Articles tagged with Nanomaterials
Researchers found that adding biochar to advanced food waste recycling systems can significantly increase hydrogen and methane production. Biochar acts as a natural buffer, keeping pH levels optimal for microbes and supporting robust microbial communities.
Researchers in Japan have developed a supramolecular polymer system that can adaptively transform into different dimensional states depending on the intensity of light applied, revealing mechanisms behind these dynamic transformations using high-speed atomic force microscopy.
This book highlights novel synthesis techniques for next-generation nanomaterials, advancing innovations in catalysis, energy storage, environmental sustainability, and biomedical engineering. It provides essential insights into how nanoscale engineering is transforming multiple sectors.
A research team at CUNY and UT Austin discovered a way to control dark excitons, highly promising for quantum information and advanced photonic applications. They amplified light emission by 300,000 times, making them visible and controllable.
Kono recognized for his contributions to optical physics, light-condensed matter interactions and photonic applications of nanosystems. His research explores how light interacts with materials at the nanoscale, potentially leading to new technologies in electronics and quantum communication.
Researchers explore Field-assisted Additive Manufacturing for micro/nano device fabrication, enabling targeted motion, cell growth, and flexible electronics. The technology holds promise for industries such as biomedical engineering and microrobotics.
Researchers have developed a halide perovskite volatile unipolar nanomemristor that achieves energy-efficient switching with minimal power consumption. The device uses a monocrystal nanocube with chemical composition CsPbBr3, placed between chemically inert contacts, to enable fast computation and readable memory states.
Researchers developed a nanoengineered polymer coating that reflects sunlight and radiates heat, capturing atmospheric water vapour to create a sustainable source of fresh water. The technology can be integrated into paint-like materials for large-scale use, complementing existing systems and addressing global challenges.
These AI-integrated systems are being used for targeted drug delivery, tissue regeneration and neuromodulation to manage chronic diseases. Wearable ultrasound is poised to transform post-operative care and neurorehabilitation.
MIT researchers have developed new nanoparticles that deliver the immune-stimulating molecule IL-12 directly to ovarian tumors, eliciting a strong response and clearing tumors in over 80% of mice. This treatment combines with checkpoint inhibitors to launch an attack on cancer cells without causing side effects.
Researchers have developed a new nanomaterial solution that improves the efficiency of existing lasers in removing kidney stones, reducing damage to surrounding tissue and potentially shortening surgeries. The solution involves adding dark nanoparticles to saline, which absorbs laser wavelengths and keeps the laser focused on the stone.
A new platform allows researchers to study the forces that bind tiny objects together, revealing insights into self-assembly processes and fundamental forces in nature. The platform uses gold flakes in a salt solution, with light bouncing back and forth through nanometre-sized cavities to display colors.
Researchers discovered that nano-biochar acts as an electron shuttle, transforming silver ions into metallic nanoparticles in rice roots. The process reduces the toxicity of silver ions while promoting their formation and accumulation inside plant cells.
Researchers developed a gravity-driven biochar microreactor from rattan, achieving ultrahigh flux and complete degradation of common pollutants. The system activated peroxymonosulfate through a non-radical pathway, with boundary-like defects as primary active sites.
A new technique allows engineers to more precisely place patches on microscopic building blocks, controlling their assembly into designer structures. This stenciling method provides a quantum leap in control over the building blocks' designs, enabling the creation of sophisticated materials from nanoparticles.
The review highlights the importance of clean transfers in 2D material research, emphasizing that it can make or break an experiment. The authors propose a unified approach to transfer methods, synthesis, and testing to improve reproducibility and reliability.
Researchers have developed atomic-level precision patterning on nanoparticle surfaces using stencils, creating 'patchy nanoparticles' with various shapes and functions. The technique allows for large-scale production of batched particles with intricate designs, enabling the creation of novel materials and metamaterials.
Researchers at Tohoku University unveiled a 77-fold increase in photoluminescence quantum yield by adding a single silver atom to high-nuclear Ag nanoclusters. This discovery paves the way for practical applications in optoelectronics and sensing technologies.
Scientists have developed an end-to-end microbial process converting renewable plant oils into sustainable polyesters comparable to petroleum-based plastics. The two-step process achieved record-setting yields and productivity, paving the way for a scalable and environmentally viable alternative to fossil fuels.
Researchers discovered how individual MXene flakes behave at the single-flake level, revealing changes in conductivity and optical response. The new spectroscopic micro-ellipsometry technique allowed for non-destructive measurements of individual MXene flakes, providing fundamental knowledge needed to design smarter technologies.
