Subjecting complex metal mixtures called high-entropy alloys to extremely high pressures could lead to finer control over the arrangement of their atoms, which in turn can result in more desirable properties.
Tiny nanostraws that sample the contents of a cell without causing damage may improve our ability to understand cellular processes and lead to safer medical treatments
A new organic artificial synapse made by Stanford researchers could support computers that better recreate the way the human brain processes information. It could also lead to improvements in brain-machine technologies.
As the world shifts from fossil fuels, additional sources of energy-on-demand will be needed to make up for lulls in wind or solar. A new way of extracting uranium from seawater could help even countries without uranium mines harness nuclear power in the post-carbon energy future.
A biologist and a materials scientist have teamed up to unravel the biological forces at play within our bodies. The first phase: feeding nanoparticles to worms. Part of a series on tiny answers to biology's biggest questions.
Hydrogels already form the absorbent layer in disposable diapers and the curve of soft contact lenses. A new process makes these materials useful for more applications, including wine-making and firefighting.
Squeezing a platinum catalyst a fraction of a nanometer nearly doubles its catalytic activity, a finding that could lead to better fuel cells and other clean energy technologies.
Researchers have engineered a low-cost plastic material that could become the basis for clothing that cools the wearer, reducing the need for energy-consuming air conditioning.
Silicon chips can store data in billionths of a second, but phase-change memory could be 1,000 times faster, while using less energy and requiring less space.
Materials scientists discover that the protective layers in chips react differently to pushes and pulls, an insight that could lead to even more durable electronic devices.
