[Image above] Credit: ACerS
NANOMATERIALS
New findings reveal how various physical manipulations impact graphene’s properties
Florida State University researchers found that the conductivity of twisted bilayer graphene is not heavily impacted by physical or chemical manipulations and instead depends more on how the material’s minute geometry structure changes by interlayer twisting.
Leaf-inspired graphene surfaces repel frost formation for a week
Northwestern University researchers discovered that tweaking the texture of any surface and adding a thin layer of graphene oxide prevents 100% of frost from forming on surfaces for one week or potentially even longer.
ENERGY
3D-printed antireflective aluminum oxide cover increases PV cell efficiency
An international team of scientists led by King Khalid University combined cyclic-olefin copolymers with a powder of aluminum oxide to create a filament that can be used by a 3D printer to create antireflective covers for photovoltaic modules.
New plan outlines research priorities on effects of offshore wind development
As new offshore wind technology emerges off the U.S. West Coast, NOAA Fisheries has developed a strategic science plan identifying both opportunities and challenges for advancing the agency’s research and understanding of offshore wind in the region.
Researchers study the relationship between insects and wind turbines
University of Wyoming researchers looked at the current knowledge in the relationship between wind turbines and insects. It examined the ways that turbines change habitat conditions, such as temperature, soundscape, and wind speed, and how that might affect insects.
ENVIRONMENT
Spraying rice with zinc oxide nanoparticles protects yields during heat waves
A small team of horticulturists in China and the U.S. found that spraying rice plants with a zinc oxide nanoparticle solution helps them better handle the stress of a heat wave.
New analytical tools help farmers weigh the economic viability of agrivoltaics
Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst developed two spreadsheet-based tools that can assist farmers, extension educators, and others who support the sector in determining whether or how to best incorporate utility-scale solar arrays into farming operations.
MANUFACTURING
High-pressure, polymer-derived synthesis of advanced boron-containing ceramics
Researchers from the Technical University of Darmstadt and Ningbo University reported the microstructural evolution, mechanical properties, and oxidation behavior of advanced boron-containing α/β-Si3N4/Si ceramics prepared by a high-pressure, polymer-derived synthesis route.
Scientists invent faster method to make advanced membranes for water filters
University of Chicago researchers created a method of pore generation that builds materials with intentional weak spots, then applies a remote electric field to generate multiple nanoscale pores all at once.
OTHER STORIES
Self shocks turn crystal to glass at ultralow power density
Researchers from Indian Institute of Science, the University of Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology showed that indium selenide can “shock” itself to transform from a crystalline to glassy phase using very low power.
New material to make next generation of electronics faster and more efficient
University of Minnesota researchers created a transparent oxide with a specialized thin-layered structure that enhances transparency without sacrificing conductivity. The phonon-limited mobility, calculated from first principles, closely matched experimental results, suggesting that room-temperature mobility could be further increased with higher electron density.
New thermal interface material could cool down energy-hungry data centers
Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin created a new thermal interface material consisting of liquid metal and aluminum nitride that could organically remove heat from high-powered electronic devices.
YouTube series features ACerS members among its interviews with materials scientists
In the YouTube series “A Sip of Chemistry,” ACerS student member Mojtaba Abbasi talks with materials scientists about their research. Several ACerS members are featured on the show, including Edgar Zanotto, Steve Feller, and James Shelby.
