Haozhe “Harry” Wang, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering (ECE) at Duke University and an expert in developing new methods for manufacturing materials, continues to push the boundaries in MXene research. MXenes (pronounced max-eens) are a novel 2D class of metallic materials boasting high electrical conductivity and strong photothermal capabilities, meaning they can convert light to heat. That heat makes water evaporate, which allows the MXene to shrink, curl, bend or twist when exposed to light. 

One challenge with the manufacturing of MXenes is that they are only a few atoms thick, and defects are amplified on that scale. Using a technique called plasma-enabled atomic layer etching (plasma-ALE), Wang and members of his lab, including postdoctoral associate Xingjian Hu, can remove or replace individual surface functional groups – akin to atomic surgery.

New quantitative analysis from the Wang lab published in Matter found that the plasma-ALE process improves MXene conductivity by 80 percent and bends up to 165 degrees, which outperforms similar 2D materials.

The Wang lab’s goal is to develop MXene materials to enable more flexible, programmable and resilient soft robotics, all controlled with nothing but light.

How molten carbon crystallizes into either graphite or diamond is relevant to planetary science, materials manufacturing and nuclear fusion research. A new study uses computer simulations to study how molten carbon crystallizes into either graphite or diamond at temperatures and pressures similar to Earth’s interior, challenging the conventional understanding of diamond formation.

A robot trained on videos of surgeries performed a lengthy phase of a gallbladder removal without human help. The robot operated for the first time on a lifelike patient, and during the operation, responded to and learned from voice commands from the team—like a novice surgeon working with a mentor.

The robot performed unflappably across trials and with the expertise of a skilled human surgeon, even during unexpected scenarios typical in real life medical emergencies.

A new study authored by Tripti Midha , Anatoly Kolomeisky and Oleg Igoshin and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on July 9, shows why genetic sequences are not equally prone to errors. Instead, the identity of the two nucleotides immediately downstream of a site significantly alters the error rate during transcription. This discovery builds on the prior insights by the same authors on enzymatic proofreading mechanisms, factoring in the effects of distinct kinetics for different nucleotide additions.

Zebrafish have the rare ability to regenerate their heart muscle after major damage, unlike humans. Researchers have now discovered the gene circuit that accomplishes this — an embryonic circuit that zebrafish are able to reactivate as adults. By identifying the gene or genes that trigger this reactivation, the scientists hope to be able to revive the dormant heart-repair circuit in other animals, such as humans, and perhaps reactivate dormant repair circuits in other tissues.

Rice researchers showed that even if the materials used in thick battery electrodes have nearly identical structures, their internal chemistry impacts energy flow and performance differently.

CSHL’s Lippman and McCandlish labs have discovered how interactions between cryptic genetic mutations can increase or decrease the number of reproductive branches on tomato plants. The scientists’ findings could lead to new and improved plant breeding techniques and clinical therapeutics.

Scientists at Rice and University of Houston have developed an innovative, scalable approach to engineer bacterial cellulose into high-strength, multifunctional materials.