ScienceDaily: Materials Science News

Polymer breakthrough inspired by trees and ancient celtic knots

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:53:53 EDT

A new slow-motion method of controlling the synthesis of polymers, which takes inspiration from both trees and Celtic knots, opens up new possibilities in areas including medical devices, drug delivery, elastics and adhesives.

Unique method creates correct mirror image of molecule

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:52:52 EDT

Many molecules have a right and a left form, just like shoes. In pharmaceuticals, it is important that the correct form of the molecule is used. Researchers have been able to produce the one mirror image by using crystals with special properties. This can have a major impact on the production of pharmaceuticals.

Bacterial spare parts filter antibiotic residue from groundwater

Tue, 21 May 2013 19:40:40 EDT

Researchers have developed and tested a solar-powered nano filter that is able to remove harmful carcinogens and antibiotics from water sources -- lakes and rivers -- at a significantly higher rate than the currently used filtering technology made of activated carbon.

Engineers devise new way to produce clean hydrogen

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:39:39 EDT

Engineers have developed a novel method for producing clean hydrogen, which could prove essential to weaning society off of fossil fuels and their environmental implications.

Better understanding of water's freezing behavior at nanoscale

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:24:24 EDT

The results of a new study provide direct computational evidence that nucleation of ice in small droplets is strongly size-dependent, an important conclusion in understanding water's behavior at the nanoscale.

Single-cell transfection tool enables added control for biological studies

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:22:22 EDT

Researchers have developed a novel tool for single-cell transfection, in which they deliver molecules into targeted cells through temporary nanopores in the cell membrane created by a localized electric field.

New method for tailoring optical processors

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:16:16 EDT

Physicists and engineers have unveiled a robust new method for arranging metal nanoparticles in geometric patterns that can act as optical processors that transform incoming light signals into output of a different color.

Magnetic fingerprints of superfluid helium-3

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:54:54 EDT

Superconducting sensors have allowed for highly sensitive measurements of the nuclear magnetic resonance of thin helium-3 layers.

Soft matter offers new ways to study how materials arrange

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:52:52 EDT

A fried breakfast food popular in Spain provided the inspiration for the development of doughnut-shaped droplets that may provide scientists with a new approach for studying fundamental issues in physics, mathematics and materials.

How gold nanoparticles can help fight ovarian cancer

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:50:50 EDT

Positively charged gold nanoparticles are usually toxic to cells, but cancer cells somehow manage to avoid nanoparticle toxicity. Researchers found out why and determined how to make the nanoparticles effective against ovarian cancer cells.

Iron-platinum alloys could be new-generation hard drives

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:39:39 EDT

Researchers have found a convenient way to make layered iron-platinum alloys and tailor their properties, a promising material for a potential new generation of data storage media.

Non-wetting fabric that drains sweat invented

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:36:36 EDT

Waterproof fabrics that whisk away sweat could be the latest application of microfluidic technology developed by bioengineers.

Fastest measurements ever made of ion channel proteins

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:42:42 EDT

Engineers have used miniaturized electronics to measure the activity of individual ion-channel proteins with temporal resolution as fine as one microsecond, producing the fastest recordings of single ion channels ever performed. They designed a custom integrated circuit to perform these measurements, in which an artificial cell membrane and ion channel are attached directly to the surface of the amplifier chip.

Opening doors to foldable electronics with inkjet-printed graphene

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:42:42 EDT

Imagine a bendable tablet computer or an electronic newspaper that could fold to fit in a pocket. The technology for these devices may not be so far off, thanks to new research.

Coming into existence: Lab sets a new record for creating heralded photons

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:42:42 EDT

A new experiment establishes a heralding efficiency that might allow loopholes to be eliminated in the validation of spooky action-at-a-distance in quantum reality.

Nanoantennas improve infrared sensing

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:29:29 EDT

Engineers have used a pattern of nanoantennas to develop a new way of turning infrared light into mechanical action, opening the door to more sensitive infrared cameras and more compact chemical-analysis techniques.

Advance in nanotech gene sequencing technique

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:37:37 EDT

The allure of personalized medicine has made new, more efficient ways of sequencing genes a top research priority. One promising technique involves reading DNA bases using changes in electrical current as they are threaded through a nanoscopic hole. Now, physicists has used solid-state nanopores to differentiate single-stranded DNA molecules containing sequences of a single repeating base.

