Today's Nanotech Pulse
Updated 2h agoPhotonic‑crystal light sail demonstrates 90% reflectivity for laser propulsion
Researchers have built a photonic‑crystal light sail (PCLS) using a three‑dielectric nanostructure of germanium pillars, air holes, and a polymer matrix. Simulations and electron‑beam fabricated prototypes show about 90 % reflectivity at a 1.2 µm wavelength and the ability to generate continuous thrust when illuminated by a 100‑kW laser.
News•Feb 8, 2026
Dutch Tech Giant ASML Posts Bumper Profits, Eyes Bright AI Future
ASML reported a 2025 after‑tax profit of €9.6 billion, up €2 billion from the prior year, and record net sales of €32.7 billion. CEO Christophe Fouquet highlighted robust AI‑related demand as the primary growth driver and forecast 2026 sales between €34 billion and €39 billion. The company announced a restructuring that will cut roughly 1,700 jobs to improve agility. Meanwhile, sales to China fell to 33 percent of total revenue, reflecting mounting export restrictions.
By NanoDaily (Nano Technology News)
News•Feb 8, 2026
US Contract Vehicle to Speed US Made Defense Semiconductors Into Military Systems
Northrop Grumman has secured a $25 billion, ten‑year award under the Defense Microelectronics Activity’s Advanced Technology Support Program V (ATSP‑5). The indefinite‑delivery, indefinite‑quantity contract lets the company respond to proposals within 30 days and move from award to delivery in roughly 80‑90 days, dramatically shortening...
By NanoDaily (Nano Technology News)
News•Feb 7, 2026
Encapsulated PbS Quantum Dots Boost Solar Water Splitting without Sacrificial Agents
UNIST researchers have engineered a metal‑encapsulated PbS quantum‑dot photoelectrode that resists corrosion during photoelectrochemical water splitting. The device delivers a record photocurrent density of 18.6 mA cm⁻² in 1 M NaOH and retains roughly 90 % of its initial output after 24 hours of continuous...
By Phys.org – Nanotechnology
News•Feb 7, 2026
Exposure to Grilled Lamb‐Borne Carbon Quantum Dots Induces Intrahepatic Cholestasis by Activating the Intestinal Microbial‐Derived Lipopolysaccharide‐TLR4 Pathway
Researchers discovered that carbon quantum dots (CQDs) released from grilled lamb accumulate in mice after nine weeks of oral exposure at 25 mg kg⁻¹, damaging liver and intestinal barriers. The CQDs elevate gut‑derived lipopolysaccharide, triggering the intestinal LPS‑TLR4‑MyD88 signaling cascade and hepatic...
By Small (Wiley)
News•Feb 7, 2026
Advanced Photoporation: Micro‐Nanostructures for Size‐Specific Highly Efficient Biomolecular Delivery
Photoporation is emerging as a versatile, non‑viral platform for intracellular delivery, and a new review proposes a size‑centric framework that categorises strategies by cargo dimensions rather than by laser or material type. The authors analyse how micro‑ and nanostructured substrates...
By Small (Wiley)
News•Feb 7, 2026
Biocompatible Glue‐Enabled Drug Localization and Mechanical Reinforcement of Lyophilized Microneedle Systems
The Lyophilized Microneedle System with Biocompatible Glue (LMS‑BG) integrates a porous, drug‑loaded microneedle tip with a biodegradable ethanol‑based glue to create a mechanically robust, ultra‑fast dissolving transdermal platform. In tests using lidocaine, the system dissolved 11‑times faster than conventional dissolving...
By Small (Wiley)
News•Feb 7, 2026
Cu–O–In Bridge Engineering in Cu2O/In2O3 Nanowires for Efficient CO2‐to‐CO Electroreduction
Researchers have engineered a Cu2O/In2O3 heterointerface within three‑dimensional copper foam nanowires, creating Cu–O–In bridges that precisely tune the d‑band centers of Cu and In sites. This electronic modulation boosts CO2‑to‑CO electroreduction, achieving over 90% Faradaic efficiency across a wide potential...
