Today's Tech News: Notable or Not?

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1124652 "heat transport dominated by phonons (atomic vibrations) rather than just electrons... 3-phonon scattering often causes collision/ interference with one another creating resistance to heat flow, suppressed with material's atomic arrangement enabling phonons to travel much further without interference... stiff chemical bonds/ lightweight nitrogen atoms contribute to high sound velocity further facilitating rapid heat dissipation... prevent overheating in power converters, RF devices, EV power systems" 

https://phys.org/news/2025-12-driven-method-rapidly-complex-nanomaterials.html "replaces extreme heat/ pressure with sustainable, CO₂-driven chemical reaction bridge bonding disparate metal ions normally difficult to combine due to varying atomic sizes... add hydroxide ions, stir forming metal carbonate nanoparticles exhibiting non-crystalline highly disordered structure, often superior for chemical reactions... scalable, low-cost manufacturing, eco-friendly, enhanced durability/ catalytic efficiency... hydrogen production/ more efficient battery electrodes, semiconductors"

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1108851 "extreme thinness/ tendency to collapse due to metallic bonding makes synthesis difficult, overcome combining quantum-mechanical modeling/ machine learning... interface stability with smooth well-aligned geometries at metallene edges, most robust interfaces overall use transition metals, machine-learning accurately predicts atomic-level interface behavior... accelerates synthesis of more robust, larger-scale metallene structures... high-performance devices in: high-tech electronics, energy conversion, biomedicine"

https://techxplore.com/news/2025-11-ultra-strong-lightweight-metal-composite.html "mimics reinforced concrete's microscopic structure... 3D metal printing/ micro-casting combination... rebar: titanium alloy microscopic mesh struts created using lasers to heat metal powders... space between struts filled with aluminum, silicon, magnesium using micro-casting... embedded µm-sized alumina particles/ silicon nanoprecipitates further strengthens... performance comparable to medium-range steels but at only third of weight... high-temperature resistance due to enhanced twinning,.. future: lower cost, for scalability" Related: Carbon-negative building material developed at Worcester Polytechnic Institute published in matter https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1108766 Model predicts optimal cooling and aging for stronger, lightweight aluminum alloys https://techxplore.com/news/2025-12-optimal-cooling-aging-stronger-lightweight.html How 3D printing creates stronger vehicle part...

https://techxplore.com/news/2025-11-metal-bridge-biological-electronic.html "liquid metals/ conductive polymers have poor adhesion, oxide layer formation (for liquid metal), limited conductivity, lack of self-healing properties; electronics are rigid... overcome embedding dormant electrogenic bacillus subtilis endospores into liquid metal droplets... bacterial spores interact with/ rupture liquid metal oxide layers, enabling metal to remain conductive... easily absorbed into device substrates, exhibits enhanced electrical conductivity when spores germinate, self-healing, bacteria generate electrons" Related: Scalable thermal drawing method creates liquid metal fibers for wearable electronics https://techxplore.com/news/2025-12-scalable-thermal-method-liquid-metal.html Self-healing composite can make airplane, automobile and spacecraft components last for centuries https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1112648

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1103251 "van der Waals squeezing reorganizes atoms from slightly buckled to flat, eliminating energy band gap, allowing electrons moving freely so conductive like metal... trilayer heterostructure: bismuth squeezed between 2 semiconductor molybdenum disulfide layers, 1 forming low-resistance (Ohmic) contact, other forming high-resistance (Schottky) barrier... applying perpendicular external electric field switches Ohmic contact between top/ bottom layers... asymmetric, reprogrammable, energy-efficient nanoelectronics" Related : Controlling next-generation energy conversion materials with simple pressure https://phys.org/news/2025-11-generation-energy-conversion-materials-simple.html Scientists confirm one-dimensional electron behavior in phosphorus chains https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260215225541.htm

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1101019 "withstands repeated heavy loads even at 400 to 600°C... foam: hollow spheres of stainless steel, nickel, or other metals/ alloys embedded in metallic matrix... absorbs compressive forces... better heat insulation than conventional metals/ alloys... jet engine vane/ ducts/ exhaust flaps, turbine blades, hypersonic vehicle airframes/ hot trailing wing edges, gas/ steam turbines, car brakes, nuclear reactor fuel cladding, storing/ transporting nuclear material, hazardous materials, explosives, vehicle armor, body armor."

