Rice engineers show lab grown diamond films can stop costly mineral buildup in pipes

Pulickel Ajayan and Xiang Zhang
Photo Credit: Jeff Fitlow/Rice University

In industrial pipes, mineral deposits build up the way limescale collects inside a kettle ⎯ only on a far larger and more expensive scale. Mineral scaling is a major issue in water and energy systems, where it slows flow, strains equipment and drives up costs.

A new study by Rice University engineers shows that lab-grown diamond coatings could resolve the issue, providing an alternative to chemical additives and mechanical cleaning, both of which offer only temporary relief and carry environmental or operational downsides.

“Because of these limitations, there is growing interest in materials that can naturally resist scale formation without constant intervention,” said Xiang Zhang, assistant research professor of materials science and nanoengineering and a first author on the study alongside Rice postdoctoral researcher Yifan Zhu. “Our work addresses this urgent need by identifying a coating material that can ‘stay clean’ on its own.”

Extending the Lifespan of Electrocatalysts

The image shows the nanosized atom probe tomography specimens on a silicon microtip coupon.
Photo Credit: © Tong Li

A research team has discovered how to keep a cobalt-based oxide electrocatalyst active and stable. The element chromium plays a crucial role in this process.  

Although chromium itself is not an active element, its continuous dissolution enables a reversible surface transformation that keeps the Co-Cr spinel oxide electrocatalyst active and stable. This could significantly improve the efficiency of hydrogen production. These findings stem from researchers at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, the Max Planck Institutes for Sustainable Materials in Düsseldorf and for Coal Research in Mülheim, Forschungszentrum Jülich and the Helmholtz Institute for Renewable Energies in Erlangen-Nürnberg. They report their results in the journal Nature Communications. 

Two-step flash Joule heating method recovers lithium‑ion battery materials quickly and cleanly

(From left) Shichen Xu, James Tour, Alex Lathem, Karla Silva and Ralph Abdel Nour.
Photo Credit: Jared Jones/Rice University

A research team at Rice University led by James Tour has developed a two-step flash Joule heating-chlorination and oxidation (FJH-ClO) process that rapidly separates lithium and transition metals from spent lithium-ion batteries. The method provides an acid-free, energy-saving alternative to conventional recycling techniques, a breakthrough that aligns with the surging global demand for batteries used in electric vehicles and portable electronics.

Published in Advanced Materials, this research could transform the recovery of critical battery materials. Traditional recycling methods are often energy intensive, generate wastewater and frequently require harsh chemicals. In contrast, the FJH-ClO process achieves high yields and purity of lithium, cobalt and graphite while reducing energy consumption, chemical usage and costs.

“We designed the FJH-ClO process to challenge the notion that battery recycling must rely on acid leaching,” said Tour, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Professor of Chemistry and professor of materials science and nanoengineering. “FJH-ClO is a fast, precise way to extract valuable materials without damaging them or harming the environment.”

A system for targeted drug delivery using magnetic microrobots

Microrobots can be transported and activated in a safe and controlled manner, marking a decisive step forward in the use of these technological devices in targeted medical treatments.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of University of Barcelona

The study, led by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich) and published in the journal Science, involves Professor Josep Puigmartí-Luis from the Faculty of Chemistry and the Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (IQTC) of the University of Barcelona. He is the only researcher from a Spanish institution to sign this paper, which is the result of the European ANGIE project, an initiative coordinated by Professor Salvador Pané (ETH) in collaboration with the Chemistry In Flow and Nanomaterials Synthesis (ChemInFlow) research group, led by Professor Puigmartí. 

The new microrobotic platform presents an innovative strategy for administering drugs in a precise and targeted manner. It is scalable and can be applied to numerous situations in which the administration of therapeutic agents is difficult to access, such as tumors, arteriovenous malformations, localized infections, or tissue injuries. 

