[Images above] Credit: NIST
NANOMATERIALS
Graphene scientists capture first images of atoms ‘swimming’ in liquid
Researchers from The University of Manchester used stacks of 2D materials like graphene to trap liquid in order to further understand how the presence of liquid changes the behavior of the solid. They captured images of single atoms “swimming” in liquid for the first time.
ENERGY
High-performance large-area perovskite submodules for solar cells
Researchers from Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences developed a surface redox engineering strategy for vacuum-deposited NiOx to match a slot-die-coated perovskite, which allowed them to fabricate high-performance large-area perovskite submodules.
Perovskite solar cell defect characterization during manufacture for improved stability
The Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office selected the University of Arizona to develop a new method for identifying defects in perovskite solar cells during the manufacturing process rather than afterward. The Arizona researchers are developing an electrochemical method to achieve this goal.
New material pushes sodium-ion batteries to phase out costly lithium
Researchers from Skoltech and Lomonosov Moscow State University developed an alternative to lithium in the cathode of sodium-ion batteries. The powdered sodium-vanadium phosphate fluoride provides roughly the same battery capacity and greater stability than other layered cathode materials.
BIOMATERIALS
Nanodiamonds are a cell’s best friend
Kyoto University and Daicel Corporation developed nanodiamonds to detect temperatures on the nanoscale inside cells and organelles. Combining this technology with multicolor imaging and improving temperature sensing by optimizing the number of silicon-vacancy color centers per particle are part of the next stage of research.
ENVIRONMENT
Reducing food waste with novel biomaterials technologies
In a recent open-access review, Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers aimed to expand the current perception and scope of biomaterials by demonstrating how they can be engineered to interface with food and plants, to ultimately boost food security.
Turning fish waste into quality carbon-based nanomaterial
Researchers from Nagoya Institute of Technology found a simple and convenient way to turn fish waste into extremely high-quality carbon nano onions using microwave pyrolysis.
MANUFACTURING
Researchers 3D print sensors for satellites
Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers created the first completely digitally manufactured plasma sensors for orbiting spacecraft. The 3D-printed and laser-cut glass-ceramic device performed as well as state-of-the-art semiconductor plasma sensors that are manufactured in a cleanroom.
New 3D printing process is faster and more precise than conventional methods
Rutgers University engineers created a way to 3D print large and complex parts at a fraction of the cost of current methods. The approach, called multiplexed fused filament fabrication, uses a single gantry plus a series of small nozzles to print individual or multiple parts simultaneously.
OTHER STORIES
Toward high-quality manganese oxide catalysts with large surface areas
Researchers from Tokyo Institute of Technology came up with a simple way to synthesize nanoparticles of a manganese oxide-based catalyst called the octahedral molecular sieve (OMS-1).
Nickelate superconductors are intrinsically magnetic
Researchers at Stanford University and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory found that unlike in cuprates, the magnetic fields in nickelates are always on. This study is the first time magnetism was examined in both the superconducting and normal state of nickelates.
For John Goodenough’s 100ᵗʰ birthday, Stereo Chemistry revisits a fan-favorite interview
John Goodenough celebrated his 100ᵗʰ birthday on July 25, 2022. In honor of the occasion, Stereo Chemistry host Kerri Jansen and C&EN reporter Mitch Jacoby revisited their 2019 interview with the renowned scientist, recorded at his office at the University of Texas at Austin just prior to his Nobel win.
Early Europeans could not tolerate milk but drank it anyway
A new study of ancient human DNA and milk-drenched pottery shards suggests Europeans consumed milk without lactase for thousands of years, despite the misery from gas and cramping it might have caused. The authors argue that the lactase mutation only became important to survival when Europeans began enduring epidemics and famines.
Leading experts suggest guidelines for assessing emerging transistor performance
In a recent paper, researchers from industry, academia, and government provide specific criteria for evaluating and describing each of eight key parameters critical to emerging designs for field-effect transistors.