TU Freiberg analyses the microstructure of hard material layers in drill tips. Researchers of TU Bergakademie Freiberg cooperate with the Dresden Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems (IKTS) and the Czech branch of the Dormer Pramet Company on the development of novel hard coatings for sustainable use in cutting tools. By working on the nanoscale, they modify the interfaces between individual thin layers in the coatings in order to improve their adhesion. When the drill tips are covered with…
Method could support semiconductor industry and facilitate development of next-gen devices. Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and collaborators have devised and tested a new, highly sensitive method of detecting and counting defects in transistors — a matter of urgent concern to the semiconductor industry as it develops new materials for next-generation devices. These defects limit transistor and circuit performance and can affect product reliability. A typical transistor is, for most uses, basically a switch. When…
Discovery could advance production of high-performance next generation adhesives and plastics. Blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) spend their days being buffeted by crashing waves. They manage to stay tethered to the rocks or their fellow mussels thanks to a highly effective underwater glue they produce. Because achieving adhesion in the presence of water is so challenging, scientists who are interested in producing effective adhesives for use in wet environments (e.g., for surgical or dental treatments) have turned to mussels for inspiration….
Progress in applied research at Argonne National Laboratory raises hopes that solid-state batteries will replace conventional lithium-ion batteries sooner rather than later. Recharging the batteries in electronic devices — as large as electric vehicles or as small as cell phones — has become as everyday an activity as loading the dishwasher. The lithium-ion batteries that primarily power these devices are lightweight and cost-effective to produce. However, they are by nature inflammable, which raises concerns about their safety and reliability as power and…
Newly proven physics opens chalcogenide glasses to applications at visible and ultraviolet wavelengths. Electrical engineers at Duke University have discovered that changing the physical shape of a class of materials commonly used in electronics and near- and mid-infrared photonics —chalcogenide glasses— can extend their use into the visible and ultraviolet parts of electromagnetic spectrum. Already commercially used in detectors, lenses and optical fibers, chalcogenide glasses may now find a home in applications such as underwater communications, environmental monitoring and biological…
Basic simulations on experimental data… New research group on “Microstructure and Mechanics” starts at the MPIE. The Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung (MPIE) welcomes Prof. Erik Bitzek as new group head in the department “Computational Materials Design” (CM). Bitzek just started his research at the MPIE in September 2021. His research group “Microstructure and Mechanics” unravels the relation between a material’s mechanical properties and its crystal defects by using large-scale atomistic simulations. “Most computational studies of defects have so far been performed…
X-rays reveal compositional changes on active surface under reaction conditions. A DESY-led research team has been using high-intensity X-rays to observe a single catalyst nanoparticle at work. The experiment has revealed for the first time how the chemical composition of the surface of an individual nanoparticle changes under reaction conditions, making it more active. The team led by DESY’s Andreas Stierle is presenting its findings in the journal Science Advances. This study marks an important step towards a better understanding…
Unusual material could improve the reliability of electronics and other devices. Moving heat around where you want it to go—adding it to houses and hairdryers, removing it from car engines and refrigerators—is one of the great challenges of engineering. All activity generates heat, because energy escapes from everything we do. But too much can wear out batteries and electronic components—like parts in an aging laptop that runs too hot to actually sit on your lap. If you can’t get rid…
Brookhaven Lab and Princeton scientists team up to identify sources of loss of quantum information at the atomic scale. Engineers and materials scientists studying superconducting quantum information bits (qubits)—a leading quantum computing material platform based on the frictionless flow of paired electrons—have collected clues hinting at the microscopic sources of qubit information loss. This loss is one of the major obstacles in realizing quantum computers capable of stringing together millions of qubits to run demanding computations. Such large-scale, fault-tolerant systems could simulate complicated molecules…
Single-use diagnostic tests often aren’t practical for health professionals or patients in resource-limited areas, where cost and waste disposal are big concerns. So, researchers reporting in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces have turned to a surprising material, Tootsie Roll® candy, to develop an inexpensive and low-waste device. The candy was used as an electrode, the part of the sensor that detects salt and electrolyte levels in saliva, to monitor ovulation status or kidney health. Disposable test strips have advanced the speed and accuracy…
Scientists develop a convenient approach to spot microscopic scratches on transparent surfaces using a laser and a polarization camera. Transparent materials have become an essential component in a wide variety of technological applications, ranging from everyday electronics like tablets and smartphones to more sophisticated uses in solar panels, medicine, and optics. Just as for any other product to be mass-produced, quality control is important for these materials, and several techniques have been developed to detect microscopic scratches or imperfections. One…
Printing metals onto cloth makes for comfortable, low-cost, and effective biosensors. Bioelectrical sensors on the skin can be used to measure electrical signals in the body, like heart activity and muscle contraction. While that provides valuable information for clinicians, current bioelectrical sensor technology can be ineffective, uncomfortable, expensive, and difficult to manufacture. In APL Materials, by AIP Publishing, researchers from the University of Utah and Gyeongsang National University in South Korea have developed a bioelectrical sensor that is convenient and…
Chemists at the University of Jena are developing a way of melting normally unmeltable metal-organic framework compounds – so-called MOFs. This allows the melt-based production of glass components for applications in energy and environmental technology. Glasses are an indispensable part of everyday life. One of the most important reasons for this is that glass objects can be manufactured almost universally and inexpensively in a wide variety of shapes and sizes using their corresponding melts. Processing in the (viscous) liquid phase…
Strongest and toughest glass known developed by McGill University scientists. Scientists from McGill University develop stronger and tougher glass, inspired by the inner layer of mollusk shells. Instead of shattering upon impact, the new material has the resiliency of plastic and could be used to improve cell phone screens in the future, among other applications. While techniques like tempering and laminating can help reinforce glass, they are costly and no longer work once the surface is damaged. “Until now there…
Scientists develop new computational method that can simulate hydrogen storage on silicon carbide nanotubes much more accurately than conventional method. Hydrogen energy has the potential to be a key measure to meet the United Nations net zero emissions target, but its industrial use has been hindered by the difficulty in its storage and handling. Hydrogen becomes a gas at a very low temperature (-252°C), which makes its storage at room temperature challenging. The interaction between hydrogen and its storage material…
Researchers in Bayreuth discover novel sensors. Due to their iridescent colors, opals have been considered particularly precious gemstones since antiquity. The way these stones shimmer is caused by their nanostructures. A research group led by Prof. Dr. Markus Retsch at the University of Bayreuth has produced colloidal crystals mimicking such structures, which are suitable for constructing new types of sensors. These sensors visibly and continuously document the temperature in their environment during a defined period. They are, therefore, tailor-made for…
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