Today's Nanotech Pulse
Bioinspired Aerogel Pulls Heavy Metals From Deep Soil
Researchers at Zhejiang University created a chitosan‑carbon aerogel with vertically aligned channels that doubles water‑wicking speed and accelerates copper ion transport eightfold. The solar‑driven material can draw contaminated water from up to 1.5 m depth, mimicking plant transpiration for soil remediation.
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By the numbers: InPHRED raises $4M seed round
Posco, Sila to Collaborate in Next-Gen Battery Technologies
Posco Future M, the battery materials arm of South Korea’s Posco Holdings, has signed a strategic agreement with U.S.‑based Sila Nanotechnologies to co‑develop next‑generation silicon‑based anodes. Sila’s Titan Silicon anode, built from nano‑engineered silicon particles, promises substantially higher energy density and faster charging than traditional graphite. Posco, already a major supplier of NCM and NCMA cathodes, recently completed a silicon‑anode processing plant in Pohang and aims to broaden its portfolio to LFP, solid‑state and lithium‑manganese‑rich chemistries. The partnership seeks to integrate Sila’s technology into Posco’s supply chain, ensuring stable material availability for future EV batteries.
Hawkeye Bio Granted U.S Patent for Graphene Biosensor Platform
Hawkeye Bio announced that the USPTO granted U.S. Patent No. 12,461,102 for its pristine graphene‑based biosensor platform. The patent covers a technology that uses functionalized graphene particles and optical reporters to detect protease biomarkers with high sensitivity. The company is focusing...
Functionalized Nanoparticles Could Open the Door to Swallowable Insulin Pills
Researchers have grafted the permeation enhancer 1‑phenylpiperazine onto safe silica nanoparticles, creating a hybrid that boosts intestinal insulin absorption while eliminating toxicity. In obese, insulin‑resistant mice, oral insulin delivered with these functionalized particles lowered blood glucose for 8‑10 hours, outperforming...
Local Droplet Etching Yields More Symmetric Quantum Dots for Integrated Photonics
Researchers at Johannes Kepler University and the State University of Campinas have demonstrated a local droplet etching (LDE) technique to fabricate InGaAs quantum dots embedded in AlGaAs with unprecedented symmetry and low surface density. The dots exhibit radiative lifetimes around...
Diatom-Based Microrobots Show Promise for Targeted Photodynamic Therapy of Glioblastoma
Researchers at China’s Shenyang Institute of Automation have created magnetically controlled microrobots from diatom frustules for glioblastoma photodynamic therapy. The robots retain natural chlorophyll, serving as a built‑in photosensitizer, and can be steered via external magnetic fields to tumor sites....
Holcim UK and Canary Wharf Group Explore Graphene-Enhanced Concrete
Holcim UK and Canary Wharf Group finished a six‑month R&D program on ultra‑low‑carbon, circular concrete mixes. The trials highlighted a graphene‑infused concrete that slashes carbon emissions by more than 50% while delivering higher strength and durability. Test pours were conducted...
A Dynamic Twist of Light's 'Handedness'
Harvard SEAS engineers have unveiled a MEMS‑integrated twisted bilayer photonic crystal chip that can dynamically adjust its twist angle and inter‑layer spacing to control optical chirality. The reconfigurable device selectively transmits left‑ or right‑handed circularly polarized light, achieving near‑perfect discrimination...
MXenes Move Closer to Real World Use in Energy Storage and Medicine
A Swiss research initiative, TailorX, has advanced the synthesis, modeling, and sustainable production of MXenes, a versatile class of 2‑D transition‑metal carbides and nitrides. The team built a high‑purity library of MAX‑phase precursors, deployed AI models to predict MXene structures...
FAST‐CRISPR: Fusogenic Association and Secured Transfection of CRISPR/Cas9 Ribonucleoproteins Using Lipid‐Silica Hybrid Nanoparticles for Therapeutic Genome Editing
Researchers introduced FAST‑CRISPR, a lipid‑silica hybrid nanoparticle that fuses directly with cell membranes to deliver CRISPR/Cas9 ribonucleoproteins. By combining a 1:1 weight ratio of cationic DOTAP and ionizable DODMA lipids with large‑pore silica cores, the platform achieves high RNP loading...
