Getting the (nano) edge over the competition

In Keeping You Current, we aim to give you interesting snippets of cutting edge research – but this week Cambridge have beaten us to it, announcing they are commencing a month-long Materials blog looking at advancements in materials research. Although we often think of Oxford as home of Materials Science, Cambridge has its own Graphene Centre – mind you, who wouldn’t want their own centre on what’s was hailed as a “miracle material”. But in the spirit of healthy competition, Oxford researchers are working on a new wonder-material, a sort of super-graphene – cadmium arsenide – that has the edge on graphene in that it can transmit electricity at tremendous speeds in three dimensions. Of course, graphene also comes with worrying environmental downsides, making alternatives appealing. It’s a fast-changing game for all Materials applicants to keep on top of, and a good area of research for Natural Sciences (P), Physicists, and Engineers to be up to speed on.