By Small (Wiley)
News•Feb 7, 2026
Microstructure‐Interface Modulation Boosts Sodium Storage Capacity and Stability of Hard Carbon
The researchers applied a synergistic microstructure‑interface modulation to resin‑derived hard carbon, introducing carbonyl groups for reversible Na⁺ adsorption and using carboxyl/phenolic hydroxyl groups to anchor Zn²⁺ ions that template a hierarchical pore network. Expanded interlayer spacing further speeds Na⁺ intercalation,...
By Small (Wiley)
News•Feb 7, 2026
Bioinspired and Engineered Ion‐Selective Membranes Toward High‐Flux and High‐Selectivity Energy Devices
The review examines recent advances in ion‑selective membranes that aim to break the longstanding permeability‑selectivity trade‑off. By drawing inspiration from biological ion channels, researchers are engineering nanofluidic architectures, hybrid polymer‑nanomaterial composites, and AI‑assisted design tools to boost both ion flux...
By Small (Wiley)
News•Feb 7, 2026
Optimizing HostGuest Interaction Sites in Metal‐Organic Frameworks for Benchmark One‐Step Ethylene Purification
Researchers introduced three conformational isomeric Fe3‑based metal‑organic frameworks (SNNU‑705‑α/β/γ) that strategically combine open metal sites, aromatic rings, and amino Lewis basic sites to preferentially adsorb acetylene and ethane while weakly binding ethylene. This host‑guest interaction design enables a benchmark one‑step...
By Small (Wiley)
News•Feb 7, 2026
Synthesis of Zirconium Boron‐Oxo Clusters With Tunable Third‐Order Nonlinear Optical Response
Researchers have developed a modular synthesis route for zirconium boron‑oxo clusters (Zr‑BOCs) using in‑situ condensation of boron sources with dioxime ligands under pyrazole‑thermal conditions. The resulting planar Zr₂B₈O₁₀ cores feature d‑p‑π delocalization, and systematic ligand exchange with aromatic acids tunes...
By Small (Wiley)
News•Feb 7, 2026
Self‐Lubricating Nanofiber/Hollow Microsphere All‐Ceramic Architecture for Robust Flexible Thermal Insulation
Researchers have created an all‑inorganic SiO2 composite membrane by electrospinning nanofibers embedded with hollow silica microspheres. The resulting self‑lubricating 3D architecture delivers an ultralow thermal conductivity of 31.39 mW m⁻¹ K⁻¹ while maintaining exceptional flexibility, surviving over 100 000 bending cycles at 99 % strain....
By Small (Wiley)
News•Feb 7, 2026
Dynamically Reprograms Mitochondrial Respiration to Augment Cuproptosis in Cancer Therapy
Researchers engineered a copper‑coordinated polymer that transports lactate oxidase into cancer cells, converting intracellular lactate to pyruvate. This metabolic shift elevates mitochondrial respiration, sensitizing tumors to copper‑driven cuproptosis. Simultaneously, copper triggers DLAT oligomerization and a Fenton‑like reaction, inducing ferroptosis. In...
By Small (Wiley)
News•Feb 7, 2026
Biomimetic, Hierarchical‐Porous Composite Aerogel Fiber with Spectral Selectivity and Water Microchannels for Synergistic Radiative‐Evaporative Passive Cooling Textile
Researchers have created structure‑engineered aerogel fibers (SAFs) that replicate desert animal hair, using a double‑diffusion wet‑spinning process and hollow glass microspheres. The fibers exhibit 96.1% emissivity in the atmospheric window and 92.3% solar reflectivity, while their 93.9% internal porosity enables...
By Small (Wiley)
News•Feb 7, 2026
A Metal‐Free Phthalocyanine Additive for Defect Passivation and Processing Tolerance in High‐Efficiency Perovskite Solar Cells
Researchers have introduced CG-0, a fully substituted, metal‑free phthalocyanine, as a highly soluble additive for wide‑bandgap perovskite solar cells. The additive simultaneously promotes defect passivation, controlled crystallization, and remarkable processing tolerance, allowing ultra‑high doping levels up to 1.75 mM. Devices incorporating...
