Corn Cob Biochar Filters Pull Ammonia and Micro and Nanoplastics From Water
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Jan 08, 2026 Researchers at the University of Delaware have transformed discarded corn cobs and other agricultural byproducts into high performance biochar filters that capture both ammonia and tiny plastic particles from water. In laboratory tests, optimized biochar removed up to 64 percent of dissolved ammonia and more than 97 percent of polystyrene micro and nanoplastics without leaching harmful chemicals
Carbon Nanotube Films Boost Flexible Perovskite Solar Module Performance
Berlin, Germany (SPX) Dec 11, 2025 Perovskite solar cells can be made more robust, efficient, scalable and cheaper to manufacture by replacing indium tin oxide with single-walled carbon nanotubes in the device architecture, according to research led by the University of...
Germanium Oxide Interface Boosts Tin Monosulfide Thin Film Solar Cell Efficiency and Stability
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Dec 17, 2025 Researchers at Chonnam National University in the Republic of Korea report that a nanometer scale germanium oxide layer can address a longstanding bottleneck in tin monosulfide thin film solar cells by improving the rear contact...
Hebrew University Team Develops Flexible Color Tunable Solar Window Technology
Paris, France (SPX) Jan 14, 2026 A new solar cell that is designed to work in locations like windows and flexible surfaces where traditional panels cannot has been developed by nanotechnology researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The device targets...
Light Driven Charging Turns Gold Nanorods Into Nanocapacitors
Berlin, Germany (SPX) Jan 19, 2026 Gold nanorods can act as tiny light powered devices that accumulate electrical charge and drive chemical reactions, according to new work by researchers at the University of Potsdam. The study shows in real time how...
Polymer Nanoparticles Drive Platinum Free Solar Hydrogen
Gothenburg, Sweden (SPX) Jan 08, 2026 Hydrogen is seen as a central energy carrier in future low carbon systems because its use produces only water, but large scale deployment still depends on cleaner and more abundant production methods. A team led...
Nanoscience Breakthrough Puts Low-Cost, Printable Electronics on the Horizon
London, UK (SPX) Dec 08, 2025 Imagine wearable health sensors, smart packaging, flexible displays, or disposable IoT controllers all manufactured like printed newspapers. The same technology could underpin communication circuits, sensors, and signal-processing components made entirely from solution-processed 2D materials. But...
Carbon Monoxide Enables Rapid Atomic Scale Control for Fuel Cell Catalysts
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Dec 04, 2025 Researchers at the Korea Institute of Energy Research report a carbon monoxide driven process that forms metal thin films about 0.3 nanometers thick, enabling faster fabrication of core-shell fuel cell catalysts that reduce platinum usage...
Acid Treated Carbon Nanotubes Raise Efficiency and Durability of Flexible Perovskite Solar Modules
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Dec 16, 2025 Flexible perovskite solar modules are emerging as a candidate for lightweight, bendable photovoltaics, but maintaining high efficiency while preserving long term stability and low cost remains difficult. A research team from the Institute of Metal...
Micro Nano Robots Aim to Cut Carbon Buildup in Closed Life Support Systems
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Dec 05, 2025 Researchers have developed micro and nanoscale reconfigurable robots that capture and release carbon dioxide in confined life support systems such as crewed spacecraft, submarines, and sealed shelters. The team led by Prof. Hui He at...
This Tiny Power Module Could Change How the World Uses Energy
As global energy demand surges—driven by AI-hungry data centers, advanced manufacturing, and electrified transportation—researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory have unveiled a breakthrough that could help squeeze far more power from existing electricity supplies. Their new silicon-carbide-based power module,...
Silver Just Solved a Major Solid-State Battery Problem
Solid-state batteries could store more energy and charge faster than today’s batteries, but they tend to crack and fail over time. Stanford researchers found that a nanoscale silver treatment can greatly strengthen the battery’s ceramic core. The silver helps seal...
Engineers Just Created a “Phonon Laser” That Could Shrink Your Next Smartphone
Engineers have created a device that generates incredibly tiny, earthquake-like vibrations on a microchip—and it could transform future electronics. Using a new kind of “phonon laser,” the team can produce ultra-fast surface waves that already play a hidden role in...
