Materials news, May 2015

Linking superconductivity and structure

New research hones in on the structural changes underlying superconductivity in iron arsenide compounds—those containing iron and arsenic.

The key reaction mechanism behind sodium-oxygen batteries

Chemists at the University of Waterloo have discovered the key reaction that takes place in sodium-air batteries.

Atlas award: Nominated articles

Research to improve the world.

DNA origami scaffolds turn nanobuilders

DNA origami scaffolds support building of precisely controlled nanoparticle clusters.

Nano the twain shall meet

Couple carbon nanotubes as RF quantum dots.

Slinky lens slashes resolution limits

Fan-shaped hyperlens out set to slash resolution limits.

Graphene antenna

Compressed graphene can be printed onto paper for flexible applications.

Engineering phase changes in nanoparticle arrays

Liquid-crystal compound lenses

Engineers and physicists have shown how liquid crystals can be employed to create compound lenses similar to those found in nature.

Self destructing electronics

University of Illinois researchers have developed heat-triggered self-destructing electronic devices.

Making the most of defects

The twin boundary defects act as energy highways and could help get better performance out of the batteries.

Stretchy scaffolds help cells regrow

Stretchy scaffolds, which expand when local conditions change, could help promote cell regrowth.

Puffed up magnets

Expanding the magnetic paradigm with new iron alloys

Antibacterial materials go green

Researchers synthesize antibacterial polydopamine-Ag nanocomposite particles for biomedical applications via an easy, green process.

Polymer company Victrex in the running for engineering ‘Oscars’

Blackpool-based polymer manufacturer Victrex plc has been shortlisted for the RAEng MacRobert Award.

3D printing to help restore cartilage

Nanosponges to clean up MRSA infections

Announcing the Elsevier green and sustainable chemistry challenge

Elsevier is holding its first Green and Sustainable Chemistry Challenge. The winning project will receive a prize of €50,000.

Carbon editor Nikhil Koratkar honored

Carbon Journal Prize 2015 winner: Dr. Guangmin Zhou

Elsevier is pleased to announce that Dr. Guangmin Zhou will receive the Carbon Journal Prize for 2015.

Out with heavy metal – expanding the applications of aluminium

New, high-volume joining process expands use of aluminum in cars.

There's silver in them thar’ corn husks

Could compounds extracted from corn husks offer a low-cost route to antibacterial nanoparticles?

New chip architecture progresses quantum computing

Increasing potential for quantum computing through chip architecture.

Spinning order from chaos in metal alloys

The effect of chromium electron spins on order in high entropy alloys.

Microcombing shown to improve carbon nanotube films

Technique of microcombing helps to make carbon nanotube films stronger and more conductive.

Graphene-based micromotors for moving cargo

Thanks to graphene, we may be one step closer to creating micron-scale motors that can be navigated through our bloodstream.

Putting a new spin on plasmonics

Channeling valleytronics in graphene

Researchers have discovered topologically protected one-dimensional electron conducting channels at the domain walls of bilayer graphene.

Artificial muscles know their onions

Using onion epidermal cells to make artificial muscle.

New method for synthesizing a biocompatible hydrogel

Wyss has developed a novel, truly biocompatible alginate hydrogel that can be synthesized using "click chemistry".

Defects in atomically thin semiconductor emit single photons

Researchers have shown that defects on an atomically thin semiconductor can produce light-emitting quantum dots.

An autonomous synthetic gel

Researchers have designed a synthetic polymer gel that can utilize internally generated chemical energy.

Improving organic transistors that drive flexible and conformable electronics

Polymer scientists show how micro-scale wrinkling affects electrical performance in carbon-based, single-crystal semiconductors.

New atomic structures of gold nanoparticle

New research has revealed four atomic arrangements of a gold nanoparticle cluster.

Silver nanoclusters inside synthetic DNA

Silicon oxide fragments isolated at room temperature

University of Georgia chemistry researchers establishes new research possibilities for silicon chemistry and the semiconductor industry.

Rubber from dandelions

Scientists has now identified proteins, which play a key role in the production of rubber in dandelions.

Journal of Manufacturing Processes accepted for 2014 impact factor

Cell culturing on wrinkled graphene

Researchers have developed new textured surfaces for culturing cells in the lab.

Pseudoparticles travel through photoactive material

Researchers have unveiled an important step in the conversion of light into storable energy.

Top 10 Materials News from April 2015

Interested in materials science? Check out the top 10 news stories of April 2015.

Welcome from the new journal: Energy Storage Materials

Robert Freer joins JECS team of Editors