Materials

A team of scientists has managed to produce what are described as the brightest fluorescent materials in existence, opening up new possibilities in everything from the development of next-generation solar cells to advanced lasers.

A new breakthrough could overcome some of the problems around recycling cotton clothing, with scientists demonstrating a new technique that converts cotton into a yarn suitable for the mass manufacture of textiles

The unique arrangement of nanoscale bumps coating a moth’s eye have inspired all kinds of interesting technological advances. Joining them is a new type of anti-icing surface that could make its way onto airplane wings, or possibly eyewear.

Researchers have for the first time managed to use electricity to switch on magnetism in a material that’s normally non-magnetic. This could be a step towards making electronic components out of common materials that might not otherwise be suitable.

Researchers have developed a new type of fabric that keeps the wearer much cooler. Made from different polymers in a relatively simple way, it can efficiently transfer heat and wick away sweat, while remaining water repellent from the outside.

A team of engineers in Australia has come up with a new recipe for a road construction material that draws on two huge sources of waste, while offering the strength and flexibility required to handle heavy traffic.

Carbon fiber may be strong and light, but it's also expensive. South African scientists have developed a cheaper and more sustainable alternative, though, in which the carbon fibers are replaced with ones extracted from plantain plants.

Our brains not only memorize things, they also forget them. While that may seem like a limitation, it's a quality that's been copied in a new hydrogel – and it may actually have some practical applications.

Materials that can heal themselves after becoming damaged have opened up some interesting new possibilities over the past decade or so, and a newly developed example inspired by squid ring teeth is claimed to act faster than most.

A highly porous and recyclable mat developed at Saudi Arabia’S King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) could mean good things for the environment, with its creators reporting it can adsorb oil with great efficiency.

Electromagnetic shielding is usually placed around electronics to prevent interference. Now, engineers have found that a 2D material called titanium carbonitride is excellent at the job, absorbing rather than reflecting electromagnetic waves.

Driven by the huge burden they place on the environment, scientists are continually looking for new ways to manufacture plastic materials that make them easier to recycle, and MIT researchers are now claiming a significant breakthrough in this area.