New SLAC Method Guides Better Cell Slice Preparation for Cryo-ET Imaging
SLAC researchers develop an approach to better guide the preparation of cell slices for cryogenic electron tomography imaging.
Vertical Translation Stages with Magnetic Counterbalance Combine Dynamics with Nanometer Precision
PI (Physik Instrumente), a global leader in precision motion control and nanopositioning systems, is expanding its portfolio of direct-drive vertical translation stages with the V-571.Z family.
Electrons Stop Acting Like Particles—And Physics Still Works
Physicists have long relied on the idea that electrons behave like tiny particles zipping through materials, even though quantum physics says their exact position is fundamentally uncertain. Now, researchers at TU Wien have discovered something surprising: a material where this...
Establishing a Global Benchmark for Graphene Quality Control
This study establishes a reliable methodology for verifying graphene's single-atom thickness, paving the way for its integration into various industries.
Antimicrobial Polymer Nanocomposites Made with Beetroot
Copper nanoparticles from beetroot extract enhance antimicrobial properties in polymer composites, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional methods.
A New Crystal Makes Magnetism Twist in Surprising Ways
Florida State University scientists have engineered a new crystal that forces atomic magnets to swirl into complex, repeating patterns. The effect comes from mixing two nearly identical compounds whose mismatched structures create magnetic tension at the atomic level. These swirling...
See the Latest Advancements in Precision Motion Control and Nanopositioning Automation
Ready to scale high-tech manufacturing in 2026? Check out PI’s latest advancements in high-precision motion control, automation and nanopositioning technologies.
Physicists Built a Perfect Conductor From Ultracold Atoms
Researchers at TU Wien have discovered a quantum system where energy and mass move with perfect efficiency. In an ultracold gas of atoms confined to a single line, countless collisions occur—but nothing slows down. Instead of diffusing like heat in...
Review: Nanofibers Still Struggle to Reach Industry, Despite Decades of Research
Nanofibers show promise in various applications, but face industrial challenges. A new review examines production methods and barriers to commercial adoption.
DNA Templates for 3D Nanomaterial Design
For scientists to access and control inorganic materials' unique properties, they need to be able to control these materials' three-dimensional (3D) nanoarchitectures. Scientists can use DNA to guide nanoparticles to assemble into larger structures.
Nanoparticles Show Unexpected Ability to Activate Immune System Against Melanoma
Recent findings reveal Cornell prime dots can activate the immune system against melanoma, improving cancer immunotherapy efficacy via TME reprogramming.
Beyond Silicon: These Shape-Shifting Molecules Could Be the Future of AI Hardware
Scientists have developed molecular devices that can switch roles, behaving as memory, logic, or learning elements within the same structure. The breakthrough comes from precise chemical design that lets electrons and ions reorganize dynamically. Unlike conventional electronics, these devices do...
High-Purity Palladium Recovery Using Nanosheet Technology
A research team at KIST has developed an environmentally friendly palladium recovery technology using titanium-based maxene nanosheets, as reported in Advanced Functional Materials.
A Gold Catalyst Just Broke a Decade Old Green Chemistry Record
A new catalyst design could transform how acetaldehyde is made from renewable bioethanol. Researchers found that a carefully balanced mix of gold, manganese, and copper creates a powerful synergy that boosts efficiency while lowering operating temperatures. Their best catalyst achieved...
This Hidden Flaw Has Been Breaking EV Batteries
A major breakthrough in battery science reveals why promising single-crystal lithium-ion batteries haven’t lived up to expectations. Researchers found that these batteries crack due to uneven internal reactions, not the grain-boundary damage seen in older designs. Even more surprising, materials...
A New Superconductor Breaks Rules Physicists Thought Were Fixed
A shiny gray crystal called platinum-bismuth-two hides an electronic world unlike anything scientists have seen before. Researchers discovered that only the crystal’s outer surfaces become superconducting—allowing electrons to flow with zero resistance—while the interior remains ordinary metal. Even stranger, the...
This Crystal Doesn’t Melt Like Ice: Physicists Capture a Strange New Phase
New research offers clearer insight into how phase transitions unfold at the atomic scale in real materials. When ice turns into water, the change happens almost instantly. Once the melting temperature is reached, the rigid structure of the solid collapses...