How to make stronger, “greener” cement
Analysis of material's molecular structure leads to a new formula that could cut greenhouse-gas emissions.
Magnetic fields make the excitons go ’round
Theorists find a new way to improve efficiency of solar cells by overcoming exciton “traps.”
How to hide like an octopus
Researchers create materials that reproduce cephalopods’ ability to quickly change colors and textures.
The power of hidden patterns
Interfaces within materials can be patterned as a means of controlling the properties of composites.
Designing better surfaces for energy
Bilge Yildiz explores the dynamics of surfaces to design more resilient materials for applications in high-intensity environments.
Teaching light new tricks
Graduate student Wade Hsu and colleagues confine light to a crystal surface and design a transparent display using nanoparticles.
A mirror with a peephole
MIT graduate student Yichen Shen designs a photonic crystal system that lets light pass through at a specific angle.
Running on waste heat
Gang Chen’s thermoelectric devices turn waste heat into electricity for vehicles and other machines.
New material structures bend like microscopic hair
Researchers say structures may be used in windows to wick away moisture.
Following biological clues to better materials
Brad Olsen creates bioinspired and biofunctional materials for widely diverse applications.
Building up bamboo
MIT researchers study bamboo for engineered building material, similar to plywood.
Overcoming imperfections
By looking to nature, PhD student Leon Dimas 3-D prints materials that resist flaws and fractures.