Twist-Angle Engineering Boosts Perovskite Optoelectronic Performance
Researchers demonstrated that twisting atomically thin hybrid perovskite (PEA)₂PbBr₄ with monolayer WSe₂ at controlled angles dramatically enhances interlayer coupling and photodetector performance. Six heterojunctions ranging from 0° to 15° were fabricated; the 15° device achieved 2.8 A W⁻¹ responsivity at 405 nm, an on/off ratio of 2.33 × 10⁵, and hole mobility of 117 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹. Spectroscopic shifts and density‑functional theory calculations confirmed bandgap narrowing and stronger orbital hybridization as the twist increased. The work extends twistronics to soft organic‑inorganic perovskite systems, offering a composition‑agnostic design knob for ultrathin optoelectronics.
Ultra-Thin Thermal Memory Switches Heat Flow on and Off with Voltage
Researchers at CiQUS, the University of Barcelona and Zaragoza have demonstrated a thermal‑memory prototype that uses a few‑nanometer‑thick hafnium‑zirconium oxide ferroelectric film to toggle thermal conductivity on and off with modest electric voltages. The device exploits the coupling of ferroelectric...
Self-Assembling Luminophores Form Nanotubes with Multidirectional Exciton Transport Transport
Researchers at Chiba University have demonstrated that sterically demanding diphenylanthracene‑based π‑luminophore dyads can fold and self‑assemble into well‑defined supramolecular nanotubes. The folding‑mediated process directs directional π–π stacking and hydrogen bonding, producing hollow cylindrical tubes that support multidirectional exciton transport—55 nm along...
Nanoengineered Wrist Sensor Detects Driver Fatigue Through Pulse Wave Analysis
Researchers at Xi’an Jiaotong‑Liverpool, Soochow and Liverpool universities unveiled a nanoengineered wrist‑worn triboelectric sensor that captures arterial pulse waves with high fidelity even under imperfect skin contact. Coupled with a one‑dimensional convolutional neural network, the device classifies driver fatigue with...
Diamonds Are an MRO’s Best Friend
Massachusetts‑based DUST Identity has unveiled a new platform that embeds its Diamond Unclonable Security Tag (DUST) technology into Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) workflows. The solution uses microscopic diamond particles to create tamper‑evident, cryptographically secure identifiers for aircraft components, enabling...
Humid Air Makes This 3D-Printed Nanogenerator Work Better, Not Worse
Researchers have created a 3D‑printable hygroscopic polymer that captures water molecules, turning high humidity into a performance boost for triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs). The amide‑based resin, enhanced with 5 wt % sulfobetaine methacrylate, delivers 45.6 µA, 802 V and a peak power density of 48.4 W m⁻²...
Turning Plant Waste Into Nanocellulose and Biocomposites for Sustainable Space Missions
The European Space Agency‑funded BioSTEP project demonstrated that plant biomass and discarded packaging can be transformed into nanocellulose and high‑performance biocomposites suitable for Moon and Mars missions. Conducted by NTNU’s CIRiS and RISE PFI during 2024‑25, the study identified crops with...
Flexible Capacitive Pressure Sensor Gains Sensitivity Under Increasing Load
Researchers at Zhejiang University unveiled a flexible capacitive pressure sensor whose sensitivity increases with pressure, a reversal of the typical decline seen in conventional designs. The 3‑D cage‑like architecture, created via buckling‑guided assembly and laser cutting, delivers a peak sensitivity...
An Ultrathin Solid Electrolyte Keeps Lithium Metal Batteries From Catching Fire
Researchers have created a 20‑µm composite solid electrolyte that embeds trimethyl phosphate inside a copper‑based MOF cage, releasing the flame‑retardant only above 120 °C. The ultrathin electrolyte delivers ionic conductance 880‑times higher than conventional PEO membranes while raising the lithium‑ion transference...
A Single Measurement Sorts Chiral Molecules by Type, Handedness, and Ratio
Researchers have unveiled a terahertz circular dichroism platform that uses an achiral gradient metasurface to identify chiral biomolecules, their handedness, and mixing ratios in a single broadband scan. The metasurface reflects terahertz light from 0.5 to 1.8 THz without adding background...
Wavy Membrane Triples Output of Ultrasound-Powered Implant Nanogenerators
Researchers have engineered a wavy polymer membrane that triples the power output of ultrasound‑driven triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) compared with conventional flat films. By creating alternating concave and convex regions that deliberately mismatch acoustic impedance, the design amplifies vibration where it...
Sonodynamic Therapy with Ferrocene-Modified Frameworks Targets Breast Cancer Metastasis
Researchers at Beijing Institute of Technology have engineered ferrocene‑modified covalent organic frameworks (mCOFs) that act as ultrasound‑activated sonosensitizers. When combined with sonodynamic therapy, the nanoplatform reduces breast cancer cell viability to 24.3% and drives apoptosis above 84%, while simultaneously generating...
Tuning 2D Materials Growth for Quantum Photonics
Researchers at INL have introduced a new atmospheric‑pressure chemical vapor deposition technique that tunes argon flow during ammonia‑borane decomposition to grow large‑area hexagonal boron nitride (h‑BN) films. The optimized process yields high‑quality h‑BN layers that host single‑photon emitters operating at...
Graphene Mirrors Hidden Charges Shaping Water without Changing Wetting
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute have shown that a graphene monolayer, while appearing wetting‑transparent on the macroscopic scale, acts as a nanoscale mirror for substrate charges, reshaping the structure of adjacent water molecules. Using surface‑specific vibrational spectroscopy and molecular dynamics...
Nanozyme Boosts Stem Cell Mitochondria to Accelerate Bone Regeneration
Researchers have engineered a single‑atom nanozyme that mimics cytochrome c oxidase, restoring mitochondrial energy production in stem cells. The nanozyme, anchored with iron and copper on a mesoporous silica scaffold and coated with triphenylphosphonium, targets mitochondria and shifts cell metabolism toward...