Featured

• Researchers present unified theory on heat transfer that could enhance thermoelectric materials

  Researchers from the NRCC MARVEL, a center for computational design and discovery of novel materials created by the Swiss National Science Foundation, derived a more general formulation for heat transfer that fits both ordered (crystals) and disordered (glasses) materials. details>>

• Scientists set record for high-temperature superconductor, 50 degrees higher than previous

  An international team of scientists from the University of Chicago (Ill.) and the Max Planck Institute in Germany, using technology from Argonne National Laboratory, observed superconductivity in lanthanum superhydrides at higher temperatures than previously recorded. details>>

• Concept developed for superconducting quantum fridge to cool atoms to nearly absolute zero

  Physicists from the university of Rochester (N.Y.) revealed a concept for a superconducting quantum refrigerator that could cool atoms to nearly absolute zero (around -273 C) to support the performance of quantum computers, according to a report from the university. details>>

• Researchers develop soft, flexible polymer composites with enhanced thermal properties

  Chemists and engineers from Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, Pa.) developed a new method for creating stretchable polymer composites that demonstrate enhanced electrical and thermal properties, according to a report from the school. details>>

• Laser technique stresses graphene and unlocks electrical conductivity in material

  A new laser technique developed by researchers at the University of Purdue, University of Michigan, and the Huazhong University of Science and Technology (Wuhan, China) puts permanent stress on graphene, changing its structure to create a band gap and allow the flow of electric current. details>>

• Laser-induced graphene used in nanogenerators that could power future wearables

  Researchers from Rice University (Houston, Texas) demonstrated that laser-induced graphene (LIG) can be incorporated into metal-free devices that generate static electricity to power wearable electronics, according to a report from the school. details>>

• Scientists use polar bear hair as template for building new thermal insulating material

  Researchers from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in Hefei reproduced the structure of individual polar bear hairs with tube aerogels composed of carbon nanotubes to build a new material that could be as effective an insulator as the natural version. details>>

• New wood technology passively cools without the need for electricity or added polymers

  University of Maryland (College Park, Md.) researchers have shown a variety of innovations in wood technologies in recent years, including wood that was stronger than metal, wood that had enhanced thermal insulating properties, and even wood batteries, and now they have shown a wood material that cools without adding polymers or applying electricity. details>>

• Fabrication process builds nearly ideal transistors from stacks of 2-D materials

  Engineers at Columbia University (New York, N.Y.) revealed a new fabrication method for building transistors from two-dimensional material stacks that is clean and damage-free and shows improved performance over previous 2-D semiconductors fabricated using conventional methods. details>>

• Surface treatment promotes droplet formation and enhances refrigeration efficiency

  Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Mass. demonstrated the effectiveness of a new surface treatment that promotes droplet formation even in fluids that have low surface tension (such as refrigerants) and enhances heat transfer. details>>