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. Researchers in the U.S. and China have created a biocompatible, metal-free magnet that can be safely implanted and generate signals from deep inside the body. Led by Wubin Bai at the University of North Carolina, the team revealed how magnetism can emerge from the rearrangement of atoms in heated carbon nitride, which strengthens the coupling between unpaired electrons. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-metal-free-magnetic-sensor-safely.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 27 Oct 2026 13:20:03 EDT news712314189 Scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed a new class of light-activated compounds that could lead to safer and more versatile applications in 3D printing, cosmetics and medicine. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-nontoxic-compound-safer-3d-advanced.html Biochemistry Thu, 22 Oct 2026 15:00:02 EDT news711899581 For scientists, breakthroughs often stem from unexpected turns. A research team led by Oscar Dahlsten, an associate professor in the Department of Physics at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), set out to prove a theoretical limitation, only to discover a quantum solution. The finding breaks traditional physical constraints and introduces a strategy for harvesting energy from fluctuating sources. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-quantum-pathway-entropy-free-energy.html General Physics Tue, 20 Oct 2026 11:00:01 EDT news711706981 It looks like a small, transparent patch with a rainbow on its surface—or for those old enough to remember, the back of a CD. The patch is the first of its kind in the world and, when combined with an ordinary smartphone camera, can measure two things: pulse and blood vessel stiffness. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-octopus-patch-skin-reveals-pulse.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 20 Oct 2026 10:00:16 EDT news711705901 A research team led by Professor Jiwoong Yang of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering at DGIST has developed the world's first foundational technology for an ultrahigh-resolution stretchable quantum dot display (QLED) that can stretch freely like skin while maintaining sharp image quality. The findings were published in Nature Nanotechnology. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-display-technology-combines-brightness-pixels.html Nanophysics Wed, 07 Oct 2026 16:30:02 EDT news710605801 A research team led by Sungwon Lee, a professor in the Department of Physics and Chemistry at DGIST, developed a hierarchical nano-on-nano structure by directly growing graphene nanowalls (GNWs) on polymer nanofibers and successfully used the structure to enhance the sensing performance of wearable gas sensors. The technology is expected to be applied to next-generation wearable sensors for real-time monitoring of individuals' breathing environments or hazardous gases in industrial settings. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-breathable-smart-sensor-real-hazardous.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 28 Aug 2026 13:40:02 EDT news707136781 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 smartwatch can tell us the level of oxygen in our blood, when our sleep is restless or the number of steps we take in a day. Now imagine that kind of tracking ability for plants. By the time farmers see curling leaves or stunted growth in their fields, their crops may already have spent days under stress. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-wearables-track-health-farmers-real.html Biotechnology Thu, 09 Jul 2026 10:20:07 EDT news702807380 Researchers at Tohoku University have uncovered the long-standing mystery behind the synthesis of Janus two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors, paving the way for more precise manufacturing of materials used in future electronics and clean energy technologies. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-electron-buildup-2d-interface-reveals.html Nanophysics Wed, 24 Jun 2026 17:40:09 EDT news701529061 Wearable and implantable biosensors have the potential to revolutionize health care by diagnosing, monitoring, and even treating a wide range of health conditions. Recent innovations in the lab of Wei Gao, professor of medical engineering at Caltech and a Heritage Medical Research Institute Investigator, are pushing the field forward through the creation of soft, stretchable, tissue-integrated bioelectronics for continuous sensing and adaptive therapy. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-stretchy-soft-sticky-advancing-generation.html Biotechnology Wed, 10 Jun 2026 05:00:03 EDT news700237202 Researchers from the University of Cambridge and GlitterinTech, a startup founded by the same research group, have unveiled a fundamentally new type of optical spectrometer that delivers laboratory-grade precision in a device small enough to be embedded in portable and wearable technologies. By rethinking how spectra are measured and processed, the team has demonstrated a spectrometer costing only around $10, operating at a centimeter scale, and capable of applications ranging from industrial quality control to real-time health care monitoring. