Apr 08, 2025 A new battery system removes toxic metals from wastewater and generates electricity in the process, offering a low-cost, power-positive alternative to conventional treatment. (Nanowerk Spotlight) Industrial pollution has deposited toxic metals into water systems, creating an environmental challenge that resists simple solutions. These contaminants—manganese, cobalt, nickel, zinc,...
Breakthrough in laser-alignment for macromolecular single-particle imaging
Apr 10, 2025 Laser-induced alignment boosts single-particle imaging by improving molecular orientation, enabling clearer 3D structure recovery of proteins and macromolecules. (Nanowerk News) Single-particle diffractive imaging (SPI) using X-ray free-electron lasers allows researchers to reconstruct the structure of nanoparticles and biomolecules. However, the technique often requires imaging up to several...
Polymer nanosheets boost hydrogen production in non-photosynthetic bacteria using near-infrared light
Apr 10, 2025 A biohybrid system combines polymer nanosheets with E. coli to improve hydrogen production by capturing near-infrared light from the solar spectrum. (Nanowerk Spotlight) The search for viable solar hydrogen production has repeatedly run up against the same set of limitations: narrow spectral absorption, poor quantum efficiencies, and...
Scientists discover new way to keep quantum spins coherent for longer
Apr 10, 2025 New study shows that electron spins - tiny magnetic properties of atoms that can store information - can be protected from decohering (losing their quantum state) much more effectively than previously thought, simply by applying low magnetic fields. (Nanowerk News) New study shows that electron spins—tiny magnetic...
Advances in chiral plasmonic nanostructures revolutionize light manipulation
Apr 10, 2025 Cost-effective chiral nanostructures enable precise light control at the nanoscale, advancing applications in sensing, imaging, and emerging quantum technologies. (Nanowerk News) Researchers from ICMAB are revolutionizing how we manipulate light at the nanoscale using chiral plasmonic structures—nanomaterials designed to interact with polarized light in extraordinary ways. ICMAB...
Advancing neuronal research using 3D polymeric micro-scaffolds integrated with quantum sensors
Apr 10, 2025 A recent research study has successfully merged two cutting-edge 3D tissue engineering strategies - 3D polymeric scaffolds and 3D neuronal spheroids - to create a highly advanced model for studying neuronal behaviour and disease. (Nanowerk News) A recent research study (Advanced Healthcare Materials, "Smart Polymeric 3D Microscaffolds...
Tiny, soft robot flexes its potential as a life saver
Apr 08, 2025 Flexible, semi-autonomous robot could potentially find disaster victims buried in rubble, deliver medicine inside body. (Nanowerk News) A tiny, soft, flexible robot that can crawl through earthquake rubble to find trapped victims or travel inside the human body to deliver medicine may seem like science fiction, but...
Simple cryogenic process mass-produces high-quality borophene for flexible electronics
Apr 09, 2025 Scientists have created a scalable cryogenic process for producing borophene sheets that efficiently harvest energy from motion, enabling next-generation flexible electronics. (Nanowerk Spotlight) Scientists have created a remarkably simple method to produce borophene—a material that could revolutionize everything from wearable electronics to battery technology. The new approach...
Bacteria-enhanced graphene oxide nanoparticles for triple-action tumor erradication
Apr 03, 2025 Researchers developed graphene oxide nanoparticles that combine chemotherapy, immune activation, and photothermal heating to effectively destroy tumors. (Nanowerk News) Modern cancer treatments have evolved beyond traditional chemotherapy to include targeted approaches such as immunotherapy, radiation therapy, and photothermal therapy. Graphene oxide (GO), known for its biocompatibility, high...
Engineering smart delivery for gene editors
Apr 09, 2025 Researchers developed an advanced delivery system that transports gene-editing tools based on the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing system into living cells with significantly greater efficiency than before. (Nanowerk News) A research team from Helmholtz Munich and the Technical University of Munich has developed an advanced delivery system that transports...