Characterization news, June 2019

Carbon nanotube films trump copper as antenna material

Antennas made from carbon nanotube films are just as efficient as copper for wireless applications, while also being tougher and more flexible.

Transition metal nanobelts show high conductivity

nanobelts of the transition metal NbAs show high mobility even when the carrier density is also high

Researchers fabricate new 2D perovskite material

By developing a process for fabricating oxide perovskite crystals in free-standing layers, researchers have produced a new class of 2D material.

Scientists discover why cesium and rubidium enhance perovskite solar cells

Scientists have discovered why adding cesium and rubidium to halide perovskite solar cells gives them more uniform characteristics.

Chemisorption and electrocatalysis from CoxSny alloy for high-performance Li-S batteries

Composite metal foam makes lightweight shield of steel

Vehicle armor based on composite metal foam can stop ball and armor-piercing .50 caliber rounds just as well as much heavier steel armor.

New informatics method takes on hard challenge of predicting novel alloys

A new method for discovering materials using data analytics and electron microscopy has found a novel class of extremely hard alloys.

Strain forces growing crystals into a new dimension

The strain created by growing 2D crystals over 3D objects can be used to tailor the crystals' optoelectronic properties.

New research sheds light on improving ‘smart glass’

Chemists have found a way to improve the speed and durability of smart glass by providing a better understanding of how the glass works at the nanoscale.

Researchers look at the big picture to understand battery electrode failure

Synchrotron studies have provided the first macro view of what happens inside a battery electrode that leads to the failure of lithium-ion batteries.

Researchers take charge of polymer properties

By understanding the precise sequence of charged monomers, researchers can predict the behavior of disordered strands of proteins and polymers.

New sulfur-based battery cathode benefits from a bit of backbone

A new sulfur-based cathode material for lithium batteries is more energy-dense and environmentally friendly than traditional cathode materials.

Carbon doping causes 2D semiconductor to switch charge carriers

The electronic properties of the 2D semiconductor tungsten disulfide can be dramatically changed by doping it with carbon-hydrogen molecules.

Iron selenide turns out to be an utterly ordinary superconductor

Neutron scattering experiments on iron selenide have revealed that its electronic behavior is very similar to other iron-based superconductors.

Clusters of particles determine gel elasticity

Scientists have discovered that the elasticity of gels arises from the packing of clusters of particles, dubbed locally glassy clusters, in the gels.

Polymers jump through hoops on pathway to sustainable materials

Scientists have found that, in solutions of linear and ring polymers, the linear molecules thread themselves through the ring molecules when stressed.

Soft shell allows nanocubes to pack together in unusual way

Nanocubes coated with single-stranded DNA chains assemble into an unusual ‘zigzag’ arrangement that has never been observed before.

Separating ‘messy’ steps of fabrication produces better 2D semiconductors

A novel two-step, ultra-clean process for fabricating a 2D transistor separates the ‘messy’ fabrication steps from the 2D semiconductor layer.