The Counterintuitive Behavior of the Cucumber Tendril
A new study from scientists at Harvard University describes the mechanism by which coiling occurs in the cucumber plant and suggests designs for biomimetic twistless…
Materials Science News
Light Activated Muscle Cells May Advance Biorobotics
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and MIT have genetically engineered muscle cells to flex in response to light, which may one day enable highly…
“Patterned Regrowth” May Lead to Graphene-Based Circuits
Using a technique called “patterned regrowth,” scientists at Cornell have invented a way to pattern single atom films of graphene and boron nitride without the…
Probing the Effects of Light at the Atomic Scale
By mixing a pulse of x-rays with a pulse of lower-frequency optical light waves, a team of scientists at the Berkley Lab was able to…
Nanocrystalline Alloys That Meet Operational Requirements
In a newly published research paper, MIT scientists describe the method they used to identify and fabricate nanocrystalline alloys that meet operational requirements, even at…
2D Molybdenum Disulfide Shows Potential as Platform for Electronic Devices
A newly published study from researchers at MIT details the use of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) as a 2D platform for electronic devices, possibly opening the…
Computer Model Helps Remove Greenhouse Gases From Power Plants
A team of scientists has developed a computer model that can identify the best molecular candidates for removing greenhouse gases from power plants, providing accurate…
New Insights Into How Superconducting Materials Interact With Magnetic Ones
An international team of physicists has gained new insights into how superconducting materials interact with magnetic ones, discovering charge density waves in ceramic yttrium and…
Electrically Conductive and Crack-Free Semiconductor Nanocrystal Films
Using a technique based on electron-beam lithography and a lift-off process, MIT scientists demonstrated the first semiconductor nanocrystal films of nanoscale dimensions that are electrically…
Scientists Examine Platinum-Based Catalyst Design
Working as a team, scientists from SIMES and the SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis studied two platinum-rhodium nanostructures, identifying the most active sites…
Hybrid Crystalline/Amorphous Material Capable of Indenting Diamonds
An international team of scientists created the world’s first hybrid crystalline/amorphous material that is hard enough to indent diamonds. Using a diamond anvil cell, the…
Microstructures of Plants May Lead to New Bio-Inspired Materials
MIT researchers believe engineers may be able design new bio-inspired materials by compiling and analyzing data on the microstructures of a number of different plants….
Path to Magnetic Vortex RAM Might be More Difficult Than Previously Assumed
An international team of scientists discovered that the formation of magnetic vortices in ferromagnetic nanodisks is an asymmetric phenomenon, contradicting previous beliefs and adding a…
Electron-Electron Interactions are Critical to Graphene’s Extraordinary Properties
Results from a new study by physicists with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory provide experimental support to the theory that interactions between electrons are critical…
iCVD Process Produces Precisely Controlled Patterns in Wrinkled Surfaces
Using an initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) process, a team of scientists at MIT has discovered a way to create wrinkled surfaces while having the…
SLIPS Coating Prevents Bacteria From Forming on Solid Surfaces
By applying a technology called SLIPS (slippery-liquid-infused porous surfaces) to solid surfaces, a team of Harvard scientists are able to trick bacteria into thinking they…
Screening-Engineered Field-Effect Photovoltaics Could Accelerate the Usage of Solar Energy
Utilizing the electric field effect, a new technology called “screening-engineered field-effect photovoltaics,” or SFPV, reduces the cost and complexity of fabricating solar cells and could…
SLAC Scientists Complete Terahertz Experiment
Using a pump-probe technique, scientists at SLAC’s Linac Coherent Light Source used terahertz frequencies of light to change the magnetic state of a sample and…