Technology Review Feed - Materials Top Stories

A Tough Tip for Nano Manipulation

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT

New coating promises to turn an atomic force microscope into an even more useful tool.

Printed Stickers Designed to Monitor Food Temperatures

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Effort aims to merge technology from four companies to create the first sticker with all-printed electronics.

Smallest-Ever Nanotube Transistors Outperform Silicon

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:00:00 GMT

A nine-nanometer device shows that nanotubes could be a viable alternative to silicon as electronics get even tinier.

New Process Makes Heat-Harvesting Materials Cheaply

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Such materials could be used to cool computers and buildings, and harvest waste heat in cars.

Magnetic Memory Miniaturized to Just 12 Atoms

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:00:00 GMT

A memory-storage element made at IBM Research points to future computing systems built atom by atom.

The Art of 3-D Printing

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT

MIT professor Neri Oxman is developing new design techniques that take advantage of "additive manufacturing."

The Year in Materials

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Vibrant displays head to market, invisibility cloaks become more practical, and batteries store more energy.

Building the Future

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Tomorrow's breakthroughs will demand the revival of American manufacturing.

Making Revolution

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT

The U.S. can compete with China if it gives factory workers smarter tools.

Nanotube Motor

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Artificial muscles could power tiny actuators and microfluidic mixers

Power Polymers

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Conductive binders could make high-capacity battery electrodes practical

A Brighter Way to Make Solar Cells

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT

A manufacturing method that uses light instead of heat wastes less energy and makes the cells more efficient.

China's Solar Industry

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Behind the scenes at Suntech Power, the world’s largest solar manufacturer.

Fluorescent Spray Could Help Surgeons Identify Cancer Quickly

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Researchers develop a spray that could make cancer cells glow within a minute of application.

In Search of the Ideal Grid Battery

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:00:00 GMT

Researchers at Stanford make an electrode that can be recharged 40,000 times without losing much capacity.

Startup to Capture Lithium from Geothermal Plants

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 05:00:00 GMT

The approach could boost U.S. lithium production—just as demand is set to soar with increased electric-vehicle usage.

E-Reader Display Shows Vibrant Color Video

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Mirasol's reflective display is being tested by device manufacturers, and could appear on shelves next year.

A Super-Absorbent Solar Material

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:05:00 GMT

A new material, patterned at the nanoscale, absorbs a broad spectrum of light and could make thin-film solar cells more efficient.

Printable Solar-Cell Material Reaches a Milestone

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 05:00:00 GMT

A performance boost for "small-molecule" solar cells could make the materials more practical.

New Method for Making Neurons Could Lead to Parkinson's Treatment

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 05:00:00 GMT

When transplanted into rodents with brain damage similar to Parkinson's, the cells reversed the animals' motor issues.