The design of sophisticated new materials is undergoing brisk technological advancement.
The design of sophisticated new materials is undergoing brisk technological advancement. Innovations in material science promise transformative improvements in industries ranging from energy to manufacturing.
In a new study, researchers at ASU’s Biodesign Institute and their colleagues explore new materials with physical properties that can be custom-tailored to suit particular needs. The work is inspired by mechanisms in nature, where the complex three-dimensional structure of surrounding proteins influences the electrochemical properties of metals at their core.
The advances could have broad implications for the design of many new innovations useful for semiconductor technology, sustainable energy and industrial production.
Material world
Lead author Brian Wadsworth and his collaborators describe techniques for immobilizing metal complexes onto physical supports that are both transparent and conductive. The resulting hybrid materials permit synthetic control over the configuration, allowing researchers to regulate the shuttling of electrons within the composite material.
Read more at Arizona State University
Image: Brian Wadsworth, lead author of the new study is is a researcher in the Biodesign Center for Applied Structural Discovery. (Credit: The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University)
