https://phys.org/nanotech-news/nano-materials en-us The latest science news on nanomaterials, nanotechnology, nanoparticles and nanoscience. When it comes to electrically conductive nanomaterials, graphene—stronger and lighter than steel and more conductive than copper—has been shown to be an excellent choice for a wide range of technologies. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-physicists-reveal-layers-impact-graphene.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 07 Nov 2024 15:09:04 EST news650214541 Researchers led by Prof. Cunlan Guo at Wuhan University have pioneered a new approach to control the electrical properties of two-dimensional (2D) metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), specifically porphyrinic 2D MOF nanosheets, by constructing molecular heterojunctions that exhibit tunable rectification behaviors. Their findings could greatly impact the development of future functional electronic devices. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-approach-tuning-current-2d-mof.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 07 Nov 2024 12:42:45 EST news650205758 Moiré materials, such as twisted bilayer graphene, are materials generally formed by stacking two or more layers of 2D materials on top of each other with a small lattice mismatch. This slight mismatch creates a unique pattern known as the moiré pattern, which is associated with desirable optical and electronic properties. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-quasiperiodicity-ground-state-properties-1d.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 07 Nov 2024 09:30:01 EST news650193671 Researchers from the IBB-UAB have developed a new class of nanostructures capable of trapping and neutralizing large quantities of the SARS-CoV-2 virus particles, both in liquid solutions and on the surface of materials. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-nanoparticles-neutralize-large-amounts-sars.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Wed, 06 Nov 2024 10:58:14 EST news650113090 A recent study has aimed to create hydrophobic paper by exploiting the mechanical properties and water resistance of cellulose nanofibers, and so produce a sustainable, high-performance material suitable for packaging and biomedical devices. This involved a supramolecular approach, i.e., combining short chains of proteins (peptide sequences) that do not chemically modify the cellulose nanofibers. Sustainable hydrophobic paper may one day replace petroleum-related products. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-sustainable-hydrophobic-cellulose-potential-petroleum.html Nanomaterials Tue, 05 Nov 2024 16:27:02 EST news650046421 Researchers from Madrid explain a phenomenon that allows the direction of light emission to be controlled at the atomic scale. The paper provides a detailed explanation of how the profile of the light collected in a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) experiments changes when the tip is placed on an atomic step. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-atom-profile-emitted-scanning-tunneling.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 05 Nov 2024 09:28:26 EST news650021302 Since prehistoric times, humans have used fire to transform raw materials into valuable goods. Examples include using flames to turn clay into pottery, and silica into glass. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-flame-aerosol-excels-nanoparticles.html Nanomaterials Tue, 05 Nov 2024 08:57:48 EST news650019461 As buildings age, the demand for effective monitoring of their structural integrity has grown significantly. A breakthrough in nano-optical sensor technology now enables precise, real-time measurement of structural deformation and stability. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-nano-optical-sensors-enable-safety.html Nanomaterials Tue, 05 Nov 2024 07:38:04 EST news650014681 Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden and at the University of Magdeburg in Germany have developed a novel type of nanomechanical resonator that combines two important features: high mechanical quality and piezoelectricity. This development could open doors to new possibilities in quantum sensing technologies. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-high-quality-nanomechanical-resonators-built.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 05 Nov 2024 07:15:04 EST news650013301 In a leap toward more powerful and efficient computer chips, researchers at the University of Virginia have confirmed a key principle governing heat flow in thin metal films—a critical component in the race to design faster, smaller and more efficient devices. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-gen-chip-efficiency-thermal-insights.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Mon, 04 Nov 2024 16:25:03 EST news649959901 A research team led by Xuesong Mei and Jianlei Cui from Xi'an Jiaotong University has made significant progress in the field of nanotechnology. They have successfully achieved the direct writing of nanostructures on Au nano-film using a nanosecond-laser-irradiated cantilevered scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) probe tip. