All known piezoelectric materials to date are solids. But a shocking discovery at Michigan State University turns this conventional wisdom on its head. They observed the piezoelectric effect in two room-temperature ionic liquids, and this discovery could necessitate a modification of current piezoelectric theory.
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Fabricating metal-organic frameworks in a glassy phase is a successful way to synthesize these materials for bulk production. However, some MOFs decompose before reaching the melting temperature and so cannot be turned into a glass. Researchers in Germany and the U.K. found a way to melt these unmeltable MOFs by adding ionic liquid to the compound.
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Record solar cell performance, prehistoric amber informs glass theory, and other materials stories that may be of interest for June 16, 2015.
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