Materials news, December 2015

New adaptive material responds differently to light and heat

Scientist have modeled a new hybrid material that can reconfigure itself into different shapes when exposed to light and heat.

CVD for MOF fab

Metal organic framework materials using CVD.

No reflection on one direction

A tenable diode for photons

Magnetic domain wall creep

Understanding creep in semiconductors compared with metals

Counting on electrons to boost catalyst efficiency

Counting electrons to boost catalyst efficiency

Top 5 news of 2015

Top 5 news items of 2015 from Materials Today.

How much are nanoparticles charged for support?

For the first time, researchers have investigated how much electrical charge nanoparticles transfer to their support.

Cold finger points to new composite materials

Scientists have developed a freeze-casting technique that allows them to design and create strong, tough and lightweight materials.

Tougher reactor materials could lead to better, cheaper LEDs

In their search for materials that can withstand supercritical ammonia, scientists tested 35 metals, two metalloids and 17 ceramic materials.

Lotus-like nanomaterial produces green superhydrophobic coating

A novel hydrocarbon-based nanomaterial could be a ‘green’ replacement for superhydrophobic fluorocarbons.

Gold nanoparticles line up for nanolensing effect

By developing a way to line up three gold nanoparticles of increasing size, scientists have developed a nanolens for focusing light.

Moth-inspired nanopillars improve optoelectronic devices

A new anti-reflection coating made up of metal nanopillars lets light through without hampering the flow of electricity in optoelectronic devices.

Carbon shell produces durable fuel cell nanocatalyst

Scientists have have produced highly durable and active platinum-iron nanoparticles with a carbon shell for use as fuel cell catalysts.

Could metal particles be the clean fuel of the future?

Metal powders could provide a more viable long-term replacement for fossil fuels than hydrogen, biofuels or batteries.

New semiconductor nanofilm is porous, robust and shimmering

A new germanium nanofilm not only shimmers like an opal but is hard as a crystal, exceptionally thin and highly porous.

A new approach to modelling nucleation

US scientists have developed a new phase field model to describe nucleation and growth in a material’s microstructure.

Important editorial changes to the Journal of Nuclear Materials

Smart wound dressing from stretchy hydrogel

A smart wound dressing made from a stretchy hydrogel can incorporate temperature sensors, LED lights and other electronics.

Minuscule pillars double the efficiency of solar cells

Adding minuscule silicon pillars to the surface of a solar cell can more than double the amount of energy it produces.

Stronger dental fillings from graphene oxide

Tests on the toxicity of several graphene materials revealed that graphene oxide could make super-strong dental fillings that don't corrode.

Laser-induced graphene produces micro-supercapacitor

Scientists have used graphene produced by heating plastic sheets with a laser to create flexible, solid-state micro-supercapacitors.

Associate Editor of Computational Materials Science elected to the Brazilian Academy of Sciences

New members welcomed for their outstanding scientific achievements.

Targeted bombing shrinks cancerous tumors

Researchers have developed cancer-killing nanoparticles that swell and burst when exposed to near-infrared laser light.

Wave-powered water treatment

Could oceans be cleaned using entirely self-powered systems? A group of Chinese researchers believes so...

New power paper sets conductivity record

A new material consisting of nanocellulose and a conductive polymer boasts an outstanding ability to store energy.

New plastic solar cell minimizes photon energy loss

A newly-developed polymer can minimize energy loss when converting sunlight to electricity in a solar cell.

Chinese researchers take the trial and error out materials science

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New highly-absorbent nanosheets could soak up oil spills

A new boron nitride nanosheet can absorb up to 33 times its weight in oils and organic solvents.

‘Perfect’ white graphene could usher in new era of electronics

Scientists have developed a new process for fabricating 'perfect' white graphene, also known as hexagonal boron nitride.

Nanoscale octopods shine at catalysis

Nanoscale octopods made of gold and palladium can do double duty as catalysts and plasmonic sensors.

Diamond pillars are all ears

Diamond-coated micro-sized pillars could sharpen up cochlear implants by acting as a guide for regrowing auditory neurons

Thermoelectric material benefits from a bit of doping

Scientists have discovered that doping tin selenide with sodium boosts its performance as a thermoelectric material.

New gold foam almost as light as air

Scientists have produced a new kind of gold foam that is lighter than water and almost as light as air.

Protons kick out the defects in monolayers

Using an organic superacid to fix defects in molybdenum disulphide produced a 100-fold increase in its photoluminescence quantum yield.

Solar cells work better in tandem

Researchers have produced tandem solar cells from polycrystalline thin films, using a method that is suitable for mass production.

Microwaves improve green workings of materials used to clean wastewater

New graphene production process is 100 times cheaper

Researchers have developed a new process that can produce large sheets of graphene 100 times cheaper than existing processes.

Self-assembled catalysts could transform chemical manufacturing

Scientists have developed novel catalysts made from self-assembled porous silica material containing finely-positioned metal nanoparticles.

Atomic study of fuel cell catalysts heats up

Scientists have used scanning transmission electron microscopy to track atomic reconfigurations in individual platinum-cobalt nanoparticle catalysts.

Solid film boosts performance of aqueous Li-ion battery

A novel ‘water-in-salt’ aqueous lithium-ion battery is able to produce double the voltage of other aqueous batteries.

New single-step method for manufacturing 3D nanostructures

A new method for manufacturing 3D nanostructures uses a mask that can define a pattern on two sides of a silicon wafer simultaneously.

Materials at vastly different scales deform in similar ways

Solid materials such as nanocrystals, bulk metallic glasses, rocks or granular materials all deform in a similar way when exposed to stress.