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-advances-nanostructure-fabrication-laser-au.html Nanomaterials Mon, 04 Nov 2024 09:32:18 EST news649935125 In organic molecules, an exciton is a particle bound pair of an electron (negative charge) and its hole (positive charge). They are held together by Coulombic attraction and can move within molecular assemblies. Singlet fission (SF) is a process where an exciton is amplified, and two triplet excitons are generated from a singlet exciton. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-chiral-molecular-absorb-boost-singlet.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Fri, 01 Nov 2024 12:24:55 EDT news649682686 A team of researchers from NIMS and the University of Connecticut has developed a printing technique capable of forming a periodic nano/microstructure on the surface of a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) slab and easily transferring it onto the surface of a glass substrate. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-simple-technique-periodic-nanomicrostructures-glass.html Nanomaterials Thu, 31 Oct 2024 15:50:13 EDT news649608602 The next step for fully integrated textile-based electronics to make their way from the lab to the wardrobe is figuring out how to power the garment gizmos without unfashionably toting around a solid battery. Researchers from Drexel University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Accenture Labs in California have taken a new approach to the challenge by building a full textile energy grid that can be wirelessly charged. In their recent study, the team reported that it can power textile devices, including a warming element and environmental sensors that transmit data in real-time. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-clothesline-grid-mxene-nanomaterials-enable.html Nanomaterials Thu, 31 Oct 2024 14:30:04 EDT news649603802 The smallest unit of information in a computer is the bit: on or off, 1 or 0. Today, the world's entire computing power is built on the combination and interconnection of countless ones and zeros. Quantum computers have their own version of the bit: the qubit. It, too, has two basic states. The main difference: Quantum effects allow a superposition of the two states, so that the qubit is not either 1 or 0, but both at the same time. With different proportions of 0 and 1, the qubit can theoretically assume an infinite number of states. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-fundamental-quantum-recreated-nanographenes.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 31 Oct 2024 12:20:11 EDT news649596001 The efficiency and performance of photovoltaics (PVs) have improved significantly over the past decades, which has led to an increase in the adoption of solar technologies. To further enhance the performance of solar cells, energy researchers worldwide have been devising and testing alternative design strategies, leveraging different materials and cell structures. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-mesoporous-mos-strategy-boosts-efficiency.html Nanomaterials Thu, 31 Oct 2024 11:40:01 EDT news649514443 Queen Mary University of London researchers have developed new nanocomposite films using starch instead of petroleum-based materials, marking a significant advancement in the field of sustainable electronics. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-scientists-starch-nanocomposite-pave-green.html Nanomaterials Thu, 31 Oct 2024 10:32:03 EDT news649589521 Two-photon laser direct writing lithography or TPL is a cutting-edge technique used for creating nanoscale structures. It works by leveraging specific materials known as photoresists, which change their chemical properties when exposed to light. These materials absorb laser light in a unique way, enabling precise control during exposure to laser beams. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-3d-nanofabrication-sensitive-cationic-photoresist.html Nanomaterials Wed, 30 Oct 2024 16:59:03 EDT news649526341 The shapes of simple polyatomic molecules such as carbon dioxide and methane are characterized by a specific symmetry depending on the manner of linking of the atoms. Nano- to micrometer-sized particles that mimic the shapes of such polyatomic molecules are referred to as colloidal molecules, which can form soft materials. However, conventionally synthesizing colloidal molecules with such specific symmetry requires a multi-step synthetic process. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-phenomenon-carbon-nanotube-fibers.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Wed, 30 Oct 2024 16:37:03 EDT news649525022 How small is "small?" Spider silk nanofibrils are just a few molecular layers thick, equivalent to approximately one ten-thousandth the diameter of a human hair. They're invisible to the naked eye and cannot be seen under an ordinary microscope. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-nanofibrils-successfully-strength-spider-web.html Nanomaterials Wed, 30 Oct 2024 15:34:23 EDT news649521252 The efficient use of cellulose—the primary plant scaffold and a major natural building block—could address many issues associated with petroleum-based polymers across various industries. In the search for more sustainable uses of cellulose, Lithuanian scientists have developed a production method for a nanofibrous cellulose matrix, which has the potential to replace non-renewable industrial even in biomedical applications. