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Chemistry

“The Edge Effect: Scientists Uncover Hidden Rules of Nature”

If you’ve ever watched a flock of birds move in perfect unison or seen ripples travel across a pond, you’ve witnessed nature’s remarkable ability to coordinate motion. Recently, a team of scientists and engineers has discovered a similar phenomenon on a microscopic scale, where tiny magnetic particles driven by rotating fields spontaneously move along the edges of clusters driven by invisible ‘edge currents’ that follow the rules of an unexpected branch of physics.

Published

2 months ago

May 20, 2025

Mona V

The human mind is capable of incredible feats – from coordinating complex movements to solving intricate problems. Nature, too, has its own remarkable abilities, such as the synchronization of bird flocks or the propagation of ripples across ponds. Recently, a team of researchers at Rice University discovered a similar phenomenon on a microscopic scale. Their study, published in Physical Review Research, reveals how tiny magnetic particles, driven by rotating fields, spontaneously move along the edges of clusters due to “edge currents” that follow the rules of an unexpected branch of physics – topological physics.

“The initial data was like nothing we’d ever seen before,” said Dr. Evelyn Tang, corresponding author and assistant professor of physics and astronomy. “These were edge flows!” The team’s experiment involved suspending superparamagnetic colloids (tiny magnetic beads) in salty water and applying a rotating magnetic field, which caused the particles to form crystals in different shapes. Sometimes these shapes were dense circular clusters, while others spread out into sheets with empty holes or “voids.”

The experiment got especially interesting when the particles along the outer edges of these shapes started to move faster than the rest, forming a kind of conveyor belt around the border. “We call this edge flow,” said co-first author Aleksandra Nelson, a former postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Tang’s lab. “It is basically a current that forms naturally around the boundary without anyone pushing it.”

To understand why this occurred, the researchers turned to topological physics – a way of describing systems where movement or behavior is controlled by the overall shape or layout rather than the exact details. “Topology is like the highway signs that determines the traffic flow,” said co-author Sibani Lisa Biswal, the William M. McCardell Professor in Chemical Engineering. “Even if there are construction or potholes, the traffic still flows the same way because the route is set by the system’s shape.”

In this case, the “rules” predicted that rotating magnetic particles would generate movement along the edges of whatever shape they formed – whether it was a cluster or a void. And that’s exactly what the team observed under the microscope. Interestingly, the type of motion depended on the shape. When particles formed free-floating clusters, the edge flow caused the whole cluster to spin like a tiny wheel. But when the particles formed larger sheets with voids, the edges still had movement, but the overall structure didn’t rotate.

The ability to control how particles move and organize themselves may seem like a niche discovery, but it has broad implications. Understanding how to direct motion in crowded, dynamic systems could inform the design of responsive materials such as targeted drug delivery, adaptive surfaces or swarms of microbots.

“We’re learning how to control collective behavior using simple physical principles,” said co-first author Dana Lobmeyer, a recent graduate in Dr. Biswal’s lab. “This is a step toward creating materials that can sense their environment and respond intelligently without needing a computer or instructions.”

Although the experiments used synthetic particles, the team sees parallels in biology too. Many cell clusters rotate during development or healing, raising the possibility that similar physical principles are at work inside living organisms.

“This is the beauty of science,” Dr. Tang said. “We’re taking a concept from fundamental math and statistical physics to apply it to everyday materials. It’s a reminder that the same elegant rules can show up right in the lab next door.”

Source:Rice University

Original Link:https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250519131033.htm

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Chemistry

Defying Physics: Atacamite’s Rare Magnetic Cooling Property

Deep in Chile’s Atacama Desert, scientists studied a green crystal called atacamite—and discovered it can cool itself dramatically when placed in a magnetic field. Unlike a regular fridge, this effect doesn’t rely on gases or compressors. Instead, it’s tied to the crystal’s unusual inner structure, where tiny magnetic forces get tangled in a kind of “frustration.” When those tangled forces are disrupted by magnetism, the crystal suddenly drops in temperature. It’s a strange, natural trick that could someday help us build greener, more efficient ways to cool things.

Published

6 days ago

July 7, 2025

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Atacamite, a vibrant emerald-green mineral found in the Atacama Desert in Chile, has been discovered to possess a rare property that defies conventional physics. The mineral exhibits magnetocaloric behavior at low temperatures, meaning its temperature changes significantly when subjected to a magnetic field. A team of researchers from TU Braunschweig and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) has been investigating this phenomenon, and their findings could lead to the development of new materials for energy-efficient magnetic cooling.

The researchers found that atacamite’s unique geometric structure, consisting of long chains of small, linked triangles known as sawtooth chains, is responsible for its magnetocaloric behavior. This arrangement creates “magnetic frustration,” where the spins in the copper ions cannot align themselves antiparallel to one another due to the triangular structure. As a result, the spins only arrange themselves at very low temperatures (under 9 Kelvin) in a static alternating structure.

