https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. In their earliest years of development, computers used mechanical gears and levers to store information. Today, researchers are exploring whether a material itself can hold onto information, storing memory in how it bends and springs back to its original shape. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-carbon-nanotube-foams-reveal-kind.html Nanophysics Tue, 22 Sep 2026 09:10:01 EDT news709286482 Bubbles are round, and we know surface tension does that. But squeeze that gas-liquid boundary into a space only a few tens of nanometers wide—could other forces be at work? https://phys.org/news/2026-08-scientists-nanoscale-evidence-electric-fields.html Nanophysics Tue, 18 Aug 2026 16:00:10 EDT news706272301 Resolving a long-standing problem in semiconductor physics and optoelectronics, a team of researchers from Skoltech—a VEB.RF group institution—and their colleagues from ITMO University and HSE University have for the first time demonstrated direct electrical pumping of a polariton laser based on a solution-processed halide perovskite microcrystal. Published in Nature, this solution to a decades-long technological challenge ushers in inexpensive nonepitaxial laser diodes operating under continuous electric current. These could be used in optical sensing and spectroscopy, high-speed computing and energy-efficient neuromorphic computing. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-electrically-perovskite-polariton-laser-diode.html Condensed Matter Wed, 29 Jul 2026 15:20:06 EDT news704544242 QUT researchers have overcome a challenge that has limited next-generation energy-harvesting materials for more than two decades, opening the door to more powerful wearable electronics and new ways of turning wasted heat into electricity. The breakthrough centers on carbon nanotubes, which are flexible, conductive microscopic rods that have long shown promise for wearable technologies but have been difficult to control. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-molecules-carbon-nanotubes-clumping-electricity.html Nanomaterials Mon, 20 Jul 2026 17:40:06 EDT news703781761 A research team in Bochum, Germany has unexpectedly found that light can slow down movements in the nanoworld. This is due to quantum friction, a phenomenon that has been poorly understood until now. The findings are published in the journal Nature. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-quantum-friction-nanoworld-movements.html Nanophysics Thu, 11 Jun 2026 18:50:01 EDT news700419061 Researchers in Japan have created some of the world's smallest semiconducting nanotubes, structures 100,000 times thinner than a human hair. By growing molybdenum disulfide inside protective tubes of boron nitride, the researchers, including those from the University of Tokyo, produced highly uniform tubes just 1 nanometer wide, a scale at which it's difficult to make stable nanotube structures. The work confirms decades-old theoretical predictions about how these ultrafine materials behave and could also provide a new route toward miniaturized electronic devices. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ultrathin-nanotubes-nanometer-path-smaller.html Nanomaterials Thu, 04 Jun 2026 14:00:12 EDT news699784622 A sheet of twisted carbon nanotubes has revealed a hidden talent scientists suspected for decades but had never managed to measure. Researchers at Rice University have created large, highly ordered films of chiral carbon nanotubes (CNTs), hollow cylinders of carbon atoms with either a left- or a right-handed twist. Measurements showed the crystalline films can convert the color of light at a rate two to three orders of magnitude greater than conventional materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-chiral-carbon-nanotube-giant-conversion.html Nanophysics Wed, 20 May 2026 12:00:05 EDT news698494921 Carbon nanotubes are one technology that many observers believe hasn't quite lived up to the extreme hype that surrounded them when they first appeared on the scene in the late 1990s. At that time, much was made of their extraordinary electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties, with predictions that they would revolutionize materials science, electronics, and daily life. But could we be closer to realizing some of that promise? https://phys.org/news/2026-04-carbon-nanotubes-gap-copper.html Nanomaterials Fri, 24 Apr 2026 13:20:07 EDT news696252968 Skoltech scientists, in collaboration with colleagues from China and Iran, have taken a major step toward creating highly precise carbon nanotube fiber (CNTF)-based sensors. In a paper published in the iScience journal, the authors, for the first time, quantitatively assessed the accuracy of CNTF sensors for dual-stage, i.e., manufacturing and post-manufacturing monitoring of epoxy-based polymer nanocomposites with dispersed CNTs. