3D printing is already an incredibly futuristic technology. But now there’s a new step beyond that: 4D printing! Let’s learn about a new material that can be 3D printed and change over time, even healing itself when it’s damaged!
Tag: Materials
Self-healing batteries for a more technological future
Scientist from China developed a battery that survives physical damage.
Making a Rainbow with Water Drops!
Beautiful colors are all around us in nature. But how do we recreate all these colors in the lab without complicated dyes and pigments? Let’s learn about a new way to observe colors using only light and tiny droplets!
Black-Phosphorus: Understanding New Quantum Materials
Black phosphorus is an exciting new material to study for it’s potential use in electronics. Take a look at this work unravelling the properties of black phosphorus.
Metal-Organic Frameworks: When Crumpling Under Stress is a Good Thing
What happens if an airplane flies through a hailstorm – or a construction worker is hit by falling debris? Protective equipment that can safely dissipate impacts can save lives. Lace-like structures called metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) might be a surprising new material for just this.
New Hybrid Surfaces Show Winter Ice The Door
Ice in winter can be dangerous – but current deicing technology focuses on removing ice, not preventing it. Could coatings of tiny particles that both repel and attract water zap ice before it even forms?
Newspaper reel printing of perovskite solar cells
Bridging the gap between laboratory scale breakthroughs and commercial production is often challenging. Find out how researchers are taking steps to making high-efficiency and inexpensive perovskite solar cells with mass production roll-to-roll printing techniques.
New Materials to Recover Gold from Recycled Electronics
Gold is one of the most important metals since it’s used in electronics. Let’s learn from Charlie about a new material than can help recycle gold from discarded devices!
Did life come from the depths of the ocean?
Amino acids were found in the Atlantis Massif, under the ocean floor. Is their non-biological synthesis the origin of life?
Nanodome architectures lighting our way to sustainable energy!
Ever wondered how researchers are making solar energy conversion more efficient and affordable? In this article, learn about nanoscale architectural designs assisting in trapping and managing light for better solar efficiency!
Skeletons tell Stories– Chemistry of the burned bones!
Happy Halloween Everyone! In this article, we are going to honor the dead and discuss their stories and also learn to communicate with them using analytical chemistry techniques. Explore with me the power of infrared spectroscopy and walk down the memory lane with the skeletons!
Plasmonic Stamps: Simple Color Control
Optical electronics are the future of technology. Take a look at how a new printing technique may enable chip scale manipulation of light via gold nanoparticles.
Deep Neural Networks Are Identifying the Next Generation of Materials
Machine learning? Deep neural networks? Find out how advances in artificial intelligence could help scientists discover new materials.
Chemistry and the cannon balls preservation
How can chemistry help preserve our cultural heritage?
Charges that challenge scientists!
Rub a ruler with a wool and hold it towards paper bits, then you’d find the ruler attracts papers. This may sound a common sense to you – the two surfaces have opposite charges.
But now, researchers find that not all materials behave the same and the reason is still a mystery.
Let’s take a look at the charges that challenges scientists!
Making surfaces oil repelling with a coating of tannic acid!
Making surfaces that oil can’t stick to is important for cleaning up oil spills and other pollution. Let’s find out about a new way to coat surfaces that makes them repel oil!
Recyclable plastics help save Earth!
Given our current rate of plastic consumption and generation, can our planet win over plastic? Can we save our planet and still use plastic? In this article, discover how chemists at Colorado State University have synthesized a new kind of plastic that can be recycled infinitely without losing its functionality!
Controlling Adhesives with Light!
Let’s learn about a new material that can be made sticky or not sticky with just light!
Using lasers to make graphene on the surface of food!
Graphene is a wonder-material that is nearly indestructible, conducts electricity, and flexible enough to be worn. Let’s learn how to make it with lasers on the surface of carbon-based materials!
Making computers from molecules – Molecular Turing Machines
In this article, explore the tiny molecules that could be used for computational work in future of smartphones! Inspired by your own body, machines made from molecules could be the next generation of computers!
The Thousand Wonders of Graphene: from 2D to 3D Photodrugs!
The authors of this paper can make a photodrug from a special type of graphene.
Energy Flow in Quantum Dot – Organic semiconductors
Quantum dots are fascinating super small solids. Highly conjugated tetracene is an electronically active organic molecule. When these two are mixed, electrons bounce around in amazing ways and these researchers found out how.
Flexible iPhones and Wearable Touch Screens: Transparent Conductors with Silver Nanowires
Flexible touch screens and see-through electronics could be closer than you think! Let’s learn about a new way to make transparent conductors with silver nanowires!
Nanoparticles and Mirrors: A “Bright” Future for Nanocrystal Blinking
You probably look in a mirror every morning: fix your hair, maybe even take a selfie. But the idea of using mirrors to look at molecules – that just sounds crazy, right? Maybe not – but you’ll have to read this Chembite to find out!
Always Use Protection: Preventing Catalyst Degradation with Coatings
Catalysts are critical components of many industrial processes. Unfortunately, many promising catalysts degrade over time. Here, researchers show that some catalysts can be protected by coating them with another material.