Kinks and curves at the nanoscale: New research shows 'perfect twin boundaries' are not so perfect

Sun, 19 May 2013 19:04:04 EDT

Since 2004, materials scientists and nanotechnology experts have been excited about a special of arrangement of atoms called a "coherent twin boundary" that can add enormous strength to metals like gold and copper. The CTBs are described as "perfect," appearing like a one-atom-thick plane in models and images. New research shows that these boundaries are not perfect. Even more surprising, the newly discovered kinks and defects appear to be the cause of the CTB's strength.

Electric and magnetic characteristics of a material which could be used in spintronics: Promising doped zirconia

Fri, 17 May 2013 09:46:46 EDT

Materials belonging to the family of dilute magnetic oxides (DMOs) - an oxide-based variant of the dilute magnetic semiconductors - are good candidates for spintronics applications.

Stacking 2-D materials produces surprising results

Thu, 16 May 2013 18:20:20 EDT

New experiments reveal previously unseen effects, could lead to new kinds of electronics and optical devices.

Add boron for better batteries

Thu, 16 May 2013 16:17:17 EDT

A graphene-boron compound is theoretically capable of storing double the energy of common graphite anodes used in lithium-ion batteries.

Artificial forest for solar water-splitting: First fully integrated artificial photosynthesis nanosystem

Thu, 16 May 2013 14:26:26 EDT

Researchers have created the first fully integrated artificial photosynthesis nanosystem. While "artificial leaf" is the popular term for such a system, the key to this success was an "artificial forest."

Beautiful 'flowers' self-assemble in a beaker

Thu, 16 May 2013 14:22:22 EDT

With the hand of nature trained on a beaker of chemical fluid, the most delicate flower structures have been formed in a laboratory -- and not at the scale of inches, but microns. These minuscule sculptures, curved and delicate, don't resemble the cubic or jagged forms normally associated with crystals, though that's what they are. Rather, fields of carnations and marigolds seem to bloom from the surface of a submerged glass slide, assembling themselves a molecule at a time.

DNA-guided assembly yields novel ribbon-like nanostructures

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:39:39 EDT

DNA "linker" strands coax nano-sized rods to line up in way unlike any other spontaneous arrangement of rod-shaped objects. The arrangement -- with the rods forming "rungs" on ladder-like ribbons -- could result in the fabrication of new nanostructured materials with desired properties.

Low-grade cotton offers more ecologically-friendly way to clean oil spills

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:36:36 EDT

When it comes to cleaning up the next massive crude oil spill, one of the best and most eco-friendly solutions for the job may be low-grade cotton from West Texas.

New insights into how materials transfer heat could lead to improved electronics

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:56:56 EDT

Researchers have published new insights into how materials transfer heat, which could lead eventually to smaller, more powerful electronic devices.

Carbon in a twirl: The science behind a self-assembled nano-carbon helix

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:55:55 EDT

Nanotechnology draws on the fabrication of nanostructures. Scientists have now succeeded in growing a unique carbon structure at the nanoscale that resembles a tiny twirled mustache. Their method might lead the way to the formation of more complex nano-networks.

Physicists let magnetic dipoles interact on the nanoscale for the first time

Wed, 15 May 2013 15:15:15 EDT

Physicists have found out how tiny islands of magnetic material align themselves when sorted on a regular lattice -- by measurements at BESSY II. Contrary to expectations, the north and south poles of the magnetic islands did not arrange themselves in a zigzag pattern, but in chains.

Nanoscavengers could usher in next generation water purification

Wed, 15 May 2013 15:15:15 EDT

A new synthetic nanoparticle could disinfect, depollute, and desalinate contaminated water and then get removed magnetically. This improves upon existing technologies through ultraresponsiveness to magnetism.

First direct proof of Hofstadter butterfly fractal observed in moiré superlattices

Wed, 15 May 2013 13:15:15 EDT

Scientists have directly observed a rare quantum effect that produces a repeating butterfly-shaped energy spectrum, confirming the longstanding prediction of this quantum fractal energy structure called Hofstadter's butterfly.

Catching graphene butterflies: Dramatically changing electronic properties of world's thinnest material

Wed, 15 May 2013 13:15:15 EDT

A large international team of researchers has shown that when graphene placed on top of insulating boron nitride, or 'white graphene', the electronic properties of graphene change dramatically revealing a pattern resembling a butterfly. The pattern is referred to as the elusive Hofstadter butterfly that has been known in theory for many decades but never before observed in experiments.

