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. Bioprinting uses living cells and molecular signals to produce biological tissues and even whole organs, building them layer by layer in the lab. To keep the bioink, or blend of cells and materials that power this printing, correctly aligned to grow a target tissue, researchers use electricity. However, this typically requires bulky electronic interfaces and invasive wiring. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-microscopic-solar-panels-3d-biological.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 13 Nov 2026 09:20:04 EST news713782862 Just one atom thick, graphene is the thinnest and strongest material ever measured. It can also conduct electricity and heat extremely well. These remarkable properties have generated interest in using graphene in everything from solar cells and batteries to water filters and sensors. Turning those possibilities into practical technologies, however, requires scientists to understand how changes to graphene's structure affect the way it behaves. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-oxygen-graphene-oxide-materials.html Nanophysics Thu, 12 Nov 2026 17:30:01 EST news713721482 Fluorescent materials usually emit a single consistent color. They are typically made from dyes or metallic components. In contrast, researchers reporting in ACS Central Science have created carbon dots that can fluoresce in a range of colors under UV light, depending on the concentration and the liquid they're in. The team incorporated the new carbon dots into plastic decorations and used them to create a data encryption system. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-carbon-dots-fluoresce-rainbow-liquids.html Nanomaterials Wed, 04 Nov 2026 17:40:10 EST news713032742 A nanoscale particle with a unique structure, developed at MIT, holds potential as a customizable delivery vehicle for personalized cancer vaccines. The backbone of the vaccine is a modified, harmless bacteriophage called M13, which forms a nanofiber that can be coated with cancer antigens. By precisely controlling the density of those cancer proteins, the researchers found that they could create a vaccine that prevents the development of colon tumors in mice. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-customizable-nanoparticles-potential-personalized-cancer.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 30 Oct 2026 11:00:43 EDT news712571521 Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms in which electrons can move with high mobility, making it promising for high-speed electronic components. Yet it is not very efficient at converting light into electricity. While light absorbed by graphene does excite electrons, leaving behind positively charged carriers called 'holes,' the absorbed light energy cannot be harnessed effectively unless electrons and holes are separated and directed to different contacts. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-electrical-guardrails-carriers-approach-harness.html Condensed Matter Thu, 29 Oct 2026 19:20:01 EDT news712501981 All materials contain inherent defects. These are not always harmful, since they can be used to engineer and introduce certain properties into a material. However, it is crucial to understand how they function and how they affect the material's properties. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-machine-track-semiconductor-defects-realistic.html Condensed Matter Thu, 29 Oct 2026 16:50:05 EDT news712504081 In July 2026, the U.S. House passed legislation to make daylight saving time (DST) permanent. But a new analysis of the consequences of the Sunshine Protection Act, reported in the journal Current Biology on Oct. 29, finds that this legislation would have serious safety consequences for millions of schoolchildren across the U.S. They would have to leave for school before sunrise, when fatal crashes involving pedestrians are more likely, for much of the school year. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-brighter-evenings-darker-school-mornings.html Education Thu, 29 Oct 2026 11:00:02 EDT news712424120 A new University of Melbourne-led study has identified insights and evidence that could help mitigate the fast-rising climate impact of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). https://phys.org/news/2026-10-wider-approach-mitigate-rechargeable-battery.html Environment Fri, 16 Oct 2026 16:10:02 EDT news711378241 Flat is fine for a sheet of paper, but many of the most useful molecules need depth. Now, researchers from Japan have found a way to give them that depth using nothing more than a single carbon atom. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-carbon-atom-flat-molecules-3d.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 14 Oct 2026 18:00:01 EDT news711209881 A new technique developed at Imperial College London measures oxygen production in real time, revealing hidden losses in solar water splitting. The researchers found that electrical current did not always correspond to oxygen generation in hematite, one of the most widely studied materials in the field, revealing a previously unknown limitation in the reaction. