Materials Science

Materials Science

Nanostructures mimic Inuit stone sculptures

Chemists have created nanoscale versions Inuit rock sculptures, an advance that could facilitate the development of next-generation sensors and electronic devices.

Materials Science

Slick Surfaces: Pressure builds to make better motor oils

Motor oil's protection against the wear and tear of steel engine parts takes effect only at high pressures.

Materials Science

Venetian Grinds

Venetian Renaissance artists, renowned for their vibrant colors, mixed powdered glass with their paints in an attempt to expand their palettes and create unique optical effects.

Materials Science

Tiles stack for shell strength in abalone

In abalone shells, microscopic tiles of calcium carbonate stack on top of each other in a highly ordered arrangement to create a superstrong material.

Materials Science

Petrified wood: Quick and easy

Materials scientists have turned wood into stone in a matter of days, mimicking a natural process that takes millions of years.

Materials Science

Infrared Vision: New material may enhance plastic solar cells

The vision of flexible, low-cost, lightweight plastic solar cells has moved one step closer to reality with the creation of a material that can harness infrared light.

Materials Science

Magnetic nanorods on cruise control

Chemists have created miniature engines out of nanoscale metallic rods that propel themselves using chemical energy.

Materials Science

Sweet Glow: Nanotube sensor brightens path to glucose detection

An implantable glucose sensor based on carbon nanotubes could allow patients with diabetes to monitor their blood sugar levels without the need for daily pinprick tests.

Materials Science

Concrete Nation

From ultrahigh-performance concrete that bends like metal to concrete blocks that transmit light, scientists are pushing the physical and architectural limits of this ubiquitous construction material.

Materials Science

Mussel glue inspires coating for medical implants

An antifouling coating inspired by the sticky adhesive secreted by mussels could protect future medical implants from failure.

Materials Science

Glass materials let Venetian art shine

Sixteenth-century Venetian painters mixed glassy materials with their paints to expand their palettes and enhance the vibrancy of their colors.

Materials Science

Bonelike polymer supports stem cells

A polymer scaffold that mimics the environment in which natural bone grows provides stem cells with the right cues to lay down new bone.