http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/matter_energy/materials_science/ Materials Science News and Research. Read all the latest in materials engineering, chemical engineering, and more. Full-text, images, free. en-us Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:05:01 EST Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/matter_energy/materials_science/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118092630.htm Scientists have discovered a method of using nanoparticles to illuminate the cellular interior to reveal the slow, complex processes taking place in a living cell. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118092630.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120234858.htm Particle beams are once again zooming around the world's most powerful particle accelerator -- the Large Hadron Collider -- located at the CERN laboratory near Geneva, Switzerland. After more than one year of repairs, the LHC is now back on track to create high-energy particle collisions that may yield extraordinary insights into the nature of the physical universe. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120234858.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193644.htm Real-life particles released by car brake pads can harm lung cells in vitro. Researchers found that heavy braking, as in an emergency stop, caused the most damage, but normal breaking and even close proximity to a disengaged brake resulted in potentially dangerous cellular stress. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193644.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193818.htm Most people would like to be able to charge their cell phones and other personal electronics quickly and not too often. A recent discovery made by engineers could lead to carbon nanotube-based supercapacitors that could do just this. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193818.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029161218.htm Researchers have developed a new measurement technology that makes use of optical resonances in nanoparticles. The method, which opens new possibilities in the field of catalytics. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029161218.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120084617.htm With the introduction of a single bacterial gene into yeast, researchers have achieved three improvements in bioethanol production from agricultural waste material: 'More ethanol, less acetate and elimination of the major by-product glycerol' Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120084617.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120084337.htm Two-dimensional carbon layers, so-called graphenes, are regarded as a possible substitute for silicon in the semiconductor industry. The electronic properties of these layers can be varied by “building in” specific arrays of holes in their structure. Physicists and chemists have, for the first time, succeeded in synthesizing a graphene-like porous polymer with atomic accuracy. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120084337.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118143223.htm Just as fly paper captures insects, an innovative new device with nano-sized features is able to grab cancer cells in the blood that have broken off from a tumor. These cells, known as circulating tumor cells, or CTCs, can provide critical information for examining and diagnosing cancer metastasis, determining patient prognosis, and monitoring the effectiveness of therapies. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118143223.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116143621.htm An accidental discovery has apparently solved a quest that over thousands of years has absorbed the energies of ancient Egyptians, the Han dynasty in China, Mayan cultures and more -- the creation of a near-perfect blue pigment. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116143621.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112121605.htm The performance of modern electronics increases steadily on a fast pace thanks to the ongoing miniaturization of the utilized components. However, severe problems arise due to quantum-mechanical phenomena when conventional structures are simply made smaller and reach the nanometer scale. Therefore current research focuses on the so-called bottom-up approach: the engineering of functional structures with the smallest possible building blocks -- single atoms and molecules. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112121605.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116104007.htm The freezing of suspensions of particles is not always a uniform phenomenon; in certain conditions it leads to a modification of the redistribution of particles and the growth of crystals. These results have been obtained by observing, through X-ray imaging, the movement of particles while they are being frozen. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116104007.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118112421.htm In an advance with overtones of Star Trek phasers and other sci-fi ray guns, scientists are reporting development of an internal on-off "switch" that paralyzes animals when exposed to a beam of ultraviolet light. The animals stay paralyzed even when the light is turned off. When exposed to ordinary light, the animals become unparalyzed and wake up. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118112421.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117133510.htm First, it was the soccer-ball-shaped molecules dubbed buckyballs. Then it was the cylindrically shaped nanotubes. Now, the hottest new material in physics and nanotechnology is graphene: a remarkably flat molecule made of carbon atoms arranged in hexagonal rings much like molecular chicken wire. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117133510.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117094829.htm Scientists have set a new world record with next-generation particle fuel for use in high temperature gas reactors (HTGRs). Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117094829.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117161122.htm Everybody loves a race to the wire, even when the result is a tie. The great irony is the ultraprecise clocks that could result from this competition could probably break any tie. A second lab of physicists has now demonstrated the long-sought creation of a Bose-Einstein condensate of strontium atoms. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117161122.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120000801.htm A newly designed straw house -- built of pre-fabricated straw-bale and hemp panels -- has fire resistance as good as houses built of conventional building materials, according to researchers in the UK. