Materials chemistry news, September 2015

Silicon nitride makes strides towards orthopedics

Understanding the behavior of silicon nitride could lead to better performance devices for orthopedics.

New flexible conductor stretches repeatedly without fatigue

A new stretchable, transparent conductor can be stretched and released at least 10,000 times without showing signs of fatigue.

Printed shape-memory polymers fold themselves up

Scientists have developed complex self-folding structures using components made from smart shape-memory polymers.

Transparent coating takes the heat off solar cells

A novel transparent material improves the performance of solar cells by shunting away heat while still letting through visible light.

Origami with structural engineering applications

origami technique produces stiff but flexible engineering structures

New hybrid protein that could improve learning

new light-sensitive, plant–human hybrid protein molecule could help memory

A multidisciplinary journal, Heliyon, publishes its first papers

Thin ferroelectric material defies conventional wisdom

A team of physicists has induced stable ferroelectricity in a sheet of strontium titanate only a few nanometers thick.

High-performance catalyst improves hydrogen economy

Hydrogen-making catalyst using cheaper and more abundant materials.

Tiny silica particles could repair damaged teeth

Scientists have developed coated silica nanoparticles for treating sensitive teeth.

Expensive platinum needs cheap metal oxides for catalysis

A new study of the catalytic behavior of platinum nanoparticles has revealed the importance of the iron oxide they sit on.

New metal catalysts from machine learning

Scientists have developed a unique model for the fast and accurate prediction of novel metal alloy materials for catalysis.

Researchers develop 'instruction manual' for futuristic metallic glass

A new model can predict for the first time which combinations of metals will best form metallic glass.

New catalyst could make more efficient automobiles less polluting

A new catalyst could help fuel-efficient automobile engines to run more cleanly and efficiently.

Pt nanoparticles hold hollow appeal for catalysis

Simple, new technique creates tiny hollow cages of Pt with walls just a few atoms thick that could be used in catalysis.

Liquid layer helps graphene grow

Growing graphene on a liquid layers enables the production of high quality, large single crystals.

German Materials Society Award for Prof. Boccaccini

Insulator-to-metal transitions spotted in superconductor

Scientists have announced the first observation of a dynamic Mott transition in a superconductor.

Cheap, abundant alternative to platinum for hydrogen production

A novel catalyst made from cheap, abundant materials is almost as effective as platinum at splitting water to produce hydrogen.

Growing thin films on nanosheets provides magnetic control

Growing magnetic layers on a 2D crystal can provide highly local control over the preferred direction of the magnetism.

Conducting polymers don’t need to line up

Scientists have discovered that plastics don't need to possess ordered polymer chains in order to conduct electricity.

Elsevier celebrate Kris Matyjaszewski’s 65th Birthday with a Special Issue of polymer

Elsevier celebrate Kris Matyjaszewski’s 65th Birthday with a Special Issue of polymer on Macromolecular Engineering dedicated to him.

Scientists develop first nanowire made from DNA and proteins

Scientists have created the first synthetic structure made of both protein and DNA.

Low-cost catalyst for future fuel cell cars

Working with Nissan, a team of researchers have successfully developed a platinum-free catalyst, for use in fuel cells for the car's of tomorrow.

For 2D boron, it’s all about the base

Theoretical calculations suggest that the properties of atom-thick sheets of boron depend on where those atoms are deposited.

Squid suckers produce biopolymer that can be repaired with water

A single drop of water can repair tears in a novel biopolymer derived from the suckers on squid tentacles.

Top 10 Materials News from August 2015

Melting MOFs produce novel type of glass

By finding a way to get metal-organic frameworks to melt, scientists have developed a novel type of glass.

UK funding boost for advanced biomaterials

The UK EPSRC has awarded a £5.4 million grant for research into new advanced biomaterials in healthcare.

New 'tissue velcro' could help repair damaged hearts

Engineers have created a biocompatible scaffold that allows sheets of beating heart cells to snap together just like velcro.

COFs help put carbon dioxide to work

A novel molecular system can both absorb carbon dioxide and selectively reduce it to carbon monoxide.

Polymer scaffolds let plant cells twist and weave

Polymer scaffolding has allowed scientists to see how plant cells behave and interact with each other in a 3D environment.

Sponge-like gel forms basis for novel cancer vaccine

Scientists in the US have taken advantage of a sponge-like gel called a ‘cryogel’ to produce a novel type of cancer vaccine.

New software tool launched for modeling composites

Software developed at Purdue University for modeling composite materials has been commercialized by a US company.