Metals and alloys news, June 2019

Light box made from 2D material helps light and matter to become one

Using a box built from layers of 2D material, researchers have created a tiny optical resonator in which light and matter become one.

Transition metal nanobelts show high conductivity

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

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.

New flexible polymer composite has metal alloy core

By incorporating liquid metal droplets into an elastomer, researchers have created a highly stretchable, soft, multi-functional composite.

Researchers hear about new, efficient way to create MOFs

A new clean, green technique uses high-frequency sound waves to produce customized metal-organic frameworks in minutes.

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.

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.

Rigid chemical bonds help MOFs to capture carbon dioxide

The gas separation ability of metal-organic frameworks can be greatly improved by using rapid heat treatment to make their lattice structure rigid.

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.