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120000801.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113125445.htm Single layers of carbon atoms, called graphene sheets, are lightweight, strong, electrically semi-conducting -- and notoriously difficult and expensive to make. Now, scientists have invented a simple way to make graphene electrical devices by growing the graphene directly onto a silicon wafer. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113125445.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118092623.htm Researchers have created a novel and simple way to analyze samples that are complex mixtures -- such as whole milk, blood serum and dirt in solution -- by adapting a new separation technique called gradient elution moving boundary electrophoresis. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118092623.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117192400.htm Catalysis is a process that is widely used in industry to synthesize molecules or materials. However, determining catalytic mechanisms is a major challenge for modern chemistry. Researchers have now used numerical simulation methods to show how the selectivity of reaction mechanisms at the surface of a metal catalyst can be understood far more simply. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117192400.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113141242.htm By applying epitaxial strain to thin films of bismuth ferrite, researchers have produced a lead-free alternative to the current crop of piezoelectric materials. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113141242.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111111259.htm Researchers are flying the idea that insect wings could act as a model for making self-cleaning, frictionless, and superhydrophobic materials. Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111111259.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111092041.htm Engineers have developed a simple technology which can be used in existing chemical reactors to ensure "right first time" drug crystal formation. Sat, 14 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111092041.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110112446.htm Scientists are reporting development of a new test that can measure the degradation of old books and precious historical documents from their smell. The nondestructive "sniff" test could help libraries and museums preserve a range of prized paper-based objects, some of which are degrading rapidly. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110112446.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112085025.htm In an advance that could help ease health and environmental concerns about the emerging nanotechnology industry, scientists are reporting development of technology for changing the behavior of nanoparticles in municipal sewage treatment plants -- their main gateway into the environment. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112085025.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090806112353.htm Scientists in England are constructing highly sensitive detectors as part of an international project to understand the elements that make up the universe. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090806112353.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112171411.htm Novel nanomaterials are scheduled to blast off into orbit on November 16 aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis. The project seeks to test the performance of the new nanocomposites in orbit. The materials will be mounted to the International Space Station's outer hull and exposed to the rigors of space. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112171411.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112171409.htm Scientists and curiosity seekers who want to know what a partially or completely cloaked object would look like in real life can now get their wish -- virtually. Scientists have created a new visualization tool that can render a room containing such an object, showing the visual effects of such a cloaking mechanism and its imperfections. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112171409.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111122320.htm Nanophysicists have developed a new method for manufacturing the cornerstone of nanotechnology research -- nanowires. The discovery has great potential for the development of nanoelectronics and highly efficient solar cells. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111122320.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111122318.htm Operators of subsea fields on the continental shelf spend vast amounts of money on keeping harmful ice-like crystals under control. Scientists are now looking for a cheaper solution to the problem. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111122318.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104140812.htm Physicists have created a quantum gas microscope that can be used to observe single atoms at temperatures so low the particles follow the rules of quantum mechanics, behaving in bizarre ways. The work represents the first time scientists have detected single atoms in a crystalline structure made solely of light, called a Bose Hubbard optical lattice. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104140812.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104123029.htm Engineering researchers have fabricated a palm-sized, automated, micro-injector that can insert proteins, DNA and other biomolecules into individual cells at volumes exponentially higher than current procedures, and at a fraction of the cost. This will allow scientists to vastly increase preclinical trials for drug development and genetic engineering, and provide greater control of the process. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104123029.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111110854.htm Metals are opaque: they reflect light almost completely. For that reason they are utilized as mirrors; as films deposited onto a glass -- you find them in any bathroom. If the metal film is very thin, the mirror is semitransparent. These half-silvered mirrors help to hide surveillance video cameras, for instance. One might think that holes in a metal film enhance the view. Exactly the opposite is true. Physicists discovered that tiny holes actually make the metal opaque. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111110854.