By Small (Wiley)
News•Feb 7, 2026
Asymmetric Metal Oxide Electrodes for High‐Efficiency Evaporation‐Induced Energy Harvesting
Researchers have built an evaporation‑driven energy generator using a montmorillonite clay membrane and surface‑modified graphitic carbon electrodes coated with TiO₂ and Co₃O₄ nanowires. Replacing traditional copper contacts with these metal‑oxide electrodes boosted power output by roughly 8,000 times. The device...
By Small (Wiley)
News•Feb 7, 2026
NBD Integrated and Vitamin B6‐Driven Charge‐Reversible Peptide‐Based Nanocarriers for Targeted Therapeutic Delivery
Researchers have engineered a phenylalanine‑tryptophan dipeptide nanocarrier functionalized with the fluorescent probe NBD and a vitamin B6‑derived pH‑responsive unit. The self‑assembled nanospheres load doxorubicin with high efficiency and undergo charge reversal at mildly acidic pH, triggering rapid drug release and nuclear...
By Small (Wiley)
News•Feb 7, 2026
Dual Therapeutic Effects of Ultra‐Small Platinum‐Selenium Nanoparticles on Oxalate‐Induced Acute Kidney Injury
Researchers synthesized ultra‑small platinum‑selenium (Pt‑Se) nanoparticles that effectively halt calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystal nucleation and growth, reducing crystal‑cell interactions and oxidative damage. In vitro assays demonstrated strong inhibition of CaOx crystallization, while a hyperoxaluria mouse model showed markedly lower renal...
By Small (Wiley)
News•Feb 7, 2026
Fluorescently Labeled Gradient Hydrogels Reveal Matrix‐Dependent Cell Responses to Substrate Stiffness
Researchers introduced a thermophoresis-based method to fabricate fluorescently labeled stiffness gradient hydrogels, enabling contactless stiffness mapping via standard microscopy. The technique leverages fluorescein isothiocyanate labeling, where fluorescence intensity reflects polymer concentration and thus stiffness. Experiments with gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) and...
By Small (Wiley)
News•Feb 7, 2026
Synthesis of Atomically Dispersed Nickel Confined in Hierarchical MFI Zeolite
Researchers have developed a ligand‑protected in situ synthesis that embeds atomically dispersed nickel within hierarchical MFI zeolite. The tri‑functional template, combining quaternary ammonium heads and metal‑coordinated porphyrins, directs mesoporous architecture while suppressing nickel aggregation. The resulting catalyst displays uniformly distributed...
By Small (Wiley)
Blog•Feb 7, 2026
Making Hydrogen Fuel Cells 'Less Precious'
Engineers at Washington University in St. Louis have stabilized inexpensive iron catalysts to replace platinum in hydrogen fuel cells, potentially cutting vehicle costs from $70,000 to $30,000. Platinum currently accounts for about 45 % of fuel‑cell stack expenses, limiting market adoption...
By Nanowerk
News•Feb 7, 2026
Grapherry Expands Battery-Related Partnerships to Evaluate Its Graphene in Anode Materials
Grapherry, a Chicago‑based clean‑tech materials firm, is widening collaborations with battery manufacturers to test its waste‑derived graphene in anode applications. The partnerships will evaluate the material’s electrical conductivity, rate capability, cycling stability and manufacturability at scale. Grapherry’s patented continuous process...
By Graphene-Info
News•Feb 7, 2026
A Review On Morphology-Selective Biofabrication Of Zinc Oxide Nanostructures
The review outlines a green, cost‑effective route to synthesize zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) using plant extracts or biomass as both reductants and stabilizers. By fine‑tuning pH, temperature and reaction time, researchers can direct the morphology of ZnONPs, producing nanorods, nanospheres,...
By International Journal of Nanoscience
Blog•Feb 6, 2026
A Color-Changing Microneedle Sensor Made From Food Ingredients Can Detect Spoilage Through Sealed Packaging
Researchers have created a food‑safe gelatin microneedle sensor that pierces sealed packaging and changes color as protein‑rich foods spoil. The device embeds red‑cabbage anthocyanin, shifting from purple to blue when pH rises, providing a visual spoilage cue. Mechanical tests show...
