https://phys.org/nanotech-news/nano-materials en-us The latest science news on nanomaterials, nanotechnology, nanoparticles and nanoscience. A researcher has just finished writing a scientific paper. She knows her work could benefit from another perspective. Did she overlook something? Or perhaps there's an application of her research she hadn't thought of. A second set of eyes would be great, but even the friendliest of collaborators might not be able to spare the time to read all the required background publications to catch up. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-chatbot-expertise-nanomaterials.html Nanomaterials Fri, 01 Dec 2023 10:56:24 EST news620650580 Recent research has led to the development of film-type shape-configurable speakers. These speakers, based on the unique properties of MXene, offer tunable sound directivity and hold immense promise for the rapidly growing field of wearable electronics. The study is published in Advanced Materials. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-unveils-shape-configurable-mxene-based-thermoacoustic-loudspeakers.html Nanomaterials Fri, 01 Dec 2023 07:32:03 EST news620638321 When Emiliano Cortés goes hunting for sunlight, he doesn't use gigantic mirrors or sprawling solar farms. Quite the contrary, the professor of experimental physics and energy conversion at LMU dives into the nanocosmos. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-harvesting-solar-energy-two-dimensional-supercrystals.html Nanomaterials Fri, 01 Dec 2023 07:27:03 EST news620638021 There is an ever-present struggle to reduce carbon-based energy sources and replace them with low or no-carbon alternatives. The process of splitting water could be the resolution. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-non-precious-metal-electrocatalysts-cost-effective-environmentally.html Nanomaterials Thu, 30 Nov 2023 15:24:03 EST news620580241 From houses to hearing aids, three-dimensional (3D) printing is revolutionizing how we create complex structures at scale. Zooming down to the micro and nano levels, a process known as two-photon polymerization lithography (TPL) allows scientists and engineers to construct objects with microscopic precision, which has wide-reaching implications for industries ranging from medicine to manufacturing. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-3d-printed-materials-precisely.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 30 Nov 2023 10:43:04 EST news620563381 Hafnia ferroelectrics are based on their technical promise and remarkable behaviors, where the peculiarities stem from an active extrinsic mechanism that contributes to their properties from a growing number of new intrinsic features. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-theoretical-approach-ferroelectricity-hafnia-related-materials.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 30 Nov 2023 10:00:01 EST news620560660 In the new study published in the journal International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing on 1 November 2023, researchers from the UK and China reported a novel technique based on a laser-induced hydrothermal reaction (LIHR) mechanism for the growth of binary metal oxide nanoarchitecture and layered-double hydroxides on nickel foams for electrocatalytic applications. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-laser-induced-hydrothermal-growth-electrocatalytic-applications.html Nanomaterials Wed, 29 Nov 2023 16:30:03 EST news620497802 Optoelectronics detect or emit light and are used in a variety of devices in many different industries. These devices have historically relied on thin transistors, which are small semiconductors that control the movement of electrons and photons made out of graphene and other two-dimensional materials. However, graphene and these other materials often have problems with band gap opening and other shortcomings that have researchers searching for an alternative. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-semiconductor-principles-optoelectronic-devices.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Wed, 29 Nov 2023 11:36:03 EST news620480161 Graphene, a material which consists of a single layer of carbon atoms, has been celebrated by many as the "next big thing" in material science. But according to Purdue University researchers, its thermal properties may not be as revolutionary as previously thought. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-graphene-conductor-four-phonon.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 28 Nov 2023 11:14:23 EST news620392460 Recently, Professor Di Sun's group at Shandong University extended the salting-out method (commonly used to crystallize biological macromolecules, proteins, and DNA) to crystallize –COOH-functionalized AuNCs and obtained high-quality single crystals of three novel –COOH-functionalized Au25 nanoclusters, revealing the crystallographic structure of long-pursued –COOH-functionalized AuNCs. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-biomimetic-crystallization-long-pursued-cooh-functionalized-gold.html Nanomaterials Tue, 28 Nov 2023 10:55:02 EST news620391301 Recent advances in the development of devices made of 2D materials are paving the way for new technological capabilities, especially in the field of quantum technology. So far, however, little research has been carried out into energy losses in strongly interacting systems. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-fine-tuning-properties-magic-graphene.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 28 Nov 2023 10:42:03 EST news620390521 Skoltech scientists have found a way to improve the most widely used technology for producing single-walled carbon nanotube films—a promising material for solar cells, LEDs, flexible and transparent electronics, smart textiles, medical imaging, toxic gas detectors, filtration systems, and more. By adding hydrogen gas along with carbon monoxide to the reaction chamber, the team managed to almost triple carbon nanotube yield compared with when other growth promoters are used, without compromising quality. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-triple-carbon-nanotube-yield-solar.html Nanomaterials Tue, 28 Nov 2023 09:31:04 EST news620386261 Nanoparticles have unique properties that make them exceptional tools with a variety of applications, from medicine to electronics. One of the lesser-known facts about them is that their surface plays a crucial role in their behavior and functionality. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-ability-molecules-surface-nanoparticles.html Nanomaterials Tue, 28 Nov 2023 09:03:03 EST news620384582 A new kind of "wire" for moving excitons, developed at the University of Michigan, could help enable a new class of devices, perhaps including room temperature quantum computers. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-next-gen-hard-to-move-quasiparticles-glide-pyramid.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 28 Nov 2023 08:53:04 EST news620383981 A new electrocatalyst made of nickel (Ni), iron (Fe) and silicon (Si) that decreases the amount of energy required to synthesize H2 from water has been manufactured in a simple and cost-effective way, increasing the practicality of H2 as a clean and renewable energy of the future. