https://phys.org/nanotech-news/nano-materials en-us The latest science news on nanomaterials, nanotechnology, nanoparticles and nanoscience. Plastic waste breaks down over time into nanoplastics ( https://phys.org/news/2023-10-safely-nanoplastics-prussian-blue-pigment.html Nanomaterials Fri, 20 Oct 2023 11:58:15 EDT news617021892 Graphene is well-known for its high electrical conductivity, mechanical strength, and flexibility. Stacking two layers of graphene with atomic layer thickness produces bilayer graphene, which possesses excellent electrical, mechanical, and optical properties. As such, bilayer graphene has attracted significant attention and is being utilized in a host of next-generation devices, including quantum computers. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-high-speed-electrical-readout-method-graphene.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Fri, 20 Oct 2023 09:17:55 EDT news617012271 In recent years, self-powered electrochromic (EC) devices have shown significant potential in various fields such as optoelectronics, sensors, and security systems. These self-powered EC systems, capable of reversible color switching without external power sources, have garnered considerable interest for next-generation electronic devices. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-self-powered-flexible-multicolor-electrochromic-devices.html Nanomaterials Thu, 19 Oct 2023 16:53:03 EDT news616953181 Enzyodynamic therapy (EDT) is a new type of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-related dynamic therapeutic modality, which adequately utilizes the enzyme-triggered catalytic reactions in living organisms and achieves disease treatment through controlling the generation or elimination of ROS. ROS refers to a highly active chemical substance containing oxygen free radicals in the body or natural environment. ROS at physiological concentration is beneficial for the development of living organisms. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-enzyodynamic-therapy-nanoscale.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Thu, 19 Oct 2023 16:39:03 EDT news616952341 As a combustible fuel, the burning of hydrogen gas does not contribute to global warming. Today, the majority of hydrogen gas is generated from fossil fuels, however, and this process releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Generating hydrogen gas from clean sources, such as the splitting of water molecules with electricity through electrolysis, is important to achieving future carbon neutrality, but current methods are inefficient and limit the commercial practicality of hydrogen-based technologies. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-noble-metal-free-electrocatalyst-decreases-energy-required.html Nanomaterials Thu, 19 Oct 2023 11:04:03 EDT news616932241 Special nanoparticles could one day improve modern imaging techniques. Developed by researchers at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), the properties of these unique nanoparticles change in reaction to heat. When combined with an integrated dye, the particles may be used in photoacoustic imaging to produce high-resolution, three-dimensional internal images of the human body, the team reports in the journal Chemical Communications. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-scientists-nanoparticles-contrast-agents.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Wed, 18 Oct 2023 16:15:02 EDT news616864501 A research team led by Prof. Cao Hongtao at the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in cooperation with Prof. Zhang Haizhong's group from Fuzhou University, has developed a novel bioinspired vision sensor based on InP quantum dots (QDs)/oxide thin-film phototransistors. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-scientists-thin-phototransistor-bioinspired-visual.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Wed, 18 Oct 2023 12:58:02 EDT news616852681 Ordinary pencil lead holds extraordinary properties when shaved down to layers as thin as an atom. A single, atom-thin sheet of graphite, known as graphene, is just a tiny fraction of the width of a human hair. Under a microscope, the material resembles a chicken-wire of carbon atoms linked in a hexagonal lattice. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-five-layer-graphene-sandwich-rare-electronic.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Wed, 18 Oct 2023 11:00:02 EDT news616836772 Since its initial discovery in 2004 by two professors at the University of Manchester, graphene has made a big splash in the scientific community. Its discoverers won a Nobel Prize in 2010 for developing the idea—then the race was on to find ways to produce and apply it. Roop Mahajan, the Lewis A. Hester Professor in Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech, has contributed a significant step forward in that race. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-mechanical-professor-coal-graphene.html Nanomaterials Wed, 18 Oct 2023 10:39:25 EDT news616844361 Roman Engel-Herbert, Director of PDI, and Joao Marcelo J. Lopes, a Senior Scientist at PDI, were honored recently with an invitation to review the field of two-dimensional layered materials (2DLM) in a paper for ACS Nano titled "Recent Advances in 2D Material Theory, Synthesis, Properties, and Applications." PDI's authors drew from their expertise in the field of 2D magnetic materials and heterostructures to provide insights on the current state and future prospects of the field regarding the synthesis of these materials. