[Image above] Credit: ACerS
NANOMATERIALS
VENUS rising: A new dawn for AI-powered atomic-scale 3D imaging
The Versatile Neutron Imaging Instrument, or VENUS, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory charts new territory for neutron imaging through artificial intelligence. It offers high-resolution 3D imaging with enhanced contrast that is sensitive to structural details at the atomic scale.
Upgraded atomic force microscope captures 3D images of calcite dissolving
Kanazawa University researchers upgraded their atomic force microscope to retrieve imaging data with the time and spatial resolution needed to obtain 3D structure images that provide direct evidence of a hydration layer forming during the dissolution of calcite.
ENERGY
Researchers discover a surprising way to jump-start battery performance
Charging lithium-ion batteries at high currents just before they leave the factory increases their average lifespan by 50% while decreasing the initial charging time from 10 hours to just 20 minutes, according to a study at the SLAC-Stanford Battery Center.
Scalable graphene technology could enhance battery safety and performance
Researchers at Swansea University, in collaboration with Wuhan University of Technology, Shenzhen University, developed a technique for producing large-scale graphene current collectors. The graphene foils offer nearly 10 times higher thermal conductivity than traditional copper and aluminum current collectors.
BIOMATERIALS
How stressed are you? Nanoparticles pave the way for home stress testing
Researchers from China and the U.K. produced a new and improved detector that can accurately measure levels of cortisol, a stress biomarker in the blood. Current cortisol detectors have reference electrodes with a silver layer that is easily oxidized. The new detector covers the silver layer with iridium oxide nanoparticles.
MANUFACTURING
Advanced 3d printer helps build reliable quantum communication
University of Stuttgart researchers used the Photonics Professional GT 3D printing machine from Nanoscribe GmbH to create a custom lens that can capture the undirected light emitted by a quantum source and shape it into a focused beam.
New environmentally sustainable method of microfabrication
University of Chicago chemists developed an environmentally sustainable method of microfabrication that uses water and natural materials—including paper—to create and transfer patterns.
Double twist makes cracking easier to resist
Princeton University engineers improved crack resistance in concrete components by depositing strands of concrete in double-helical structures. They also developed a customized solution to address the tendency of fresh concrete to deform under its weight.
OTHER STORIES
Development of highly efficient perovskite light-emitting diodes by lattice strengthening
Seoul National University researchers developed extremely efficient perovskite nanocrystal light-emitting diodes by strengthening the perovskite lattice and suppressing the material’s inherent low-frequency dynamics.
Replica symmetry breaking in 1D Rayleigh scattering system: Theory and validations
Researchers from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China and the Federal University of Pernambuco investigated the underlying mechanisms of photonic phase transitions in 1D Rayleigh scattering systems. They successfully established comprehensive connections between numerical studies and experimental phenomena.