By Nanowerk
News•Feb 6, 2026
Magnetoconductivity and Quantum Interaction Mechanisms in 2D SiGe Heterostructures
Researchers investigated magnetoconductivity in two‑dimensional p‑Si/SiGe heterostructures at temperatures between 0.3 K and 1.8 K. By applying weak‑localization and electron‑electron interaction frameworks in the diffusive regime, they confirmed theoretical predictions across the measured range. The study also revealed that magnetic‑field‑induced carrier interactions,...
By International Journal of Nanoscience
Blog•Feb 6, 2026
New 2D Material Links Strain and Magnetism in a Novel Way
Researchers have identified a novel topological orbital piezomagnetic effect in two‑dimensional Dirac quadrupole altermagnets. Applying mechanical strain distorts the Dirac points, forming a “Dirac dipole” that generates magnetization without spin contributions. The phenomenon is captured by two minimal theoretical frameworks—a...
By Quantum Zeitgeist
Blog•Feb 6, 2026
Researchers Find a Way to 3D Print One of Industry's Hardest Engineering Materials
Researchers at Hiroshima University have demonstrated a novel additive‑manufacturing route that uses hot‑wire laser irradiation to 3D print tungsten‑carbide‑cobalt (WC‑Co) cemented carbides. The process softens, rather than fully melts, the material and achieves industrial‑grade hardness above 1400 HV without defects. By...
By Nanowerk
News•Feb 6, 2026
The Chemistry From Tin Iodide Molecular Inks to FASnI3 Nanocrystals
Researchers mapped how tin iodide (SnI2) complexes with two common Lewis bases—oleylamine and trioctylphosphine—affect the formation of tin halide perovskite nanostructures. In situ 119Sn NMR, UV‑Vis spectroscopy, and DFT calculations show that amine ligands bind more strongly than phosphines, and...
By Small (Wiley)
News•Feb 6, 2026
Structural Superlubricity and Triboelectric Nanogenerators in MEMS: Opportunities, Challenges, and Future Directions
The review spotlights structural superlubricity (SSL) and triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) as dual solutions to the chronic friction, wear, and power constraints of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). It details the underlying mechanisms, material choices, and fabrication routes that enable near‑zero friction interfaces...
By Small (Wiley)
News•Feb 6, 2026
Sp‐Hybridized Carbon Modulates the Spin States of Ir Nanozyme for Efficient Oxygen Activation
Researchers engineered an Ir/GDY/CNT nanozyme where sp‑hybridized carbon (sp‑C) modulates iridium’s spin state from low‑spin to high‑spin. This creates a unique sp‑C‑O‑O‑Ir dual active site that accelerates oxygen activation, delivering a 6.2‑fold boost in oxidase‑like activity versus pristine Ir nanoparticles...
By Small (Wiley)
News•Feb 6, 2026
Bioinspired Multifunctional Carbon Platforms Decorated with MoS2/Au Nanohybrids for Integrated Antibacterial and Electromagnetic Shielding Performance
The study introduces a biomimetic carbon cloth platform patterned after Oxalis leaves and functionalized with MoS2 nanosheets and gold nanoparticles. This hierarchical structure delivers three synergistic effects: mechano‑bactericidal surface killing, photocatalytic sterilization under light, and reflection‑dominant electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding...
By Small (Wiley)
News•Feb 6, 2026
Nanoplastics Impair GnRH Neuron Migration and Neuroendocrine Function: Emerging Players in the Pathogenesis of Reproductive Disorders
Researchers demonstrated that polystyrene nanoplastics (PS‑NPs) are internalized by gonadotropin‑releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons and disrupt their function. In hormone‑secreting GT1‑7 cells, PS‑NP exposure lowered GnRH release, while in migrating GN11 progenitors it impaired cell movement. Transcriptomic profiling identified altered expression...
By Small (Wiley)
News•Feb 6, 2026
Graphene Oxide Nanosheets as Direct Photosensitizers for Photodynamic Therapy in a Size‐Dependent Manner
Researchers discovered that graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets act as direct photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy (PDT) when their lateral size exceeds ~3.5 µm. Under near‑infrared (NIR) irradiation, large GO generates abundant reactive oxygen species (ROS), driving oral squamous cell carcinoma viability down...