Emerging Atomically Engineered RuNi‐Zn‐ZIF‐8 Catalyst for Remarkably High Electrocatalytic Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia and Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution Reaction
Researchers have engineered a RuZn‑based carbon‑nitrogen framework decorated with atomically dispersed nickel and minor Ni clusters, creating a bifunctional electrocatalyst for nitrate reduction to ammonia and oxygen evolution. The catalyst delivers an ammonia yield of 10,199 µg h⁻¹ mg⁻¹ cat with 84% Faradaic...
A Red Brick‐Derived Fe2P‐Based Cocatalyst Sheet Enables Monolithic Photocatalysts for Efficient Solar Hydrogen Production
Researchers have converted common red brick into a Fe2P‑based cocatalyst sheet that serves as a scaffold for semiconductor particles, creating monolithic photocatalysts for solar water splitting. The CdS‑Fe2P/RB monolith delivers a visible‑light hydrogen evolution rate of 7.7 mmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ and an apparent...
A Balloon Electrochemical Sensor for Conformal Interfacing With Intestinal Wall and Real‐Time Monitoring of Serotonin Release
Researchers have created a balloon‑shaped electrochemical sensor using gold nanotubes that expands to conform to the soft curvature of the intestinal lumen. The device is inserted endoluminally, inflates to mimic physiological distension, and records real‑time serotonin (5‑HT) release from the...
FAST‐CRISPR: Fusogenic Association and Secured Transfection of CRISPR/Cas9 Ribonucleoproteins Using Lipid‐Silica Hybrid Nanoparticles for Therapeutic Genome Editing (Small 15/2026)
Researchers at UNIST and collaborators introduced FAST‑CRISPR, a lipid‑silica hybrid nanoparticle system designed to ferry CRISPR/Cas9 ribonucleoproteins into cells. The platform leverages a fusogenic lipid coating that promotes rapid endosomal escape, securing high‑efficiency genome editing while preserving RNP integrity. Preclinical...
Mechanically Responsive Microwave Absorption and Shielding in Hierarchical Heterogeneous Architectures for Electromagnetic Interference Protection
Researchers have created a mechanically responsive composite (FPCEL) that combines Fe3O4‑functionalized cellulose nanofibers, polypyrrole, liquid metal, and Ecoflex silicone. The hierarchical, asymmetric architecture yields strain‑dependent microwave absorption and shielding, shifting from reflection‑dominated to absorption‑enhanced behavior as the material is stretched...
Formation Mechanism of BN Flakes on MWCNTs
Researchers have developed a CVD method to coat multi‑wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with hexagonal boron nitride (h‑BN) flakes, creating a three‑layer heterostructure of CNT core, coaxial BN nanotubes, and outer BN flakes. Experiments and molecular dynamics simulations reveal a two‑step...
Photoluminescence Enhancement in Erbium Nanoparticles via Controlled Phase Transformation
Erbium nanoparticles produced by pulse laser ablation in liquid were thermally annealed from 200 °C to 1000 °C. At 600 °C the mixed cubic‑monoclinic structure fully converts to a pure cubic Er₂O₃ phase, eliminating surface hydroxyl groups and compacting the particles. This structural...
Graphene Oxide Destroys Bacteria without Harming Human Tissue
Researchers have demonstrated that graphene oxide (GO) selectively kills bacteria by forming hydrogen bonds with a phospholipid, POPG, found only in bacterial membranes. The study shows that GO’s oxygen‑rich surface is essential for this activity, achieving over 99% suppression of...
DNA Origami Vaccine Rivals mRNA Shots While Being Easier to Store and Manufacture
Researchers at Harvard’s Wyss Institute and Dana‑Farber unveiled DoriVac, a DNA origami‑based vaccine platform that delivers antigens and adjuvants on a self‑folding nanostructure. In pre‑clinical mouse studies and a human lymph‑node‑on‑a‑chip model, DoriVac generated antibody and T‑cell responses comparable to...
