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. en-us Sun, 12 Feb 2012 21:05:01 EST Sun, 12 Feb 2012 21:05:01 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/2012/02/120212192557.htm Researchers have developed methodology, based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to examine batteries without destroying them. Their technique creates the possibility of improving battery performance and safety by serving as a diagnostic of its internal workings. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 19:25:25 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120212192557.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210133356.htm Researchers have developed a new method for creating scaffolds for tissue engineering applications, providing an alternative that is more flexible and less time-intensive than current technology. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:33:33 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210133356.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210110514.htm Catalytic materials, which lower the energy barriers for chemical reactions, are used in everything from the commercial production of chemicals to catalytic converters in car engines. However, with current catalytic materials becoming increasingly expensive, scientists are exploring viable alternatives. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:05:05 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210110514.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210104756.htm New research holds promise for applications ranging from high-precision optical components to tooth fillings. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:47:47 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210104756.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210104748.htm A new method to map nanostructures within materials may lead to biological imaging of the internal organization of cells. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:47:47 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210104748.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210104743.htm Measurements from high-energy collision experiments lead to a better understanding of why meson particles disappear. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:47:47 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210104743.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209173327.htm Researchers have built the smallest room-temperature nanolaser to date, as well as an even more startling device: a highly efficient, "thresholdless" laser that funnels all its photons into lasing, without any waste. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:33:33 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209173327.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209172928.htm Scientists have developed a new method for making scaffolds for culturing tissue in three-dimensional arrangements that mimic those in the body. This advance allows the production of tissue culture scaffolds containing multiple structurally and chemically distinct layers using common laboratory reagents and materials. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:29:29 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209172928.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209172916.htm Microscopic channels of gold nanoparticles have the ability to transmit electromagnetic energy that starts as light and propagates via "dark plasmons," according to researchers. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:29:29 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209172916.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209152810.htm A technique for creating a new molecule that structurally and chemically replicates the active part of the molybdenite catalyst paves the way for developing catalytic materials that can serve as effective low-cost alternatives to platinum for generating hydrogen gas from water. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:28:28 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209152810.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209143920.htm Researchers have created a new, “green” method for developing medicines. The researchers used energy from a light bulb to create an organic molecule that may be useful in the treatment of Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:39:39 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209143920.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209135846.htm Recent earthquake damage has exposed the vulnerability of existing structures to strong ground movement. Researchers are now analyzing shape-memory alloys for their potential use in constructing seismic-resistant structures. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:58:58 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209135846.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209135341.htm Researchers have developed a new nanotechnology platform for the development of molecule-based electronic components using the wonder material graphene. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:53:53 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209135341.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209131412.htm Researchers have again shown that injecting multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) into tumors and heating them with a quick, 30-second laser treatment can kill them. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:14:14 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209131412.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209101841.htm It's a matchup worthy of a late-night cable movie: put a school of starving piranha and a 300-pound fish together, and who comes out the winner? The surprising answer -- given the notorious guillotine-like bite of the piranha -- is Brazil's massive Arapaima fish. The secret to Arapaima's success lie in its intricately detailed scales, which could provide "bioinspiration" for engineers looking to develop flexible ceramics. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:18:18 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209101841.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209100806.htm The camera at the end of the robotic arm on NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has its own calibration target, a smartphone-size plaque that looks like an eye chart supplemented with color chips and an attached penny. When Curiosity lands on Mars in August, researchers will use this calibration target to test performance of the rover's Mars Hand Lens Imager, or MAHLI. MAHLI's close-up inspections of Martian rocks and soil will show details so tiny, the calibration target includes reference lines finer than a human hair. This camera is not limited to close-ups, though. It can focus on any target from about a finger's-width away to the horizon. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:08:08 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209100806.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208132844.htm Scientists have gathered new insight into the performance of a material called a zeolite that may filter carbon dioxide far more efficiently than current industrial "scrubbers" do. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:28:28 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208132844.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208132723.htm Individual cells modified to act as sensors using fluorescence are already useful tools in biochemistry, but now they can add good timing to their resume. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:27:27 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208132723.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208132721.htm By harnessing quantum dots, researchers have developed a new and vastly more targeted way to stimulate neurons in the brain. Being able to switch neurons on and off and monitor how they communicate with one another is crucial for understanding -- and, ultimately, treating -- a host of brain disorders. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:27:27 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208132721.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208132719.htm Scientists have found an iron-based superconductor that operates at the highest known temperature for a material in its class. The discovery inches iron-based superconductors closer to being useful in many practical applications. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:27:27 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208132719.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208132713.htm Scientists are reporting development of a new form of buckypaper, which eliminates a major drawback of these sheets of carbon nanotubes -- 50,000 times thinner than a human hair, 10 times lighter than steel, but up to 250 times stronger -- with potential uses ranging from body armor to next-generation batteries. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:27:27 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208132713.