[Images above] Credit: NIST
NANOMATERIALS
Unleashing a new era of color tunable nanodevices
Researchers at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem achieved a significant breakthrough in color switching for nanocrystals. They did so by creating a novel molecule with two emission centers, where an electric field can tune the relative emission from each center, successfully changing the color without losing brightness.
Researchers scale aligned carbon nanotube transistors to below sub-10 nm nodes
Researchers at Peking University and other institutes in China created field-effect transistors based on carbon nanotubes that can be scaled to the same size as a 10-nm silicon technology node.
ENERGY
Device makes hydrogen from sunlight with record efficiency
Rice University engineers can turn sunlight into hydrogen with record-breaking efficiency thanks to a device that combines next-generation halide perovskite semiconductors with electrocatalysts in a single, durable, cost-effective and scalable device.
True shape of lithium revealed for the first time
Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles developed a way to deposit lithium metal onto a surface while avoiding a layer of corrosion that usually forms. Without that corrosion, the metal takes a previously unseen form, a tiny 12-sided figure.
ENVIRONMENT
These moisture-sucking materials could transform air conditioning
Desiccants that pull water out of the air could help cool buildings more efficiently. An MIT Technology Review article highlights the work by companies to develop such materials.
OTHER STORIES
Scientists discover unusual ultrafast motion in layered magnetic materials
Using cutting-edge ultrafast imaging by several methods, researchers led by Argonne National Laboratory revealed ultrafast mechanical motion tied to a change in magnetic state in a layered material.
Researchers tune thermal conductivity of materials ‘on the fly’ for energy-efficient devices
Researchers led by the University of Minnesota discovered a new method for tuning the thermal conductivity of materials to control heat flow “on the fly.” Their tuning range is the highest ever recorded among one-step processes in the field.
Nanoelectromechanical resonators with gigahertz spectrum coverage
University of Florida researchers created nanoelectromechanical resonators based on hafnia–zirconia–alumina superlattices with gigahertz spectrum coverage. The resonators can be easily scaled and are compatible with existing complementary metal-oxide semiconductor technology.