Heavy Water Expands Energy Potential of Carbon Nanotube Yarns
Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas introduced a heavy‑water‑based electrolyte that dramatically improves the energy‑harvesting performance of twistron carbon‑nanotube yarns. The new system delivers up to 2.5 times higher peak power and 1.8 times more energy per stretch cycle, achieving...
NanoTess Lands Embecta Deal to Put Its Tech in 14,000 Canadian Pharmacies
Calgary‑based NanoTess has signed a distribution agreement with diabetes‑care company Embecta to place its NanoSALV Catalytic gel in more than 14,000 Canadian pharmacies. NanoSALV, authorized by Health Canada in 2022, uses micron‑scale catalytic particles to speed cellular reactions, reduce inflammation...
Trouble Swallowing? A Nanogel Tweak May Keep Therapeutic Stem Cells Alive Longer
Researchers at Kyoto University and McGill University created hybrid stem‑cell spheroids incorporating biodegradable nanogel microfibers. The nanogel‑enhanced spheroids improved oxygen diffusion, increasing cell viability more than fivefold and boosting secretion of regenerative factors. In a rat model of swallowing‑muscle injury,...
Simple 'Cocktail' Of Amino Acids Dramatically Boosts Power of mRNA Therapies and CRISPR Gene Editing
Researchers at Biohub identified a three‑amino‑acid cocktail—methionine, arginine and serine—that dramatically improves lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery of therapeutic mRNA and CRISPR components. Co‑administering the supplement boosted protein expression up to 20‑fold and raised gene‑editing rates from roughly 25% to nearly...
Biodegradable Nanoparticles Can Seek and Destroy Diseased Immune Cells
Johns Hopkins researchers have engineered a streamlined biodegradable polymeric nanoparticle that delivers mRNA to T cells, prompting them to generate CD19‑CAR receptors that target disease‑causing B cells. In mice, a single intravenous dose eliminated 95% of circulating B cells within...
Plasmon‐Exciton Interaction Induced Efficient Charge Separation in Cu2‐xS‐CsPbBr3 Heterostructure
Researchers synthesized a Cu2‑xS–CsPbBr3 heterostructure that leverages plasmon‑exciton coupling to improve charge separation. Femtosecond transient absorption studies show plasmon‑induced hot‑hole transfer from Cu2‑xS to the perovskite valence band under both 400 nm and 800 nm excitation, while 400 nm also drives hot‑electron transfer...
Free-Standing 3D Na Ion Anode Material for Higher Energy Density
Researchers have developed a free‑standing sodium‑ion battery anode that combines bismuth nanoparticles, MoS₂ nanospheres, and a carbon nanofiber matrix with a thin carbon coating. The Bi@MoS₂@C composite delivers a reversible capacity of about 275 mAh g⁻¹ at 0.5 A g⁻¹ and retains 96 % of...
DNA Barcoding Reveals Which Gene-Therapy Nanoparticles Reach Targets in Vivo
Researchers at Oregon State University have developed a DNA‑based barcoding assay that measures, in living mice, which lipid nanoparticles successfully deliver gene‑editing cargo to target cellular compartments. The technique identified that many particles are degraded in lysosomes, while a newly...
Sunlight-Activated Graphene Membrane Recovers Battery-Grade Lithium From Brines
Researchers at POST, Griffith and King Khalid Universities unveiled a graphene‑based nanofiltration membrane that uses sunlight to pull lithium ions from magnesium‑rich brines. The hybrid membrane, combining edge‑functionalized graphene nanoribbons with photothermally reduced graphene oxide, delivers a lithium flux of...
Adisyn Reports Graphene-Based Radar Signature Reduction for Drones
Adisyn demonstrated that graphene‑enhanced composite materials can cut radar reflection by up to 20 dB in lab tests, and the team is targeting a 30 dB reduction that would shrink a drone’s radar cross‑section by a factor of 1,000. The proof‑of‑concept was...
Water Drops Sliding Over Arrays of Janus Micropillars With Hydrophilic Tops: A New Mechanism of Drop Charging
Researchers have engineered arrays of Janus micropillars—hydrophilic tops paired with hydrophobic sidewalls—to reveal a novel drop‑charging mechanism. When a water droplet slides across these structures, it leaves microscopic satellite droplets that evaporate within a second, creating charge separation within the...
