A typical nuclear reactor uses only a small fraction of its fuel rod to produce power before the energy-generating reaction naturally terminates. What is left behind is an assortment of radioactive elements, including unused fuel, that are disposed of...
Over the past three decades, lithium-ion batteries, rechargeable batteries that move lithium ions back and forth to charge and discharge, have enabled smaller devices that juice up faster and last longer.
Now, X-ray experiments at the Department of Energy's SLAC...
Ice crystals form around a minuscule particle in the very first seconds of the formation of an ice cloud.Credit: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Scientists have witnessed the birth of atmospheric ice clouds, creating ice cloud crystals in the laboratory and...
Light microscopes have revolutionized our understanding of the microcosmos, but their resolution is limited to about 100 nanometers. To see how molecules bond, break, or change their structure, we need at least 1000 times better resolution.
Laser induced electron diffraction (LIED) is...
Researchers have found that liquid has structure in certain circumstances, and that this structure significantly influences the mysterious and complex formation of metallic glasses.
Moldable like plastic but strong like metal, metallic glasses are a relatively new class of materials...
Scientists have figured out a cheaper, more efficient way to conduct a chemical reaction at the heart of many biological processes, which may lead to better ways to create biofuels from plants.
Scientists around the world have been trying for...
Scientists have found a new way to control light emitted by exotic crystal semiconductors, which could lead to more efficient solar cells and other advances in electronics, according to a Rutgers-led study in the journal Materials Today.
Their discovery involves crystals...
Fossil fuels have long been the precursor to plastic, but new research from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and European collaborators could help send that era up in smoke—carbon dioxide, to be exact.
Produced almost entirely from burning fossil fuels, carbon...
The strongest synthetic materials are often those that intentionally mimic nature.
One natural substance scientists have looked to in creating synthetic materials is nacre, also known as mother-of-pearl. An exceptionally tough, stiff material produced by some mollusks and serving as their inner shell...
A molecule of ammonia, NH3, typically exists as an umbrella shape, with three hydrogen atoms fanned out in a nonplanar arrangement around a central nitrogen atom. This umbrella structure is very stable and would normally be expected to require...
Imagine printing electronic devices using a simple inkjet printer—or even painting a solar panel onto the wall of a building.
Such technology would slash the cost of manufacturing electronic devices and enable new ways to integrate them into our everyday...
