Here's some news that might make Tony Stark's head spin: scientists from the universities of Connecticut and Columbia have developed a material that combines DNA and glass, making it stronger and lighter than steel. This discovery could open the door to a new era of advanced materials.
Beyond steel: the revolutionary material that combines DNA and glass
Materials engineering has always been a race to find the perfect balance between strength and lightness. Until now, these two characteristics seemed to conflict with each other. The answer to this eternal challenge may be hidden in DNA.
Every great discovery needs a muse, and in this case (you won't believe it) it was the Iron Man armor. Oleg Gang, a researcher in the field of nanomaterials at Columbia University (and fan of Marvel characters) confirms it: “Our new material is five times lighter and four times stronger than steel. Our glass nanolattices would be much better than any other structural material for creating an improved armor for Iron Man.”
(B) shows a transmission electron microscope image of the material, and (C) shows a scanning electron microscope image of it, with the two right panels magnifying the features to different scales. Credits: University of Connecticut.
The secret is in the glass
Glass is a material that we have always associated with fragility. But the fragility of glass is mainly due to imperfections in its structure, such as cracks or missing atoms. In pure form, glass can withstand incredible pressures.
First problem, therefore: eliminate these imperfections, or develop more “efficient” forms.
To create this revolutionary material, researchers used DNA as a scaffold on which to apply a glass coating. This DNA skeleton acts as a load-bearing structure, allowing the glass to maintain its shape and strength. The result is a material that combines the best of both worlds: the strength of glass and the lightness of DNA. And it outperforms steel.
There remains work to be done
The applications of this new material? Many: aerospace industry, civil engineering, but also medicine, robotics and much more.
Before considering steel a memory, however, let's hold back our expectations: Oleg Gang warns that "a lot of research work is still needed before we can use it as a technology." However, the team is already working to further improve the material's properties, exploring the use of special ceramics instead of glass and new structures.
The results of this research were published in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science (I link them to you here).
