Jun 17, 2022 (Nanowerk Spotlight) Ultra-narrow optical features with a spectral bandwidth below 1 megahertz are highly sought-after for applications in ultrahigh-precision sensing, narrow-band filtering, and information storage for optical computing – but unfortunately they are extremely challenging to generate. Conventionally, high-Q resonators that have a minimum loss in optical...
New method helps exfoliate hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets
Jun 16, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Researchers recently reported an innovative mechanical process for controllably exfoliating hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (h-BNNSs). This method, known as the "water-icing triggered exfoliation process," was proposed by Prof. ZHANG Junyan's group from the Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics (LICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences...
Analysis of health risks associated with graphene-containing particles
Jun 16, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Graphene-based particles released from polymer composites after abrasion induce negligible health effects. Under the leadership of Empa, an international research team of the Graphene Flagship project conducted a study on the health risks of graphene-containing nanoparticles and recently published the results in Journal of Hazardous...
Solving the puzzle of 2D disorder
Jun 16, 2022 (Nanowerk News) When players try to solve word games, they attempt to put together clues to find the solution. Sure, it helps to have a strong vocabulary, but finding the right answers to those puzzles is as much about logic and strategy as it is about being...
A unique 3D printed system for harvesting stem cells from bioreactors
Jun 16, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Researchers have developed a unique 3D printed system for harvesting stem cells from bioreactors, offering the potential for high quality, wide-scale production of stem cells at a lower cost (Bioresources and Bioprocessing, "A modular 3D printed microfluidic system: a potential solution for continuous cell harvesting...
A novel photonic chipscope for label-free monitoring of live cell activities
Jun 16, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Label-free, non-invasive, and quantitative monitoring of cellular activities is crucial for understanding various biological processes and the response of cells to therapeutic drugs. However, existing approaches are often hindered by their multiple time-consuming preparation steps, complicated apparatus, and incompatibility which may interfere with the cells...
Automating semiconductor research with machine learning
Jun 16, 2022 (Nanowerk News) The semiconductor industry has been growing steadily ever since its first steps in the mid-twentieth century and, thanks to the high-speed information and communication technologies it enabled, it has given way to the rapid digitalization of society. Today, in line with a tight global energy...
New material paves the way for remote-controlled medication and electronic pills
Jun 15, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Biomedicines are produced by living cells and are used to treat cancer and autoimmune diseases among other things. One challenge is that the medicines are very expensive to produce, something that limits global access. Now researchers from Chalmers have invented a material that uses electrical...
Novel cellulose aerogel radiative coolers for building applications
Jun 16, 2022 (Nanowerk Spotlight) The development of efficient cooling technology based on environmentally friendly and biobased materials is crucial to our day-to-day activities, such as food preservation, air conditioning, refrigeration, large-scale computation as well as human comfort. At present, traditional vapor-compression technology is commonly used for cooling. However, it...
How wet chopsticks hitting hot oil advance our understanding of physics
Jun 16, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Cooks throughout Asia put moist bamboo chopsticks into oil in a frying pan, watching the bubbles that form and listening to the sizzling sound they make as they burst to gauge the perfect cooking temperature. An international team of researchers used the technique as inspiration...