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Microtechnics - Materials Science - 24.11.2020

Miniscule robots of metal and plastic
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a technique for manufacturing micrometre-long machines by interlocking multiple materials in a complex way. Such microrobots will one day revolutionise the field of medicine. Robots so tiny that they can manoeuvre through our blood vessels and deliver medications to certain points in the body - researchers have been pursuing this goal for years.

Physics - Materials Science - 23.11.2020

Moths strike out in evolutionary arms race with sophisticated wing design
Ultra-thin, super-absorbent and extraordinarily designed to detract attention, the wings of moths could hold the key for developing technological solutions to survive in a noisy world. As revealed in a new study published today in PNAS [date tbc], researchers from the University of Bristol have discovered the precise construction of moths wings that have enabled the species to evade its most troublesome predator in a 65 million-year-old evolutionary arms race.

Chemistry - Materials Science - 23.11.2020

Cooled water vapor forms droplets containing hydrogen peroxide
A Stanford research team that recently discovered an unexpected new chemical behavior of water when tiny droplets form from water vapor has extended the findings to natural, everyday water condensation. In its bulk liquid form, whether in a bathtub or an ocean, water is a relatively benign substance with little chemical activity.

Physics - Materials Science - 23.11.2020

Ultrathin nanomesh sensor to measure sense of touch
World's first fingertip-mounted sensor that maintains user's sensitivity Scientists from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the University of Tokyo have developed an ultrathin pressure sensor that can be attached directly to the skin. It can measure how fingers interact with objects to produce valuable data for technological or medical applications.

Physics - Materials Science - 23.11.2020

Laser technology: New Trick for Infrared Laser Pulses
Infrared light can be used to detect molecules - but it is hard to create strong, short laser pulses. A new solution was found at TU Wien. Ordinary solid-state lasers, as used in laser pointers, generate light in the visible range. For many applications, however, such as the detection of molecules, radiation in the mid-infrared range is needed.

Materials Science - 19.11.2020

New process narrows the gap between natural and synthetic materials
Skin and cartilage are both strong and flexible - properties that are hard to replicate in artificial materials. But a new fabrication process, developed by scientists at EPFL, brings lifelike synthetic polymers a step closer. Natural materials like skin, cartilage and tendons are tough enough to support our bodyweight and movements, yet flexible enough that they don't crack easily.

Chemistry - Materials Science - 18.11.2020

Decoding the way catalysts work
Splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen is an important chemical reaction, especially considering that the use of hydrogen as an energy source in sustainable mobility in the future. An international research team has now decoded how one of the catalysts used in this reaction works. Hydrogen is a key element for achieving sustainable mobility in the future, especially "green" hydrogen produced by splitting water using renewable power.

Materials Science - Environment - 17.11.2020

New green materials could power smart devices using ambient light
Researchers have developed environmentally friendly materials that could harvest enough energy from indoor light to power wireless smart devices. We are increasingly using more smart devices like smartphones, smart speakers, and wearable health and wellness sensors in our homes, offices, and public buildings.

Environment - Materials Science - 16.11.2020

Sustainable shotcrete mix-designs for tunnels with longer service-life
A project jointly initiated by the Austrian Society for Construction Technology (ÖBV), TU Graz and OTH Regensburg provides a more systematic understanding of shotcrete applications and forms the basis for new, even more durable concrete mixes and thus for more durable tunnels. The service life of tunnels today is designed to last at least for one hundred years - in the case of the Brenner basis tunnel it is even 200 years.

Chemistry - Materials Science - 16.11.2020

Novel glass materials made from organic and inorganic components
Research team from Jena and Cambridge develops glass materials with novel combinations of properties Light Linkages between organic and inorganic materials are a common phenomenon in nature, e.g., in the construction of bones and skeletal structures. They often enable combinations of properties that could not be achieved with just one type of material.

Physics - Materials Science - 13.11.2020

Physicists rapport new breakthrough in field of topological matter
Sometimes, the inside of a material can determine what happens on the outside. A team of physicists from the University of Amsterdam has devised a new way to make use of this general truth, in particular in systems that do not conserve energy. The results were published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this week.

Materials Science - Chemistry - 12.11.2020

TU Graz launches Christian Doppler Laboratory for Solid-State Batteries
The focus of the new CD laboratory is the reduction of interface resistances within the solid-state battery. The aim is to make this particularly safe energy storage system fit for electric vehicles and other high-energy applications. In recent years, intensive research has been carried out on solid-state electrolytes and materials have been developed which have a similarly high ionic conductivity to liquid electrolytes.

Materials Science - Social Sciences - 11.11.2020

Rethink needed to stop the spread of hateful material online
Digital platform Reddit's efforts to limit the spread of hateful and misogynistic content is driving users to self-moderated forums where the material can spread largely unchecked, according to new research from The Australian National University (ANU). PhD researcher Simon Copland analysed the impact of Reddit's 'quarantine' on two men's rights subreddits - r/TheRedPill and r/Braincels.

Physics - Materials Science - 10.11.2020

Sticky Electrons: When Repulsion turns into Attraction
For years, physicists at TU Wien have been studying strange phenomena - now they have found an explanation that could help to understand unconventional types of superconductivity. Materials can assume completely different properties - depending on temperature, pressure, electrical voltage or other physical quantities.

Materials Science - Computer Science - 06.11.2020

Order Up!
AI finds the right material Engineers are always looking for materials with very specific properties for their projects. Unfortunately, there are way too many options for researchers to simply guess-and-check until they find what they're looking for. Even if they were to simulate materials, instead of testing them in the lab, it would take far too long to find a suitable material.

Materials Science - Chemistry - 05.11.2020

Innovative Cell Chemistry Developed for Dual-Ion Battery
A long durability, low costs and high sustainability - the requirements for stationary energy storage systems, for example for wind or solar energy, are high. One promising perspective is the still young dual-ion technology. In a collaboration between Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the MEET Battery Research Center, scientists developed a new type of dual-ion battery.

Materials Science - Chemistry - 03.11.2020

Innovative Material Concept for an Improved Silicon Anode
The lithium-ion battery is currently state of the art, but has not yet realised its full potential. New electrode materials such as silicon instead of pure graphite in the anode offer a significantly increased electrochemical performance. Until now, this has been at the expense of the battery's lifespan.

Physics - Materials Science - 30.10.2020

Novel Photoresist Developed
Researchers in the -3D Matter Made to Order- Cluster of Excellence expand possibilities of three-dimensional printing of the tiniest microstructures Researchers of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and Heidelberg University have developed a novel photoresist for two-photon microprinting. For the first time, it can be used to produce three-dimensional microstructures with cavities in the nano-range.

Physics - Materials Science - 30.10.2020

Scientists launch quest to develop quantum sensors for probing quantum materials
SLAC and Stanford partner with two Illinois universities to create the Center for Quantum Sensing and Quantum Materials, which aims to unravel mysteries associated with exotic superconductors, topological insulators and strange metals. When it comes to fully understanding the hidden secrets of quantum materials, it takes one to know one, scientists say: Only tools that also operate on quantum principles can get us there.

Materials Science - 29.10.2020

Knowledge Modules for Battery Cells "Made in Germany"
The production of battery cells includes many consecutive process steps. There is mixing, stirring, coating, rolling, cutting and stacking. Scientists at ProZell work to improve the quality of the final product, make production more cost-effective and environmentally friendly. The competence cluster for battery cell production, in which MEET Battery Research Center of University of Münster and Helmholtz Institute Münster (HI MS) of Forschungszentrum Jülich participate, is supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).