https://phys.org/nanotech-news/ en-us Nanotechnology. The latest news on nanoscience, nanoelectronics, science and technology. Updated Daily. Surface acoustic wave (SAW) technologies, known for their high precision and rapid actuation, are essential to microfluidics and affect a broad spectrum of research areas. However, traditional fabrication methods are time-consuming, intricate, and necessitate costly cleanroom facilities. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-aerosol-jet-revolutionize-microfluidic-device.html Nanomaterials Thu, 01 Feb 2024 15:52:03 EST news626025121 A research team led by Prof. Li Yue from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has introduced a self-confined solid-state dewetting mechanism. This innovation significantly reduces the reliance on complex nanofabrication techniques, paving the way for efficient wafer-scale patterning of non-closely packed (NCP) gold nanoparticle arrays. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-wafer-scale-patterning-gold-nanoparticle.html Nanomaterials Thu, 01 Feb 2024 10:24:03 EST news626005441 The matter of how metals deform or respond to external stresses has been extensively studied among metallurgists for centuries. When it comes to conventional metals—the crystalline kind with atoms that line up in neat patterns—the process is fairly well understood. But for the deformation of metallic glasses and other amorphous metals, easy answers have been elusive, particularly when it comes to how things work at the nanoscale. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-mysteries-metallic-glass-nanoscale.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 01 Feb 2024 10:08:03 EST news626004481 In a significant advancement for next-generation semiconductors, a collaborative research team has made groundbreaking discoveries in the field of two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-gold-nanowire-spectroscopy-reveal-trions.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 01 Feb 2024 09:32:04 EST news626002321 A team of Rice University researchers mapped out how flecks of 2D materials move in liquid ⎯ knowledge that could help scientists assemble macroscopic-scale materials with the same useful properties as their 2D counterparts. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-unveils-key-dynamics-2d-nanomaterials.html Nanomaterials Thu, 01 Feb 2024 07:53:53 EST news625996421 Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have unveiled unprecedentedly detailed images of brain cancer tissue through the use of a new microscopy technology called decrowding expansion pathology (dExPath).Their findings, published in Science Translational Medicine, provide novel insights into brain cancer development, with potential implications for advancing the diagnosis and treatment of aggressive neurological diseases. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-visualize-brain-cancer-nanoscale.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 31 Jan 2024 15:59:41 EST news625939174 Quantum dots are a kind of artificial atom: just a few nanometers in size and made of semiconductor materials, they can emit light of a specific color or even single photons, which is important for quantum technologies. The discoverers and pioneers of the commercial production of quantum dots were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2023. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-bright-quantum-dots-brighter.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Wed, 31 Jan 2024 13:08:40 EST news625928913 Since the onset of COVID-19, we've become accustomed to seeing antiviral films attached to elevator buttons and public transportation handles. However, conventional antiviral films are made by mixing antiviral metal particles with polymers. Due to the manufacturing process, only a very small fraction of these metal particles is exposed on the surface. As a result, contrary to the belief that these films will protect us from viruses, the actual antiviral effect upon contact with the film surface is not significant. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-scientists-antiviral-nanocoating-technology.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Wed, 31 Jan 2024 09:53:02 EST news625917181 Carbon nanostructures could become easier to design and synthesize thanks to a machine learning method that predicts how they grow on metal surfaces. The new approach, developed by researchers at Japan's Tohoku University and China's Shanghai Jiao Tong University, will make it easier to exploit the unique chemical versatility of carbon nanotechnology. The method was published in the journal Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-machine-carbon-nanotechnology.html Nanomaterials Wed, 31 Jan 2024 09:44:03 EST news625916642 Plasmonics are special optical phenomena that are understood as interactions between light and matter and possess diverse shapes, material compositions, and symmetry-related behavior. The design of such plasmonic structures at the nanoscale level can pave the way for optical materials that respond to the orientation of light (polarization), which is not easily achievable in bulk size and existing materials. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-showcase-breakthroughs-potential-plasmonics.