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In: Energymaterials, International, Lightsources, Summerstudents

Thermoplastic ionomer materials such as Nafion do have many talents: they can be used as membranes for proton exchange in fuel cells, but they have also attracted attention as shape memory materials: Via external stimuli such as heat or an electric field, it is possible to trigger a change in shapes. Applications in textiles, biomedicine, aerospace, sensors and coatings are possible. Nafion: a membrane with shape memory Nafion is one of those materials: as a membrane in a fuel cell, its high proton conductivity allows a fast pass of hydrogen ions (protons). And its internal shape plays a crucial role. Now a team from Brazil hasRead More →

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In: Neutrons

An international team has examined pristine and slightly doped bismuth ferrite using experimental data obtained at HZB. The research shows the sequence of serial and trigger-type phase transitions, the temperature-dependent behavior of the order parameters, and the corresponding susceptibilities to external stimuli.  The material: Multiferroics are materials that exhibit multiple types of ferroic ordering, such as ferromagnetism and ferroelectricity, simultaneously. BiFeO3 (BFO) is the one of the rare multiferroics with a strong ferroelectric polarization, antiferromagnetism at room temperature as well as conduction and magnetotransport at domain walls. This makes it a candidate for a range of applications. The question: What are the underlying physical mechanismsRead More →