Phys.org Nanotechnology

• Earth's magnetic field impact on fluid flow revealed for the first time

  The Earth's magnetic field quietly supports life on the planet and now, for the first time, its invisible powers have been used to create new nanoparticles and materials.

• Microscopy method breaks barriers in nanoscale chemical imaging

  Today's super-resolution microscopes have made it possible to observe the nanoscale world with unprecedented detail. However, they require fluorescent tags, which reveal structural details but provide little chemical information about the samples being studied.

• Ultra-thin, flexible silicone nanosensor could have huge impact on brain injury treatment

  A car accident, football game, or even a bad fall can lead to a serious or fatal head injury. Annually, traumatic brain injuries (TBI) cause half a million permanent disabilities and 50,000 deaths. Monitoring pressure inside the skull is key to treating TBI and preventing long-lasting complications.

• Molecular nanocages can remove 80–90% of PFAS from water

  Researchers have created a molecular nanocage that captures the bulk of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, found in water—and it works better than traditional filtering techniques that use activated carbon. Made of organic nanoporous material designed to capture only PFAS, this tiny chemical-based filtration system removed 80 to 90% of PFAS from sewage and groundwater during the study, respectively, while showing very low adverse environmental effects.

• Detecting nanoplastics in body fluids: New method combines optofluidic force and Raman spectroscopy

  Microplastics and much smaller nanoplastics enter the human body in various ways, for example through food or the air we breathe. A large proportion is excreted, but a certain amount remains in organs, blood, and other body fluids.

• MXene production goes green: Electricity replaces toxic acid

  The nanomaterial MXene is used for battery technology or as a high-performance lubricant. Until now, its production was difficult and toxic. New methods for its creation have been developed at TU Wien.

• AI combined with nanotech can detect oral cancer earlier

  The powerful potential of nanotechnologies and AI to detect oral cancer earlier and more accurately has been revealed by a University of Otago—Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka study published in ACS Nano.

• Researchers develop full-color-emitting upconversion nanoparticle technology for ultra-high RGB display quality

  Dr. Ho Seong Jang and colleagues at the Extreme Materials Research Center at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) have developed an upconversion nanoparticle technology that introduces a core@multi-shell nanostructure, a multilayer structure in which multiple layers of shells surround a central core particle, and enables high color purity RGB light emission from a single nanoparticle by adjusting the infrared wavelength.

• Reshaping quantum dots production through continuous flow and sustainable technologies

  As the demand for innovative materials continues to grow—particularly in response to today's technological and environmental challenges—research into nanomaterials is emerging as a strategic field. Among these materials, quantum dots are attracting particular attention due to their unique properties and wide range of applications. A team of researchers from ULiège has recently made a significant contribution by proposing a more sustainable approach to the production of these nanostructures.

• Plasma-synthesized photothermal material could enable efficient solar-powered water purification

  Technology for converting solar energy into thermal energy is ever evolving and has numerous applications. A breakthrough in the laboratory of Professor My Ali El Khakani at Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) has made a significant contribution to the field.

• Pt nano-catalyst with graphene pockets enhances fuel cell durability and efficiency

  The manufacturing and deployment of hybrid and electric vehicles is on the rise, contributing to ongoing efforts to decarbonize the transport industry. While cars and smaller vehicles can be powered using lithium batteries, electrifying heavy-duty vehicles, such as trucks and large buses, has so far proved much more challenging.

• Scalable graphene membranes could supercharge carbon capture

  Capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) from industrial emissions is crucial in the fight against climate change. But current methods, like chemical absorption, are expensive and energy-intensive. Scientists have long eyed graphene—an atom-thin, ultra-strong material—as a promising alternative for gas separation, but making large-area, efficient graphene membranes has been a challenge.

• Illuminating the twist: Light-driven inversion of supramolecular chirality

  Self-assembly or self-organization in molecular science refers to the phenomena where molecules spontaneously gather and form ordered structures, a unique property of materials used to develop optical and electronic materials.

• Chiral plasmonic nanostructures push the limits of light manipulation on the nanoscale

  Researchers from ICMAB are revolutionizing how we manipulate light at the nanoscale using chiral plasmonic structures—nanomaterials designed to interact with polarized light in extraordinary ways.

• A new approach to cancer treatment: Tiny vesicles help the immune system fight tumors

  Scientists at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University and colleagues have developed a promising new approach to cancer treatment. By using tiny, naturally occurring particles called extracellular vesicles (EVs), they have created a way to boost the body's immune system to fight tumors more effectively. This breakthrough could lead to more targeted cancer therapies with fewer side effects.

• High-speed imaging uncovers nanoscopic world of intercellular communication

  Researchers at Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, demonstrate a novel approach for nanoscopic profiling of small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) using high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM) videography.

• 3D Raman imaging reveals CO₂ reduction inside living cells

  Researchers from National Taiwan University and collaborators have developed a novel way to observe and monitor carbon dioxide (CO2) conversion into carbon monoxide (CO) inside living cells, using an advanced optical method called surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS).

• Gold nanoclusters reveal magnetic spin's potential role in catalytic efficiency

  Recently, a team of researchers from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) consecutively removed the innermost atom and the outermost electron of a gold nanoparticle—without disturbing its overall structure. This precise manipulation allowed them to probe how the magnetic spin of the material influences its catalytic activity.

• Freeze-dried exosomes could transform drug delivery and storage

  The Gourdie laboratory had a problem of its own making. The lab at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC has spent years exploring how microscopic containers naturally found in raw cow's milk—called exosomes—can be used to carry medicine through the body.

• Dual-action nanoparticle therapy targets obesity by converting white fat and reducing inflammation

  Scientists at the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation, in collaboration with the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, have developed a new nanoparticle therapy that tackles obesity through two complementary mechanisms: converting energy-storing white fat into calorie-burning beige fat while simultaneously reducing obesity-related inflammation.

• Atomic-scale mechanism of water-induced perovskite degradation revealed

  A research team has successfully observed and identified the water-induced degradation mechanism of perovskite, which is a next-generation optoelectronic material, in real time at the atomic scale. Published in Matter, this study presents key strategies for enhancing the stability of perovskite materials and is expected to accelerate their commercialization. The team was led by Professor Jiwoong Yang of the Department of Energy Science & Engineering at DGIST.

• 'Patchy' thermogels show next-gen biomedical material potential, scientists say

  Special biomedical materials that can be injected as a liquid and turn into a solid inside our bodies—called thermogels—could provide a less-invasive way to deliver drugs or treat wounds. Scientists at Penn State have developed a new design for these materials that further improves their properties and may hold particular promise for use in tissue regeneration, the researchers said.

• Creating tiny biomedical factories: Engineered bacteria secrete powerful nanoparticles to aid in drug delivery

  Researchers led by the University of Waterloo have discovered how to turn common bacteria into high-efficiency factories capable of producing tiny, powerful particles for drug delivery, cancer therapy, vaccine development and other biomedical uses.

• Amorphization alters nanocatalyst properties: Research shows the impact of structural disorder

  A research team studied how iridium and palladium nanoparticles can change the properties of catalysts with minor degradation and transition to an amorphous state. The team includes Skoltech and Khakassian State University researchers led by Skoltech Professor Alexander Kvashnin, a Doctor of Sciences in Physics and Mathematics.

• Scientists modulate 2D material properties via bending-induced interlayer sliding

  A research group from the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has proposed a new strategy to precisely manipulate interlayer stacking orders and related properties in two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals layered materials via mechanical bending, enabling efficient electric polarization switching. The study is published in Physical Review Letters.