Materials – Page 35
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ResearchNew way to create huge protein polymer chains
Strategy constructs synthetic protein polymers that weigh 0.5MDa
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ResearchNanoscale graphene sheets folded into atomic crêpes
Atom-thick sheets stacked with precise twist angle and tubular edge could be made into quantum nanomachines
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ResearchNanowires become smallest-ever spectrometers
50–100µm devices are small enough to squeeze into smartphones – but must first become easier to make into arrays
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ResearchHigh throughput robotics score big in hunt for new porous liquids
Materials research borrows technique from drug discovery
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OpinionUK homes stockpiling 40 million electronic devices containing rare elements
Hoarding of electronic devices stores up problem for the future as demand for rare elements increases
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NewsVanishing polymer delivers devices that decompose on demand
US researchers design a polymer that can dissolve after use, either remotely or automatically
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ResearchSubaquatic spiders inspire CO2 reduction catalyst
Structures that mimic the diving bell spider’s air-trapping hairs boost the catalytic activity of copper electrodes
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ResearchGravity-defying droplets race upside down on super slippery surface
Charged superamphiphobic surface propels water, blood and other liquids up vertical slopes and even upside down
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ResearchSelf-threading monomer provides protection for carbon nanotubes
Strategy assembles three-component nanostructure with nanoscale precision
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ResearchSelective graphene membranes could invigorate carbon capture technology
Concept shows promise as a way to sidestep the energy penalties of numerous industrial separations
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PodcastHydrogen sulfide
Mike Freemantle finds the connection between Land of Hope and Glory and the noxious, corrosive, flammable gas that stinks of rotten eggs
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BusinessEnhancing solvents' sustainability
Increased recycling and replacing toxic solvents with greener alternatives will reduce environmental impact
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ResearchSuperheavy oganesson is a semiconductor
The heaviest element known continues to defy the rules of the periodic table
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ResearchNanotube catalysts spring into action on microplastic waste
Helical carbon nanotubes activate an oxidant that produces polymer-degrading free radicals
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ResearchSelf-assembling ‘buckybowls’ inspired by virus capsids
Football-like molecules could be used in drug delivery, catalysis and synthesis
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ResearchRadically different OLEDs break the aufbau principle
Organic radical-based materials could keep next generation displays from dimming over time
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ResearchSulfonated polymer kills drug-resistant microbes in minutes
New application for an existing material
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BusinessHexagonFab cracks nanomanufacturing for pocket diagnostics
HexagonFab’s founders say their graphene-based sensors are set to become the lab tests that don’t need a physical lab
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ResearchContinuous ethanol release at ice–solid interfaces keeps ice at bay for nearly two years
Interfacial ethanol layers from liquid-packed coatings maintain long-lasting and super-low ice adhesion at temperatures as low as -60°C
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PodcastPolypropylene
Microplastics, including polypropylene, are present in our oceans, on our beaches and even in bottled water. Ian Robertson investigates the scale and some solutions