# 61. Big Material Breakthroughs At The Small Scale

- Show: [The Next Byte Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast)
- Published: 2022-03-15
- Length: 24m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2022-03-15-61-big-material-breakthroughs-at-the-small-scale
- Listen: https://the-next-byte-wevolver.simplecast.com/episodes/61-big-material-breakthroughs-at-the-small-scale-PxSjF67l

## Summary

Hosts Daniel and Forbode discuss two material science breakthroughs: Dr. Jenny Zhang’s team at the University of Cambridge using aerosol jet printing to create 'tiny skyscraper' electrodes for photosynthetic bacteria, and a Texas A&M University team’s proposal for scalable 3D nanostructure manufacturing using supercritical carbon dioxide atomization. The Cambridge research achieved 236 micro amps per centimeter squared, a significant improvement over the previous 14 micro amp limit, by solving the conflict between light exposure and electrode contact area. The Texas A&M research aims to overcome the scalability and cost barriers of current vapor deposition techniques for nanostructured surfaces like graphene.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2022-03-15-61-big-material-breakthroughs-at-the-small-scale#t=0) Introduction and Photosynthetic Bacteria Energy Bottleneck
- [4:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2022-03-15-61-big-material-breakthroughs-at-the-small-scale#t=266) Cambridge's Tiny Skyscraper Electrodes and Aerosol Jet Printing
- [11:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2022-03-15-61-big-material-breakthroughs-at-the-small-scale#t=700) Scalability Challenges in Academic Research
- [14:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2022-03-15-61-big-material-breakthroughs-at-the-small-scale#t=872) Texas A&M's Supercritical CO2 Atomization for Nanostructures
- [21:12](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2022-03-15-61-big-material-breakthroughs-at-the-small-scale#t=1272) Future Impact on Electronics and Manufacturing

## Topics

- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- University of Cambridge (company)
- Dr. Jenny Zhang (other)
- Texas A&M University (company)
- indium tenoxide (material)
- graphene (material)
- Apple M1 chip (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Ep 214: Jet Engine Hair Dryer, Comic Sans Type Balls, and Belief in Graphene](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2023-04-14-ep-214-jet-engine-hair-dryer-comic-sans-type-balls-and-belief-in-graphene) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [Advancing Battery Innovation for a Power Grid Under Pressure w/ Arwed Niestroj](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-05-19-advancing-battery-innovation-for-a-power-grid-under-pressure-w-arwed-niestroj) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [An interview with Ariel Briner of Cartesian Co](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2015-07-30-an-interview-with-ariel-briner-of-cartesian-co) (The Amp Hour)

## Citing this page

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