Know What's Happening in Nanotech
Know What's Happening in Nanotech
Nanotech Pulse
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Graphene 'nano‑aquariums' capture atomic‑resolution videos of single gold atoms in liquid
Researchers at the University of Manchester have engineered graphene‑based nano‑aquariums that seal attoliter‑scale liquid pockets between atom‑thin graphene sheets. This platform enables transmission electron microscopy to film individual gold atoms moving in liquid, a capability previously blocked by the vacuum requirements of TEM. The technique works across many organic solvents, expanding real‑time nanoscale observation of chemical processes.
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Researchers have developed a cellulose formate‑based surgical suture that combines collagen and a poly(vinyl alcohol) surface coating to deliver mechanical strength comparable to commercial collagen sutures. By tuning the polymerization and substitution degree of the cellulose formate, the suture’s absorbability...
Researchers have engineered a porous CuO nano‑array anode coated with fluorinated graphdiyne (F‑GDY) for sodium‑ion batteries. The F‑GDY shell confines the CuO structure, mitigating volume expansion and facilitating rapid interfacial charge transfer. Electrochemical testing shows a reversible capacity of 681 mAh g⁻¹...
Researchers created a heterogeneous membrane by infiltrating sodium alginate into delignified wood, leveraging the wood's natural channels and added surface charges to boost ion transport for osmotic energy harvesting. The wood/alginate (W/SA) membrane achieved a power density of 14.43 W m⁻² under...
Researchers have developed a substrate‑independent nanoscale coating by atmospheric pressure plasma polymerisation of peppermint essential oil. The plasma‑derived film retains antioxidant, antibacterial and immunomodulatory functional groups, delivering up to 90% reactive species scavenging and significant cytokine modulation. In vitro tests...
Researchers experimentally mapped the three‑dimensional ion distribution in transition‑metal‑oxide cathodes and identified a pervasive “bottom effect,” where trapped cations accumulate far from the current‑collector pole, accelerating localized aging. Simulations had predicted uneven current density from collector geometry, but this study...
Researchers have introduced a light‑guided molecular patterning technique that arranges oligonucleotides on surfaces using UV patterns projected through a digital micromirror device. The method eliminates the need for specialized lithography tools, offering a cost‑effective, scalable way to create precise single‑molecule...
Operando scanning transmission electron microscopy directly visualizes lithium transport and redox evolution in Ti3C2Tx MXene electrodes within a sulfide‑based solid‑state battery. The study identifies three reaction pathways: interlayer Li (de)intercalation with Ti redox, partially reversible Li2O formation on the MXene...
Researchers synthesized four highly connected metal‑organic frameworks (MOFs) featuring polyhedral cage‑like cavities using an isoreticular design strategy. The materials demonstrate strong uptake of ethane (C2H6) and propane (C3H8) while adsorbing significantly less methane (CH4), enabling CH4 purification to over 99.9%...
Researchers introduced the organic small‑molecule additive MSB into perovskite precursor solutions, slowing crystallization and enlarging grain size while simultaneously passivating defects. The multifunctional sulfonyl and amidinium groups bind lead ions and resist deprotonation, delivering multi‑site, long‑term passivation. These combined effects...
Researchers used olive leaf extract to green‑synthesize copper‑oxide nanoparticles anchored on attapulgite clay, creating a visible‑light‑responsive nanocomposite. The CuO/attapulgite particles were embedded in κ‑carrageenan/carboxymethyl chitosan films, yielding dressings with a water contact angle of 56.7°, high moisture retention, and robust...
Researchers have created a printed liquid‑metal catalyst platform that confines platinum‑in‑gallium droplets within a fused tungsten nanoparticle matrix on porous molybdenum mesh. The W‑nanoparticle scaffold physically traps the Ga‑based liquid droplets, preventing agglomeration and leaching while maintaining reactive surface exposure....
Researchers unveiled the Droplet Concentration Control and Vision (DCCV) platform, a microfluidic system that combines programmable osmotic modulation with automated computer‑vision analysis. By using semi‑permeable double‑emulsion droplets, the platform can adjust solute concentrations after droplet formation, precisely managing protein supersaturation....
Researchers introduced MIL-53-TDC, a metal‑organic framework that removes furfural from simulated biomass hydrolysates with unprecedented speed and selectivity. The material combines size‑based molecular sieving with moderate hydrogen‑bonding to achieve 98% furfural removal and a static capacity of 424.6 mg g⁻¹, while leaving...
Researchers at the University of Delaware have converted discarded corn cobs and other agricultural residues into high‑performance biochar filters. In laboratory trials, the optimized biochar removed up to 64 % of dissolved ammonia and more than 97 % of polystyrene micro‑ and...
Researchers at Chonnam National University introduced a nanometer‑scale germanium oxide (GeOₓ) interlayer between the molybdenum back contact and the tin monosulfide (SnS) absorber, addressing deep‑level defects, sodium diffusion, and MoS₂ formation. The 7 nm GeOₓ layer improves SnS grain uniformity and...