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208132601.htm Scientists have developed a new kind of tiny motor -- which they term a "microrocket" -- that can propel itself through acidic environments, such as the human stomach, without any external energy source, opening the way to a variety of medical and industrial applications. Their report describes the microrockets traveling at virtual warp speed for such devices. A human moving at the same speed would have to run at a clip of 400 miles per hour. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:26:26 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208132601.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208102737.htm In research to develop a novel, eco-friendly filter to remove toxic gases from the air, scientists found that a material made from used coffee grounds can sop up hydrogen sulfide gas, the chemical that makes raw sewage stinky. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:27:27 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208102737.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120207202803.htm Scientists have developed a "biological computer" made entirely from biomolecules that is capable of deciphering images encrypted on DNA chips. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:28:28 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120207202803.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120207133752.htm Researchers have learned how to improve the performance of sensors that use tiny vibrating microcantilevers to detect chemical and biological agents for applications from national security to food processing. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:37:37 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120207133752.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120207133746.htm Just like in the Russian wooden toy, a hull of 12 copper atoms encases a single tin atom. This hull is, in turn, enveloped by 20 further tin atoms. Scientists have now generated these spatial structures built up in three layers as isolated metal clusters in alloys. With their large surfaces these structures can serve as highly efficient catalysts. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:37:37 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120207133746.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120207133606.htm An online tool called "Impurities to Efficiency" (known as I2E) allows companies or researchers exploring alternative manufacturing strategies to plug in descriptions of their planned materials and processing steps. After about one minute of simulation, I2E gives an indication of exactly how efficient the resulting solar cell would be in converting sunlight to electricity. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:36:36 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120207133606.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120206092633.htm At the nano level, researchers have discovered a new way to weld together meshes of tiny wires. Their work could lead to exciting new electronics and solar applications. To succeed, they called upon plasmonics. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:26:26 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120206092633.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120205163752.htm For the first time, researchers have developed crystalline materials that allow an optical fiber to have integrated, high-speed electronic functions. The potential applications of such optical fibers include improved telecommunications and other hybrid optical and electronic technologies, improved laser technology, and more-accurate remote-sensing devices. Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:37:37 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120205163752.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120205163720.htm As the number of knee and hip joint replacements grows, nanodiamond coatings could answer problems related to metal surfaces. Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:37:37 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120205163720.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120202151035.htm Wonder material graphene has been touted as the next silicon, with one major problem -- it is too conductive to be used in computer chips. Now scientists have given its prospects a new lifeline. Scientists have now literally opened a third dimension in graphene research. Their research shows a transistor that may prove the missing link for graphene to become the next silicon. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:10:10 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120202151035.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120202092246.htm Scientists are turning the term "power plant" on its head. A team of researchers has developed a system that taps into photosynthetic processes to produce efficient and inexpensive energy. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:22:22 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120202092246.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201181455.htm Incandescent light bulbs are energy hogs, but many people prefer them for the cozy quality of light they emit. Scientists in Germany have set out to build energy efficient organic LED (OLED) lights that could rival incandescent bulbs in white-light color quality. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:14:14 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201181455.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201181449.htm Aerospace engineers have developed a prototype device that could power a pacemaker using a source that is surprisingly close to the heart of the matter: vibrations in the chest cavity that are due mainly to heartbeats. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:14:14 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201181449.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201142404.htm Researchers have developed a relatively fast, easy and inexpensive technique for inducing nanorods to self-assemble into aligned and ordered macroscopic structures. This technique should enable more effective use of nanorods in solar cells, magnetic storage devices and sensors, and boost the electrical and mechanical properties of nanorod-polymer composites. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:24:24 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201142404.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201140038.htm Scientists have created a nano-infused oil that could greatly enhance the ability of devices as large as electrical transformers and as small as microelectronic components to shed excess heat. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201140038.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201140004.htm A study that combines experimental observations of spider webs with complex computer simulations has shown that web durability depends not only on silk strength, but on how overall web design compensates for damage and the response of individual strands to continuously varying stresses. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201140004.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131135747.htm Photodetectors made from graphene can process and conduct light signals as well as electric signals extremely fast. Within picoseconds the optical stimulation of graphene generates a photocurrent. Until now, none of the available methods were fast enough to measure these processes in graphene. Scientists have now developed a method to measure the temporal dynamics of this photo current. Furthermore they discovered that graphene can emit terahertz radiation. Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:57:57 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131135747.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131121243.htm Atomic-level defects in graphene could be a path forward to smaller and faster electronic devices. With unique properties and potential applications in areas from electronics to biodevices, graphene, which consists of a single sheet of carbon atoms, has been hailed as a rising star in the materials world. Now, a new study suggests that point defects, composed of silicon atoms that replace individual carbon atoms in graphene, could aid attempts to transfer data on an atomic scale by coupling light with electrons. Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:12:12 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131121243.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131092737.htm Nanomedicine faces two main challenges: controlling the synthesis of extremely small vectors containing one or several active ingredients and releasing these agents in the right place at the right time, in controlled forms and doses. Researchers have just recently encapsulated nanovesicles within slightly larger vesicles. This "Russian doll" structure mimics the organization of cell compartments. Reproducing it is a first major step towards triggering controlled reactions within the structure of the cell. This work is already opening up new possibilities in terms of multiple encapsulation,compartmentalized reactors and the administration of vectors via new delivery routes (e.g. oral absorption). Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:27:27 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131092737.