Nanotechnology News – Latest Headlines

New approach to bimetallic catalysis enhances rate through electrochemical communication

Researchers discover an enhanced reaction rate when gold and palladium nanoparticles are placed on a conductive support; technique could offer a faster, more efficient path to green production of bio-derived chemicals and fuels.

March 21, 2022 Read more

Bacteria-shredding insect wings inspire new antibacterial packaging (w/video)

Inspired by the bacteria-killing wings of insects like cicadas, scientists have developed a natural antibacterial texture for use on food packaging to improve shelf life and reduce waste.

March 21, 2022 Read more

Researchers develop a sensor to make hydrogen visible

Researchers have succeeded in making invisible hydrogen gas visible to the naked eye in order to prevent the risk of fires and explosions. The key to their research is what is known as supraparticles, tiny particles that change colour as soon as they come near hydrogen.

March 21, 2022 Read more

A new brain-computer interface with a flexible backing

The flexible backing allows arrays of micro-scale needles to conform to the contours of the brain, which improves high-resolution brain recording.

March 19, 2022 Read more

Biomolecular building blocks gripped by laser

Scientists have managed for the first time to strongly align a relatively complex structure - the biomolecule indole - without the presence of a laser field. In the future, it should also be possible to use the new method on other complex molecules such as amino acids, neurotransmitters or vitamins, and possibly even entire proteins.

March 19, 2022 Read more

New technique opens door to cheaper semiconductors, higher chip yield

Researchers have developed a technique to create a highly uniform and scalable semiconductor wafer, paving the way to higher chip yield and more cost-efficient semiconductors.

March 19, 2022 Read more

Ionic liquids make a splash in next-gen solid-state lithium metal batteries

Quasi-solid-state-electrodes realize a significant reduction in interfacial resistance.

March 19, 2022 Read more

Researchers develop the world's first power-free frequency tuner using nanomaterials (w/video)

Researchers have found a power-free and ultra-fast way of frequency tuning using functional nanowires.

March 18, 2022 Read more

Turning any camera into a polarization camera

Metasurface attachment can be used with almost any optical system, from machine vision cameras to telescopes.

March 18, 2022 Read more

Unexplored dimensions of porous metamaterials (w/video)

When it comes to porous metamaterials - ubiquitous, sponge-like materials used in everything from sound absorption to self-cleaning glass - it's all about how you slice it.

March 18, 2022 Read more

A unified theory of electrochemical energy storage: Bridging batteries and supercapacitors

There is a spectrum from chemical to physical retention of ions. Researchers say acknowledging and understanding it is the key to progress for energy storage technology.

March 18, 2022 Read more

Are 2D interfaces really completely flat?

Atomically thin sheets are not necessarily uniform. They can be subject to mechanical deformation that result in defects, such as bubbles and wrinkles that occur during exfoliation and transfer. This lack of perfect flatness of individual layers forming a van der Waals heterostructure has implications for interface properties, such as those formed by metal contacts or insulating layers.

March 18, 2022 Read more

Magnet-free chiral nanowires for spintronic devices

Researchers demonstrate the all-electrical generation, manipulation, and detection of spin polarization in chiral single-crystalline Tellurium nanowires. The results pave the way for the development of magnet-free chirality-based spintronic devices.

March 18, 2022 Read more

Physicists find direct evidence of strong electron correlation in a 2D material for the first time

The discovery could help researchers engineer exotic electrical states such as unconventional superconductivity.

March 17, 2022 Read more

Paving the way to tailor-made carbon nanomaterials

To better understand how carbon nanomaterials could be tailor-made and how their formation impacts shock phenomena such as detonation, scientists conducted machine-learning-driven atomistic simulations to provide insight into the fundamental processes controlling the formation of nanocarbon materials, which could serve as a design tool, help guide experimental efforts and enable more accurate energetic materials modeling.

March 17, 2022 Read more

Arsenic makes black phosphorus hop for energy efficiency

Researchers found that substituting a few phosphorous atoms with arsenic stabilizes a 2D structure in black phosphorous. This structure results in improved thermoelectric power compared to pure black phosphorous.

March 17, 2022 Read more