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 30 Jan 2024 14:49:45 EST news625848582 Nanoclusters (NCs) are crystalline materials that typically exist on the nanometer scale. They are composed of atoms or molecules in combination with metals like cobalt, nickel, iron, and platinum, and have found several interesting applications across diverse fields, including drug delivery, catalysis, and water purification. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-small-mighty-showcasing-precision-nanocluster.html Nanomaterials Tue, 30 Jan 2024 13:33:46 EST news625844023 A team of researchers from the URV and the RMIT University (Australia) has designed and manufactured a surface that uses mechanical means to mitigate the infectious potential of viruses. Made of silicon, the artificial surface consists of a series of tiny spikes that damage the structure of viruses when they come into contact with it. The work is published in the journal ACS Nano. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-scientists-surface-virucidal-properties-chemicals.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Tue, 30 Jan 2024 13:12:16 EST news625842732 The photocatalytic water oxidation process plays a vital role in attaining efficient solar-to-chemical process by enabling photocatalytic water splitting and CO2/N2 fixation. However, the lack of well-designed photocatalysts to overcome the sluggish kinetics of water oxidation has impeded the ongoing research. Therefore, it is important to develop an efficient water oxidation photocatalyst. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-high-photocatalytic-oxidation-ultrathin-covalent.html Nanomaterials Tue, 30 Jan 2024 12:17:02 EST news625839421 A new way of creating color uses the scattering of light of specific wavelengths around tiny, almost perfectly round silicon crystals. This Kobe University development enables non-fading structural colors that do not depend on the viewing angle and can be printed. The material has a low environmental and biological impact and can be applied extremely thinly, promising significant weight improvements over conventional paints. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-ink-printable-iridescent-lightweight.html Nanomaterials Tue, 30 Jan 2024 10:00:01 EST news625828909 When someone comes up with the word "magnify," it is referring either to making distant objects closer or making small objects bigger on a tangible scale. There is no doubt that the power of magnifying instruments, regardless of the scale and direction, can lead to the advancement of the scientific field. Since its launch in 2021, James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has embarked on a mission to collect unprecedented data from the deep universe, aiming to extend our understanding of the early universe and lifecycle of celestial bodies. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-ultrathin-membranes-uncovering-atomic-scale.html Nanomaterials Tue, 30 Jan 2024 09:00:01 EST news625766358 Engineers and material scientists have been trying to develop increasingly advanced devices, to meet the growing needs of the electronics industry. These devices include electrostatic capacitors, devices that can store electrical energy in a dielectric between a pair of electrodes through the accumulation of electric charge on the dielectric surfaces. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-method-fabricate-subnanocomposite-dielectric-polymers.html Nanomaterials Tue, 30 Jan 2024 07:30:01 EST news625744942 Using a virus-like delivery particle made from DNA, researchers from MIT and the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard have created a vaccine that can induce a strong antibody response against SARS-CoV-2. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-dna-particles-mimic-viruses-vaccines.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 30 Jan 2024 05:00:01 EST news625744814 Artificial intelligence using neural networks performs calculations digitally with the help of microelectronic chips. Physicists at Leipzig University have now created a type of neural network that works not with electricity but with so-called active colloidal particles. In their publication in Nature Communications, the researchers describe how these microparticles can be used as a physical system for artificial intelligence and the prediction of time series. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-microparticles-artificial-intelligence.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Mon, 29 Jan 2024 10:37:43 EST news625747059 The speed of light can be intentionally reduced in various media. Various techniques have been developed over the years to slow down light, including electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT), Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC), photonic crystals, and stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS). https://phys.org/news/2024-01-metasurfaces-loss.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Mon, 29 Jan 2024 10:27:46 EST news625746464 Recording the activity of large populations of single neurons in the brain over long periods of time is crucial to further our understanding of neural circuits, to enable novel medical device-based therapies and, in the future, for brain–computer interfaces requiring high-resolution electrophysiological information. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-implantable-device-individual-neurons-months.