Nanowires (NWs) can be defined as cylindrical-shaped nanostructures with diameter in the order of nanometres and that very recently, have been attracting the attention of scientific community due to its unique set of properties which were found to be promising to compose the next generation of nano-electronic devices. One particular challenge is the synthesis and … Continue reading Shaping the future of electronics: nanowires!
The nuclear accident at Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power complex in 2011 has started a discussion within the nuclear materials community regarding the safety and the operational limits of Zirconium alloys nuclear fuel rods under extreme conditions. Zirconium is the holy grail of Light-Water Reactors (LWRs) and it is directly responsible for the success of nuclear reactors … Continue reading Protective coatings on Zr alloys: a pathway towards Accident Tolerant Fuels in Light-Water Reactors technology
When I was attending in the introductory course in materials science and metallurgy during my master of sciences, one particular question had intrigued myself for long time: are dislocations real physical entities? As a curious student at the time, during the class, I have respectfully raised my hand and asked the professor: -- Do dislocations … Continue reading Do dislocations exist as a real physical entity?
Note: this text was written by Professor Cláudio Schön, my friend and collaborator. I am re-posting here because it is so cool! I am brazilian, therefore I am addicted to coffee. OK, not all brazilians drink coffee, as not all US Americans play baseball. This does not change the fact that I feel miserable if … Continue reading The physical chemistry of brewing a decent coffee
Nature is smart and brilliant. In nature, we can find the best examples on how to biosynthesise a material and use it for several purposes with efficiency. An astonishing case study is the spider silk which is a form protein fibre structurally similar to cellulose and human hair. Looking at the nanoscale, Transmission Electron Microscopy … Continue reading The multidisciplinary interplay in materials sciences: can we understand and mimic the nature?
Launched in 2012 by NASA the Curiosity robot has revealed a lot of secrets from the red planet only studying Mars rocks and soil geology. What is the mechanism that allows human robots perform the Mars remote sensing of small rocks in a research to seek water, life and the own Mars's history? The human … Continue reading The world of Martian rocks: a cutting-edge system to materials characterization.
Materials at Extremes 