Materials Science : Science World Report

Mar 13, 2014 11:12 PM EDT

Two-Dimensional Material Shows Promise for Optoelectronics

Team creates LEDs, photovoltaic cells, and light detectors using novel one-molecule-thick material.

Jan 08, 2014 10:49 PM EST

Super-Strong Magnetic Pulse Generator Prototype Unveiled

A novel high-tech magnetic pulse generator that shrinks the size of this kind of device from room-sized to tabletop has been developed and demonstrated by Rice University scientists.

Jan 08, 2014 03:08 PM EST

A Cheaper Method of Storing Solar Energy

By replacing platinum with molybdenum in photoelectrochemical cells, scientists from two EPFL labs have developed a cheaper and scalable technique that can greatly improve hydrogen production through water splitting as a means of storing solar energy.

Jan 06, 2014 03:27 PM EST

New Materials Found with Supercomputer, Now to be Created in Experiments

In the search for cheaper materials that mimic their purer, more expensive counterparts, researchers are abandoning hunches and intuition for theoretical models and pure computing power.

Dec 25, 2013 11:26 PM EST

Making Waves: In the Hunt for Invisibility, Other Benefits Seen

A new way of assembling things, called metamaterials, may in the not too distant future help to protect a building from earthquakes by bending seismic waves around it. Similarly, tsunami waves could be bent around towns, and soundwaves bent around a room to make it soundproof.

Dec 23, 2013 06:43 PM EST

Micro-Muscular Motor 1,000 Times Stronger Than a Human Muscle Developed

Vanadium dioxide is poised to join the pantheon of superstars in the materials world. Already prized for its extraordinary ability to change size, shape and physical identity, vanadium dioxide can now add muscle power to its attributes.

Nov 15, 2013 04:33 PM EST

Wonder Material Bulk Metallic Glass: Key Weakness Addressed

From the production of tougher, more durable smart phones and other electronic devices, to a wider variety of longer lasting biomedical implants, bulk metallic glasses are poised to be mainstay materials for the 21st Century.

Nov 10, 2013 07:49 PM EST

Three-Dimensional Metallic Form of Carbon Discovered in Theory

New metallic structure may be stable at ambient temperature and pressure with potential applications in science and technology

Oct 31, 2013 05:32 PM EDT

Using Data Science Tools to Discover New Nanostructured Materials

Researchers at Columbia Engineering, led by Chemical Engineering Professors Venkat Venkatasubramanian and Sanat Kumar, have developed a new approach to designing novel nanostructured materials through an inverse design framework using genetic algorithms.

Oct 20, 2013 11:37 PM EDT

Elastic to Plastic: High-Energy Lasers Warp Copper Permanently

The exact pressure that permanently changes copper crystals has been pinpointed, according to a study released this month.

Oct 15, 2013 05:11 PM EDT

Laser Technique Enables 3D Structural Analysis of Small Objects

A new technology invented to automate the laborious process of preparing plant roots for phenotyping has morphed into a powerful tool for exploring the three-dimensional structure of small objects. Now, two former Penn State students have formed a start-up company targeting agribusiness and horticul...

Oct 14, 2013 11:48 PM EDT