materials science and engineering

Jun 18, 2018

Using Gold Nanoparticles to Trigger Sequential Unfolding of 3-D Structures

NC State researchers have developed a new technique that takes advantage of gold nanoparticles to trigger the sequential unfolding of three-dimensional structures using different wavelengths of light. 

May 24, 2018

Microscopy Advance Reveals Unexpected Role for Water in Energy Storage Material

A material with atomically thin layers of water holds promise for energy storage technologies, and researchers have now discovered that the water is performing a different role than anyone anticipated. 

Mar 22, 2018

Researchers Use 3-D Printing to Create Metallic Glass Alloys in Bulk

Researchers have created amorphous metal, or metallic glass, alloys using 3-D printing technology. 

Mar 5, 2018

Tackling Perceived Bias in Engineering Education

NC State researchers are taking the lead in understanding and addressing perceived bias in engineering education programs across the country. 

Feb 20, 2018

Atomic Structure of Ultrasound Material Not What Anyone Expected

Researchers have gotten a glimpse at how atoms are arranged in a widely-used material – and it’s not what anyone expected. 

May 25, 2017

Researchers Find New Way to Control Light with Electric Fields

NC State researchers have discovered a technique for controlling light with electric fields. 

May 3, 2017

‘Persistent Photoconductivity’ Offers New Tool for Bioelectronics

NC State researchers have developed a new approach for manipulating the behavior of cells on semiconductor materials, using light to alter the conductivity of the material itself. 

Apr 28, 2017

Thin Layers of Water Hold Promise for the Energy Storage of the Future

Researchers have found that incorporating atomically thin layers of water into a material makes it able to store and deliver energy much more quickly. 

Apr 25, 2017

From Atoms to Batteries to the Workforce of the Future: Why Research Matters

If you want to build a cell-phone battery as thin as paper that powers your phone for a week, or have an electric vehicle like the Tesla go 500 miles on a single charge and recharge in just 10 minutes, you will have to start thinking small. 

Apr 20, 2017

Finding Order and Structure in the Atomic Chaos Where Materials Meet

Researchers have developed a model that accounts for irregularities in how atoms arrange themselves at the interface where two materials meet. 

Mar 30, 2017

Beyond Graphene: Advances Make Reduced Graphene Oxide Electronics Feasible

Researchers have developed a way to convert positively charged reduced graphene oxide (rGO) into negatively charged rGO, creating a layered material that can be used to develop rGO-based transistors for use in electronic devices. 

Mar 29, 2017

Researchers Control Soft Robots Using Magnetic Fields

Engineers have made a fundamental advance in controlling so-called soft robots, using magnetic fields to remotely manipulate microparticle chains embedded in soft robotic devices. 

Feb 9, 2017

2 Elected to National Academy of Engineering

Two NC State faculty members are elected to the prestigious National Academy of Engineering for groundbreaking work in nuclear engineering and materials science and engineering. 

Jan 23, 2017

Fresh Material

In the past eighteen months, no fewer than six startups have sprung from groundbreaking discoveries in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Those six companies join more than a dozen other big names founded on the department’s research. 

Dec 1, 2016

New Findings Boost Promise of Molybdenum Sulfide for Hydrogen Catalysis

Researchers have found that molybdenum sulfide (MoS2) holds more promise than previously thought as a catalyst for producing hydrogen to use as a clean energy source. Specifically, the researchers found that the entire surface of MoS2 can be used as a catalyst, not just the edges of the material.