Light causes atomic layers to do the twist

Fang Liu, assistant professor of chemistry in Stanford’s School of Humanities and Sciences
Photo Credit: Fawn Hallenbeck/Stanford University

A study led by Stanford and Cornell researchers shows how light could be used to control the behavior of moiré materials, atomically thin layers that gain unusual properties when stacked and offset. The research has implications for developing superconductivity, magnetism, and quantum electronics.

A pulse of light sets the tempo in the material. Atoms in a crystalline sheet just a few atoms thick begin to move—not randomly, but in a coordinated rhythm, twisting and untwisting in sync like dancers following a beat.

Until now, researchers hadn’t been able to directly observe how those layers physically respond to a burst of light. In a recent study, a team led by Stanford and Cornell University researchers showed that the atomic layers can briefly twist more tightly together, then spring back, like a coiled ribbon releasing its energy.

New lightweight polymer film can prevent corrosion

MIT researchers tested the gas permeability of their new polymer films by suspending them over microwells to form bubbles. Some bubbles from 2021 experiments are still inflated. This optical micrograph shows how the films form very colorful spots when suspended over microwells.
Image Credit: Courtesy of the researchers
(CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

MIT researchers have developed a lightweight polymer film that is nearly impenetrable to gas molecules, raising the possibility that it could be used as a protective coating to prevent solar cells and other infrastructure from corrosion, and to slow the aging of packaged food and medicines.

The polymer, which can be applied as a film mere nanometers thick, completely repels nitrogen and other gases, as far as can be detected by laboratory equipment, the researchers found. That degree of impermeability has never been seen before in any polymer, and rivals the impermeability of molecularly-thin crystalline materials such as graphene.

“Our polymer is quite unusual. It’s obviously produced from a solution-phase polymerization reaction, but the product behaves like graphene, which is gas-impermeable because it’s a perfect crystal. However, when you examine this material, one would never confuse it with a perfect crystal,” says Michael Strano, the Carbon P. Dubbs Professor of Chemical Engineering at MIT.

New material designed at OSU represents breakthrough in medical imaging

MRI contrast agent graphic
Image Credit: Courtesy of Kyriakos Stylianou / Oregon State University

Scientists at Oregon State University have filed a patent on a design for a new magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent with the potential to outperform current agents while being less toxic to patients and more environmentally friendly.

The new material is based on a structure known as a metal-organic framework or MOF, whose development in the 1990s earned this year’s Nobel Prize for chemistry as MOFs’ many possible uses become increasingly apparent.

MOFs are made up of positively charged metal ions surrounded by organic “linker” molecules. They have nanosized pores and can be designed with a variety of components that determine the MOF’s properties.

How plastics grip metals at the atomic scale

Hierarchical view of polymer–alumina direct bonding across multiple length scales.
Image Credit: Osaka Metropolitan University

What makes some plastics stick to metal without any glue? Osaka Metropolitan University scientists peered into the invisible adhesive zone that forms between certain plastics and metals — one atom at a time — to uncover how chemistry and molecular structure determine whether such bonds bend or break.

Their insights clarify metal–plastic bonding mechanisms and offer guidelines for designing durable, lightweight, and more sustainable hybrid materials for use in transportation.

Combining the strength of metal with the lightness and flexibility of plastic, polymer–metal hybrid structures are emerging as key elements for building lighter, more fuel-efficient vehicles. The technology relies on bonding metals with plastics directly, without adhesives. The success of these hybrids, however, hinges on how well the two materials stick together.

UrFU Scientists Have Developed Ceramic Material that Protects Against Radiation

The material created by UrFU specialists is made from natural clay and recycled glass waste.
Photo Credit: Anna Marinovich

Scientists at Ural Federal University, in collaboration with colleagues from Iraq and Saudi Arabia, have developed a durable, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly ceramic material that protects against radiation. The new material is made from natural clay and recycled glass waste. 

Researchers believe this ceramic can be used in radiation-hazardous facilities, X-ray rooms, and laboratories to protect medical, scientific, and industrial personnel. The results of the study were published in the Journal of Science: Advanced Materials and Devices.

