[Images above] Credit: NIST
NANOMATERIALS
Optical effects of the divalent functionalization of carbon nanotubes
Researchers from the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies tested three new types of chemical groups on single-walled carbon nanotubes using both models and experiments. They showed direct evidence that the modified surfaces improved light emission.
Nanostructures make brighter e-reader displays
Chalmers University of Technology researchers developed a new type of inorganic electrochromic nanostructure that has both a high reflectance and an excellent color range. They modified the design of an ultrathin flexible material based on layers of tungsten trioxide, gold, and platinum that they previously developed in their laboratory.
Silica nanostructure with chemo-enzymatic compartmentalization
Researchers at Pohang University of Science & Technology synthesized a chemo-enzymatic nanostructure made of silica that selectively synthesizes one enantiomer while acting like an artificial organelle in the cell.
ENERGY
Touted as clean, ‘blue’ hydrogen may be worse than gas, coal
Cornell and Stanford University researchers determined that the carbon footprint to create blue hydrogen, which is made by converting methane, is more than 20% greater than using either natural gas or coal directly for heat, or about 60% greater than using diesel oil.
A holistic approach to materials for the next generation of electrical insulation
Researchers are analyzing new materials for electrical insulation that can remove heat more effectively compared to today’s insulation, amid a need to redesign our electrical infrastructure for the next 100 years and beyond to match advanced technology.
Woven nanotube fibers turn heat energy into electrical energy
Researchers at Rice University and Tokyo Metropolitan University developed a carbon fiber-enhanced, flexible cotton fabric that turned heat energy into enough electrical energy to power an LED.
BIOMATERIALS
Ceramic thermal cyclers for accelerated COVID-19 lab testing
Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS developed μPCR laboratory modules to significantly accelerate the polymerase chain reaction for COVID-19 tests.
ENVIRONMENT
Materials science engineers strive to reduce emissions from aircraft engines
University of Virginia researchers created a protective oxide using ytterbium disilicate to protect silicon carbide in airplane engines. The ability to deposit a film of ytterbium disilicate that is thinner than the diameter of a human hair is key to their success.
AI algorithm quickly identifies new materials for gas storage
A team of researchers from IBM and the University of Liverpool teamed up to create an algorithm that cuts CPU hours by over 500,000 on expensive simulation campaigns, allowing them to identify new materials for gas storage quickly.
OTHER STORIES
Chinese scientists develop glass as hard as a diamond
A research team in northern China recently developed the world’s hardest glassy material that can leave a deep scratch on the surface of a diamond with ease. The tentatively named AM-III, a transparent, somewhat yellowish material made entirely of carbon, reached 113 GPa in a Vickers hardness test.
Physicists built mathematical ‘playground’ to study quantum information
Researchers from Skoltech and the University of Kentucky established a novel connection between quantum error correcting codes and two-dimensional conformal field theories. The latter describe interactions of quantum particles, and some of these conformal field theories also describe quantum gravity via holographic correspondence.
Through the looking glass: Unraveling how ions move in phosphate glass
Using first-principles molecular dynamic simulations, researchers provided novel insights into the ion diffusion mechanisms of phosphate glass, suggesting that ionic conductivity and glass solubility can be manipulated by controlling the morphology of the material.
Electrically-tunable metasurfaces using dual epsilon-near-zero resonances
Researchers from the Agency for Science, Technology, and Research in Singapore proposed an electrically tunable metasurface for the modulation of polarized and unpolarized light. The metasurface relies on the lossy nature of indium tin oxide at epsilon-near-zero wavelength.
Now available: Agenda, registration for public summit on preventing sexual harassment
The Third Annual Public Summit of the Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education takes place Oct. 12 and 13, 2021, from 11 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Eastern each day. You can view the preliminary agenda and register for the virtual event.