[Images above] Credit: NIST
NANOMATERIALS
From a five-layer graphene sandwich, a rare electronic state emerges
Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers discovered that when graphene is stacked in five layers, in a rhombohedral pattern, it takes on a very rare, “multiferroic” state, in which the material exhibits both unconventional magnetism and an exotic type of electronic behavior that the team has coined ferro-valleytricity.
Researchers demonstrate high-speed electrical readout method for graphene nanodevices
Tohoku University researchers outlined improvements to radio-frequency reflectometry to achieve a high-speed readout technique with a graphene nanodevice.
ENERGY
New recycling method recovers 98% of lithium from EV batteries
Chalmers University of Technology researchers developed a method that can recover 100% of aluminum and 98% of lithium used in electric vehicle batteries. The process uses oxalic acid, an organic acid that can be found in plants such as rhubarb and spinach.
Scientists develop new method to create stable, efficient next-gen solar cells
Researchers created more durable perovskite solar cells that still achieve a high conversion efficiency of 21.59%. They combined the two photoactive polymorphs of cesium lead iodide to form a phase-heterojunction—which can suppress the transformation to the undesirable phase.
BIOMATERIALS
Harnessing piezoelectric materials to regrow neurons
Researchers previously found that stem cells can be coaxed to produce neurons if supplied with an electrical charge. Now, University of Bath researchers took micron-sized bits of piezoelectric ceramics and placed them within a polymer matrix, creating a composite that is both biocompatible and able to efficiently produce a current for developing cells.
Graphene oxide reduces the toxicity of Alzheimer’s proteins
Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology showed that treatment with graphene oxide leads to reduced levels of aggregated amyloid peptides in a yeast cell model. This yeast cell model was previously established by the research group to mimic human neurons affected by Alzheimer’s disease.
OTHER STORIES
High-quality diamonds empower narrowband deep ultraviolet photodetection
Researchers developed an electronic-grade diamond single-crystal photodetector exhibiting an exceptionally narrow spectral response in the deep-ultraviolet range with a full width at half maximum of 8 nm.
Office of Science accepting applications for summer 2024 undergraduate internships
Applications are currently being accepted for the summer 2024 term of two undergraduate internship programs offered by the Department of Energy’s Office of Science: the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships program and the Community College Internships program. The application deadline is Jan. 9, 2024, at 5 p.m. Eastern.