Scientists Create 7 Remarkable New Ceramic Materials by Simply Removing Oxygen

Penn State scientists discovered seven new ceramics by simply removing oxygen—opening a path to materials once beyond reach.

Sometimes, less truly is more. By removing oxygen during the synthesis process, a team of materials scientists at Penn State successfully created seven new high-entropy oxides (HEOs)—a class of ceramics made from five or more metals that show promise for use in energy storage, electronics, and protective coatings.

During their experiments, the researchers also established a framework for designing future materials based on thermodynamic principles. Their findings were published in Nature Communications.

“By carefully removing oxygen from the atmosphere of the tube furnace during synthesis, we stabilized two metals, iron and manganese, into the ceramics that would not otherwise stabilize in the ambient atmosphere,” said corresponding and first author Saeed Almishal, research professor at Penn State working under Jon-Paul Maria, Dorothy Pate Enright Professor of Materials Science.

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Nanobots play 'follow the leader' by chasing chemical trails in microfluidic device

Researchers at Penn State demonstrate the first steps in the design of tiny particles that can perform specialized tasks, such as targeted delivery of drugs or other cargo.

A group of tiny particles followed "breadcrumbs" left behind by a different group of particles in new experiments demonstrating the first steps in creating intelligent communicating systems involving active particles—sometimes called nanobots—that perform specialized tasks. 

The experiment was possible thanks to a new microfluidic tool developed by researchers at Penn State that allowed them to observe the particles for far longer than had been previously possible.

The extended time allowed the team to watch as one group of particles followed a chemical gradient while creating a different chemical gradient in its wake, which was followed by the second group of particles.

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Surprise Planet Discovery

New research reveals a fourth planet in the Kepler-51 system, altering our understanding of this unique system with three known ultra-low density “super-puff” planets.

Researchers utilized a range of telescopes, including NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, to detect unexpected transit timing variations that suggested the presence of an additional planet. This discovery adds complexity to the system’s dynamics and poses new questions about the formation and characteristics of these rare super-puff planets.

New Planet Discovered in Kepler-51 System
A team of researchers from Penn State and Osaka University has discovered that an unusual planetary system, known for its three ultra-low density “super-puff” planets, includes at least one more planet. While observing Kepler-51d, the third planet in the system, with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the team encountered a surprise: the planet transited its star two hours earlier than predicted by existing models.

To solve the mystery, the researchers analyzed both new and archival data from a range of space- and ground-based telescopes. Their investigation led to a compelling explanation: a previously undetected fourth planet, whose gravitational influence affects the orbits of the other planets in the system.

This groundbreaking discovery is detailed in a paper published on December 3 in the Astronomical Journal.     READ MORE...