method could pave the way for new fiber-based devices, smart textiles
Researchers developed a method to pattern hundreds-of-meters-long multimaterial fibers with embedded functional elements. They used a thiol-epoxy/thiol-ene polymer as a base then heated and drew the multimaterial into fibers that, when exposed to ultraviolet light, caused the polymer to crosslink into a network that was insoluble to common solvents.
OTHER STORIES
Request for input: Decadal review of NASA biological and physical sciences program
The American Society for Gravitational and Space Research are leading a series of town halls to stimulate discussions on the upcoming 10-year plan for NASA’s biological and physical sciences program. The materials research town hall will take place December 3, and glass and ceramic scientists are encouraged to participate and provide their input.
Scientists determine the structure of glass-shaping protein in sponges
TU Dresden researchers took the glass needles from a sponge skeleton and analyzed the tiny crystals that already exist inside. They built a computational model of the superstructure within the glass needle and explained the initial complex images of the protein-glass superstructures obtained with the high-resolution transmission electron microscopy.
3D-printed glass enhances optical design flexibility
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory researchers used multi-material 3D printing to create tailored gradient refractive index glass optics that could make for better military specialized eyewear and virtual reality goggles.
New insights into memristive devices by combining incipient ferroelectrics and graphene
Materials scientists from the University of Groningen used graphene to probe the behavior of strontium titanium oxide, a platform material for memristor research. The combination with graphene opens up a new path to memristive heterostructures combining ferroelectric materials and 2D materials.
Molecular telegraphy: Precisely sending and receiving single molecules
Researchers from the University of Graz and collaborators in Aachen (Germany) and Tennessee (U.S.) studied the movement of individual molecules to gain insight into physical and chemical processes. They were able to realise a “sender-receiver” experiment by successfully transferring a single molecule between two independent probes.
Spintronics advances: Controlling magnetization direction of magnetite at room temperature
Scientists at Tokyo University of Science and the National Institute for Materials Science found a surprisingly simple yet efficient strategy to manipulate the magnetization angle in magnetite (Fe3O4). Unlike previous attempts that relied on strong external magnetic fields or injecting spin-tailored currents, the new approach leverages a reversible electrochemical reaction.