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. Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and their collaborators have demonstrated a promising new approach for converting methane—the primary component of natural gas—into liquid chemicals that are precursors for many industrial chemicals and fuels. The research, described in a paper just published in Advanced Functional Materials, shows how molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), an earth-abundant industrial catalyst, can be used with minimal tweaking to selectively convert methane into methyl peroxide and other liquid oxygenate compounds at temperatures below 100°C (212°F). Methyl peroxide is a precursor for making methanol, an energy-dense liquid fuel that can be transported easily. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-abundant-catalyst-methane-valuable-liquid.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 30 Jun 2026 19:20:03 EDT news702043741 A newly developed method allows researchers to dynamically switch chirality—a particular lack of mirror symmetry—to generate spin currents in semiconductors, researchers from Science Tokyo report. Their approach relies on the reversible insertion and removal of small chiral molecules from the interlayer gaps of a layered, nonchiral semiconductor material using electrochemistry. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-reversible-chirality-mos-generates-currents.html Condensed Matter Wed, 17 Jun 2026 12:40:05 EDT news700909861 As the global semiconductor industry enters the so-called 2-nanometer process era, the actual size of transistors—the core components of semiconductor chips—still remains above 10 nm. How much smaller, then, can transistors get? KAIST researchers have developed a technology to predict that limit through quantum mechanical, atom-level calculations. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-atomic-simulations-transistor-scaling-limits.html Nanophysics Mon, 15 Jun 2026 10:00:05 EDT news700734001 Researchers have demonstrated the ability to use van der Waals forces to tune the physical and electronic properties of ferroelectric thin films. The work opens the door to new techniques for engineering materials for use in smaller, more energy efficient electronic devices. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-van-der-waals-play-unexpected.html Nanophysics Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:20:04 EDT news700148551 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 University of Birmingham researchers have demonstrated a new method to break down toxic pollutants in wastewater, using sunlight and molecular-thin catalysts created using an innovative "mechanical" approach. Non-degradable dyes originating from industries such as textiles, cosmetics, food, pharmaceuticals, and printing, are among the most prominent sources of industrial pollution. Left untreated, they disperse in both land and water, leading to contamination that poses serious risks to human health and the environment. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-mechanical-method-sunlight-driven-wastewater.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 07 May 2026 18:30:02 EDT news697392421 The high-performance semiconductor devices powering smartphone displays, AI computing, EV batteries and more are increasingly incorporating 2D materials to overcome silicon's scaling limits. To optimize these technologies, a University of Michigan Engineering team developed a precise mathematical framework that accounts for anisotropic—or unevenly spreading—conductivity and device geometry. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-2d-electronics-anisotropic-contact-resistance.html Nanophysics Fri, 20 Mar 2026 18:40:01 EDT news693233901 Recent advances in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) have opened new exciting possibilities for the rapid analysis of data, the sourcing of information and the generation of use-specific content. To run AI models, current hardware needs to continuously move data from internal memory components to processors, which is energy-intensive and can increase the time required to tackle specific tasks. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-atom-thin-content-memory-enables.html Nanophysics Mon, 12 Jan 2026 09:50:01 EST news687433062 A way to electrically modify the chirality of organic–inorganic hybrid materials, in which chiral molecules adsorb onto inorganic surfaces, has been demonstrated by researchers at Science Tokyo. By using an electric double-layer transistor with a chiral electrolyte, specific chirality was imposed on an otherwise achiral molybdenum disulfide surface. This reversible method enables tunable chiral electronic states and opens new possibilities for advanced spintronic devices and the emerging field of "chiral iontronics." https://phys.org/news/2025-12-chirality-electricity-voltage-driven-method.html Nanophysics Sun, 21 Dec 2025 11:00:01 EST news685367966 Two-dimensional (2D) materials, sparked by the isolation of Nobel-prize-winning graphene in 2004, has revolutionized modern materials science by showing that electrical, optical, and mechanical behaviors can be tuned simply by adjusting the thickness, strain, or stacking order of such 2D materials. From transistors and flexible display to neuromorphic chips, the future of electronics is expected to be significantly empowered by 2D materials. