Stanford revolutionizing materials science wih shapeshifting nanoparticles
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 26, 2024
Stanford College researchers have pioneered using 3D nanoprinting to create nanoparticles that might usher in a brand new period of shapeshifting supplies. The analysis, led by Assistant Professor Wendy Gu of the mechanical engineering division, focuses on the fabrication of Archimedean truncated tetrahedrons (ATTs), a geometrical form lengthy theorized to have vital phase-changing capabilities however has been elusive because of fabrication challenges.
Gu’s crew has efficiently nanoprinted tens of hundreds of those particles, which self-assemble into crystal buildings with the potential for fast state modifications. These transformations are akin to how tempered metal is produced or how digital storage media retain information. The implications of mastering such section transitions are huge, promising improvements in engineering and supplies science.
Archimedean truncated tetrahedrons, identified for his or her phase-shifting potential, have been troublesome to supply exterior of laptop simulations. Gu’s crew, using 3D nanoprinting, has not solely achieved manufacturing but additionally demonstrated the sensible purposes of those particles. By exactly controlling their form, the crew has unlocked new geometric buildings with priceless bodily properties.
The analysis highlights two distinct geometric preparations of ATTs: a hexagonal sample resembling a nanoscale mountain vary and a quasi-diamond construction likened to eggs in a carton. The latter, particularly, is a sought-after configuration in photonics, opening up quite a few scientific avenues.
Future supplies leveraging these 3D printed particles might allow fast, reversible section modifications by means of exterior stimuli corresponding to magnetic fields or electrical currents. Gu envisions purposes starting from energy-efficient photo voltaic panel coatings to revolutionary laptop reminiscence options. Ongoing work goals to imbue these nanoparticles with magnetic properties, additional increasing their utility.
Gu’s analysis, detailed in Nature Communications, marks a big step ahead within the sensible software of phase-changing supplies, with the potential to impression numerous fields from vitality to computing.
Analysis Report:Direct statement of section transitions in truncated tetrahedral microparticles underneath quasi-2D confinement
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