Surfaces and interfaces – Page 4
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ResearchSecret of super-tough scales of giant Amazonian fish uncovered
Spiral-staircase structure prevents the scales being penetrated by piranhas
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ResearchGravity-defying droplets race upside down on super slippery surface
Charged superamphiphobic surface propels water, blood and other liquids up vertical slopes and even upside down
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ResearchContinuous ethanol release at ice–solid interfaces keeps ice at bay for nearly two years
Interfacial ethanol layers from liquid-packed coatings maintain long-lasting and super-low ice adhesion at temperatures as low as -60°C
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ResearchLiquid magnet takes shape as ferrofluids hold their attraction
Fluids could find uses in drug delivery or robotics
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ResearchPhysics behind freezing bubbles’ hypnotic ice crystal dance revealed
Marangoni flow responsible for the often photographed but never studied snow globe effect in freezing soap bubbles
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ResearchSpin sensor promises atomic-scale magnetic imaging
Nickelocene-tip scanning tunnelling microscope provides measurements to challenge quantum theory calculations
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ResearchMystery of bouncing droplet that drops dead solved
Buoyancy and Marangoni effect behind bouncing life and sudden death of an oil droplet
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FeatureSuperhydrophobic materials from nature
Chemists who want to make materials that repel water but do not contain fluorocarbons are taking their inspiration from nature, Rachel Brazil finds
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ResearchSynthetic enzyme wipes out tough bacterial biofilms
After success in mice strategy could be an alternative to antibiotics to treat wounds
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ResearchNew twist on graphene gets materials scientists hot under the collar
Stacking graphene at an offset ‘magic angle’ can introduce new properties like superconductivity
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ResearchCooking chemistry has a taste for making glue
Adhesive made from soy with Maillard reaction could replace formaldehyde glue in furniture
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BusinessAntifouling coatings cling to copper
Copper coatings keep ships clear from unwanted sea life but environmental concerns mean some are keen to move away from the metal. Can it be replaced?
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ResearchAtom-thin graphene water pipes
Narrowest ever capillaries fit only single water molecules while salts are excluded
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ResearchSurface chemistry for biological questions
Rasmita Raval discusses her career exploring the complex behaviour of molecule–surface systems and what it has to do with antibiotic resistance and the origin of life
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ResearchGold melted at room temperature using electric fields
Controllable change from crystalline to disordered in a tiny cone tip might help chemical catalysis
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ResearchOil boosts battery shelf life by supressing corrosion
Off-grid storage in remote locations could benefit from concept that cuts self-discharge in aluminium–air batteries
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ResearchAnti-icing hairs bounce water droplets
Superhydrophobic magnetic array halts ice formation on surfaces
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ResearchPaint achieves seemingly impossible by cooling buildings in direct sun
Coating offers a route to zero-carbon air conditioning
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Research2D metal–organic framework layer is magnetic
Chemists prepare the first single layer MOF obtained by mechanical exfoliation
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ResearchOil-infused plastic gives ketchup the slip
Common packaging materials can be given a non-stick coating inspired by pitcher plants