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IMAGE: An illustration combines two possible types of surface layers for a catalyst that performs the water-splitting reaction, the first step in making hydrogen fuel. The gray surface, top, is lanthanum. view more
Credit: CUBE3D Graphic
Scientists crafting a nickel-based catalyst used in making hydrogen fuel built it one atomic layer at a time to gain full control over its chemical properties. But the finished material didn t behave as they expected: As one version of the catalyst went about its work, the top-most layer of atoms rearranged to form a new pattern, as if the square tiles that cover a floor had suddenly changed to hexagons.
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IMAGE: X-ray diffraction intensities recorded in the vicinity of the (620,000) main reflection of the charge-density-wave (CDW) phase of the topological Weyl semimetal (TaSe4)2I. Small (red) indices label satellite reflections. The. view more
Credit: MPI of Microstructure Physics
Topological materials are characterised by unique electronic and physical properties that are determined by the underlying topology of their electronic systems. Scientists from the Max Planck Institutes for Microstructure Physics (Halle) and for Chemical Physics of Solids (Dresden) have now discovered that (TaSe4)2I is the first material in which a charge density wave induces a phase transition between the semimetal to insulator state.
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IMAGE: Optical microscope (OM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of viscous liquid metal particles during stretching. During this process, the oxide film on the surface of the microparticles may stretch. view more
Credit: POSTECH
Today s electronic devices strive for new form factors - to make them foldable, stretchable, and deformable. To produce such devices that are highly stretchable or deformable, it is necessary to develop electrodes and circuit lines whose electrical properties can withstand harsh deformation or mechanical damage. To this, POSTECH-Yonsei University joint research team has recently developed liquid metal ink to accelerate printed electronic devices that can be changed into any shape.
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IMAGE: Scheme of exposed crystal facets of cubic structures with (100), (110), and (111) orientations. view more
Credit: Korea Institute of Science and Technology(KIST)
All-solid-state batteries are the next-generation batteries that can simultaneously improve the stability and capacity of existing lithium batteries. The use of non-flammable solid cathodes and electrolytes in such batteries considerably reduces the risk of exploding or catching fire under high temperatures or external impact and facilitates high energy density, which is twice that of lithium batteries. All-solid-state batteries are expected to become a game changer in the electric vehicle and energy storage device markets. Despite these advantages, the low ionic conductivity of solid electrolytes combined with their high interfacial resistance and rapid deterioration reduce battery performance and life, thus limiting their commercialization.