Modeling how colloidal particles spin through a fixed array
Summer Scholar Jennifer Coulter works on computer simulations with associate professor of materials science Alfredo Alexander-Katz.
Pushing through sand
Simple equation predicts force needed to push objects through granular and pasty materials.
New solar cell is more efficient, costs less than its counterparts
Exposed in step-like formation, layers of new photovoltaic cell harvest more of sun’s energy.
3-D printed structures “remember” their shapes
Heat-responsive materials may aid in controlled drug delivery and solar panel tracking.
New method developed for producing some metals
Using electricity rather than heat can reduce both energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
Sponge creates steam using ambient sunlight
Bubble-wrapped structure requires no mirrors or lenses to focus the sun’s heat.
Seeing nature through a molecular engineer’s eye
Alfredo Alexander-Katz probes systems in action, from clotting blood to walking molecules.
Doubling battery power of consumer electronics
New lithium metal batteries could make smartphones, drones, and electric cars last twice as long.
New technique may help detect Martian life
A novel interpretation of Raman spectra will help the 2020 Mars rover select rocks to study for signs of life.
Booting up spin-based device studies
Summer Scholar Grant Smith works to establish parameters for making ferromagnetic thin films in the Luqiao Liu lab.
Chemical sensing at telecom wavelengths
Summer Scholar Ashley Del Valle Morales probes new a silicon carbide system in the MIT Microphotonics Center.
Carbon nanotube “stitches” strengthen composites
Method to reinforce these materials could help make airplane frames lighter, more damage-resistant.
Analyzing lithium ion battery fatigue
Summer Scholar Erica Eggleton joins Van Vliet Lab to make and test lithium manganese oxide electrodes.
Addressing climate change with Low-Carbon Energy Centers
New interdisciplinary centers will advance clean technology in key areas.
