Category Chemistry/Nanotechnology

This diagram maps out atomic motion in separate phonon modes. At left (“LO” represents a longitudinal optical mode), selenium atoms exhibit a clockwise rotation while tungsten atoms stand still. At right (“LA” represents a longitudinal acoustic mode), tungsten atoms exhibit a clockwise rotation while selenium atoms rotate in a counterclockwise direction. Credit: Hanyu Zhu, et al.

Experiments confirm the first chiral phonon that could enable exotic forms of electronics. Berkeley Lab has found the first evidence that a shaking motion in the structure of an atomically thin (2D) material possesses a naturally occurring circular rotation...

Schematic of the structure and the fabrication process of a spine-like battery. (a) Schematic illustration of bio-inspired design, the vertebrae correspond to thick stacks of electrodes and soft marrow corresponds to unwound part that interconnects all the stacks. (b) the process to fabricate the spine-like battery, multilayers of electrodes were first cut into designed shape, then strips extending out were wound around the backbone to form spine-like structure. Credit: Yuan Yang/Columbia Engineering

Shaped like a spine, new design enables remarkable flexibility, high energy density, and stable voltage no matter how it is flexed or twisted...

C. metallidurans can produce small gold nuggets. Credit: American Society for Microbiology

High concentrations of heavy metals, like copper and gold, are toxic for most living creatures. This is not the case for the bacterium C. metallidurans, which has found a way to extract valuable trace elements from a compound of heavy metals without poisoning itself. One interesting side-effect: the formation of tiny gold nuggets. A team of researchers from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the University of Adelaide in Australia has discovered the molecular processes that take place inside the bacteria.

The rod-shaped bacterium C. metallidurans primarily lives in soils that are enriched with numerous heavy metals...

This is MIT professor Stefanie Mueller, pictured in her lab. Credit: Jason Dorfman, MIT CSAIL

3D printing has come a long way since the first “rapid prototyping” patent was rejected in 1980. Still, there’s a big issue: once objects are printed, they’re final. But imagine if, for example, you could recolor your iPhone case or earrings to match whatever outfit you’re wearing. Researchers from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have gotten closer to making that a reality. In a new paper, they present “ColorFab,” a method for repeatedly changing the colors of 3D printed objects after fabrication.

Using their own 3D printable ink that changes color when exposed to UV light, the team can recolor a multi-colored object in just over 20 minutes – and they say they...