Nov 30, 2023 (Nanowerk Spotlight) Silicon has been the undisputed champion of solar cell materials, with laboratory versions now able to convert over 29% of sunlight into electricity. But an upstart technology based on metal halide perovskites is catching up fast. Leaps in performance over the last decade have brought...
Creating 3D-printed materials that shrink more precisely
Nov 30, 2023 (Nanowerk News) From houses to hearing aids, three-dimensional (3D) printing is revolutionising how we create complex structures at scale. Zooming down to the micro and nano levels, a process known as two-photon polymerisation lithography (TPL) allows scientists and engineers to construct objects with microscopic precision, which has...
Shape-changing helical microswimmers could revolutionize biomedical applications
Nov 30, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Artificial helical microswimmers with shape-morphing capabilities and adaptive locomotion are promising for precision medicine and noninvasive surgery. However, current fabrication methods are slow and limited. A new rotary holographic processing strategy can rapidly produce stimuli-responsive helical microswimmers of different sizes and morphologies. They can dynamically...
Bidding adieu to sticky ice, but with a grain of salt
Nov 29, 2023 (Nanowerk News) As Americans gear up for winter, many will face one of their toughest foes: ice. From delaying flights to making roads slippery, ice accumulation on surfaces wreaks havoc in many ways. But not all ice is created equal. In new research from the University of...
Artificial intelligence paves way for new medicines
Nov 29, 2023 (Nanowerk News) A team of researchers from LMU, ETH Zurich, and Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED) Basel has used artificial intelligence (AI) to develop an innovative method that predicts the optimal method for synthesizing drug molecules. “This method has the potential to significantly reduce the...
Beetle-mimicking flapping smart wings overcome key barriers in insect-scale drones
Nov 29, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Engineers have long sought to unlock the secrets behind insects' uncanny flight abilities and agility in hopes of creating a new class of tiny yet capable flying robots. These flapping-wing micro air vehicles (FWMAVs) hold tremendous promise for search-and-rescue, reconnaissance, and environmental monitoring applications where...
The chip that makes calculations with light
Nov 29, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Optical wireless may no longer have any obstacles. A study by Politecnico di Milano, conducted together with Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna in Pisa, the University of Glasgow and Stanford University, and published in the journal Nature Photonics ("Determining the optimal communication channels of arbitrary optical systems...
Scientists discover rare 6-planet system that moves in strange synchrony
Nov 29, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Scientists have discovered a rare sight in a nearby star system: Six planets orbiting their central star in a rhythmic beat. The planets move in an orbital waltz that repeats itself so precisely it can be readily set to music. A rare case of an...
Google DeepMind adds nearly 400,000 new compounds to open-access Materials Project
Nov 29, 2023 (Nanowerk News) New technology often calls for new materials – and with supercomputers and simulations, researchers don’t have to wade through inefficient guesswork to invent them from scratch. Key Takeaways The Materials Project revolutionized the invention of new materials by creating them virtually, simulating their properties so...
Applying semiconductor manufacturing principles to optoelectronic devices
Nov 29, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Optoelectronics detect or emit light and are used in a variety of devices in many different industries. These devices have historically relied on thin transistors, which are small semiconductors that control the movement of electrons and photons, made out of graphene and other two-dimensional materials....