[Images above] Credit: NIST
NANOMATERIALS
Mirror, mirror, who is the most efficient semiconductor of them all?
Researchers at The Pennsylvania State University may have solved the “mirror twins” defect plaguing the next generation of 2D semiconductors. They did so by taking advantage of “steps” on the surface of the sapphire substrate during metal organic chemical vapor deposition.
Ribbons of graphene push the material’s potential
A new mechanical model developed by Columbia University researchers offers a systematic evaluation of twist angle and strain in layered 2D materials. They used spatial information from high-resolution microscopes to develop the model, which predicts twist angles and strain values based on the shape of the material.
Boron nitride-based nanocomposites have unexpected properties
Rice University researchers mixed hexagonal boron nitride with cubic boron nitride and found that the resulting nanocomposite interacted with light and heat in unexpected ways. For example, the composite had low thermal conductivity, and the optical property of second harmonic generation was quite large after heating.
ENERGY
Engineers create an energy-storing supercapacitor made from cement and carbon black
Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers showed cement and carbon black can be combined with water to make a supercapacitor. The supercapacitor could be incorporated into the concrete foundation of a house, where it could store energy while adding little or no to the cost of the foundation and still providing structural strength.
Hail-prone areas may require solar modules with 4 mm-thick front glass
New research from India claims solar modules with 3.2 mm-thick front glass may not be strong enough to withstand storms producing big hailstones. The scientists found that a front glass of at least 4 mm should be used to avoid significant damage.
ENVIRONMENT
New paint gives extra insulation, saving on energy, costs, and carbon emissions
Stanford University researchers invented a new type of paint that can help regulate temperature in buildings. The paint has two layers applied separately: an infrared reflective bottom layer using aluminum flakes and an ultrathin, infrared transparent upper layer using inorganic nanoparticles that comes in a wide range of colors.
Mussels inspire an eco-friendly way to extract critical rare earth elements
Researchers at The Pennsylvania State University developed a new mussel-inspired nanocellulose coating that has demonstrated what they call a “remarkable, even surprising” ability to recover rare earth elements from secondary sources, such as industrial wastewater, without using a high amount of energy.
Carbon dioxide—not water—triggers explosive volcanoes
Geoscientists have long thought that water—along with shallow magma stored in Earth’s crust—drives volcanoes to erupt. Now, thanks to newly developed research tools at Cornell University, scientists found that gaseous carbon dioxide can trigger explosive eruptions. The research has implications for improving volcanic-hazards planning.
MANUFACTURING
Architects used 3D-printed formworks to create skeleton concrete structures
Southeast University architects showed that 3D-printed formworks can precisely shape a cast-in-place concrete slab. Webone, the first prototype, demonstrates a method for building biomimetic slab structures.
Single drop of ethanol to revolutionize nanosensor manufacturing
Macquarie University engineers developed a new technique to make nanosensor manufacturing far less carbon-intensive. Their technique involves treating each sensor using a single drop of ethanol instead of the conventional process of heating materials to high temperatures.
OTHER STORIES
Zentropy and the art of creating new ferroelectric materials
Researchers at The Pennsylvania State University developed Zentropy theory, which considers how entropy can occur over multiple scales within a system to help predict potential outcomes of the system when influenced by its surroundings. The approach may enable more efficient discovery and design of new ferroelectric materials.
Model with extraordinary glass-forming ability expected to approach ideal glass state
University of Tokyo researchers used a numerical simulation to uncover new insights on the formation of glass out of particles of varying sizes. They found a new type of compositional ordering consisting of patterns with small and large particles, which could affect the chance of glass forming correctly.
Researchers create paracrystallized aluminosilicate glass with supreme toughness
Researchers at the University of Bayreuth, together with partners in China and the U.S., used high pressures and temperatures to paracrystallize an aluminosilicate glass. The resulting crystal-like material was extremely tough.
Glass provides a window into science
University of Miami researchers are conducting an interdisciplinary project that uses glass art to understand the intricacies of how tissues transform in simple marine organisms.
Scientists invent smallest known way to guide light
University of Chicago researchers found that a sheet of glass crystal just a few atoms thick could trap and carry light up to a centimeter. Photonic circuits already exist, but they are much larger and three-dimensional.
Scientists caught Hofstadter’s butterfly in graphite
Researchers in the National Graphene Institute at The University of Manchester discovered new physics in graphite that has eluded the field for decades. They observed a 2.5-dimensional mixing of the surface and bulk states in graphite, which manifests itself in a new type of fractal quantum Hall effect—a 2.5D Hofstadter’s butterfly.
