Some materials behave unexpectedly. They crack differently than expected, or react in ways that are hard to explain. The answer often lies in their atomic structure. Is it neatly arranged, as in a ...

In semi-crystalline polymers, ordered and disordered layers alternate over and over on a nano-level. This special structure also gives them their unique properties: they are both flexible and elastic ...

A Korean research team has developed a flexible yet strong material by mimicking the structure of an abalone shell. With higher electrical storage efficiency than conventional insulators, it is ...

Researchers have found that adding just the right amount of disorder to the structure of certain materials can make them more than twice as resistant to cracking. Cut open a bone and you'll see a ...

Removing excess iron reveals FeTe as a superconductor, and its properties can be engineered using layered structures and ...

The structure of semi-crystalline polymers largely depends on how strongly their molecular chains are entangled. This has been shown in a new study by researchers from Martin Luther University ...

Cut open a bone and you’ll see a subtly disordered structure. Tiny beams, called trabeculae, connect to one another in irregular patterns, distributing stress and lending bones an impressive toughness ...