Jul 11, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Machine learning and artificial intelligence are becoming increasingly widespread with applications ranging from computer vision to text generation, as demonstrated by ChatGPT. However, these complex tasks require increasingly complex neural networks; some with many billion parameters. This rapid growth of neural network size has put...
Nanoplastics and ‘forever chemicals’ disrupt molecular structures, functionality
Jul 11, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso have made significant inroads in understanding how nanoplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — commonly known as forever chemicals — disrupt biomolecular structure and function. The work shows that the compounds can alter proteins found...
Innovative 3D MoS2 films with 2D behavior for optoelectronics and renewable energy
Jul 11, 2024 (Nanowerk News) An international research team led by Professor My Ali El Khakani of the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) has made a surprising discovery about the properties of molybdenum disulphide, also known as MoS2. The material is highly sought after in optoelectronics, a field...
3D nanoprinting technique enables real-time observation of structural color formation
Jul 11, 2024 (Nanowerk Spotlight) The vibrant blues of a morpho butterfly's wings, the iridescent hues of an opal, and the ever-changing colors of a chameleon's skin all share a common origin: structural color. Unlike pigments that absorb and reflect specific wavelengths of light, structural colors arise from the intricate...
Shaping the future of polymer nanocarriers
Jul 11, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Scientists have taken a significant step towards the development of tailor-made chiral nanocarriers with controllable release properties. These nanocarriers, inspired by nature's helical molecules like DNA and proteins, hold immense potential for targeted drug delivery and other biomedical applications. The study, led by Professors Emilio...
Robust molecule gives organic electronic devices a boost
Jul 11, 2024 (Nanowerk News) RIKEN chemists have developed a molecule that enhances the performance of organic electronic devices and is also more stable than previous alternatives, raising the chances that it could be used in industrial manufacturing processes (Advanced Materials, "A novel n-type molecular dopant with a closed-shell electronic...
New method to synthesize amorphous metal-organic frameworks and coordination polymers
Jul 11, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Researchers at Humboldt-Universität Berlin, led by Prof. Dr. Nicola Pinna, have made a groundbreaking advancement in nanotechnology, successfully extending the well-known Stöber method to synthesize amorphous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and coordination polymers (CPs). This innovative approach is set to significantly enhance the functionality and complexity...
Found with Webb: a potentially habitable world
Jul 10, 2024 (Nanowerk News) When the exoplanet LHS 1140 b was first discovered, astronomers speculated that it might be a mini-Neptune: an essentially gaseous planet, but very small in size compared to Neptune. But after analyzing data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) collected in December 2023 -...
High-speed electron camera uncovers a new ‘light-twisting’ behavior in an ultrathin material
Jul 10, 2024 (Nanowerk News) While taking snapshots with the high-speed “electron camera” at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Acceleratory Laboratory, researchers discovered new behavior in an ultrathin material that offers a promising approach to manipulating light that will be useful for devices that detect, control or emit light,...
Novel 3D nanoprinting method enables complex metal oxide structures with high fidelity
Jul 10, 2024 (Nanowerk Spotlight) The field of three-dimensional (3D) nanoprinting has long promised to revolutionize the fabrication of advanced materials and devices. This technology offers the potential to create intricate structures with nanoscale precision, opening up new possibilities in areas such as electronics, optics, energy storage, and sensing. However,...