“We mixed clay imported from Iraq with glass production waste and a small amount of boric acid. This allowed us to create durable and inexpensive ceramics that effectively protect against gamma radiation. The addition of glass increases the strength of the tile. This method allows for the disposal of glass waste in building materials, including it, which is particularly important for the construction of radiation-hazardous facilities and X-ray rooms where the use of lead is undesirable,” said Karem Makhmud, Head Specialist of the Department of Nuclear Power Plants and Renewable Energy Sources.

Physicists observe key evidence of unconventional superconductivity in magic-angle graphene

MIT researchers observed clear signatures of unconventional superconductivity in magic-angle twisted trilayer graphene (MATTG). The image illustrates pairs of superconducting electrons (yellow spheres) traveling through MATTG, as the team’s new method (represented by magnifying glass) probes the material’s unconventional superconducting gap (represented by the V-shaped beam).
Image Credit: Sampson Wilcox and Emily Theobald, MIT RLE

Superconductors are like the express trains in a metro system. Any electricity that “boards” a superconducting material can zip through it without stopping and losing energy along the way. As such, superconductors are extremely energy efficient, and are used today to power a variety of applications, from MRI machines to particle accelerators.

But these “conventional” superconductors are somewhat limited in terms of uses because they must be brought down to ultra-low temperatures using elaborate cooling systems to keep them in their superconducting state. If superconductors could work at higher, room-like temperatures, they would enable a new world of technologies, from zero-energy-loss power cables and electricity grids to practical quantum computing systems. And so scientists at MIT and elsewhere are studying “unconventional” superconductors — materials that exhibit superconductivity in ways that are different from, and potentially more promising than, today’s superconductors.

In a promising breakthrough, MIT physicists have today reported their observation of new key evidence of unconventional superconductivity in “magic-angle” twisted tri-layer graphene (MATTG) — a material that is made by stacking three atomically-thin sheets of graphene at a specific angle, or twist, that then allows exotic properties to emerge.

’Living metal’ could bridge the gap between biological and electronic systems

Liquid metal oxidizes when exposed to air or aquatic environments, deterring electrical current. A new "living metal" composite (seen here in a nanoscale view) developed at Binghamton University includes bacterial endospores and appears to mitigate this problem.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Binghamton University / Provided

Electronics have been transforming from rigid, lifeless systems into adaptive, living platforms capable of seamlessly interacting with biological environments. Researchers at Binghamton University are pioneering “living metal” composites embedded with bacterial endospores, paving the way for dynamic communication and integration between electronic and biological systems.

In a paper recently published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials, Professor Seokheun “Sean” Choi, Maryam Rezaie, PhD ’25, and doctoral student Yang “Lexi” Gao share their potentially groundbreaking study on liquid living metal composites that could redefine the future of bioelectronics.

Choi — a faculty member in the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering — is developing innovative technologies to bridge the gap between electronic and biological systems.

Unmasking the Culprits of Battery Failure with a Graphene Mesosponge

Photo Credit: Roberto Sorin

To successfully meet the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we need significant breakthroughs in clean and efficient energy technologies. Central to this effort is the development of next-generation energy storage systems that can contribute towards our global goal of carbon neutrality. Among many possible candidates, high-energy-density batteries have drawn particular attention, as they are expected to power future electric vehicles, grid-scale renewable energy storage, and other sustainable applications.

Lithium-oxygen (Li-O2) batteries stand out due to their exceptionally high theoretical energy density, which far exceeds that of conventional lithium-ion batteries. Despite this potential, their practical application has been limited by poor cycle life and rapid degradation. Understanding the root causes of this instability is a critical step toward realizing a sustainable and innovative energy future.

