Metals and alloys news, June 2018

Oxygen to blame for Li-ion battery breakdown

Singlet oxygen is confirmed as the reactive species that irreversibly damages transition metal cathode materials in lithium ion batteries.

Benefits of new material show up under infrared light

Scientists have discovered that barium titanium sulfide interacts in different ways with infrared light coming from two different directions.

New study finds sodium and potassium show promise as battery materials

Studies with an electron microscope have revealed that batteries based on sodium and potassium hold promise as an alternative to lithium-ion batteries.

New double perovskites show potential for water splitting

Computer simulations have revealed that certain halide double perovskites could make effective photocatalysts for splitting water.

New iron-based cathode can triple energy density of lithium-ion batteries

A new cathode material comprising iron trifluoride nanorods with added cobalt and oxygen could triple the energy density of lithium-ion batteries.

Metal and polymer combine to produce flexible conductive material

A new hybrid conductive material comprising liquid metal embedded in an elastic polymer can be bent and stretched at will.

Platinum helps graphene electrodes to record neuronal activity

Platinum nanoparticles can lower the impedance of graphene electrodes while keeping them transparent for recording neuronal activity.

New MOF can extract nitrogen dioxide from the air

A new metal-organic framework is the first to selectively and reversibly capture nitrogen dioxide from air at ambient pressures and temperatures.

Applied Materials Today achieves CiteScore of 9.9

Elsevier releases 2017 CiteScore values.

Chiral magnetism raises possibility of spintronics in amorphous materials

Scientists have confirmed a magnetic property known as ‘chirality’ in nanometer-thick samples of amorphous, multilayered metal-based materials.

New way to probe quantum properties of perovskite materials

Using novel analytical techniques, scientists have been able to study the behavior of excitons trapped in quantum wells made of perovskite compounds.

Elsevier 3D Printing Grand Challenge winners announced

Nanowires can make highly effective thermoelectric materials

Scientists have found that the most effective thermoelectric materials can be realized by shaping substances such as tin telluride into 1D nanowires.

Facial-recognition technology identifies material features

Scientists have trained a neural network to recognize features in a material's x-ray absorption spectrum that are sensitive to the arrangement of atoms.

Scientists develop blueprint for fabricating 2D heterostructures

Scientists have developed a blueprint for fabricating new heterostructures from different types of two-dimensional materials.

Graphene with magnetic layers makes promising material for spintronics

A material comprising layers of graphene and magnetic metals like nickel can induce exotic behavior in electrons at the interface between the layers.

‘Flash’ ceramics can take the strain

Applying an electric field to the formation of the ceramic yttria-stabilized zirconia makes it almost as resistant to fracturing as metal.

Water layers play unexpected role in novel energy storage material

Atomic force microscopy has revealed the role of atomically thin layers of water in an energy storage material called crystalline tungsten oxide dihydrate.

Model predicts impressive thermoelectric ability for topological material

Physicists have calculated that exposing a topological semimetal to a magnetic field could turn it into a highly efficient thermoelectric material.

New composite material produces self-repairing circuits

A self-healing material made from liquid metal droplets suspended in a soft elastomer can spontaneously repair itself when damaged.