Tag: materials science
Showcasing the potential for macroscopically aligned carbon nanotubes
Carbon nanotubes are already widely known for their potential uses across a broad range of technologies. So far, however, their marvellous one-dimensional properties have been proven only at microscopic levels, hindering progress toward real-world applications. Natsumi Komatsu from the laboratory of Professor Junichiro Kono at Rice University, Houston, shows how macroscopic alignment can be achieved in thin films and fibres, […]
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Advanced chemiresistive materials for wireless sensor networks
When exposed to gases and vapours of certain chemicals in their surrounding environments, chemiresistive materials can change their electrical resistance, which makes them incredibly useful as sensors for air pollution. Through her work, Dr Esther Hontañón, a researcher at the Spanish Council of Research (CSIC) in Madrid, explores how the latest advances in materials science and 3D printing technology can […]
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Maths and honeycombs: Searching for the materials of the future
The nanotechnology revolution is fuelled by the versatility of nanomaterials. Changing a nanomaterial’s composition and structure alters its properties, rendering nanomaterials tailor-made for specific applications. Mathematical modelling guides researchers towards predicting desired behaviour prior to experimentation. Titus Masese of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) and Godwill Kanyolo of the University of Electro-Communications (UEC), in Japan, […]
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Ultrafast electron microscopy Reinventing femtosecond atomic-scale imaging
Transmission electron microscopy may have brought about some of the most cutting-edge research into materials physics, but the technique doesn’t come without its limitations. In his research, Dr Jinfeng Yang at Osaka University in Japan aims to further improve the capabilities of the most powerful microscopes ever made, by accelerating the pulsed beams of electrons they produce to relativistic speeds. Through several […]
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Understanding how ‘grain boundaries’ cause the structural integrity of materials fail
After receiving a Young Investigator Program award from the US Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Dr Srikanth Patala and his research team at North Carolina State University have studied the impact of ‘grain boundaries’ on the structural integrity of many materials used in critical applications. This includes materials commonly found in jet engine turbine blades, nuclear power stations and internal […]