Materials

Understanding the Pseudogap

Physicists have uncovered a link between magnetism and a mysterious phase of matter called the pseudogap, which appears in certain quantum materials just above the temperature at which they become superconducting.

Making Tungsten Carbide a More Viable Alternative

Marc Porosoff, Associate Professor, University of Rochester, Department of Chemical and Sustainability Engineering, and his collaborators recently achieved several key advancements to make tungsten carbide a more viable alternative to platinum in chemical reactions.

A Stretchable OLED that Can Maintain Most of Its Luminescence

An international collaboration has developed a flexible and stretchable OLED that could put the technology on track for new applications.

Building a New 3D Material with DNA

In two papers, one released in Nature Materials and a second in ACS Nano, researchers describe a new methodology for fabricating targeted 3D nanoscale structures via self-assembly that can find use in a variety of applications, and they provide a design algorithm for others to follow suit. And it’s all based on the most basic biomolecular building blocks: DNA. Read on to learn more.

Ultrasound Waves Move Objects Hands-Free

University of Minnesota Twin Cities researchers have discovered a new method to move objects using ultrasound waves, which opens the door for using contactless manipulation in industries in which devices wouldn’t need a built-in power source to move. Read on to learn more.

Holey Carbon Allotropes

Researchers at NASA have developed new methods to manufacture carbon materials (e.g., nanotubes, graphene) with holes through the graphitic surface of the particles. The methods generate materials with increased accessible surface area, increased functional groups at damage sites, and improved through-surface molecular transport properties.

Meet ReSURF: An Ultrafast, Stretchable, Self-Healing, Recyclable Sensing Device

Clean, safe water is vital for human health and well-being. However, detecting contamination quickly and accurately remains a major challenge in many parts of the world. A groundbreaking new device developed by researchers at the National University of Singapore has the potential to significantly advance water quality monitoring and management. Read on to learn more.

Engineers Find New Ways to Connect Concrete Pieces for More Resilient Buildings

Researchers have developed five new ways to securely connect large concrete pieces. These connection methods are intended for a type of material called “precast concrete,” in which parts such as beams and columns are made in a factory and assembled later at a construction site. Read on to learn more.

New Membrane Technology to Extract Lithium from Water

To help meet surging demand and possible supply chain problems, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory have developed an innovative membrane technology that efficiently extracts lithium from water. Read on to learn more.

Octopus-Inspired Tech Can Operate Underwater

Using mechanisms inspired by nature to create new technological innovations is a signature of one Virginia Tech research team. The group led by Associate Professor Michael Bartlett has created an octopus-inspired adhesive, inspired by the shape of octopus suckers, that can quickly grab and controllably release challenging underwater objects. Read on to learn more about it.

An Autonomous, Programmable Computer in the Form of an Elastic Fiber

MIT researchers have developed an autonomous programmable computer in the form of an elastic fiber, which could monitor health conditions and physical activity, alerting the wearer to potential health risks in real-time. Read on to learn more.

New Material Significantly Enhances Green Hydrogen Production Efficiency

Researchers in Korea have successfully developed a new material that significantly enhances the efficiency of green hydrogen production while reducing costs. Read on to learn more about it.

Products of Tomorrow

See the products of tomorrow, including a new nanoscale optical device that works at room temperature to entangle the spin of photons (particles of light) and electrons to achieve quantum communication; a dust sensor for use in space environments; and more.

Greener Energy? Drinkable Seawater? This Sodium-Ion Battery Breakthrough May Deliver Just that

Researchers detail how an existing sodium-based material, sodium vanadium oxide, can perform significantly better when the water it naturally contains is not removed.

Artificial Tendons Give Muscle-Powered Robots a Boost

Our muscles are nature’s actuators. The sinewy tissue is what generates the forces that make our bodies move. In recent years, engineers have used real muscle tissue to actuate...

Bio-Hybrid Robots Turn Food Waste into Functional Machines

Although many roboticists today turn to nature to inspire their designs, even bioinspired robots are usually fabricated from non-biological materials like metal, plastic, and...

Turning Edible Fungi into Organic Memristors

Researchers from The Ohio State University recently discovered that common edible fungi, such as shiitake mushrooms, can be grown and trained to act as organic memristors, a type of data processor that can remember past electrical states.

Rapidly Evaluating Heat Shield Materials

A team of engineers at Sandia National Laboratories has developed ways to rapidly evaluate new thermal protection (heat shield) materials for hypersonic vehicles.

Stanford Researchers Develop Flexible Color-Changing Material

Stanford researchers have developed a flexible material that can quickly change its surface texture and colors, offering potential applications in camouflage, art, robotics, and...

Improved Safety, Durability, and Power: A Carbon-Based Battery Materials Breakthrough

This research demonstrates a new way to make carbon-based battery materials much safer, longer lasting, and more powerful by fundamentally redesigning how fullerene molecules are connected.

A Highly Accurate Simulator for Spray-Based Concrete 3D Printing

Engineers at Carnegie Mellon University have created a fast, highly accurate simulator for spray-based concrete 3D printing that could enable stronger, more complex, and less wasteful construction by predicting how concrete behaves and solidifies, even around rebar.