Manufacturing Wafer-Level Optics Using UV Adhesives and Polymers

Micro-optics and nanostructures are key technologies for the latest optoelectronic components in smartphones, smart glasses and vehicles. Some examples used in consumer...

Nanocomposite Material Protects Against Intense Light

Optical limiting — a manner of telecom switching without the use of electronics — is an all-optical method that could improve the speed and capacity of Internet communications. A...

Novel Biosensors Set to Revolutionize Brain-Controlled Robotics

A carbon-based biosensor could drive new innovations in brain-controlled robotics.

Wearable Gas Sensor for Health and Environmental Monitoring

Applications include detection of chemical and biological agents as well as dangerous gases from vehicle emissions.

Nanothin Piezoelectrics for Self-Powered Electronics

The nanothin material could advance self-powered electronics, wearable technologies, and even deliver pacemakers powered by heartbeats.

Woven Nanotube Fibers Turn Heat into Power

Invisibly small nanotubes aligned as fibers and sewn into fabrics can turn heat from the Sun or other sources into energy.

Liquid Metal Coating Creates Effective Antiviral, Antimicrobial Fabric

The coatings eradicated human influenza and coronavirus in five minutes.

Foldable Solar Cells

Carbon nanotubes are used to create solar cells with unprecedented flexibility and resistance.

Nanoprecipitates Toughen Structural Alloys

Mechanical properties, such as strength and ductility, can be improved for car, plane, and building components.

Water Purification System Engineered from Wood

The eco-friendly process removes heavy metals, dyes, and other pollutants.

Q&A: Self-Healing Polymers Create Water-Resistant Coatings

Jingcheng Ma, along with a team of researchers at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, found a way to make ultra-thin water-resistant surface coatings robust enough to...

Deployable Composite Boom

Applications include space structures, emergency shelters, backpack solar collectors, and inspection of hazardous environments.

Nanosheets of Borophane are Stronger Than Steel

The 2D materials boost device performance for electronic devices, solar cells, batteries, and medical equipment.

2021 Create the Future Design Contest: Sustainable Technologies/Future Energy Category Winner — Multifunctional Bionanocomposite Fruit Coatings

The invention could capture the potential of the edible packaging market.

Products of Tomorrow: November 2021

Nanotube fibers that turn heat to power; a NASA antenna system; and an antimicrobial coating.

Fiber-Metal Laminate Manufacturing Technique

Synthesis of fiber-metal laminates is performed using RF plasma spray deposition.

Method Produces Fine-Grained Targets

High-yield synthesis of carbon nanotubes is enabled via free electron laser ablation.

A Sharper Look at the Interior of Semiconductors

A new imaging method allows researchers to see inside complex semiconductors, without destroying them.

High-Pressure Soft Lithography for Microtopographical Patterning of Molded Polymers and Composites

Applications include anti-fouling and anti-contamination, aerodynamic and hydrodynamic drag reduction, and adhesive joining of composite parts.

Carbon Fiber/Carbon Nanotube Yarn Hybrid Reinforcement

Applications include aerospace and automotive components, prosthetics, sporting goods, and other uses where strength-to-weight ratio is important.

Nanoparticle Gel Unites Oil and Water in Manufacturing-Friendly Approach

This novel gel-creation method could open applications in water filtration, batteries, and smart windows.

Stretchable Thermoelectric Generators

The organic composite material is soft, stretchable, and has good thermoelectric properties for many wearable applications.

5 Ws of the Anti-Bacterial Hydrogel

A specially designed hydrogel works against all types of bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant ones.

Graphene “Nano-Origami” Creates Tiny Microchips

The microchips are about 100 times smaller than conventional microchips.

Fine-Tuning Alloys for High-Temperature Use

Superalloys that withstand extremely high temperatures could be finely tuned for specific properties such as mechanical strength.

Sound Waves Power Advances in Smart Materials

High-frequency sound waves can be used to build new materials, make smart nanoparticles, and even deliver drugs to the lungs for painless, needle-free vaccinations.

Copolyimide Surface-Modifying Coating

The coating repels insects on aircraft wing surfaces and motor vehicles and reduces surface imperfections on other low-friction or non-stick surfaces.

System for In-Situ Defect Detection in Composites During Cure

This system enhances processing via real-time, non-destructive defect tracking.

High-Capacity Optical Data Storage Disk

Using gold nanomaterials, this disk can hold data securely for more than 600 years.