Materials

Sustainable Hydrogen Through Solar Power

A new kind of solar panel has achieved 9 percent efficiency in converting water into hydrogen and oxygen — mimicking a crucial step in natural photosynthesis.

Stretchable Pressure Sensor Could Lead to Better Robotics, Prosthetics

The sensor can be stretched up to 50 percent with almost the same sensing performance.

Nanoimaging of Perovskite Solar Cell Materials

Scientists have developed a new characterization tool that allowed them to gain unique insight into a possible alternative material for solar cells.

New “Metalens” Shifts Focus Without Tilting or Moving

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

AERoBOND: Large-Scale Composite Manufacturing

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

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.

New Coatings Reduce Impact Ice Adhesion Strength

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

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.

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.

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.

Executive Roundtable: Additive Manufacturing

According to Grand View Research, the global additive manufacturing market size is estimated to reach $76.16 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 20.8 percent.

Growing a 2D Functional Transistor on a Silicon Wafer

True to Moore’s Law, the number of transistors on a microchip has doubled every year since the 1960s. But this trajectory is predicted to soon plateau because silicon — the backbone...

Graphene-Based Electronics

Georgia Institute of Technology researchers have developed a new nanoelectronics platform based on graphene — a single sheet of carbon atoms.

Blocking Electromagnetic Radiation with the Flip of a Switch

Researchers in Drexel University’s College of Engineering have developed a thin film device, fabricated by spray coating, that can block electromagnetic radiation with the flip...

Longer-Lasting, Recyclable Phone Batteries

Instead of disposing of batteries after three years, we could have recyclable batteries that last three times longer.

Diamond Transistors

Researchers at Arizona State University and Northrop Grumman are working on a new project to create power transistors from diamond. The results could yield efficiencies that significantly shrink the size of electrical...

Carbon Nanotubes Store Energy

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists have created vertically aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes on metal foils that could be a boon for energy storage and the electronics industry.

Strengthening Electron-Triggered Light Emission

The way electrons interact with photons of light is a key part of many modern technologies, from lasers to solar panels to LEDs. But the interaction is inherently a weak one because of a major...

Predicting the Failure of Crystalline Metallic Materials

Researchers have developed a theory that predicts the limits to which metals can be subjected to cyclic stress before failing.

Adding Vibrations to Electronics to Reduce Vibrations

A counterintuitive way to protect atomically thin electronics: adding vibrations to reduce vibration issues.

Inflatable Space Habitats Use Sensors Embedded in Webbing for Structural Health Monitoring

A novel approach is moving away from conventional structural health monitoring testing methods for inflatable space habitats in favor of using sensors embedded in the flexible structural restraint webbing layers.

5 Ws of a Self-Healing Robot

A team of researchers at Cornell Engineering has developed a soft robot that can detect when and where it was damaged — and then heal itself on the spot.

Faster Computation for Deep-Learning Applications

A new area of artificial intelligence called analog deep learning promises faster computation with a fraction of the energy usage.

Electrolyte Additive Improves Battery Performance

The work could lead to improvements in the energy density of lithium batteries that power electric vehicles.

Multi-Layer Nuclear Thermionic Avalanche Cell

The invention consists of several NTAC layers arranged in a radially concentric series separated by a vacuum gap space.

Handheld Metal Tube Straightener

The tool straightens thin, malleable 4-mm metal tubes like those used for fuel, pneumatic, or hydraulic pressurized lines.

Light-Analyzing ‘Lab on A Chip’ Opens Door to Widespread Use of Portable Spectrometers

The device is 100 percent electrically controllable regarding the colors of light it absorbs, which gives it massive potential for widespread usability.

Deformation Fingerprints Will Help Researchers Identify, Design Better Metallic Materials

Researchers report that automated high-resolution electron imaging can capture the nanoscale deformation events that lead to metal failure and breakage.