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110071535.htm A group of engineers working on a novel manufacturing technique at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., have come up with a new twist on the popular old saying about dreaming and doing: "If you can slice it, we can build it." That's because layers mean everything to the environmentally-friendly construction process called Electron Beam Freeform Fabrication, or EBF3, and its operation sounds like something straight out of science fiction. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110071535.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110171746.htm Researchers are making progress in developing a new type of transistor that uses a finlike structure instead of the conventional flat design, possibly enabling engineers to create faster and more compact circuits and computer chips. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110171746.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102103329.htm Using Einstein's theory of special relativity to speedup computer simulations, scientists have designed laser-plasma accelerators with energies of 10 billion electron volts (GeV) and beyond. These systems, which have not been simulated in detail until now, could in the future serve as a compact new technology for particle colliders and energetic light sources. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102103329.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112095046.htm Researchers have created bowtie-shaped antennae that function as the first tunable nano color sorters, able to capture, filter and steer light at the nanoscale. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112095046.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111210626.htm Electronic devices can't work well unless all of the transistors, or switches, within them allow electrical current to flow easily when they are turned on. Engineers have now determined why some transistors made of organic crystals don't perform well, yielding ideas about how to make them work better. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111210626.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111142514.htm Silicon nanowires are attracting attention from the electronics industry due to the drive for smaller devices, from cell phones to computers. The operation of these devices, and an array of additional applications, will depend on the mechanical properties of these nanowires. New research shows that silicon nanowires are far more resilient than their larger counterparts, a finding that paves the way for smaller, sturdier nanoelectronics, nanosensors, light-emitting diodes and other applications. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111142514.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111130950.htm Green fluorescent protein has invaded thousands of research labs around the world, thanks to its versatility in labeling cells and organisms. Now, chemists have discovered why GFP is such an efficient emitter of green light. A new technique, femtosecond stimulated Ramon spectroscopy, could provide snapshots of reactions in other light-capturing molecules and allow redesign for improved photon absorption in solar cells. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111130950.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171730.htm In all the world, there are about 200 types of zeolite, a compound of silicon, aluminum and oxygen that gives civilization such things as laundry detergent, kitty litter and gasoline. But thanks to computations by researchers, it appears there are -- or could be -- more types of zeolites than once thought. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171730.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110112440.htm In work that someday may lead to the development of novel types of nanoscale electronic devices, researchers have combined DNA's talent for self-assembly with the remarkable electronic properties of carbon nanotubes, thereby suggesting a solution to the long-standing problem of organizing carbon nanotubes into nanoscale electronic circuits. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110112440.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102111841.htm Physicists have directly observed a reverse shock wave of light in a specially tailored structure known as a left-handed metamaterial. Although it was first predicted over forty years ago, this is the first unambiguous experimental demonstration of the effect. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102111841.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106102654.htm Polishing metal surfaces is a demanding but monotonous task, and it is difficult to find qualified young specialists. Polishing machines do not represent an adequate alternative because they cannot get to difficult parts of the surface. A new solution is provided by laser polishers. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106102654.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091108131438.htm Researchers have discovered a new approach for repairing damaged nerve fibers in spinal cord injuries using nano-spheres that could be injected into the blood shortly after an accident. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091108131438.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105143712.htm University of Utah chemists demonstrated the first conclusive link between the size of catalyst particles on a solid surface, their electronic properties and their ability to speed chemical reactions. The study is a step toward the goal of designing cheaper, more efficient catalysts to increase energy production, reduce Earth-warming gases and manufacture a wide variety of goods from medicines to gasoline. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105143712.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029150432.htm It may look like little more than fishing line, but plastic optical fiber or POF promises to revolutionize high-speed last-mile communications networks. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029150432.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110090900.htm Researchers have developed, characterized, and modeled a new kind of probe used in atomic force microscopy, which images, measures, and manipulates matter at the nanoscale. Using diamond, researchers made a much more durable probe than the commercially available silicon nitride probes, which are typically used in AFM to gather information from a material, but can wear down after several uses. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110090900.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109174258.htm The catalytic processes that facilitate the production of many chemicals and fuels could become much more environmentally friendly, thanks to a new breakthrough. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109174258.htm