Apr 21, 2022 (Nanowerk News) At the interface between chemistry and physics, the process of crystallization is omnipresent in nature and industry. It is the basis for the formation of snowflakes but also of certain active ingredients used in pharmacology. For the phenomenon to occur for a given substance, it...
Engineers develop new kind of 3D printing with nanomaterials
Apr 20, 2022 (Nanowerk News) While 3D printing techniques have advanced significantly in the last decade, the technology continues to face a fundamental limitation: objects must be built up layer by layer. But what if they didn’t have to be? Dan Congreve, an assistant professor of electrical engineering at Stanford...
‘Dative epitaxy’- a new way to stack crystal films
Apr 20, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Scientists have grown thin films of two different crystalline materials on top of each other using an innovative technique called “dative epitaxy.” The researchers discovered the method by surprise. As University at Buffalo physicist Hao Zeng explains, dative epitaxy holds layers of different materials together...
Explanation for formation of abundant features on Europa bodes well for search for extraterrestrial life (w/video)
Apr 20, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Europa is a prime candidate for life in our solar system, and its deep saltwater ocean has captivated scientists for decades. But it’s enclosed by an icy shell that could be miles to tens of miles thick, making sampling it a daunting prospect. Now, increasing...
Using bacteria to build settlements on Mars
Apr 20, 2022 (Nanowerk News) In collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), a team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has developed a sustainable method for making bricks out of Martian soil, using bacteria and urea. These “space bricks” can be used to construct building-like...
Study shows everyday plastic products release trillions of nanoparticles into water
Apr 20, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Plastics surround us, whether it’s the grocery bags we use at the supermarket or household items such as shampoo and detergent bottles. Plastics don’t exist only as large objects, but also as microscopic particles that are released from these larger products. These microscopic plastics can...
Multifunctional graphene-based composites oriented by roles of graphene in photocatalysis
Apr 20, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Graphene, a single-layer carbon sheet with a hexagonal packed lattice structure, has displayed attractive potential in artificial photocatalysis due to its enchanting properties in enhancing light absorption, electron transfer dynamics, and surface reactions. Nowadays, multifunctional graphene-based photocatalysts, such as graphene-semiconductor, graphene-metal, and graphene-organics have been...
Molecular robots work cooperatively in swarms (w/video)
Apr 20, 2022 (Nanowerk News) In a global first, scientists have demonstrated that molecular robots are able to accomplish cargo delivery by employing a strategy of swarming, achieving a transport efficiency five times greater than that of single robots. Swarm robotics is a new discipline, inspired by the cooperative behavior...
Scientists build microporous MOF traps for mitigating toxic gases
Apr 20, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide (NO2 and SO2) are toxic gases harmful to the environment and human health. Once they enter the atmosphere, they can travel hundreds of miles, polluting the air and causing acid rain which in turn damages buildings, trees, and crops. Exposure...
Scientists are saving the planet by coding green
Apr 20, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Climate change has forced humankind to think differently in order to preserve the planet and every living being. A wide variety of technologies and services that preserve natural resources have emerged worldwide, as a result of research and innovation efforts. We now have zero-emission vehicles,...