[Image above] Credit: ACerS
NANOMATERIALS
MRI technology inspires quantum advancement with 2D materials
Purdue University researchers embedded the rare carbon 13 isotope in ultrathin hexagonal boron nitride and then used magnetic resonance microscopy to obtain atomic-level information about the structure of the material they created.
New carbon nanotube insulation can resist temperatures exceeding 4,700°F
Tsinghua University researchers developed a new carbon nanotube-based film that can resist temperatures up to 4,712°F (2,600°C). The material is also very stable, with a recorded 5% degradation in performance after 310 cycles between room temperature and 3,632°F (2,000°C).
Researchers track the motion of a single electron during a chemical reaction
An experiment at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory has, for the first time, combined advanced X-ray technology with cutting-edge simulations and theory to image the impact of the motion of a valence electron in real time throughout a chemical reaction.
ENERGY
Natural loss of ‘spin’ harnessed as a source of energy
Researchers led by the Korea Institute of Science and Technology’s Semiconductor Technology Research Center developed a device principle that can utilize “spin loss,” which was previously thought of as a simple loss, as a new power source for magnetic control.
New method could monitor corrosion and cracking in a nuclear reactor
Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers developed a technique that enables real-time, 3D monitoring of corrosion, cracking, and other material failure processes inside a nuclear reactor environment.
Metal and oxide join forces to turn methane into syngas
Using operando gas-cell transmission electron microscopy and computer simulations, TU Wien and National University of Singapore researchers explored the nanoscale mechanisms of the catalytic partial oxidation of methane over palladium-based nanoparticles.
‘Fairy circles’ can provide clues to the depth of natural hydrogen sources
University of Vienna researchers claim that “fairy circles,” or round patches with vegetation damage, could be indicators of natural underground hydrogen sources.
ENVIRONMENT
Greening the production of concrete: Adding biochar yields stronger and less porous concrete
University of Saskatchewan researchers found that concrete samples with biochar were stronger and less porous than the ones with more cement.
MANUFACTURING
Transfer-free method to grow ultrathin semiconductors on electronics
Rice University researchers developed a new way to grow ultrathin semiconductors directly onto electronic components. They used chemical vapor deposition to grow tungsten diselenide directly onto patterned gold electrodes.
OTHER STORIES
Scientists discover flaws that make electronics faster, smarter, and more efficient
Researchers from Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences uncovered an unconventional scaling law that achieves a “two birds with one stone” outcome: Defect engineering simultaneously boosts both orbital Hall conductivity and orbital Hall angle, a stark contrast to conventional spin-based systems.
Electro-optical Mott neurons made of niobium dioxide created for brain-inspired computing
Researchers from Stanford University, Sandia National Laboratories, and Purdue University developed new electro-optical devices based on niobium dioxide that can mimic neuron-like electrical pulses and simultaneously emit oscillating light.
New findings reveal the cause of potentially damaging electrical discharges on satellites
Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory found that the number of electrical discharges on a spacecraft directly correlates to the number of electrons in the surrounding environment—information that could help scientists better understand how to protect equipment in space.
Sound-powered quantum memory lasts 30x longer
By using a device that acts like a miniature tuning fork, California Institute of Technology researchers converted quantum information into sound waves, which allowed them to extend quantum memory lifetimes up to 30 times longer.