Materials Science and Engineering

In a 50/50 mix of copper and niobium, regions that are richer in copper separate from regions that are richer in niobium. The interface between these two kinds of regions forms an irregular sponge-like surface, shown in this visualization in green. While most of the material is disordered (making it a glass), small collections of atoms at the boundary zone (shown in gray) form a stiff interconnect...

A new understanding of metallic glass

Simulations reveal that the formation of some glassy materials is like the setting of a bowl of gelatin.

April 2, 2013

Three by three grid with various blue and gray abstract-looking images

Watching fluid flow at nanometer scales

Researchers find that tiny nanowires can lift liquids as effectively as tubes.

March 31, 2013

Scanning Electron Microscope images show an array of zinc-oxide nanowires (top) and a cross-section of a photovoltaic cell made from the nano wires, interspersed with quantum dots made of lead sulfide (dark areas). A layer of gold at the top (light band) and a layer of indium-tin-oxide at the bottom (lighter area) form the two electrodes of the solar cell.

New solar-cell design based on dots and wires

MIT researchers improve efficiency of quantum-dot photovoltaic system by adding a forest of nanowires.

March 25, 2013

Robert C. O'Handley, former research scientist, dies at 70

Was a longtime researcher in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering

March 12, 2013

Cutting through the fog

New surface coating for glass could eliminate image distortion caused by condensation and also prevent frost buildup.

March 5, 2013

Scanning electron microscope image of a lymphocyte with HIV cluster.

Bringing a new perspective to infectious disease

Enlisted in the fight against HIV, MIT engineers and scientists contribute new technology, materials and computational studies.

February 8, 2013

A safer way to vaccinate

Polymer film that gradually releases DNA coding for viral proteins could offer a better alternative to traditional vaccines.

January 27, 2013

As cells squeeze through a narrow channel, tiny holes open in their membranes, allowing large molecules such as RNA to pass through.

Putting the squeeze on cells

By deforming cells, researchers can deliver RNA, proteins and nanoparticles for many applications.

January 23, 2013

Thermal lattices, shown here, are one possible application of the newly developed thermocrystals. In these structures, where precisely spaced air gaps (dark circles) control the flow of heat, thermal energy can be "pinned" in place by defects introduced into the structure (colored areas).

How to treat heat like light

New approach using nanoparticle alloys allows heat to be focused or reflected just like electromagnetic waves.

January 11, 2013

New material harvests energy from water vapor

Polymer film could be used in artificial muscle and to power micro- and nanoelectronic devices.

January 10, 2013

Smithsonian recognizes MIT research on water desalination technology

Magazine ranks nanoporous graphene as one of the top five surprising scientific milestones of 2012.

January 9, 2013

Erica Lai ’14 (left), of materials science and engineering, and Jennifer Liu ’14, of electrical engineering and computer science, teamed up to monitor the electricity consumption of various devices plugged into outlets in eight rooms in E62, the new MIT Sloan School of Management building.

Measuring MIT’s plug load

Undergrad project offers glimpse of electricity consumption on campus.

January 9, 2013

The first stage of blood clotting is the formation of a plug, seen here, which is made up of platelets (seen in gold) and structures called von Willebrand Factor (vWF), seen in red. The vWF structures are normally present in blood in coiled up form, but in the presence of the flow from a bleeding wound they unfurl to form long, sticky strands, which bind the platelets together.

How to stop leaks — the way blood does

Harnessing the principle that allows blood to clot, MIT researchers are working on new synthetic materials to plug holes.

January 8, 2013

Jumping-droplet condensation shown on a nanostructured tube.

Research update: Jumping droplets help heat transfer

Scalable nanopatterned surfaces designed by MIT researchers could make for more efficient power generation and desalination.

January 4, 2013

Illustration shows the layered structure of the new device, starting with a flexible layer of graphene, a one-atom-thick carbon material. A layer of polymer is bonded to that, and then a layer of zinc-oxide nano wires (shown in magenta), and finally a layer of a material that can extract energy from sunlight, such as quantum dots or a polymer-based material.

Flexible, light solar cells could provide new opportunities

MIT researchers develop a new approach using graphene sheets coated with nanowires.

December 21, 2012

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