From bowling balls to hip joints: Chemists create recyclable alternative to durable plastics

Researchers have developed a recyclable alternative to a durable class of plastics used for items like car tires, replacement hip joints and bowling balls.

Scientists 'mimic real biological processes' using synthetic neurons

A new collaboration has unlocked new potential for the field by creating a novel high-performance organic electrochemical neuron that responds within the frequency range of human neurons.

Make it worth Weyl: Engineering the first semimetallic Weyl quantum crystal

Researchers have demonstrated an ideal Weyl semimetal, marking a breakthrough in a decade-old problem of quantum materials.

New optical memory unit poised to improve processing speed and efficiency

Researchers have developed a new type of optical memory called a programmable photonic latch that is fast and scalable, enabling temporary data storage in optical processing systems and offering a high-speed solution for volatile memory using silicon photonics.

Harnessing electromagnetic waves and quantum materials to improve wireless communication technologies

A team of researchers has developed innovative methods to enhance frequency conversion of terahertz (THz) waves in graphene-based structures, unlocking new potential for faster, more efficient technologies in wireless communication and signal processing.

Polymer research shows potential replacement for common superglues with a reusable and biodegradable alternative

Researchers have developed an adhesive polymer that is stronger than current commercially available options while also being biodegradable, tunable, and reusable. The findings show how the common, naturally occurring polymer P3HB can be chemically re-engineered for use as a strong yet sustainable bonding agent.

Robots should be repurposed rather than recycled to combat rising scale of e-waste, scientists warn

The robotics industry should be creating robots that could be reprogrammed and repurposed for other tasks once its life span is completed, researchers have advised.

Diamond continues to shine: New properties discovered in diamond semiconductors

Diamond, often celebrated for its unmatched hardness and transparency, has emerged as an exceptional material for high-power electronics and next-generation quantum optics. Diamond can be engineered to be as electrically conductive as a metal, by introducing impurities such as the element boron. Researchers have now discovered another interesting property in diamonds with added boron, known as boron-doped diamonds. Their findings could pave the way for new types of biomedical and quantum optical devices -- faster, more efficient, and capable of processing information in ways that classical technologies cannot.

A new optical memory platform for super fast calculations

For decades there has been near constant progress in reducing the size, and increasing the performance, of the circuits that power computers and smartphones. But Moore's Law is ending as physical limitations -- such as the number of transistors that can fit on a chip and the heat that results from packing them ever more densely -- are slowing the rate of performance increases. Computing capacity is gradually plateauing, even as artificial intelligence, machine learning and other data-intensive applications demand ever greater computational power.

Engineers develop breakthrough method for aluminum surfaces, enabling advancements in cooling, self-cleaning and anti-icing technologies

An international team of engineers has developed an innovative, scalable method for creating topography-patterned aluminum surfaces, enhancing liquid transport properties critical for applications in electronics cooling, self-cleaning technologies and anti-icing systems.

Researchers unlock new insights into tellurene, paving the way for next-gen electronics

Researchers have published a study describing how quasiparticles called polarons behave in tellurene, a nanomaterial first synthesized in 2017 that is made up of tiny chains of tellurium atoms and has properties useful in sensing, electronic, optical and energy devices.

Revealing the 'true colors' of a single-atom layer of metal alloys

Researchers have demonstrated that the direction of the spin-polarized current can be restricted to only one direction in a single-atom layer of a thallium-lead alloys when irradiated at room temperature. The discovery defies conventions: single-atom layers have been thought to be almost completely transparent, in other words, negligibly absorbing or interacting with light. The one-directional flow of the current observed in this study makes possible functionality beyond ordinary diodes, paving the way for more environmentally friendly data storage, ultra-fine two-dimensional spintronic devices, in the future.

Hidden transport pathways in graphene confirmed, paving the way for next-generation device innovation

Electron transport in bilayer graphene exhibits a pronounced dependence on edge states and a nonlocal transport mechanism, according to a recent study.

Novel graphene ribbons poised to advance quantum technologies

Researchers have recently achieved a significant breakthrough in the development of next-generation carbon-based quantum materials, opening new horizons for advancements in quantum electronics. The innovation involves a novel type of graphene nanoribbon (GNR), named Janus GNR (JGNR). The material has a unique zigzag edge, with a special ferromagnetic edge state located on one of the edges. This unique design enables the realization of one-dimensional ferromagnetic spin chain, which could have important applications in quantum electronics and quantum computing.

Big leap forward for environmentally friendly 'e-textiles' technology

A research team has shown wearable electronic textiles (e-textiles) can be both sustainable and biodegradable.

New method turns e-waste to gold

A research team has developed a method for extracting gold from electronics waste, then using the recovered precious metal as a catalyst for converting carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas, to organic materials.

Revolutionizing heat management with high-performance cerium oxide thermal switches

Groundbreaking cerium oxide-based thermal switches achieve remarkable performance, transforming heat flow control with sustainable and efficient technology.