https://phys.org/nanotech-news/nano-materials en-us The latest science news on nanomaterials, nanotechnology, nanoparticles and nanoscience. A rash of storms in Texas in recent years—from Hurricane Harvey in 2017 to the deep freeze in 2021—has put big chunks of the population in danger and left millions without electricity or water for long periods. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-water-purifying-cup-drinkable-creeks-streams.html Nanomaterials Wed, 02 Aug 2023 14:56:57 EDT news610207011 Newly developed atomic engineering techniques have opened exciting opportunities for enabling ferroelectric behavior in high-k dielectrics, materials that have a high dielectric constant (i.e., kappa or k) compared to silicon. This could in turn inform the development of more advanced CMOS-based technology with a broader range of functions or properties. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-nanoelectromechanical-resonators-based-hafniazirconiaalumina-superlattices.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Wed, 02 Aug 2023 09:30:01 EDT news610127970 Researchers at the University of Basel and Lund University have generated superconducting pair states of electrons on several segments of a nanowire, separated by grown barriers. Depending on the height of the barriers, these pair states can be coupled and fused. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-andreev-chemistry-nanowire-generate-superconducting.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 01 Aug 2023 12:34:18 EDT news610112055 A team of scientists led by the University of Oxford have achieved a significant breakthrough in detecting modifications on protein structures. The method, published in Nature Nanotechnology, employs innovative nanopore technology to identify structural variations at the single-molecule level, even deep within long protein chains. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-nanopore-technology-breakthrough-protein-variant.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Tue, 01 Aug 2023 11:48:04 EDT news610109281 The potential of an ultrafast form of transmission electron microscopy to measure sound waves in nanostructures has been demonstrated by three RIKEN physicists. This could help realize a high-resolution imaging method that uses ultrahigh-frequency sound waves to image structures that are nanometers in size. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-image-nanostructures.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 01 Aug 2023 11:38:03 EDT news610108682 To develop advanced materials, a deep understanding of their underlying microstructure and chemistry is necessary. Knowing how defects influence the interplay between microstructure and chemical composition is crucial, as they are the entry gate for material's failure due to corrosion or crack initiation. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-elements-grain-boundary-revealing-material.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 01 Aug 2023 11:31:03 EDT news610108261 Junctions between the two different materials, single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and perovskite (CsPbBr3) quantum dots (QDs)—a mechanically stable and easily customized photovoltaic material that creates an electrical current from sunlight when paired with another material, such as SWCNTs—form semiconductor heterojunctions that work exceptionally well as a photodetector. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-photodetector-heterojunctions-varies-carbon-nanotube.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Mon, 31 Jul 2023 11:53:04 EDT news610023182 The low-cost, efficient production of hydrogen is an important step toward developing alternative, clean energy sources. Electrochemical water splitting, which splits water into its hydrogen and oxygen elements using an electrocatalyst, is a viable option for producing hydrogen. Conventionally, catalysts have been based on costly elements such as platinum, which makes it difficult to apply this technology on a widespread, commercial scale. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-nanoneedles-electrocatalyst-hydrogen-production.html Nanomaterials Mon, 31 Jul 2023 11:49:03 EDT news610022941 Using conventional testing techniques, it can be challenging—sometimes impossible—to detect harmful contaminants such as nano-plastics, air pollutants and microbes in living organisms and natural materials. These contaminants are sometimes found in such tiny quantities that tests are unable to reliably pick them up. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-nanotech-chemical-composition-impurities-air.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Mon, 31 Jul 2023 10:41:04 EDT news610018861 The research group of Yang Liangbao at the Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS), Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) has recently developed a surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERMS) method to automatically capture target molecules in AgNP/MoS2 nano-pockets, which enables highly sensitive and long-duration dynamic detection of some chemical reaction processes. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-scientists-special-nano-pocket-surface-enhanced-raman.html Nanomaterials Fri, 28 Jul 2023 12:23:04 EDT news609765782 Counterfeiting is a serious problem affecting a wide range of industries—from medicine to electronics, inflicting enormous economic losses, posing safety concerns and putting health at risk. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-diamond-microparticles-high-anti-counterfeit.html Nanomaterials Fri, 28 Jul 2023 11:25:03 EDT news609762302 In recent years, there has been a growing interest in using silver nanoclusters (Ag NCs), nanoscale silver particles composed of tens to hundreds of atoms, across various fields like material science, chemistry, and biology. Ag NCs typically have sizes ranging from 1–3 nm. Scientists have made significant progress in creating and manipulating Ag NCs, leading to the development of silver cluster-assembled materials (SCAMs). https://phys.org/news/2023-07-silver-cluster-assembled-materials-environmental.html Nanomaterials Thu, 27 Jul 2023 16:17:03 EDT news609693422 Scientists have found a way to use nanotechnology to create a 3D "scaffold" to grow cells from the retina—paving the way for potential new ways of treating a common cause of blindness. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-retina-cells-cultured-nanofiber-scaffolds.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Thu, 27 Jul 2023 15:14:04 EDT news609689641 Researchers in the National Graphene Institute (NGI) at The University of Manchester have revisited one of the most ancient materials on Earth—graphite—and discovered new physics that has eluded the field for decades. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-moir-surface-bulk-states-capturing-hofstadter.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 27 Jul 2023 13:30:32 EDT news609683424 Separation processes are essential in the purification and concentration of a target molecule during water purification, removal of pollutants, and heat pumping, accounting for 10–15% of global energy consumption. To make the separation processes more energy efficient, improvement in the design of porous materials is necessary. This could drastically reduce energy costs by about 40–70%. The primary approach to improving the separation performance is to precisely control the pore structure. