Feature Channels: Materials Science

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Scientists from the National University of Singapore and A*STAR’s Institute of Materials Research and Engineering have invented a paper-like, battery-free, AI-enabled sensor patch – PETAL - for convenient and effective monitoring of wound recovery. This novel technology provides early warning of complications to improve wound care. The paper-like, battery-free PETAL sensor patch uses five colorimetric sensors to measure biomarkers in the wound within 15 mins. A proprietary AI algorithm quickly analyses the digital image of the sensor patch to determine wound healing status with an accuracy rate of 97%.

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Researchers from Empa and Imperial College London are developing a heat-resistant drone that can analyze the source of danger at close range in the event of a building or forest fire. This allows firefighters to optimize the strategy of a high-risk operation before entering the danger zone.

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To unveil the previously elusive behavior and stability of complex metal compounds found in aqueous solutions called 'POMs', researchers at the University of Vienna have created a speciation atlas now published in Science Advances. This achievement has the potential to drive new discoveries and advancements in fields like catalysis, medicine, and beyond.

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Batteries come in many shapes and sizes, but their materials can be hard to source. SLAC researchers are trying to build them with more abundant and ethically mined elements.

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Researchers at Florida State University and the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering are helping build the solar cells of tomorrow by examining how a next-generation material can operate efficiently under real-world conditions that include baking temperatures and hours of sunlight.

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Twistronics isn’t a new dance move, exercise equipment, or new music fad.

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A research team led by Dr. Ji-Hoon Lee of the Department of Hydrogen Energy Material at the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS) developed a three-dimensional porous carbon-based current collector material and applied it to secondary batteries and supercapacitors to improve energy density and lifespan at the same time with Prof.

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An advance in a topological insulator material — whose interior behaves like an electrical insulator but whose surface behaves like a conductor — could revolutionize the fields of next-generation electronics and quantum computing, according to scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

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When the global pandemic put the kibosh on in-person events, Jefferson Lab sought alternatives for ensuring its world-class science and unique equipment remained accessible to interested publics. These efforts culminated in the Fall for Science Virtual Field Trip Event, which has been recognized by the Public Relations Society of America with three Anvil Awards.

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The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology(KIST) has developed a chemical activation strategy of magnesium metal that enables efficient operation of magnesium batteries in common electrolytes that are free of corrosive additives and can be mass-produced.

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Researchers at Argonne have published an article exploring the different ways of harvesting materials from water.

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A new study from researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison offers a first-of-its-kind visual of a non-mammal species' adaptive immune system in action. The advance holds potential implications for a range of scientific aims, from improving wildlife vaccines to better understanding fundamental disease processes and possibly the evolution of adaptive immunity itself.

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Pioneering research out of Bowling Green State University is aiming to keep silicone out of landfills through an innovative process designed to recycle or upcycle the popular consumer product.

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A new database of understudied quantum materials has been created by researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and provides an avenue to discover new materials.

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Irvine, Calif., June 14, 2023 – In a discovery that could reduce or even eliminate the use of cobalt – which is often mined using child labor – in the batteries that power electric cars and other products, scientists at the University of California, Irvine have developed a long-lasting alternative made with nickel. “Nickel doesn’t have child labor issues,” said Huolin Xin, the UCI professor of physics & astronomy whose team devised the method, which could usher in a new, less controversial generation of lithium-ion batteries.

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In collaboration with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Binghamton University, State University of New York has announced a New Educational and Research Alliance (New ERA) with six historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs): Alabama A&M University, Central State University, Tuskegee University, Prairie-View A&M University, the University of the District of Columbia and Virginia State University.

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PNNL scientists investigate the promising properties of a common, Earth-abundant salt.

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A new acoustic microfluidic method offers opportunities to conduct experiments with swimming cells and microorganisms. With it, ultrasonic waves like those used for imaging are able to hold a cell’s body in place without affecting the way it swims.

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Researchers at Kanazawa University report in ACS Nano how ultrathin layers of tin disulfide can be used to accelerate the chemical reduction of carbon dioxide — a finding that is highly relevant for our quest towards a carbon-neutral society.

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The NOMAD Laboratory researchers have recently elucidated on fundamental microscopic mechanisms that offer to tailor materials for heat insulation. This development advances the ongoing efforts to enhance energy efficiency and sustainability.