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 26 Jan 2024 16:27:20 EST news625508831 The spongelike structure of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) allows these polymers to possibly carry and deliver a range of therapeutic compounds. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Applied Bio Materials have treated a chromium-containing MOF with a dose of acetic acid, more concentrated than in vinegar, to expand its pore size and surface area. The puffed-up MOF held more ibuprofen or chemotherapy drug than the original version and showed improved performance as a potential drug-delivery vehicle. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-puffed-mofs-drug-delivery.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Fri, 26 Jan 2024 12:05:03 EST news625493102 As the spread of eco-friendly hydrogen cars increases, the importance of hydrogen sensors is also on the rise. In particular, achieving technology to detect hydrogen leaks within one second remains a challenging task. Accordingly, the development of the world's first hydrogen sensor that meets the performance standards of the U.S. Department of Energy has become a hot topic. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-scientists-ultrafast-hydrogen-leak.html Nanomaterials Fri, 26 Jan 2024 10:48:35 EST news625488513 Our sensory systems are highly adaptable. A person who cannot see after turning off a light in the night slowly achieves superior power to see even small objects. Women often attain a heightened sense of smell during pregnancy. How can the same sensory system that was underperforming can also exceed the expectation based on its prior performance? https://phys.org/news/2024-01-locusts-boosted-custom-nanoparticles.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Fri, 26 Jan 2024 09:54:04 EST news625485241 Researchers at the University of Augsburg and the University of Vienna have discovered co-existing magnetic skyrmions and antiskyrmions of arbitrary topological charge at room temperature in magnetic Co/Ni multilayer thin films. Their findings have been published in Nature Physics and open up the possibility for a new paradigm in skyrmionics research. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-discovery-high-skyrmions-antiskyrmions.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Fri, 26 Jan 2024 09:35:35 EST news625484131 At the Tokyo Tech LG Material & Life Solution Collaborative Research Cluster, a joint research team has developed a ferroelectric dimeric liquid crystal with spontaneous polarization that exceeds (8 μCcm-2) and a dielectric constant that exceeds 8,000 at low temperatures. The findings are published in The Journal of Physical Chemistry B. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-ferroelectric-dimeric-liquid-crystal-huge.html Nanomaterials Fri, 26 Jan 2024 08:23:59 EST news625479835 A team of researchers from Tohoku University and Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) has achieved significant advancement in the field of microfluidics, allowing for precise and efficient manipulation of fluids in three-dimensional microscale environments. This work opens up new possibilities for bioanalytical applications, such as cell separations in the realm of medical diagnostics. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-rapid-prototyping-method-microscale-spiral.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Fri, 26 Jan 2024 08:19:03 EST news625479541 Princeton researchers have learned to harness the gossamer scaffolding that maintains the structure of living cells and used it to develop a nanotechnology platform. The technique eventually could lead to advances in soft robotics, new medicines, and the development of synthetic systems for high-precision biomolecular transport. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-cellular-scaffolding-rewired-microscopic-railways.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Thu, 25 Jan 2024 10:12:52 EST news625399969 Tissue engineering, which involves the use of grafts or scaffolds to aid cell regeneration, is emerging as a key medical practice for treating volumetric muscle loss (VML), a condition where a significant amount of muscle tissue is lost beyond the body's natural regenerative capacity. To improve surgical outcomes, traditional muscle grafts are giving way to artificial scaffold materials, with MXene nanoparticles (NPs) standing out as a promising option. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-uncover-molecular-mechanisms-effects-mxene.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 24 Jan 2024 14:14:04 EST news625328041 Fresh research into the physics of vibrating nanobubbles reveals that they do not heat up as much as previously thought. The work appears in Nano Letters. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-tiny-vibrating-treatment.html Nanophysics Wed, 24 Jan 2024 12:52:46 EST news625323164 Researchers with the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University and the DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) have grown a twisted multilayer crystal structure for the first time and measured the structure's key properties. The twisted structure could help researchers develop next-generation materials for solar cells, quantum computers, lasers and other devices. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-multilayer-crystal-gen-materials.html Nanomaterials Wed, 24 Jan 2024 12:45:03 EST news625322701