Silver‐enhanced Photoresponsive G‐C3N4/Ag Janus Microrobots With Negative Photogravitaxis Efficient Antibiotic Degradation
Researchers have created silver‑enhanced g‑C3N4/Ag Janus microrobots that move upward against gravity when illuminated, a behavior termed negative photogravitaxis. The silver coating improves charge carrier separation, suppressing recombination and boosting photocatalytic activity. This three‑dimensional propulsion increases mass transfer, enabling the...
Additive‐Free Edge‐Functionalized Graphene Dough
Researchers have introduced an additive‑free, edge‑functionalized graphene (EFG) dough synthesized directly from graphite via selective oxidation and physical exfoliation. The resulting few‑layer nanoplatelets retain defect‑free basal planes, exhibit carboxylate and phenolic edge groups, and achieve a high conductivity of 900 S cm⁻¹....
Impact of Sapphire Substrate Reconstruction on the Structural, Electronic, and Photonic Properties of MoS2
The paper investigates how sapphire substrate reconstruction during metal‑organic CVD at 1 000 °C alters the structural, electronic, and photonic behavior of monolayer MoS₂. Elevated temperature induces step‑bunching on the sapphire surface, creating local charge‑doping variations and strain that broaden Raman peaks...
Light‑Driven Logic Achieves 10 THz, 100× Faster Processing
Ultrashort laser pulses have enabled logic operations above 10 terahertz in tungsten disulfide, demonstrating information processing speeds over 100 times faster than current electronics by manipulating quantum states with light. nanotechnology
3D Imaging Reveals Messy-Looking Supraparticles Can Be Nearly Perfect Crystals Inside
Researchers at Utrecht University have, for the first time, mapped the three‑dimensional structure of photonic supraparticles using super‑resolution confocal and STED microscopy combined with machine‑learning analysis. The study shows that particles appearing disordered on the surface often form nearly perfect...
IBM and Lam Research Announce Collaboration to Advance Sub-1nm Logic Scaling
IBM and Lam Research have signed a five‑year partnership to push logic scaling below the 1 nm node. The collaboration will co‑develop novel materials, advanced etch and deposition processes, and High‑NA EUV lithography techniques to enable sub‑1 nm transistors. Leveraging IBM’s Albany...
Researchers Track Mineral Growth on Bioorganic Coatings in Real Time at Nanoscale
Researchers at Jeonbuk National University used a quartz crystal microbalance to compare calcium‑phosphate mineralization on titanium dioxide nanoparticles coated with polydopamine (PDA) versus zein. Real‑time measurements showed PDA‑coated particles accumulated 7,780 ng of mineral, roughly 37% more than the 5,641 ng recorded...
Argo Graphene Solutions Reports Positive Results From Graphene-Enhanced Cement Tests
Argo Graphene Solutions reported positive preliminary results from testing its graphene dispersion in cement‑based materials. The graphene‑enhanced mix demonstrated superior workability, adhesion, and a denser surface compared with conventional cement, while also resisting full water penetration in permeability tests. Additional...
Scientists Create Slippery Nanopores that Supercharge Blue Energy
Scientists at EPFL have coated silicon‑nitride nanopores with lipid bilayers, creating a hydration‑lubricated channel that dramatically reduces ion friction. The lipid‑coated membrane, arranged in a hexagonal array of 1,000 pores, achieved a power density of about 15 W m⁻²—2 to 3 times...
Scientists Rebooted This Forgotten Battery—And It Recharges in Seconds. This Could Be the Future of Energy.
Scientists have reinvented Thomas Edison’s 1901 nickel‑iron battery using modern nanotechnology, creating an aerogel electrode composed of protein‑derived nickel‑iron nanoclusters embedded in graphene oxide. The revamped cell can recharge in seconds and endure up to 12,000 charge‑discharge cycles, far surpassing...
