Healable Cathode Could Unlock Potential of Solid-state Lithium-sulfur Batteries

UC San Diego engineers developed a cathode material for lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries that is healable and highly conductive, overcoming longstanding challenges of traditional sulfur cathodes. The advance holds promise for bringing more energy dense and low-cost Li-S batteries closer to market.

Chameleons inspire new multicolor 3D-printing technology

Inspired by the color-changing ability of chameleons, researchers developed a sustainable technique to 3D-print multiple, dynamic colors from a single ink. “By designing new chemistries and printing processes, we can modulate structural color on the fly to produce color gradients…

Researchers demonstrate novel technique to observe molten salt intrusion in nuclear-grade graphite

In response to a renewed international interest in molten salt reactors, researchers from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a novel technique to visualize molten salt intrusion in graphite.

Modeling Polymers for Next-Generation Manufacturing and Sustainability

Polymers experience changing conditions during manufacturing, which can affect their final properties and performance. The way they react to manufacturing forces can be extremely complex and hard to measure. Researchers combined theory and modeling to characterize melted polymers under steady flow and revealed universal features that can inform the design of advanced materials for manufacturing.

‘Plug and play’ nanoparticles could make it easier to tackle various biological targets

UC San Diego engineers have developed modular nanoparticles that can be easily customized to target different biological entities such as tumors, viruses or toxins. The surface of the nanoparticles is engineered to host any biological molecules of choice, making it possible to tailor the nanoparticles for a wide array of applications, ranging from targeted drug delivery to neutralizing biological agents.

Soft, living materials made with algae glow under stress

Researchers have developed soft yet durable 3D-printed materials that glow in response to mechanical stress, such as compression, stretching or twisting. The materials derive their luminescence from single-celled algae known as dinoflagellates, which are embedded within the materials. The work was inspired by the bioluminescent waves caused by dinoflagellates during red tide events at San Diego’s beaches.

Novel approach to advanced electronics, data storage with ferroelectricity

Latest research from Flinders University and UNSW Sydney, published in the American Chemical Society ACS Nano journal, explores switchable polarization in a new class of silicon compatible metal oxides and paves the way for the development of advanced devices including high-density data storage, ultra low energy electronics, flexible energy harvesting and wearable devices.

A revolution in the making

Argonne National Laboratory is shaping Industry 4.0 with groundbreaking research into advanced ways of making things more effective, efficient and economical, using the most cutting-edge materials and processes, with the lowest possible environmental impact.

Metal-organic frameworks could someday deliver antibacterial nitric oxide

Researchers still need to get a better understanding of how metal-organic frameworks function, especially when embedded in polymers. Reporting in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, researchers have now developed and characterized nitric oxide-storing MOFs embedded in a thin film with novel antibacterial potential.

A real ​“rock star” moment: New mineral named after Argonne materials scientist Kanatzidis

Mercouri Kanatzidis, an Argonne and Northwestern University materials scientist, has studied sulfur-containing materials called chalcogenides for more than 30 years. A new chalcogenide mineral has just been named for him.

Using artificial intelligence, Argonne scientists develop self-driving microscopy technique

Argonne researchers have tapped into the power of AI to create a new form of autonomous microscopy.

Accelerating Sustainable Semiconductors With ‘Multielement Ink’

Scientists have demonstrated “multielement ink” – the first “high-entropy” semiconductor that can be processed at low-temperature or room temperature. The new material could enable cost-effective and energy-efficient semiconductor manufacturing.

Nina Andrejevic creates better tools to quickly characterize materials

Understanding big datasets requires better analytical models, says the Maria Goeppert Mayer Fellow.

Three Argonne scientists receive 2023 DOE Early Career Awards

Argonne researchers received three DOE Early Career Awards, which will help early-career researchers establish themselves as experts in their fields.

Argonne researchers receive funding to build research capacity at historically underrepresented institutions

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $37 million in funding for 52 projects to 44 institutions which include Argonne projects. The funding will help build research capacity, infrastructure and expertise at institutions historically underrepresented.

U.S. Department of Energy Announces $37 Million to Build Research Capacity at Historically Underrepresented Institutions

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $37 million in funding for 52 projects to 44 institutions to build research capacity, infrastructure, and expertise at institutions historically underrepresented in DOE’s Office of Science portfolio, including Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and Emerging Research Institutions (ERIs).