Aarhus University researchers have developed a transparent layer with silver nanorings that adapts to sunlight intensity, controlling heat entry through glass without dimming the view. The thermoplasmonic effect reduces near-infrared transmission, lowering cooling demand and CO₂ emissions in energy-efficient buildings.
Researchers engineered a nanoreactor cage with visible-light absorption to drive highly efficient photochemical reactions. The cage achieved perfect stereo- and site-selectivity in cross-[2 + 2] cycloaddition reactions, enabling catalytic transformations of chemically inert substrates.
A new membrane developed by Rice University selectively filters out lithium from brines, achieving high selectivity and using considerably less energy. The membrane's design can be adapted for other valuable minerals like cobalt and nickel, and its durability makes it suitable for large-scale synthesis.
Researchers explain how iron nanoparticles form in water or on minerals, organic matter, and microbial biofilms, influencing ecosystem health and pollutant movement. Organic molecules and microbes also play major roles in nanoparticle growth and transformation.
The study implants flexible aliphatic grippers in confined nanocavities to enhance the cage's affinity for cyclohexane and improve its cavity efficiency. This unique approach positions the structure as a promising candidate for developing efficient host-guest partnerships.
Researchers designed chiral amphiphilic pillar[5]arene derivatives that spontaneously formed chiral toroidal nanostructures and Möbius strip-like nanorings through non-covalent interactions. The assembly process exhibited solvent-dependent evolution, resulting in structure-dependent luminescent properties.
Researchers designed chiral amphiphilic pillar[5]arene derivatives to form stable chiral toroidal nanostructures and Möbius strip-like nanorings through non-covalent interactions. The assembly process exhibits solvent-dependent evolution, controlling luminescent properties and enabling the creation of functional chiral nanomaterials.
Biomedical engineers at Duke University developed a platform combining automated wet lab techniques and AI to design nanoparticles for drug delivery. The TuNa-AI platform resulted in a 42.9% increase in successful nanoparticle formation compared to standard approaches.
Researchers at UMass Amherst have found that applying nanoscale selenium to rice foliage increases nutritional content, enhances soil microbial diversity, and decreases greenhouse gas emissions by 41%.
Researchers have created a new class of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) with complex internal arrangements, expanding their potential for carrying small-molecule drugs, proteins, metal ions, and mRNA. The breakthrough offers flexibility in designing delivery systems for different therapeutic molecules.
Scientists at the University of Gothenburg have developed the smallest on-chip motor in history, capable of fitting inside a human hair. The new motor uses laser light to set gears in motion, enabling microscopic machines that can control light and manipulate small particles.
Researchers found iron-biochar composites milled in a nitrogen atmosphere exhibit superior catalytic performance for degrading organic pollutants. The composite achieved a phenol removal rate of 90.3% when used to activate persulfate, outperforming those milled in air or vacuum.
Researchers at Pohang University of Science & Technology have successfully synthesized Prussian Blue with an octahedral morphology by using a specialized solvent. The new crystal shape enhances electrochemical reactivity and stable performance in sodium-ion hybrid capacitors.
Researchers developed a high-energy ultrasonic regeneration strategy to restore nano-phase change emulsion performance under low-temperature conditions. This innovation enhances the stability of phase change emulsions, unlocking their full potential for thermal energy storage and cold-chain logistics applications.
Researchers successfully etched hafnium oxide films at atomic-level precision and smoothness without halogen gases. The new method uses nitrogen and oxygen plasmas to form volatile byproducts, resulting in reduced surface roughness and improved device performance.
Researchers have made key advances in synthesizing high-entropy MXenes, a family of 2D nanomaterials with tailored properties. By understanding the role of entropy and enthalpy, they created nearly 40 new layered materials with varying numbers of metal combinations.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have discovered a way to synthesize new multi-metal 2D materials by adding up to nine metals into the mix. This finding opens up possibilities for designing materials with precisely controlled properties for diverse applications.
Researchers at Seoul National University of Science and Technology developed a microelectrode with three-dimensional carbon nanotubes that efficiently conduct electricity while being soft like tissue. The arrays demonstrated stable insertion in brain tissues, precise recording of visual responses, and reduced inflammatory responses.
A discarded ornamental shrub can now power electric buses thanks to a new material that triples the energy density of previous devices. The material, called PHAC, shows high surface area and mesopore volume, enabling rapid ion transport and long cycle life.
Researchers developed a new model and theory to explain nanoparticle growth dynamics, accounting for six essential characteristics of nanoparticle growth. The new theory provides fresh physical insights into the role of nanoparticle motion and configurational degeneracy on their nucleation and growth.
