[Images above] Credit: NIST
NANOMATERIALS
Researchers advance nanoscale imaging capabilities
Researchers at the University of Waterloo combined pulsed dynamic nuclear polarization with magnetic resonance force microscopy to improve the latter’s use as a nanoscale imaging technique.
Metasurfaces that control thermal radiation in unprecedented ways
Researchers at The City University of New York experimentally demonstrated that single-layer metasurfaces can precisely control the optical properties of thermal radiation generated within the metasurface itself.
ENERGY
Catalyst based on molybdenum carbide could make recovering hydrogen from water faster
Scientists from Tomsk Polytechnical University and Jilin University developed an aggregated catalyst based on molybdenum carbide to recover hydrogen. The newly developed material can remain stable for 15 days, in contrast to the 50 hours of existing analogous catalysts.
Key component of nuclear fusion research tastes great on sandwiches
Engineers at Lehigh University are using mayonnaise as a model for plasma so they can test and observe a key aspect of nuclear fusion reactions without applying intense heat and pressure.
Study of disordered rock salts leads to battery breakthrough
Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers described a new class of partially disordered rock salt cathode integrated with polyanions that delivers high energy density at high voltages with significantly improved cycling stability.
ENVIRONMENT
Scientists propose guidelines for solar geoengineering research
An international team of scientists led by the U.S. National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research published a paper with specific recommendations for evaluating proposals involving solar geoengineering via stratospheric aerosol intervention.
Resin made from biomass aids recycling of wind turbine blades
National Renewable Energy Laboratory researchers developed a bio-derived resin that performs on par with the current industry standard thermoset resins for wind turbine blades and outperforms certain thermoplastic resins intended to be recyclable.
Fighting coastal erosion with electricity
Northwestern University researchers showed that a mild electrical current can change the structure of marine sand, transforming it into a rock-like, immoveable solid. They are hopeful this strategy could offer a lasting, inexpensive, and sustainable solution for strengthening global coastlines.
Manganese nanoparticles can more than double availability of world’s potable water
University of Sharjah researchers report that manganese ferrite nanoparticles could lead to a substantial surge in the availability of drinking water globally when used to modify the filtering sheets currently used in water treatment plants.
MANUFACTURING
High speed, large-area deposition nanofilm production possible with new technique
Nagoya University researchers pioneered a method for the high-speed, large-area deposition of 2D materials, including oxides, graphene oxide, and boron nitride. The method involves getting the nanosheets wet so they can spontaneously align themselves on the surface of water.
OTHER STORIES
Researchers demonstrate 3D X-ray imaging of integrated circuits with 4-nm resolution
An updated technique co-developed by researchers at Paul Scherrer Institute and the University of Southern California would use X-rays to create 3D images of integrated circuits with 4-nm resolution.
Repurposing pencil lead as an optical material using plasma
Researchers from Japan found a simple and low-cost way of tuning the reflectance spectra of pencil lead samples using plasma. Their technique enabled them to produce pencil lead with various structural colors and even print invisible characters that can only be seen using an infrared camera.
Intermittent cluster dynamics and temporal fractional diffusion in a bulk metallic glass
Inspired by atomistic simulation of model glass systems, researchers were able to establish a specific connection between the fluctuations in scattered light and temporal fractional diffusion within glass, thus demonstrating that over long enough periods of time, transport within the glass is significantly less than that expected from normal diffusion.
Uncovering the enigmatic world of fractional quantum Hall effects
In a series of experiments at extremely cold temperatures and under strong magnetic fields, Georgia State University researchers explored the enigmatic world of fractional quantum Hall effects. Their study highlighted the crucial role of high-quality crystals.