Category Physics

This is an electronic microscope image of hybrid silica foam. Credit: ITMO University

A team of chemists has developed a novel type of firefighting foam based on inorganic silica nanoparticles. The new foam beats existing analogues in fire extinguishing capacity, thermal and mechanical stability and biocompatibility.

Fighting large-scale fires usually involves firefighting foams based on synthetic substances, such as prefluorinated surfactants, that, despite their effectiveness, are extremely toxic for living organisms. Complete biodegradation of such foams can last for more than 200 years, with residues quickly penetrating deep into soil and surface water. This leads to the the accumulation of toxic elements in living organisms, such as plants, animals and men...

A figure showing the crystal structure of strontium vanadate(orange) and calcium vanadate (blue). The red dots are oxygen atoms arranged in 8 octohedra surrounding a single strontium or calcium atom. Vanadium atoms can be seen inside each octahedron. Credit: Lei Zhang/Penn State

Indium tin oxide (ITO), the transparent conductor that is now used for more than 90% of the display market, has been the dominant material for the past 60 years. But in the last decade, the price of indium has increased dramatically. Displays and touchscreen modules have become a main cost driver in mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, making up close to 40% of the cost...

In order to create a material that is both strong and malleable and displays different behavior when exposed to more than one stimulus, researchers embedded light-responsive fibers, which are coated with spirobenzopyran (SP) chromophores, into a temperature-sensitive gel. This new material displays distinctly different behavior in the presence of light and heat. Credit: University of Pittsburgh

Combining photo-responsive fibers with thermo-responsive gels, researchers have modeled a new hybrid material that could reconfigure itself multiple times into different shapes when exposed to light and heat, allowing for devices that not only adapt to their environment, but also display distinctly different behavior in different stimuli.

“In 4D printing, time is the 4th dimension that characterizes...

An illustration of topological surface states in bismuth iodide as seen by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Credit: Oleg Yazyev (EPFL)

Topological insulators are materials that let electric current flow across their surface while keeping it from passing it through their bulk. This exotic property makes topological insulators very promising for electricity with less energy loss, spintronics, and perhaps even quantum computing. EPFL scientists have now identified a new class of topological insulators, and have discovered its first representative material, which could propel topological insulators into applications.

By theoretically testing potential candidates from the database of previously described materials, Oleg Yazyev EPFL team has identified a material, “crystalline phase” o...