[Image above] Credit: ACerS

 

NANOMATERIALS

Physicists discover—and explain—unexpected magnetism in an atomically thin material

Massachusetts Institute of Technology physicists created a helical structure out of three graphene layers forming two moiré lattices. The material exhibited an experimental signature for magnetism that persisted to -263°C—the highest temperature reported in carbon-based materials to date. They then explained the mechanisms allowing this behavior.

Interpreting metamaterials from an artistic view

Two leading experts in the field of metamaterials from Tsinghua University co-authored a review article on this emerging scientific field. Unlike traditional review articles, the authors interpret metamaterials from an artistic perspective.

Diamonds are forever—but not in nanodevices

Researchers at JILA, a joint physics research institute of the University of Colorado Boulder and NIST, developed a tabletop deep-ultraviolet laser that can excite and probe nanoscale transport behaviors in materials. Using this laser, they revealed new insights into the nanoscale transport dynamics of diamonds.

Researchers mix silicon with 2D materials for new semiconductor tech

Researchers led by the University at Buffalo demonstrated that using thin 2D materials in combination with silicon can create highly efficient electronic devices with excellent control over how an electrical charge is injected and transported.

 

ENERGY

Flower power: Lavender oil for longer-lasting sodium–sulfur batteries

Researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces created a material from linalool, the main component of lavender oil, and sulfur that could make sodium–sulfur batteries more durable and powerful.

Researchers pioneer method to measure hydrogen transfer energy in complex materials

University of Oklahoma researchers used a technique called open-circuit potential to study hydrogen energy changes within a metal–organic framework. This material has a structure similar to titanium dioxide, a material widely used in energy applications.

Facet-boosted interface engineering enhances efficient proton transfer in electrolyte cells

Nanjing Tech University researchers reported the first composite steam electrode for protonic ceramic electrolysis cells. The electrode, which consists of a double perovskite PrBaMn2O5+δ (PBM) and a durable proton conductor BaZr0.85Y0.15O3-δ (BZY), demonstrated superior proton conduction thanks to the cube-shaped BZY/PBM interface.

Finding better photovoltaic materials faster with AI

Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology worked with international collaborators to identify new organic molecules that increase the efficiency of perovskite solar cells using a combination of artificial intelligence and automated high-throughput synthesis.

 

ENVIRONMENT

Exploring clay for sustainable concrete production

An East Carolina University construction management researcher worked with Natrx, a Raleigh sustainable technologies company, to show how dredged river clay could result in stronger concrete that is friendlier to the environment.

 

MANUFACTURING

New ceramic catalyst uses sodium and boron to drive sustainable industrial reactions

Researchers at Nagoya Institute of Technology developed a novel sodium-doped ceramic catalyst that activates hydrogen without rare transition metals. This catalyst offers a cost-effective and sustainable alternative for key industrial reactions, including hydrogenation.

How good old mud can lower building costs

Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers developed a method to use lightly treated mud, including soil from a building site, as the formwork molds into which concrete is poured. The technique deploys 3D printing and can replace the more costly method of building wood formworks for concrete construction.

 

OTHER STORIES

Diamond crystals control interactions between phonons and single quantum systems

Researchers led by Harvard University introduced a new approach to control the interactions between high-frequency phonons and single solid-state quantum systems. Their proposed method relies on new diamond phononic crystals that they designed and fabricated, which can be used to engineer the local density of states in a host material.

New general law governs fracture energy of networks across materials and length scales

Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers revealed a simple, general law that governs the fracture energy of networks across various materials and length scales. They say the discovery sheds light on how to make materials even tougher by focusing on designing the segments within the architecture stronger and more stretchable.

Researchers reveal toughening mechanism of crack front in bioinspired materials

Researchers from the University of Science and Technology of China uncovered the propagation and toughening mechanism of tortuous crack front in bioinspired anisotropic heterogeneities, and they developed an optimization design for toughness amplification by manipulating microstructural orientation.

Author

Lisa McDonald

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  • Weekly Column: “Other materials”