https://phys.org/news/2025-09-boron-metal-complexes-olefins-toxicity.html "metal-mimetic" properties of main group elements such as boron, which form so-called π complexes with olefins, which are similar in their properties and behavior to the complexes of transition metals with olefins... these compounds are intermediates in many large-scale catalytic processes in industry... opens up a whole new area of the periodic table for π coordination chemistry, including the possibility of using main group elements as industrial catalysts for functionalization reactions of unsaturated hydrocarbons" Related: Beyond Fossil Feedstocks: Methanol-to-Olefins and the Future of Sustainable Chemical Manufacturing https://rmi.org/beyond-fossil-feedstocks-methanol-to-olefins-and-the-future-of-sustainable-chemical-manufacturing/

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1085154 "vapor-compression heating/ cooling  solid-state phase transition heat pump energy efficiency 50–70% of Carnot limit, overcome utilizing heat generated by elastic deformation (thermoelastic effect) made stronger using [100]-textured Ti₇₈Nb₂₂ martensitic polycrystal subjected to linear elastic deformation for heat pumping... temperature changes of up to 4–5°K (up to 22°K with development of ferroelastic alloys with even higher thermal expansion)... developing prototype for industrial applications"

https://techxplore.com/news/2025-04-welding-3d-complex-metals.html "multiple powdered metals deposited with micron-level resolution, laser melted together in 1 layer during additive deposition... 1 cm tall metal part includes 1.000s metal powder layers, few hours to print... address pores/ cracks in real time viewing digital 3D rendering through CT scans... finished structure complex gyroid shape (when multi-material can only be created using this method), used in applications such as heat exchangers/ biomedical implants... future: use with other types of metal powders" Related: Researchers release new standards for 3D printing with powders https://techxplore.com/news/2025-08-standards-3d-powders.html Tailoring sapphire–Invar welds using burst femtosecond laser https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1122125 Machine learning designs cheaper and rust-proof steel for 3D printing https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1122519

https://phys.org/news/2025-03-transistor-reshapes-electronic-properties-2d.html "sulfur atoms can be arranged in 2 different ways, creating 2H (semiconductor) or 1T (metallic)... higher voltage causes change from semiconductor to metallic, then, 2 options: (1) precisely guiding potassium ions into material/ cooling to –268°C, metal becomes superconductor, or (2) allowing potassium ions to leak out of metal at –193°C, metal becomes insulator... future: discovering new superconductors using this method on various 2D semiconductors that are like molybdenum disulfide"

https://phys.org/news/2025-03-ultra-thin-bismuth-unexpected-green.html#google_vignette "non-toxic, biocompatible... temperature-independent anomalous Hall effect in 68-nm-thick bismuth flake... patterned microscopic trenches onto semiconductor wafer, mechanically shaved off thin layers... bismuth's atomic structure constrains electron movement mimicing topological materials' behavior... highly efficient, could revolutionize computing... future: explore whether bismuth's AHE can be converted into its quantum counterpart for higher temperature function... electronic components/ devices: space exploration, medical"

https://www.impactlab.com/2025/02/25/composite-metal-foam-a-breakthrough-material-ready-for-mass-production/#more-167050 "low density: air bubbles embedded in alloy of steel, titanium, aluminum, other... absorbs 72-75% of kinetic energy from ball rounds/ 68-78% from armor-piercing rounds... <50% weight of rolled homogeneous steel armor needed to achieve same protection... exposed to 1472°F flame, takes 2X longer reaching same temperature as stainless steel... X, gamma, neutron radiation shielding... space exploration, shipping nuclear waste/ explosives/ hazardous materials, military/ security, cars, buses, trains... full-scale production-ready" Related: Superelastic alloy that functions in extreme temperatures could aid space exploration https://techxplore.com/news/2025-02-superelastic-alloy-functions-extreme-temperatures.html#google_vignette Nanoscale tweaks help alloy withstand high-speed impacts https://techxplore.com/news/2025-03-nanoscale-tweaks-alloy-high-impacts.htm...