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-insights-2d-materials-international-collaboration.html Nanomaterials Tue, 17 Oct 2023 14:23:09 EDT news616771387 Recent studies have found that Gires-Tournois (GT) biosensors, a type of nanophotonic resonator, can detect minuscule virus particles and produce colorful micrographs (images taken through a microscope) of viral loads. But they suffer from visual artifacts and non-reproducibility, limiting their utilization. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-scientists-deep-learning-based-biosensing-platform.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Tue, 17 Oct 2023 11:37:01 EDT news616761418 Formed by the coupling effect of contact electrification and electrostatic induction, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG) effectively convert the most widely distributed micro-nano energy in our environment, including human motion, breeze, vibration, and rainfall, into electrical energy, providing a sustainable solution to power a plethora of sensors that the current battery supply failed to address. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-tribotronics-prospects-functional-devices-self-powered.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 17 Oct 2023 11:02:03 EDT news616759321 Wave energy technology is a proven source of power generation, but there is power inherent in every molecule of liquid on Earth, even when the liquid is at rest. At the molecular scale, atoms and ions are always moving. If this nanoscale movement can be harvested, it could be a big source of energy. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-harnessing-molecular-power-electricity-generation.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 17 Oct 2023 11:00:01 EDT news616752318 New research from Flinders University and UNSW Sydney, published in the ACS Nano journal, explores switchable polarization in a new class of silicon compatible metal oxides and paves the way for the development of advanced devices including high-density data storage, ultra low energy electronics, flexible energy harvesting and wearable devices. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-approach-advanced-electronics-storage-ferroelectricity.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Mon, 16 Oct 2023 10:50:02 EDT news616672201 Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have engineered a range of new single-walled transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) nanotubes with different compositions, chirality, and diameters by templating off boron-nitride nanotubes. They also realized ultra-thin nanotubes grown inside the template, and successfully tailored compositions to create a family of new nanotubes. The ability to synthesize a diverse range of structures offers unique insights into their growth mechanism and novel optical properties. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-carbon-nanotube-family-bigger.html Nanomaterials Mon, 16 Oct 2023 09:49:22 EDT news616668560 A joint research team led by Prof. Dai Qing and Prof. Li Chi from the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology (NCNST) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has demonstrated the coherent ultrafast photoemission from a single quantized energy level of a carbon nanotube. The study was published in Science Advances on Oct. 12. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-team-coherent-ultrafast-photoemission-carbon.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Mon, 16 Oct 2023 09:36:03 EDT news616667761 Lanthanide (Ln3+)-doped photon avalanche (PA) upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) can be applied in super-resolution bioimaging, miniaturized lasers, single-molecule tracking and quantum optics. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-lanthanide-doped-kmgf-upconversion-nanoparticles-photon.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Fri, 13 Oct 2023 09:07:39 EDT news616406857 In a surprising new study, researchers at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities have found that the electron beam radiation that they previously thought degraded crystals can actually repair cracks in these nanostructures. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-discovery-electron-nanostructures.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 12 Oct 2023 11:01:11 EDT news616327269 As you watch Morpho butterflies wobble in flight, shimmering in vivid blue color, you're witnessing an uncommon form of structural color that researchers are only beginning to use in lighting technologies such as optical diffusers. Furthermore, imparting a self-cleaning capability to such diffusers would minimize soiling and staining and maximize practical utility. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-morpho-butterfly-nanostructure-technology-bright.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 12 Oct 2023 09:46:02 EDT news616322760 Optical beams carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) attract widespread attention and play an important role in optical data storage, optical communications, quantum information processing, super-resolution imaging, and optical trapping and manipulation. However, the bulky volume and the complex systems of the conventional OAM beam generators limit their applications in integrated and miniaturized optical or photonic devices. