Materials

By breaking the rules of atomic order, scientists have created a material unlike any seen before. Nine metals share a single atom-thin sheet, their layers dissolved into a patchwork of possibility. The result could redefine how we design materials.

Researchers in China have devised a new method for producing bamboo-based plastic which results in a strong material that can compete with traditional plastics, be flexibly shaped as needed, and can also degrade in soil in less than two months.

As AI systems grow bigger our data centers are feeling the heat with rising power demands. To tackle these growing energy needs, researchers have created a new chip that swaps electricity for light to handle one of AI's most power-hungry jobs.

Aluminum production creates a toxic byproduct known as red mud. In an effort to cut down on this waste, researchers have figured out a way to send electric pulses through the mud to purify it and allow it to be reused instead of discarded.

Once a harmless drifter in the Sargasso Sea, an algae known as sargassum is now flooding beaches, from Brazil to the Caribbean, with stinky piles. But some clever researchers have mixed it into concrete creating a new, ultra-light building material.

Tougher than steel, lighter than cotton. For decades, spider silk has been the material science promised but never quite delivered at scale. Now, a biotech company claims it has cracked the code by turning the familiar silkworm into living factories.

While machines have mastered both sight and sound, the sense of taste has largely remained exclusive to biological organisms. Now, researchers in Beijing have built a graphene oxide “tongue” that doesn’t just detect chemicals, it learns them.

Giant solidified masses of fat, grease, and other waste threaten to clog sewer lines and cause huge spillages in cities worldwide. Researchers at RMIT have developed two novel ways to prevent these blocks of waste from forming.

Researchers have developed a new crystalline material that can release and capture oxygen on demand. That allows for efficient electricity production from hydrogen with low emissions from fuel cells, and without breaking down over repeated use.

Researchers in Australia have developed a titanium alloy that's 30% cheaper to produce than standard titanium, and is stronger and more ductile than other titanium alloys.

Using a new technique called nanoscale fletching, scientist have created a high-performing nonstick coating that repels water and oil – without the PFAS profile. It's a big step toward the elusive "holy grail" of a safer, greener Teflon.

Researchers at the University of Portsmouth in the UK have developed a way to use powdered discarded glass in building blocks for construction, which could make this versatile material a lot more sustainable.

Using intricate geometry found in nature and refined through aerospace and biomedical design, scientists have now 3D-printed these forms into concrete to boost strength and capture carbon – creating a scalable material that benefits people and planet.

Here's a rather novel way to keep trash out of landfills: engineering biologists have developed a way to turn common plastic bottles into the popular painkiller paracetamol. All it takes is a bit of bacteria and time to ferment the treated waste.

A new kind of paint might be the key to cooling homes in humid climes like Singapore. Researchers based in the island country found their custom white paint, specially developed to 'sweat,' significantly reduced the need for air conditioning.