By Small (Wiley)
News•Feb 6, 2026
Short‐Range‐Engineered Nd‐Doped IrOx Enables Oxide Path Mechanism for High‐Performance PEM Water Electrolysis
Researchers have developed a neodymium‑doped amorphous IrOx catalyst that restructures the short‑range lattice to enable the oxide‑path mechanism for oxygen evolution. This design lowers the OER overpotential to 254 mV at 10 mA cm⁻² and sustains activity for 520 hours. In PEM water electrolyzers,...
By Small (Wiley)
News•Feb 6, 2026
Unveiling a Tetrahedrally Coordinated Cobalt‐Nucleotide Hydrogel as an Efficient Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for Alkaline Water Electrolysis
Researchers have created a cobalt‑adenosine monophosphate (CAH) hydrogel that functions as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for alkaline water electrolysis. The hydrogel delivers a cell voltage of 1.56 V at 10 mA cm⁻², outperforming the conventional IrO₂||Pt/C benchmark. Its performance stems from phosphate coordination, a...
By Small (Wiley)
News•Feb 6, 2026
Electronic Structure Modulation via Composition‐Preserving Phase Transformations in Metal–Organic Assemblies on the Surface
The researchers observed a room‑temperature, composition‑preserving phase transformation in Ag‑carboxylate metal‑organic assemblies on Ag(111). Using scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy and density functional theory, they identified three distinct hexagonal lattices that emerge stepwise. Geometric relaxation during the transformation strengthens metal‑molecule interactions, leading...
By Small (Wiley)
News•Feb 6, 2026
Interfacial and Kinetic Origins of Voltage Loss in Neutral Zinc‐Air Batteries
The study investigates neutral‑electrolyte zinc‑air batteries using ZnCl₂‑based gel polymer electrolytes and an OER‑biased Ni/Fe layered double hydroxide catalyst. While the cells demonstrate stable cycling for hundreds of hours, they operate at significantly reduced charge and discharge voltages compared with...
By Small (Wiley)
News•Feb 6, 2026
High Thermoelectric Performance Achieved in Nb0.8Ti0.2FeSb via PbI2‐Driven Multiscale Defect Engineering
Researchers introduced PbI2 into Nb0.8Ti0.2FeSb half‑Heusler alloys, forming a multiscale hierarchical microstructure during sintering. The engineered defects create a full‑spectrum phonon‑scattering network that cuts lattice thermal conductivity by 32% to 3.34 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ at 973 K. Simultaneously, grain‑boundary barriers are lowered, boosting carrier...
By Small (Wiley)
News•Feb 6, 2026
Genetically Encoded Sterol‐Modification of a Synthetic Intrinsically Disordered Protein Drives Its Self‐Assembly Into Diverse Morphologies
Researchers engineered a mutant Hedgehog C‑terminal domain to covalently attach five distinct sterols to elastin‑like polypeptides, creating Sterol‑Modified Polypeptides (STaMPs). The sterol’s hydrophobicity (logD) dictates whether the resulting polymer remains monomeric or self‑assembles into spherical micelles. Sterol conjugation also shifts...
By Small (Wiley)
Blog•Feb 6, 2026
Stacked Carbon Nanotube Films Turn a Touch Sensor Into a Self-Computing Skin
Researchers at Xiamen University have created a flexible electronic skin that uses vertically stacked carbon‑nanotube films to sense both touch location and pressure simultaneously. The multilayer design produces a single analog signal for position and uses the number of activated...
By Nanowerk
News•Feb 6, 2026
Zwitterionic Self‐Constraining Lubricant Coating for Prevention of Dust‐Induced Icing
Researchers have introduced a zwitterionic self-constraining lubricant (SCL) coating that merges the ionic liquid EMIES with a zwitterionic copolymer to combat dust‑induced icing. The embedded EMIES raises surface conductivity to about 2.04 S/m, dissipating static charge that would otherwise attract dust...
