New 'fuzzy' dark matter research disrupts conventional thinking
New research has simulated dark matter in a new way for the first time, disrupting conventional thinking about the make-up of the universe.
Read moreInorganic Chemistry
Inventing the world's strongest silver
A team of scientists has made the strongest silver ever — 42 percent stronger than the previous world record. It's part of a discovery of a new mechanism at the nanoscale that can create metals much stronger than any ever made before — while not losing electrical conductivity.
Read moreMethod to change fundamental architecture of polymers
A research team has developed methods to manipulate polymers in a way that changes their fundamental structure, paving the way for potential applications in cargo delivery and release, recyclable materials, shape-shifting soft robots, antimicrobials and more.
Read moreHard as ceramic, tough as steel: Newly discovered connection could help design of nextgen alloys
A new way to calculate the interaction between a metal and its alloying material could speed the hunt for a new material that combines the hardness of ceramic with the resilience of metal.
Read morePioneering red light-activated anti-tumor prodrug reduces side effects
Phorbiplatin is a new anti-cancer prodrug that can be controllably activated by red light. With its unique 'on-site' activation characteristic, this new prodrug can effectively kill cancer cells and minimize damage to normal tissues.
Read moreWhy some greens turn brown in historical paintings
Enticed by the brilliant green hues of copper acetate and copper resinate, some painters in the Renaissance period incorporated these pigments into their masterpieces. However, by the 18th century, most artists had abandoned the colors because of their tendency to darken with time. Now, researchers have uncovered the chemistry behind the copper pigments' color change.
Read moreUltra-fast optical way to extract critical information from quantum materials
Topological insulators are quantum materials, which, due to their exotic electronic structure, on surfaces and edges conduct electric current like metal, while acting as an insulator in bulk. Scientists have now demonstrated how to tell apart topological materials from their regular — trivial — counterparts within a millionth of a billionth of a second by probing it with ultra-fast laser light.
Read moreStructural color printing of 3D microscale objects by shrinking photonic crystals
Researchers have developed a 'coloring-by-shrinking' method to print arbitrary 3D microscopic objects exhibiting structural colors. The design consisted of woodpile photonic crystals with varying lattice constants as the 3D building blocks. These structures remain colorless until they are heat treated, causing them to shrink and manifest color, a result of their lattice constants shrinking down below the wavelength of visible light. The team printed a colorful microscopic Eiffel Tower with structural colors, demonstrating feature sizes smaller than 100 nm.
Read moreProduct authentication at your fingertips
Chemists have fabricated for the first time plasmonic color-switchable films of silver nanoparticles. Until now, such color changing of nanoparticles was mainly achieved in liquids, limiting their potential for practical applications. The technology has a number of applications: product authentication, color displays, signage, sensors, and information encryption.
Read moreJust add water: Simple step boosts polymer's ability to filter CO2 from mixed gases
Researchers have found it can significantly boost an existing polymer's ability to selectively remove carbon dioxide out of gas mixtures by first submerging the material in liquid water.
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