Today's Nanotech Pulse
Left‑handed DNA origami tubes double chemotherapy efficacy
Researchers at the Cancer Center at Illinois showed that left‑handed DNA origami tubes loaded with the drug Daunorubicin kill acute myeloid leukemia cells more than twice as effectively as right‑handed tubes. The tubes display CD117‑targeting aptamers and their left‑handed geometry promotes rapid internalization, boosting cell‑killing potency.
Ni‐Atom Induced Interface Water Reorientation Around Ru Clusters for Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution Reaction
Researchers introduced single Ni atoms into Ru clusters supported on nitrogen‑boron doped carbon to manipulate interfacial water structure for alkaline hydrogen evolution. The Ni atoms shift the charge distribution of Ru, causing K⁺·H₂O hydrate molecules to reorient and bind more closely to Ru sites. This tighter Ru‑H interaction polarizes the H‑OH bond, accelerating water dissociation and delivering an ultralow overpotential of 17 mV at 10 mA cm⁻². The RuNi‑NBC catalyst also retained performance after 5,000 cycles in 1 M KOH, demonstrating robust stability.
Graphene Oxide Quantum Dots Enable Biosensing of Depression Biomarkers
University of Delhi researchers have introduced an eco‑friendly method to synthesize graphene oxide quantum dots (GO QDs) using citric acid, producing uniform 23.4 nm particles with a negative surface charge. The GO QDs enable dual‑mode biosensing—optical fluorescence and electrochemical detection—of the...
#242 Inside XJet's New Product & Market Strategy with CEO Guy Zimmerman
XJet, a pioneer of NanoParticle Jetting, unveiled two new printers—the high‑throughput Carmel 5000X and the cost‑effective Carmel Pro—while also entering the precious‑metal additive market. CEO Guy Zimmerman explained the product evolution, highlighted key factors for building a compelling AM business...
Wafer‐Scale Self‐Limiting Epitaxy of Bernal‐Stacked Single‐Crystal Boron Nitride
Researchers have demonstrated wafer‑scale epitaxial growth of single‑crystal Bernal‑stacked boron nitride (bBN) bilayers using flow‑modulated metal‑organic chemical vapor deposition on Ni(111)/sapphire. Monoatomic Ni step edges direct AB stacking, creating a self‑limiting bilayer with uniform thickness across the wafer. The resulting...
Chiral‐Induced Spin‐Polarized Molecular Switching in a Magneto‐Controlled 2D System Using Electrical Readouts
Researchers have engineered a chiral two‑dimensional germanane platform by covalently attaching cysteine molecules, creating a spin‑filtering material that exhibits reversible bistable quantum states. When paired with a ferromagnetic electrode, the system’s spin polarization can be switched by an external magnetic...
E‐Beam‐Mediated Rapid Synthesis of Graphite/Diamond Heterojunctions via (111) Facet‐Dirven Global Graphitization
Researchers have introduced a catalyst‑free, electron‑beam technique that rapidly converts diamond into graphite, forming in‑situ graphite/diamond heterojunctions. By targeting the (111) crystallographic facet, the process triggers a global graphitization pathway rather than traditional nucleation‑and‑growth. The method works on both polycrystalline...
Skin‐Structure‐Inspired Hierarchical Metafabric for Multifunctional Personal Thermal and Moisture Management
Researchers introduced a skin‑structure‑inspired hierarchical metafabric that combines electrospun polyamide nanofibers with electrosprayed functional nanospheres. The composite achieves 97.3% solar reflectance, 91.3% infrared emissivity, and a 7.3 °C temperature drop under identical test conditions, surpassing traditional cotton fabrics. Simultaneously it delivers...
Inter‐Crystal Spacing of Implantable Polymeric Surfaces as a Key Suppressor of Microbial Adhesion.
The researchers demonstrated that repeated shape‑memory polymer (SMP) recovery aligns surface crystals and compresses amorphous gaps, dramatically reducing bacterial adhesion. In vitro assays with Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus showed progressive detachment as programming cycles increased. An SMP...
Recent Advances in Chemical Vapor Deposition of Two‐Dimensional Magnetic Oxides
Recent advances in chemical vapor deposition (CVD) have enabled scalable production of two‑dimensional magnetic oxides with tunable magnetic properties. The review classifies these oxides by structural dimensionality and composition, and details vapor‑phase techniques such as additive‑assisted growth, confined epitaxy, and...