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-real-oxygen-expose-hidden-losses.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 08 Oct 2026 17:30:01 EDT news710697721 The bulk photovoltaic effect (BPVE), a photoelectric effect that generates photocurrent without a p–n junction, can persist even when a material's average crystal structure remains centrosymmetric, a study from Institute of Science Tokyo has found. Researchers demonstrated this in CuCrP2S6, a van der Waals material that transitions from a noncentrosymmetric to a centrosymmetric average structure. The finding challenges the conventional view of BPVE and suggests a new strategy for enhancing photoelectric conversion. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-atomic-motion-solar-cells-conventional.html Condensed Matter Mon, 05 Oct 2026 16:20:16 EDT news710425741 Broccoli grown under magenta solar panels absorbed sunlight more efficiently than plants grown out in the open, according to a study to be published Oct. 2 in Cell Reports Physical Science. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-multitasking-magenta-solar-panels-farms.html Biotechnology Fri, 02 Oct 2026 11:00:05 EDT news710063403 Researchers at Oregon State University have developed a new family of materials that use light to produce hydrogen from water, opening the door to new ways of converting the sun's rays into clean energy. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-family-materials-efficiently-sunlight-energy.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 29 Sep 2026 15:40:01 EDT news709912773 Electrolysis can reduce CO2 to CO, a raw material for chemical products such as fuels. Within the GreenQUEST project, an international team led by HZB chemist Prashanth Menezes has systematically investigated catalyst layers made of silver nanoparticles, varying both particle size and density. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-sparse-layers-nanometer-silver-particles.html Nanomaterials Sat, 26 Sep 2026 13:00:01 EDT news709473348 Switching to modern silicon solar cells could cut the cost of powering satellites by as much as 90% based on beginning-of-life (BOL) performance, according to a review led by the University of Surrey. The switch to silicon cells could also halve the weight of the solar cells needed on a spacecraft, freeing mass for fuel or instruments or cutting launch costs. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-silicon-solar-cells-satellite-power.html Space Exploration Wed, 23 Sep 2026 10:00:01 EDT news709372404 An international research team has developed microscopic particles that can make blind retinas respond to light. The particles act as tiny light receptors. Researchers inject them into the eye, where they settle close to nerve cells in the retina. When light hits the particles, it triggers electrical and chemical processes that can activate the nerve cells and prompt them to send signals toward the brain. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-nanoparticles-retinas-preclinical.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 22 Sep 2026 18:40:02 EDT news709314961 Every new generation of phone display, television screen and solar panel is the result of precision optics experiments, which use lasers and other light sources to measure the optical properties of candidate materials. These experiments can take months to run, requiring scientists to meticulously angle and adjust delicate light sources, mirrors, cameras and other components in a process of careful, constant tuning that can be physically tedious and time-consuming. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-robotic-lab-optics-demand.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 17 Sep 2026 10:40:27 EDT news708854343 No, President Joe Biden did not engineer Hurricane Milton. No, the ice crystal contrails left behind by high-altitude aircraft are not "chemtrails" sprayed by governments to control the weather or manipulate populations. No, state-run cloud seeding did not cause the record floods in Dubai. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-artificially-dim-sun-scientists-theyre.html Environment Tue, 15 Sep 2026 17:40:01 EDT news708702685 Scientists have discovered that there is ice deep inside planets like Neptune and Uranus and want to find out what form it takes and how it behaves. They cannot dig for it and transport it all the way back to Earth, so they do the next best thing: recreate those extreme conditions in the lab. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-scientists-strange-ice-interiors-neptune.html Planetary Sciences Fri, 11 Sep 2026 14:40:08 EDT news708352479 Nanographenes can be considered molecular fragments of graphene, a 2D conductive material in which carbon atoms are connected in a honeycomb pattern. Because their electronic and photophysical properties vary depending on the size and shape of the molecule, nanographenes are expected to find applications in OLEDs, organic solar cells, organic field-effect transistors and more. