News from the NNI Community - Research Advances Funded by Agencies Participating in the NNI

In 2018, scientists discovered that when an ultrathin layer of carbon, called graphene, is stacked and twisted to a "magic angle" on top of another layer of graphene, the double-layered structure converts into a superconductor, allowing electricity to flow without resistance or energy waste. Now, scientists at Harvard University have expanded on that superconducting system by adding a third layer and rotating it. The work could lead to superconductors that operate at higher or even close to room temperature, unlike most superconductors today (including the double layered graphene structure), which work only at ultracold temperatures.

In 2018, scientists discovered that when an ultrathin layer of carbon, called graphene, is stacked and twisted to a "magic angle" on top of another layer of graphene, the double-layered structure converts into a superconductor, allowing electricity to flow without resistance or energy waste. Now, scientists at Harvard University have expanded on that superconducting system by adding a third layer and rotating it. The work could lead to superconductors that operate at higher or even close to room temperature, unlike most superconductors today (including the double layered graphene structure), which work only at ultracold temperatures.

A study led by researchers at the University of Georgia in Athens announces the successful use of a new nanoimaging technique that will allow researchers to test and identify 2D materials in a comprehensive way at the nanoscale for the first time. The researchers created a one-atom thick sheet of two kinds of semiconductors stitched together, similar to assembling an atomic Lego, with properties not found in traditional thick materials.

A study led by researchers at the University of Georgia in Athens announces the successful use of a new nanoimaging technique that will allow researchers to test and identify 2D materials in a comprehensive way at the nanoscale for the first time. The researchers created a one-atom thick sheet of two kinds of semiconductors stitched together, similar to assembling an atomic Lego, with properties not found in traditional thick materials.

Researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, and Virginia Tech have found that solvents can spontaneously react with metal nanoparticles to form reactive complexes that can improve the catalytic performance of the solvent and the nanoparticles and simultaneously reduce the environmental impact of chemical manufacturing. This work may have implications for reducing the amounts of solvent used and waste generated in the chemical industry.

Researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, and Virginia Tech have found that solvents can spontaneously react with metal nanoparticles to form reactive complexes that can improve the catalytic performance of the solvent and the nanoparticles and simultaneously reduce the environmental impact of chemical manufacturing. This work may have implications for reducing the amounts of solvent used and waste generated in the chemical industry.

Researchers at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) have developed a technique that programs 2D materials to transform into complex 3D shapes. The goal of the work is to create synthetic materials that can mimic how living organisms expand and contract soft tissues and, as a result, achieve complex 3D movements and functions. Programming thin sheets, or 2D materials, to morph into 3D shapes can enable new technologies for soft robotics, deployable systems, and biomimetic manufacturing.

Researchers at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) have developed a technique that programs 2D materials to transform into complex 3D shapes. The goal of the work is to create synthetic materials that can mimic how living organisms expand and contract soft tissues and, as a result, achieve complex 3D movements and functions. Programming thin sheets, or 2D materials, to morph into 3D shapes can enable new technologies for soft robotics, deployable systems, and biomimetic manufacturing.

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have developed a new method for 3-D printing living microbes in controlled patterns, expanding the potential for using engineered bacteria to recover rare-earth metals, clean wastewater, and detect uranium. The researchers are also working on creating new bioresins and are evaluating conductive materials, such as carbon nanotubes and hydrogels, to enhance production efficiency in microbial electrosynthesis applications.

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have developed a new method for 3-D printing living microbes in controlled patterns, expanding the potential for using engineered bacteria to recover rare-earth metals, clean wastewater, and detect uranium. The researchers are also working on creating new bioresins and are evaluating conductive materials, such as carbon nanotubes and hydrogels, to enhance production efficiency in microbial electrosynthesis applications.