Feature Channels: Materials Science

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In APL Bioengineering, researchers from Tufts University examine some of the latest advances in wearable electronic devices and systems being developed using electrospinning – the fabrication of nanofibers with tunable properties from a polymer base – and showcase the many advantages electrospun materials have over conventional bulk materials. Their high surface-to-volume ratio endows them with enhanced porosity and breathability, which is important for long-term wearability, and with the appropriate blend of polymers, they can achieve superior biocompatibility.

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A global gathering of plastic experts is taking place in Portsmouth this autumn.

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Understanding the structural origin of the anomalous properties of SiO2 liquid and glass is fundamental not only in physics, but also in geophysics, in understanding the nature of silicate magmas in the Earth and other planets, and in materials science as a prototype network-forming glass.

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Scientists from RUDN University, Canada, Italy, and Turkey used an artificial neural network to predict the stability of steel parts and find the optimal protective coating.

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The American Chemical Society's ACS Fall 2022 will be held virtually and in Chicago Aug. 21–25 with the theme “Sustainability in a Changing World.” ACS considers requests for press credentials and complimentary meeting registration from reporters and public information officers at selected institutions.

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A new study led by the University of South Australia indicates tens of thousands of wind turbine blades will end up in landfill by the end of the decade unless end-of-life programs are established soon.

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The migration of carbon atoms on the surface of the nanomaterial graphene was recently measured for the first time. Although the atoms move too swiftly to be directly observed with an electron microscope, their effect on the stability of the material can now be determined indirectly while the material is heated on a microscopic hot plate. The study by researchers at the Faculty of Physics of the University of Vienna was published in the journal Carbon.

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Global cement production accounts for 7% of annual greenhouse gas emissions in large part through the burning of quarried limestone.

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Ferroelectric materials based on the element hafnium show promise for data storage devices. They offer high speed, durability, lower operating power, and the ability to retain data when power is turned off. This research developed an innovative bulk hafnia-based ferroelectric material. Experiments with the material produced the first experimental evidence of room-temperature ferroelectricity in crystals made of a hafnium-based compound, bulk yttrium doped hafnium dioxide.

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Scientists uncover a new crystal structure of a mineral in extrasolar planets using Argonne’s Advanced Photon Source.

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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute researchers have developed an accessible way to make N95 face masks not only effective barriers to germs, but on-contact germ killers. The antiviral, antibacterial masks can potentially be worn longer, causing less plastic waste as the masks do not need to be replaced as frequently.

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Scientists at Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley have developed a thin film from a century-old material for next-gen memory and logic devices. The breakthrough advances the pursuit of low-voltage electronics that require less energy to operate than today’s silicon-based electronics.

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Why are scientists setting off small-scale explosions inside 1-foot cubes of plexiglass? They’re watching how fractures form and grow in a rock-like substance to see if explosives or propellants, similar to jet fuel, can connect geothermal wells in a predictable manner.Geothermal energy has a lot of promise as a renewable energy source that is not dependent on the sun shining or the wind blowing, but it has some challenges to wide adoption.

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Graphene-based particles released from polymer composites after abrasion induce negligible health effects. Under the leadership of Empa, an international research team of the Graphene Flagship project conducted a study on the health risks of graphene-containing nanoparticles and recently published the results in Journal of Hazardous Materials.

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Experts at the University of Bristol have discovered that the scales on moth wings act as excellent sound absorbers even when placed on an artificial surface.

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Each mistletoe berry can produce up to two metres of a gluey thread called viscin. It allows the seeds of this parasitic plant to stick to and infect host plants.

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Here are some of the latest articles that have been added to the Aging channel on Newswise, a free source for journalists.

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Materials Scientist Jim De Yoreo guides a team that develops novel materials and understands how they form through collaboration and mentorship.

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Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed an upcycling approach that adds value to discarded plastics for reuse in additive manufacturing, or 3D printing. The readily adoptable, scalable method introduces a closed-loop strategy that could globally reduce plastic waste and cut carbon emissions tied to plastic production.

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A lecturer from the Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University has developed rocking traffic poles made of natural rubber that is highly flexible, withstands, and reduces impact while also resuming its original form immediately upon being run over. They are now being tested with the hopes that they can soon replace plastic traffic poles.

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A University of Minnesota Twin Cities-led research team has solved a longstanding mystery surrounding strontium titanate, a metal oxide semiconductor, providing insight for future research on the material and its applications to electronic devices and data storage.

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Researchers at the University of Queensland have found a species of worm with an appetite for polystyrene could be the key to plastic recycling on a mass scale.

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The Early Career Research Program Awards are a prestigious funding opportunity for early career researchers. Only 83 researchers have received funding of hundreds of applications, and only 27 of those are national laboratory researchers. Four scientists from Argonne have received funding.