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-nanographene-membered.html Nanomaterials Tue, 08 Sep 2026 16:20:10 EDT news708096121 Detecting radiation is key to technologies ranging from particle accelerators and scientific instruments to medical imaging and security screening. But current detectors must often make trade-offs, providing signals that are strong but slow or fast but weak. The trade-off between signal strength and speed can limit precision detection. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-ultrafast-electrons-lasers-reveal-unexpectedly.html Condensed Matter Fri, 04 Sep 2026 12:40:06 EDT news707738641 Physicists at the University of Graz (Austria), in collaboration with colleagues from Marburg University and Forschungszentrum Jülich (Germany), have achieved a scientific breakthrough. For the first time, the generation of electrical energy from light has been filmed and described theoretically. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-ultrafast-snapshots-reveal-moments-electricity.html Condensed Matter Tue, 01 Sep 2026 11:20:03 EDT news707473621 Some molecules come in two "handed" forms. This property, called chirality, can influence not only how molecules interact with light but also which electron spins they allow to pass. Researchers at the University of Osaka have developed novel chiral hole-transport materials that shed new light on this unusual effect while also improving the interfaces of perovskite solar cells. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-mirror-image-molecules-electron-perovskite.html Nanomaterials Thu, 27 Aug 2026 15:20:03 EDT news707054881 Physics is most readily applied to relatively simple systems: a pendulum, two electrons colliding or the structure of the solar system. But when systems become complicated—when many particles interact with one another, in condensed matter systems such as gases and fluids or in the cosmology of the early universe—simplifications can be made using a technique called classical or extended mean-field theory. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-simple-neural-networks-field-theory.html General Physics Thu, 27 Aug 2026 07:20:06 EDT news706956708 Quantum dots are semiconductor crystals only a few nanometers in size. Their ability to produce bright, precisely tunable colors has made them promising materials for light-emitting diodes, displays, solar cells and other optoelectronic technologies. Yet heat remains a major obstacle to their practical use. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-quantum-dots-dual-modification.html Nanophysics Fri, 21 Aug 2026 10:20:01 EDT news706524781 A paper published in the journal Science lays out a roadmap for broadening access to the process of discovering molecular tools that can benefit society, including medicines, materials and a wide range of everyday consumer products. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-blocc-chemistry-automate-molecular-discovery.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 20 Aug 2026 14:00:09 EDT news706368781 Although the efficiency of organic solar cells has now risen to more than 20%, there are physical limits that make it difficult to further increase their performance. A research team from Linköping University in Sweden, the University of Potsdam, the Paul-Drude-Institut in Berlin and other collaborators has now demonstrated which physical processes limit a key parameter in the performance of organic solar cells. This opens up the possibility of overcoming the long-standing efficiency limits of organic solar cells. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-longer-exciton-lifetimes-ease-efficiency.html Condensed Matter Wed, 24 Jun 2026 19:40:05 EDT news701535301 Solar panels have become more efficient over the years, but even the best designs still lose a large fraction of the energy they absorb. Scientists around the world have been searching for ways to capture more energy from every ray of sunlight and unlock the true potential of solar technology. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-supercharging-solar-cells-quantum-dot.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 25 May 2026 14:00:02 EDT news698932861 How do organic solar cells work on the inside? The answer lies in structures far too small to see—and difficult to access even with advanced techniques. So far, researchers have relied mainly on X-ray methods to understand how molecules are arranged within these materials and how this order can be optimized for high efficiency. While powerful, X-rays provide only a spatially averaged picture. Electrons, in contrast, offer a local view at the nanoscale, revealing both structure and chemical composition. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-electrons-solar-cells-exposing-hidden.html Nanophysics Wed, 15 Apr 2026 18:50:01 EDT news695490421 Research has revealed how minute structural modifications in advanced perovskite materials critically influence their light-emission properties. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-subtle-perovskites-solar-cells-quantum.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 19 Nov 2025 09:40:04 EST news682765519