[Image above] Credit: ACerS
NANOMATERIALS
New research examines how nanoscopic ripples affect material properties
Researchers created 28-nm-thick alumina structures on a silicon wafer with thermal-like static ripples and then tested them with lasers to measure their behavior. The results matched with theories proposed by the research group.
Unexpected superconductivity behavior in ultrathin films
Researchers at Hebrew University of Jerusalem discovered that superconductivity in ultrathin films of niobium diselenide becomes confined to the material’s surface when the film thickness drops below six atomic layers.
ENERGY
A sensor that can help stop lithium-ion batteries from exploding
Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University researchers used computational screening to guide the development of a highly sensitive and cost-effective gas sensor based on covalent organic frameworks. In laboratory tests, the sensor detected ethylene carbonate vapor at concentrations as low as 1.15 parts per million.
Upgraded anode moves seawater batteries step closer to primetime
With the help of the Canadian Light Source at the University of Saskatchewan, researchers at the University of Alberta developed a material made of polymer nanosheets and carbon nanotubes that is suitable for storing a variety of different types of ions, including those found naturally in seawater.
Where to tap ocean currents for renewable power
Florida Atlantic University researchers investigated currents around the world using data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Global Drifter Program. Based on this data, they determined that Florida and North Carolina, as well as South Africa and Japan, offer substantial potential for sustainable energy generation using ocean current turbines.
BIOMATERIALS
Tiny robots powered by magnets could one day do brain surgery
University of Toronto researchers collaborated with The Hospital for Sick Children in Canada to develop a set of very small neurosurgery tools. The tools are only about 3 mm in diameter and can grip, pull, and cut tissue. Their extremely small size is possible as they are powered not by motors but by external magnetic fields.
Minimally invasive approach corrects spacing and proclination using lithium disilicate veneers
Researchers from Bharati Vidyapeeth Dental College and Hospital used lithium disilicate glass-ceramic laminate veneers as a minimally invasive solution to correct the spacing and proclination of upper anterior teeth.
ENVIRONMENT
Innovations squeeze more out of used nuclear fuel and rare earth materials
Argonne National Laboratory scientists are researching a technology called rotating packed bed contactors that relies on a smaller, more local approach to efficient uranium and transuranic element recovery. Once the desired materials are isolated in a new stream or solution, the unwanted materials can be discarded in smaller, less hazardous quantities.
New process upcycles PFAS into graphene
Rice University researchers developed a flash joule heating process that transforms per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances into high-value graphene.
MANUFACTURING
Spray-on concrete breakthrough could transform bridge repairs
Florida International University researchers created a system that sprays ultrahigh-performance concrete onto structures. At around $500 per cubic yard, the university-made mix comes at a fraction of the cost of many comparable commercial versions of this concrete.
Enhancing carbon fiber production with low-cost oil residues
Researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology spun carbon fibers from synergistic blends of low-value heavy oils left over from crude oil refining. Previous studies of oil residues were limited by the fibers’ tendency to break and low yield. The new study involved blending oil residues with resins to stabilize the asphaltene molecules.
OTHER STORIES
Scientists merge two ‘impossible’ materials into new artificial structure
Researchers led by Rutgers University-New Brunswick merged two lab-synthesized materials into a synthetic quantum structure once thought impossible to exist. The structure is made of dysprosium titanate, which is used in nuclear reactors to trap radioactive materials and contain elusive magnetic monopole particles, and pyrochlore iridate, a new magnetic semimetal.
Research offers insights into piezoelectric ceramic stress
Researchers at Harbin Engineering University and Qiqihar University conducted an in-depth investigation into the effects of semicircular depressions in piezoelectric ceramic plates, shedding light on the factors that lead to dynamic stress concentration and electric field intensity concentration.
