Materials science

Researchers chart how polymers could be engineered into lightweight and long-lasting shields that can handle radiation-intensive environments.

A 4D printing approach produces shape-changing materials from common thermoplastics by turning heat-induced shrinkage into controlled movement.

Simulations reveal how finely tuned lasers ‘forge’ strength and flexibility in 3D-printed steel, enabling more complex microengineering of high-performance components.

A nanoscale investigation reveals how ‘whiskery’ metal deposits in magnesium batteries disrupt their performance, offering new design principles for more stable battery systems.

Researchers uncover a popular electronic material’s extraordinary ability to bend when exposed to light, opening new design options for microdevices and optomechanics.

Tiny chemical houses get a new engineering blueprint for building more orderly, robust and light-responsive structures that facilitate industrially relevant light-driven reactions.

Researchers develop a rapid colour-changing microlaser with phase-changing perovskites and a novel light trap, opening new possibilities in optical communications and sensing.

A molecular reshuffling strategy allows access to otherwise blocked sites on polystyrene’s structure, enabling the transformation of a major form of plastic waste into a new class of high-value chemicals.

By uncovering how conventional metals interact with novel semiconductors, researchers achieve a breakthrough in nanoscale circuitry for ultra-low temperature quantum electronics.

A close look at an additive manufacturing technique for titanium alloys reveals how tiny process variations can shape high-performance components.

Controlling when a protective layer stops growing in lithium-ion batteries may be more beneficial than modifying its composition during formation.

A new fusion chemistry approach could make some of the toughest industrial plastics recyclable, with tuneable features for different applications.