Materials news, July 2020

Twisted technique can determine nanoparticle chirality

Using the hyper-Rayleigh scattering optical activity technique, physicists can now 'see' the twist of a single nanoparticle floating freely in a liquid.

New titanium implants could last a lifetime

multi-functional porous titanium implant could last a lifetime

Topological materials provide insight into Chern numbers

Maximum Chern number can be reached and controlled in a real material

Super-white paints for cool buildings

Super-white paints for cooler buildings

Healing wounds using honey and silk

An update on an ancient remedy has potential for effective scar-free healing of wounds

Material with evolving internal structure is a cut above

Taking their inspiration from shells and grapefruits, engineers have created what they say is the first manufactured non-cuttable material.

Graphene helps wrap up treatment of antibiotic resistance

Graphene oxide-wrapped nanospheres can help destroy antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic-resistance genes in wastewater treatment plants.

Hydrogel shows ability to degrade and reform in stomach

A novel 'GI tract-on-a-chip'has shown that covalent adaptable hydrogels can degrade and spontaneously reform in the gastrointestinal tract.

Insects inspire coating for repelling speedy water droplets

By investigating insect surfaces, researchers have identified a nanostructure that can be used to engineer better water-repellent coatings

Doped graphene nanoribbons could offer breakthrough in quantum computing

Doped graphene nanoribbons could help in quantum computing

Big hand for improved polymerization method

By varying the amounts of two different monomers, researchers have developed polymer materials that can produce a shape-memory hand.

Graphene promises metal-free wearable electronics

graphene antennas could offer a flexible metal-free option for wearable electronics

New type of melanin offers protection against radiation

Melanin that is enriched with selenium protects against harmful radiation from medical X-rays and in spaceflight

Call for Nominations: EnSM Award and EnSM Young Scientist Award

Study reveals how indium oxide grows on graphene

Researchers have used an electron microscope to observe the individual steps of growing indium oxide on graphene at atomic-scale resolution.

New material in a state over quantum spin liquid

A newly synthesized compound has helped scientists understand the elusive quantum spin liquid state, but also raised questions as well.

New biomaterial can protect against harmful radiation

Researchers have synthesized a new form of melanin enriched with selenium for protecting human tissue against harmful radiation.

Making materials with machine learning

Scientists move synthesis from the lab to the computer

New technique uncovers rule-breaking in 2D material

By studying the 2D material gallium telluride in real time using ultrafast electron diffraction, researchers have discovered that it breaks Friedel's Law.

Quantum fluid found in ‘dirty’ 2D semiconductor

For the first time, researchers have observed a quantum fluid known as the fractional quantum Hall state in a 2D semiconductor.

Thin sheets cut inflating balloons into shape

Researchers have shown that thin sheets of material with periodic cuts can be used to mold an inflating balloon into pre-programmed shapes.

Three-in-one instrument can probe quantum materials

Scientists have developed a novel instrument for studying quantum materials that can make three kinds of atom-scale measurements simultaneously.

New flexible CNT film can heat, cool and generate electricity

A carbon nanotube film possesses a combination of thermal, electrical and physical properties that could make it of use for next-generation smart fabrics.

Novel coating makes plastic conductive and more transparent

Researchers have developed a three-layer anti-reflection coating for making plastic sheets conductive and more transparent.

Perovskite solar cells last longer with a dash of salt

Researchers have found that a salt based on the organic compound piperidine can greatly improve the longevity of perovskite solar cells.

New model reveals how material nanostructure affects conductivity

A computational model for understanding how changes in material nanostructure affect conductivity could lead to new energy storage devices.

Computer simulations probe wear and friction at atomic scales

Researchers have used a supercomputer to perform real-time simulations of wear and friction on alloys of copper and nickel at atomic scales.

New study gets to the core of enamel’s strength

Researchers have identified a small number of impurity atoms that may contribute to the strength of enamel, but also make it more soluble.

Biomaterials Science 4th Edition

Misaligned 2D materials offer novel form of computer memory

Researchers have developed a novel form of non-volatile computer memory, based on sliding atomically thin layers of metal over one another.

Novel multifunctional nanofiber material offers explosive protection

Researchers have developed a lightweight, multifunctional nanofiber material that can protect wearers from projectiles and extreme temperatures.

New study probes effect of stress on granular materials

X-ray measurements have revealed how the fine-scale structure of a granular material influences the behavior of waves propagating through them.

Micro-patterned perovskite solar cells trap light better

micropatterned substrate boosts perovskite light absorption

2D germanane targets drug-resistant cancer cells

2D germanane has potential to deliver active agents directly to tumors

Recipients of the 2019 Acta Student Awards

Smashing new technique for creating heterostructured materials

A new technique for making heterostructured materials uses ball milling to smash structurally incommensurate solids and then reassemble them.

Laser beam on an impure crystal produces cool cantilever

By shining laser light onto an impure crystal, researchers were able to cool a semiconductor cantilever to at least 20°C below room temperature.

New study pinpoints active atomic structures in catalyst nanoparticles

Researchers have identified which pairs of atoms in a nanoparticle of palladium and platinum are the most active in breaking down car exhaust gases.

Fiber-reinforced cements stabilize dental implants

polymer fiber-reinforced bone cements stabilize dental implants more effectively after extraction

Building smart medicines with self-assembling nanoparticles

Smart medicines could generate drugs and imaging agents when they come into contact with diseased tissues

Light-powered metal catalyst can break fluorocarbons

A light-powered metal catalyst, comprising tiny spheres of aluminum dotted with specks of palladium, can break the strong chemical bonds in fluorocarbons.

Fluorine helps produce stable electrolyte for lithium-metal batteries

By adding fluorine to a commercially available liquid electrolyte, researchers have boosted its stability and performance in lithium-metal batteries.

Mopping up tiny particle pollution

Materials called metal-organic frameworks can be spun into fibres to filter particulate pollutants from air

The magic quantum world of twisted bilayer graphene

Magic-angle quantum effects in twisted bilayer graphene

Novel polymer material comes alive in the light

Researchers have developed a family of polymer materials that come alive when hit with light – bending, rotating and even crawling on surfaces.

Fish scales prove to be a smart material

Scientists have characterized carp scales down to the nanoscale, potentially allowing their toughness to be replicated in synthetic structural materials.

Graphene clothing stays comfortable whether hot or cold

Researchers have developed smart adaptive clothing by showing that graphene can control thermal radiation from textile surfaces.

New production method rubs 2D heterostructures up the right way

Researchers have developed a new abrasion-based method for producing heterostructure devices based on 2D materials such as graphene.

Two for the price of one material

Topological insulators