Simple technique produces stronger polymers
Plastic, rubber, and many other useful materials are made of polymers—long chains arranged in a cross-linked network. At the molecular level, these polymer networks contain structural flaws that weaken...
View ArticleResearchers develop recycling for carbon fiber composites
A WSU research team for the first time has developed a promising way to recycle the popular carbon fiber plastics that are used in everything from modern airplanes and sporting goods to the wind energy...
View ArticleAdhesive behavior of self-constructive materials measured for first time
When building with molecules, it is important to understand how they stick to each other. The problem is that the methods used to measure this are themselves an influencing factor on the process. In...
View ArticleNew polymer improves power output of triboelectric nanogenerators
(Phys.org)—A team of researchers with members from several institutions in South Korea has developed a new polymer that is able to improve the power output of triboelectric nanogenerators. In their...
View ArticleOyster shells inspire new method to make superstrong, flexible polymers
Researchers at Columbia Engineering have demonstrated for the first time a new technique that takes its inspiration from the nacre of oyster shells, a composite material that has extraordinary...
View ArticleWorld first: New polymer goes for a walk when illuminated
Scientists at Eindhoven University of Technology and Kent State University have developed a new material that can undulate and therefore propel itself forward under the influence of light. To this end,...
View ArticleHigh-precision control of printed electronics
Printed electronic transistor circuits and displays in which the colour of individual pixels can be changed, are two of many applications of ground-breaking research at the Laboratory of Organic...
View ArticleSkin vaccination with microneedle patch, influenza fusion protein improves...
A boosting skin vaccination with a biodegradable microneedle patch and protein constructed from sequences of influenza virus subtypes could improve the effectiveness of conventional influenza vaccines,...
View ArticleScientists develop fast chemistry that unlocks a new class of polymers
A team of researchers has developed a faster and easier way to make sulfur-containing polymers that will lower the cost of large-scale production.
View ArticleResearchers pioneer greener way to create interwoven polymers with blue light
A pair of engineers at the University of Delaware has developed a process to form interwoven polymer networks more easily, quickly and sustainably than traditional methods allow. Their secret...
View ArticleNew theory of polymer length provides improved estimates of DNA and RNA size
Unlike the rigid plastic models from chemistry class, real chains of molecules can bend and stretch, like beads on an elastic cord. Some polymers, like DNA, are especially stretchy, a characteristic...
View ArticleHeat-conducting plastic could lead to lighter electronics, cars
Advanced plastics could usher in lighter, cheaper, more energy-efficient product components, including those used in vehicles, LEDs and computers—if only they were better at dissipating heat.
View ArticleNew computational model of chemical building blocks may help explain the...
Scientists have yet to understand and explain how life's informational molecules – proteins and DNA and RNA – arose from simpler chemicals when life on earth emerged some four billion years ago. Now a...
View ArticleExpanding polymer enables self-folding printable structures without heating...
As 3-D printing has become a mainstream technology, industry and academic researchers have been investigating printable structures that will fold themselves into useful three-dimensional shapes when...
View ArticleCode for fine-tuning elastomers to mimic biological materials
(Phys.org)—Biological material such as bone and muscle tend to have a wide range of elasticity and rigidity that is different from synthetic materials. In general, with synthetic materials, as...
View ArticlePrecisely defined polymer chains now a reality
Manufactured polymers are ubiquitous in the market. These large molecules are used for synthetic clothing, rubbers and glues, and anything made of plastic. However, the material properties exhibited by...
View ArticleElectrically heated textiles now possible
Commuters, skiers, crossing guards and others who endure frozen fingers in cold weather may look forward to future relief as manufacturers are poised to take advantage of a new technique for creating...
View ArticleWorld first for reading digitally encoded synthetic molecules
Using mass spectrometry, researchers have for the first time read several bytes of data recorded on a molecular scale using synthetic polymers. Their work sets a new benchmark for the amount of data...
View ArticleClose up view of growing polymer chain show jump steps
(Phys.org)—A team of researchers at Cornell University has devised a means for watching as a polymer chain grows after application of a catalyst. In their paper published in the journal Science, the...
View ArticleExploiting reversible solubility allows for direct, optical patterning of...
To build better solar cells, scientists need to design materials from the bottom up, placing chains of molecules just where they are needed. Scientists devised a new way to grow neatly arranged,...
View ArticleTechnique gives detailed view into how certain polymers form, unlocking...
Imagine a tiny drop. It contains water, the fizzy antiseptic hydrogen peroxide, and a common, yellowish chemical called glyoxal. When the droplet is exposed to light, a cascade of reactions occurs,...
View ArticleElectrostatic force takes charge in bioinspired polymers
Researchers at the University of Illinois and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst have taken the first steps toward gaining control over the self-assembly of synthetic materials in the same way...
View ArticleA new theory to describe conjugated polymer-polyelectrolyte blends
LiU researcher Klas Tybrandt has developed a theoretical model that explains the coupling between ions and electrons in the widely used conducting polymer PEDOT:PSS. The model could have applications...
View ArticleA type of semi-transparent polymer that can be mended at room temperature...
A small team of researchers at the University of Tokyo has created a polymer that can be repaired when broken into two parts by applying a small amount of pressure at room temperature. In their paper...
View ArticleUsing DNA strands to design new polymer materials
McGill University researchers have chemically imprinted polymer particles with DNA strands - a technique that could lead to new materials for applications ranging from biomedicine to the promising...
View ArticleA new polymer raises the bar for lithium-sulfur batteries
Lithium-sulfur batteries are promising candidates for replacing common lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles since they are cheaper, weigh less, and can store nearly double the energy for the same...
View ArticleNew molecular muscle responds to visible light
Picture a tiny, makeshift muscle that can curl a 20 milligram suspended weight when exposed to light. Under the right conditions, another mix packs enough power to bench-press a dime.
View ArticlePorous polymer films with shape memory
Whether for separation processes, photovoltaics, catalysis, or electronics, porous polymer membranes are needed in many fields. Membranes with micropores that switch between different shapes and/or...
View ArticleMaterial gradients could strengthen polymer components
Combining flexible and stiff materials has bestowed bamboo with a strength-to-weight ratio that rivals steel. Gradually transitioning from a soft to hard substance allows the squishy squid to slice up...
View ArticleScientists simplify process to make polymers with light-triggered nanoparticles
Rice University scientists plan to employ the power of the sun to build functional synthetic polymers using photosensitive quantum dots—microscopic semiconducting particles—as a catalyst.
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