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Category: materials – Page 6

Scientists turn ‘mess’ into breakthrough: Chaotic design unlocks next-generation optical devices

Researchers from the Monash University School of Physics and Astronomy have flipped a long-held assumption in optics, showing that deliberately introducing controlled disorder into ultra-thin optical devices can dramatically increase their power and versatility, without making them bigger or more complex.

Published in Nature Communications, the study reveals a new class of “disordered mosaic metasurfaces” nanostructured materials that manipulate light, capable of performing multiple optical functions simultaneously within a single device.

At the center of the breakthrough is a counterintuitive idea: instead of carefully arranging structures in perfect order, the team scattered them in a controlled, mosaic-like pattern, and found that performance didn’t degrade. In fact, it improved.

Webb Telescope spots “impossible” atmosphere on ancient super-Earth

A scorching “lava world” once thought barren may actually be wrapped in a thick, mysterious atmosphere. Astronomers have uncovered surprising evidence of a thick atmosphere surrounding TOI-561 b, a scorching, fast-orbiting rocky planet once thought too extreme to hold onto any gas. Using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, researchers found the planet is far cooler than expected for a bare rock, hinting at a heat-distributing atmosphere above a churning magma ocean. This strange world—where a year lasts just over 10 hours and one side is locked in eternal daylight—may even be rich in volatile materials, behaving like a “wet lava ball.”

A team of astronomers led by Carnegie has uncovered the clearest evidence yet that a rocky planet outside our Solar System has an atmosphere. Using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the researchers identified signs of gas surrounding an unusual target: an ancient, extremely hot super Earth that likely has a surface covered by molten rock. The findings were published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

The planet, known as TOI-561 b, has about twice the mass of Earth but is dramatically different in almost every other way. It orbits extremely close to its star, at a distance just one fortieth that of Mercury from the Sun. Even though its star is slightly smaller and cooler than our Sun, the planet’s tight orbit means it completes a full year in only 10.56 hours. One side constantly faces the star, leaving it locked in permanent daylight.

Plant-inspired water membrane filters CO₂ with constant selectivity and adjustable permeance

Gas separation membranes are vital for carbon capture, biogas upgrading, and hydrogen purification, all of which require the separation of carbon dioxide from gases like nitrogen, methane and hydrogen. However, the membranes currently in use for these applications suffer from limitations like low throughput or performance under high pressure and humidity, low gas flow, instability, and reaction rate limits.

Plants may have inspired a solution to many of these issues with the way their leaves absorb CO2. In a new study, published in Nature Communications, a team of researchers tests out a plant-inspired, water-based membrane that offers highly selective and permeable gas separation that outperforms many other materials, while also providing a greener, safer, and potentially cheaper way to capture CO2 and purify gases.

Carbon nanotube fiber sensors achieve record measurement error below 0.1%

Skoltech scientists, in collaboration with colleagues from China and Iran, have taken a major step toward creating highly precise carbon nanotube fiber (CNTF)-based sensors. In a paper published in the iScience journal, the authors, for the first time, quantitatively assessed the accuracy of CNTF sensors for dual-stage, i.e., manufacturing and post-manufacturing monitoring of epoxy-based polymer nanocomposites with dispersed CNTs.

The researchers emphasize that this development paves the way for creating a cutting-edge carbon-based material for high-precision and real-time sensing applications.

Existing monitoring sensors, such as fiber optics or piezoelectric sensors, are not suitable for the dual-stage monitoring of polymer composite materials. Additionally, embedding them into the composite structure often leads to deterioration in the mechanical properties of ready-made materials, making it more vulnerable to failure.

A centimeter-long bacterium with DNA contained in metabolically active, membrane-bound organelles

Volland et al. discovered a type of bacteria which grows to around a centimeter in length! They explore its remarkable biological adaptations as well. A very interesting read!

Candidatus Thiomargarita magnifica contains compartmentalized genomic material and disrupts conceptions of microbial morphology.

Parabolic flight test shows lasers can propel graphene aerogels in microgravity

Lasers could one day steer solar sails and adjust a satellite’s position in outer space, thanks to graphene. An experiment on a gravity rollercoaster ride showed how this innovative material has the potential to revolutionize propulsion beyond Earth.

An international research team boarded ESA’s 86th parabolic flight campaign in May 2025 with ultralight graphene aerogels, then hit them with light during zero gravity phases to observe their reaction under space-like conditions.

The effect of the laser during the microgravity phases was startling: The graphene samples shot forward instantly.

Metamaterial chains learn new shapes by sharing data hinge to hinge

In a new Nature Physics publication, University of Amsterdam researchers introduce human-made materials that spring to life. These ‘metamaterials’ don’t just learn to change shape, but can autonomously adapt their shape-changing strategy, perform reflex actions and move around like living systems do.

Normal materials have fixed, predetermined responses when a force is applied to them, whereas robots have pre-programmed behaviors. In stark contrast, living materials such as cells and brainless organisms can adapt extremely well to changing conditions. Inspired by nature, the research team created synthetic materials—metamaterials—that learn and adapt without a central “brain.”

The worm-like metamaterials progressively learn how to change shape by being trained on examples. They can forget old shapes and learn new ones, or learn and remember multiple shapes at once and toggle between these shapes. This allows them to perform advanced tasks such as grabbing an object or moving around (locomotion).

Water-repelling surfaces reveal surprising charging effects

Materials that repel water are used in countless applications, including industrial separation processes, routine laboratory pipetting, and medical devices. When water touches these surfaces, the interface where they meet tends to acquire a small electrical charge—an effect that is ubiquitous, yet poorly understood. KAUST researchers have now studied this in detail and their findings could have broad implications. The findings are published in the journal Langmuir.

“This is not a niche laboratory curiosity,” says Yinfeng Xu, a Ph.D. student who led the experimental work in Himanshu Mishra’s laboratory. “This phenomenon plays a role in environmental processes such as dew droplets and raindrops; in industrial operations involving sprays, condensates, or emulsions; and in modern microfluidic and liquid-handling systems used in laboratories worldwide.”

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