Midwest Integrated Center for Computational Materials renewed by U.S. Department of Energy

The U.S. Department of Energy has renewed the Midwest Integrated Center for Computational Materials. Its mission is to apply theoretical methods and software to the understanding, simulation and prediction of material properties at the atomic scale.

Scientists discover unusual ultrafast motion in layered magnetic materials

A team of researchers report a mechanical response across a layered magnetic material tied to changing its electron spin. This response could have important applications in nanodevices requiring ultra-precise and fast motion control.

New material could hold key to reducing energy consumption in computers and electronics

A University of Minnesota Twin Cities team has, for the first time, synthesized a thin film of a unique topological semimetal material that has the potential to generate more computing power and memory storage while using significantly less energy.

Argonne scientist Shirley Meng recognized for contributions to battery science

Materials science pioneer Shirley Meng has been selected as the recipient of the 2023 Battery Division Research Award by The Electrochemical Society. The recognition honors Meng’s innovative research on interfacial science, which has paved the way for improved battery technologies.

First Direct Visualization of a Zero-Field Pair Density Wave

Scientists directly observed a pair-density wave (PDW) in an iron-based superconducting material with no magnetic field present. This state of matter, which is characterized by coupled pairs of electrons that are constantly in motion, had been thought to only arise when a superconductor is placed within a large magnetic field. This exciting result opens new potential avenues of research and discovery for superconductivity.

With sheer determination, researchers can make tough materials that bend without breaking

Shear band formation is not typically a good sign in a material — the bands often appear before a material fractures or fails. But materials science and engineering researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have found that shear bands aren’t always a negative; under the right conditions, they can improve the ductility, or the plasticity, of a material.

Researchers tune thermal conductivity of materials ‘on the fly’ for more energy-efficient devices

A team led by University of Minnesota Twin Cities researchers discovered a new method for tuning the thermal conductivity of materials, achieving a record-high range of tunability that will open a door to developing more energy-efficient and durable electronic devices.

RNA Institute Researchers Advance DNA Nanostructure Stability

Researchers at the University at Albany’s RNA Institute have demonstrated a new approach to DNA nanostructure assembly that does not require magnesium. The method improves the biostability of the structures, making them more useful and reliable in a range of applications.

We are in the midst of an AI-driven revolution in materials research where the confluence of automated experiments and machine learning are redefining the pace of materials discovery.

Keith A. Brown BS Physics, Massachusetts Institue of Technology PhD Applied Physics, Harvard University Postdoc in Chemistry, Northwestern University Contact: [email protected] Keith currently runs the KABlab, a research group at Boston University that studies approaches to accelerate the development of advanced…

Stretching metals at the atomic level allows researchers to create important materials for quantum, electronic, and spintronic applications

A University of Minnesota Twin Cities-led team has developed a first-of-its-kind breakthrough method that makes it easier to create high-quality metal oxide films that are important for various next generation applications such as quantum computing and microelectronics.

Meet the Autonomous Lab of the Future

To accelerate development of useful new materials, researchers at Berkeley Lab are building a new kind of automated lab that uses robots guided by artificial intelligence. A-Lab will rapidly test whether materials that have been computationally predicted can be made in reality. The lab’s vision is to use AI to discover materials of the future, starting with a focus on materials for batteries and energy storage.

How Argonne is pushing the boundaries of quantum technology research

With its Department of Energy National Quantum Information Science Research Center (Q-NEXT) and its quantum research team, Argonne is a hub for research that could change the way we process and transmit information.

Researchers create breakthrough spintronics manufacturing process that could revolutionize the electronics industry

University of Minnesota Twin Cities researchers, along with staff at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), have developed a breakthrough process for making spintronic devices that has the potential to create semiconductors chips with unmatched energy efficiency and storage for use in computers, smartphones, and many other electronics.

New “Camera” with Shutter Speed of 1 Trillionth of a Second Sees through Dynamic Disorder of Atoms

Researchers have developed a new “camera” that sees the local disorder in materials. Its key feature is a variable shutter speed: because the disordered atomic clusters are moving, when the team used a slow shutter, the dynamic disorder blurred out, but when they used a fast shutter, they could see it. The method uses neutrons to measure atomic positions with a shutter speed of around one picosecond, a trillion times faster than normal camera shutters.

Electric Vehicle Batteries Could Get Big Boost With New Polymer Coating

Scientists at Berkeley Lab have developed a polymer coating that could enable longer lasting, more powerful lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles. The advance opens up a new approach to developing EV batteries that are more affordable and yet easy to manufacture.