Weird Quantum State of Matter Observed for the First Time
Physicist Andrea Bianchi has observed the “quantum spin liquid” state in a magnetic material created in his lab. It’s not every day that someone discovered…
Materials Science
Noodle-Like Robots Navigate Mazes Without Human or Computer Guidance
Researchers from North Carolina State University (NCSU) and the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) have developed soft robots that are capable of navigating complex environments, such…
MIT Scientists Unveil a Secret of Stronger Metals
New research shows what happens when crystalline grains in metals reform at nanometer scales, improving metal properties. Forming metal into the specific shapes needed for…
Graphyne: Long-Hypothesized Next Generation “Wonder Material” Created for First Time
CU Boulder scientists have successfully synthesized graphyne, which has been theorized for decades but never successfully produced. For over a decade, scientists have attempted to…
Russian Scientists Synthesize a New Ultra-Hard Material
Russian scientists have synthesized a new ultra-hard material containing scandium and carbon. It consists of polymerized fullerene molecules with scandium and carbon atoms inside. The…
Copper Eliminates the COVID-19 Virus on Surfaces – Silver Does Not
Copper and silver are known for their antibacterial properties. Researchers from Bochum have explored their effectiveness against viruses. Many pathogens are destroyed by silver and…
Chemists Develop a Non-Toxic Glue for Plywood – From Glucose and Citric Acid
The go-to materials for building home furniture, décor, and floors are composite wood products that come in large sheets. But the glues and resins holding…
Measuring the “Wettability” of Graphene and Other 2D Materials at the Molecular Level
Microscopic measurement of wettability can be achieved at the molecular level using ‘vibrational sum-frequency generation spectroscopy’ (VSFG). Wettability of the material is the ability of…
Science Made Simple: What is Ultrafast Science?
Ultrafast science is the study of processes in atoms, molecules, or materials that occur in millionths of a billionth of a second or faster. This…
Bringing ‘Dead’ Batteries Back to Life – Researchers Extend Battery Lifetime by 30%
Islands of inactive lithium creep like worms to reconnect with their electrodes, restoring a battery’s capacity and lifespan. Researchers at the Department of Energy’s SLAC…
High-Speed X-Ray Lasers Reveal the Secret Crystal Structures of Small Molecules
High-speed X-ray free-electron lasers have unlocked the crystal structures of small molecules relevant to chemistry and materials science, proving a new method that could advance…
New Generation Advanced Material Design: Tracking the Motion of Protein Nanorods
Better understanding of protein movement can facilitate advanced materials design Biological materials such as bones, teeth, and seashells are extremely durable. Their strength stems from…
Scientists “Magically” Mine Metals From Water
Alchemists sought to transform lead into gold centuries ago. While they were not successful, the notion of extracting precious resources from abundant sources remains alluring….
New Possibilities Discovered for Room-Temperature Superconductivity
Scientists discover that triggering superconductivity with a flash of light involves the same fundamental physics that are at work in the more stable states needed…
After 15 Years of Research, Scientists Reveal the Fourth Signature of the Superconducting Transitions
The results cap 15 years of detective work aimed at understanding how these materials transition into a superconducting state where they can conduct electricity with…
Scientists Discover Surprising Applications of Nanodiamonds
A physical chemist and a diverse group of his students are working on applications with nanoscopic diamonds. Diamonds represent so much more to Abraham Wolcott…
Scientists Use Light To Trigger Magnetism in Nonmagnetic Material
Lasers Trigger Magnetism in Atomically Thin Quantum Materials Researchers have discovered that light — in the form of a laser — can trigger a form…
Stronger Nuclear Fusion Materials May Be Possible Thanks to Photos of a Tiny Aluminum Crystal
A laser compressing an aluminum crystal provides a clearer view of a material’s plastic deformation, potentially leading to the design of stronger nuclear fusion materials…
