[Images above] Credit: NIST
NANOMATERIALS
Scientists grow ‘perfect’ atom-thin materials on industrial silicon wafers
Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers developed a method that could enable chip manufacturers to fabricate ever-smaller transistors from 2D materials by growing them on existing wafers of silicon and other materials. The new method is a form of nonepitaxial single-crystalline growth.
A window into the nanoworld: New technique to image fluctuations in materials
Researchers from Max Born Institute in Berlin, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology developed a new method called Coherent Correlation Imaging for capturing high-resolution images of fluctuations in materials at the nanoscale using powerful X-ray sources.
ENERGY
How old batteries will help power tomorrow’s EVs
Recycling of lithium-ion batteries is taking off thanks to companies like Redwood Materials. This practice could help the transition to renewable energy. MIT Technology Review explores this trend.
Hydrogen-powered planes take off with startup’s test flight
In a record trip for low-carbon aviation, a startup completed a test flight of a 19-seat aircraft powered in part by hydrogen fuel cells. It is the largest plane that ZeroAvia, a leader in developing hydrogen-electric systems for planes, has tested in the air to date.
ENVIRONMENT
Could glass be the answer to Giant Mine’s toxic legacy?
Turning dust into glass could be the key to a permanent solution for a poisonous legacy buried at Yellowknife’s Giant Mine. The Giant Mine Oversight Board is working with a technology company based in Montreal to incorporate samples of the 237,000 tonnes of highly toxic arsenic trioxide dust buried at the former gold mine into glass.
Water jet tech to recover glass from end-of-life solar panels
Shintora Kosan, a Japanese water jet product supplier, developed a novel water jet technology to recover glass from end-of-life photovoltaic modules. It says it can pulverize the solar cells and the backsheets without damaging the glass.
With concrete, less is more: Demand changes can drive the future of zero-carbon concrete
In accordance with the Paris Climate Agreement, the global concrete industry must reduce emissions by 16% by 2030 and 100% by 2050 to stay within the 1.5°C warming carbon budget. An RMI article looks at how this goal might be achieved.
Recycling rare earth elements is hard—science is trying to make it easier
A ScienceNews article looks at the technological, economic, and logistical obstacles to overcome to make rare earth recycling a feasible endeavor.
MANUFACTURING
Aluminized fiber-optic sensors to monitor condition of industrial facilities for repairs
Researchers from Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology and Harbin Institute of Technology devised a system of optical sensors with aluminum coating that could withstand the harsh conditions inside a distillation tower and monitor its structural health, enabling timely targeted interventions when and where problems arise.
Artifacts, begone! NIST improves its flagship device for measuring mass
National Institute of Standards and Technology researchers improved the performance of their NIST-4 Kibble balance by adding a custom-built device called the quantum Hall array resistance standard that provides an exact definition of electrical resistance. The improvement should help scientists measure masses smaller than 1 kg with high accuracy.
OTHER STORIES
Incorporation of water molecules into layered materials impacts ion storage capability
Shinshu University researchers experimentally detected the structural change of hydration water confined in the tiny nano-scale pores of layered materials, such as clays. Their findings potentially open the door to new options for ion separation and energy storage.
How the periodic table survived a war to secure chemistry’s future
A century ago, the discovery of hafnium confirmed the validity of the periodic table—but only thanks to scientists who stood up for evidence at a time of global turmoil. A Nature editorial provides the full story.