Controlled binding and assembly of peptides onto inorganic substrates is at the core of bionanotechnology and biological-materials engineering. Peptides offer several unique advantages for developing future inorganic materials and systems. First, engineered polypeptides can molecularly recognize inorganic surfaces that are distinguishable by shape, crystallography, mineralogy, and chemistry. Second, polypeptides are capable of self-assembly on specific material surfaces leading to addressable molecular architectures. Finally, genetically engineered peptides offer multiple strategies for their functional modification. In this article, we summarize the details and mechanisms involved in combinatorial-polypeptide sequence selection and inorganic-material recognition and affinity, and outline experimental and theoretical approaches and concepts that will help advance this emerging field.

Electrical conductivity of open-cell metallic foam calculated by Dharmasena and Wadley using the tetrakaidecahedral cell-based model with ligaments of constant or varying triangular cross sections along the cell edges was mistakenly concluded to strongly overestimate measured electrical conductivities of the open-cell aluminum foams (ERG Duocel). Accurate analysis shows that the model with triangular ligaments on the contrary underestimates the experimental results. A tetrakaidecahedral cell-based model that takes into account the particular ligament geometry, which is determined by constant mean curvature of ligament surfaces, is shown to explain the experimental data of electrical conductivity of the Duocel foams ranging in relative density from 4% to 12%.

Temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL) spectra were measured to characterize the In-doped cadmium zinc telluride (CdZnTe, or CZT) crystals along the growth direction in the range of 10 to 60 K. High-resistivity CZT samples with 1.2 ppm In dopant at the tip and low-resistivity samples with 60 ppm In dopant at the heel have been assessed. The PL intensity quenching of D0X were fitted with two activation energies for high-resistivity CZT sample and only one activation energy for low-resistivity sample, respectively, suggesting different recombination mechanisms. The C-line was observed in the PL spectra of low-resistivity CZT sample and considered to the results of the isoelectronic complexes, InCd–VCd–InCd, while in high-resistivity CZT sample, shallow donor accepted pair (DAP) transition was identified, and thought to be related to InCd–VCd. The A-center in PL spectra was observed in low-resistivity CZT sample, which is indicative of more cadmium vacancies. It turns out that indium in low-resistivity CZT sample has not been doped as efficiently as in high-resistivity CZT sample because of the self-compensation.

Palladium nanoparticles supported by alumina nanofibers have been successfully synthesized by electrospinning using palladium chloride incorporated into a solution of polyvinyl pyrrolidone and aluminum acetate. Palladium agglomerate sizes and the surface morphology of the electrospun nanofibers were determined by transmission electron microscopy. Palladium nanoparticles appeared to be well dispersed within the electrospun nanofiber structure. X-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman scattering spectroscopy techniques were used to identify the crystalline form and distinguish between oxidized and metallic palladium particles after heating and hydrogenation.

The extruded Mg–Zn–Y–Zr plate was subjected to friction stir processing (FSP). FSP resulted in significant breakup and dispersion of bulky W-phase particles and remarkable grain refinement, thereby substantially enhancing superplasticity. Maximum superplasticity of 635% was achieved at 450 °C and a relatively high strain rate of 3 × 10−3 s−1. By comparison, the as-extruded sample did not exhibit superplasticity. Grain boundary sliding was identified to be the primary deformation mechanism in the FSP Mg–Zn–Y–Zr by superplastic data analyses and surfacial morphology observations. Furthermore, the superplastic deformation kinetics of the FSP Mg–Zn–Y–Zr is significantly faster than that of equal channel angular pressed (ECAP) magnesium alloys under both as-ECAP and annealing conditions.

Materials advances could help to reduce the energy and environmental impacts of buildings. Globally, buildings use about 20% of primary energy and account for 20% of atmospheric emissions. Building energy consumption emanates from a variety of sources, some of which are related to the building envelope or fabric, some to the equipment in the building, and some to both. Opportunities for reducing energy use in buildings through innovative materials are therefore numerous, but there is no one system, component, or material whose improvement alone can solve the building energy problem. Many of the loads in a building are interactive, and this complicates cost/benefit analysis for new materials, components, and systems. Moreover, components and materials for buildings must meet stringent durability and cost/performance criteria to last the long service lifetimes of buildings and compete successfully in the marketplace.

Fabrication and terahertz wave properties of alumina microphotonic crystals with a diamond structure were investigated. The three-dimensional diamond structure was designed on a computer using 3D-CAD software. The designed lattice constant was 500 μm. The structure consisted of 8 × 8 × 4 unit cells. Acrylic diamond structures with an alumina dispersion of 40 vol% were formed by using microstereolithography. Fabricated precursors were dewaxed at 600 °C and sintered at 1500 °C. The linear shrinkage ratio was about 25%. The relative density reached 97.5%. The electromagnetic wave properties were measured by terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. A complete photonic band gap was observed at the frequency range from 0.40 THz to 0.47 THz, and showed good agreement with the simulation results calculated by the plane wave expansion method. Moreover, localized modes were obtained at the frequencies 0.42 THz and 0.46 THz by introducing an air defect in the diamond structure. They corresponded to the simulation by the transmission line modeling method.