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-pressure-ngstrm-thin-semiconducting-bismuth.html Nanophysics Fri, 24 Oct 2025 12:38:03 EDT news680528281 A research team led by the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA, or CNSI, demonstrated a new type of light-emitting material expected to be suitable for photonics—devices based on light in the same way that today's electronics are based on electrical signals. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-stretchable-emitting-material-photon-based.html Nanophysics Fri, 26 Sep 2025 10:03:04 EDT news678099781 UC Riverside researchers have unveiled a powerful new imaging technique that exposes how cutting-edge materials used in solar panels and light sensors convert light into electricity—offering a path to better, faster, and more efficient devices. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-imaging-method-reveals-generate-electricity.html General Physics Thu, 31 Jul 2025 06:24:48 EDT news673161883 Researchers at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, report in Small, on how short peptides self-assemble linearly on atomically-thick solid surfaces, such as graphite and MoS2. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-hydration-layers-nanoarchitectures-pivotal-role.html Nanomaterials Thu, 26 Jun 2025 11:04:47 EDT news670154683 A condition long considered to be unfavorable to electrical conduction in semiconductor materials may actually be beneficial in 2D semiconductors, according to new findings by UC Santa Barbara researchers published in the journal Physical Review Letters. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-coupled-electrons-phonons-2d-semiconductors.html Nanophysics Mon, 23 Jun 2025 13:00:16 EDT news669902402 Single-atom catalysts (SACs) are materials consisting of individual metal atoms dispersed on a substrate (i.e., supporting surface). Recent studies have highlighted the promise of these catalysts for the efficient conversion and storage of energy, particularly when deployed in fuel cells and water electrolyzers. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-approach-reversibly-configures-heteronuclear-dual.html Nanomaterials Fri, 13 Jun 2025 06:50:01 EDT news668947073 A popular 2D active material, molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), just got a platinum upgrade at an atomic level. A study led by researchers from the University of Vienna and Vienna University of Technology embedded individual platinum (Pt) atoms onto an ultrathin MoS2 monolayer and, for the first time, pinpointed their exact positions within the lattice with atomic precision. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-visualizes-platinum-doping-ultrathin-2d.html Nanomaterials Wed, 11 Jun 2025 10:53:04 EDT news668857968 Researchers at the Institute of Physics in Zagreb, Croatia, in collaboration with international partners, have showcased new methods for visualizing atomic-scale changes in advanced materials. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-revealing-hidden-2d-materials-atomic.html Nanomaterials Wed, 04 Jun 2025 10:58:03 EDT news668253481 Polarization, along with intensity, wavelength, and phase, is a fundamental property of light. It enhances contrast and resolution in imaging compared to traditional intensity-based methods. On-chip polarization devices rely on complex four-pixel arrays or external polarizers. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-torsion-unipolar-barrier-heterojunction-device.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 30 Apr 2025 16:30:03 EDT news665249402 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. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-scientists-modulate-2d-material-properties.html Nanophysics Wed, 09 Apr 2025 13:04:03 EDT news663422642 A research team, led by Professor Jimin Kwon from the Department of Electrical Engineering at UNIST, in collaboration with Professor Yong-Young Noh and his research team from the Department of Chemical Engineering at POSTECH, reports a new technology to eliminate defects in molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), a promising candidate for the next generation of semiconductor materials, at a temperature of 200°C. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-defect-technique-paves-faster-power.html Nanophysics Mon, 31 Mar 2025 13:20:16 EDT news662646014 A RIKEN study shows that squeezing the right amount of potassium ions between the atomic layers of molybdenum disulfide can turn it from a semiconductor into a metal, superconductor or insulator. The same layered material can be made to behave as a superconductor, metal, semiconductor or insulator by using a transistor device developed by RIKEN physicists to tweak its electronic properties. