ScienceDaily: Matter & Energy News

A new experiment offers the cleanest proof yet for magnetism-driven transitions of metals to insulators.

A team developed a new method for synthesizing a novel crystalline form of silicon with a hexagonal structure that could potentially be used to create next-generation electronic and energy devices with enhanced properties that exceed those of the 'normal' cubic form of silicon used today.

Researchers designed a laboratory exercise to teach students how to use micropipettes, through remote learning, using at-home kits.

Physicists have created a quantum interferometer on an atom chip. This device can be used to explore the fundamentals of quantum theory by studying the interference pattern between two beams of atoms. Physicists describe how the device could be adapted to use mesoscopic particles instead of atoms. This modification would allow for expanded applications.

From touch screens and advanced electronic sensors to better drug delivery devices, graphene has become one of the most promising new materials in recent decades. In an effort to produce cheap, defect-free graphene in larger quantities, researchers have been using GCS HPC resources to develop more efficient methods for producing graphene at the industrial scale.

New research shows that when water comes into contact with an electrode surface all its molecules do not respond in the same way. This can dramatically affect how well various substances can dissolve in water subject to an electrical field, which in turn, can determine how a chemical reaction will occur. And chemical reactions are a necessary component in how we make...everything. The implications of this new revelation could have a remarkable impact on all water-related processes from water purification to drug manufacturing.

The number of data-transmitting microdevices, for instance in packaging and transport logistics, will increase sharply in the coming years. All these devices need energy, but the amount of batteries would have a major impact on the environment. Empa researchers have developed a biodegradable mini-capacitor that can solve the problem. It consists of carbon, cellulose, glycerin and table salt. And it works reliably.

Many countries promote the expansion of wind farms. However, if these offshore wind farms are set up close to each other, wind energy and hence electricity yield is reduced. A study shows that the losses with increasing offshore wind energy production will be considerable and detectable as large scale pattern of reduced wind speed around wind farms.

A complex zone of folding and faulting that links two faults underneath downtown Salt Lake City could deform the ground during a large earthquake, according to a new study.

According to a new article there are encouraging signs in emerging clean energy technology 'niches' -- countries, states or corporations -- that are pioneering decarbonization.

Researchers developed a model that enables a drone to shoot a video based on a desired emotion or viewer reaction. The drone uses camera angles, speeds and flight paths to generate a video that could be exciting, calm, enjoyable or nerve-wracking -- depending on what the filmmaker tells it.

Chemists have studied an elusive property in cathode materials, called a valence gradient, to understand its effect on battery performance. The findings demonstrated that the valence gradient can serve as a new approach for stabilizing the structure of high-nickel-content cathodes against degradation and safety issues.

When it comes to the art of quilting, determining the feasibility and order of steps in advanced patterns can be notoriously complicated - and frustrating. By automating that process, a new algorithm enables quilters to focus on design and creation.

Scientists have developed the first cells that can construct artificial polymers from building blocks that are not found in nature, by following instructions the researchers encoded in their genes. The study also found the synthetic genome made the bacteria entirely resistant to infection by viruses.

Engineering researchers have developed an electrochemical system that coverts a greater amount of CO2 into valuable products, such as ethylene and ethanol. These are used in everyday materials, from plastic to Lycra.

Left- or right-handedness is a symmetry property that many macroscopic objects also exhibit and which is of immense importance, particularly for the bioactivity of organic molecules. Chirality is also relevant for physical or chemical properties such as optical activity or enantioselectivity of crystalline solids or their surfaces. In the case of chiral metallic phases, unconventional superconductivity and unusual magnetic ordered states are linked to the chirality of the underlying crystal structure. Despite this connection between chirality and the properties of a material, detection is often difficult because left-handed and right-handed structural variants can cancel each other out or at least weaken chirality effect.

Scientists replicate the molecular properties of the natural cement used by barnacles and mussels to create a powerful adhesive using silk protein. The new adhesive can work well in both dry and underwater conditions.

Researchers have developed a new approach to speed up hydrogen atoms moving through a crystal lattice structure at lower temperatures.

Good acoustics in the workspace improve work efficiency and productivity, which is one of the reasons why acoustic materials matter. The acoustic insulation market is already expected to hit 15 billion USD by 2022 as construction firms and industry pay more attention to sound environments. Researchers have now studied how these common elements around us could become more eco-friendly, with the help of cellulose fibers.

A small chip inserted under the skin can monitor patients after common forms of stroke to predict those at high risk of a recurrent stroke. The chip may help physicians identify patients who could benefit from stroke prevention therapies.