Scientists Toughening Graphene by Integrating Carbon Nanotubes
Rice University researchers have found that fracture-resistant “rebar graphene” is more than twice as tough as pristine graphene. Graphene is a one-atom-thick sheet of carbon….
Materials Science
It May Soon Be Easy And Practical To Use Metals With 3D Printing
In the last several years, 3D printing with plastics has advanced rapidly. Now, a team of researchers have shown that it may soon be as…
Kirigami-Inspired Technique Manipulates Light, Could Enable Microchip-Based 3D Optical Devices
Nanokirigami has taken off as a field of research in the last few years; the approach is based on the ancient arts of origami (making…
Janus Graft Block Copolymers, A Breakthrough in Nanostructured Materials
Block copolymers (BCPs) have been of great interest to researchers in recent years. These nanostructured materials, made from blocks of chemically dissimilar polymers, self-assemble to…
Heat-Conducting Crystals Help High-Power Electronics Keep Their Cool
The inner workings of high-power electronic devices must remain cool to operate reliably. High internal temperatures can make programs run slower, freeze or shut down….
MIT Develops Nontoxic Alternative to Water-Repellent Coatings
Fabrics that resist water are essential for everything from rainwear to military tents, but conventional water-repellent coatings have been shown to persist in the environment…
Ground-Breaking Discovery Could Create Superior Alloys
Many current and future technologies require alloys that can withstand high temperatures without corroding. Now, researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have hailed a…
New Technique Could Improve Electronics’ Energy Efficiency
New technique could improve electronics’ energy efficiency by removing the microscopic flaws usually formed during manufacturing. UCLA scientists and engineers have developed a new process…
Nanoscientists Develop Blueprint for Next-Generation Computing
Nanoscientists at Northwestern University have developed a blueprint to fabricate new heterostructures from different types of 2-D materials. 2-D materials are single atom layers that…
Biologists Reveal Key Mechanism Behind the Formation of Spider Silk
A group of scientists led by researchers from the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS) have examined the soluble precursor of spider silk and…
Engineers Develop Soft Robot That Can Carry Its Own Power Supply
For their work on a soft robotic system that can lift more than 200 times its weight, Adam Bilodeau, Prof. Rebecca Kramer-Bottiglio, and two collaborators…
Engineers Create 3D-Printed Smart Gel That Walks Underwater, Moves Objects
Rutgers University-New Brunswick engineers have created a 3D-printed smart gel that walks underwater and grabs objects and moves them. The watery creation could lead to…
Organic Pigment Photocapacitors May Restore Sight to Blind People
A simple retinal prosthesis is being developed in collaboration between Tel Aviv University in Israel and LiU. Fabricated using cheap and widely-available organic pigments used…
Scientists Reveal How Diamonds Can Bend and Stretch
Diamond is well-known as the strongest of all natural materials, and with that strength comes another tightly linked property: brittleness. But now, an international team…
Scientists Use Spider Silk for New Biodegradable Bone-Fixing Composite
UConn researchers have created a biodegradable composite made of silk fibers that can be used to repair broken load-bearing bones without the complications sometimes presented…
Engineers Develop New Manufacturing Process That Spools Out Strips of Graphene
MIT engineers have developed a continuous manufacturing process that produces long strips of high-quality graphene. The team’s results are the first demonstration of an industrial,…
Carbon Fiber Artificial Muscles Lift 12,600 Times Their Weight
The pull-up, an exercise dreaded by most, answers a basic question: are your muscles strong enough to lift your own body weight? Some Illinois researchers…
Graphene Spikes Kill Bacteria on Implants and Stop Infection
A tiny layer of graphene flakes becomes a deadly weapon and kills bacteria, stopping infections during procedures such as implant surgery. This is the findings…