Nanoscientists pioneer method to tackle forever chemicals

Mar 31, 2025 New process upcycles hazardous chemicals to graphene. (Nanowerk News) Rice University researchers have developed an innovative solution to a pressing environmental challenge: removing and destroying per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly called “forever chemicals.” A study led by James Tour, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Professor of...

New spray-coating method builds efficient self-powered photodetectors

Mar 31, 2025 A new photodetector design combines metal-organic frameworks and MXene materials to overcome silicon's performance limits, enabling broad-spectrum light detection without external power. (Nanowerk Spotlight) The efficient conversion of light into electrical signals is essential for many modern optoelectronic technologies, such as smartphone cameras, optical fiber communication, and...

Controlling self-assembly better than nature does

Mar 31, 2025 Applying a magnetic field to rod-like viruses induces them to form disks of tunable shape and size. (Nanowerk News) Seeking to mimic self-assembly processes that occur naturally, RIKEN researchers have demonstrated that the self-assembly of rod-shaped viruses can be controlled by applying a magnetic field (Nature Communications,...