Materials

Graphene has a lot of useful properties, but magnetism isn’t usually one of them. Now, researchers have managed to induce an “artificial magnetic texture” in graphene, which could have major implications for the emerging field of spintronics.

Along with its use in clothing, silk also shows promise for use in products ranging from surgical sutures to seed coverings. Scientists have recently devised a method of making the material stronger, by altering the diet of silkworms.

Despite their prevalence, only a tiny fraction of rare earth magnets are recycled from discarded electronics, but a new project involving Bentley Motors is intended to steer this trend back in the right direction.

By making alterations to the underlying structure of the wonder material graphene, scientists at the University of Sussex have extended its capabilities even further to create the tiniest microchips yet.

Unfortunately concrete production is a major source of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Now engineers at Purdue University have developed a new cement recipe that can absorb CO2 twice as fast as usual, hopefully turning it into a useful carbon sink.

What snowboarder wouldn't like a board that's lighter and more responsive? German scientists have created one that is claimed to deliver on both counts, plus its production process is reportedly less wasteful.

Usually optical coatings either reflect or transmit a given color of light, but now researchers at the University of Rochester have developed a new class of optical coating that can both transmit and reflect the same wavelengths at the same time.

Inspired by the way plants like Venus flytraps can snap closed and reset themselves, scientists have developed materials that alter their shape in the blink of the eye to propelling themselves forward using their own energy and their environment.

Scientists at Germany’s Chemnitz University of Technology have spent years developing compact and discreet speakers that are quite literally paper thin, and the latest breakthrough improves on this technology for a more immersive experience.

New research has continued to expand the possibilities in recycled concrete aggregates, with scientists coming up with a new manufacturing method that produces a concrete that is 35 precent stronger than traditional types.

By taking some inspiration from nature and some from the way the synthetic fiber Kevlar is formed, scientists at MIT have developed self-assembling nanoribbons they say are stronger than steel, with possible applications in water filtration and electronic devices.

Researchers at Brown University have developed a new way to make super-hard metals, up to four times harder than usual. The team made nanoparticle “building blocks” that could be fused together under pressure, thanks to a chemical treatment.