Jun 18, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Plastic waste is a big problem for the environment, especially small plastics like bread clips that are hard to recycle or get rid of in the environment and could negatively affect living organisms. Various solutions have been suggested, including the utilization of biodegradable polymers for...
Now printing: seaweed-based, biodegradable actuators
Jun 17, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Traditionally, soft robots have been made using synthetic polymers, rubbers, and plastics. Such materials provide soft robots with long operational lives and stable structures, but may pose risks to the environment if lost or damaged during use. Researchers seek to minimize this risk by creating...
A novel method for squeezing molecules together could significantly reduce chemical manufacturing waste
Jun 17, 2023 (Nanowerk News) The production of chemicals accounts for 40% of all energy currently used in manufacturing, and the process also results in toxic solvent waste that pollutes the environment and poses health risks to humans and animals. A newly published study in the journal Science ("Acceleration of...
New imaging technique is no last resort
Jun 17, 2023 (Nanowerk News) There are various ways to image biological samples on a microscopic level, and each has its own pros and cons. For the first time, a team of researchers, including those from the University of Tokyo, has combined aspects from two of the leading imaging techniques...
With trapped waves, researchers resolve a longstanding debate
Jun 17, 2023 (Nanowerk News) With a dramatic boost in computing capability, a team of researchers has solved a decades-long mystery about whether optical waves can be trapped in three-dimensional randomly packed micro- or nanoparticles. It’s a discovery that could open new possibilities for lasers and photocatalysts among other applications....
RNA nanoparticle therapy stops the spread of incurable bone marrow cancer
Jun 17, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Multiple myeloma is an incurable bone marrow cancer that kills over 100,000 people every year. Known for its quick and deadly spread, this disease is one of the most challenging to address. As these cancer cells move through different parts of the body, they mutate,...
New method creates material that could create the next generation of solar cells
Jun 17, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Perovskites, a family of materials with unique electric properties, show promise for use in a variety fields, including next-generation solar cells. A Penn State-led team of scientists created a new process to fabricate large perovskite devices that is more cost- and time-effective than previously possible...
Dust in the wind: Forecasting storms with AI
Jun 17, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Dust storms are not only a nuisance for anyone trying to keep their house spick and span, they also pose a very real health hazard and are a major ecological concern. Respiratory problems caused by breathing in dust and other airborne particles are one of...
A new path for quantum physics to control chemical reactions
Jun 16, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Controlling chemical reactions to generate new products is one of the biggest challenges in chemistry. Developments in this area impact industry, for example, by reducing the waste generated in the manufacture of construction materials or by improving the production of catalysts to accelerate chemical reactions....
Novel approach to fabricating artificial graphene nanoribbons with embedded pentagon carbon
Jun 16, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) have attracted much attention due to their unique electronic structures with high tunability of physical structures. However, the fabrication feasibility of artificially tuned GNRs intrinsically associated with their external properties brings considerable challenges in the synthesis of GNRs and their utilization in...