News 2019
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Life Sciences - Materials Science - 26.09.2019 
Spider silk: A malleable protein provides reinforcement
09/26/2019 Scientists from the University of Würzburg have discovered that spider silk contains an exceptional protein. It generates high bonding strength by making use of an amino acid scientists have hitherto paid little attention to. Why are the lightweight silk threads of web spiders tougher than most other materials' Scientists from the Universities of Würzburg and Mainz teamed up to find answers to this question.
Health - Materials Science - 26.09.2019 
On the road to safe nanomedicine
Tiny particles that can fight cancer or that can easily pass through any interface within our body are a great promise for medicine. But there is little knowledge thus far about what exactly will happen to nanoparticles within our tissues and whether or not they can cause disease by themselves. Within an international research consortium, Empa scientists have now developed guidelines that should enable the safe development of nanoparticles for medical use.
Materials Science - Chemistry - 24.09.2019 
A battery with a twist
Markus Niederberger's team of researchers at ETH has used stretchable materials to develop a battery that can be bent, stretched and twisted. For applications in bendable electronic devices, this is precisely the kind of battery they need. Today's electronics industry is increasingly focusing on computers or smartphones with screens that can be folded or rolled.
Materials Science - Astronomy / Space Science - 12.09.2019 
Engineers develop "blackest black" material to date
Made from carbon nanotubes, the new coating is 10 times darker than other very black materials. Fast Company reporter Mark Wilson writes that a collaboration between CAST artist-in-residence Diemut Strebe and Prof. Brian Wardle led to the creation of the blackest material ever made. "It's pretty interesting that the artist in my group influenced the science," says Wardle.
Microtechnics - Materials Science - 09.09.2019
Chemistry - Materials Science - 04.09.2019
Physics - Materials Science - 04.09.2019 
Studying heart cells with nanovolcanoes
Researchers at EPFL and the University of Bern have developed a groundbreaking method for studying the electrical signals of cardiac muscle cells. The technology has numerous potential applications in basic and applied research - such as improving the search for mechanisms underlying cardiac arrhythmias.
Materials Science - Physics - 28.08.2019
Health - Materials Science - 27.08.2019
Materials Science - Chemistry - 26.08.2019
Physics - Materials Science - 21.08.2019 
A hallmark of superconductivity, beyond superconductivity itself
'Electron pairing' found well above superconductor's critical temperature Physicists have found "electron pairing,” a hallmark feature of superconductivity, at temperatures and energies well above the critical threshold where superconductivity happens. Rice University's Doug Natelson , co-corresponding author of a paper about the work in this week's Nature, said the discovery of Cooper pairs of electrons "a bit above the critical temperature won't be 'crazy surprising' to some people.
Materials Science - Chemistry - 20.08.2019
Physics - Materials Science - 19.08.2019
Health - Materials Science - 15.08.2019 
Plasma coating developed to decrease bone implant rejections
One million Australians have undergone joint replacement surgery and the numbers are growing. University of Sydney researchers have developed a bone implant coating that could lead to improved implant outcomes. An international research project, led by the University of Sydney's School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering and the School of Physics in collaboration with UMC Utrecht and the Heart Research Institute and three other research partners, has developed a new plasma coating for bone implants with the aim of decreasing complications.
Physics - Materials Science - 14.08.2019
Physics - Materials Science - 13.08.2019 
How do atoms vibrate in graphene nanostructures?
Innovative new electron spectroscopy technique pushes the limits of Nanospectroscopy for materials design In order to understand advanced materials like graphene nanostructures and optimize them for devices in nano-, optoand quantum-technology it is crucial to understand how phonons - the vibration of atoms in solids - influence the materials' properties.
Chemistry - Materials Science - 12.08.2019 
Supercapacitors turbocharged by laxatives
An international team of scientists, including a professor of chemistry from the University of Bristol, has worked out a way to improve energy storage devices called supercapacitors, by designing a new class of detergents chemically related to laxatives. Their paper, published today , explains why these detergents, called ionic liquids, are better electrolytes than current materials and can improve supercapacitors.
Physics - Materials Science - 09.08.2019 
Scientists can now control thermal profiles at the nanoscale
At human scale, controlling temperature is a straightforward concept. Turtles sun themselves to keep warm. To cool a pie fresh from the oven, place it on a room-temperature countertop. At the nanoscale - at distances less than 1/100th the width of the thinnest human hair - controlling temperature is much more difficult.
Materials Science - Physics - 09.08.2019
Materials Science - 06.08.2019
Materials Science
Results 61 - 80 of 184.
09/26/2019 Scientists from the University of Würzburg have discovered that spider silk contains an exceptional protein. It generates high bonding strength by making use of an amino acid scientists have hitherto paid little attention to. Why are the lightweight silk threads of web spiders tougher than most other materials' Scientists from the Universities of Würzburg and Mainz teamed up to find answers to this question.
