MIT breakthrough could change how scientists design materials at the nanoscale

MIT breakthrough could change how scientists design materials at the nanoscale

MIT breakthrough could change how scientists design materials at the nanoscale

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have found a new way to build designer materials from tiny particles, using flexible connector molecules instead of rigid links. The connectors can bend and reorganise as particles come together, controlling how many neighbours each particle binds to and creating crystal patterns not seen before. The work, published in the journal Nature Materials, could one day help with light-based technology, chemical catalysis, medicine and agriculture, though those uses still need further development.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have found a new way to build designer materials from tiny particles, using flexible connector molecules instead of rigid links. The connectors can bend and reorganise as particles come together, controlling how many neighbours each particle binds to and creating crystal patterns not seen before. The work, published in the journal Nature Materials, could one day help with light-based technology, chemical catalysis, medicine and agriculture, though those uses still need further development.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have found a new way to build designer materials from tiny particles, using flexible connector molecules instead of rigid links. The connectors can bend and reorganise as particles come together, controlling how many neighbours each particle binds to and creating crystal patterns not seen before. The work, published in the journal Nature Materials, could one day help with light-based technology, chemical catalysis, medicine and agriculture, though those uses still need further development.