Materials

Mirror, mirror, in my tank, who’s the biggest fish of all? Sigma bond spotted, Balancing cell membrane, Exploring quantum squeezing and Outbreak preparedness. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice.

2024 Taiwan Innotech Expo takes place from October 17 to 19 at the Taipei World Trade Center. Witness cutting-edge inventions and innovations from Taiwan and around the world.

Solid electrolyte composed of nanoparticles embedded in an amorphous matrix shows high conductivity, formability, and electrochemical stability

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are how AI helped uncover mysterious Nazca lines, a battery made from a glowing crystal, and how 1 in 3 children are nearsighted.

The discovery of a stable single-electron covalent bond between two carbon atoms validates a century-old theory.

Propylene production harnesses biodiesel waste byproduct

Altermagnetism (AM) is an emerging type of magnetism, combining advantages of both antiferromagnetism (AFM) and ferromagnetism (FM), with no net magnetization and spin-splitting Fermi surfaces. It is ideal material for spintronic applications. In our work, we studied the inverse altermagnetic spin-splitting effect (IASSE) in epitaxial RuO2 film capped by ferromagnetic insulator YIG layer. By injecting a spin current from YIG into RuO2, we observed a significant anisotropic spin to charge conversion with spin index parallel or perpendicular to the Néel vector directions, revealing the inverse altermagnetic spin-splitting effect (IASSE) in RuO2. Furthermore, we verify the ordering of the Néel vector along the [001] direction from magnetization measurements. Our study provides critical insights in the understanding of altermagnetism.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are a computer chip inspired by our brains, the potential link between asthma and diabetes, and how Japanese eels flee their predators after being swallowed.

Researchers from Osaka University created ‘smart’ microparticles that self-assemble in response to the addition of a specific molecule. This work can help explain the behavior of biomolecular complexes, as well as pave the way for novel polymers that respond to their environment.

How can we make certain electrochemical reactions faster and more efficient? Researchers at Tohoku University investigated the use of Co X-ides for the electrocatalytic hydrogenation of quinoline.

Ceramic-rich composite electrolytes: An overview of the paradigm shift from high-performance lithium metal batteries to solid-state electrolytes

Seaweed helps brain health, Whales in long-distance relationships, Jumpstarting male fertility, Demystifying black hole turbulence, Shrimp to steel & Mpox Resources. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are how a live pig was operated on by a surgeon thousands of kilometers away, how an asteroid caused a massive ancient impact, and the day the sun grew dark 6,000 years ago.

A capacitor is like a highspeed battery that can quickly store and release energy. What happens when it becomes “super?” Researchers at Tohoku University have potential solutions to improve energy-efficiency.

Foaming plastic carriers creates uneven surfaces, more area for necessary microorganisms

This study reports the first attempt to characterize the quality, defects, and strain of as-grown monolayer transition metal dichalcogenide (IMDC)-based 2D materials through exciton anisotropy. A standard ellipsometric parameter (Ψ) to observe anisotropic exciton behavior in monolayer 2D materials is used. According to the strong exciton effect from phonon-electron coupling processes, the change in the exciton in the Van Hove singularity is sensitive to lattice distortions such as defects and strain. In comparison with Raman spectroscopy, the variations in exciton anisotropy in Ψ are more sensitive for detecting slight changes in the quality and strain of monolayer MDC films. Moreover, the optical power requirement for TMDC characterization through exciton anisotropy in Ψ is ~10-5 mW·cm-2, which is significantly less than that of Raman spectroscopy (~106 mW·cm-2). The standard deviation of the signals varies with strain (defects) in Raman spectra and exciton anisotropies in Ψ are 0.700 (0.795) and 0.033 (0.073), indicating that exciton anisotropy is more sensitive to slight changes in the quality of monolayer TMDC films.

A re-analysis of early gas storage materials shows that they could adjust their shape to hold more gas, a property generally associated with newer, more advanced materials

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are how choosing the right drink can reduce your chance of developing gout, how warmer waters mean tougher conditions for some fish, and combining crystals with dye to reinforce anti-counterfeit labels.

Scientists have struggled to manufacture quasi-1D Zirconium pentatelluride in larger quantities - until now. This finding by Tohoku University researchers may advance tech such as quantum computing.

Affordable polyethylene rafts found 5 times more durable than usual bamboo ones

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are how playing video games can help you feel better, how we age rapidly in two “bursts”, and a spider that tricks male fireflies into its web.

A machine learning algorithm can use X-ray diffraction data from polymers to predict the behaviour of new materials.

Clean energy products could be made from metal-organic frameworks

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are the ‘holy grail’ of insulin treatments, a new species that ate like a walrus, and keeping cool in smart, adaptive clothing.

SUTD researchers developed a new method of producing metallic structures at room temperature and pressure using the same process that insects and lobsters use to create their shells, unlocking a new type of energy-efficient metalworking.

In a multi-institutional collaboration, one SUTD researcher finds a way to optimise the design of perovskite tandem solar cells using machine learning.

- DGIST-Sungkyunkwan University research team successfully develops a next-generation bioelectronic suture that can monitor inflammation around wounds in real time - Maintains the functionality of traditional surgical sutures while monitoring inflammation... Expected to contribute to advances in wound care and related medical fields

A new treatment combining tiny iron particles and nitric oxide gas shows promise in targeting oral cancer cells for destruction.

Distinctive processes could provide hints on how to use next-generation materials

Using optical vortex enhances printing technology, shows promise in creating well-formed single ferrite crystals