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130172615.htm Researchers are using carbon nanotubes as the critical component of a robust terahertz polarizer that could accelerate the development of new security and communication devices, sensors and non-invasive medical imaging systems as well as fundamental studies of low-dimensional condensed matter systems. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:26:26 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130172615.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130172613.htm In a flash, the world changed for Tim Noe -- and for physicists who study what they call many-body problems. The graduate student was the first to see, in the summer of 2010, proof of a theory that solid-state materials are capable of producing an effect known as superfluorescence. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:26:26 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130172613.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130172400.htm Researchers have discovered why a promising technique for making quantum dots and nanorods has so far been a disappointment. Better still, they've also discovered how to correct the problem. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:24:24 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130172400.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130170149.htm The walls of the aorta, the largest blood vessel carrying blood from the heart, exhibits a response to electric fields known to exist in inorganic and synthetic materials. The discovery could have implications for treating human heart disease. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:01:01 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130170149.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130131505.htm An innovative low-cost smart paint that can detect microscopic faults in wind turbines, mines and bridges before structural damage occurs is being developed. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:15:15 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130131505.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130130843.htm Scientists have experimentally confirmed a theory that foretold a pair of interesting properties about nanotube growth: That the chirality of a nanotube controls the speed of its growth, and that armchair nanotubes should grow the fastest. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:08:08 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130130843.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130093911.htm Using computer simulations, researchers have shown that the oxygen molecule (O₂) is stable up to pressures of 1.9 terapascal, which is about nineteen million times higher than atmosphere pressure. Above that, it polymerizes, i.e. builds larger molecules or structures. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:39:39 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130093911.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120127140937.htm There is a new mechanism of drug release using 3-D superhydrophobic materials that utilizes air as a removable barrier to control the rate at which drug is released. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:09:09 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120127140937.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120127140935.htm A kitchen gadget that vacuum seals food in plastic inspired a physicist to improve the performance of organic transistors for potential use in video displays. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:09:09 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120127140935.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120127135441.htm A rare combination of electric and magnetic properties in a now readily producible material could improve electronic memory devices. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:54:54 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120127135441.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126223923.htm Protein purification, often referred to as downstream processing, is the most costly and time-consuming process in the manufacture of bio-molecules. EU-funded researchers integrated materials science with process development to produce novel low-cost materials and methods for selective purification with a focus on chromatography, membrane separation and extraction. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:39:39 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126223923.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126152132.htm Japan used seawater to cool nuclear fuel at the stricken Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear plant after the tsunami in March 2011 -- and that was probably the best action to take at the time, say experts. But researchers have since discovered a new way in which seawater can corrode nuclear fuel, forming uranium compounds that could potentially travel long distances, either in solution or as very small particles. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:21:21 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126152132.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126123101.htm A chemist is making and studying materials that decrease toxins in the air by either turning the lights on or off in a room. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:31:31 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126123101.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126115939.htm Does antimatter weigh more than matter? Physicists want to know. Their finding could explain why the universe seems to have no antimatter and why it is expanding at an ever increasing rate. In the lab, the researchers took the first step towards measuring the free fall of positronium -- a bound state between a positron and an electron. They separated the positron from the electron long enough to measure gravity's effect on them. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:59:59 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126115939.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126101308.htm Scientists have found that micron-size particles which are trapped at fluid interfaces exhibit a collective dynamic that is subject to seemingly unrelated governing laws. These laws show a smooth transitioning from long-ranged cosmological-style gravitational attraction down to short-range attractive and repulsive forces. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:13:13 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126101308.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126100639.htm Wonder material graphene has revealed another of its extraordinary properties Scientists have now found that it is superpermeable with respect to water. Graphene is one of the wonders of the science world, with the potential to create foldaway mobile phones, wallpaper-thin lighting panels and the next generation of aircraft. The new finding gives graphene’s potential a most surprising dimension – graphene can also be used for distilling alcohol. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:06:06 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126100639.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126092540.htm A solution to the difficult issue of harvesting algae for use as a biofuel has been developed using microbubble technology. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 09:25:25 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126092540.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125195535.htm Researchers in the US have, for the first time, cloaked a three-dimensional object standing in free space, bringing the much-talked-about invisibility cloak one step closer to reality. Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:55:55 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125195535.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125151511.htm A quantum computer based on quantum particles instead of classical bits, can in principle outperform any classical computer. However, it still remains an open question, how fast and how efficient quantum computers really may be able to work. A critical limitation will be given by the velocity with which a quantum signal can spread within a processing unit. For the first time, a group of physicists has succeeded in observing such a process in a solid-state like system. Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:15:15 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125151511.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125132822.htm Chemists have taken an important step in making artificial life forms from scratch. Using a novel chemical reaction, they have created self-assembling cell membranes, the structural envelopes that contain and support the reactions required for life. Instead of complex enzymes embedded in membranes, they used a simple metal ion as the catalyst. By assembling an essential component of earthly life with no biological precursors, they hope to illuminate life's origins. Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:28:28 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125132822.htm