Materials news, June 2019

Bio-mimicry of polar bear fur offers insulation

Biomimicry of polar bear hairs offers synthetic heat insulating material

Critical issues in Lithium-ion battery development - Materials Research Bulletin papers

Tale of the mantis shrimp tail could lead to new protective materials

Engineers have uncovered how the structure of the mantis shrimp's tail appendage allows it to deliver and receive powerful blows without damage.

Sustainable leather using tissue engineering

Biologically inspired fabrics represent a novel class of materials with uniquely engineereable properties.

Spherical encapsulation for bigger semiconductor sample testing

Spherical encapsulation for bigger semiconductor sample testing

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.

Scientists strain to produce new transistor from 2D materials

A novel platform for altering the properties of a 2D material by putting it under strain could provide the basis for a new kind of nanoscale transistor.

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

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.

Fire up the triboelectric generators

Fire up the triboelectric generators with laser-induced graphene

Flexible wound dressings for active healing

Personal experience of the limitations of conventional dressings stimulated a researcher to develop a better solution

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.

Ultraviolet LEDs for lepidoptery

Ultraviolet LEDs for lepidoptery

Materials Today Bio: First Articles Published

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

Polar bear fur inspires novel insulation material

Inspired by polar bear hairs, scientists have created an elastic, lightweight heat-insulating material made from hollow carbon tubes.

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.

Bioengineers attach bioactive molecules to hydrogel structure

Bioengineers have developed injectable hydrogels with bioactive molecules anchored to the chemical crosslinkers that give the gels structure.

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.

Unusual interaction between material layers could enhance data storage

A previously undiscovered interaction between two thin magnetic layers separated by a non-magnetic layer could lead to better data storage.

Lowering the power of OLEDs

Lowering the power of OLEDs

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.

Biomaterials calls for papers on inflammation and biomaterials research

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.

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.

New computational method goes beyond perovskites

Engineers have developed a high-throughput computational method to design new hybrid organic-inorganic materials for solar cells and LEDs.

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.

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.

Researchers focus on producing lenses with magnetic droplets

Researchers have developed a liquid mold from droplets that they can manipulate with magnets for creating lenses in various shapes and sizes.

Materials Today Chemistry - Special Issue: Functional Interfaces based Nanomaterials for Applications in Environment and Chemistry (FINAEC)

Materials Today Chemistry - Special Issue: Functional Interfaces based Nanomaterials for Applications in Environment and Chemistry

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.

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.

Laser takes the strain in giving graphene a band gap

By permanently stressing graphene with a novel laser technique, researchers have been able to provide it with the largest ever band gap.