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New ‘Super Hydrogel’ Pulls Drinking Water From Thin Air for Months at a Time

Researchers have developed a more durable moisture-harvesting hydrogel that resists metal-triggered degradation, allowing it to continuously pull drinkable water from the air for months.

22 May 2026

Grounded Metamaterials Keep Their Shape-Shifting Mechanics Stable

Grounded reconfigurable metamaterials preserved nearly identical displacement fields across rectangular, parallelogram, and random geometries, overcoming a key shape-performance trade-off in mechanical metamaterials. By combining transformation elasticity, grounded body torques, and Willis springs, the system enabled programmable deformation modes, including asymmetric tension without bending and tension-induced buckling.

20 May 2026

Scientists Use Powerful X-Rays to Visualize Hidden Dynamics Inside Opaque Fluids

Using powerful X-rays and computer models, researchers at Argonne and the University of Chicago linked nanoscale particle motion to surprising flow behaviors in soft materials.

14 May 2026

Isotopically Labelled Material – Depth Profiling to Determine Ion Exchange and Fundamental Materials Research

Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry is a surface analysis technique known for high sensitivity and excellent depth resolution in the analysis of solid materials.

From Hiden Analytical 12 May 2026

New Method Enables Ferroelectric Switching in Aluminum Nitride Semiconductors

Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory showed they can "write" ferroelectric regions into aluminum nitride by using a helium ion beam to create precise defects while keeping the crystal intact.

11 May 2026

Scientists Discover Predictable Patterns to Design New Superconductors

Many breakthrough materials have been found by accident. The first superconductor, for example, was discovered while researchers were looking for something else.

6 May 2026

New Membrane Technology Hub is Tackling Cancer Drugs, Carbon Capture and the Global Water Crisis

A new European research network is accelerating innovations in membrane science that could cut the cost of life-saving cancer treatments, pull CO2 directly from industrial emissions, and deliver clean water to millions — all with technologies thinner than a human hair.

6 May 2026

X-Ray Imaging Reveals Causes of Surface Bumps in Laser Welding

Laser welding is used to join thin metal parts, like those in fuel cells and electronics. It's a fast and clean process. However, at high speeds, it can leave bumps on the surface of the metal.

4 May 2026

New Physics-Based AI Accelerates Material Research for Future Fusion Reactors

Scientists at Ames National Laboratory developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool that accelerates discovery of materials needed for next-generation fusion energy systems.

27 Apr 2026