How origami robots with magnetic muscles could make medicine delivery less invasive and more effective

A crawling robot created with the Miura-Ori origami pattern. The dark areas are covered in a thin magnetic rubber film which allows the robot to move.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of North Carolina State University

A new 3-D printing technique can create paper-thin “magnetic muscles,” which can be applied to origami structures to make them move.

By infusing rubber-like elastomers with materials called ferromagnetic particles, researchers at North Carolina State University 3-D printed a thin magnetic film which can be applied to origami structures. When exposed to magnetism, the films acted as actuators which caused the system to move, without interfering with the origami structure’s motion.

"This type of soft magnet is unique in how little space it takes up," said Xiaomeng Fang, assistant professor in the Wilson College of Textiles and lead author of a paper on the technique.

“Traditionally, magnetic actuators use the kinds of small rigid magnets you might put on your refrigerator. You place those magnets on the surface of the soft robot, and they would make it move,” she said. “With this technique, we can print a thin film which we can place directly onto the important parts of the origami robot without reducing its surface area much.”

Russian Physicists Found a Way to Speed Up the Process of Developing Solar Panels

According to Ivan Zhidkov, this method allows for the quick selection of only promising materials.
 Photo Credit: Rodion Narudinov

Physicists at Ural Federal University and their colleagues from the Institute of Problems of Chemical Physics of the Russian Academy of Science (IPCP RAS) have found a way to significantly reduce the thousands of hours required for developing perovskite solar panel technology. Scientists have proposed a method that allows us  to determine in a few hours whether solar panels will fail quickly or if the development is promising with a potentially long service life. The test results were published in the journal Physica B: Condensed Matter.

Perovskite films are promising energy converters for various photoelectronic devices, such as solar cells, LEDs, and photodetectors. They have excellent optoelectronic properties and can be grown relatively easily at a low production cost.

‘Chinese Lantern’ Structure Shifts into More Than a Dozen Shapes for Various Applications

Image Credit: Yaoye Hong

Researchers have created a polymer “Chinese lantern” that can snap into more than a dozen curved, three-dimensional shapes by compressing or twisting the original structure. This rapid shape-shifting behavior can be controlled remotely using a magnetic field, allowing the structure to be used for a variety of applications.

The basic lantern object is made by cutting a polymer sheet into a diamond-like parallelogram shape, then cutting a row of parallel lines across the center of each sheet. This creates a row of identical ribbons that is connected by a solid strip of material at the top and bottom of the sheet. By connecting the left and right ends of the solid strips at top and bottom, the polymer sheet forms a three-dimensional shape resembling a roughly spherical Chinese lantern.

Novel Metal Alloy Withstands Extreme Conditions

Alloy production by means of arc melting in the material synthesis lab of the Institute for Applied Materials – Materials Science and Engineering.
Photo Credit: Chiara Bellamoli, KIT

A new material might contribute to a reduction of the fossil fuels consumed by aircraft engines and gas turbines in the future. A research team from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) has developed a refractory metal-based alloy with properties unparalleled to date. The novel combination of chromium, molybdenum, and silicon is ductile at ambient temperature. With its melting temperature of about 2,000 degrees Celsius, it remains stable even at high temperatures and is at the same time oxidation resistant.

High-temperature-resistant metallic materials are required for aircraft engines, gas turbines, X-ray units, and many other technical applications. Refractory metals such as tungsten, molybdenum, and chromium, whose melting points are around or higher than 2,000 degrees Celsius, can be most resistant to high temperatures. Their practical application, however, has limitations: They are brittle at room temperature and, in contact with oxygen, they start to oxidize causing failure within a short time already at temperatures of 600 to 700 degrees Celsius. Therefore, they can only be used under technically complex vacuum conditions – for example as X-ray rotating anodes.

Engineers Develop Solid Lubricant to Replace Toxic Materials in Farming

Photo Credit: Courtesy of North Carolina State University

Researchers have developed a new class of nontoxic, biodegradable solid lubricants that can be used to facilitate seed dispersal using modern farming equipment, with the goal of replacing existing lubricants that pose human and environmental toxicity concerns. The researchers have also developed an analytical model that can be used to evaluate candidate materials for future lubricant technologies.

