AI went digging through old materials databases — and found 33 overlooked wonder-materials, plus 11 brand-new ones

Sometimes the discovery is already sitting in the filing cabinet. At Linköping University in Sweden, researchers used artificial intelligence to search older materials databases for MXenes — a family of ultra-thin materials prized for energy and data storage — and found 33 that scientists had made but never recognised for what they were. Inspired, the team then created 11 entirely new ones, including versions with magnetic properties the field had been missing. The work, published in Science, turns forgotten data into a shortcut for future technology.

SDG 9 · Industry, innovation and infrastructure — Mechanism: tech innovation