Significant improvement in performance of solar-powered hydrogen generation

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:51:51 EDT

Using a powerful combination of microanalytic techniques that simultaneously image photoelectric current and chemical reaction rates across a surface on a micrometer scale, researchers have shed new light on what may become a cost-effective way to generate hydrogen gas directly from water and sunlight.

Squishy hydrogels may be the ticket for studying biological effects of nanoparticles

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:51:51 EDT

A class of water-loving, jelly-like materials with uses ranges ranging from the mundane, such as superabsorbent diaper liners, to the sophisticated, such as soft contact lenses, could be tapped for a new line of serious work: testing the biological effects of nanoparticles, according to scientists.

Making frequency-hopping radios practical

Wed, 15 May 2013 11:39:39 EDT

New hardware could lead to wireless devices that identify and exploit unused transmission frequencies, using radio spectrum much more efficiently.

Cotton offers a new ecologically friendly way to clean up oil spills

Wed, 15 May 2013 11:38:38 EDT

With the Deepwater Horizon disaster emphasizing the need for better ways of cleaning up oil spills, scientists are reporting that unprocessed, raw cotton may be an ideal, ecologically friendly answer, with an amazing ability to sop up oil.

Friction in the nano-world: Physicists discover a new kind of friction

Wed, 15 May 2013 11:38:38 EDT

Whether in vehicle transmissions, hip replacements, or tiny sensors for triggering airbags: The respective components must slide against each other with minimum friction to prevent loss of energy and material wear. Investigating the friction behavior of nanosystems, scientists have discovered a previously unknown type of friction that sheds new light on some previously unexplainable phenomena.

Obtaining polymers with à la carte optical and electrical properties

Wed, 15 May 2013 08:53:53 EDT

Scientists have created nanostructured composite materials with specific optical and electrical properties that vary according to size. These properties allow researchers to synthesize particles of the size corresponding to the desired properties, and by adding these particles to polymers, to give the final product one specific property or another.

Electronics comes to paper: Paper, being light and foldable, works well for electrically conducting structures

Wed, 15 May 2013 08:52:52 EDT

Paper, being a light and foldable raw material, is a cost-efficient and simple means of generating electrically conducting structures.

New uses for tiny carbon nanotubes: Adding ionic liquid to nanotube films could build smaller gadgets

Tue, 14 May 2013 19:06:06 EDT

Nanotubes are stronger than steel and smaller than any element of silicon-based electronics. They can potentially process information faster while using less energy. The challenge has been figuring out how to incorporate these properties into useful electronic devices. Now scientists have discovered that by adding ionic liquid -- a kind of liquid salt -- they can modify the optical transparency of single-walled carbon nanotube films in a controlled pattern.

Chemists demonstrate nanoscale alloys so bright they could have potential medical applications

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:28:28 EDT

Alloys like bronze and steel have been transformational for centuries, yielding top-of-the-line machines necessary for industry. As scientists move toward nanotechnology, however, the focus has shifted toward creating alloys at the nanometer scale -- producing materials with properties unlike their predecessors. Now, new research demonstrates that nanometer-scale alloys possess the ability to emit light so bright they could have potential applications in medicine.

Engineered biomaterial could improve success of medical implants

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:28:28 EDT

Expensive, state-of-the-art medical devices and surgeries often are thwarted by the body's natural response to attack something in the tissue that appears foreign. Now, engineers have demonstrated in mice a way to prevent this sort of response.

First precise MEMS output measurement technique unveiled

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:27:27 EDT

The commercial application of MEMS, or micro-electro-mechanical systems, will receive a major boost today following the presentation of a brand new way to accurately measure the power requirements and outputs of all existing and future devices.

Making gold green: New non-toxic method for mining gold

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:28:28 EDT

Scientists have struck gold in the laboratory. They have discovered an inexpensive and environmentally benign method that uses simple cornstarch -- instead of cyanide -- to isolate gold from raw materials in a selective manner. This green method extracts gold from crude sources and leaves behind other metals that are often found mixed together with the crude gold.

Scientists uncover fundamental property of astatine -- rarest naturally occurring element on Earth

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:27:27 EDT

Scientists have carried out ground-breaking experiments to investigate the atomic structure of astatine (atomic number 85), the rarest naturally occurring element on Earth. Through experiments conducted at the radioactive isotope facility ISOLDE at CERN, scientists have accessed, for the first time, the ionization potential of the astatine atom. The successful measurement fills a long-standing gap in Mendeleev's periodic table, since astatine was the last element present in nature for which this fundamental property was unknown.