Modern farming makes use of various machines to accurately and efficiently plant seeds in the ground. However, it can be difficult to prevent the seeds from jamming in these machines. To keep the seeds flowing smoothly, farmers use solid lubricants that prevent the seeds from clumping up or sticking together. Unfortunately, commercially available lubricants make use of talc or microplastics, and can pose threats to farmers, farmland and pollinators.

“Lubricants are essential to modern farming, but existing approaches are contributing to toxicity in our farmlands that affect farmer health, soil health and pollinators that are essential to our food supply,” says Dhanush Udayashankara Jamadgni, co-lead author of a paper on the work and a Ph.D. student at North Carolina State University. “We’ve developed a new class of safe solid lubricants that are effective and nontoxic.”

Scientists uncover room-temperature route to improved light-harvesting and emission devices

Dasom Kim
Photo Credit: Jorge Vidal/Rice University

Atoms in crystalline solids sometimes vibrate in unison, giving rise to emergent phenomena known as phonons. Because these collective vibrations set the pace for how heat and energy move through materials, they play a central role in devices that capture or emit light, like solar cells and LEDs.

A team of researchers from Rice University and collaborators have found a way to make two different phonons in thin films of lead halide perovskite interact with light so strongly that they merge into entirely new hybrid states of matter. The finding, reported in a study published in Nature Communications, could provide a powerful new lever for controlling how perovskite materials harvest and transport energy.

To get a specific light frequency in the terahertz range to interact with phonons in the halide perovskite crystals, the researchers fabricated nanoscale slots ⎯ each about a thousand times thinner than a sheet of cling wrap ⎯ into a thin layer of gold. The slots acted like tiny metallic traps for light, tuning its frequency to that of the phonons and thus giving rise to a strong form of interaction known as “ultrastrong coupling.”

Scientists solve mystery of loop current switching in Kagome metals

Structure and electron behavior in kagome metals: (A) The triangular atomic arrangement showing how tiny electrical currents flow in loops. (B) How electrons organize into wave-like density patterns. (C) How electrons normally move through the material. (D) How electron movement is affected by the wave patterns. (E) The special combined state where both loop currents and wave patterns exist together, creating the conditions for magnetic switching.
Image Credit: Tazai et al., 2025

Quantum metals are metals where quantum effects—behaviors that normally only matter at atomic scales—become powerful enough to control the metal's macroscopic electrical properties. 

Researchers in Japan have explained how electricity behaves in a special group of quantum metals called kagome metals. The study is the first to show how weak magnetic fields reverse tiny loop electrical currents inside these metals. These switching changes the material's macroscopic electrical properties and reverses which direction has easier electrical flow, a property known as the diode effect, where current flows more easily in one direction than the other.  

Rapid flash Joule heating technique unlocks efficient rare‑earth element recovery from electronic waste

The research team’s method uses flash Joule heating.
Photo Credit: Jeff Fitlow/Rice University.

A team of researchers including Rice University’s James Tour and Shichen Xu has developed an ultrafast, one-step method to recover rare earth elements (REEs) from discarded magnets using an innovative approach that offers significant environmental and economic benefits over traditional recycling methods. Their study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Sept. 29, 2025.

Conventional rare earth recycling is energy-heavy and creates toxic waste. The research team’s method uses flash Joule heating (FJH), which rapidly raises material temperatures to thousands of degrees within milliseconds, and chlorine gas to extract REEs from magnet waste in seconds without needing water or acids. The breakthrough supports U.S. efforts to boost domestic mineral supplies.

“We’ve demonstrated that we can recover rare earth elements from electronic waste in seconds with minimal environmental footprint,” said Tour, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Professor of Chemistry, professor of materials science and nanoengineering and study corresponding author. “It’s the kind of leap forward we need to secure a resilient and circular supply chain.”