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NANOMATERIALS

International research team discovers new two-dimensional material

An international team with researchers from the University of Bayreuth succeeded in discovering a previously unknown 2D material by using modern high-pressure technology. The material, beryllonitrene, consists of regularly arranged nitrogen and beryllium atoms.

A path to graphene topological qubits

Researchers in Spain, France, Portugal, and Finland demonstrated that single layers of graphene can host simultaneous magnetism and superconductivity, which is a first step toward developing graphene-based topological qubits.

A new way to make AR/VR glasses

University of Rochester researchers imprinted freeform optics with a nanophotonic optical element called a metasurface to create AR/VR glasses that are compact, easy to wear, and deliver high quality optics without looking like “bug eyes.”


ENERGY

Vortex generators and glass texturing for solar module cooling

New research from Australia shows that vortex generators and glass texturing have so far proved to be the most effective solutions among the novel methods explored for lowering the temperature of solar panels.

Vertical turbines could be the future for wind farms

New research from Oxford Brookes University found that the vertical turbine design is far more efficient than traditional turbines in large scale wind farms, and when set in pairs the vertical turbines increase each other’s performance by up to 15%.

Solar energy can be stored for months with new metal-organic framework

Researchers at Lancaster University looked at a metal-organic framework called DMOF1 and found it stored energy in a similar way to the potential energy of a bent spring. The potential energy could be stored for long periods at room temperature and released by applying external heat to trigger a switch in the material’s state.

Researchers identify defect that limits perovskite solar-cell performance

University of California, Santa Barbara researchers ran computations that revealed missing hydrogen atoms in methylammonium lead iodide, a prototypical hybrid perovskite, can cause massive efficiency losses in solar cells made from these materials.

Nanoscale defects could boost energy storage materials

A Cornell University-led collaboration used X-ray nanoimaging to gain an unprecedented view into solid-state electrolytes, revealing previously undetected crystal defects and dislocations that may now be leveraged to create superior energy storage materials.

Fooling fusion fuel: How to discipline unruly plasma

Researchers at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory derived and demonstrated a bit of slight-of-hand called “quasi-symmetry” that could accelerate the development of fusion energy. The newly discovered method calls for fooling the swirling plasma particles by canceling out the magnetic field errors along the path they travel.


BIOMATERIALS

Fiber-optic ultrasonic imaging probe for future nanoscale disease diagnostics

Scientists at the University of Nottingham developed an ultrasonic imaging system that can be deployed on the tip of a hair-thin optical fiber and is insertable into the human body to visualize cell abnormalities in 3D.


ENVIRONMENT

Fully recyclable printed electronics developed

Engineers at Duke University developed the world’s first fully recyclable printed electronics. Specifically, they developed a completely recyclable, fully functional transistor made out of three carbon-based inks that can be easily printed onto paper or other flexible, environmentally friendly surfaces.

Hidden gems in materials discovery: Healing our climate with barite

An article on Advanced Science News outlines how barite, or barium sulfate, is the spearhead for a new generation of efficient passive daytime radiative cooling materials.


OTHER STORIES

Material scientists find new angle toward better heat transfer

University of California, Los Angeles researchers developed a class of optical material that controls how heat radiation is directed from an object. To demonstrate the concept, they layered several oxide materials, each of which manipulates infrared light over different wavelengths, and beamed much of the emitted heat toward the same fixed angles.

Pulsed lasers probe beyond titanium dioxide’s surface

A collaboration involving experimental and computational chemical physicists revealed new clues as to how electrons in titanium dioxide interact with light. The researchers used two-photon photoemission, a technique using ultrafast laser pulses, to distinguish electrons localized at surface defects from electrons in the bulk.

Spin defects under control: Improved materials for quantum sensor technology

An international research team succeeded in the coherent control of spin defects in a layered crystal of boron nitride at room temperature. The contactless manipulation was achieved using a pulsed high-frequency electromagnetic field.

A silver lining for extreme electronics

Conductive circuitry, often made from silver, needs to stick better to the underlying ceramic components in solid oxide fuel cells. Michigan State University researchers found they could improve adhesion by adding an intermediate layer of porous nickel between the silver and the ceramic.

FORGE explores compositionally complex ceramics

The FORGE consortium aims to develop a set of cost-effective highly protective coatings based on compositionally complex materials to provide hardness, chemical stability, and gas barrier properties for challenging applications. Learn more about their work on compositionally complex ceramics here.

Researching Native American obsidian objects at the Corning Museum of Glass

Katherine Larson, curator of ancient glass at the Corning Museum of Glass, explains how she researches objects in the ancient glass collection to ensure they have accurate and current information about them. For this article, she focuses on pieces made from obsidian.

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