Materials science and engineering

MIT graduate student Changmin Lee stands by an experimental setup that uses light pulses to map the magnetic direction and strength of a buried interface between two exotic materials, bismuth selenide and europium sulfide.

Mapping buried magnetism

MIT researchers use an optical technique to probe magnetism at a hidden interface between two exotic thin films.

October 25, 2016

While most solid materials expand with heat, this 3-D-printed structure, designed by MIT engineers, is designed to shrink, based on the stretching and pulling of its internal beams and trusses.

3-D-printed structures shrink when heated

Counterintuitive “metamaterial” may enable heat-resistant circuit boards.

October 25, 2016

T cells — immune cells that are targeted to find and destroy a particular antigen — are key to the adaptive immune response. In this image, the top row shows few T cells in untreated mice, while the bottom rows show many T cells produced after immunotherapy treatment.

Fighting cancer with the power of immunity

New treatment elicits two-pronged immune response that destroys tumors in mice.

October 24, 2016

MIT researchers have developed a stretchy optical fiber in which they have injected multiple organic dyes (yellow, blue, and green regions). In addition to lighting up, the dyes act as a strain sensor, enabling researchers to quantify where and by how much a fiber has been stretched.

Stretchy optical fibers for implanting in the body

Biocompatible fibers could use light to stimulate cells or sense signs of disease.

October 17, 2016

Robert Macfarlane, the AMAX Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT, holds vials of gold nanoparticles. Macfarlane designs nanoscale crystal structures whose assembly is activated by mutually attractive “sticky ends.”

Faculty highlight: Robert Macfarlane

MIT chemist constructs nanoparticle-based crystals by programming interactions of synthetic polymers and biopolymers at the molecular level.

October 14, 2016

PolyClean, a team formed by PhD students Karim Gadelrab (left) and Mukarram Tahir, took home the $10,000 grand prize at yesterday’s MADMEC competition for developing a transparent, water-shedding coating for car windshields.

Materials-science innovation on display at MADMEC

Water-shedding coating for car windshields wins $10K grand prize at annual prototyping contest.

October 12, 2016

MIT researchers have found that interactions between electrons and heat-carrying particles called phonons can play a significant role in preventing heat dissipation in microelectronic devices.

Electron-phonon interactions affect heat dissipation in computer chips

Study shows particle collisions may explain overheated circuits, improve thermoelectric devices.

October 12, 2016

To demonstrate Foundry, MIT researchers designed and fabricated skis with retro-reflective surfaces, a ping-pong paddle, a helmet, and even a bone that may someday be used for surgical planning.

Designing for 3-D printing

“Foundry” tool from the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab lets you design a wide range of multi-material 3-D-printed objects.

October 11, 2016

To demonstrate the supercapacitor's ability to store power, the researchers modified an off-the-shelf hand-crank flashlight (the red parts at each side) by cutting it in half and installing a small supercapacitor in the center, in a conventional button battery case, seen at top. When the crank is turned to provide power to the flashlight, the light continues to glow long after the cranking stops, ...

New kind of supercapacitor made without carbon

Energy storage device could deliver more power than current versions of this technology.

October 10, 2016

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and MIT President L. Rafael Reif discuss innovation and entrepreneurship at an event hosted by the MIT Innovation Initiative.

Advancing manufacturing innovation on campus and online

The White House highlights MIT’s latest efforts as part of National Manufacturing Day.

October 7, 2016

Jessika Trancik, associate professor of energy studies at MIT, will present at the annual Materials Day Symposium.

Batteries power clean energy transformation

Materials Day Symposium will highlight strong potential to cut greenhouse gases with electric cars, solar and wind energy storage.

October 6, 2016

“We are particularly interested in wetsuits for surfing, where the athlete moves frequently between air and water environments,” says Anette (Peko) Hosoi, a professor of mechanical engineering and associate head of the department at MIT. “We can control the length, spacing, and arrangement of hairs, which allows us to design textures to match certain dive speeds and maximize the wetsuit's dr...

Beaver-inspired wetsuits in the works

Rubbery hair-lined wetsuits may help keep surfers warm.

October 5, 2016

These images, taken from a transmission electron microscope, show a perovskite material oscillating as it is exposed to water vapor and a beam of electrons.

Water vapor sets some oxides aflutter

Newly discovered phenomenon could affect materials in batteries and water-splitting devices.

October 3, 2016

Improving microparticle arrays for engineering applications: A new technique using tiny microwells pushes the precision and scalability of microparticle arrays to a new extreme. The assembly includes empty porous microwell arrays (top left) and unassembled microparticles (top middle). A close view of the microparticles in arrays appears at top right, and a wide view of the assembly appears below.

A better way to assay

New design of large-scale microparticle arrays can make materials science and bioengineering applications more scalable, precise, and versatile.

September 30, 2016

Nanosensors could help determine tumors’ ability to remodel tissue

Measuring enzyme levels could help doctors select appropriate treatments.

September 29, 2016

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