https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Tête de Moine, a semi-hard Swiss cheese that often finds its way onto charcuterie boards and salads, not only brings a rich, nutty and creamy flavor, but also adds a dramatic flare to the presentation. Instead of slicing, this cheese is shaved into delicate rosettes using a tool called a Girolle whose rotating blade gently scrapes thin layers of cheese into ruffled curls. These pretty cheese flowers are known to enhance the flavor and texture due to their high surface-to-volume ratio. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-friction-variation-tte-de-moine.html General Physics Mon, 26 May 2025 10:00:02 EDT news667471267 Recently, a research group led by Prof. Wang Zhenyang and Zhang Shudong from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, developed a new type of ceramic fiber aerogel, SiC@SiO₂, featuring highly anisotropic thermal conductivity and extreme thermal stability through directional bio-inspired design. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-nature-ceramic-fiber-aerogels-advance.html Materials Science Thu, 13 Mar 2025 12:20:03 EDT news661087202 Plastics, which are polymeric materials composed of long chains of small molecules called monomers, are widely used in everyday life and industry due to their lightweight, good strength and flexibility. However, with approximately 52 million tons of plastic waste generated annually, plastic pollution has become a major environmental concern. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-sustainable-smart-polymers.html Polymers Thu, 06 Mar 2025 11:57:04 EST news660484622 Soft viscoelastic solids are flexible materials that can return to their original shape after being stretched. Due to the unique properties driving their deformation, these materials can sometimes behave and change shape in unexpected ways. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-unveils-extrusion-instabilities-viscoelastic-materials.html General Physics Tue, 18 Feb 2025 10:20:54 EST news659096445 The use of wearable electronics that continuously monitor biosignals has transformed the health care and fitness industries. These devices are becoming increasingly common and are projected to reach a market valuation of approximately USD 572.06 billion by 2033. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-flexible-durable-bioelectrodes-future-health.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 03 Jul 2024 09:46:03 EDT news639218762 A team of researchers from NIMS (National Institute for Materials Science), Hokkaido University and Meiji Pharmaceutical University has developed a gel electret capable of stably retaining a large electrostatic charge. The team then combined this gel with highly flexible electrodes to create a sensor capable of perceiving low-frequency vibrations (e.g., vibrations generated by human motion) and converting them into output voltage signals. This device may potentially be used as a wearable health care sensor. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-power-generating-gel-electret-based.html Nanomaterials Thu, 20 Jun 2024 12:16:11 EDT news638104568 Researchers have demonstrated the ability to engineer materials that are both stiff and capable of insulating against heat. This combination of properties is extremely unusual and holds promise for a range of applications, such as the development of new thermal insulation coatings for electronic devices. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-materials-unique-combination-stiffness-thermal.html Nanomaterials Wed, 29 May 2024 11:51:03 EDT news636202261 Glasses and gels are two different types of solid materials that are commonly used in a wide range of settings. Despite their markedly different compositions, these distinct materials share some similar properties, for instance, they exhibit rigidity without a translational order and a slow transformation over time. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-elasticity-glasses-gels.html Condensed Matter Wed, 08 May 2024 10:00:01 EDT news634379669 One of the primary goals in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine is the development of artificial scaffolds that can serve as substitutes for damaged tissue. These materials must ideally resemble natural tissue and must have the ability to support cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-advancing-tissue-memory-hydrogels.html Polymers Wed, 13 Mar 2024 10:36:43 EDT news629545000 Oxidation can degrade the properties and functionality of metals. However, a research team co-led by scientists from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) recently discovered that severely oxidized metallic glass nanotubes can attain an ultrahigh recoverable elastic strain, outperforming most conventional super-elastic metals. They also discovered the physical mechanisms underpinning this super-elasticity. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-unveiling-oxidation-super-elasticity-metallic.html Nanophysics Fri, 02 Feb 2024 11:13:03 EST news626094781 Materials known as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have a rigid, cage-like structure that lends itself to a variety of applications, from gas storage to drug delivery. By changing the building blocks that go into the materials, or the way they are arranged, researchers can design MOFs suited to different uses. https://phys.org/news/2023-04-scientists-ultrastable-materials.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 04 Apr 2023 16:06:11 EDT news599843166 In a new report now published in Science Advances, Mingze Sun and a research team in physics, mechanical engineering, electrical and electronic engineering in Hong Kong China reported the development of multifunctional tendon-mimetic hydrogels by assembling aramid nanofiber composites. https://phys.org/news/2023-02-tissue-bioinspired-multi-functional-tendon-mimetic-hydrogels.