Researchers at Lehigh University and the Cleveland Clinic are developing a nonsurgical therapy for pelvic organ prolapse using drug-delivering nanoparticles. The treatment aims to delay or reverse matrix degradation, reducing the severity of POP in patients with earlier stages of the disorder.
A team of Chinese scientists has developed a high-performance iron-based catalyst for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), which could potentially reduce reliance on scarce and expensive platinum. The new design enables record efficiency and long-term durability, achieving an oxygen reduction overpotential as low as 0.34 V.
Researchers transformed commercially available pencil lead into a graphene-based electron beam source, achieving stable and high-quality electron emission. The findings confirm that graphene edges can be easily derived from readily accessible materials and effectively function as high-performance field emission sources.
Researchers at Tohoku University found that C60 fullerene can serve as an active catalytic site for CO2 electroreduction, improving the efficiency of reactions like hydrogen evolution and carbon dioxide reduction. The discovery opens new possibilities for designing efficient, metal-free catalysts to combat climate change.
Researchers successfully realized a stable, isolated quantum spin on an insulating magnesium oxide surface placed over a ferromagnetic iron substrate. The MgO/Fe(001) structure, widely used in spintronics, enables the formation of isolated spins due to its lack of conduction electrons.
Researchers developed a supramolecular co-assembly platform producing chiral soft materials with strong, stable full-colour circularly polarised luminescence across the visible spectrum. The resulting structures are tunable, scalable and retain their properties for over 100 days at room temperature.
Harmer and his team developed a new Cu–Ta–Li superalloy with exceptional stability and structural integrity at high temperatures, breaking a century-old limitation. The breakthrough could lead to energy efficiency, improved turbine performance, and sustainable forms of transportation.
The book sheds light on nanomaterials, metamaterials, and smart materials' synthesis, classification, and characterization techniques. It discusses size-dependent behavior, fabrication challenges, and interdisciplinary applications with practical implications for healthcare, energy, and electronics.
A synthetic glycosystem mimics natural sugars on human cells, binding to virus's spike protein and preventing infection. The molecule was found to be effective at low doses and worked against multiple SARS-CoV-2 strains.
Researchers developed a device that uses Rosaceae plants' infrared radiation characteristics to create adaptive camouflage for various wavelengths. The device achieves simulated plant-like infrared camouflage and ultra-low emissivity infrared stealth.
A new imaging method, combining cryo-TEM and EELS, allows for simultaneous visualization of structure and elemental distribution in nanomaterials. The technique has been successfully applied to organic nano-materials and biomaterials like hydroxyapatite particles.
Researchers at Stanford University have developed a novel nanodevice that manipulates light using sound waves, enabling precise control over color and intensity. This breakthrough has significant implications for various fields, including computer displays, virtual reality, and optical communications.
The new book provides a comprehensive overview of engineered nanomaterials' interactions with biological systems, driving breakthroughs in biomedical applications and environmental sustainability. It explores critical applications in sustainable technologies, including bioremediation and heavy metal adsorption.
Researchers from Trinity College Dublin develop a method to harness structural colour using microfabrication technique, enabling ultra-sensitive materials for environmental sensing and biomedical diagnostics. The breakthrough also paves the way for next-generation medical sensors that can track biochemical changes in real-time.
Laser-generated nanoparticles offer a cleaner, scalable alternative to traditional chemical synthesis methods for electronics applications. The method, called laser ablation in liquids, produces surfactant-free, highly pure metal-based nanoparticles with tailored surface properties.
A team of UCF researchers is pioneering a new nanocoating to passively mitigate the effects of lunar dust, protect equipment and extend future lunar missions. The goal is to understand how lunar dust interacts with surfaces and design surface properties that repel the dust.
A new palladium-loaded a-IGZO catalyst achieved over 91% selectivity when converting CO2 to methanol, leveraging electronic properties of semiconductors. The study demonstrates novel design principles for sustainable catalysis based on electronic structure engineering.
Researchers developed a controlled 'living' click polymerization system to achieve well-defined polymers with narrow dispersity, enabling bidirectional synthesis of ABA-type block copolymers. The method leverages copper-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition and initiators to selectively drive monomer addition in a controlled manner.
A new approach uses DNA to fabricate targeted 3D nanoscale structures via self-assembly, allowing for complex designs and parallel assembly. The method enables significant time- and cost-savings compared to traditional top-down strategies.
Researchers found that sewage spills from land to sea coincided with winds of at least 6.5m/s on 178 days within a two-year period, potentially sending microplastics into the air. The study suggests that coastal towns and cities may be exposed to billions of airborne microplastic particles.