May 17, 2022 (Nanowerk News) In South Korea, which relies on imports for 99.3% of metal resources, the per capita consumption of metal resources is the highest in the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development), and consumption of precious metals in various industries such as renewable energy, healthcare, and...
Major infrared breakthrough could lead to solar power at night
May 17, 2022 (Nanowerk News) The sun’s enormous energy may soon be harnessed in the dark of night following a significant advance in thermal capture technology. Solar radiation heats the earth’s crust significantly during daylight hours, but that energy is lost into the coldness of space when the sun goes...
Upcycling strategy turns discarded solar cells into thermoelectrics
May 16, 2022 (Nanowerk Spotlight) Among the many renewable energy sources, waste heat has enormous potential given the fact that machines and electronic devices emit massive amounts of it. This waste heat could be recaptured by so-called thermoelectric materials, which use temperature differences to generate electrical energy. Simply put, when...
Researchers develop a test that uses a cell phone to simply and quickly detect gluten in food
May 16, 2022 (Nanowerk News) "Our prototype is designed to help control foods from the moment they are produced, in such a way that when they reach the table, they are one hundred percent safe for the consumer, which in this case, is people who suffer from celiac disease. Its...
Model predicts how nanoparticles interact with proteins
May 16, 2022 (Nanowerk News) With antibiotic-resistant infections on the rise and a continually morphing pandemic virus, it’s easy to see why researchers want to be able to design engineered nanoparticles that can shut down these infections. A new machine learning model that predicts interactions between nanoparticles and proteins, developed...
New theory promises to reshape how we think about polymer superstructures
May 16, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Polymer scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently announced in the journal Nature Communications ("Medial packing and elastic asymmetry stabilize the double-gyroid in block copolymers") that they have solved a longstanding mystery surrounding a nanoscale structure, formed by collections of molecules, called a double-gyroid....
Shaping the future of light through reconfigurable metasurfaces
May 16, 2022 (Nanowerk News) The technological advancement of optical lenses has long been a significant marker of human scientific achievement. Eyeglasses, telescopes, cameras, and microscopes have all literally and figuratively allowed us to see the world in a new light. Lenses are also a fundamental component of manufacturing nanoelectronics...
Artificial muscles help robot vacuum manipulators get a grip
May 16, 2022 (Nanowerk News) The robot grippers designed by Professor Stefan Seelecke and his team at Saarland University can grip and manipulate objects with complex geometries. The system can adapt almost instantaneously to changes in form, switching seamlessly between differently shaped parts. The articulated gripper is driven electrically, is...
Perception-based nanosensor platform could advance detection of ovarian cancer
May 16, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Ovarian cancer kills 14,000 women in the United States every year. It’s the fifth leading cause of cancer death among women, and it’s so deadly, in part, because the disease is hard to catch in its early stages. Patients often don’t experience symptoms until the...
Multisensory hybrid material as smart electronic skin
Jun 16, 2022 (Nanowerk News) The skin is the largest sensory organ and at the same time the protective coat of the human being. It “feels” several sensory inputs at the same time and reports information about humidity, temperature and pressure to the brain. For Anna Maria Coclite, a material...