Researchers led by Dr. Tian Carey have unveiled a predictive framework that links in‑plane versus out‑of‑plane stiffness to successful electrochemical exfoliation of 2D materials. The model identified dozens of new semiconducting nanosheets, enabling the fabrication of printed transistors, digital‑to‑analogue converters...
Hebrew University researchers have created a flexible, semi‑transparent perovskite solar cell that can be color‑tuned for use in windows and curved surfaces. The device achieves up to 9.2% power‑conversion efficiency while maintaining about 35% visible transparency. Light transmission and hue...
Researchers at the Korea Institute of Energy Research introduced CO Adsorption‑Induced Deposition (CO AID), a carbon‑monoxide‑driven method that forms 0.3 nm platinum shells on low‑cost metal cores. The technique reduces catalyst fabrication time to 30 minutes‑2 hours at kilogram scale, far faster than...
Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Zhengzhou University have demonstrated flexible perovskite solar modules exceeding 20 % efficiency by using sulfuric‑acid‑treated single‑walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) films as ITO‑free window electrodes. The acid treatment raises conductivity and creates a NiSO₄–NiOₓ...
A team at Chalmers University has demonstrated a photocatalytic system that uses conjugated polymer nanoparticles to split water into hydrogen under simulated sunlight, eliminating the need for expensive platinum. By engineering hydrophilic, loosely packed polymer chains, the particles achieve a...
Researchers at Guangxi University unveiled micro‑nano reconfigurable robots (MNRM) that capture and release carbon dioxide using sunlight as an energy source. In laboratory tests the robots sequestered 6.19 mmol CO₂ per gram of sorbent and regenerated at just 55 °C, maintaining over...
Researchers at the University of Surrey have replaced indium tin oxide (ITO) with single‑walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) films in flexible perovskite solar modules, achieving over 20% power‑conversion efficiency on large areas and a record 24.5% on small cells. A sulfuric‑acid...
Researchers introduced copper hexadecafluorophthalocyanine (FCP) as an electrolyte additive that in situ creates a Zn3N2‑rich inorganic‑organic hybrid solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) on zinc anodes. The hybrid SEI provides high Zn2+ conductivity and a delocalized electric field that speeds desolvation, leading...
Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory have unveiled ULIS, an ultra‑low inductance smart power module built on silicon‑carbide that delivers record‑breaking efficiency and five‑fold higher energy density. The 1,200‑volt, 400‑amp device cuts parasitic inductance by 7‑9×, enabling ultra‑fast switching,...
Haydale Graphene Industries has legally renamed itself Haydale and will trade on AIM under the unchanged ticker HAYD and ISIN. The rebrand drops the explicit graphene reference, suggesting a strategic pivot toward a broader advanced‑materials and clean‑technology portfolio. Management signals...
Stanford researchers have demonstrated that a 3 nm silver ion coating on the LLZO solid electrolyte can dramatically improve its mechanical resilience, making it five times more resistant to cracking. The heat‑treated Ag⁺ layer infiltrates the ceramic surface, replacing lithium atoms...
Researchers engineered lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) functionalized with an RGD peptide directly attached to the lipid tail, enabling precise mRNA delivery to the uterine endometrium during the window of implantation. In mouse models, the RGD‑LNPs achieved a 3,900‑fold increase in uterine...
Researchers have engineered a copper‑single‑atom catalyst confined within MXene interlayer nano‑channels (Cu‑SACs/MXene) that achieves 94.9% removal of bisphenol A in just five minutes. The 1.37 nm channels concentrate oxidants and accelerate mass transport, while the isolated Cu atoms cycle between Cu⁺/Cu²⁺ to...
In this episode, Professor Megan Engel discusses how machine learning and modern optimization techniques can streamline the creation of coarse‑grained molecular models, building on the challenges faced by the original oxDNA developers. She explains shortcuts that reduce the labor‑intensive parameterization...
Lyten announced Lyten S Cure™, a graphene‑enhanced concrete admixture that boosts early strength and durability without altering existing mix designs. The product delivers a 110% increase in one‑day compressive strength, 29% higher strength at seven days, and up to 20% improvement in...
Stanford chemist Fang Liu unveiled a gold‑tape technique that produces ultraclean twisted 2D moiré superlattices with near‑100% yield and centimeter‑scale dimensions. The method replaces the low‑yield Scotch‑tape approach, enabling uniform samples of graphene, MoS₂ and other semiconductors. Using SSRL’s X‑ray...
Engineers at the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Arizona and Sandia National Laboratories have demonstrated a surface‑acoustic‑wave (SAW) phonon laser that generates coherent vibrations on a single chip. The device combines silicon, lithium niobate and indium‑gallium‑arsenide layers to...
Researchers have demonstrated that voltage pulses can write, erase, and invert magnetic bimerons in a two‑dimensional ferroelectric by flipping the material's polarization. The flip reverses the Dzyaloshinskii‑Moriya interaction (DMI) chirality, changing the bimeron's topological charge from +1 to ‑1, while an antiferroelectric...
