Jun 20, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Supermassive black holes pose unanswered questions for astronomers around the world, not least “How do they grow so big?” Now, an international team of astronomers, including researchers from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, has discovered a powerful rotating, magnetic wind that they believe is...
New catalyst unveils the hidden power of water for green hydrogen generation
Jun 20, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Hydrogen is a promising chemical and energy vector to decarbonize our society. Unlike conventional fuels, hydrogen utilization as a fuel does not generate carbon dioxide in return. Unfortunately, today, most of the hydrogen that is produced in our society comes from methane, a fossil fuel....
First-of-its-kind detection made in striking new Webb image
Jun 20, 2024 (Nanowerk News) For the first time, a phenomenon astronomers have long hoped to directly image has been captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam). In this stunning image of the Serpens Nebula, the discovery lies in the northern area (seen at the upper left)...
Graphene oxide films unlock new capabilities for silicon photonics
Jun 20, 2024 (Nanowerk Spotlight) Photonic integrated circuits, which use light instead of electricity to transmit and process information, have emerged as a critical technology for fields such as telecommunications, artificial intelligence, sensing, and astronomy. By leveraging the well-established silicon fabrication processes used in electronic circuits, silicon photonics has become...
Sweat health monitor measures levels of disease markers
Jun 20, 2024 (Nanowerk News) A wearable health monitor developed by Washington State University researchers can reliably measure levels of important biochemicals in sweat during physical exercise. The 3D-printed monitor could someday provide a simple and non-invasive way to track health conditions and diagnose common diseases, such as diabetes, gout,...
Generation of intense terahertz waves with a magnetic material
Jun 20, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Terahertz waves are being intensely studied by researchers around the world seeking to understand the "terahertz gap". Terahertz waves have a specific frequency that put them somewhere between microwaves and infrared light. This range is referred to as a "gap" because much remains unknown about...
Magnetic hydrogel microrobots offer precise control for medical applications
Jun 19, 2024 (Nanowerk Spotlight) Microrobots, tiny machines typically measuring less than a millimeter in size, have the potential to revolutionize various fields, from medicine and environmental monitoring to manufacturing and space exploration. These miniature devices can be designed to perform a wide range of tasks, such as sensing, actuation,...
Electric fields catalyse graphene’s energy and computing prospects
Jun 19, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Researchers at the National Graphene Institute have made a groundbreaking discovery that could revolutionise energy harnessing and information computing. Their study, published in Nature ("Control of proton transport and hydrogenation in double-gated graphene"), reveals how electric field effects can selectively accelerate coupled electrochemical processes in...
Discovery of one-dimensional topological insulator
Jun 19, 2024 (Nanowerk News) A joint research team has unveiled a new topological insulator (TI), a unique state of matter that differs from conventional metals, insulators, and semiconductors. Unlike most known TIs, which are either three-or two-dimensional, this TI is one-dimensional. The breakthrough will lead to further developments of...
Ultrasound beam triggers nanodroplets to deliver drugs at exactly the right spot
Jun 19, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Conventional drug delivery is often like cracking a nut with a sledgehammer. Whether the drug is swallowed, injected, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin, it ultimately diffuses to most parts of the body, including those where it isn’t needed – or where it even might...