Tag: DESY

Quantised self-assembly enables design of materials with novel properties

Posted on by Haptic

At DESY’s X-ray source PETRA III, scientists have investigated an intriguing form of self-assembly in liquid crystals: When the liquid crystals are filled into cylindrical nanopores and heated, their molecules form ordered rings as they cool – a condition that otherwise does not naturally occur in the material. This behavior allows nanomaterials with new optical Read more about Quantised self-assembly enables design of materials with novel properties[…]

Transparent ceramics make super-hard windows

Posted on by Haptic

Scientists have synthesised the first transparent sample of a popular industrial ceramic at DESY. The result is a super-hard window made of cubic silicon nitride that can potentially be used under extreme conditions like engines, as the Japanese-German team writes in the journal Scientific Reports. Cubic silicon nitride (c-Si3N4) forms under high pressure and is Read more about Transparent ceramics make super-hard windows[…]