Materials science

Planes, trains and automobiles: faster, stronger, lighterNew technique advances carbon-fiber composites.

Video: The MIT Glass Lab — where art meets science

Research update: Team observes real-time charging of a lithium-air batteryImaging reveals what happens during charging; could lead to improved batteries for electric cars.

Five from MIT win Early Career AwardsAlexander-Katz, Detmold, Fu, Tisdale and Williams honored by Office of Science of the Department of Energy.

A blueprint for reversible wrinkling in composite materialsA new model gives scientists guidelines to develop ‘smart’ composite materials with wrinkled microstructures.

Markus Buehler named recipient of the Robert Lansing Hardy AwardRecognized for innovations using computational science to understand mechanical properties of biological and bio-inspired materials.

Ulm and Concrete Sustainability Hub named to list of top newsmakersResearch on reduction of concrete's environmental footprint prompts inclusion on trade journal's list.

Professor emeritus Frederick J. McGarry dies at 86Polymer engineering professor, alumnus was at MIT for more than 50 years.

A new understanding of metallic glassSimulations reveal that the formation of some glassy materials is like the setting of a bowl of gelatin.

Watching fluid flow at nanometer scalesResearchers find that tiny nanowires can lift liquids as effectively as tubes.

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