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 Sun, 07 Sep 2008 03:05:01 EDT Sun, 07 Sep 2008 03:05:01 EDT 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/2008/09/080904215624.htm Scientists have discovered a way of stimulating organic molecules that they expect will prompt researchers to create materials from new kinds of chemical reactions. The method of catalysis, when used, could lead to groundbreaking kinds of drugs and agricultural chemicals and will provide a shortcut to standard multi-step methods of chemical production. Sun, 07 Sep 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080904215624.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080904115132.htm Researchers are probing the newest microscope technology to further improve measurement accuracy at the nanoscale -- a critical capability for setting standards and improving production in the semiconductor and nanomanufacturing industries. Sat, 06 Sep 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080904115132.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080903134202.htm MIT researchers may have found a way to overcome a key barrier to the advent of super-fast quantum computers, which could be powerful tools for applications such as code breaking. Fri, 05 Sep 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080903134202.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080904215859.htm Using the world's most powerful microscopes for chemical analysis, scientists have pinpointed where the conversion of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide occurs when gold is supported on iron oxide. CO oxidation is critical to firefighters and others who wear protect masks when entering a burning building. Bilayer clusters of atoms less than a nanometer in dimension are found to be responsible for a vital oxidation reaction. Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080904215859.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080903073016.htm Harry Potter beware! A team of Chinese scientists has developed a way to unmask your invisibility cloak. According to a new paper in Optics Express certain materials underneath an invisibility cloak would allow invisible objects be seen again. Thu, 04 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080903073016.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080903172201.htm Physicists of the DZero experiment at the US Department of Energy's Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory have discovered a new particle made of three quarks, the Omega-sub-b. The particle contains two strange quarks and a bottom quark. It is an exotic relative of the much more common proton and weighs about six times the proton mass. Thu, 04 Sep 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080903172201.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080904115128.htm Researchers have learned how to tweak a new class of polymer-based semiconductors to better control the location and alignment of the components of the blend. Their recent results could enable the design of practical, large-scale manufacturing techniques for a wide range of printable, flexible electronic displays and other devices. Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080904115128.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080830165628.htm Applied scientists have developed a new technique for fabricating nanowire photonic and electronic integrated circuits that may one day be suitable for high-volume commercial production. Wed, 03 Sep 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080830165628.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080903134407.htm Scientists have succeeded in making unique nanoscale droplets that are much smaller than a human cell and can potentially be used to deliver pharmaceuticals. Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080903134407.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080903134318.htm Researchers from the Carnegie Institution's Geophysical Laboratory report changes in the melting temperature of solid nitrogen at pressures up to 120 gigapascals and temperatures reaching 2,500° Kelvin. These results, plus observed changes in the structure of solid nitrogen at high pressures, could lead to new high energy nitrogen- or hydrogen-based fuels in the future. Hypothesized nitrogen polymers could form materials with higher energy content than any known non-nuclear material. Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080903134318.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080828162602.htm Everybody loves the way eggs slide off of Teflon pans. Indeed, the carbon-fluorine bond at the heart of Teflon cookware is so helpful we also use it in products from clothing to blood substitutes. But the very strength of the C-F bond also gives it greenhouse gas effects. In the journal Science, researchers report a catalyst that breaks the C-F bond and converts it to a carbon-hydrogen bond, rendering it harmless to the environment. Tue, 02 Sep 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080828162602.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080829135354.htm Scientists have developed a simple process for mass producing molecular tubes of identical -- and precisely programmable -- circumferences. The technological feat may allow the use of the molecular tubes in a number of nanotechnology applications. Tue, 02 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080829135354.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080830160034.htm The greatest challenge in paper recycling is removal of polymeric ink and coating; and the most difficult paper is mixed office wastepaper. Traditional de-inking processes involve large quantities of chemicals which are expensive and unfriendly to the environment. A better alternative would be a technology that involves biological intervention. Mon, 01 Sep 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080830160034.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080829120522.htm The secret of electron heating in low temperature plasmas has been discovered. Scientists found the answer to a question which has been puzzling scientists for decades -- why electrons in such plasmas are so hot. Mon, 01 Sep 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080829120522.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080829104945.htm Engineers have used skin cells to create artificial bones that mimic the ability of natural bone to blend into other tissues such as tendons or ligaments. The artificial bones provide for better integration with the body and handle weight more successfully. Sun, 31 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080829104945.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080827163814.htm Scientists at Brookhaven National Laboratory and collaborators have uncovered the first experimental evidence for why the transition temperature of high-temperature superconductors cannot simply be elevated by increasing the electrons' binding energy. The research demonstrates how, as electron-pair binding energy increases, the electrons' tendency to get caught in a quantum mechanical "traffic jam" overwhelms the interactions needed for the material to act as a superconductor -- a freely flowing fluid of electron pairs. Fri, 29 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080827163814.