Researchers at the Institute of Physics Zagreb deposited a thin layer of organic H₂Pc molecules onto MoS₂ and WS₂ monolayers, demonstrating that the molecules can both heal surface defects and modulate optical emission. In MoS₂, electron transfer from the semiconductor...
Researchers investigated the link between crystallographic orientation and thermal stability in narrow‑bandgap Sn‑Pb mixed perovskite solar cells. Using an additive‑free two‑step deposition, they produced highly oriented films that, when aged at 120 °C, retained only 73 % of their initial power conversion...
Researchers have introduced a dual‑functional interfacial design that embeds calcium fluoride (CaF2) nanoparticles into a polyetherimide (PEI) matrix, addressing the degradation of polymer dielectrics at high temperatures. The fluoride anions neutralize mobile ions while the Ca2+ cations form deep energy...
Researchers have unveiled a universal‑temperature nonvolatile MRAM (UTF‑NVMRAM) that operates reliably from 4 K to 400 K by inserting molybdenum into a CoFeB composite free layer and optimizing a MgO/MgOx capping stack. The design dramatically reduces temperature‑dependent switching‑voltage drift to 0.68 mV/K and...
Researchers have introduced a vapor‑phase condensation technique to grow potassium‑doped polymeric carbon nitride (CN) panels directly on KCl‑coated substrates. The process creates cyano‑group defects that shift the band edge, enhancing light absorption and charge separation. As a result, the doped...
Researchers have introduced a microfluidic technique that injects microbubbles into a PNIPAm pre‑gel and uses pulsatile flow to form spindle‑knotted microfibers. The resulting fibers feature textured hydrophilic surfaces that extend the three‑phase contact line, delivering a 1.65‑fold increase in fog‑water...
Researchers applied constant‑pH molecular dynamics to the Comirnaty lipid nanoparticle formulation, uncovering a dramatic pKa shift for the ionizable aminolipid ALC‑0315. The intrinsic pKa of 9.3 in water drops to an apparent 4.9 within the LNP, with surface regions remaining...
Researchers have functionalized graphene with silver oxide (Ag₂O) nanoparticles, creating a flexible sensor that detects hydrogen chloride (HCl) at room temperature. The device achieves an ultra‑low detection limit of 5.61 parts per trillion and operates on just 6.47 mW of power. Real‑time...
Researchers have introduced a supramolecular self‑assembly route to produce a nanoporous carbon with uniform ~10 Å pores and reinforced nitrogen doping. The “twin template” method uses heavy bio‑oil precursors to create a carbon fiber mesh that serves as an efficient cathode...
Researchers used natural attapulgite as a template to create oxygen vacancies in MnO2 nanozymes, dramatically boosting oxidase-like activity. Surface hydroxyl groups on ATP weaken Mn‑O bonds, lowering the energy barrier for vacancy formation. The engineered nanozyme achieves a Michaelis constant...
Researchers have introduced a new class of bent‑core amphiphiles that self‑assemble into fibrillar, tubular and helical organogels. These organogels can be emulsified in water, producing nanostructured microgels that preserve the internal liquid‑crystalline architecture. By incorporating fluorocarbon oils, the droplets form...
Researchers introduced imidazole into copper‑oxide nanozyme systems, creating reversible Cu‑N active sites that mimic the Cu‑His pocket of natural phenolic oxidases. This dynamic coordination replaced static Cu‑O centers and boosted the oxidation rate of 2,4‑chlorophenol by 110‑fold. Electrochemical data revealed...
Researchers doped sub‑percent platinum atoms into the lattice of nickel‑iron layered double hydroxide, creating the PtNiFe‑D15 catalyst. In alkaline seawater the catalyst achieves 1000 mA cm⁻² at only 217 mV overpotential, far outperforming commercial 20 wt% Pt/C. The electron‑rich Pt sites and oxygen‑vacancy‑induced Ni...
Researchers have developed a superhydrophobic coating by spray‑depositing fluorinated UIO‑66 metal‑organic framework (MOF) nanoparticles onto an epoxy resin matrix. The hierarchical coating delivers exceptional corrosion resistance, maintaining impedance values roughly seven orders of magnitude higher than bare Q235 steel after...
Researchers have demonstrated that amorphous red phosphorus (ARP) can form host‑guest complexes with α‑ and β‑cyclodextrins in aqueous solution, creating water‑soluble pseudo‑polyrotaxanes. β‑CD, whose 0.60 nm cavity matches ARP’s 0.582 nm width, threads rapidly, while α‑CD requires conformational distortion and achieves only...
The researchers present a ZnO@CoMoO4 core‑shell electrocatalyst where ZnO nanorods dissolve during operation, dynamically doping the reconstructed Co(OH)2 with zinc. This Zn‑doped Co(OH)2 achieves a hydrogen evolution reaction overpotential of 40 mV at 10 mA cm⁻² and maintains 65 mV in simulated seawater. The...