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-transistor-reshapes-electronic-properties-2d.html Nanophysics Thu, 27 Mar 2025 09:08:04 EDT news662285282 Since the groundbreaking discovery of graphene in 2004, the dizzying pace of progress in two-dimensional (2D) materials has ushered in a new era of fundamental research and technological innovation. Although nearly 2,000 2D materials have been theoretically predicted and hundreds have been created in laboratory settings, most of these 2D materials are limited to van der Waals (vdW) layered crystals. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-scientists-universal-technique-van-der.html Nanophysics Wed, 12 Mar 2025 12:00:03 EDT news660989068 Nanoelectronics deal with extremely small electronic components—transistors, sensors and circuits that can fit on the tip of a needle. This technology powers our everyday lives through devices such as computers, smartphones and medical tools. https://phys.org/news/2025-01-silicon-2d-materials-energy-efficient.html Nanophysics Thu, 23 Jan 2025 14:28:13 EST news656864886 Researchers successfully developed a multifunctional sensor based on semiconductor fibers that emulates the five human senses. The technology developed in the study is expected to be utilized in a variety of state-of-the-art technology fields, such as wearables, Internet of Things (IoT), electronic devices, and soft robotics. https://phys.org/news/2025-01-gen-fibers-smart-textile-pressure.html Nanomaterials Tue, 21 Jan 2025 12:56:02 EST news656686561 In a study published in Nature Communications, a research group led by Prof. Deng Dehui, Assoc. Prof. Cui Xiaoju, and Prof. Yu Liang from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has achieved highly efficient photo-driven carbonylation of methane (CH4) with carbonic oxide (CO) and oxygen (O2) to acetic acid (CH3COOH) using a nano-heterostructure catalyst. https://phys.org/news/2025-01-atomic-pair-catalyst-methane-acetic.html Nanomaterials Tue, 21 Jan 2025 11:14:35 EST news656680473 Researchers have chemically linked 2D materials using a molecular "velcro," resulting in a device with improved optoelectronic properties. The device, made of palladium nanosheets covalently bonded with MoS2, shows an enhanced optoelectronic response in the infrared thanks to the chemically bonded interface between the two materials, in comparison to its van der Waals counterpart. This next generation of 2D-2D heterostructures goes beyond van der Waals thanks to the strong covalent bonds between its 2D materials. https://phys.org/news/2025-01-molecular-velcro-covalent-bonds-2d.html Nanophysics Mon, 13 Jan 2025 14:20:04 EST news656000402 A team of scientists at UNSW Sydney have developed a highly sensitive miniature sensor that is able to detect low levels of the toxic gas nitrogen dioxide (NO2). The tiny, flexible sensor can detect the harmful gas in real-time without requiring an external energy source. https://phys.org/news/2024-12-miniature-sensor-toxic-gas-results.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 20 Dec 2024 08:52:05 EST news653907121 Semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are a class of layered materials exhibiting unique optoelectronic properties that could be leveraged to develop transistors, sensors and other nanoelectronics. Despite their advantages, creating robust ohmic contacts that connect a metal electrode in transistors to semiconducting TMDs at cryogenic temperatures has proved challenging. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-method-ohmic-contacts-mos-transistors.html Nanophysics Tue, 03 Dec 2024 08:30:01 EST news652100481 Surfaces play a key role in numerous chemical reactions, including catalysis and corrosion. Understanding the atomic structure of the surface of a functional material is essential for both engineers and chemists. Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan used atomic-resolution secondary electron (SE) imaging to capture the atomic structure of the very top layer of materials to better understand the differences from its lower layers. The researchers published their findings in the journal Microscopy. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-electron-imaging-reveals-vibrant-outermost.html Nanophysics Mon, 18 Nov 2024 12:27:03 EST news651155221 The efficiency and performance of photovoltaics (PVs) have improved significantly over the past decades, which has led to an increase in the adoption of solar technologies. To further enhance the performance of solar cells, energy researchers worldwide have been devising and testing alternative design strategies, leveraging different materials and cell structures. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-mesoporous-mos-strategy-boosts-efficiency.html Nanomaterials Thu, 31 Oct 2024 11:40:01 EDT news649514443