Semiconducting Covalent Organic Frameworks as Functional Dopants for Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells
Researchers introduced pyrene‑based covalent organic frameworks (PyCOFs) as bulk dopants for formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI3) perovskite solar cells. The COFs feature π‑conjugated linkages and Lewis‑basic groups (–C≡N, –C═N–, –SH) that coordinate with undercoordinated Pb2+ sites, passivating deep traps without altering...
Magnetic Microbots Turn Nanodiamonds Into Steerable Quantum Sensors
Researchers have mounted nitrogen‑vacancy nanodiamonds on helically shaped magnetic microbots, creating Mobile Quantum Sensors that can be steered through fluid without optical power. The magnetic actuation eliminates heating and preserves the fragile NV spin states, enabling coherent Rabi oscillations while...
Tiny Threads Stand in for Major Metal Coils in Heating Breakthrough
Rice University researchers have demonstrated that carbon nanotube (CNT) fiber heaters can replace traditional metal coils in high‑temperature gas heating. In laboratory tests, CNT thread arrays delivered higher specific power loadings and survived harsh gas streams better than metal alloys....
Sub-Nanometer Pores in Carbon Nanoreactors Trap Chlorine and Boost Li-Cl2 Battery Performance
Researchers have engineered hollow carbon nanoreactors with sub‑nanometer wall pores that physically trap chlorine‑electrolyte complexes inside Li‑Cl₂ battery cathodes. The 0.8 nm pores block 0.86 nm complexes while allowing lithium and chloride ions to pass, creating confined reaction chambers. This architecture delivers...
Interface-Engineered G-C3 N4 @CuAl-LDH Composite for Photocatalytic Degradation of Bromophenol Blue Dye
Researchers synthesized a g‑C₃N₄@CuAl‑LDH composite that markedly improves photocatalytic degradation of bromophenol blue dye under visible light. The material achieved 83.37 % removal within 60 minutes and up to 99.08 % efficiency at alkaline pH 9. Kinetic analysis revealed first‑order behavior with a rate...
Ultrasound-Based Approach to Delivering Potent Drugs Into Cancer Cells Shows Promise in Benchtop Experiments
Duke engineers introduced SonoPIN, an ultrasound‑driven platform that bursts cancer‑targeted microbubbles to create temporary pores in cell membranes. The technique allowed large PROTAC drugs to enter tumor cells, killing 50% of them while sparing 99% of healthy cells in benchtop...
Atomic Ratio Tuning in Catalysts Controls Carbon Nanofiber Production From CO2
Researchers reported a two‑stage tandem system that converts CO₂ and water into carbon nanofibers at 450 °C and ambient pressure. By varying the palladium‑to‑copper atomic ratio in a Pd‑Cu electrocatalyst, they tuned the syngas composition, achieving a peak CO partial current...
Gold Nanoclusters Could Help in Identifying Diseases
Researchers at the University of Jyväskylä used GPU‑accelerated simulations on the LUMI supercomputer to explore how chiral gold nanoclusters bind small chiral biomolecules. Nearly 100 cluster‑biomolecule pairings and 300 simulation runs revealed that only specific combinations trigger a measurable change...
How Invisible Electric Fields Drive Device Luminescence
Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University employed electroluminescence‑detected magnetic resonance (ELDMR) to directly observe fleeting electron‑hole pairs inside operating polymer light‑emitting electrochemical cells (LECs). Their measurements showed that mobile‑ion migration continuously reshapes the internal electric field, and that a lower, more...
How Orbital Overlap Dictates Molecular Conductance
Researchers at National Taiwan University introduced single‑atom bismuth and lead layers on gold electrodes to isolate the electronic contribution of the metal‑molecule interface. By measuring the interfacial hopping integral, they linked orbital overlap and molecular tilt directly to single‑molecule conductance....
3D Printable Nanotube Composite Shields Electronics In Extreme Environments
Researchers have created an ultrathin, stretchable, 3D‑printable composite that combines single‑walled carbon nanotubes and boron nitride nanotubes to simultaneously block electromagnetic interference and absorb neutron radiation. The hybrid films achieve over 50 dB EMI shielding at micrometer thicknesses, while a 2:8...
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...
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...