[Images above] Credit: NIST


NANOMATERIALS

First transport measurements reveal intriguing properties of germanene

University of Groningen researchers managed to produce devices with stable germanene, by heating the material to remove hydrogen. They found germanene can be an insulator, a semiconductor, or a metallic conductor, depending on heat treatment during processing.

Engineers develop room temperature, two-dimensional platform for quantum technology

Researchers at University of Pennsylvania trapped electrons by defects in sheets of hexagonal boron nitride and were able to optically detect the system’s quantum states. Next steps include understanding what makes some, but not all, defects responsive to magnetic fields.

Phase transition dynamics in two-dimensional materials

A research team at National University of Singapore discovered that while different 2D transition metal dichalcogenides have own intrinsic energy barriers when transiting from 1H to 1T’ structural phase, use of a metallic substrate with higher chemical reactivity can significantly increase 1H- to 1T’- phase transition yield.

Laser-induced graphene gets tough, with help

By infusing laser-induced graphene with materials like plastic, rubber, cement, and wax, Rice University researchers made composites with a wide range of possible applications, including wearable electronics, heat therapy, water treatment, and anti-icing/deicing work.


ENERGY

Researchers use X-rays to understand the flaws of battery fast charging

Argonne National Laboratory researchers established lithium accumulates at regions closer to battery’s separator under fast-charging conditions. While they focused on small coin-cell batteries, future studies could examine lithiation behavior in larger pouch-cell batteries.

Perovskite homojunction reduces charge carrier recombination

Researchers at North China Electric Power University and Chinese Academy of Sciences made first ever p-n perovskite homojunction, whose built-in electric field reduces losses from photoinduced charge carrier recombination by orienting transport of photo charge carriers in a particular direction.


BIOMATERIALS

Nanoplates tag neuroblastoma to guide tumor surgery

Researchers from Chinese Academy of Sciences developed gadolinium oxide nanoplates conjugated with rabies virus glycoprotein peptide that can target neuroblastoma cells. They aim to overcome limitations of current imaging techniques and provide real-time imaging.

Skin wound regeneration with bioactive glass-gold nanoparticles ointment

Researchers developed bioactive glass-gold nanoparticles (BG-AuNPs) to promote growth of granulation tissue and induce wound healing. Results revealed that 18 percent BG-AuNPs-Vaseline ointment is a promising candidate for wound healing applications.


ENVIRONMENT

Graphene utilized for improved noise control

By engineering the internal structure of conventional acoustic absorptive foam using interconnected graphene sheets, University of Adelaide researchers enhanced noise absorption and mechanical robustness, moisture insulation, and fire retarding qualities.


OTHER STORIES

Next-generation optics in just two minutes of cooking time

Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne engineers developed a simple method for making dielectric glass metasurfaces at low temperatures with no need for a clean room. The method employs a natural process used in fluid mechanics: dewetting.

Simple and low-cost crack-healing of ceramic-based composites

Researchers at Osaka University demonstrated that cracks induced in composites consisting of alumina ceramics and titanium could be healed at room temperature, a world-first. They say their method can be applied to other ceramic-based composite systems.

Physicists create exotic electron liquid

University of California, Riverside physicists created first “electron liquid” at room temperature by using a laser to bombard an ultrathin semiconductor sandwich made of molybdenum ditelluride and graphene. This “liquid” would enable development of optoelectronic devices that operate with unprecedented efficiency in the terahertz region.

Ultra-lightweight ceramic material withstands extreme temperatures

A team of researchers led by University of California, Los Angeles, created an extremely light, durable ceramic aerogel out of boron nitride. The material could insulate spacecraft because it can withstand intense heat/severe temperature changes of space missions.

Using artificial intelligence to engineer materials’ properties

A team of researchers at MIT and in Russia and Singapore found ways to use artificial intelligence to help predict and control property changes caused by strain. Unlike other ways of changing a material’s properties, such as chemical doping, which produce a permanent, static change, strain engineering allows properties to be changed on the fly.

Author

Lisa McDonald

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