Tiny particles that can fight cancer or that can easily pass through any interface within our body are a great promise for medicine. But there is little knowledge thus far about what exactly will happen to nanoparticles within our tissues and whether or not they can cause disease by themselves. Within an international research consortium, Empa scientists have now developed guidelines that should enable the safe development of nanoparticles for medical use.
Markus Niederberger's team of researchers at ETH has used stretchable materials to develop a battery that can be bent, stretched and twisted. For applications in bendable electronic devices, this is precisely the kind of battery they need. Today's electronics industry is increasingly focusing on computers or smartphones with screens that can be folded or rolled.
Made from carbon nanotubes, the new coating is 10 times darker than other very black materials. Fast Company reporter Mark Wilson writes that a collaboration between CAST artist-in-residence Diemut Strebe and Prof. Brian Wardle led to the creation of the blackest material ever made. "It's pretty interesting that the artist in my group influenced the science," says Wardle.
Soft-bodied swimming robot uses only light for power and steering
In a paper in Science Robotics, materials scientists from the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering describe a new design for a swimming robot that's both powered and steered by constant light. The device, called OsciBot because it moves by oscillating its tail, could eventually lead to designs for oceangoing robots and autonomous ships.
In a paper in Science Robotics, materials scientists from the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering describe a new design for a swimming robot that's both powered and steered by constant light. The device, called OsciBot because it moves by oscillating its tail, could eventually lead to designs for oceangoing robots and autonomous ships.
New insulation technique paves the way for more powerful and smaller chips
Researchers at KU Leuven and imec have successfully developed a new technique to insulate microchips. The technique uses metal-organic frameworks, a new type of materials consisting of structured nanopores. In the long term, this method can be used for the development of even smaller and more powerful chips that consume less energy.
Researchers at KU Leuven and imec have successfully developed a new technique to insulate microchips. The technique uses metal-organic frameworks, a new type of materials consisting of structured nanopores. In the long term, this method can be used for the development of even smaller and more powerful chips that consume less energy.
Researchers at EPFL and the University of Bern have developed a groundbreaking method for studying the electrical signals of cardiac muscle cells. The technology has numerous potential applications in basic and applied research - such as improving the search for mechanisms underlying cardiac arrhythmias.
Next generation synthetic covalent 2-D materials unveiled
UAntwerp researchers from the CMT group, Dr. Mehmet Yagmurcukardes and Prof. Francois Peeters, in collaboration with a team from Manchester have uncovered novel 2D materials. (Nanowerk News) A team of researchers at the National Graphene Institute at The University of Manchester have developed a new method to synthesize 2D materials that are thought to be impossible or, at least, unobtainable by current technologies.
UAntwerp researchers from the CMT group, Dr. Mehmet Yagmurcukardes and Prof. Francois Peeters, in collaboration with a team from Manchester have uncovered novel 2D materials. (Nanowerk News) A team of researchers at the National Graphene Institute at The University of Manchester have developed a new method to synthesize 2D materials that are thought to be impossible or, at least, unobtainable by current technologies.
New antimicrobial coating could be key in fight against hospital-acquired infections
Scientists at the University of Birmingham have created an antimicrobial coating for steel surfaces which has proven to rapidly kill bacteria that cause some of the most common hospital-acquired infections. Developed by researchers at the University of Birmingham, patented by University of Birmingham Enterprise , and to be commercialised by a new company NitroPep, the coating - also called NitroPep - has been heralded as a new tool in the fight against the spread of infection.
Scientists at the University of Birmingham have created an antimicrobial coating for steel surfaces which has proven to rapidly kill bacteria that cause some of the most common hospital-acquired infections. Developed by researchers at the University of Birmingham, patented by University of Birmingham Enterprise , and to be commercialised by a new company NitroPep, the coating - also called NitroPep - has been heralded as a new tool in the fight against the spread of infection.
Researchers flip how electrical signals move liquid droplets
When medical laboratories analyze blood samples for signs of disease, they sometimes use instruments that rely on a technology called digital microfluidics. The technique uses electric signals to pull tiny droplets of the sample across a surface so they can be analyzed. One drawback of the process is that the electric signals tend to damage the surface that the droplets travel over, which can cause the device to fail unexpectedly or deteriorate over time.
When medical laboratories analyze blood samples for signs of disease, they sometimes use instruments that rely on a technology called digital microfluidics. The technique uses electric signals to pull tiny droplets of the sample across a surface so they can be analyzed. One drawback of the process is that the electric signals tend to damage the surface that the droplets travel over, which can cause the device to fail unexpectedly or deteriorate over time.
