Materials science

New solar-cell design based on dots and wiresMIT researchers improve efficiency of quantum-dot photovoltaic system by adding a forest of nanowires.

Robert C. O'Handley, former research scientist, dies at 70Was a longtime researcher in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering

New rankings acclaim MIT’s graduate programs in engineering, businessMIT leads in seven engineering disciplines and three business fields, says U.S. News & World Report.

Practicing medicine at the nanoscaleNew approaches to drug delivery offer hope for new, more targeted treatments.

A new look at high-temperature superconductorsMethod allows direct detection of rapid fluctuations that may help to explain how high-temperature superconducting materials work.

How to treat heat like lightNew approach using nanoparticle alloys allows heat to be focused or reflected just like electromagnetic waves.

New material harvests energy from water vaporPolymer film could be used in artificial muscle and to power micro- and nanoelectronic devices.

How to stop leaks — the way blood doesHarnessing the principle that allows blood to clot, MIT researchers are working on new synthetic materials to plug holes.

Research update: Jumping droplets help heat transferScalable nanopatterned surfaces designed by MIT researchers could make for more efficient power generation and desalination.

New experiments, new insights into stress corrosion crackingMIT researchers now have new insights into how 'stress corrosion cracking' may be affected by nanoscale disruptions in the crystalline structure of metallic materials.

MIT researchers discover a new kind of magnetismExperiments demonstrate ‘quantum spin liquid,’ which could have applications in new computer memory storage.

Yue Fan awarded Argonne postdoctoral fellowship

Inspiration from a porcupine’s quillsUnderstanding the mechanisms behind quill penetration and extraction could help engineers design better medical devices.

Building a better worldFrom fuel cells to bamboo, and from Tanzania to Brazil, MIT senior Arfa Aijazi crosses borders and disciplines to make an impact.

How ‘transparent’ is graphene?MIT researchers find that adding a coating of graphene has little effect on how a surface interacts with liquids — except in extreme cases.

Varanasi selected as outstanding young manufacturing engineer by SMEMIT professor of mechanical engineering is one of just seven recipients of the award this year.

The music of the silksResearchers synthesize a new kind of silk fiber — and find that music can help fine-tune the material’s properties.

All that is solid melts into air: Tomás Saraceno visits MITCAST visiting artist creates inflatable and airborne biospheres: speculative models for alternate ways of living.

Chiang honored for achievements in energy and environmentWins Innovation Award from The Economist

New injectable gels toughen up after entering the bodyThese more durable gels could find applications in drug delivery and tissue engineering.

Controlling heat flow through a nanostructureMIT researchers find that heat moving in materials called superlattices behaves like waves; finding could enable better thermoelectrics.

Michael Short spans classroom, forge, reactor

Size diversity in cement nanoparticles optimizes packing density to give concrete its strength

Stronger than a speeding bulletNew tests of nanostructured material could lead to better armor against everything from gunfire to micrometeorites.

A step toward stronger polymersCounting loops that weaken materials could help researchers eliminate structural flaws.

Taking the sting out of medical tapeNew adhesive comes off quickly, sparing infants’ delicate skin from damage.

How to communicate science visuallyIn a new book, MIT’s Felice Frankel aims to help scientists and engineers improve the way they portray their research through photos, diagrams and graphs.

Jaenisch, Suresh named Franklin Institute laureates

A better way to shed waterMIT researchers find that lubricated, nanotextured surfaces improved performance of condensers in power and desalination plants.