Phys.org August 4, 2022 Water droplets must have large apparent contact angle (CA) (>150°) and small CA hysteresis (<10°) on hydrophobic surfaces. Previous research usually involved complex fabrication strategies to modify the surface wettability. Researchers at Rice University developed a simple technique that involves sandpaper and a selection of powders which are sanded into the surface. They applied the technique on a variety of surfaces (Teflon, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, and polydimethylsiloxane) with a variety of powder additives. These included laser-induced graphene fiber, turbostratic flash graphene, molybdenum disulfide, Teflon, and boron nitride. A variety of aluminum oxide sandpapers were […]
Tag Archives: Materials science
Neural networks and ‘ghost’ electrons accurately reconstruct behavior of quantum systems
Phys.org August 3, 2022 Predicting the properties of a molecule or material requires calculating the collective behavior of its electrons because the electrons can become “quantum mechanically” entangled with one another. The entangled web of connections becomes tricky for even the most powerful computers to unravel directly for any system with more than a handful of particles. An international team of researchers (USA – Res. org., Switzerland) created a way to simulate entanglement by adding to their computations extra “ghost” electrons that interact with the system’s actual electrons. The behavior of the added electrons is controlled by neural network. The […]
Artificial skin sweats on command
Phys.org July 27, 2022 Following their previous work on artificial sweating skin an international team of researchers (the Netherlands, Italy) demonstrated three-dimensionally steered dynamic liquid mobility at nanoporous liquid crystal polymer coatings. The release of fluid is stimulated by UV light. Upon a primary flood exposure to UV light, liquid is ejected globally over the entire coating surfaces. They reallocated the secreted liquid by applying a secondary electric field stimulus. By doing so, the liquid is transported and collected at pre-set positions as determined by the electrode positions. They monitored the process in real-time. Through precise analysis they found that […]
At the water’s edge: Self-assembling 2D materials at a liquid-liquid interface
Science Daily July 21, 2022 Researchers in Japan have demonstrated a facile one-pot synthesis of laminated 2D coordination polymer films comprising bis(terpyridine)iron and cobalt at a water/dichloromethane interface. Cross-sectional elemental mapping unveiled the stratum-like structure of the film and revealed that the second layer grows to the dichloromethane side below the first layer. Cyclic voltammetry clarified that the bottom layer mediates charge transfer between the top layer and the substrate in a narrow potential region of mixed-valence states. Furthermore, the bilayer film sandwiched by electrodes in a dry condition shows stable rectification character, and the barrier voltage corresponds to the […]
How ultrathin polymer films can be used for storage technology
Phys. org July 18, 2022 Researchers in Germany showed that precisely applied mechanical pressure can improve the electronic properties of a widely used ferroelectric semi-crystalline polymer material polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). However, PVDF’s structure, unlike crystals, is not completely ordered. They discovered that atomic force microscopy can be used to establish a certain electric order in the material. They scanned the material sample with a tip only a few nanometers in size. Using a laser they measured, evaluated the vibrations that were produced, and analyzed the material’s surface structure at the nano level. They discovered that this also changed the electrical […]
Key material development for fusion energy application
Phys.org July 22, 2022 In a review paper a team of researchers in China has introduced the latest development and strategy on fusion energy in China and reviewed the progresses of reduced activation ferritic/martensitic (RAFM) steel for engineering applications. It is considered to be the primary candidate structural material for blankets of ITER, CFETR and DEMO. Several RAFMs have been developed in China (CN-RAFMs) such as CLAM, CLF-1, modified RAFMs and oxide dispersion strengthened RAFMs (ODS-RAFMs). The mechanical properties, irradiation behaviors, additive manufacturing and joining technologies of structural materials have been comprehensively studied. Qualifications of CN-RAFMs are on-going for ITER-TBM […]
Researchers create order from quantum chaos
Phys.org July 19, 2022 A team of researchers in the US (National Energy Research Laboratory, University of Colorado, University of Kentucky) selected a tetracenethiophene compound called TES TIPS-TT, which has a crystal structure in which all molecules share a common axis. Using time-resolved paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy they characterized the spin state of the electrons in the material. The observed spin sublevel populations are consistent with predictions from the JDE model, including preferential 5TT0 formation at z ‖ B0, with one caveat—two 5TT spin sublevels have little to no population. This may be due to crossings between the 5TT and 3TT […]
Researchers explore a hydrodynamic semiconductor where electrons flow like water
Phys.org July 20, 2022 An international team of researchers (USA – Columbia University, Cornell University, Brown University, Singapore, Japan) combined theoretical and experimental study of ambipolar hydrodynamic transport in bilayer graphene to demonstrate that the conductivity is given by the sum of two Drude-like terms that describe relative motion between electrons and holes, and the collective motion of the electron-hole plasma. As predicted, the measured conductivity of gapless, charge-neutral bilayer graphene was sample- and temperature-independent over a wide range. Away from neutrality, the electron-hole conductivity collapsed to a single curve, and a set of just four fitting parameters provided quantitative […]
Supramolecular adhesive with usable temperature range of 400 degrees Celsius
Phys.org July 18, 2022 An international team of researchers in (China, Germany) has synthesized a new type of temperature-resistant crown-ether-protein (CEP) adhesive by harnessing synergistic host–guest molecular interactions between engineered crown ether and protein building blocks. The resulting adhesive demonstrated ultrahigh shearing adhesion strength of ≈22 MPa over a wide temperature range from −196 to 200 °C, superior to other established supramolecular or polymeric adhesives. The temperature-induced phase transition and internal bound water stabilized the system and led to superb adhesion under extreme conditions. The work offers a promising molecular engineering strategy to fabricate robust supramolecular adhesives for applications under extreme […]
Development of new biomaterial with super strength inspired by limpets
Phys.org July 7, 2022 The small aquatic snail-like mollusks use a tongue bristling with tiny, microscopic teeth to scrape food off rocks and into their mouths. These teeth contain a hard yet flexible composite, which in 2015 was found to be the strongest known biologically occurring material, far stronger than spider silk and comparable to man-made substances, including carbon fiber and Kevlar. An international team of researchers (UK, Poland USA – industry, Switzerland) has replicated the limpet tooth developmental processes ex vivo, where isolated limpet tissue and cells in culture generated new biomimetic structures. Transcriptomic analysis of each developmental stage […]