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

Researchers at Harvard University have developed a two-millimeter achromatic metalens that can focus red, blue, and green colors without aberrations. Like previous metalenses, this lens uses arrays of titanium dioxide nanofins to focus wavelengths of light and eliminate chromatic aberration. In a virtual or augmented reality platform, the metalens would sit directly in front of the eye, and the display would sit within the focal plane of the metalens.

Researchers at Harvard University have developed a two-millimeter achromatic metalens that can focus red, blue, and green colors without aberrations. Like previous metalenses, this lens uses arrays of titanium dioxide nanofins to focus wavelengths of light and eliminate chromatic aberration. In a virtual or augmented reality platform, the metalens would sit directly in front of the eye, and the display would sit within the focal plane of the metalens.

Bulk hexagonal boron nitride is cheap and easy to obtain, but exfoliating it into atomically thin nanosheets has been a challenge. Now, chemists at Rice University have found a way to get the maximum amount of quality 2D hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (from its natural bulk form) by processing it with surfactant and water. The surfactant surrounds and stabilizes the nanosheets, preserving their properties.

Bulk hexagonal boron nitride is cheap and easy to obtain, but exfoliating it into atomically thin nanosheets has been a challenge. Now, chemists at Rice University have found a way to get the maximum amount of quality 2D hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (from its natural bulk form) by processing it with surfactant and water. The surfactant surrounds and stabilizes the nanosheets, preserving their properties.

Kombucha tea, a trendy fermented beverage, has inspired engineers at the U.S. Army's Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies at MIT and Imperial College London to develop a new way to generate tough, functional materials with a mixture of bacteria and yeast similar to the kombucha mother used to ferment tea. These functional materials, which consist of a dense network of ribbon-like cellulose fibrils, each about 50 nanometers wide and up to 9 micrometers in length, can perform a variety of functions, such as sensing environmental pollutants, purifying water for soldiers in the field, and making smart packaging materials that can detect damage.

Kombucha tea, a trendy fermented beverage, has inspired engineers at the U.S. Army's Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies at MIT and Imperial College London to develop a new way to generate tough, functional materials with a mixture of bacteria and yeast similar to the kombucha mother used to ferment tea. These functional materials, which consist of a dense network of ribbon-like cellulose fibrils, each about 50 nanometers wide and up to 9 micrometers in length, can perform a variety of functions, such as sensing environmental pollutants, purifying water for soldiers in the field, and making smart packaging materials that can detect damage.

Two studies from researchers at Yale University answer some key questions about two-dimensional (2-D) materials. In one study, the researchers experimentally measured the precise doping effects of small molecules on 2-D materials—a first step toward tailoring molecules for modulating the electrical properties of 2-D materials. In the second study, the researchers looked at the effects of mechanical strain on the ordering of lithium in lithium-ion batteries and demonstrated how much the lithium atoms slow down.

Two studies from researchers at Yale University answer some key questions about two-dimensional (2-D) materials. In one study, the researchers experimentally measured the precise doping effects of small molecules on 2-D materials—a first step toward tailoring molecules for modulating the electrical properties of 2-D materials. In the second study, the researchers looked at the effects of mechanical strain on the ordering of lithium in lithium-ion batteries and demonstrated how much the lithium atoms slow down.

Researchers at MIT and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory have designed a new class of small molecules that spontaneously assemble into nanoribbons with unprecedented strength, retaining their structure outside of water. For the past couple of decades, scientists and engineers have been designing molecules that assemble themselves in water, with the goal of making nanostructures, primarily for biomedical applications such as drug delivery or tissue engineering. But these structures fall apart in the absence of water. These small molecules, however, retain their structure outside of water, which could inspire a broad range of applications.

Researchers at MIT and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory have designed a new class of small molecules that spontaneously assemble into nanoribbons with unprecedented strength, retaining their structure outside of water. For the past couple of decades, scientists and engineers have been designing molecules that assemble themselves in water, with the goal of making nanostructures, primarily for biomedical applications such as drug delivery or tissue engineering. But these structures fall apart in the absence of water. These small molecules, however, retain their structure outside of water, which could inspire a broad range of applications.