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-durable-inexpensive-electrocatalyst-generates-hydrogen.html Nanomaterials Mon, 27 Nov 2023 15:59:03 EST news620323141 National University of Singapore (NUS) physicists have developed a concept to induce and directly quantify spin splitting in two-dimensional materials. By using this concept, they have experimentally achieved large tunability and a high degree of spin-polarization in graphene. This research achievement can potentially advance the field of two-dimensional (2D) spintronics, with applications for low-power electronics. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-advances-magnetic-graphene-low-power-electronics.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Mon, 27 Nov 2023 10:23:04 EST news620302982 Seas, oceans, rivers, and other bodies of water on Earth have become increasingly polluted over the past decades, and this is threatening the survival of many aquatic species. This pollution takes a wide range of forms, including the proliferation of so-called micro and nano plastics. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-biohybrid-microrobots-micro-nano-plastics-aquatic.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Fri, 24 Nov 2023 09:10:01 EST news620039155 Active matter systems feature unique behaviors that include collective self-assembly structures and collective migration. However, the efforts to realize collective entities in spaces without wall-adhered support, in order to conduct three-dimensional locomotion without dispersion, are challenging. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-bioinspired-self-assembled-colloidal.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 23 Nov 2023 11:00:01 EST news619696437 By using a special combination of laser beams as a very fast stirrer, RIKEN physicists have created multiple vortices in a quantum photonic system and tracked their evolution. This system could be used to explore exotic new physics related to the emergence of quantum states from vortex matter. The research is published in the journal Nano Letters. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-vortices-superfluid.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 21 Nov 2023 10:03:03 EST news619783382 With a slew of impressive properties, transition metal carbides, generally referred to as MXenes, are exciting nanomaterials being explored in the energy storage sector. MXenes are two-dimensional materials that consist of flakes as thin as a few nanometers. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-2d-3d-mxene-path-revolutionizing.html Nanomaterials Mon, 20 Nov 2023 15:37:02 EST news619717021 For the first time, researchers at TU Wien have successfully observed the operating principle of so-called "promoters" in a catalytic reaction in real-time. These promoters play an important role in technology, but so far there is only limited understanding of how they work. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-principle-catalytic-reaction-real-time.html Nanomaterials Mon, 20 Nov 2023 12:48:31 EST news619706908 Over the past decade, fine dust conditions in Korea have worsened, as perceived by the general public, with an increase in the number of days per year featuring high-concentration fine dust. Additionally, the previous maximum fine-dust concentration level has been surpassed. In response, the Korean government has expanded its financial investment in efforts aimed at addressing fine-dust issues. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-korean-nanomaterial-enable-eco-friendly-fine.html Nanomaterials Mon, 20 Nov 2023 12:45:10 EST news619706708 A research team led by Professor Sei Kwang Hahn and Dr. Tae Yeon Kim from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) used gold nanowires to develop an integrated wearable sensor device that effectively measures and processes two bio-signals simultaneously. Their research findings were featured in Advanced Materials. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-team-gold-nanowires-wearable-sensor.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Mon, 20 Nov 2023 12:45:01 EST news619706698 Researchers at the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IPC PAS) have demonstrated that green tea–silver nanoparticles as a powerful tool against pathogens such as bacteria and yeast. Their work is published in Nanoscale Advances. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-antimicrobial-silver-nanoparticles-pathogens-tea.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Fri, 17 Nov 2023 12:47:19 EST news619447631 An advancement in neutron shielding, a critical aspect of radiation protection, has been achieved. This breakthrough is poised to revolutionize the neutron shielding industry by offering a cost-effective solution applicable to a wide range of materials surfaces. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-neutron-shielding.html Nanomaterials Wed, 15 Nov 2023 16:20:24 EST news619287620 Researchers in Europe are working to counter potential risks from nanomaterials used by a range of industries for technological advances. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-microscopic-materials-proliferate-safe-priority.html Nanomaterials Wed, 15 Nov 2023 14:56:05 EST news619282561 MIT researchers and colleagues have demonstrated a way to precisely control the size, composition, and other properties of nanoparticles key to the reactions involved in a variety of clean energy and environmental technologies. They did so by leveraging ion irradiation, a technique in which beams of charged particles bombard a material. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-nanoparticles-ion-irradiation-advance-energy.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Wed, 15 Nov 2023 11:28:06 EST news619270081 Research into artificial intelligence (AI) network computing has made significant progress in recent years but has so far been held back by the limitations of logic gates in conventional computer chips. Through new research published in The European Physical Journal D, a team led by Aijin Zhu at Guilin University of Electronic Technology, China, introduced a graphene-based optical logic gate, which addresses many of these challenges. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-optical-logic-gates-graphene-nanoribbons.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Wed, 15 Nov 2023 10:53:47 EST news619268025 Protein cages found within microbes help its contents weather the harsh intracellular environment—an observation that has many bioengineering applications. Tokyo Tech researchers have recently developed an innovative bioengineering approach that uses genetically modified bacteria to incorporate protein cages around protein crystals. This in-cell biosynthesis method efficiently produces highly customized protein complexes, which could find applications as advanced solid catalysts and functionalized nanomaterials. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-bacteria-biosynthesize-intricate-protein-complexes.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Wed, 15 Nov 2023 09:39:44 EST news619263581 As more research reveals how many microplastic particles humans are ingesting and absorbing in their bloodstreams, Duke and Appalachian State researchers led by Joana Sipe and Christine Hendren have examined a source for microplastic absorption many would not have considered: sex toys. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-microplastics-everywhereyes-sex-toys.html Nanomaterials Tue, 14 Nov 2023 17:31:02 EST news619205461