Other materials stories that may be of interest

[Images above] Credit: NIST

NANOMATERIALS

Research team produces most accurate 3D images of ‘2D materials’

A research team led by University of California, Los Angeles produced in unprecedented detail experimental 3D maps of the atoms in a single layer of molybdenum disulfide. They devised a technique called scanning atomic electron tomography, which produces 3D images by capturing a sample at multiple angles as it rotates.

An ultimate one-dimensional electronic channel in hexagonal boron nitride

Institute for Basic Science researchers found that stacking ultrathin sheets of hexagonal boron nitride in a particular way creates a conducting boundary with zero bandgap. In other words, the same material can block the flow of electrons and also conduct electricity in a specific location.

Why do carbon nanotubes line up? They’re in a groove

Rice University researchers and collaborators in Japan realized carbon nanotubes line up in thin films on a filter membrane because of tiny parallel grooves in the filter paper‚ an artifact of the paper’s production process.

Magic twist angles of graphene sheets identified

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did atomistic simulations to identify how twisted graphene sheets behave and their stability at different sizes and temperatures. They used insights to develop an analytical model.

Water-free way to make MXenes could mean new uses for the promising nanomaterials

Drexel University researchers discovered a way to remove water from the MXene-making process, which means the materials can be used in applications in which water is a contaminant or hampers performance. They did so by using an organic solvent and ammonium dihydrogen fluoride to etch the MAX phase.

ENERGY

Piezophototronic catalysts get a boost

Researchers at National Tsing Hua University and University of California, Los Angeles, report a new technique for increasing the efficiency of a piezophototronic material, which uses mechanical energy through the piezoelectric effect to synergistically boost the performance of a photocatalyst. They used zinc–tin oxide nanowires as their model system.

New type of indoor solar cells for smart connected devices

Researchers from Uppsala University developed a new type of dye-sensitized solar cell based on a copper-complex electrolyte that harvests light from indoor lamps. The researchers have further designed an adaptive “power management” system for solar-powered Internet of Things sensors in cooperation with the Technical University of Munich.

Chasing lithium ions on the move in a fast-charging battery

Scientists led by Brookhaven National Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory captured in real time how lithium ions move in lithium titanate. They found that distorted arrangements of lithium and surrounding atoms in LTO “intermediates” provide an “express lane” for the transport of lithium ions.

‘Spillway’ for electrons could keep lithium metal batteries from catching fire

Nanoengineers at the University of California, San Diego covered a battery separator with a thin, partially conductive web of carbon nanotubes that intercepts any dendrites that form. When a dendrite punctures the separator and hits this web, it provides electrons a pathway through which they can slowly drain out rather than rush straight toward the cathode.

BIOMATERIALS

Biomaterial discovery enables 3D printing of tissue-like vascular structures

Researchers at the University of Nottingham and Queen Mary University London developed a way to 3D print graphene oxide with a protein which can organize into tubular structures that replicate some properties of vascular tissue.

ENVIRONMENT

Instrument may enable mail-in testing to detect heavy metals in water

Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers developed an approach that absorbs trace contaminants in water and preserves them in a dry state so samples can be easily dropped in the mail and shipped to a laboratory for further analysis.

MANUFACTURING

Researchers unveil scalable production system for MXenes

Researchers at Drexel University and the Materials Research Center in Ukraine designed a lab-scale reactor system that can convert a ceramic precursor material into a pile of the powdery black MXene titanium carbide, in quantities as large as 50 grams per batch.

Creating better concrete

University of Calgary researchers discovered a chemical reaction that both creates and then evenly disperses nanoparticles throughout a cement slurry, thus creating a stronger cement. The nanoparticle-laden cement is also less porous when set, meaning it prevents both water seeping in and gases seeping out.

OTHER STORIES

A graphene innovation that is music to your ears

GraphAudio is moving toward commercializing graphene-based audio technology developed by researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California, Berkeley in an effort to stimulate an audio revolution.

Deep learning rethink overcomes major obstacle in AI industry

Rice University computer scientists showed it is possible to speed up deep learning technology without specialized acceleration hardware like graphics processing units. They created an algorithm called “sub-linear deep learning engine” that uses general purpose central processing units without specialized acceleration hardware.

Glass transition of spins and orbitals of electrons in a pure crystal

Researchers from Osaka University and University of Tokyo uncovered the mechanism of the glass transition that electrons can experience in pyrochlore oxide crystals. They showed that distortions in the atomic lattice cause two types of rotational degrees of freedom of spins to become coupled and form a glassy state at the exact same temperature.

Glass substrates for 5G devices, consumer electronics

Researchers at IIT Bombay developed a low-cost technique for manufacturing fused silica and other non-conducting hard materials using an “electrochemical discharge machining method.” The glass substrates made this way have significant advantages over the conventional silicon substrates in applications such as 5G devices.

Astrophysicists wear 3D glasses to watch quasars

A team of researchers from Russia and Greece showed how to determine the origins and nature of quasar light by its polarization. They did so by combining data from optical and radio telescopes.