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080828135903.htm Certain explosives may soon get a little greener and a little more precise. Researchers have added unique green solvents (ionic liquids) to an explosive called TATB (1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene) and improved the crystal quality and chemical purity of the material. Fri, 29 Aug 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080828135903.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080828120316.htm Quicker microwave meals that use less energy may soon be possible with new ceramic microwave dishes and, according to the material scientists responsible, this same material could help with organic waste remediation. Thu, 28 Aug 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080828120316.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080825092353.htm Bacteria may hold the key for our future. Amid mounting agreement that future clean, "carbon neutral," energy will rely on efficient conversion of the sun's light energy into fuels and electric power, attention is focusing on one of the most ancient groups of organism, the cyanobacteria. Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080825092353.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080821212854.htm Scientists are working to convert sunlight to cheap electricity. They are working with new materials that can make devices used for converting sunlight to electricity cheaper and more efficient. Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080821212854.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080820162956.htm The fastest quantum computer bit that exploits the main advantage of the qubit over the conventional bit has been demonstrated. The scientists used lasers to create an initialized quantum state of this solid-state qubit at rates of about a gigahertz, or a billion times per second. They can also use lasers to achieve fundamental steps toward programming it. Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080820162956.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080814091048.htm A scientific research and development programme is being launched in Norway with the aim of generating more cost effective technology for CO2-capture. The project is one of the biggest of its kind to date. Mon, 25 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080814091048.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080819170443.htm Researchers have developed a fast, inexpensive and effective method for evaluating the sugars pharmaceutical companies use to stabilize protein-based drugs for storage at room temperature. Sun, 24 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080819170443.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080819170439.htm Researchers from NIST and the Joint Quantum Institute have reported a new way to fine-tune the light coming from quantum dots by manipulating them with pairs of lasers. Their technique could significantly improve quantum dots as a source of pairs of entangled photons for applications in quantum information technologies. Sun, 24 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080819170439.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080821213606.htm A new recycling plant will soon recover uranium from the ashes of radioactive garbage to be recycled back into nuclear fuel using an efficient, environmentally friendly technology inspired by decaffeinated coffee. The technique's future may even hold the key to recycling the most dangerous forms of radioactive waste. Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080821213606.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080821110111.htm Plastic coatings could someday help neural implants treat conditions as diverse as Parkinson's disease and macular degeneration. The coatings encourage neurons in the body to grow and connect with the electrodes that provide treatment. Fri, 22 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080821110111.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080819160155.htm Scientists have theorized a way to increase the speed of pulses of light that bound across chains of tiny metal particles to past the speed of light by altering the particle shape. Application of this theory would use nanosized metal chains as building blocks for novel optoelectronic and optical devices. Fri, 22 Aug 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080819160155.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080815130425.htm Carbon nanotubes' atomic structure should, in theory, give them mechanical and electrical properties far superior to most common materials. Unfortunately, theory and experiments have failed to converge on the true mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes. Researchers recently made the first experimental measurements of the mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes that directly correspond to the theoretical predictions. They used a nanoscale material testing system based on MEMS technology. Thu, 21 Aug 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080815130425.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080820163059.htm Chemical engineers have broken the "mucus barrier," engineering the first drug-delivery particles capable of passing through human mucus -- regarded by many as nearly impenetrable -- and carrying medication that could treat a range of diseases. Those conditions include lung cancer, cervical cancer and cystic fibrosis, the research say. Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080820163059.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080821164603.htm Sandia researchers identified that the form of bacillus anthracis mailed in the fall of 2001 to several news media offices and to two US senators was a non-weaponized form of the spores. Five people were killed. Sandia's information was crucial in ruling out state-sponsored terrorism. Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080821164603.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080817223546.htm Hyaluronic hydrogels may provide a suitable scaffolding to enable bone regeneration. The hydrogels have proven to encourage the growth of preosteoblast cells, cells that aid the growth and development of bone. Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080817223546.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080820163004.htm Engineers have created a tiny motorized positioning device that has twice the dexterity of similar devices being developed for applications that include biological sensors and more compact, powerful computer hard drives. The device, called a monolithic comb drive, might be used as a "nanoscale manipulator" that precisely moves or senses movement and forces. Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080820163004.