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

Mimicking the structure of the kidney, scientists from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the University of Illinois at Chicago have created a three-dimensional nanometer-thin membrane composed of two 3D interconnected channels, which are separated by a nanometer-thin porous titanium oxide layer. This unique biomimetic 3D architecture dramatically increases the surface area, and thus the filtration area, by 6,000 times, coupled with an ultra-short diffusion distance through the 2–4 nanometer-thin selective layer.

Two-photon lithography is a widely used 3-D nanoprinting technique that can print nanoscale features at very high resolution by focusing an intense beam of light on a precise spot within a liquid photopolymer material. Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and collaborators have turned to machine learning to address two key barriers to industrialization of two-photon lithography: monitoring of parts’ quality during printing and determining the right light dosage for a given material.

Two-photon lithography is a widely used 3-D nanoprinting technique that can print nanoscale features at very high resolution by focusing an intense beam of light on a precise spot within a liquid photopolymer material. Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and collaborators have turned to machine learning to address two key barriers to industrialization of two-photon lithography: monitoring of parts’ quality during printing and determining the right light dosage for a given material.

Materials scientists at Rice University and the University of Pennsylvania are calling for a collective, global effort to fast-track the mass production of 2-D materials, such as graphene and molybdenum disulfide. In a perspective article published online in “Materials Today,” the scientists make a case for a focused, collective effort to address the research challenges that could clear the way for large-scale mass production of 2-D materials.

Materials scientists at Rice University and the University of Pennsylvania are calling for a collective, global effort to fast-track the mass production of 2-D materials, such as graphene and molybdenum disulfide. In a perspective article published online in “Materials Today,” the scientists make a case for a focused, collective effort to address the research challenges that could clear the way for large-scale mass production of 2-D materials.

Researchers from Harvard University’s John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Harvard’s Department of Physics have designed a computational system to screen twisted multi-layer graphene stacks for twist angles associated with potentially interesting electronic properties. The approach can identify nanostructures with tailored properties that could help accelerate the development and commercialization of quantum and other technologies. 

Researchers from Harvard University’s John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Harvard’s Department of Physics have designed a computational system to screen twisted multi-layer graphene stacks for twist angles associated with potentially interesting electronic properties. The approach can identify nanostructures with tailored properties that could help accelerate the development and commercialization of quantum and other technologies. 

Researchers have developed a way to use diamonds to see the elusive details of electrical currents. The team demonstrated the potential of the technique by revealing the unusual electrical currents that flow in graphene, a layer of carbon just one atom thick. Their results revealed, for the first time, details about how room-temperature graphene can produce electrical currents that flow more like water through pipes than electricity through ordinary wires.

Researchers have developed a way to use diamonds to see the elusive details of electrical currents. The team demonstrated the potential of the technique by revealing the unusual electrical currents that flow in graphene, a layer of carbon just one atom thick. Their results revealed, for the first time, details about how room-temperature graphene can produce electrical currents that flow more like water through pipes than electricity through ordinary wires.

Researchers have developed a way to use diamonds to see the elusive details of electrical currents. The team demonstrated the potential of the technique by revealing the unusual electrical currents that flow in graphene, a layer of carbon just one atom thick. Their results revealed, for the first time, details about how room-temperature graphene can produce electrical currents that flow more like water through pipes than electricity through ordinary wires.