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. Electrical interconnects may very well be the unsung heroes of modern microchips. These tiny wires—typically made of copper due to its high conductivity—string together the billions of transistors that drive our computers and electronic devices. But as the technology advances and additional transistors are piled on, the components must shrink to the nanoscale. And that's when copper begins to fail. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-thinner-wires-faster-electrons-quantum.html Nanomaterials Fri, 17 Jul 2026 11:40:01 EDT news703497286 Oil refining is necessary for transforming raw, unusable crude oil into valuable goods like gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and petrochemical feedstocks. However, the usual distillation process is energy-intensive, spurring researchers to find better, more efficient ways of refining oil. A new study published in Science describes a potential solution to this problem in the form of a specialized membrane. So far, these membranes are proving to be a scalable and highly plausible industrial technology, and testing has shown promising results for significantly reducing the energy needs of oil processing. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-nextgeneration-membranes-refine-crude-oil.html Materials Science Thu, 09 Jul 2026 11:20:02 EDT news702814462 Natural gas still plays an important role in many industrial sectors, but it is a climate-damaging fossil fuel. TU Wien and the University of Innsbruck have now discovered an unexpected reaction pathway that makes it possible to synthesize natural gas, or methane (CH4), using CO2 that was previously captured from exhaust gas streams or directly from the air. In this way, methane can become climate-neutral overall. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-unexpected-pathway-climateneutral-methane-nickelzirconia.html Materials Science Mon, 29 Jun 2026 19:40:03 EDT news701964661 How could we noninvasively distinguish between healthy and cancerous tissue? And how could we increase the speed of wireless communications? These two seemingly unrelated questions may share the same answer: terahertz (THz) light. Spanning frequencies between 0.3 and 20 THz, THz light interacts with matter without causing damage and allows for faster data transfer than radio waves. It is thus ideal for advancing many applications in biomedicine and telecommunications, for which simple yet sensitive and fast detectors are needed. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-graphene-plasmon-cavities-enable-advanced.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 23 Jun 2026 18:20:03 EDT news701446621 Materials engineers have developed the ability to manipulate structure and matter at the nanoscale for solid-state alloys called intermetallics, making it possible to alter their properties for improved performance. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-nanoscale-coal-gpa-strength-plastic.html Nanomaterials Sun, 21 Jun 2026 15:00:02 EDT news700932224 Applying an external magnetic field during the synthesis of CoFe2O4 electrocatalysts triples the ammonia yield during electrocatalytic conversion. The magnetic field alters the surface states of the spinel oxide thin films, making catalytically active sites more accessible. In the journal Advanced Functional Materials, a team led by Marcel Risch at HZB and Sanjay Mathur at University of Cologne demonstrates a scalable strategy for developing next-generation electrocatalysts for efficient and sustainable chemical production. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-magnetic-field-catalyst-synthesis-triples.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 01 Jun 2026 15:40:02 EDT news699544081 Perovskites are a class of materials with a unique crystal structure that suits applications such as fabricating solar cells, light-emitting diodes and transistors. However, molecules in thin layers often cannot arrange themselves properly because the process proceeds too quickly. Now, an international research team led by Tomasz Marszalek from the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research has developed a new approach to controlling low-cost solution processing, thereby improving the formation of well-ordered perovskite layers and enabling their broader application in optoelectronic devices. Their paper is published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-crystallization-perovskite-layers-transistors.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 18 May 2026 19:20:01 EDT news698340781 In a major advance, researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have devised a method to grow high-quality 2D magnetic materials (2D-MMs) over centimeter-scale wafers. Earlier approaches in the field were limited to growing micrometer-sized flakes. This advance paves the way for their integration into next-generation electronics and spintronics materials used in hard drives and sensors. