Materials Science news

New way to break some of the strongest chemical bonds

New way to break some of the strongest chemical bonds

Chemistry / Materials Science

created Dec 16, 2009 | popularity 4.6 / 5 (24) | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists at Cornell University in the U.S. have found a new way of breaking two of the strongest chemical bonds, at ambient temperature and pressure, and this breakthrough could lead to ...


Entropy alone creates complex crystals from simple shapes, study shows

Entropy alone creates complex crystals from simple shapes, study shows

Chemistry / Materials Science

created Dec 09, 2009 | popularity 4.9 / 5 (21) | comments 2

(PhysOrg.com) -- In a study that elevates the role of entropy in creating order, research led by the University of Michigan shows that certain pyramid shapes can spontaneously organize into complex quasicrystals.


Innovation puts next-generation solar cells on the horizon

Chemistry / Materials Science

created Dec 01, 2009 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (30) | comments 12

In a world first, a Monash University-led international research team has developed an innovative way to boost the output of the next generation of solar cells.


Dental delight! Tooth of sea urchin shows formation of biominerals

Dental delight! Tooth of sea urchin shows formation of biominerals

Chemistry / Materials Science

created Dec 21, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (4) | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Some of the most common minerals in biology, including those in bones and shells, have a mysterious structure: Their crystals are positioned in the same orientation, making them behave as ...


Frederic Scheer, head of the plastics manufacturer Cereplast

Potatoes, algae replace oil in US company's plastics

Chemistry / Materials Science

created Dec 21, 2009 | popularity 3.9 / 5 (17) | comments 5

Frederic Scheer is biding his time, convinced that by 2013 the price of oil will be so high that his bio-plastics, made from vegetables and plants, will be highly marketable.


A light touch: Iron complexes as efficient catalysts for the light-driven extraction of hydrogen from water

Chemistry / Materials Science

created Dec 02, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (4) | comments 3

(PhysOrg.com) -- Hydrogen is a promising alternative energy carrier that can be efficiently converted into electrical energy in fuel cells. One hurdle to the introduction of sustainable hydrogen technology is the fact that ...


Microscopy reveals structure of calcite shells

Microscopy reveals structure of calcite shells

Chemistry / Materials Science

created Nov 30, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Lara Estroff and colleagues have taken a deep, detailed look at the way lab-created calcite crystals, similar to those found in nature, grow in tandem with proteins and other large molecules.



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