Jun 23, 2022 (Nanowerk News) A supernova is the catastrophic explosion of a star. Thermonuclear supernovae, in particular, signal the complete destruction of a white dwarf star, leaving nothing behind. At least that’s what models and observations suggested. So when a team of astronomers went to look at the site...
Solving the solar energy storage problem with rechargeable batteries that can convert and store energy at once
Jun 24, 2022 (Nanowerk News) As the climate crisis looms, scientists are racing to find solutions to common clean energy problems, including solar energy storage. Solar energy is one of the best renewable resources we have, but it has challenges that prevent it from being widely adopted and replacing conventional...
A new material holds promise for the next generation of organic electronics
Jun 24, 2022 (Nanowerk News) For decades, field-effect transistors enabled by silicon-based semiconductors have powered the electronics revolution. But in recent years, manufacturers have come up against hard physical limits to further size reductions and efficiency gains of silicon chips. That has scientists and engineers looking for alternatives to conventional...
A rapid and precise total assessment method for cells
Jun 24, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Having a good eye for detail is an essential skill for many professions. In particular, biologists use special techniques and advanced technology to analyze individual cells with unprecedented precision. Impedance cytometry is one experimental method that can reveal specific characteristics of living single cells. This...
‘Hot’ graphene reveals migration of carbon atoms
Jun 24, 2022 (Nanowerk News) The migration of carbon atoms on the surface of the nanomaterial graphene was recently measured for the first time. Although the atoms move too swiftly to be directly observed with an electron microscope, their effect on the stability of the material can now be determined...
Cracking green hydrogen energy (w/video)
Jun 24, 2022 (Nanowerk News) A team of chemists at RIKEN has created a manganese and cobalt oxide electrocatalyst that represents an important step forward in the affordable production of cleaner hydrogen fuels. Hydrogen can be made using electricity that induces a chemical reaction to split water into its constituent...
Gold moves faster than platinum at the atomic scale (w/video)
Jun 24, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Researchers at the University of Antwerp, Belgium, the CIC biomaGUNE laboratory in San Sebastián, Spain and Thermo Fisher Scientific recently investigated the thermal stability of gold nanoparticles covered by a platinum shell (ACS Nano, "Thermal Activation of Gold Atom Diffusion in [email protected] Nanorods"). Nanoparticles composed...
Wearable chemical sensor is as good as gold
Jun 24, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Researchers created a special ultrathin sensor, spun from gold, that can be attached directly to the skin without irritation or discomfort (Advanced Optical Materials, "Highly scalable, wearable surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy"). The sensor can measure different biomarkers or substances to perform on-body chemical analysis. It works...
Cities of the future may be built with algae-grown limestone
Jun 24, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Global cement production accounts for 7% of annual greenhouse gas emissions in large part through the burning of quarried limestone. Now, a CU Boulder-led research team has figured out a way to make cement production carbon neutral—and even carbon negative—by pulling carbon dioxide out of...
Lipid nanoparticles carry gene-editing cancer drugs past tumor defenses
Jun 23, 2022 (Nanowerk News) As they grow, solid tumors surround themselves with a thick, hard-to-penetrate wall of molecular defenses. Getting drugs past that barricade is notoriously difficult. Now, scientists at UT Southwestern have developed nanoparticles that can break down the physical barriers around tumors to reach cancer cells. Once...