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-wafer-scale-2d-magnetic-emerge.html Nanomaterials Sun, 19 Apr 2026 16:00:09 EDT news695573455 The conversion of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into carbon monoxide (CO), an industrial feedstock, has attracted significant attention as a key step for producing synthetic fuels and chemical products. However, because CO₂ is a chemically stable molecule, the reaction typically requires high temperatures of 500–600 °C or higher, and catalyst performance often degrades during operation. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-durable-dual-atom-catalyst-enables.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 18 Mar 2026 17:20:09 EDT news693064261 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 Scientists at the University of Manchester have discovered that placing magnetic films on atomically thin molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) fundamentally changes how they lose energy, a finding that could bring 2D‑material spintronics a step closer to real devices. The team found that growing a widely used magnetic alloy, permalloy, on ultra‑thin MoS₂ alters the film's internal crystal structure, changing how and where energy is lost as magnetic spins move. By separating energy losses that occur at the surface of the film from those arising within its internal structure, the researchers provide new design insights for devices that use two‑dimensional (2D) materials to control magnetism more efficiently. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-large-area-mos-energy-loss.html Condensed Matter Fri, 06 Mar 2026 13:20:06 EST news692024250 At Rice University, a research lab's signature keepsake has helped perfect a method for growing patterned diamond surfaces that could help decrease operating temperatures in electronics by 23 degrees Celsius. The paper is published in the journal Applied Physics Letters. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-diamond-owl-swoops-method-electronics.html Condensed Matter Mon, 23 Feb 2026 17:10:01 EST news691084502 As the miniaturization of silicon-based semiconductor devices approaches fundamental physical limits, the electronics industry faces an urgent need for alternative materials that can deliver higher integration and lower power consumption. Two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors, which are only a single atom thick, have emerged as promising candidates due to their unique electronic and optical properties. However, despite intense research interest, controlling the growth of high-quality 2D semiconductor crystals has remained a major scientific and technological challenge. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-real-view-microreactor-reveals-2d.html Nanophysics Mon, 02 Feb 2026 16:40:25 EST news689272801 Scientists from the University of Cambridge have developed a new reactor that converts natural gas (a common energy source primarily composed of methane) into two highly valuable resources: clean hydrogen fuel and carbon nanotubes, which are ultralight and much stronger than steel. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-reactor-energy-carbon-nanotubes-natural.html General Physics Tue, 23 Dec 2025 13:03:15 EST news685717366 MXenes (pronounced like the name "Maxine") are a class of two-dimensional materials, first identified just 14 years ago, with remarkable potential for energy storage, catalysts, ultrastrong lightweight composites, and a variety of other purposes ranging from electromagnetic shielding to ink that can carry a current. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-reinvents-mxene-synthesis-fraction.html Nanomaterials Thu, 18 Dec 2025 16:25:43 EST news685297498 Miniaturization ranks as the driving force behind the semiconductor industry. The tremendous gains in computer performance since the 1950s are largely due to the fact that ever smaller structures can be manufactured on silicon chips. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-world-tiniest-emitting-diodes.html Nanophysics Mon, 24 Nov 2025 11:01:05 EST news683204462 In industrial pipes, mineral deposits build up the way limescale collects inside a kettle ⎯ only on a far larger and more expensive scale. Mineral scaling is a major issue in water and energy systems, where it slows flow, strains equipment and drives up costs. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-lab-grown-diamond-coatings-shown.html Nanomaterials Sat, 22 Nov 2025 05:42:25 EST news683012538 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 Graphene's enduring appeal lies in its remarkable combination of lightness, flexibility, and strength. Now, researchers have shown that under pressure, it can briefly take on the traits of one of its more glamorous carbon cousins. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-coaxing-bilayer-graphene-diamond-layer.html Nanomaterials Wed, 19 Nov 2025 15:24:04 EST news682788241 A research team has successfully developed the technology to fabricate high-sensitive biosensors by simply spraying, like an inkjet printer. The technology enables the fabrication of sensitive and precise sensors without expensive and complex equipment, and is expected to contribute to improving the fabrication scale and speed of biosensors in the future. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-inkjet-style-technique-high-sensitivity.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 08 Sep 2025 15:15:04 EDT news676563302 There are various ways to create artificial diamonds, but a new method developed by researchers, including those at the University of Tokyo, yields some extra benefits. