Of the four states of matter, gases are the hardest to pin down. Gas molecules move quickly and wildly and don't like to be confined. When confined, heat and pressure build in the container, and it doesn't take long before ...
Materials Science
Apr 17, 2018
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Metal nanoparticles have a wide range of applications, from medicine to catalysis, from energy to the environment. But the fundamentals of adsorption—the process allowing molecules to bind as a layer to a solid surface—in ...
Nanomaterials
Sep 18, 2019
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51
The silk fibers produced by Bombyx mori, the domestic silkworm, has been prized for millennia as a strong yet lightweight and luxurious material. Although synthetic polymers like nylon and polyester are less costly, they ...
Nanomaterials
Oct 30, 2018
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147
Electricity and magnetism rule our digital world. Semiconductors process electrical information, while magnetic materials enable long-term data storage. A University of Pittsburgh research team has discovered a way to fuse ...
General Physics
Sep 25, 2014
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0
While most animals don't learn their vocalizations, everyone knows that parrots do—they are excellent mimics of human speech. But how large is the vocabulary of different parrot species? Do males "talk" more than females? ...
Plants & Animals
Dec 5, 2022
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344
Imagine an automobile coating that changes its structure to adapt to a humid environment or a salt-covered road, better protecting the car from corrosion. Or consider a soldier's uniform that could alter its camouflage or ...
Engineering
Sep 30, 2013
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0
Today in Nature, University of Pittsburgh researchers describe for the first time a pathway by which cells repair damaged lysosomes, structures that contribute to longevity by recycling cellular trash. The findings are an ...
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 7, 2022
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18
Understanding the interactions between materials and chemical species is critical for engineers as it helps them determine their best uses for both day-to-day life and global-level applications.
Condensed Matter
Sep 11, 2023
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38
Objects made from graphite—such as lithium-ion batteries—are "hydrophobic," meaning that they "dislike" water. For decades this lack of likeability has presented significant challenges in terms of building more durable ...
Nanomaterials
Jul 29, 2013
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0
Moving closer to the possibility of "materials that compute" and wearing your computer on your sleeve, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering have designed a responsive hybrid material that ...
Materials Science
Jun 24, 2015
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