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-carbon-nanotube-fiber-sensors-error.html Nanomaterials Thu, 09 Apr 2026 16:20:01 EDT news694967461 Nanofilm electrodes capable of detecting stress in plants through bioelectric potentials could pave the way for more resilient agriculture, report researchers from Institute of Science Tokyo. Thanks to the electrode's small thickness, leaf surface hairs can easily pierce through it, enabling stable and long-term electrical contact without compromising the leaf's natural processes. This work could help improve crop yields by enabling early detection of stress in plants. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-smarter-agriculture-durable-nanofilm-electrodes.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 31 Mar 2026 10:40:03 EDT news694167781 Skoltech researchers and their colleagues from KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden, have created an important building block for future 6G communication technology, which will make wireless data transfer at superior transmission rates possible. The newly developed piece of the 6G puzzle is not a device component, but a carbon nanotube-based black paint of sorts that thoroughly absorbs electromagnetic radiation wherever its transmission would be detrimental. The study was published in Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-carbon-nanotube-black-absorbs-terahertz.html Nanophysics Tue, 17 Mar 2026 17:20:02 EDT news692972101 Researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas have developed a new electrolyte system that significantly boosts the energy-harvesting performance of twistrons, which are carbon nanotube yarns that generate electricity when repeatedly stretched. The findings could aid in the manufacturing of intelligent textiles, such as fabrics used to make spacesuits, that would power wearable electronic devices or sensors by harvesting energy from human motion. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-heavy-energy-potential-carbon-nanotube.html Nanomaterials Wed, 11 Mar 2026 16:40:04 EDT news692449381 The performance and stability of smartphones and artificial intelligence (AI) services depend on how uniformly and precisely semiconductor surfaces are processed. KAIST researchers have expanded the concept of everyday "sandpaper" into the realm of nanotechnology, developing a new technique capable of processing semiconductor surfaces uniformly down to the atomic level. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-carbon-nanotube-sandpaper-semiconductor-surfaces.html Nanomaterials Wed, 11 Feb 2026 13:16:30 EST news690038161 Flexible perovskite solar modules (f-PSMs) are a key innovation in current renewable energy technology, offering a pathway toward sustainable and efficient energy solutions. However, ensuring long-term operational stability without compromising efficiency or increasing material costs remains a critical challenge. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-acid-carbon-nanotubes-boost-efficiency.html Nanomaterials Tue, 16 Dec 2025 22:20:01 EST news685114034 Can we use carbon to help decarbonize the world and transform the energy and chemical industries? Yes, it seems, but there are some key challenges to overcome first. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-solution-carbon-problem.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 20 Nov 2025 11:40:03 EST news682860990 Flexible pressure sensors can detect subtle mechanical stimuli, making them suitable for use in wearable sensors for human health monitoring and motion analysis. However, current sensors suffer from insufficient sensitivity, poor durability, and subpar stability. In a new study, taking inspiration from cat whiskers, researchers developed novel biomass fiber/sodium alginate aerogel (BFA)-based sensors that demonstrated excellent pressure sensitivity, durability, and rapid response, while being suitable for human physiological monitoring and motion analysis. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-cat-whiskers-highly-sensitive-generation.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 10 Sep 2025 13:20:13 EDT news676727295 Chinese researchers have developed a new carbon nanotube insulator that can withstand high temperatures up to 2,600°C, outperforming all other materials used for extreme-temperature applications. This breakthrough could be used for heat shields on hypersonic vehicles and spacecraft during re-entry into the atmosphere and in other high-temperature environments. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-breakthrough-carbon-nanotube-material-thermal.html Nanomaterials Sat, 06 Sep 2025 08:30:01 EDT news676297062 Brain–computer interfaces are technologies that enable direct communication between brain activity and external devices, enabling researchers to monitor and interpret brain signals in real time. These connections often involve arrays of tiny, hair-like electrodes called "microelectrodes" which are implanted within the brain to record or stimulate electrical activity. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-hybrid-nanotube-electrodes-safer-brain.