materials science and engineering

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. 

Nov 2, 2016

New Technique for Creating NV-Doped Nanodiamonds May Be Boost for Quantum Computing

NC State researchers have developed a new technique for creating NV-doped single-crystal nanodiamonds, which could serve as components in quantum computing technologies. 

Aug 23, 2016

New Approach to Determining How Atoms Are Arranged in Materials

Researchers have developed a novel approach to materials characterization, using Bayesian statistical methods to glean new insights into the structure of materials. 

Jul 11, 2016

Researchers Develop Faster, Precise Silica Coating Process for Quantum Dot Nanorods

NC State researchers have fine-tuned a technique that enables them to apply precisely controlled silica coatings to quantum dot nanorods in a day – up to 21 times faster than previous methods. 

Dec 18, 2015

Magnetic Nanoparticle Chains Offer New Technique for Controlling Soft Robots

Researchers have developed a new technique that uses chains of magnetic nanoparticles to remotely control new “soft robots.” 

Nov 11, 2015

Researchers Detail How to Control Shape, Structure of DNA and RNA

NC State researchers have used computational modelling to shed light on precisely how charged gold nanoparticles influence the structure of DNA and RNA – which may lead to new techniques for manipulating these genetic materials. 

Nov 9, 2015

Researchers Find Way to Make Metals Stronger Without Sacrificing Ductility

Researchers have developed a technique to make titanium stronger without sacrificing any of the metal’s ductility – a combination that no one has achieved before. The researchers believe the technique could also be used for other metals, and the advance has potential applications for creating more energy-efficient vehicles. 

Sep 16, 2015

NSF-Funded Network to Boost Nanotech Innovation

A five-year, $5.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation supports a collaborative effort by three Triangle universities to help businesses and educators speed the development of new nanotechnology-based products and opportunities.