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 27 Feb 2023 09:49:07 EST news596713740 While plastics or synthetic polymers have many useful properties, their mismanagement has resulted in widespread pollution that chokes up our ecosystems. As a solution to this, many synthetic polymers are sent for reprocessing and recycling; polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is one of the most common products frequently seen in the recycling loop in many countries. However, recycling has its own set of problems. During plastic recycling, partial fractions of the polymer chains are decomposed resulting in structurally weak, downgraded polymers. These sub-standard recycled plastics have much reduced properties and are only good for use as solid fuels. This leaves manufacturers with little choice other than to make new plastic products with fast-depleting petroleum feedstocks. https://phys.org/news/2022-09-upcycling-commercial-polyesters.html Polymers Tue, 27 Sep 2022 08:43:03 EDT news583486981 For a polymer composed of very simple repeating units, polyethylenimine (PEI) has an astounding number of practical applications, including detergents, adhesives, cosmetics, industrial agents, CO2 capture, and even cellular cultures. In general, PEI is synthesized by the ring-opening polymerization of ethylenimine, also known as aziridine. When produced this way, the result is a liquid polymer with a branching structure. https://phys.org/news/2022-07-simple-method-versatile-porous-polymers.html Polymers Mon, 11 Jul 2022 11:01:09 EDT news576756066 Researchers from the Institute of Theoretical Physics (ITP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) have found that granular matter (such as sand) and some black hole models display similar nonlinear effects. The bridge between the two is the holographic duality. https://phys.org/news/2022-06-black-holes-sands-application-holographic.html Condensed Matter Thu, 02 Jun 2022 09:44:47 EDT news573381885 Miniaturization lies at the heart of countless technological advances. It is undeniable that as devices and their building blocks get smaller, we manage to unlock new functionalities and come up with unprecedented applications. However, with more and more scientists delving into materials with structures on the atomic scale, the gaps in our current understanding of nanomaterial physics are becoming more prominent. https://phys.org/news/2022-04-small-probing-mechanics-gold-contacts.html Nanophysics Mon, 11 Apr 2022 11:00:49 EDT news568893646 Metals usually soften when they expand under heating, but a research team led by a City University of Hong Kong (CityU) scholar and other researchers have discovered a first-of-its-kind super-elastic alloy that can retain its stiffness even after being heated to 1,000 K (726.85 degrees Celsius) or above, with nearly zero energy dissipation. The team believes that the alloy can be applied in manufacturing high-precision devices for space missions. https://phys.org/news/2022-02-super-elastic-high-entropy-elinvar-alloy-potential.html Materials Science Wed, 09 Feb 2022 11:08:11 EST news563627286 Using a novel polymerization process, MIT chemical engineers have created a new material that is stronger than steel and as light as plastic, and can be easily manufactured in large quantities. https://phys.org/news/2022-02-two-dimensional-polymer-lightweight-material-stronger.html Materials Science Wed, 02 Feb 2022 11:00:02 EST news563000294 Superelasticity is an elastic response to an applied external force that occurs via phase transformation. The resulting actuation of the materials is an elastic response to external stimuli, including light and heat. While superelasticity and actuation are deformations resulting from stimulus-induced stress—a phenomenological difference exists between the two, depending on the force. In a new report now published in Communications Chemistry, Takuya Taniguchi and a research team in advanced science and engineering, data science, life sciences and materials science in Japan, described a molecular crystal that manifested superelasticity during photo-actuation under light irradiation. The crystal showed step-wise twisted actuation based on two effects, including photoisomerization and photo-triggered phase transition. They simulated the actuation behavior on a dynamic multi-layer model to reveal progressive photoisomerization and phase-transition in the crystal, while indicating superelasticity induced by modest stress as a result of photoproduct formation. The work provides successful simulations of step-wise twisted actuation to indicate superelasticity-induced by light. https://phys.org/news/2022-01-superelasticity-photoactuating-chiral-crystal.html Condensed Matter Wed, 26 Jan 2022 10:40:01 EST news562414618 A group of researchers led by scientists from the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science and the University of Tokyo has created an unusual material—a soft crystal made of molecules known as a catenanes—that behaves in a novel way that could be used in applications such as films that capture carbon dioxide molecules. The research was published in Nature. https://phys.org/news/2021-10-sponge-adsorbing-desorbing-gas-molecules.html Condensed Matter Wed, 13 Oct 2021 11:00:01 EDT news553333966 The role of entanglements can determine the mechanical properties of glass polymer blends. In a new report now published on Science Advances, Cynthia Bukowski and a research team in polymer science and biomolecular engineering at the University of Massachusetts and the University of Pennsylvania, U.S., developed a combined method of experiments and simulations to quantify the role of entanglements on polymer glasses. The team conducted uniaxial extension experiments on 100 nm thin films with a bidispersive mixture of polystyrene, for comparison with molecular dynamics simulations of a coarse-grained model of polymer glasses. The bidispersive blends allowed systematic tuning of the entanglement density present in both systems and the scientists measured the film strength experimentally and described the simulated film toughness using a model to account for load-bearing entanglements. https://phys.org/news/2021-09-load-bearing-entanglements-polymer-glasses.html Polymers Tue, 28 Sep 2021 10:30:01 EDT news552042784 New research published in Scientific Reports has revealed that a simple but robust algorithm can help engineers to improve the design of cellular materials that are used in a variety of diverse applications ranging from defense, bio-medical to smart structures and the aerospace sector. https://phys.org/news/2021-08-algorithm-cellular-materials.html Mathematics Fri, 13 Aug 2021 06:48:54 