Ultra-Thin MoS₂ Computer Packs 1,400 Transistors Onto One Chip
Researchers from Nanjing University, Suzhou Laboratory and Huawei have built a fully functional computer using the 2‑D semiconductor molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂). The chip integrates more than 1,400 transistors on a single die, achieving a density of 9,336 transistors per mm² and a 4‑bit parallel processor that can run eight instructions. The team employed a Multi‑Level Co‑Optimization (MLCO) methodology to address fabrication, logic synthesis and interconnect challenges, demonstrating that 2‑D materials can move beyond laboratory prototypes. The work positions MoS₂ as a viable path for ultra‑thin, low‑power edge‑computing devices in the post‑Moore era.
Heat Breaks the Rules at the Nanoscale and Scientists Used It to Their Advantage
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, together with Stanford and Purdue collaborators, demonstrated that gold‑patterned metamaterials can increase near‑field radiative heat transfer up to fourfold across nanometer‑scale gaps, as reported in Nature. By engineering microscopic structures that resonate with surface phonon...
Atomic‐Level Synergy of Dual Single‐Atom Catalysts for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Reaction
Researchers have engineered atomically dispersed silver‑copper dual single‑atom sites within a g‑C3N4 matrix (AgCu‑CN) that achieve a photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate of 2126 µmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ and a 20% apparent quantum yield at 400 nm. The synergistic interaction between the adjacent Ag and Cu...
2D Ultrathin Ion‐Selective Membranes With Negatively Charged Interlayer Spacing Enabled by Edge‐Sulfonated Graphene Oxide for Efficient Osmotic Power Generation
Researchers introduced a heterogeneous membrane that couples an edge‑sulfonated graphene oxide (SGO) selective layer with an oxidized micro‑fibrillated cellulose (OMFC) support. The SGO layer provides a negatively charged, expanded interlayer spacing that accelerates cation transport while the OMFC backbone adds...
Anode‐Free Lithium Metal Battery Enabled by Oxygen‐Functionalized MWCNT and TiN Interlayer for Uniform Lithium Deposition
Researchers have engineered a copper current collector coated with TiN nanoparticles and oxygen‑functionalized multi‑walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) to enable anode‑free lithium metal batteries. The TiN provides abundant lithiophilic sites that lower nucleation overpotential, while the COOH‑functionalized MWCNT network improves ion...
Well‐Designed ZnIn2S4@CeO2 Core‐Shell Photocatalysts With Photothermal Synergistic Enhancement for CO2 Reduction
Researchers have engineered a hollow ZnIn2S4@CeO2 core‑shell photocatalyst that leverages photothermal‑electronic coupling to boost solar‑driven CO2 reduction. The S‑scheme heterojunction promotes directional charge transfer while localized heating accelerates surface redox reactions. The material delivers a CO production rate of 96.21 µmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹...
Dynamic Terahertz Wavefront Control Using Stretchable Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube-Based Metasurfaces
Researchers led by Prof. Yan Zhang have created stretchable terahertz metasurfaces using single‑walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) films on silicone. The 21 mm × 21 mm devices—one a focal‑length‑tunable lens and the other a beam‑steering lens—shift focal distance and deflection angle simply by mechanical stretching....
Light-Driven Bismuth Nanomaterials Show Promise Against Tumors and Bacteria
A recent review in Reviews in Inorganic Chemistry highlights light‑activated bismuth nanomaterials as versatile theranostic agents. Their high atomic number and tunable optical properties enable strong X‑ray attenuation for CT, photoacoustic contrast, and efficient photothermal or photodynamic therapy. The authors...
Ultradense Aligned Nanowires Boost Flexible Electronics
Researchers have introduced deterministic roll‑contact printing, a technique that transfers nanowires onto flexible substrates with unprecedented precision and density. The method creates ultradense, uniformly aligned nanowire arrays that deliver higher charge‑carrier mobility, lower noise, and robust mechanical performance. By operating...
A Tiny Atomic Shift Gives Scientists Powerful Control over Metals
University of Minnesota researchers demonstrated that interfacial polarization can tune the surface work function of metallic ruthenium dioxide by more than 1 electron‑volt. By varying an ultra‑thin RuO₂ film’s thickness by just a few nanometers, they observed a dramatic electronic shift,...
Chitosan Nanoparticles Could Make Vaccines More Stable, Mucosal, and Needle-Free
A recent npj Vaccines review highlights chitosan‑based nanoparticles as a promising platform to stabilize fragile antigens, enable needle‑free administration, and boost mucosal immunity. By tweaking molecular weight, deacetylation and cross‑linking, researchers can tailor solubility, charge and degradation rates for optimal...
Nanoparticles Inspired by Lung Fluid Improve Therapies Targeting Respiratory System
Researchers at CIC biomaGUNE have created pulmonary surfactant nanoparticles that encapsulate antifibrotic drugs and can be delivered by inhalation. Using a microfluidic synthesis platform, the particles achieve uniform size, high drug loading and 90% retention in mouse lungs, dramatically lowering...
AI Paired with Tiny Optical Device Corrects Distorted Light for Sharper Imaging
University of California‑San Diego engineers have combined an AI‑designed metasurface with a deep‑learning analysis system to detect and correct optical distortions from a single image. The tiny device—about 1 cm by 0.5 mm—uses nanofabricated titanium‑dioxide pillars and can operate across multiple wavelengths...
Empa Uses Graphene to Test and Refine the SSbD Framework
Researchers at Switzerland's Empa have applied the European Commission’s Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework to graphene, using the well‑studied 2‑D material as a proving ground for nanomaterials. Leveraging a decade of data from the Graphene Flagship, they examined...
Plant‐Derived Thylakoids Potentiate Copper‐Mediated Multimodal Cell Death via Hypoxia Alleviation for Synergistic Antitumor Therapy
Researchers have unveiled TC@UN/G, a hybrid drug‑release platform that merges copper‑loaded metal‑organic frameworks, photosynthetic plant thylakoids, and a thermosensitive F127 hydrogel. Upon peritumoral injection and light exposure, thylakoids produce oxygen, mitigating tumor hypoxia and restoring mitochondrial activity. This oxygenation sensitizes...