Bacterium counteracts 'coffee ring effect'

Tue, 14 May 2013 08:53:53 EDT

Ever notice how a dried coffee stain has a thicker outer rim, while the middle of the stain remains almost unsoiled? This 'coffee ring effect' also occurs in other materials. Researchers have now discovered how to counteract coffee rings with 'surfactants', i.e. soap. The key to the discovery was not a kitchen towel, but a bacterium that counteracts the coffee ring effect at the microscopic level.

Physicists light 'magnetic fire' to reveal energy's path

Mon, 13 May 2013 11:52:52 EDT

Physicists have uncovered how energy is released and dispersed in magnetic materials in a process akin to the spread of forest fires, a finding that has the potential to deepen our understanding of self-sustained chemical reactions.

Metallic glass: How nanoscale islands react under strain

Mon, 13 May 2013 11:49:49 EDT

High-level simulations reveal that plastic deformation in super-resilient alloys is governed by atomic zones with characteristic lengths.

Solar panels as inexpensive as paint?

Mon, 13 May 2013 10:36:36 EDT

Researchers are helping develop a new generation of photovoltaic cells that produce more power and cost less to manufacture than what's available today.

Graphene joins the race to redefine the ampere

Sun, 12 May 2013 14:12:12 EDT

New research could pave the way for redefining the ampere in terms of fundamental constants of physics. The world's first graphene single-electron pump provides the speed of electron flow needed to create a new standard for electrical current based on electron charge.

Nano-breakthrough: Solving the case of the herringbone crystal

Sun, 12 May 2013 14:12:12 EDT

Leading nanoscientists created beautiful, tiled patterns with flat nanocrystals, but they were left with a mystery: Why did some sets of crystals arrange themselves in an alternating, herringbone style? To find out, they turned to experts in computer simulation.

Perfectly doped quantum dots yield 'colors to dye for'

Fri, 10 May 2013 12:45:45 EDT

This focuses on an ultra-precise method for doping the tiny semiconductors produces vivid hues.

New magnetic graphene may revolutionize electronics

Fri, 10 May 2013 07:55:55 EDT

Researchers have managed to give graphene magnetic properties. The breakthrough opens the door to the development of graphene-based spintronic devices, that is, devices based on the spin or rotation of the electron, and could transform the electronics industry.

New technique to improve quality control of lithium-ion batteries

Thu, 09 May 2013 15:45:45 EDT

Researchers have created a new tool to detect flaws in lithium-ion batteries as they are being manufactured, a step toward reducing defects and inconsistencies in the thickness of electrodes that affect battery life and reliability.

Heady mathematics: Describing popping bubbles in a foam

Thu, 09 May 2013 14:21:21 EDT

Two applied mathematicians have found a way to mathematically describe the evolution and disappearance of a foam. Using these equations, they were able to generate a movie that shows the complex draining, popping and rearrangement of these bubbles as the foam vanishes.

New advance in biofuel production

Thu, 09 May 2013 12:37:37 EDT

Researchers have developed an enzyme-free ionic liquid pretreatment of cellulosic biomass that makes it easier to recover fermentable sugars for biofuels and to recycle the ionic liquid.

Scientists demonstrate pear shaped atomic nuclei

Thu, 09 May 2013 10:43:43 EDT

Scientists have shown that some atomic nuclei can assume the shape of a pear which contributes to our understanding of nuclear structure and the underlying fundamental interactions.

Device for portable, ultra-precise clocks and quantum sensors developed

Thu, 09 May 2013 09:08:08 EDT

Researchers have developed a portable way to produce ultracold atoms for quantum technology and quantum information processing.

Exotic atoms hold clues to unsolved physics puzzle at the dawn of the universe

Wed, 08 May 2013 17:21:21 EDT

An international team of physicists has found the first direct evidence of pear shaped nuclei in exotic atoms. The findings could advance the search for a new fundamental force in nature that could explain why the Big Bang created more matter than antimatter -- a pivotal imbalance in the history of everything.

Spintronics discovery: Scientists find new 'magic' in magnetic material

Wed, 08 May 2013 17:19:19 EDT

Researchers have reported a fundamental finding that will help advance the development of next-generation electronics called "spintronics."

Researchers find a way to make steel without greenhouse-gas emissions

Wed, 08 May 2013 13:31:31 EDT

Steelmaking, a major emitter of climate-altering gases, could be transformed by a new process.