Oct 12, 2023 (Nanowerk News) New pharmaceuticals, cleaner fuels, biodegradable plastics: in order to meet society’s needs, chemists have to develop new synthesis methods to obtain new products that do not exist in their natural state. A research group at the University of Geneva (UNIGE), in collaboration with Cardiff University,...
Using SERS technology to accurately monitor single-molecule diffusion behavior
Oct 12, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Researchers have developed a new technique to observe the behavior of individual molecules in real time. Key Takeaways A new method using gold nanorods can trap and observe individual molecules in real-time using dynamic surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (D-SERS). Developed by the Hefei Institutes of Physical...
New catalyst could provide liquid hydrogen fuel of the future
Oct 12, 2023 (Nanowerk News) In two research articles (Catalysis Science & Technology, "Acceptorless dehydrogenation of 4-methylpiperidine by supported pincer-ligated iridium catalysts in continuous flow" and ChemSusChem "Iridium-Catalyzed Dehydrogenation in a Continuous Flow Reactor for Practical On-Board Hydrogen Generation From Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers"), Lund researchers have demonstrated that the...
Shining light on the radical production of DNA building blocks
Oct 12, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Despite its fundamental role in biology, and extensive studies over half a century, many aspects of how DNA's building blocks are formed remain unclear. Now, an international team of scientists has revealed valuable details about this intricate process. The research, published in Science ("Structure of...
Surprising discovery shows electron beam radiation can repair nanostructures
Oct 12, 2023 (Nanowerk News) In a surprising new study (Nature Communications, "Mending cracks atom-by-atom in rutile TiO2 with electron beam radiolysis"), researchers at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities have found that the electron beam radiation that they previously thought degraded crystals can actually repair cracks in these nanostructures....
A step towards AI-based precision medicine
Oct 12, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Artificial intelligence, AI, which finds patterns in complex biological data could eventually contribute to the development of individually tailored healthcare. Researchers at Linköping University in Sweden have developed an AI-based method applicable to various medical and biological issues. Their models can for instance accurately estimate...
The fuel economy of a microswimmer
Oct 12, 2023 (Nanowerk News) The amount of power a microswimmer needs to move can now be determined more easily. Scientists from the department Living Matter Physics at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPI-DS) developed a general theorem to calculate the minimal energy required for propulsion. These...
Graphene oxide heterostructure for customized air purification of toxic gases
Oct 12, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in daily products such as paints, adhesives, furniture, cosmetics, and deodorants make our lives easier. However, constant exposure can cause serious health problems such as respiratory illness, headaches, dermatitis, and cancer. Natural ventilation is the most effective way to reduce VOCs...
Tuning a fundamental material property with a graphene-insulator coating
Oct 11, 2023 (Nanowerk News) The energy it takes to eject an electron from a material is a fundamental property – one that determines how electrons flow. This is one of the key properties scientists must consider when designing devices. If a device requires changes to this property, the only...
Astronomers capture first-ever afterglow of huge planetary collision in outer space
Oct 11, 2023 (Nanowerk News) A new study, published in Nature ("A planetary collision afterglow and transit of the resultant debris cloud"), reports the sighting of two ice giant exoplanets colliding around a sun-like star, creating a blaze of light and plumes of dust. Its findings show the bright heat...