[Images above] Credit: NIST
NANOMATERIALS
Researchers develop an extreme environment-resistant nanopaper
Researchers led by the University of Science and Technology of China developed a high-performance cellulose-based nanopaper that maintains excellent mechanical and electrical insulating properties under extreme conditions. The nanopaper was synthesized by combining bacterial cellulose and synthetic through mica aerosol-assisted biosynthesis.
Graphene photodetector shows unprecedented speed
Scientists at the Institute of Electromagnetic Fields developed the fastest photodetector. The combination of metamaterials and graphene led to a record-breaking bandwidth of more than 500 GHz —beating previous record demonstrations by a factor of four.
ENERGY
How tidal range electricity generation could meet future demand and storage problems
Research by Lancaster University’s School of Engineering and the U.K. Center for Ecology and Hydrology combined a tidal range power generation model with its cost model to demonstrate the viability of tidal power.
Breakthrough in stabilization of solid electrolyte paves way to all-solid-state batteries
Osaka Metropolitan University scientists achieved an unprecedented stabilization of the high-temperature phase of Li3PS4, a critical material for all-solid-state batteries, via rapid heating to crystallize the material.
3D-printed ceramics may increase gas turbine fuel efficiency
Researchers led by The Pennsylvania State University 3D printed a turbine component with ceramics. The component has complex internal cooling features that enable it to withstand higher temperatures and, as a result, increase fuel efficiency.
ENVIRONMENT
US startup Carbon Rivers says graphene is the answer to toxic tire chemical
Graphene added to tires could replace the toxic chemical 6PPD, U.S. startup Carbon Rivers says, as pressure mounts on the auto industry to eliminate the widely used compound that has polluted waterways. The company is working with regulators and testing could begin in the first quarter of 2024.
Drones take to the waves: Saildrones are getting data where people cannot
Saildrones are sailboat-like uncrewed surface vehicles that travel the oceans on wind and solar power, although larger versions do boast a diesel backup engine. These vehicles serve as mobile meteorological stations, biological monitoring devices, and even ocean floor mappers—all without the need for people on board.
Membranes make extracting lithium cheaper and cleaner
Startup company ElectraLith is developing membranes to be used in the extraction of lithium through electrofiltration. Electrofiltration uses electricity and a very fine membrane to separate mixtures.
MANUFACTURING
Researchers 3D print world’s smallest wine glass with new method
Researchers at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology 3D printed the world’s smallest wine glass with a rim smaller than the width of a human hair. The purpose was to demonstrate a new, simplified technique for creating silica glass microstructures.
OTHER STORIES
Microsoft looks to speed up materials science research with quantum-compatible system
The new Microsoft Azure Quantum Elements system is designed to support and mimic aspects of future quantum computing technologies, helping scientists comb through configurations of atoms that can form and build molecules that could become new materials or substances useful to society.
Novel spectroscopic technique for exploring relaxor–ferroelectric materials
Researchers from Japan developed a novel polarization-angle-resolved Raman microscope and used it to investigate the electric polarization distribution in lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate crystals.
Using electric fields to control the movement of defects in crystals
Researchers from the University of Toronto, Dalhousie University, Iowa State University, and Peking University presented real-time observations of dislocation motion in a single-crystalline zinc sulfide that was controlled using an external electric field.
Scientists learn about fatigue resistance of materials from bivalve hinge
Researchers from the University of Science and Technology of China investigated the hinge of the cockscomb pearl mussel. They found that the hierarchical structures that span from the macroscale level down to the lattice level endow the folding fan-shaped region with notable deformability and load translation capability.
Water molecules: defining the materials around us
In a recent paper, Columbia University researchers argued that the character of many biological materials is actually created by the water that permeates these materials. They claim these “hydration solids” acquire structural rigidity from the fluid in their pores.