Materials science

Seeing the music in natureFrom spider webs to tangled proteins, Markus Buehler finds the connections between mathematics, molecules and materials.

Buehler to receive Outstanding Young Investigator Award from the Materials Research SocietyHonored for highly innovative and creative work in computational modeling

A new dimension for solar energyInnovative 3-D designs from an MIT team can more than double the solar power generated from a given area.

Buckle inInspired by a toy, the ‘buckliball’ — a collapsible structure fabricated from a single piece of material — represents a new class of 3-D, origami-like structures.

Fiber laser points to woven 3-D displaysA fiber that can emit light along its length in any direction may herald flexible 3-D displays and medical tools that activate therapeutic compounds with bursts of light.

Catching some rays — lots of themNew MIT design for a metamaterial could be far more efficient at capturing sunlight than existing solar cells.

Preventing contamination in recyclingNew study examines ways to prevent accumulation of impurities in recycling aluminum.

Making droplets drop fasterNew nanopatterned surfaces could improve the efficiency of powerplants and desalination systems.

A new twist on nanowiresTechnology developed at MIT can control the composition and structure of these tiny wires as they grow.

Liquid batteries could level the loadMIT team makes progress toward goal of inexpensive grid-scale batteries that could help make intermittent renewable energy sources viable.

Revealing how a battery material worksMIT team uncovers a reason why the hottest new material for rechargeable batteries works so well.

New tool for analyzing solar-cell materialsWebsite offers a way of optimizing solar cell materials and production.

Turning heat into powerA new kind of high-temperature photonic crystal could someday power everything from smartphones to spacecraft.

How spider webs achieve their strengthIt’s not just the strength of the silk itself, a new study finds; the silk’s way of stretching and the structure of the whole web help it resist damage.

Solving energy problems, one molecule at a timeMaterials scientist explores new possibilities in topics from molecules to rooftop solar panels.

Emilio Baglietto: Better reactors grow from better simulations

Making her moveMIT senior overcame disabilities to study materials science, hoping to pave the way for other aspiring engineers.

Need a new material? New tool can helpExhaustive reference system and interactive toolkit could revolutionize materials research, potentially enabling new types of manufacturing.

Research update: Sharpening the linesNew advance could lead to even smaller features in the constant quest for more compact, faster microchips.

A glow of recognitionNew detectors developed at MIT could provide easy visual identification of toxins or pathogens.

Researchers link patterns seen in spider silk, melodiesAnalogy could help engineers develop materials that make use of repeating patterns.

Electronics takes on a new spinResearchers at MIT find a way to observe and control the way electrons spin on the surface of exotic new materials.

A novel way to concentrate sun’s heatMIT researchers find a way to generate power without the usual mirror arrays.

Chu: New materials could be transformativeCiting historical examples, U.S. secretary of energy argues that the nation can still regain its manufacturing leadership.

The new NSE strategyStrengthens core, opens boundaries; seeks better integration of technical and societal issues.