Mar 13, 2024 (Nanowerk News) As the integrated circuits that power our electronic devices get more powerful, they are also getting smaller. This trend of microelectronics has only accelerated in recent years as scientists try to fit increasingly more semiconducting components on a chip. Microelectronics face a key challenge because...
Chemists develop machine learning model for atomic-level interactions
Mar 13, 2024 (Nanowerk News) What exactly happens at the tiny scale at which individual atoms exist and interact? SMU chemist Elfi Kraka and her colleagues have been working on developing a computational tool aimed at providing answers to that mystery. Mathematical functions used to calculate the potential energy of...
A golden solution quickly eliminates bacterial infections, no antibiotics required
Mar 13, 2024 (Nanowerk News) If left to their own devices, bacteria on our teeth or wounded skin can encase themselves in a slimy scaffolding, turning into what is called biofilm. These bacteria wreak havoc on our tissue and, being shielded from antibiotic medication by the slime, are difficult to...
Silk peptide nanoparticles show promise for enhancing targeted cancer therapy through dual-drug delivery
Mar 13, 2024 (Nanowerk Spotlight) Cancer remains one of the most challenging diseases to treat, despite decades of research. While targeted therapies like epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors have shown promise, their effectiveness is often limited by poor bioavailability (the proportion of drug that reaches circulation after administration) and...
Good prospects for altermagnets in spin-based electronics
Mar 13, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Altermagnets represent a newly recognized class of materials in magnetism that could enable novel applications in spin-based electronics. Their magnetically ordered state consists of an antiparallel arrangement of microscopic magnetic moments, so-called spins, as in antiferromagnets. In contrast to antiferromagnetism, however, the altermagnetic state with...
Beetles living in the dark teach us how to make sustainable colors
Mar 13, 2024 (Nanowerk News) "Extreme scarcity conditions have enabled natural materials to evolve into some of the most extraordinary materials on Earth, such as incredibly strong spider silk and impact-resistant seashells," said Javier Fernandez, Associate Professor of Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). Throughout history, scientists have consistently...
Advancing tissue engineering with shape memory hydrogels
Mar 13, 2024 (Nanowerk News) One of the primary goals in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine is the development of artificial scaffolds that can serve as substitutes for damaged tissue. These materials must ideally resemble natural tissue and must have the ability to support cell adhesion, proliferation,...
New ways to tune carbon nanotubes
Mar 12, 2024 (Nanowerk News) It might look like a roll of chicken wire, but this tiny cylinder of carbon atoms -- too small to see with the naked eye -- could one day be used for making electronic devices ranging from night vision goggles and motion detectors to more...
New photocatalyst harnesses near-infrared light for solar hydrogen
Mar 12, 2024 (Nanowerk News) A significant amount of solar energy that reaches Earth remains unutilized owing to the scarcity of photosensitive materials capable of responding to light in the near infrared (NIR) region. However, this challenge has been addressed by a recent breakthrough from researchers at Tokyo Institute of...
Have metalenses expanded their reach into the ultraviolet region?
Mar 12, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Ultraviolet rays find diverse applications in medical and healthcare, serving purposes such as disinfection, sterilization, and therapy. They are also used in the semiconductor industry for creating microcircuits and patterns. A metalens fabrication process, developed by a team of researchers at Pohang University of Science...