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As electronic, thermoelectric and computer technologies have been miniaturized to nanometer scale, engineers have faced a challenge studying fundamental properties of the materials involved; in many cases, targets are too small to be observed with optical instruments. Using cutting-edge electron microscopes and novel techniques, a team of researchers at the University of California, Irvine, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and other institutions has found a way to map phonons – vibrations in crystal lattices – in atomic resolution, enabling deeper understanding of the way heat travels through quantum dots, engineered nanostructures in electronic components.

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Fuel cells employ platinum as a catalyst. However, platinum degrades unevenly in fuel cells, resulting in still-usable platinum being discarded. To improve fuel cell durability and reduce waste, this research studied the causes of uneven platinum degradation, producing simple, effective strategies to reduce the waste of precious catalyst material and thereby encouraging the use of fuel cells in vehicles.

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Atoms do weird things when forced out of their comfort zones. Rice University engineers have thought up a new way to give them a nudge.

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Some analysts say that the end of Moore’s Law is near, but Patrick Naulleau, the director of Berkeley Lab’s Center for X-Ray Optics (CXRO), says that it could be decades before the modern chip runs out of room for improvement, thanks to advances in materials and instrumentation enabled by the CXRO.

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Scientists have created the first ”time-crystal” two-body system in an experiment that seems to bend the laws of physics.

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Researchers have analysed the properties of an organic polymer with potential applications in flexible electronics and uncovered variations in hardness at the nanoscale, the first time such a fine structure has been observed in this type of material.

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ORNL Story tips: Tailor-made molecules, better battery electrolytes, beyond Moore’s Law and improving climate model accuracy

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Scientists from the University of Birmingham have described how microscopic crystals grow and change shape in molten metals as they cool, in research that is breaking new ground in alloy research and paves the way for improving the tensile strength of alloys used in casting and welding.

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A team led by University of Minnesota Twin Cities researchers has discovered how subtle structural changes in strontium titanate, a metal oxide semiconductor, can alter the material’s electrical resistance and affect its superconducting properties. The research can help guide future experiments and materials design related to superconductivity and the creation of more efficient semiconductors for various electronic device applications.

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Adrian Sabau of the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has been named an ASM International Fellow.

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Materials scientist Chang-Yong Nam of the Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN)—a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science User Facility at DOE’s Brookhaven National Laboratory—has been recognized as an “Inventor of the Year” by the global science and technology organization Battelle.

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Seeing is believing — or, for scientists, the beginning of understanding.

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Circular economy may not always be effective or even desirable owing to the spatiotemporal dimensions of environmental risk of materials, and variability of global policies.

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A recently developed catalyst for breaking down plastics continues to advance plastic upcycling processes. In 2020, a team of researchers led by Ames Laboratory scientists developed the first processive inorganic catalyst to deconstruct polyolefin plastics into molecules that can be used to create more valuable products. Now, the team has developed and validated a strategy to speed up the transformation without sacrificing desirable products.

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Posture is an important part of health. Prolonged poor posture, such as slouching or leaning to one side, can lead to pain and discomfort.

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Improved ceramics manufacturing, breakthrough medical screening tests and a more convenient way to detect nuclear particles earned funding from the latest round of a Florida State University program that helps researchers bring their work to the marketplace.

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University of Cincinnati biologists found that a double layer of silk in combination with a surgical mask can enhance its ability to prevent the spread of viruses like COVID-19.

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Dr. Edwin L. Thomas, professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and a team of researchers from Texas A&M University and Yonsei University recently discovered a helicoidal-shaped defect in layered polymers, uncovering how solvents can diffuse through layers and produce color changes.

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A team of researchers from the UK and Japan has found that the tiny defects which limit the efficiency of perovskites – cheaper alternative materials for solar cells – are also responsible for structural changes in the material that lead to degradation.

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Scientists discover superconductivity and charge density waves are intrinsically interconnected at the nanoscopic level, a new understanding that could help lead to the next generation of electronics and computers.

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A big problem with the disposal of nuclear and electronic wastes is that the process wastes precious metals such as gold and platinum-group metals, which are key metals in computer chips.

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A new robot is capable of switching from an underwater drone to an aerial vehicle in less than one second. The robot also features a suction disc inspired by the remora fish, which enables it to hitchhike on wet or dry moving objects to significantly reduce its power consumption. It is designed for biological and environmental monitoring in marine ecosystems such as surveying ocean pollution in the open sea as the scientist of Beihang University, Imperial College London and Empa point out in a new study published in Science Robotics.

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The ability of piezoelectric materials to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy and vice versa makes them useful for various applications from robotics to communication to sensors. A new design strategy for creating ultrahigh-performing piezoelectric ceramics opens the door to even more beneficial uses for these materials, according to a team of researchers from Penn State and Michigan Technological University.