Compressed titanium and sulfur nanoribbons can transmit electricity without energy loss, scientists find

When compressed, nanoribbons of titanium and sulfur can change properties dramatically, turning into materials with the ability to conduct electricity without losing energy, according to a study published in the journal Nano Letters.

The authors have made the discovery during their painstaking search for new materials that can transmit electricity without loss of energy, a hot topic that has for long haunted the scientific community.

"Our research focuses on one such promising material: TiS₃ nanoribbons, which are tiny, ribbon-like structures made of titanium and sulfur. In their natural state, TiS₃ nanoribbons act as insulators, meaning they do not conduct electricity well," says Mahmoud Rabie Abdel-Hafez, an associate professor at University of Sharjah's Department of Applied Physics and Astronomy.

"However, we discovered that by applying pressure to these nanoribbons, we could change their electrical properties dramatically," adds Abdel-Hafez, who is the study's main author.

The scientists exposed TiS₃ to gradual pressure. As they increased the pressure, they found that the TiS₃ system underwent a series of transitions, from being insulators to becoming metals and superconductors, for the first time.

TiS₃ materials are known to work as good insulators, but it is the first time scientists have discovered that under pressure they can function as superconductors, paving the way for the development of superconducting materials.

"Superconductors are special because they can conduct electricity with zero energy loss, which is incredibly valuable for technological applications," says Abdel-Hafez. "[But] imagine a world where electrical power could be transmitted without any energy being wasted as heat. This would revolutionize how we use and distribute electricity, making everything from power grids to electronic devices far more efficient."

It is exactly this potential which the authors tout as a breakthrough: the potential of TiS₃ to turn into materials causing no waste when transmitting electricity. By carefully controlling the pressure applied to these materials, the authors identified the exact points where they changed from one state to another.

"This is significant because understanding these transitions helps us learn how to manipulate other materials in similar ways, bringing us closer to discovering or designing new superconductors that can operate at higher temperatures and more practical conditions," notes Abdel-Hafez .

The study shows that TiS₃ has the potential to become such a material when subjected to the right conditions. By gradually increasing the pressure on the investigated materials, the authors observed that they transitioned from being insulators (poor conductors) to metals (good conductors) and finally to superconductors (perfect conductors with no energy loss).

Discovering that TiS₃ materials can become superconductors under pressure is certain to help scientists understand more about the conditions required for superconductivity. This knowledge is crucial for developing new materials that might be superconductors at higher, more practical temperatures, the authors maintain.