Materials & Coatings

3D Printing Creates High-Performance Metal Alloy

Scientists used a 3D printer to create a high-performance metal alloy with an unusual composition that makes it stronger and lighter than state-of-the-art materials currently used in gas turbine machinery.

Copper Catalyst Converts Carbon Dioxide into Liquid Fuels

A research team has gained new insight by capturing real-time movies of copper nanoparticles as they convert CO2 and water into renewable fuels and chemicals: ethylene, ethanol, and propanol, among others.

Turning Plastic Waste into a Valuable Soil Additive

Researchers have moved a step closer to finding a use for the hundreds of millions of tons of plastic waste produced every year that often winds up clogging streams and rivers and polluting our oceans.

Radiative Cooling and Solar Heat from One System

Researchers have been exploring how to turbocharge a passive cooling technique — known as radiative or sky cooling — with sun-blocking nanomaterials that emit heat away from building rooftops.

New Hydration Sensor Enables “Smart Diapers” and Other Health Monitors

A new sensor — so cheap and simple to produce that it can be hand-drawn with a pencil onto paper treated with sodium chloride — could clear the way for wearable, self-powered health monitors.

Terminator-Style Shape-Shifting Robot

A Terminator-style shape-shifting robot able to LIQUEFY and reform has been developed by engineers inspired by sea cucumbers.

Screen-Printing Method Could Reduce Cost of Wearables

New research shows the glittering, serpentine structures that power wearable electronics can be created with the same technology used to print concert t-shirts.

Microscopic Color Converters May Yield Small Laser-Based Devices

New research suggests that laser-based devices are poised to become a lot smaller.

Nanoscale 3D Structure to Control Light

3D nanometer-scale metamaterial structures hold promise for advanced optical isolators.

New Anode Materials for Fast-Charging Lithium-Ion Batteries

The commercially relevant approach opens a potential pathway to improve charging speeds for electric vehicles.

Developing More Durable Solar Cells

An international research collaboration led by UCLA has developed a way to use perovskite in solar cells while protecting it from the conditions that cause it to deteriorate.

Material Derived from Trees Could Replace Liquid Electrolytes

The material could pave the way for better, safer solid-state batteries.

Inflatable, Shape-Changing Spinal Implants Could Help Treat Severe Pain

The device uses soft robotics, ultra-thin electronics, and microfluidics.

New Hybrid Electrolyte for High-Performance Lithium-ion Batteries

The polymeric solid electrolyte realized a wide potential window, a high Li-ion conductivity, and a high Li-ion transference number.

A Sodium-Aluminum Battery Aims to Integrate Renewables for Grid Resiliency

A new battery design could help ease integration of renewable energy into the nation's electrical grid at lower cost, using Earth-abundant metals.

Shark Skin Inspires Functional Surface Film for Aircraft

Following nature's example, Lufthansa Technik and BASF have jointly developed the functional surface film AeroSHARK for commercial aircraft.

Suture of the Future Fights Infection

The smart bandage can dispense antibiotic, monitor wound-healing biomarkers, and report important data directly to doctors.

Room Temperature Oxygen Sensors

Traditional oxygen sensors have significant drawbacks and suffer from high power consumption.

Electronic Skin Sensor Decodes Human Motion

This system can track the motion of the entire body with a small sensory network.

Conductive Cellulose Thread Shows Promise for Healthcare Applications

The thermoelectric textile produces a small amount of electricity when heated on one side.

Low Creep, Low Relaxation Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites

Inflatable and deployable beams and masts are often made of polymer composites and may be stored for one to two years in space before deployment.

Engineers Develop New Shape-Memory Material

The discovery of a new category of shape-memory materials could open a new range of applications, especially for high-temperature settings.

New Method to Determine How 2D Materials Expand

2D materials can be packed together more densely than conventional materials, so they could be used to make devices that run faster and perform better.

New Coatings Reduce Impact Ice Adhesion Strength

Researchers at NASA Langley are developing polymer coatings that reduce impact ice adhesion strength.

New Heat Treatment Allows 3D-Printed Metals to Withstand Extreme Heat

An MIT-developed heat treatment aims to transform the microscopic structure of 3D-printed metals, making the materials stronger and more resilient in extreme thermal environments.

AERoBOND: Large-Scale Composite Manufacturing

Industrial composite manufacturing is primarily accomplished through three methods: co-cure, co-bond, and secondary bond processes.

New “Metalens” Shifts Focus Without Tilting or Moving

The design may enable miniature zoom lenses for drones, cellphones, or night-vision goggles.