'Electron pairing' found well above superconductor's critical temperature Physicists have found "electron pairing,” a hallmark feature of superconductivity, at temperatures and energies well above the critical threshold where superconductivity happens. Rice University's Doug Natelson , co-corresponding author of a paper about the work in this week's Nature, said the discovery of Cooper pairs of electrons "a bit above the critical temperature won't be 'crazy surprising' to some people.
Technique could make better membranes for next-generation filtration
Deriving drinkable water from seawater, treating wastewater and conducting kidney dialysis are just a few important processes that use a technology called membrane filtration. The key to the process is the membrane filter — a thin, semi-porous film that allows certain substances such as water to pass through while separating out other, unwanted substances.
Deriving drinkable water from seawater, treating wastewater and conducting kidney dialysis are just a few important processes that use a technology called membrane filtration. The key to the process is the membrane filter — a thin, semi-porous film that allows certain substances such as water to pass through while separating out other, unwanted substances.
Hydrogen induces high-temperature superconductivity in a monolayer material
UAntwerp researchers from the CMT group, Dr Jonas Bekaert and Prof Milorad Milosevic, in collaboration with Swedish researchers have predicted that a atomically thin layer of hydrogen will boost the critical temperature of a thin superconductor to above a hundred kelvin. Hydrogen-rich bulk superconducting materials have recently exhibited record-breaking critical temperatures, nearing the ambient temperature and thereby promising a major technological impact on the society.
UAntwerp researchers from the CMT group, Dr Jonas Bekaert and Prof Milorad Milosevic, in collaboration with Swedish researchers have predicted that a atomically thin layer of hydrogen will boost the critical temperature of a thin superconductor to above a hundred kelvin. Hydrogen-rich bulk superconducting materials have recently exhibited record-breaking critical temperatures, nearing the ambient temperature and thereby promising a major technological impact on the society.
One million Australians have undergone joint replacement surgery and the numbers are growing. University of Sydney researchers have developed a bone implant coating that could lead to improved implant outcomes. An international research project, led by the University of Sydney's School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering and the School of Physics in collaboration with UMC Utrecht and the Heart Research Institute and three other research partners, has developed a new plasma coating for bone implants with the aim of decreasing complications.
Physicists Develop "Time Machine" for Materials Science
Physics experiments are often time-consuming and expensive. Sometimes scientists do not realize until the very end that they have been using the wrong calibration for measurements the whole time. What if there were a way to go back in time to the start of the experiment and re-examine the data? Researchers at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), Freie Universität Berlin, and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) hope to create a machine that would make that possible.
Physics experiments are often time-consuming and expensive. Sometimes scientists do not realize until the very end that they have been using the wrong calibration for measurements the whole time. What if there were a way to go back in time to the start of the experiment and re-examine the data? Researchers at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), Freie Universität Berlin, and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) hope to create a machine that would make that possible.
Innovative new electron spectroscopy technique pushes the limits of Nanospectroscopy for materials design In order to understand advanced materials like graphene nanostructures and optimize them for devices in nano-, optoand quantum-technology it is crucial to understand how phonons - the vibration of atoms in solids - influence the materials' properties.
An international team of scientists, including a professor of chemistry from the University of Bristol, has worked out a way to improve energy storage devices called supercapacitors, by designing a new class of detergents chemically related to laxatives. Their paper, published today , explains why these detergents, called ionic liquids, are better electrolytes than current materials and can improve supercapacitors.
At human scale, controlling temperature is a straightforward concept. Turtles sun themselves to keep warm. To cool a pie fresh from the oven, place it on a room-temperature countertop. At the nanoscale - at distances less than 1/100th the width of the thinnest human hair - controlling temperature is much more difficult.
Bending the rules: A revolutionary new way for metals to be malleable
For nearly 100 years, scientists thought they understood everything there was to know about how metals bend. They were wrong. Materials science and engineering researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have demonstrated that the rules of metal-bending aren't so hard and fast after all. They described their findings Aug.
For nearly 100 years, scientists thought they understood everything there was to know about how metals bend. They were wrong. Materials science and engineering researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have demonstrated that the rules of metal-bending aren't so hard and fast after all. They described their findings Aug.
How can robots land like birds?
Birds can perch on a wide variety of surfaces, thick or thin, rough or slick. But can they find stable footing if a branch is covered in Teflon? In the interest of making better robots, Stanford researchers found out. Under the watchful eyes of five high-speed cameras, a small, pale-blue bird named Gary waits for the signal to fly.
Birds can perch on a wide variety of surfaces, thick or thin, rough or slick. But can they find stable footing if a branch is covered in Teflon? In the interest of making better robots, Stanford researchers found out. Under the watchful eyes of five high-speed cameras, a small, pale-blue bird named Gary waits for the signal to fly.