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-fullerene-pillared-porous-graphene-high-adsorption.html Nanomaterials Thu, 27 Jul 2023 12:53:03 EDT news609681181 Carbon nanotubes, large cylindrical molecules composed of hybridized carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal structure, recently attracted significant attention among electronics engineers. Due to their geometric configuration and advantageous electronic properties, these unique molecules could be used to create smaller field-effect transistors (FETs) that exhibit high energy efficiencies. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-scaling-aligned-carbon-nanotube-transistors.html Nanomaterials Thu, 27 Jul 2023 11:40:01 EDT news609674556 The portable and electric energy storage market has long been dominated by lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and supercapacitors, surpassing other energy storage systems in their ability to provide higher energy and power. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-advancing-heteroatom-doped-porous-carbon-nanomaterials.html Nanomaterials Wed, 26 Jul 2023 15:10:06 EDT news609603001 Dr. Amir Asadi, an assistant professor in the Department of Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution at Texas A&M University, is making groundbreaking strides in the field of composite materials. His research explores embedding patterned nanostructures composed of multiple materials into high-performance composites to achieve the desired multifunctionality without sacrificing any other properties. This could lead to advancements in various fields, including electronics, energy storage, transportation and consumer products. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-approach-properties-composite-materials.html Nanomaterials Wed, 26 Jul 2023 12:06:39 EDT news609591996 Prof. Jiang Changlong's team at the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed and synthesized two highly effective ratiometric fluorescence nanoprobes. The nanoprobes were combined with the color recognition function of smartphones to achieve visual quantitative detection of pesticides in food and environmental water. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-nanoprobe-visual-quantitative-pesticides.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Wed, 26 Jul 2023 10:34:36 EDT news609586473 The term molybdenum disulfide may sound familiar to some car drivers and mechanics. No wonder: the substance, discovered by U.S. chemist Alfred Sonntag in the 1940s, is still used today as a high-performance lubricant in engines and turbines, but also for bolts and screws. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-characterizing-atomic-defects-2d-materials.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 25 Jul 2023 14:57:36 EDT news609515853 New research has unveiled the fatigue resistance of 2D hybrid materials. These materials, known for their low cost and high performance, have long-held promise across semiconductor fields. However, their durability under cyclic loading conditions remained a mystery—until now. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-explores-durability-2d-hybrid-materials.html Nanomaterials Tue, 25 Jul 2023 14:38:03 EDT news609514681 Graphene is a two-dimensional wonder material that has been suggested for a wide range of applications in energy, technology, construction, and more since it was first isolated from graphite in 2004. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-deeper-graphene-rainbow.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 25 Jul 2023 14:37:03 EDT news609514621 A new study determines the efficiency of a single-molecule heat engine by considering a series of ratchets that transfer energy along a network. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-molecular-motor-network.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 25 Jul 2023 14:33:03 EDT news609514381 Materials that are both strong and lightweight could improve everything from cars to body armor. But usually, the two qualities are mutually exclusive. Now, University of Connecticut researchers and colleagues have developed an extraordinarily strong, lightweight material using two unlikely building blocks: DNA and glass. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-dna-coat-glass-density-strong.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 25 Jul 2023 11:30:24 EDT news609503421 Prof. Pan Xu's team at the Institute of Solid State Physics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS), Chinese Academy of Science (CAS), in collaboration with Zheng Xiaojia at the Chinese Academy of Engineering Physics (CAEP), and other researchers, discovered the remarkable potential of one-dimensional (1D) δ-phase formamidinium lead iodide (δ-FAPbI3) as an advanced material for X-ray detection. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-explore-potential-compound-x-ray-imaging.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 25 Jul 2023 11:10:05 EDT news609502201 In today's world of digital information, an enormous amount of data is exchanged and stored on a daily basis. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-nano-switchable-polar-column-high-density.html Nanomaterials Tue, 25 Jul 2023 10:19:03 EDT news609499141 DNA can do more than pass genetic code from one generation to the next. For nearly 20 years, scientists have known of the molecule's ability to stabilize nanometer-sized clusters of silver atoms. Some of these structures glow visibly in red and green, making them useful in a variety of chemical and biosensing applications. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-machine-enables-discovery-dna-stabilized-silver.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Tue, 25 Jul 2023 10:04:49 EDT news609498284 In-cell engineering can be a powerful tool for synthesizing functional protein crystals with promising catalytic properties, show researchers at Tokyo Tech. Using genetically modified bacteria as an environmentally friendly synthesis platform, the researchers produced hybrid solid catalysts for artificial photosynthesis. These catalysts exhibit high activity, stability, and durability, highlighting the potential of the proposed innovative approach. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-artificial-photosynthesis-protein-crystals-bacteria.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Tue, 25 Jul 2023 09:40:00 EDT news609496797 Transparent and flexible displays, which have received a lot of attention in various fields including automobile displays, bio–health care, military, and fashion, are in fact known to break easily when experiencing small deformations. To solve this problem, active research is being conducted on many transparent and flexible conductive materials such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, silver nanowires, and conductive polymers. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-team-washable-transparent-flexible-oled.html Nanomaterials Tue, 25 Jul 2023 09:16:49 EDT news609495404 Microscopic materials made of clay, designed by researchers at the University of Missouri, could be key to the future of synthetic materials chemistry. By enabling scientists to produce chemical layers tailor-made to deliver specific tasks based on the goals of the individual researcher, these materials, called nanoclays, can be used in a wide variety of applications, including the medical field or environmental science. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-nanoclays-addition-tools-chemists.html Nanomaterials Mon, 24 Jul 2023 15:35:13 EDT news609431711