Other materials stories that may be of interest

[Images above] Credit: NIST

NANOMATERIALS

Crystalline ‘nanobrush’ clears way to advanced energy and information tech

Researchers led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory synthesized a tiny structure with high surface area and discovered how its unique architecture drives ions across interfaces to transport energy or information. Their “nanobrush” contains bristles made of alternating crystal sheets of fluorite-structure cerium oxide and bixbyite-structure yttrium oxide.

Machine learning predicts nanoparticles’ structure and dynamics

Researchers at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland demonstrated that new distance-based machine learning methods developed at the university are capable of predicting structures and atomic dynamics of nanoparticles reliably.

Making nanoparticle analysis quicker and more affordable

Rice University scientists created an open-source program called SEMseg to acquire data about nanoparticles from scanning electron microscope images that are otherwise difficult if not impossible to analyze.

Cascade sets the stage for superconductivity in magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene

Researchers at Princeton University detected signatures of a cascade of energy transitions in magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene that could help explain how superconductivity arises in this material.

ENERGY

New material, modeling methods offer promise for lightweight materials in energy storage

Researchers from the University of Houston and Texas A&M University reported a structural supercapacitor electrode made from reduced graphene oxide and aramid nanofiber that is stronger and more versatile than conventional carbon-based electrodes.

Researchers advance solid oxide fuel cell technology

Washington State University researchers developed a unique and inexpensive nanoparticle catalyst that allows a solid oxide fuel cell to convert logistic liquid fuels, such as gasoline, to electricity without stalling out during the electrochemical process.

Spontaneous formation of hollow structures in crystals improves battery stability

Researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology, with colleagues at ETH Zürich and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, discovered sufficiently small antimony nanocrystals spontaneously form uniform voids on the removal of lithium, which are then reversibly filled and vacated during cycling, allowing more ion flow without damaging the anodes.

Researchers study factors affecting renewable energy adoption

Researchers at Missouri S&T have received $250,000 from the National Science Foundation to study how utility customers use electricity, how utility companies distribute power, and how consumer acceptance levels and economic factors affect the adoption of renewable energy, specifically solar power.

BIOMATERIALS

Self-healing bone cement

Materials scientists at Friedrich Schiller University Jena developed a bone replacement material made of calcium phosphate cement and carbon fibers that minimizes the extent of damage to it and at the same time repairs itself.

Bioceramic 3D printing tested for flow and particle characteristics

Researchers from Germany and Italy who focus on using bioceramics for creating tablets and scaffolds published their findings on gas flow assisted powder deposition for enhanced flowability of α-tricalcium phosphate powders.

ENVIRONMENT

Use of glass ceramics in greenhouse lamps facilitate plants’ growth

Researchers from ITMO University and Tomsk Polytechnic University developed light sources from ceramics with the addition of chrome. The light from such lamps offers not just red but also infrared light, which is expected to have a positive effect on plants’ growth.

Do we think enough about sand?

A new Australian study found that the way we monitor sand has given us misleading information about how much there is and where it is. On a more hopeful note, a separate study suggests that sand and gravel may help some coral reef islands to naturally adapt and survive the impact of rising sea levels.

Stiffer roadways could improve truck fuel efficiency

A theoretical study by Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers suggests that small changes in roadway paving practices to make pavements stiffer could improve truck fuel efficiency, potentially eliminating a half-percent of the total greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector, at little to no cost.

MANUFACTURING

A way to cut 80% of transparent conducting glass production costs

Researchers from the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences in Bengaluru, India, found a new method of fabrication of transparent conducting glass that will trim around 80% of its cost of production against current technology.

OTHER STORIES

Moiré patterns beyond 2D materials

Two years ago, researchers from MIT discovered interesting phenomena in twisted bi-layer graphene that forms moiré patterns. Now, researchers at Stony Brook University are extending the moiré engineering concept from 2D materials to a broader range of systems, including conventional strongly correlated electron materials such as lanthanum manganite.

Liquid metals break down organic fuels into ultra-thin graphitic sheets

Researchers at University of New South Wales showed the synthesis of ultra-thin graphitic materials at room temperature using organic fuels, which can be as simple as basic alcohols such as ethanol. They did so by synthesizing on the surface of liquid metals at room temperature electrochemically.

Acoustics put a fresh spin on electron transitions

Cornell University researchers showed they can control electron spin transitions solely using acoustics without a magnetic control field, thus enabling engineers to build smaller, more power-efficient acoustic sensors.

Ultra-thin camera lenses of the future could see the light of day

Chalmers University of Technology researchers developed a new technology for making metasurfaces. They put a thin layer of plastic on a glass plate and used electron-beam lithography to draw detailed patterns in the plastic film, which after development formed the metasurface.

Research team builds better rock models

A team of geoscience researchers from University of Texas at Austin developed a new method for creating digital replicas of rock samples that is more accurate and simpler to use than other techniques. Digital replicas can replace real rocks in certain experiments, allowing scientists to learn about rock samples without having to touch them.

ORNL demonstrates bi-directional wireless charging on hybrid UPS truck

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory demonstrated a 20-kw bi-directional wireless charging system installed on a UPS medium-duty, plug-in hybrid electric delivery truck. The project is the first to achieve power transfer at this rate across an 11-inch air gap.