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-broadband-diffractive-graphene-orbital-angular.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Wed, 11 Oct 2023 16:34:13 EDT news616260850 There is an urgent need to address climate change, making the development of sustainable energy alternatives more important than ever. While proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have shown great promise for energy production, particularly in the transportation industry, there is a long-standing problem with their durability and cost. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-cobalt-modified-nano-material-fuel-cells.html Nanomaterials Wed, 11 Oct 2023 16:11:05 EDT news616259458 A research team led by Prof. Yang Liangbao from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has used surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to accurately monitor the diffusion behavior of a single molecule in the sub-nanometer space. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-scientists-sers-technology-accurately-single-molecule.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Wed, 11 Oct 2023 15:47:02 EDT news616258021 Researchers led by Prof. Wu Zhengyan and Zhang Jia from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have developed an all-in-one nanozyme for the capture, separation and detection of copper ion (Cu2+) in complicated matrixes, achieving accurate detection of copper ions. The study was published in the journal Small. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-zinc-doped-prussian-blue-nanozyme-all-in-one.html Nanomaterials Wed, 11 Oct 2023 14:49:03 EDT news616254542 Have you ever imaged high-resolution 3D structures at the micro/nanoscale that react dynamically to their surroundings? The 4D printing technology is changing the game by using smart materials that exhibit remarkable shape deformation in response to external stimuli, showing the enormous potential for use in biomedicine, flexible electronics, soft robotics, and aerospace. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-micronanoscale-4d-revolution-high-resolution-3d.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Wed, 11 Oct 2023 13:31:03 EDT news616249861 Transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) semiconductors are special materials that have long fascinated researchers with their unique properties. For one, they are flat, one-atom-thick two-dimensional (2D) materials similar to that of graphene. They are compounds that contain different combinations of the transition metal group (e.g., molybdenum, tungsten) and chalcogen elements (e.g., sulfur, selenium, tellurium). https://phys.org/news/2023-10-scientists-flipping-layers-heterostructures-properties.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Wed, 11 Oct 2023 09:46:03 EDT news616236361 Professor Wei Xiong's group, from the Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, proposes a pioneering high-speed multi-photon polymerization lithography technique with a record-high 3D printing rate of 7.6 × 107 voxel s−1, which is nearly one order of magnitude higher than earlier scanning multiphoton lithography (MPL). https://phys.org/news/2023-10-record-high-3d-acousto-optical-scanning.html Nanomaterials Tue, 10 Oct 2023 16:58:03 EDT news616175881 Recently, a research team led by Professor Yang Liangbao from Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) proposed an electromagnetic field enhancement mechanism based on the near neighbor electron orbit coupling effect, explaining the mechanism of two-dimensional (2D) layered material Au-2H-TaS2 used for surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) enhancement. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-high-performance-sers-substrate-based-2h-tas2.html Nanomaterials Tue, 10 Oct 2023 16:43:37 EDT news616175015 A research team led by Prof. Wang Junfeng from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a bio-inspired metal-organic framework (Bio-MOF) to achieve efficient absorption of electromagnetic waves. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-framework-efficient-electromagnetic-absorption.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 10 Oct 2023 13:24:03 EDT news616163041 Researchers from the Institute of Process Engineering (IPE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Kyoto University have proposed a strategy to grow "face-on" and "edge-on" conductive metal-organic frameworks (cMOF) nanofilms on substrates by controlling the "stand-up" behaviors of ligands on various surfaces to overcome the difficulty in the orientation control of such films. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-cmof-nanofilms.html Nanomaterials Mon, 09 Oct 2023 12:30:02 EDT news616070817 Using micro-engineered soil models, researchers at Lund University in Sweden have investigated the effect of tiny polystyrene particles on bacteria and fungi. While these nanoplastics reduced both bacterial and fungal growth, the fungus actually managed to "clean up" their surroundings, thereby easing the effect of the plastics. Their work has been published in Science of The Total Environment. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-vacuum-cleaner-effect-fungi-nanoplastics-bay.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Mon, 09 Oct 2023 11:50:58 EDT news616071055