[Images above] Credit: NIST
NANOMATERIALS
Buckyballs on gold are less exotic than graphene
A recent study suggested that it is infinitely easier to make artificial graphene using C60 molecules called buckyballs. Only a uniform layer of these materials needs to be vapor-deposited onto gold for the gold electrons to take on the special graphene properties.
Producing stable graphene-based nanolubricant suspensions
Researchers investigated the stability of graphene-based polyester oil nanolubricant via two particular two-step dispersion techniques: overhead stirrer with sonication and magnetic stirrer with sonication. Of the two approaches, the overhead stirrer with sonication approach proved to be the most effective in developing a stable suspension.
BIOMATERIALS
Graphene for same-time, same-position biomolecule isolation and sensing
Researchers led by University of Massachusetts Amherst demonstrated an important advance in using graphene for electrokinetic biosample processing and analysis and could allow lab-on-a-chip devices to become smaller and achieve results faster.
New health monitoring wearable that operates without a battery
Researchers at University of California, Irvine invented a new self-powered, wristwatch-style health monitor that can keep track of a wearer’s pulse and wirelessly communicate with a nearby smartphone or tablet. The self-powered characteristics of the device are made possible by triboelectric nanogenerators fabricated using titanium-based MXenes.
MANUFACTURING
Inexpensive synthesis of high-melting-point carbide materials
Researchers from Skoltech and Tomsk Polytechnic University used an unusual technique from the aerospace industry called plasma dynamic synthesis to synthesize hafnium-tantalum carbide. The technique was originally developed with a view to exploiting the generated hypersonic flows in plasma guns and space engines.
Toward manufacturing semitransparent solar cells the size of windows
University of Michigan researchers developed a way to manufacture highly efficient and semitransparent solar cells. They deposited thin films of plastic and patterned them into extremely thin strips. Then, they set down the organic and metal layers. Next, they peeled off the strips, creating very fine electrical interconnections between the cells.
Creating smart cement with graphene-coated sand
Researchers from China, the U.S., and the U.K. proposed a novel approach to creating smart cement by using fine aggregates coated with conductive graphene-based materials. The novel approach set forth in the study imbues the cementitious mortar with enhanced self-sensing abilities as well as reduced electrical resistivity.
OTHER MATERIALS
New research furthers understanding of the electronic structure of graphite
Researchers detailed new observations of the surface state of graphite using a newly developed photoelectron spectroscopy machine combined with an electron microscope.
New glass-ceramic emits light when under mechanical stress
Researchers created a new glass-ceramic that emits light in response to mechanical stress, a property known as mechanoluminescence. With further development, the new material could be used to create a light source that is switched on by mechanical stress.
Floors in ancient Greek luxury villa were laid with recycled glass
Several 1,700-year-old decorative mosaic floors were excavated in a luxury villa located in present-day Turkey, once overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. New chemical analyzes reveal that recycled glass was used in laying the mosaic floors.
The unsolved mystery attack on internet cables in Paris
On April 27, an unknown individual or group deliberately cut crucial long-distance internet cables across multiple sites near Paris, plunging thousands of people into a connectivity blackout. Now, months after the attacks, French internet companies and telecom experts familiar with the incidents say the damage was more wide-ranging than initially reported.