Phys.org May 20, 2021 Inspired by the shape of cactus spines, a team of researchers in the US (Caltech, University of Minnesota) has developed a hydrogel which combines the two water harvesting methods, namely, Fog collection and Solar-steam generation in one device. The hydrogel itself is a polyvinyl alcohol/polypyrrole (PVA/PPy) composite gel, a non-toxic and flexible material used in numerous applications. They used the gel to build a network of spines. Due to their tiny size, they can be printed onto a wafer-thin membrane. During the day, the hydrogel membrane absorbs sunlight to heat up water trapped beneath it, which […]
Tag Archives: Advanced materials
Harnessing the hum of fluorescent lights for more efficient computing
Science Daily May 12, 2021 Magnetostriction, which causes the buzz of fluorescent lights and electrical transformers, occurs when a change in the shape of the material causes a change in magnetic field. An international team of researchers (USA – University of Michigan, Cornell University, SUNY Buffalo, UC Berkeley, University of Wisconsin, Purdue University, Germany) has developed a material made of a combination of iron and gallium which has at least twice as magnetostrictive and far less costly than other materials in its class. By freezing the iron-gallium alloy and preventing it from forming an ordered structure they were able to […]
Zero to hero: Overlooked material could help reduce our carbon footprint
Science Daily May 6, 2021 Researchers in Japan designed an ion-exchanging method using an A-type zeolite (silicon/aluminum ratio of 1) because of its appropriate pore size for adsorbing CO2. The alkaline-earth ion exchange imparted a large electric field strength that, supposedly, acted as a driving force for the adsorption. They chose a doubly charged calcium ion as the exchange ion since it allowed for the greatest amount of adsorption. To investigate the underlying adsorption mechanism, they carried out far-IR measurements and backed them up with density functional theory calculations. It showed a distinct shift towards longer wavelengths following CO2 adsorption. […]
Flexible, easy-to-scale nanoribbons move graphene toward use in tech applications
Science Daily May 3, 2021 Silicon-based fiber optics are currently the best structures for high-speed, long distance transmissions, but graphene could improve performance even more. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin created a scalable fabrication technique to make the smallest graphene ribbon structures. They found that to improve graphene’s performance is to cut it into microscopic, nanometer-scale ribbon structures, which act as tiny antennas that interact with light. The smaller the antenna, the higher energies of light it interacts with. As the ribbon width decreases, so does the resonant wavelength of light. Lower wavelengths mean higher energies, and their devices interacted […]
Inspired by nature, the research to develop a new load-bearing material
Phys.org April 22, 2021 Researchers in the UK developed a method to fabricate interconnected macro-porous elastomers based on sintering poly(methyl methacrylate) beads. The porous elastomer imparted structural support and resilience to its composite with an infused-grafted hydrogel. The composite exhibited a load-bearing behavior that was 14–19 times greater than that of pristine hydrogel and approximately 3 times greater than that of the porous elastomer. The equilibrium elastic modulus of the composite was close to the values reported for the modulus of cartilage tested with similar experimental parameters defined in this study. The composite immediately recovers its load-bearing properties with the […]
New biomaterial regrows blood vessels and bone, RCSI research
EurekAlert April 20, 2021 Researchers in Ireland used mechanobiology-informed approach to design a functionalized scaffold for the dose-controlled delivery of PGF which is capable of promoting regeneration of critically sized bone defects. Alginate microparticles and collagen/hydroxyapatite scaffolds were shown to be effective PGF-delivery platforms. Although this PGF-functionalized scaffold demonstrated only a modest increase in osteogenic capacity in vitro, robust bone regeneration was observed after implantation into rat calvarial defects, indicating that the dose-dependent effect of PGF can be harnessed as an alternative to multi-drug systems for the delivery of both pro-angiogenic and pro-osteogenic cues. The research provides a framework for […]
Using sound waves to make patterns that never repeat
Phys.org April 14, 2021 Crystals have been shown to be stiffer than similar periodic or disordered materials and conduct electricity. Researchers at the University of Utah have shown how ultrasound waves can organize carbon particles in water resulting in “quasicrystals” with custom magnetic or electrical properties. They experimentally demonstrated this by using ultrasound waves to assemble quasiperiodic patterns of carbon nanoparticles in water using an octagonal arrangement of ultrasound transducers, and documented good agreement between theory and experiments. The theory also applies to obtaining quasiperiodic patterns in other situations where particles move with linear waves, such as optical lattices. According […]
Scientists watch 2D puddles of electrons emerge in a 3D superconducting material
Science Daily April 12, 2021 An international team of researchers (USA – SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Colombia) synthesized high-temperature superconductor BPBO (Barium, Lead, Bismuth, Oxygen) and tested its properties, including transition temperature. The data showed electrons behaving as if they were confined to ultrathin, 2D layers or stripes within the material. The stripes were layers where electrons behave as if they are confined to 2D, puddle-like areas in the material. The distances between the puddles were short enough to allow them to behave like a superconductor. The 2D puddles emerged as the scientists carefully adjusted the temperature and […]
Less than a nanometer thick, stronger and more versatile than steel
Science Daily April 5, 2021 A team of researchers in the US (Northwestern University, Argonne National Laboratory, University of Florida) grew borophene on a silver substrate then exposed it to hydrogen to form the borophane and unraveled its structure by combining a scanning tunneling microscope with a computer-vision based algorithm that compares theoretical simulations of structures with experimental measurements. They found a borophane nanosheet on a silver substrate to be quite stable making it easy to integrate it with other materials in the construction of new devices for optoelectronics, it could boost performance for electronic devices, solar cells, batteries, and […]
Fast-acting, color-changing molecular probe senses when a material is about to fail
Science Daily March 25, 2021 A team of researchers at the University of Illinois have improved their previously developed mechanophores (force-sensitive molecules) where the molecules were slow to react and return to their original state. The new mechanophores, they developed produced reversible, rapid, and vibrant color change when a force was applied. The color change is the result of stress applied to the bonds that connect the mechanophores to a polymer chain. In the current work they are bonding the mechanophores to polymer chains using a different arrangement scheme, called an oxazine structure. The new structure allows for an instantaneous […]