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A research team led by Xiaoxing Zhang of Hubei University of Technology in China and scientists from Wuhan University, Southeast University, North China Electric Power University, Université de Toulouse, Xi’an University of Technology, Schneider Electric and South China University of Technology recently summarized the advances in Eco-friendly gas insulating medium for next-generation SF6-free equipment. The review report was published in the journal iEnergy as the cover article on March 31, 2023.

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Scientists from the Department of Energy’s Ames National Laboratory made an intriguing discovery while characterizing the magnetism in a dilute magnetic topological insulator. Despite this material’s ferromagnetism, they discovered strong antiferromagnetic interactions between some pairs of magnetic defects that play a key role in several families of magnetic topological insulators.

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At a time when wool production in the Mountain State is declining, West Virginia University Extension and Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design researchers are exploring new ways to support sheep farmers and wool producers in the region.

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A team led by University of Minnesota Twin Cities researchers discovered a new method for tuning the thermal conductivity of materials, achieving a record-high range of tunability that will open a door to developing more energy-efficient and durable electronic devices.

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The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials(KIMM) has established the infrastructure including the equipment necessary for evaluating the compatibility of materials for storing liquid hydrogen used for vessels, and has also proposed the evaluation process for the first time in the country.

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Stan David, retired scientist and Corporate Fellow Emeritus at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, was awarded the Joining and Welding Science Award from the Joining and Welding Research Institute at Osaka University, Japan.

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Scientists at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have invented a coating that could dramatically reduce friction in common load-bearing systems with moving parts, from vehicle drive trains to wind and hydroelectric turbines.

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Researchers at the University at Albany’s RNA Institute have demonstrated a new approach to DNA nanostructure assembly that does not require magnesium. The method improves the biostability of the structures, making them more useful and reliable in a range of applications.

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A University of Minnesota Twin Cities-led team has developed a more energy-efficient, tunable superconducting diode—a promising component for future electronic devices—that could help scale up quantum computers for industry and improve artificial intelligence systems.

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The key to developing an electric vehicle battery that can charge as quickly as it takes to fill a car with gasoline lies within its materials.

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Rigoberto Advincula, a renowned scientist at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory and professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Tennessee, has won the Netzsch North American Thermal Analysis Society (NATAS) Fellows Award for 2023.

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University of Cambridge architects are inviting visitors to the London Design Biennale to experience a prototype home constructed with flexible wooden partition walls which can be shifted to meet the changing needs of residents.

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Joseph McNeel, professor and director of the Appalachian Hardwood Center at the West Virginia University Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, has been testing the effectiveness of yellow poplar, an abundant West Virginia species, as a source of engineered wood building material.

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Liquid helium-4, which is in a superfluid state at cryogenic temperatures close to absolute zero (-273°C), has a special vortex called a quantized vortex that originates from quantum mechanical effects.

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Ever since the discovery of the two-dimensional form of graphite (called graphene) almost twenty years ago, interest in 2D materials with their special physical properties has skyrocketed.

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When the pandemic forced us to keep our distance, people quickly found new ways to come together. By improving existing technologies and developing entirely new ones, we learned how to work, socialize, and share ideas without having to leave the solitary comfort of our living spaces. While this gave us the ability to take back parts of the activities we missed, it also allowed us to connect in new and interesting ways.

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A team led by Argonne has developed a new catalyst composed of elements abundant in the Earth. It could make possible the low-cost and energy-efficient production of hydrogen for use in transportation and industrial applications.

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Oak Ridge National Laboratory joins four other national laboratories — Idaho, Los Alamos, Lawrence Livermore and Lawrence Berkeley — that have institutes named after nuclear chemist and Nobel Prize winner Glenn T. Seaborg.

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Among the approximately 2,000 known species of termites, some are ecosystem engineers. The mounds built by some genera, for example Amitermes, Macrotermes, Nasutitermes, and Odontotermes, reach up to eight meters high, making them some of the world’s largest biological structures.

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Berkeley Lab scientists have visualized the distortions of chemical bonds in a methane molecule after it absorbs light, loses an electron, and then relaxes. Their study provides insights into how molecules react to light, which can help develop new methods to control chemical reactions.

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Shreyas Balachandran has been chosen to receive the ICMC Cryogenic Materials Award for Excellence, presented annually to an individual under 40 who has demonstrated innovation, impact and international recognition for their work in advancing the knowledge of cryogenic materials.