Materials

Inspired by the woodpecker’s ability to strike trees with its beak rapidly and repeatedly without injury, engineers in Malaysia have used computer simulations to find ways to improve the design of composite beams used in impact-prone structures.

The compact, lightweight device generates electricity when shaken and can power 100 LEDs.

This is a novel study that attempted to construct a pH-sensitive delivery system into T cells and their subsets using carboxy-terminal Phe- and CHex-modified dendrimers with different structures, i.e. PAMAM-CHex-Phe and PAMAM-Phe-CHex. The findings contribute to the development of nanoplatforms for direct delivery to T cells to control the functions of T cells, which play key roles in cancer immunotherapy. This is the first report on direct delivery into T cells using pH-sensitive DDS.

Simulations have led to the fabrication of a polymer-DNA gel that could be used in tissue regeneration and robotics.

Research by Japanese scientists at Hiroshima University reveals a way to make ammonia from its constituent molecules of nitrogen and hydrogen at ambient pressure.

Low volcanic temperature ushered in global cooling and thriving dinosaurs, Broccoli compound induces cell death in yeast, A single molecule makes big splash in quantum mechanics, Dengue virus makes mosquitos bite more often, and Asia Research News: How it all began, all in the February's Editor's Choice

Sea pineapples are a delicacy in Japan and the Tohoku region is renowned for its extensive sea pineapple industry. Soon they might not only be fueling our appetites, but helping power our future too. A research group demonstrated that the carbonization of cellulose nanofibers within sea pineapple shells produces high-quality carbon that, when mixed with blood waste from the livestock industry, boasts electrical performances similar to that of rare metals.

Aromaticity of the Space Surrounded by Two Aromatic Rings

An international research group demonstrated that the Kondo effect can have a significant impact on transition metal oxide compound, which has unique and desirable properties to realize wide range of quantum phenomena. The findings have provided more evidence in a decade long debate.

To meet the demand for strong and tough transparent thin films for sustainable applications, Dr Sunanda Roy from GLA University India has led a multi-national team to successfully develop a novel transparent thin film made from cellulose nanofiber (CNF) reinforced by glycerol & glutalraldehyde (reinforcing glycerol).

Accidental oil discharge into the river can lead to an environmental catastrophe, threatening the lives of countless aquatic animals as well as land animals that forms the ecosystem of the river. Preventing and containing many of the oil discharge is key to mitigating the severity of the catastrophe.

Tohoku University researchers have observed a rare change in the structure of a mineral-like crystal that, if controlled, could lead to the development of new functional materials.

Researchers are working to overcome challenges in order to bring wearable, electric, wound-healing devices to clinical practice.

Unveiling substructures at the edge of the Galaxy, Nanodiamonds key to efficient hydrogen purification, How SARS-CoV-2 evades our immune system, A Zika hijacking with devastating impacts & Finding the right story for your audience, all in the January Editor's Choice.

A collaborative team led by researchers from Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo uses a single water molecule in a C60 cage to probe quantum mechanics

To meet the demand for alternative low-cost, sustainable, light weight and strong materials for two wheelers, Dr JS Binoj from Sree Vidyanikethan Engineering College India has led a multi-national team to successfully develop a novel riser bar made from jute fibre reinforcing isophthalic polymer composite material.

In a study published in Nature Energy this month, researchers led by Kyoto University’s Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS) describe how nanodiamond-reinforced composite membranes can purify hydrogen from its humid mixtures, making the hydrogen generation processes vastly more efficient and cost-effective.

Okara, a soybean byproduct, can now be 3D printed without any additives, boosting food sustainability efforts.

Inspired by the ‘Game of Life’ SUTD researchers are applying cellular automation to efficiently model phase change materials with multiple optical phases for next-generation photonics devices.

Abundant, safe, and environmentally friendly, tin sulfide is predicted to be used in next generation solar cell panels. Now, a research group has used impurity doping to fabricate n-type conductive tin sulfide thin films, paving the way for their use in solar cells.

Micro-plastics cross blood brain barrier, Stomach cancer atlas, Omicron variant isolated, 120-year-old reaction turned on its head and Reporting through the coup, all in the December Editor's Choice. Plus our latest podcast: Decentralization and Democracy in Myanmar.

An engineering project team, has been awarded the Institution of Engineers - Singapore, Prestigious Engineering Achievement Awards 2021 in the Research & Development Category. The award was for their work on Replication & Repair of Hot Air Thermal Defects on Composite Aero-Structures.

Two-dimensional materials exhibit highly desirable properties for advanced technologies, such as flexibility, superconductivity and more. Yet the mechanism by which they become has eluded scientists for some time. Through a novel monitoring and analysis method, researchers have revealed a critical mechanism in the development of 2D monolayer transition metal dichalcogenide.

Researchers from the The University of Tokyo Institute of Industrial Science use electron energy loss spectroscopy to understand local thermal behavior at grain boundaries in polycrystals

In a continuing effort to improve upon previous work, a research team at the Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, have applied their recently developed Bayesian phase difference estimation quantum algorithm to perform full configuration interaction (full-CI) calculations of atoms and molecules without simulating the time evolution of the wave function conditional on an ancillary qubit. Superior to conventional methods in terms of parallel execution of quantum gates during quantum computing, this new algorithm is expected to be much easier to implement in actual quantum computers.

Since the discovery of quasicrystals, solids that mimic crystals in their long-range order but lack periodicity, scientists have sought physical properties related to their peculiar structure. Now, an international group of researchers has reported a long-range magnetic order in QCs with icosahedral symmetry that turns ferromagnetism below certain temperatures.

In 2019, a new superconductor was discovered amongst the nickelates (nickel-based oxides), but only now have the underlying physical and chemical similarities with their Periodic-Table twin superconductors, the cuprates, been identified.

Researchers at The University of Tokyo use numerical simulations to model the process called devitrification during which glasses crystallize, which may help improve the long-term stability of glassy materials, like pharmaceuticals and smartphone screens.

A research led by scientists from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has successfully developed a super-strong, highly ductile and super-light titanium-based alloy using additive manufacturing, commonly known as 3D printing. Their findings open up a new pathway to design alloys with unprecedented structures and properties for various structural applications.

Researchers from The University of Tokyo Institute of Industrial Science use optical microscopy to form a picture of what’s really going on inside surfactant onions