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Category: materials – Page 36

Scientists Just Created an Ultra-Thin Polymer That Conducts Like Metal

A research team has developed a revolutionary two-dimensional polyaniline (2DPANI) crystal that overcomes major conductivity limitations in polymers. Its unique multilayered structure allows metallic charge transport, setting the stage for new applications in electronics and materials science.

An international team of researchers has successfully created a multilayered two-dimensional polyaniline (2DPANI) crystal, demonstrating exceptional conductivity and a unique ability to transport charge in a metallic-like manner. Their findings were published on February 5 in Nature.

Physicists measure a key aspect of superconductivity in ‘magic-angle’ graphene

Superconducting materials are similar to the carpool lane in a congested interstate. Like commuters who ride together, electrons that pair up can bypass the regular traffic, moving through the material with zero friction.

But just as with carpools, how easily can flow depends on a number of conditions, including the density of pairs that are moving through the material. This “superfluid stiffness,” or the ease with which a current of electron pairs can flow, is a key measure of a material’s superconductivity.

Physicists at MIT and Harvard University have now directly measured superfluid stiffness for the first time in “magic-angle” graphene—materials that are made from two or more atomically thin sheets of graphene twisted with respect to each other at just the right angle to enable a host of exceptional properties, including unconventional superconductivity.

The Terahertz Twist: Revolutionizing Crystal Chirality With Light

Researchers have discovered a method to induce chirality in non-chiral materials using terahertz.

Terahertz radiation refers to the electromagnetic waves that occupy the frequency range between microwaves and infrared light, typically from about 0.1 to 10 terahertz (THz). This region of the electromagnetic spectrum is notable for its potential applications across a wide variety of fields, including imaging, telecommunications, and spectroscopy. Terahertz waves can penetrate non-conducting materials such as clothing, paper, and wood, making them particularly useful for security screening and non-destructive testing. In spectroscopy, they can be used to study the molecular composition of substances, as many molecules exhibit unique absorption signatures in the terahertz range.

Revolutionizing Displays: Dual-Mode Electrochemical Devices Merge Light and Color

Researchers introduce an innovative device that combines light emission and color control with clay compounds, offering a versatile solution for multifunctional displays.

The field of display technology is on the verge of a major breakthrough, driven by the growing interest in electrochemical stimuli-responsive materials. These materials can undergo rapid electrochemical reactions in response to external stimuli, such as low voltage.

A key advantage of these reactions is their ability to produce different colors almost instantly, paving the way for next-generation display solutions. An electrochemical system consists of electrodes and electrolytes, and researchers have found that integrating luminescent and coloration molecules directly onto the electrodes—rather than within the electrolyte—can significantly enhance efficiency and stability in display devices.

‘Beyond Doubt’: Proteins in Fossil From Actual Dinosaur, Claim Scientists

Researchers have discovered clear chemical traces of decaying collagen in a duck-billed dinosaur fossil, upending previously held notions that any organic material found within such ancient fossils must be from some source of contamination.

“This research shows beyond doubt that organic biomolecules, such as proteins like collagen, appear to be present in some fossils,” says University of Liverpool materials scientist Steve Taylor.

“Our results have far-reaching implications. Firstly, it refutes the hypothesis that any organics found in fossils must result from contamination.”

Scientists unveil heat-defying alloy with zero expansion at 400 Kelvin

This new theoretical framework based on simulations allowed scientists to predict and design materials that exhibit almost no change in size with temperature.

With this new understanding, the team set out to create an even better material. And they succeeded.

Researchers developed a new alloy, the pyrochlore magnet, which exhibits even less thermal expansion than Invar.

Metal alloy shows practically no thermal expansion over extremely large temperature interval

Most metals expand when their temperature rises. The Eiffel Tower, for example, is about 10 to 15 centimeters taller in summer than in winter due to its thermal expansion. However, this effect is extremely undesirable for many technical applications.

For this reason, scientists have long been searching for materials that always have the same length regardless of the temperature. Invar, for example, an alloy of iron and nickel, is known for its extremely low . How this property can be explained physically, however, was not entirely clear until now.

Now, a collaboration between theoretical researchers at TU Wien (Vienna) and experimentalists at University of Science and Technology Beijing has led to a decisive breakthrough.

Better digital memories with the help of noble gases

The electronics of the future can be made even smaller and more efficient by getting more memory cells to fit in less space. One way to achieve this is by adding the noble gas xenon when manufacturing digital memories.

This has been demonstrated by researchers at Linköping University in a study published in Nature Communications. This technology enables a more even material coating even in small cavities.

Twenty-five years ago, a camera memory card could hold 64 megabytes of information. Today, the same physical size memory card can hold 4 terabytes—over 60,000 times more information.