Posts Tagged ‘materials science’
Science & Technology - Feb 11, 2013 13:43 - 5 Comments
For cheap solar cells, use ‘spray paint’
U. SHEFFIELD (UK) — Making solar cells with a process similar to spray-painting could significantly lower their cost and make them available to people in developing countries. (more…)
Science & Technology - Feb 5, 2013 9:36 - 1 Comment
Tiny particles swarm when blue light flashes
NYU (US) — With a flash of blue light, physicists can make suspended microscopic particles assemble and move together like a school of fish. (more…)
Science & Technology - Feb 4, 2013 10:30 - 0 Comments
Nanotech wear and tear, atom by atom
U. PENNSYLVANIA (US) — Scientists now have a clearer picture of how materials wear out at the nanoscale, which could help them design better parts for very tiny machines. (more…)
Science & Technology - Feb 1, 2013 8:25 - 0 Comments
Wrinkly coating can shimmy off bacteria
DUKE (US) — Applied to the hull of a ship like paint, a new material could shake off scum by moving in response to an electric current. (more…)
Top Stories - Jan 30, 2013 10:36 - 2 Comments
Exotic silicon maxes out solar cell efficiency
UC DAVIS (US) — Computer simulations show pressure-treating silicon could substantially improve the efficiency of solar cells. (more…)
Science & Technology - Jan 28, 2013 17:00 - 0 Comments
Graphene combo could shrink electronics
RICE (US) — Scientists have taken an important step toward the creation of two-dimensional electronics with a process to make patterns in atom-thick layers that combine a conductor and an insulator. (more…)
Science & Technology - Jan 23, 2013 12:30 - 0 Comments
Nanosponge absorbs toxins in water
MONASH U. (AUS) — Researchers have shown the potential of a new kind of nanomaterial to filter out environmental poisons from water. (more…)
Science & Technology - Jan 21, 2013 12:19 - 0 Comments
Polymer sieve divides gases by size
CARDIFF U. (UK) — A new polymer efficiently separates gas mixtures by the size of the molecules, report researchers. (more…)
Science & Technology - Jan 14, 2013 18:09 - 1 Comment
Nanotube thread conducts heat like a metal wire
RICE (US) — A new carbon nanotube fiber looks like textile thread and conducts electricity and heat like a metal wire. (more…)
Top Stories - Jan 10, 2013 11:17 - 2 Comments
Mussels: A new model for medical glue
PENN STATE (US) — The chemistry that allows mussels to stick to underwater surfaces may lead to a non-toxic glue for closing wounds. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Jan 9, 2013 15:21 - 3 Comments
Graphene flakes soak up radioactive waste
RICE (US) — Researchers are “amazed” by graphene oxide’s ability to quickly remove radioactive material from contaminated wastewater. (more…)
Top Stories - Jan 9, 2013 10:06 - 0 Comments
Self-moving gel lets material ‘talk to itself’
U. PITTSBURGH (US) — Scientists have discovered a synthetic material that can rebuild itself through chemical communication. (more…)
Science & Technology - Jan 8, 2013 10:29 - 0 Comments
‘Bed of nails’ shapes defects in liquid crystals
U. PENNSYLVANIA (US) — Researchers have learned to control defects on the surface of liquid crystals by manipulating microscopic posts underneath. (more…)
Science & Technology - Jan 7, 2013 12:49 - 8 Comments
For very stable glass, pack molecules like Tetris
U. CHICAGO (US) — In just hours or days, scientists can create ultrastable glass that could be useful for making stronger metals and faster-acting pharmaceuticals, research shows. (more…)
Science & Technology - Jan 4, 2013 9:57 - 0 Comments
Short laser pulses ‘tune’ gold nanoparticles
RICE (US) — At different wavelengths, pulsed laser light can individually activate different types of nanoparticles—in this case, shells, rods, and solid spheres mixed together. (more…)
Science & Technology - Dec 11, 2012 13:24 - 0 Comments
Fullerene ‘mimic’ would boost solar cells
U. WARWICK (UK) — An insight into the properties of fullerene could lead to a new class of electronic acceptors for better and cheaper organic solar cells, report researchers. (more…)
Science & Technology - Dec 7, 2012 12:26 - 3 Comments
4D transistor: The future of computers?
PURDUE (US) — A new type of transistor shaped like a Christmas tree offers a look ahead at the next generation of computers. (more…)
Top Stories - Dec 6, 2012 17:40 - 1 Comment
Cork inspires first 3D graphene blocks
MONASH (AUS) — A new way to shape graphene, which normally exists in very thin layers, into useful 3D forms mirrors the structure of cork. (more…)