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1072410 "zirconium, niobium, iron, cobalt alloy even better thermal non-expansion properties than that of iron, nickel... only changes  around one ten-thousandth of 1% per Kelvin... certain electrons change state as temperature rises, causing magnetic order to decrease, and contraction, almost exactly canceling expansion... pyrochlore magnet does not have perfect lattice structure repeating exactly same way: areas contain more/ less cobalt, near-zeroing overall expansion... aviation, aerospace, high-precision electronics" Related: Sequential coating technology could transform high-temperature alloy performance for aviation https://techxplore.com/news/2025-10-sequential-coating-technology-high-temperature.html

https://phys.org/news/2025-01-superalloys-resist-forge.html "spinel oxides self-lubricate under heat stress/ friction when paired with Inconel 718 nickel-chromium-based superalloys... maintains lubrication up to 700°C without corrosion...  aerospace, nuclear energy" Related: Practical pathway for microstructure control in 3D-printed Ni-based superalloys https://phys.org/news/2025-08-pathway-microstructure-3d-ni-based.html Scientists forge “superalloy” that refuses to melt https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251023031622.htm

https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/harnessing-corrosion-scientists-transform-dealloying-into-sustainable-lightweight-alloy-design "selectively removing one or more elements from alloy through corrosion, leaving behind porous structure... controlling corrosion process tailors composition/ structure increasing strength, ductility, corrosion resistance... sustainably repurposes waste materials, utilizing existing composition, so friendly/ cost-effective... superior strength-to-weight ratio, fuel efficiency benefits... increase strength while reducing weight... aerospace, automotive, electronics... future: scalability" Related: Harnessing corrosion: Scientists transform dealloying into sustainable lightweight alloy design https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/harnessing-corrosion-scientists-transform-dealloying-into-sustainable-lightweight-alloy-desig A new transformer-based model for identifying alloy properties ht...

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1065902 "laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing... defects: pores, rough surfaces large spatters... much faster... ring-shaped laser beam melt/s fuses thin layers... defect mitigation mechanisms reduce instabilities... drill deeper into material without causing instabilities, enabling thicker layers, increasing manufacturing productivity... understand underlying mechanisms to produce high-quality parts using the ring-shaped beam... aerospace, medical, energy" Related: New machine learning framework enhances precision and efficiency in metal 3D printing, advancing sustainable manufacturing https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1077732 Advanced sensors peer inside the 'black box' of metal 3D printing https://techxplore.com/news/2025-09-advanced-sensors-peer-black-metal.html Engineers develop autonomous artificial intelligence that transforms resilience and discovery in manufacturing https://techxplore.com/news/2025-11-...

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1062802 "for laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing, using microphones, photodiodes, machine learning,.. >90% accuracy with 0.1 ms temporal resolution in detecting keyhole pores (vapor depression formed in melt pool during printing)... intelligent, closed-loop control, faster qualification/ certification for metal additive manufacturing parts...  simple light/ sound sensors monitor printing, high-speed synchrotron x-ray imaging trains machine learning model to recognize conditions that lead to pore formation"

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-09-alloy-production-ores-sustainable-metals.html "saving vast amount of energy, integrating metal extraction, alloying, thermomechanical processing... near-optimized microstructure-property combination directly converts ores or oxides to products... oxides with similar reducibility, mixability at around 700°C... hydrogen reducing agent: water only byproduct (no CO2 emission or product contamination)... avoids frequent cooling/ reheating (no reheating at all)... superior mechanical strength due to refined grain size... future: make scalable, adapt for high-entropy alloys" Related: Refractory high-entropy alloys reimagined: from phase design to extreme-environment performance https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1105857

https://phys.org/news/2024-05-insulating-material-semimetal.html "exposing insulator to ultrafast laser pulses (10 fs) alters electron movement through photoexcitation above threshold fluence using titanium diselenide insulator that looks like metal (bright, reflects light)... transforms into semimetal for just under 500 fs... as soon as laser interrupted, returns to original state... enables devices change from insulating to semi-metallic in very short time, furthering powerful computers processing complex calculations quickly using light instead of electric fields" Relaated: Programmable mechanical metamaterials switching between soft and stiff on demand https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1090549