EDT news548056125 Graphene is an ultrathin material characterized by its ultrasmall bending modulus, superflimsiness. Now the researchers at the Nanoscience Center of the University of Jyväskylä have demonstrated how an experimental technique called optical forging can make graphene ultrastiff, increase its stiffness by several orders of magnitude. The research was published in npj 2D Materials and Applications in May 2021. https://phys.org/news/2021-05-superflimsy-graphene-ultrastiffby-optical-forging.html Nanophysics Tue, 25 May 2021 10:27:11 EDT news541157228 In a new report in NPG Asia materials, Chisa Norioka and a team of scientists in Chemistry and Materials Engineering in Japan, detailed a universal method to easily prepare tough and stretchable hydrogels without special structures or complications. They tuned the polymerization conditions to form networks with many polymer chain entanglements, to achieve energy dissipation throughout the resulting materials. The team prepared the tough and stretchable hydrogels via free radical polymerization using a high monomer concentration and low crosslinker content to optimize the balance between physical and chemical crosslinks via entanglements and covalent bonds. The research team used polymer chain entanglements for energy dissipation to overcome the limits of low mechanical performance for use in a wide-range of hydrogels. https://phys.org/news/2021-05-universal-method-easily-tough-stretchable.html Materials Science Thu, 13 May 2021 12:10:01 EDT news540124785 Drug carriers that target the vascular endothelium must adhere to the endothelial vessel wall to achieve clinical stability. The particle size is a critical physical property to prescribe particle margination within biological blood flows and those conducted in-lab. While microparticles are optimal for margination, nanoparticles are better for intracellular delivery. In a new report now on Science Advances, Margaret B. Fish and a research team in chemical engineering, pharmacology and cardiovascular medicine and engineering at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor U.S., tested flexible hydrogel particles as carriers to transport nanoparticles to a diseased vascular wall. Based on the microparticle modulus, nanoparticle-loaded poly (ethylene glycol)-based hydrogel microparticles delivered more than 50-nm nanoparticles to the vessel wall, when compared to freely injected nanoparticles to achieve more than 3000 percent increase in delivery. The work showed the benefit of optimizing the efficiency margination of microparticles to enhance transport of nanocarriers to the vascular wall. https://phys.org/news/2021-05-flexible-microparticles-drug-carriers-shuttle.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 05 May 2021 09:30:01 EDT news539421614 Engineers have developed a new material that mimics human cartilage—the body's shock absorbing and lubrication system, and it could herald the development of a new generation of lightweight bearings. https://phys.org/news/2021-04-nature-load-bearing-material.html Polymers Thu, 22 Apr 2021 11:07:07 EDT news538308381 In a study published in Applied Materials Today, researchers from Singapore have developed the largest range of silicone and epoxy hybrid resins for the 3D printing of wearable devices, biomedical equipment, and soft robotics. The range of tunable functionally graded materials, which displayed over five orders of magnitude of elastic modulus, demonstrated excellent interfacial toughness, higher precision in complex structures and better fabrication control for the integration of mechatronic components. https://phys.org/news/2021-04-ground-3d-soft-robotics-largest.html Polymers Tue, 13 Apr 2021 10:48:01 EDT news537529672 Multistable mechanical metamaterials are artificial materials whose microarchitecture offers more than two different stable configurations. Existing mechanical metamaterials rely on origami or kirigami-based designs with snap-through instability and microstructured soft mechanisms. Scalable structures that can be built from mechanical metamaterials with an extremely large number of programmable stable configurations remain elusive. In a new report now published on Science Advances, Hang Zhang and a research team in engineering, electronics, and advanced structure technology in Beijing China, used the elastic tensile/compressive asymmetry of kirigami microstructures to design a class of X-shaped tristable structures. The team used these constructs as building block elements to build hierarchical mechanical metamaterials with one-dimensional cylindrical geometries, 2D square lattices and 3D cubic or octahedral lattices with multidirectional multistability. The number of stable states increased with the cell number of mechanical metamaterials incorporated in the work, and the versatile multistability and structural diversity demonstrated applications within mechanical ternary logic operators with unusual functionalities. https://phys.org/news/2021-03-hierarchical-mechanical-metamaterials-multiple-stable.html Nanophysics Fri, 12 Mar 2021 10:10:01 EST news534764432 As light as possible and as strong as possible at the same time: These are the requirements for modern lightweight materials, such as those used in aircraft construction and the automotive industry. A research team from Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht (HZG) and Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) has now developed a new materials' design approach for future ultralight materials: Nanometer-sized metal struts that form nested networks on separate hierarchical levels provide amazing strength. https://phys.org/news/2021-03-high-strength-hierarchy-ultralight-materials.html Nanomaterials Thu, 04 Mar 2021 14:00:01 EST news534072238 Researchers in the labs of Christopher Bates, an assistant professor of materials at UC Santa Barbara, and Michael Chabinyc, a professor of materials and chair of the department, have teamed to develop the first 3-D-printable "bottlebrush" elastomer. The new material results in printed objects that have unusual softness and elasticity—mechanical properties that closely resemble those of human tissue. https://phys.org/news/2021-02-material-yields-soft-elastic-human.html Materials Science Mon, 08 Feb 2021 14:53:49 EST news532018424