Why Nanotechnology Breakthroughs Often Stagnate Before Reaching the Market
New research of 250 European nanotech firms shows that organizational flaws, not scientific limits, stall market adoption. Rigid hierarchies, poor knowledge absorption, and overly complex partnership networks create a "valley of death" between patents and products. The study, co‑authored by...
Conjugated N‐Type Diradical Semiconductor Empowers High‐Performance TiO2‐Based Perovskite Solar Cells
Researchers have introduced IDT‑R, an n‑type conjugated diradical semiconductor, to modify TiO₂ electron transport layers in perovskite solar cells. The material simultaneously passivates surface defects and raises intrinsic conductivity, addressing the long‑standing performance gap between TiO₂‑ and SnO₂‑based devices. Devices...
Photothermally Triggered Intratumoral In Situ Drug Synthesis: A Smart Nanoplatform for NIR‐Controlled Precise Activation of Antitumor Precursors
Researchers have engineered an iron‑doped mesoporous silica nanoplatform (FOBA) that, when exposed to 808 nm near‑infrared light, uses the Y6 photothermal converter to heat and trigger a PEG gate, creating a transient solvent that enables in‑situ synthesis of the cytotoxic agent...
Controlled Formation of Carbon Nanotubes and Nanotube Junctions From Bilayer Graphene
Researchers used a scanning transmission electron microscope to cut twisted bilayer graphene ribbons, triggering a spontaneous transformation into chiral carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and complex junctions. Ribbons narrower than roughly 4 nm reliably roll into tubes, while wider ribbons remain flat, a...
A Recyclable Magnetic Nanosystem Enable Circulatory Antibacterial Strategy for Static and Dynamic Blood Disinfection
Researchers have engineered a recyclable magnetic nanosystem (Fe3O4/CeO2@BP) that integrates black phosphorus with iron oxide and cerium oxide to achieve rapid, ROS‑driven antibacterial activity in blood. The material can be magnetically retrieved, enabling repeated use across at least 20 disinfection...
Standardized Elemental Composition Analysis of Graphene‐Related 2D Materials (GR2M) With SEM/EDS and XPS Works Reliably
A systematic study demonstrates that energy‑dispersive X‑ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) can reliably quantify the oxygen‑to‑carbon (O/C) ratio and trace metal impurities in graphene‑related 2D materials (GR2M). The researchers validated SEM/EDS results against X‑ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) across multiple excitation settings and...
Synergistic Catalysis at Zn–Mn Dual‐Atoms Sites for Efficient Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Formaldehyde
Researchers have engineered a Zn‑Mn dual‑atom catalyst (ZnMn‑N8) that dramatically improves electrocatalytic oxidation of formaldehyde in a gas‑solid system. The material achieves 63.8% HCHO decomposition with 92.3% CO₂ selectivity, surpassing many liquid‑phase catalysts. Advanced microscopy and X‑ray spectroscopy confirm atomic‑scale...
Lasers Transform Carbon Into Artistic Graphene Structures
📰 🧪 James Tour Group in the News: Remarkable images show how lasers can be used to make electronic works of art by turning carbon into grapheneAn article […] https://t.co/xTprDOK0G4
TRUNNANO: Material Transformation and Innovation in Advanced Ceramics
TRUNNANO announced a strategic expansion from pure nanomaterials into advanced ceramic R&D and production, building on more than a decade of nanoscale powder expertise. The move, initiated in 2024, targets the semiconductor, new‑energy and aerospace sectors where extreme‑condition materials are...
Engineering the Electronic Microenvironment with Bromine Functionalization for High‐Selectivity Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction
The research presents a surface bromine modification for the covalent organic framework TzPm‑COF, creating TzPm‑COF‑2Br with a tuned donor‑acceptor architecture. This brominated COF delivers a CO evolution rate of 155 µmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ and 99.4 % selectivity under visible light, a 2.7‑fold increase over...
AND Logic Nanoparticle for Precision Immunotherapy of Metastatic Cancers
Researchers have engineered a dual‑stimuli‑responsive nanoparticle that activates the STING pathway only when both acidic pH and hypoxic NQO1 activity are present, creating an AND‑logic release of the agonist MSA‑2. In preclinical models of lung carcinoma, triple‑negative breast cancer and...