Sep 25, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Everyone knows it from their childhood days in the sandpit: sand is filtered using a sieve. Larger stones get stuck, while fine sand can fall through the sieve. The same principle is used when making coffee: water and aromatic substances can pass through unhindered, while...
‘Writing’ with atoms could transform materials fabrication for quantum devices
Sep 25, 2024 (Nanowerk News) A new technology to continuously place individual atoms exactly where they are needed could lead to new materials for devices that address critical needs for the field of quantum computing and communication that cannot be produced by conventional means, say scientists who developed it. A...
The popcorn planet WASP-107b unveils new atmospheric details
Sep 25, 2024 (Nanowerk News) The "popcorn planet" is back in the spotlight! Using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), a team of international astronomers has discovered new atmospheric details on WASP-107b, an exoplanet with a puffed-up atmosphere due to tidal heating. Previously described as an extremely low-density "popcorn planet"...
Quantum sensing unlocks nanoscale insights into battery electrode behavior
Sep 24, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Battery performance is heavily influenced by the non-uniformity and failure of individual electrode particles. Understanding the reaction mechanisms and failure modes at nanoscale level is key to advancing battery technologies and extending their lifespan. However, capturing real-time electrochemical evolution at this scale remains challenging due...
Spinning artificial spider silk into next-generation medical materials
Sep 24, 2024 (Nanowerk News) It’s almost time to dust off the Halloween decorations and adorn the house with all manner of spooky things, including the classic polyester spider webs. Scientists reporting in ACS Nano ("Overexpressed Artificial Spidroin Based Microneedle Spinneret for 3D Air Spinning of Hybrid Spider Silk") have...
Liquid metal nanoparticles enable shape-shifting robots through 4D printing
Sep 24, 2024 (Nanowerk Spotlight) The next generation of robots may not look anything like the rigid, mechanical machines we’re used to. Instead, imagine a robot that moves more like an octopus or a human hand, with parts that can change from soft to rigid at will. Researchers have been...
Graphene spike mat and fridge magnet technology to fight against antibiotic resistance
Sep 24, 2024 (Nanowerk News) With strong bactericidal properties, graphene has the potential to become a game changer in the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. So far there have been no efficient ways to control these properties – and thus no way to make use of graphene’s potential in healthcare. Now...
Researchers reveal the reality of lossless energy transport in topological insulators
Sep 24, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Topological insulators raise the exciting the hope of realising lossless energy transport, which is true at ultralow temperatures. However, topological insulators fail to maintain this lossless ‘magic’ at room temperature. Researchers from Monash University, part of the FLEET Centre, have uncovered new insights into the...
Water-free manufacturing approach could help advance 2D electronics integration
Sep 23, 2024 (Nanowerk News) The future of technology has an age-old problem: rust. When iron-containing metal reacts with oxygen and moisture, the resulting corrosion greatly impedes the longevity and use of parts in the automotive industry. While it’s not called “rust” in the semiconductor industry, oxidation is especially problematic...
Copper-based nanocapsules enhance radiotherapy effectiveness
Sep 23, 2024 (Nanowerk News) In a study published in Nature Nanotechnology ("A cuproptosis nanocapsule for cancer radiotherapy"), Prof. GU Zhanjun from the Institute of High Energy Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with Dr. YAN Junfang and Dr. ZHANG Fuquan from the Peking Union Medical College...