When the researchers applied an extremely high magnetic field to the atacamite crystal, something surprising occurred: the material exhibited a significant cooling effect, with its temperature dropping to almost half of its original value. This strong magnetocaloric effect has fascinated the researchers, as it is unusual for magnetically frustrated materials to exhibit such behavior.

Further studies using magnetic resonance spectroscopy have revealed that the magnetic order in atacamite is destroyed when a magnetic field is applied. This destruction of magnetic order explains why the material’s temperature changes significantly in response to the magnetic field. The team has also conducted complex numerical simulations, which have provided an explanation for the mineral’s unexpected behavior: the magnetic moments on the tips of the sawtooth chains mediate a weak coupling to neighboring chains, leading to the removal of long-range magnetic order.

The researchers believe that their work could inspire further research into innovative magnetocaloric materials within the class of magnetically frustrated systems. While atacamite itself is unlikely to be mined for use in cooling systems, its unique properties provide valuable insights into the fundamental mechanisms governing magnetic behavior in solids. The discovery of this rare property could potentially lead to breakthroughs in energy-efficient magnetic cooling technologies, revolutionizing the way we think about and use refrigeration.

Chemistry

Mapping Platinum Atoms for a Greener Future in Catalysis

A precious metal used everywhere from car exhaust systems to fuel cells, platinum is an incredibly efficient catalyst—but it’s costly and carbon-intensive. Now, a serendipitous collaboration between scientists at ETH Zurich and other European institutions has opened a new frontier in understanding and optimizing platinum-based catalysts at the atomic level.

Published

1 week ago

July 4, 2025

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The field of catalysis has revolutionized industries and everyday life, with around 80% of all chemical products relying on this principle. One particularly effective catalyst is platinum, but its rarity and expense make it essential to use it efficiently. Researchers at ETH Zurich have made a groundbreaking discovery by mapping the atomic environments of single platinum atoms in solid supports, paving the way for optimized production of single-atom catalysts.

Using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), a team led by Javier Pérez-Ramírez and Christophe Copéret was able to study the individual platinum atoms in detail. This method, typically used for investigating molecules, allowed them to show that the atomic environments of these atoms can have very different properties, influencing their catalytic action.

The researchers found that each platinum atom has a unique combination of neighboring atoms and spatial orientation, similar to the distinct tones in an orchestra. By developing a computer code with the help of a simulation expert, they were able to filter out the different “tones” and create a map of the atomic environments surrounding the platinum atoms.

This breakthrough enables the optimization of production protocols for single-atom catalysts, where all platinum atoms can have tailored environments. The researchers aim to develop more efficient catalytic materials, which is crucial for a greener future in industries such as fuel cells and exhaust catalysts.

The discovery has significant intellectual property implications, allowing the precise description of catalysts at the atomic level and enabling patent protection. This innovation has far-reaching consequences for the development of more sustainable technologies and could transform the field of catalysis forever.

Chemistry

Revolutionizing Magnetic Field Technology: A Breakthrough Design for MRI and Magnetic Levitation

Two German physicists have reimagined how to create powerful and uniform magnetic fields using compact permanent magnets. By overcoming the limitations of the well-known Halbach array, which works only with infinitely long magnets, they engineered innovative 3D magnet arrangements that work in practical, finite-size setups. Their designs not only boost field strength but also enhance homogeneity, verified through real-world experiments. This game-changing advancement could help bring affordable MRI technology to underserved regions and power applications like particle accelerators and magnetic levitation systems.

Published

3 weeks ago

June 23, 2025

Mona V

Physicists at the University of Bayreuth and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz have made a groundbreaking discovery that could transform the way we generate magnetic fields. Prof. Dr. Ingo Rehberg and Dr. Peter Blümler developed an innovative approach to create homogeneous magnetic fields using compact, permanent magnets. This breakthrough design outperforms the traditional Halbach arrangement, which is ideal only for infinitely long and therefore unrealizable magnets.

The new approach presents optimal three-dimensional arrangements of very compact magnets, idealized by point dipoles. The researchers investigated the optimal orientation of the magnets for two geometries relevant to practical use: a single ring and a stacked double ring. This “focused” design allows the generation of homogeneous fields outside the magnet plane, enabling applications such as magnetic levitation systems.

To validate their theoretical predictions, Rehberg and Blümler constructed magnet arrays from 16 FeNdB cuboids mounted on 3D-printed supports. The resulting magnetic fields were measured and compared with theoretical calculations, revealing excellent agreement. In terms of both magnetic field strength and homogeneity, the new configurations clearly outperform the classical Halbach arrangement.

The potential applications of this breakthrough design are vast. Conventional MRI technology relies on powerful superconducting magnets, which are technically complex and extremely costly. The new approach offers a promising alternative for generating homogeneous magnetic fields using permanent magnets. Additionally, this innovation could lead to advancements in particle accelerators and magnetic levitation systems.

This study was published in the renowned interdisciplinary journal Physical Review Applied, showcasing significant advances at the intersection of physics with engineering, materials science, chemistry, biology, and medicine. The implications of this breakthrough design are far-reaching, and further research is expected to uncover new possibilities for its applications.