Aluminum nanoparticles make tunable green catalysts
The Rice lab of nanotechnology pioneer Naomi Halas has uncovered a transformative approach to harnessing the catalytic power of aluminum nanoparticles by annealing them in various gas atmospheres at high temperatures.
Rice lab finds better way to handle hard-to-recycle material
Rice researchers have developed a new, energy-efficient upcycling method to transform glass fiber-reinforced plastic (GFRP) into silicon carbide, widely used in semiconductors, sandpaper and other products.
Advancing materials science, Rice professors examine chirality in nearly 2D
Hanyu Zhu and Boris Yakobson shared their perspective on chirality in 2D materials in Nature Materials.
Rice’s James Tour named to National Academy of Engineering
Rice chemist James Tour was named to the National Academy of Engineering, one of the highest professional distinctions accorded “in recognition of distinguished contributions” to the field.
Rice research unveils key dynamics of 2D nanomaterials with view to larger-scale production
A team of Rice researchers mapped out how flecks of 2D materials move in liquid ⎯ knowledge that could help scientists assemble macroscopic-scale materials with the same useful properties as their 2D counterparts.
Rice scientists pull off quantum coup
Rice scientists have discovered a first-of-its-kind material, a 3D crystalline metal in which quantum correlations and the geometry of the crystal structure combine to frustrate the movement of electrons and lock them in place.
Rice study shows coal-based product could replace sand in concrete
A new study by Rice researchers found that graphene derived from metallurgical coke, a coal-based product, through flash Joule heating could serve not only as a reinforcing additive in cement but also as a replacement for sand in concrete.
Rice chemists find new way to rid boron nitride nanotubes of impurities
Rice scientists in the lab of Angel Martí have uncovered a new way to make high-purity boron nitride nanotubes, hollow cylindrical structures that can withstand temperatures of up to 900 degrees Celsius while also being stronger than steel by weight.
For this emergent class of materials, ‘solutions are the problem’
Rice materials scientists developed a fast, low-cost, scalable method to make covalent organic frameworks (COFs), a class of crystalline polymers whose tunable molecular structure, large surface area and porosity could be useful in energy applications, semiconductor devices, sensors, filtration systems and drug delivery.
Chance twists ordered carbon nanotubes into ‘tornado films’
Rice scientists in the lab of Junichiro Kono have developed two new methods to create ordered carbon nanotube films with either a left- or right-handed chiral pattern.
Rice engineers tackle hard-to-map class of materials
Rice materials scientist Yimo Han and collaborators mapped the structural features of a 2D ferroelectric material made of tin and selenium atoms using a new technique that can be applied to other 2D van der Waals ferroelectrics, unlocking their potential for use in electronics and other applications.
Kavli Exploration Award backs Rice-led sustainable carbon materials research
An international team of scientists led by Rice’s Matteo Pasquali has won a $4.1 million grant to optimize carbon nanotube synthesis. The award is a joint effort by The Kavli Foundation, with a $1.9 million Exploration Award in Nanoscience for Sustainability, and Rice’s Carbon Hub, which contributed an additional $2.2 million.
Atomic dance gives rise to a magnet
Rice researchers turned a paramagnetic material into a magnet by manipulating electrons’ spin via atomic motion.
Rice expert available to comment on FDA decision on sickle cell disease therapy
Rice University’s Gang Bao is available to comment on today’s decision by the FDA on whether or not to approve a CRISPR-based therapy for sickle cell disease.
Breakthrough synthesis method improves solar cell stability
A process developed by Rice engineers and collaborators yields 2D halide perovskite crystal layers of ideal thickness and purity through dynamic control of the crystallization process ⎯ a key step toward ensuring device stability for optoelectronics and photovoltaics.
