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

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.

Antimicrobial packaging is being developed to extend the shelf life and safety of foods and beverages. However, there is concern about the transfer of potentially harmful materials, such as silver nanoparticles, from these types of containers to consumables. Now, researchers have shown that silver embedded in an antimicrobial plastic can leave the material and form nanoparticles in foods and beverages, particularly in sweet and sugary ones.

Antimicrobial packaging is being developed to extend the shelf life and safety of foods and beverages. However, there is concern about the transfer of potentially harmful materials, such as silver nanoparticles, from these types of containers to consumables. Now, researchers have shown that silver embedded in an antimicrobial plastic can leave the material and form nanoparticles in foods and beverages, particularly in sweet and sugary ones.

MIT researchers and colleagues have discovered an important—and unexpected—electronic property of graphene. The researchers show that bilayer graphene can be ferroelectric, which means that positive and negative charges in the material can spontaneously separate into different layers. This work could usher in new, faster information-processing paradigms, one potential application being neuromorphic computing, which aims to replicate the neurons in the body responsible for everything from behavior to memories.

MIT researchers and colleagues have discovered an important—and unexpected—electronic property of graphene. The researchers show that bilayer graphene can be ferroelectric, which means that positive and negative charges in the material can spontaneously separate into different layers. This work could usher in new, faster information-processing paradigms, one potential application being neuromorphic computing, which aims to replicate the neurons in the body responsible for everything from behavior to memories.