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-diamonds-electron.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 04 Sep 2025 14:00:12 EDT news676031342 Two-dimensional (2D) materials, thin crystalline substances only a few atoms thick, have numerous advantageous properties compared to their three-dimensional (3D) bulk counterparts. Most notably, many of these materials allow electricity to flow through them more easily than bulk materials, have tunable bandgaps, are often also more flexible and better suited for fabricating small, compact devices. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-approach-chip-synthesis-boron-nitride.html Nanomaterials Tue, 26 Aug 2025 07:00:07 EDT news675345365 Establishing robust isolated spins on solid surfaces is crucial for fabricating quantum bits or qubits, sensors, and single-atom catalysts. An isolated spin is a single spin that is shielded from external interactions. Because isolated spins can maintain their state for long periods, they are ideal for use as qubits, the basic units of quantum computation, and for ultrafast spintronic memory. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-robust-isolated-quantum-magnetic-substrate.html Nanophysics Wed, 20 Aug 2025 15:29:52 EDT news674922588 Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a new carbon membrane that could revolutionize proton therapy for cancer patients and advance technologies in medicine and other areas such as energy devices and flexible electronics. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-ultra-thin-carbon-membrane-sharpens.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 05 Aug 2025 10:36:04 EDT news673608961 Caltech scientists have developed a method to create metallic objects of a precisely specified shape and composition, giving them unprecedented control of the metallic mixtures, or alloys, they create and the enhanced properties those creations will display. Want a stent that is biocompatible and mechanically robust? How about strong but lightweight satellite components that can operate in space for decades? https://phys.org/news/2025-08-metallurgy-21st-century-precisely-metal.html Nanomaterials Fri, 01 Aug 2025 11:39:04 EDT news673267142 Lasers that are fabricated directly onto silicon photonic chips offer several advantages over external laser sources, such as greater scalability. Furthermore, photonic chips with these "monolithically" integrated lasers can be commercially viable if they can be manufactured in standard semiconductor foundries. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-efficient-quantum-dot-lasers-silicon.html Optics & Photonics Fri, 18 Jul 2025 10:20:04 EDT news672050613 An evaporating colloidal particle–laden droplet leaves behind a ring-like residue after drying. We routinely observe this ubiquitous phenomenon for dried coffee drops; thus, it is known as the "coffee-ring effect." As a droplet evaporates, the edges dry faster than the center, pulling fluid—and suspended particles—outward. This creates a dense ring of material at the periphery of the droplet. It's a familiar sight to anyone who's spilled tea or coffee, but for scientists working on coatings and inks, this effect can be frustrating. In many applications, a uniform deposit is far more useful than a ring. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-coffee-saucer-patterns-graphene-oxide.html Nanophysics Thu, 17 Jul 2025 08:25:04 EDT news671959492 Cleaning products, candles, cribs, and cosmetics are just a few of the common household items that emit formaldehyde, a colorless, odorless chemical that, when present in the air at levels higher than 0.1 parts per million, has been found to be a risk to human health. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-polymer-coating-life-mxene-based.html Nanomaterials Fri, 11 Jul 2025 14:00:01 EDT news671278376 A new coating for glass developed by Rice University researchers and collaborators could help reduce energy bills, especially during the cold season, by preventing heat-loss from leaky windows. The material—a transparent film made by weaving carbon into the atomic lattice of boron nitride—forms a thin, tough layer that reflects heat, resists scratches and shrugs off moisture, UV light and temperature swings. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-boron-nitride-coating-glass-loss.html Materials Science Thu, 10 Jul 2025 16:37:19 EDT news671384233 Adatoms are single atoms that get adsorbed onto the surface of a solid material and are known to hop randomly from one spot to another. In a recent study published in Nature Communications, a group of scientists from Germany demonstrated that single atoms can be steered in a chosen direction at near absolute zero temperatures (4 Kelvin), provided the surface being used is magnetic in nature—a discovery that can open up new possibilities for precise control of atomic motion, a sought-after ability in the field of nanotechnology, data storage and functional materials. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-magnetic-surface-enables-precise-atomic.html Nanophysics Thu, 05 Jun 2025 09:40:03 EDT news668334908