Phys.org August 14, 2018 Researchers in the UK have developed a way to synthesize large libraries of polymers to make screening for antimicrobial activity faster, and without the need to use sealed vials. By using multiple ‘building blocks’ in their polymers, new antimicrobials were identified – some of which appear to inhibit bacteria growth, contrary to predictions. They found that the best materials do not seem to break apart the bacteria as we predicted, but rather inhibit their growth. The benefit of the method is that it allows screening of hundreds of different structures, enabling the researchers to ‘go fishing’ […]
Category Archives: Advanced materials
PhD student develops spinning heat shield for future spacecraft
Phys.org August 9, 2018 Researchers in the UK have developed a flexible, foldable heat shield that is shaped like a skirt and spins like a sycamore seed. The material is lightweight strong and has high temperature tolerance. The shield is stitched along a special pattern that allows it to spin up during flight, inducing centrifugal force. Planets with atmospheres, such as Earth and Mars, allow spacecraft to utilize aerodynamic drag to slow down and the prototype’s design uses this to enable atmospheric entry. The prototype is lightweight and flexible enough for use on smaller satellites… read more.
Nanotube ‘rebar’ makes graphene twice as tough
Science Daily August 4, 2018 In 2014 Rice University researchers developed Rebar graphene that consists of CNTs embedded in graphene. An international team of researchers (USA – Rice University, University of Maine, Brown University, China) implemented a “dry” transfer technique to test the freely suspended rebar graphene under uniaxial tension mode. Combined experiments and molecular dynamics simulations confirmed that the embedded CNTs divert and bridge the propagating crack and provide a toughening mechanism for the material. This is a promising extrinsic toughening strategy for 2D materials and provides mechanistic insights into the fracture process of graphene hybrid material. The experiments […]
An insect-inspired drone deforms upon impact
Science Daily July 26, 2018 An international team of researchers (Switzerland, Japan) has developed an origami structure which consists of a prestretched elastomeric membrane, akin to the soft resilin joints of insect wings, sandwiched between rigid tiles, akin to the rigid cuticles of insect wings. The dual-stiffness properties of the structure are validated by using the origami as an element of a quadcopter frame that can withstand aerodynamic forces within its flight envelope but softens during collisions to avoid permanent damage… read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE
New materials undergo solid-liquid phase transitions at room temperature
Phys.org July 26, 2018 A team of researchers in the US (University of Colorado, Boulder, NIST) designed two new polymers, one which starts as a solid and can be converted into liquid, and the other which starts as a liquid and can be converted into a solid. The solid and liquid polymers both switch phase when irradiated by UV light with a 365-nm wavelength for about five minutes. However, the light affects the two materials differently. Using light instead of temperature or pressure to control the phase changes makes it possible to exert exquisite spatial control over these phase changes, […]
Superflexible aerogels are highly efficient absorbents, thermal insulators, and pressure sensors
Phys.org July 26, 2018 Researchers in Japan have introduced extremely elastic aerogels that are easy to process and can be produced at low cost. Their success relies on a doubly cross-linked organic-inorganic network structure with adjustable network density. The delicate structures are highly elastic. They can be bent, rolled, twisted, and cut into desired shapes. The more densely crosslinked versions exhibit high thermal insulation, surpassing conventional materials like polyurethane foam. When exposed to a mixture of hexane and water, they exclusively absorb the hexane, which can subsequently be removed by squeezing the material like a sponge or by evaporation. This […]
Scientists develop new materials that move in response to light
Phys.org July 24, 2018 A team of researchers in the US (Tufts University, Los Alamos National Laboratory) has developed magnetic elastomeric composites that move in different ways when exposed to light. The flexible material composites, when illuminated, are capable of macroscale motion, through the interplay of optically absorptive elements and low Curie temperature magnetic materials. These composites can be formed into films, sponges, monoliths, and hydrogels, and can be actuated with light at desired locations. They demonstrated the versatility of the material for gripping and releasing, heliotactic motion, light-driven propulsion, and rotation… read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Nanocrystal links could lead to better electronics
Nanowerk July 17, 2018 Colloidal nanocrystals can be easily tweaked to have a number of different properties as a function of their size. Depending on how they’re built, colloidal nanocrystals could be made into solar panels, electronics or optical devices. Through an integrated theoretical and experimental approach to characterize the transport properties of colloidal nanocrystals, an international team of researchers (Germany, USA – University of Chicago, Argonne National Laboratory) found that the inorganic links between the nanoparticles themselves are changing and reforming on the surface of the nanoparticles. The linker molecules react where they are attached and form a sort […]
New coatings make natural fabrics waterproof
Science Daily June 29, 2018 Conventional water-repellent coatings have been shown to persist in the environment and accumulate in our bodies. Researchers at MIT have developed a process that allows for iCVD deposition of durable, conformal short fluorinated polymers stabilized with a crosslinking agent resulting in high hydrophobicity, low liquid adhesion while maintaining initial substrate breathability. To further enhance the dynamic water repellency performance, the chemical treatment is combined with physical texturing making this combined approach a suitable candidate to meet the industrial needs. The process works on different kinds of materials including cotton, nylon, linen and paper, opening a […]
On track to commercial extraction of uranium from seawater
Next Big Future June 16, 2018 Seawater contains about three parts per billion of uranium. It’s estimated that there is at least four billion tons of uranium in seawater, which is about 500 times the amount of uranium known to exist in land-based ores which must be mined. A team of researchers in the US (PNNL, industry) has chemically modified regular, inexpensive acrylic fiber to convert it into an adsorbent which is selective for uranium, efficient and reusable. The material is inexpensive, adsorbent properties are reversible, and the captured uranium is easily released to be processed into yellowcake. Analysis of […]