Dec 23, 2024 (Nanowerk Spotlight) Metal halide perovskites have attracted substantial research interest since 2009 when their potential for solar cell applications was first demonstrated. These semiconductor materials combine effective light absorption with good electrical conductivity while being simple to manufacture. However, metal halide perovskites degrade rapidly under normal environmental...
Wearable energy harvester can be attached to the skin or clothes
Dec 23, 2024 (Nanowerk News) DGIST announced that a team led by Prof. Jang Kyung-In from the Department of Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering has developed a three-dimensional stretchable piezoelectric energy harvester that can harvest electrical energy using body movements. The device is to be used as a wearable energy harvester...
Researchers take ‘significant leap forward’ with quantum simulation of molecular electron transfer
Dec 21, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Researchers at Rice University have made a meaningful advance in the simulation of molecular electron transfer — a fundamental process underpinning countless physical, chemical and biological processes. The study, published in Science Advances ("Trapped-ion quantum simulation of electron transfer models with tunable dissipation"), details the...
Dark energy ‘doesn’t exist’ so can’t be pushing ‘lumpy’ Universe apart
Dec 21, 2024 (Nanowerk News) One of the biggest mysteries in science – dark energy – doesn't actually exist, according to researchers looking to solve the riddle of how the Universe is expanding. For the past 100 years, physicists have generally assumed that the cosmos is growing equally in all...
Tiny, wireless antennas use light to monitor cellular communication
Dec 21, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Monitoring electrical signals in biological systems helps scientists understand how cells communicate, which can aid in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions like arrhythmia and Alzheimer’s. But devices that record electrical signals in cell cultures and other liquid environments often use wires to connect each...
New super-black material absorbs nearly all light using suspended nanoparticles
Dec 20, 2024 (Nanowerk Spotlight) A black cotton T-shirt absorbs about 85% of visible light. The darkest paints can capture about 95%. But researchers have now created materials so black they absorb 99.7% of all light that hits them - making them appear as almost perfect voids to human eyes....
Macroscopic oscillators move as one at the quantum level
Dec 20, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Quantum technologies are radically transforming our understanding of the universe. One emerging technology are macroscopic mechanical oscillators, devices that are vital in quartz watches, mobile phones, and lasers used in telecommunications. In the quantum realm, macroscopic oscillators could enable ultra-sensitive sensors and components for quantum...
Laser-based artificial neuron mimics nerve cell functions at lightning speed
Dec 20, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Researchers have developed a laser-based artificial neuron that fully emulates the functions, dynamics and information processing of a biological graded neuron. With a signal processing speed of 10 GBaud — a billion times faster than its biological counterparts — the new laser graded neuron could...
Need a research hypothesis? Ask AI
Dec 20, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Crafting a unique and promising research hypothesis is a fundamental skill for any scientist. It can also be time consuming: New PhD candidates might spend the first year of their program trying to decide exactly what to explore in their experiments. What if artificial intelligence...
Rocket fuel inspires record-breaking nanoporous carbon material for CO2 capture and storage
Dec 18, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Using a chemical reaction inspired by rocket fuel ignition, Cornell researchers have engineered a nanoporous carbon with the highest surface area ever reported, a breakthrough that is already proving beneficial for carbon-dioxide capture and energy storage technologies. Scientists are continually striving to enhance the porosity...