[Image above] Credit: ACerS
NANOMATERIALS
Graphene can hold multiple states of superconductivity
Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers discovered that rhombohedral graphene can host multiple superconducting states. Several of these states not only persist in the presence of a magnetic field but can even get stronger.
Nanoscale adjustments preserve superconducting properties
For practical electronics, ultrathin superconducting films must be deposited on a substrate. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology found that when they introduced nanoscale adjustments to the substrate surface, they could preserve the superconducting properties even at higher temperatures and when high magnetic fields were applied.
New nanotube membranes reveal unusually fast lithium-ion transport
A study co-authored by researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago showed that boron nitride nanotubes can transport lithium ions much faster than theoretical estimations. They used the nanotubes to create membranes that could power everyday electronics using only salt solutions.
ENERGY
A COF–graphene hybrid opens new horizons for lithium–sulfur batteries
Researchers led by Tohoku University developed a molecularly designed covalent organic framework–graphene interlayer. This lightweight interface mitigates polysulfide shuttling by combining chemical trapping, rapid charge transport, and sulfur-conversion promotion.
Team looking to tap underground ‘thermal batteries’ to cool AI data centers and save water
Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign proposed keeping artificial intelligence data centers cool by using the naturally stable underground temperatures and groundwater as a giant natural “thermal battery.”
Researchers 3D print battery component that could reshape how devices are powered
Researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso developed a way to 3D print gel polymer electrolytes in nearly any shape. The printed material performed on par with electrolytes made by conventional methods, reaching ionic conductivities of up to 3.4 × 10⁻³ siemens per centimeter.
BIOMATERIALS
New synthetic grafting material kills bone cancer and regenerates bone
Researchers led by the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Aston University, and the Brazilian Aeronautics Institute of Technology developed an advanced synthetic grafting material consisting of gallium oxide and Bioglass 45S5. The material simultaneously eradicates residual cancer cells, prevents bacterial colonisation, and regenerates missing bone tissue.
ENVIRONMENT
Mining batteries in a microwave
Sandia National Laboratories researchers developed a microwave-based process to recover and remake lithium-ion battery cathodes. The process not only recycles the cathodes but upcycles them, transforming them into materials that better match current industry needs while being more affordable than conventional high-temperature approaches.
MANUFACTURING
New 4D-printing method creates lighter, faster-spinning wind turbine blades
Concordia University researchers developed a new “inverse” design procedure for vertical-axis wind turbine blades. Rather than starting with a particular layup and observing the resulting shape, the researchers began with the desired blade geometry and worked backward to determine how the layers should be arranged and oriented to produce it.
Unexpected discovery yields new graphene oxide production method
Texas A&M University researchers demonstrated how graphene oxide can be synthesized using methane and a nonthermal plasma–water interface. The discovery emerged unexpectedly during a project that initially focused on hydrogen production.
Tracing 250 years of architectural glass innovation in the US
To mark the U.S. Semiquincentennial, USGlass Magazine looked back at 250 years of architectural glass and the milestones that shaped the nation’s glass industry.
OTHER STORIES
Unlocking the ‘black box’ of carbon materials: Study reveals origins of defect peaks
Chiba University researchers used isotropic pitch-based carbon fiber as a general model to analyze carbon materials prepared at high temperatures. They constructed 34 models with various types of defects, including oxygen-containing functional groups, nonhexagonal rings, and vacancy defects, which allowed them to demystify ambiguous spectroscopy readings.
Novel critical quantum phase beyond the Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid theory
University of Innsbruck researchers showed that ultracold atoms can be driven into a strange new quantum state called a fractional Fermi sea. This new state shows features that are distinct from the Tomonaga-Luttinger liquids, which have long been the established model for understanding 1D quantum systems.