Science Daily October 24, 2018 Researchers in Canada have developed a new class of lubricant-infused surfaces that offer tunable bioactivity together with omniphobic properties by integrating biofunctional domains into the lubricant-infused layer. They created surfaces highly tunable that bind to particular antibodies while repelling nonspecific adhesion of undesirable proteins and cells not only in buffer but also in human plasma or human whole blood to demonstrate how it is beneficial in biomedical implants. The method creates biofunctional, nonstick surfaces that can be used to optimize the performance of devices such as biomedical implants, extracorporeal circuits, and biosensors… read more. TECHNICAL […]
Tag Archives: Advanced materials
Emissions-free energy system saves heat from the summer sun for winter
Science Daily October 3, 2018 Building on their previous discovery of a molecule which could store solar energy, an international team of researchers (Sweden, Spain) has made it possible for a liquid form of the molecule made from carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen to store energy. It could be adapted for use in a solar energy system, MOST (Molecular Solar Thermal Energy Storage). The energy in the isomer can be stored for up to 18 years. The research group has developed a catalyst for controlling the release of the stored energy. MOST works in a circular manner – the liquid captures […]
Metal that withstands ultra-high temperature and pressure identified
Science Daily September 27, 2018 Researchers in Japan analyzed the ultrahigh-temperature tensile creep behaviour of a TiC-reinforced Mo-Si-B-based alloy in the range of 1400–1600 °C at constant true stress range in vacuum. It displayed excellent creep strength with relatively reasonable creep parameters and moderate strain-rate oscillations. The findings have applications in aircraft jet engines and gas turbines for electric power generation…read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Perovskite semiconductors seeing right through next generation X-ray detectors
Phys.org September 21, 2018 An international team of researchers (Austria, Switzerland, Germany, South Korea, Belgium, China, India) has designed a direct X-ray detector based on halide perovskite semiconductor (Cs2AgBiBr6) which has high sensitivity and structural stability. By optimising the materials and lowering the operating temperature they were even able to improve the X-ray sensitivity of the device tenfold, ultimately peaking near 500 times more sensitive than commercial direct conversion X-ray detectors on the market. The finding has applications as a diagnostic tool in fundamental research and medical fields… read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ,
Spray-on antennas could unlock potential of smart, connected technology
Nanowerk September 21, 2018 Researchers at Drexel University developed a method for spraying invisibly thin antennas, made from MXene (titanium carbide), a two-dimensional, metallic material. It is stronger than metals, metallically conductive and can be dissolved in water to create an ink or paint. The exceptional conductivity of the material enables it to transmit and direct radio waves, even when it’s applied in a very thin coating. Even transparent antennas with thicknesses of tens of nanometers were able to communicate efficiently. By increasing the thickness up to 8 microns, the performance of MXene antenna achieved 98 percent of its predicted […]
Two-dimensional multibit optoelectronic memory
Nanowerk September 21, 2018 An international team of researchers (Singapore, China) developed multibit nonvolatile optoelectronic memory based on a heterostructure of monolayer tungsten diselenide and few-layer hexagonal boron nitride. It ensures over 128 (7 bit) distinct storage states. The memory demonstrates robustness with retention time over 4.5 × 104 s. The heterostructure architecture is also applicable to other two-dimensional materials, which is confirmed by the realization of black phosphorus/boron nitride optoelectronic memory… read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Electromagnetic radiation protection shields developed
Phys.org September 7, 2018 Normally, heavy elements are used as the material for electromagnetic and magnetic shielding, as they efficiently absorb high-energy radiation. Bismuth is the best option in the ratio of the protection efficiency to mass-size parameters. An international team of researchers (Russia, Belarus) studied the dependency of the bismuth film microstructure and functional properties on the production process regimes and the initial electrolyte composition and determined that electrolyte mixing, temperature, and organic additives exert a noticeable influence on the electrode process of the discharge of Bi3+ions in acid perchlorate electrolyte. The research answers the question of how to […]
Breaking down band structures
Nanowerk August 22, 2018 A systematic study of symmetry and topology in magnetic materials has been challenging given that there are 1651 magnetic space groups (MSGs). By using an efficient representation of allowed band structures, an international team of researchers (Japan, USA – Harvard University) obtained a systematic description of several basic properties of free electrons in all MSGs in three dimensions, as well as in the 528 magnetic layer groups relevant to two-dimensional magnetic materials. They computed constraints on electron fillings and band connectivity compatible with insulating behavior. Crystalline insulators and topological semimetals could be exploited to use the […]
Quantum chains in graphene nanoribbons
Science Daily August 9, 2018 Graphene nano-ribbons have very different electronic properties depending on their shape and width: conductor, semiconductor or insulator. An international team of researchers (Switzerland, China, Germany, USA -Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) has succeeded in precisely adjusting the properties of the ribbons by specifically varying their shape. They were able to show that if these ribbons are built with regularly alternating zones of different widths, a chain of interlinked quantum states with its own electronic structure is created by the numerous transitions. The semiconducting nanoribbons would allow transistors with a channel cross-section 1,000 times smaller than typically manufactured […]
Superconductivity above 10 K in a novel quasi-one-dimensional compound
Phys.org August 13, 2018 Researchers in China succeeded in synthesizing the new Q1D K2Mo3As3 compound whose Tc value exceeded 10 K. Bulk superconductivity below 10.4 K was confirmed by electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, and heat capacity measurements. The K2Mo3As3 is the first MoAs-based superconductor and possesses the record Tc in all Q1D superconductors. This discovery indicates that Cr and Mo based Q1D superconductors may share some common underlying origins within the similar structural motifs and will help to uncover the exotic superconducting mechanism in low dimensional materials… read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE