Carbon nanotubes are a unique family of molecules that look like tiny carbon tunnels with honeycomb walls. They are typically around 1 nanometre in diameter and several nanometres long. In principle, carbon nanotubes are much more efficient at conducting electricity than metals, especially since they are so lightweight and have high-temperature stability compared to metals. So far, however, their full potential has been limited by the techniques used to manufacture them.

The ability to 3D print metal parts presents exciting opportunities to simplify the designs of many advanced technologies, and improve their performance. However, on microscopic scales, printed metals can have defects that cause their mechanical properties to vary unpredictably, lowering the quality of final products. To assess these variations, researchers use a technique named profilometry-based indentation plastometry, or PIP. This technique involves pressing a hard tip into a material on a flat surface, and then scanning a probe across the crater to measure the shape left behind.

The ability to manipulate single atoms and molecules would transform how we store and process digital information. This can be achieved using a cutting-edge technique named scanning tunnelling microscopy. Scanning tunnelling microscopes (STMs) are powerful imaging devices, which operate by holding a sharp metal tip less than one nanometre above a conducting sample. Through the effects of quantum tunnelling, electrons can pass through the tiny vacuum gap between the tip and the sample surface.

Harmful chemicals are commonplace in many different industries. Volatile organic compounds – or ‘VOCs’ – represent one such type of chemicals, which are particularly prevalent in industries that require spraying of paints and coatings. Unfortunately, VOCs can readily evaporate into the air, potentially harming people’s health through inhalation. Some VOCs are also environmental pollutants and can even contribute to climate change.

Ice can cause serious damage to vehicles and infrastructure, including aircraft, pavements, power lines, and wind turbines. It is important to remove ice before it causes damage, but doing this manually is often expensive and energy-intensive, and sometimes even dangerous. Researchers have begun to develop so-called ‘super-hydrophobic’ coatings, which can repel incoming water droplets before they freeze. This not only prevents ice from building up; it also weakens the adhesion of ice that does freeze to the surface, allowing it be removed more easily.

Polymers, made from incredibly long chains of smaller molecules, make up many materials used in the modern world. From simple plastics to medical devices and solar cells, polymers represent a diverse and exciting area of science. The majority of polymers are made from carbon-based molecules. Perhaps even more fascinating are hybrid polymers, which are composed of both carbon-based and metal-based components. Hybrid polymers have unique properties, such as conductivity, making them especially desirable for new technologies. Dr Kei Toyota at the Panasonic Corporation in Osaka, Japan, has been investigating new ways to develop hybrid polymers.