By Small (Wiley)
News•Feb 6, 2026
Solvent‐Regulated CPL Enhancement via Chiral Transfer in Efficient Luminescent Ionic Hydrogen‐Bonded Frameworks for Information Encryption
Researchers introduced a multistage chiral‑transfer strategy that leverages hydrogen‑bond bridges to build ionic hydrogen‑bonded organic frameworks (R/S‑iHOF‑40). The new material exhibits a record‑high circularly polarized luminescence quantum yield of 67.8%, far surpassing the 5.41% of the parent HOF. Structural analysis...
By Small (Wiley)
News•Feb 6, 2026
Nanomedicine Strategies for Autoimmune Diseases: Targeting and Reprogramming Macrophages
A recent review highlights nanomedicine approaches that target and reprogram macrophages to treat autoimmune diseases. By exploiting nanodrug platforms, researchers can deliver agents directly to pathogenic macrophages, minimizing systemic exposure. The strategy has shown efficacy across rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel...
By Small (Wiley)
News•Feb 6, 2026
Bipolar Switching and Synaptic Behaviors Observed in Titanium‐Constrained Phase‐Change Heterostructures
Researchers introduced titanium interlayers into antimony‑telluride phase‑change memory, creating a bipolar PCRAM device that operates at roughly ±0.6 V. The titanium barrier curtails long‑range atomic migration, boosting endurance beyond 8 × 10⁴ cycles. The device reproduces key synaptic functions—potentiation, depression, and spike‑timing‑dependent plasticity....
By Small (Wiley)
News•Feb 6, 2026
Chiral Raises $12M in Seed Funding
Chiral, a Zurich‑based nanotechnology spin‑off from ETH Zurich and Empa, announced a $12 million seed round led by Crane Venture Partners, with participation from Quantonation, HCVC, Founderful and public funding from Innosuisse. The financing follows a 2024 pre‑seed round and will...
By FinSMEs
News•Feb 6, 2026
Nanotoxicology Moves Beyond Short Term to Integrated Safety Frameworks
Recent editorial in *Nanomaterials* highlights a paradigm shift in nanotoxicology toward predictive, mechanism‑based safety frameworks. Researchers are moving beyond short‑term cytotoxicity to assess chronic, low‑dose, system‑level effects of engineered nanoparticles across diverse biological models. Integration of computational tools such as...
By AZoNano
News•Feb 6, 2026
Carbon Nanotube Artificial Muscles Multistimuli Actuation Mechanisms and Emerging Applications
The review surveys carbon‑nanotube (CNT) artificial muscles, detailing their structural designs—from flat sheets to coiled yarns and core‑sheath hybrids—and the range of multistimuli actuation mechanisms they support. It contrasts voltage‑driven electrochemical actuation with thermal, photothermal, and solvent‑induced pathways, highlighting performance...
By Small (Wiley)
News•Feb 6, 2026
Synergistic Integration of Quantum Materials with Smart Electrolytes for Next‐Generation Multifunctional Supercapacitors: Advances, Challenges, and Future Prospects
The integration of quantum materials with smart electrolytes is reshaping supercapacitor technology, delivering flexible, wearable devices with markedly higher energy density. Quantum dots, MXenes, MOFs, COFs, and TMDs provide quantum‑level charge storage, while stimulus‑responsive electrolytes add self‑healing and shape‑memory functions....
By Small (Wiley)
News•Feb 6, 2026
Programmable Photothermal Upcycling of Mixed Polyesters via Light‐Intensity Gating on a Bifunctional Zn/Co‐ZIF‐C Catalyst
Researchers have engineered a bifunctional Zn/Co‑ZIF‑C catalyst that uses light‑intensity gating to depolymerize mixed polyester waste in a single reactor. By adjusting irradiation power, polycarbonate, PLA, and PET are selectively glycolysed at 420, 520 and 650 mW cm⁻², respectively, yielding high‑purity monomers....
By Small (Wiley)
News•Feb 6, 2026
Delivery of Antisense Oligonucleotides Using the Nano‐Cell Vesicle Technology System (nCVTs) for Targeted Cancer Therapy
Researchers introduced Nano‑Cell Vesicle Technology (nCVTs), a hybrid system that merges cationic lipids with tumor‑derived cell membranes to ferry antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) into cancer cells. The platform achieved superior cytoplasmic and nuclear delivery compared with conventional liposomes and free ASOs,...
By Small (Wiley)