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A D V A N C E D M A T E R I A L S & P R O C E S S E S | J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 1 1 to form a new structure. The scientists used multiple electron and x-ray-based techniques to visualize and character- ize the formation of the bicontinuous structure. “Heating gives the metals some energy so that they can interdif- fuse and form a self-supported thermo- dynamically stable structure,” says as- sistant professor Karen Chen-Wiegart. Metallic materials with nanopor- ous structures have many applications, including energy generation and stor- age, biomedical sensing, and photoca- talysis. For example, these structures could be used to accelerate the reac- tion in which water is split into oxygen and hydrogen, a clean-burning fuel. Because catalytic reactions happen on material surfaces, the high surface area of the pores would improve reac- tion efficiency. In addition, because the nanosized “ligaments” are inherently interconnected, they do not need any support to hold them together. These connections could provide electrically conductive pathways. bnl.gov. LIQUID-DRIVEN CHAOS CREATES STICKY PARTICLES Scientists from North Carolina State University, Raleigh, have creat- ed sticky particles by harnessing liq- uid-driven chaos to produce soft poly- mer microparticles with hierarchical branching on the micro and nanoscale. The findings hold potential for advanc- es in gels, pastes, foods, nonwovens, and coatings, among other formula- tions. The soft dendritic particle mate- rials with unique adhesive and struc- ture-building properties can be created from a variety of polymers precipitated from solutions under special condi- tions, say researchers. The new material is unique not only in its structure, but also in the way it is fabricated. The chaotic liquid process used to create these materials works with many types of polymers and is generally efficient and inexpensive. Further, the process can be easily scaled up to produce large amounts of the soft Researchers used a chaotic technique to create ordered particles with sticky properties that have the ability to adhere to just about any surface. Courtesy of Orlin Velev/NC State University. nanomaterial, which is often a chal- lenge for making materials at the micro and nanoscale. Future studies will seek to detail the fundamentals behind this surprising finding. Research will also examine the different types of polymer and biopolymer materials that can be created using the technique, including coatings and sheets that attract or repel water, for example, or cell scaffolds and 3D printing pastes. ncsu.edu .