Raj et al. describe the promise of nuclear energy as a sustainable, affordable, and carbon-free source available this century on a scale that can help meet the world's growing need for energy and help slow the pace of global climate change. However, the factor of millions gain in energy release from nuclear fssion compared to all conventional energy sources that tap the energy of electrons (Figure 1) has also been used to create explosives of unprecedented lethality and, hence, poses a serious challenge to the expansion of nuclear energy worldwide. Although the end of the cold war has eliminated the threat of annihilating humanity, the likelihood of a devastating nuclear attack has increased as more nations, subnational groups, and terrorists seek to acquire nuclear weapons.

All oxygen-dependent life depends on photosynthesis. In addition to breathing the oxygen produced by photosynthesis, humans have been harnessing energy from photosynthesis for millennia. Since the beginning of human societal structures, human needs have driven the evolution of agricultural production, and they continue to do so. Recently, it has been suggested that agriculture can contribute substantially to human technological (nonnutritional) energy needs. This possibility raises concern because the projections of human energy needs argue convincingly that without large increases in energy conversion effciency (ECE), land-grown biofuel production and food production will compete for land, a largely untenable compromise given the current nutritional status of the world's underdeveloped societies.

Metal-matrix composites are produced from Al powder and 30 vol% of icosahedral Al–Cu–Fe quasi-crystalline particles using a hot isostatic pressing technique. It is demonstrated that the initial icosahedral phase is transformed into the ω-Al70Cu20Fe10 tetragonal phase during the hot isostatic pressing (HIP) process. The mechanical properties of the composite were evaluated over the temperature range 293 to 773 K by performing compression tests at constant strain rate. The temperature dependence of the yield stress gives evidence of two temperature regimes with a transition temperature at approximately 423 K. Strain-rate sensitivity measurements support the change in rate-controlling deformation mechanisms at this temperature. It is proposed that cross-slip and/or climb mechanism control plastic flow. Finally, it is suggested that the phase transformation of the particle contributes positively to the improvement of the mechanical properties.

Different bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) were prepared in ductile Cu47.5Zr47.5Al5, Zr62Cu15.4Ni12.6Al10, and brittle Zr55Ni5Al10Cu30 alloys by controlling solidification conditions. The achieved microstructures were characterized by x-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, transmission electron microscopy, and synchrotron- based high-energy x-ray diffraction. Monolithic BMGs obtained by high-temperature injection casting are brittle, while BMGs bearing some nanocrystals with the size of 3 to 7 nm and 2 to 4 nm, obtained by low-temperature injection casting and in situ suction casting, respectively, exhibit good plasticity. It indicates that the microstructures of BMGs are closely affected by the solidification conditions. Controlling the solidification conditions could improve the plasticity of BMGs.

A modified embedded-atom method (MEAM) interatomic potential for the Cu–Zr system has been developed based on the previously developed MEAM potentials for pure Cu and Zr. The potential describes fundamental physical properties and alloy behavior of the Cu–Zr binary system reasonably well. The applicability of the potential to atomistic investigations of mechanical and deformation behavior for the Cu–Zr binary and Cu–Zr-based multicomponent amorphous alloys is also demonstrated by showing that fully relaxed and realistic amorphous structures can be generated by molecular dynamics simulations.

Coal is a critical component in the international energy portfolio, used extensively for electricity generation. Coal is also readily converted to liquid fuels and/or hydrogen for the transportation industry. However, energy extracted from coal comes at a large environmental price: coal combustion can produce large quantities of ash and CO2, as well as other pollutants. Advanced technologies can increase the efficiencies and decrease the emissions associated with burning coal and provide an opportunity for CO2 capture and sequestration. However, these advanced technologies increase the severity of plant operating conditions and thus require improved materials that can stand up to the harsh operating environments. The materials challenges offered by advanced coal conversion technologies must be solved in order to make burning coal an economically and environmentally sound choice for producing energy.

Some forms of renewable energy have long contributed to electricity generation, whereas others are just emerging. For example, large-scale hydropower is a mature technology generating about 16% of global electricity, and many smaller scale systems are also being installed worldwide. Future opportunities to improve the technology are limited but include upgrading of existing plants to gain greater performance efficiencies and reduced maintenance. Geothermal energy, widely used for power generation and direct heat applications, is also mature, but new technologies could improve plant designs, extend their lifetimes, and improve reliability. By contrast, ocean energy is an emerging renewable energy technology. Design, development, and testing of a myriad of devices remain mainly in the research and development stage, with many opportunities for materials science to improve design and performance, reduce costly maintenance procedures, and extend plant operating lifetimes under the harsh marine environment.