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-eco-friendly-nanofibrous-cellulose-matrix.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Wed, 30 Oct 2024 15:09:04 EDT news649519741 In the fight against antibiotic resistance, a new technology developed at Chalmers University of Technology, in Sweden, can be of great importance when, for example, hip and knee implants are surgically inserted. By heating up small nanorods of gold with near-infrared light (NIR), the bacteria are killed, and the surface of the implant becomes sterile. The researchers are now presenting a new study that increases the understanding of how the gold rods are affected by light and how the temperature in them can be measured. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-gold-nanorod-technology-fry-bacteria.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Tue, 29 Oct 2024 11:45:34 EDT news649421129 University of Nebraska–Lincoln materials scientists are exploring the physical properties of MXenes, a fast-growing family of two-dimensional materials with the potential for many nanotechnology applications. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-team-explores-potential-mxenes-nanotech.html Nanomaterials Mon, 28 Oct 2024 16:45:27 EDT news649352723 In a laboratory set-up simulating the human stomach and intestine, researchers at the University of Amsterdam have explored the fate of plastic nanoparticles during gastrointestinal digestion. In their paper published in the October issue of Chemosphere, they report how a range of model plastic nanoparticles interact with digestive enzymes and form agglomerates. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-laboratory-simulation-smaller-nanoparticles-subject.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Mon, 28 Oct 2024 15:48:19 EDT news649349294 Metal peroxide (MO2, M=Ca, Sr, Ba) is an alternative to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). It has excellent oxidative properties, superior chemical stability, high purity, and is easy to store and transport. It has been widely used in wastewater treatment and disinfection. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-electrode-alkaline-earth-metal-peroxide.html Nanomaterials Mon, 28 Oct 2024 06:00:01 EDT news649068962 The type of semiconductive nanocrystals known as quantum dots are both expanding the forefront of pure science and also hard at work in practical applications including lasers, quantum QLED televisions and displays, solar cells, medical devices, and other electronics. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-code-synthetic-frontier-quantum-dots.html Nanomaterials Sat, 26 Oct 2024 06:04:54 EDT news649141478 Kory Burns, a professor at the University of Virginia School (UVA) of Engineering and Applied Science, is a materials science researcher who is using artificial intelligence to improve materials characterization. He and his collaborators, representing multiple universities and national labs, detailed their innovative new technique studying how to better determine the nanoscale effects of radiation on materials in a paper in APL Machine Learning. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-ai-technique-illuminates-materials-reactions.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 24 Oct 2024 09:50:04 EDT news648982201 Researchers from Queen Mary University of London and Paragraf Limited have demonstrated a significant step forward in the development of graphene-based memristors and unlocking their potential for use in future computing systems and artificial intelligence (AI). https://phys.org/news/2024-10-graphene-based-memristors-closer-benefiting.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 24 Oct 2024 09:33:39 EDT news648981200 Take a photo with your phone and you might see wonderful details—leaves on a tree, strands of hair blowing in the wind. The width of that strand of hair is 100,000 nanometers wide. The best traditional laboratory microscope that uses light may capture details as small as 200 nanometers—the size of a large virus. The most advanced light microscope might discern features as small as 20–50 nanometers, or about the size of a large protein molecule. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-high-resolution-nanoscale-imaging-method.html Nanomaterials Wed, 23 Oct 2024 11:34:02 EDT news648902034 A thermoelectric material that can be used in wearable devices such as smart clothing and maintains stable thermal energy performance even in extreme environments has been developed by a team of Korean researchers. It has dramatically resolved the dilemma of striking the balance between achieving good performance and the mechanical flexibility of thermoelectric materials, which has been a long-standing challenge in the field of thermoelectric materials, and has also proven the possibility of commercialization. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-flexible-thermoelectric-fibers-wearables-stable.html Nanomaterials Tue, 22 Oct 2024 16:07:54 EDT news648832071