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080820162856.htm The semiconductor silicon and the ferromagnet iron are the basis for much of mankind's technology, used in everything from computers to electric motors. Scientists now report that they have combined these elements with a small amount of another common metal, manganese, to create a new material which is neither a magnet nor an ordinary semiconductor. Thu, 21 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080820162856.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080820163105.htm The proliferation of solar, wind and even tidal electric generation and the rapid emergence of hybrid electric automobiles demands flexible and reliable methods of high-capacity electrical storage. Now materials scientists are developing ferroelectric polymer-based capacitors that can deliver power more rapidly and are much lighter than conventional batteries. Thu, 21 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080820163105.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080820081154.htm Researchers have solved the structure of gold nanoparticles. Results of the study may yield important advances in medicine, biomolecule research and nanoelectronics. Thu, 21 Aug 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080820081154.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080819160059.htm In the quest to better understand one of nature's most "ghostly" elementary particles -- the neutrino -- scientists at the US Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory are spreading their expertise from the mines of Canada to the mountains of China. Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080819160059.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080819160053.htm Fleets of inexpensive, pint-sized spacecraft are one giant leap closer to lift off. Researchers describe a new, razor thin temperature-regulating film that brings this sci-fi vision of "micro-spacecraft" weighing barely 50 pounds and 10-pound "nano-spacecraft" closer to reality. Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080819160053.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080819170435.htm People have long prized silver as a precious metal. Now, silver-coated endotracheal tubes are giving critically ill patients another reason to value the lustrous metal. Researchers now report that the silver-coated tubes led to a 36 percent reduction of ventilator-associated pneumonia. Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080819170435.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080818184434.htm Researchers have a plan to greatly increase algae oil yields by feeding the algae extra carbon dioxide (the main greenhouse gas) and organic material like sewage, meaning the algae could simultaneously produce biofuel and clean up environmental problems. Tue, 19 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080818184434.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080818082702.htm Materials such as milk, paper, white paint and tissue are opaque because they scatter light, not because they absorb it. But no matter how great the scattering, light is always able to get through the material in question. At least, according to the theory. Researchers have now confirmed this with experiments. By shaping the waveform of light, they have succeeded in finding the predicted 'open channels' in material along which the light is able to move. Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080818082702.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080814154323.htm A new manufacturing approach holds the potential to overcome the technological limitations currently facing the microelectronics and data-storage industries, paving the way to smaller electronic devices and higher-capacity hard drives. Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080814154323.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080814091059.htm Hybrid technology combines the advantages of combustion engines and electric motors. Scientists are developing high-performance energy storage units, a prerequisite for effective hybrid motors. Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080814091059.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080817223534.htm Physicists successfully controlled an electrical current using the "spin" within electrons -- a step toward building an organic "spin transistor": A plastic semiconductor switch for future ultrafast computers and electronics. The study also suggests it will be more difficult than thought to make highly efficient light-emitting diodes using organic materials. The findings hint such LEDs would convert no more than 25 percent of electricity into light rather than heat. Mon, 18 Aug 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080817223534.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080813095718.htm When you make a new material on a nano scale how can you see what you have made? This research shows a newly developed technique to examine tiny protein molecules on the surface of a gold nanoparticle. This is the first time scientists have been able to build a detailed picture of self-assembled proteins on a nanoparticle and it offers the promise of new ways to design and manufacture novel materials on the tiniest scale. Mon, 18 Aug 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080813095718.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080814154335.htm Nanoscientists have mass-produced the 2008 Summer Olympics logo -- 15,000 times. All the logos take up one square centimeter of space. The researchers printed the logos as well as an integrated gold circuit using a new printing technique, called Polymer Pen Lithography, that can write on three different length scales using only one device. It is fast, inexpensive and simple and could find use in computational tools, medical diagnostics and the pharmaceutical industry. Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080814154335.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080731140141.htm Scientists have developed a nanomaterial that makes plastic stiffer, lighter and stronger and could result in more fuel-efficient airplanes and cars as well as more durable medical and sports equipment. Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080731140141.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080813164640.htm Researchers have developed a method for converting crop residue, wood pulp, animal waste and garbage into ethanol. The process first turns the waste material into synthesis gas, or syngas, and nanoscale catalysts then convert the syngas into ethanol. Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080813164640.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080813122943.htm Physicists have published a new theory that explains some of the complex electronic and magnetic properties of iron "pnictides." In a series of startling discoveries this spring, pnictides were shown to superconduct at high temperatures. The new theory, which appears in Physical Review Letters, explains some of the similarities and differences between pnictides and cuprates, high-temperature superconductors that have been studied for more than 20 years. Thu, 14 Aug 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080813122943.htm