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 03 Sep 2025 10:10:04 EDT news676112998 In an elegant fusion of art and science, researchers at Rice University have achieved a major milestone in nanomaterials engineering by uncovering how boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs)—touted for their strength, thermal stability and insulating properties—can be coaxed into forming ordered liquid crystalline phases in water. Their work, published in Langmuir, was so visually striking it graced the journal's cover. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-versatility-boron-nitride-nanotubes-displayed.html Nanophysics Tue, 24 Jun 2025 14:34:03 EDT news669994441 A research team has successfully visualized the ultrafast dynamics of quasi-particles known as excitons, which are generated in carbon nanotubes (CNTs) upon light excitation. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-excitons-motion-ultrafast-dynamics-carbon.html Nanophysics Wed, 18 Jun 2025 14:00:07 EDT news669461517 Whether it's electric vehicles, drones, or spacecraft, a common technical challenge for future transportation is lightweighting. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-carbon-nanotubes-metal-ultra-lightweight.html Nanomaterials Tue, 10 Jun 2025 10:42:03 EDT news668770921 Water is one of the most precious resources on the planet. Freshwater is vital for humans, animals, and plants—but it can become contaminated from overflowing stormwater and surface water. We are already starting to feel the squeeze on our tight water supply, so we can't afford to waste a single drop. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-fresh-freshwater-sonicated-carbon-nanotube.html Nanomaterials Thu, 05 Jun 2025 08:37:23 EDT news668331439 For the design of future materials, it is important to understand how the individual atoms inside a material interact with each other quantum mechanically. Previously inexplicable vibrational states between carbon chains (carbyne) and nanotubes have puzzled materials scientists. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-exotic-vibrations-materials-insights-universal.html Nanophysics Mon, 26 May 2025 11:50:01 EDT news667478718 Carbyne, a one-dimensional chain of carbon atoms, is incredibly strong for being so thin, making it an intriguing possibility for use in next-generation electronics, but its extreme instability causing it to bend and snap on itself made it nearly impossible to produce at all, let alone produce enough of it for advanced studies. Now, an international team of researchers, including from Penn State, may have a solution. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-stability-solution-unique-carbon-closer.html Nanophysics Fri, 09 May 2025 11:54:04 EDT news666010441 Researchers from the Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, have developed a smart gel that responds to multiple stimuli for precise drug release. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-nanocomposite-hydrogel-multiple-stimuli-drug.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 27 Mar 2025 10:55:19 EDT news662291716 Early diagnosis is crucial in disease prevention and treatment. Many diseases can be identified not just through physical signs and symptoms but also through changes at the cellular and molecular levels. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-carbon-nanotubes-machine-subtle-immune.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 10 Mar 2025 13:07:04 EDT news660830821 An international research project, led by The University of Warwick and the University of Lille, has used nanotube compression to transform the underlying chemistry and physics of a compound, creating a promising new one-dimensional material. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-power-confinement-tiny-nanotubes-materials.html Nanophysics Thu, 06 Mar 2025 11:04:05 EST news660481435 Methanol, important for the manufacture of many everyday goods and for its green energy potential, may soon be produced faster and more efficiently thanks to a collaboration that included two Oregon State University researchers. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-dual-site-catalyst-co8322-renewable.html Nanomaterials Tue, 18 Feb 2025 14:45:03 EST news659112301 In a significant step toward creating a sustainable and circular economy, Rice University researchers have published a study in the journal Carbon demonstrating that carbon nanotube (CNT) fibers can be fully recycled without any loss in their structure or properties. This discovery positions CNT fibers as a sustainable alternative to traditional materials like metals, polymers and the much larger carbon fibers, which are notoriously difficult to recycle. https://phys.org/news/2025-01-fully-recyclable-carbon-nanotube-fibers.html Nanomaterials Mon, 13 Jan 2025 16:08:04 EST news656006881 Skoltech researchers have created a digital twin of a polymer composite material with a 2D sensor and successfully used it for structural integrity testing. The new technology can be used to manufacture various large structures, such as aircraft wings, wind turbine blades, and bridge spans, which are currently made of polymer composites. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-digital-twin-nanotubes-aircraft-wing.html Nanomaterials Wed, 13 Nov 2024 10:33:03 EST news650716381