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-spectrometer-chip-real-chemical-wearables.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 08 Jun 2026 17:40:04 EDT news700146465 From household plastic packaging to the flexible frameworks that support wearable electronics, polymer materials form the invisible backbone of modern life. At a microscopic level, polymers consist of long, ribbon-like molecular chains that are entangled into a disorganized mass resembling a bowl of cooked noodles. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-precise-polymer-uncover-hidden-slack.html Polymers Mon, 01 Jun 2026 12:20:02 EDT news699533461 Photodetectors remain a critical component in the development of advanced electronics and photonics, particularly in the role of signal readout through the conversion of photons into electrons. These digital imaging components are ubiquitous in sensors, cameras, adaptive displays, telecommunications, LiDAR systems, health monitoring wearables, and oximeters. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-solar-2d-heterostructure-responsivity-gain.html Nanophysics Tue, 05 May 2026 16:40:05 EDT news697195813 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 Nano-sensors that work without batteries or wires could pave the way for more comfortable, less obtrusive sleep and health care monitoring at home, according to scientists at the University of Surrey. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-battery-free-nano-sensors-pave.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 22 Jan 2026 10:11:50 EST news688299061 Wearable health care devices—such as glucose monitors, ultrasound patches and blood-pressure monitors—can be invaluable for keeping patients safe. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-health-electronics-booming-sustainable.html Environment Sat, 17 Jan 2026 11:00:05 EST news687437890 Graphene has long been hailed as a "wonder material." It is incredibly strong, highly conductive and almost impossibly thin—just one atom thick. These properties make it a promising candidate for next-generation technologies such as flexible electronics, wearable devices and printed sensors. Yet despite years of research, turning graphene into practical, printable inks has remained a major challenge. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-graphene-derived-material-generation-electronics.html Nanomaterials Wed, 14 Jan 2026 17:40:01 EST news687604955 The organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology behind flexible cell phones, curved monitors, and televisions could one day be used to make on-skin sensors that show changes in temperature, blood flow, and pressure in real time. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-nanomaterial-flex-mxene-electrodes-oled.html Nanophysics Wed, 14 Jan 2026 11:00:12 EST news687520165 Imagine wearable health sensors, smart packaging, flexible displays, or disposable IoT controllers all manufactured like printed newspapers. The same technology could underpin communication circuits, sensors, and signal-processing components made entirely from solution-processed 2D materials. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-framework-2d-materials-printable-electronics.html Nanophysics Sun, 14 Dec 2025 09:20:04 EST news684166621 Modern devices, from fitness trackers and smart garments to Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, require compact and sustainable power sources. In new research published in Scientific Reports, scientists present an energy harvester based on a horizontally mounted vial half-filled with a biodegradable ferrofluid. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-sloshing-ferrofluids-harness-vibration-energy.html Nanophysics Mon, 24 Nov 2025 14:54:02 EST news683218441 Picture the smartphone in your pocket, the data centers powering artificial intelligence, or the wearable health monitors that track your heartbeat. All of them rely on energy-hungry memory chips to store and process information. As demand for computing resources continues to soar, so does the need for memory devices that are smaller, faster, and far more efficient. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-atom-thin-crystals-power-future.html Nanophysics Fri, 12 Sep 2025 09:14:04 EDT news676887241 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 A research team has developed a next-generation display core material with excellent stretchability and superior color reproduction. The team developed a high-performance color-conversion layer that is more flexible and vivid than conventional ones. This layer was successfully applied to the development of a stretchable micro-LED display, drawing significant attention. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-quantum-dot-polymer-linking-enables.html Nanomaterials Mon, 08 Sep 2025 15:14:03 EDT news676563241 Could clothing monitor a person's health in real time, because the clothing itself would be a self-powered sensor? A new material created through electrospinning, which is a process that draws out fibers using electricity, brings this possibility one step closer. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-flexible-fiber-material-powered-health.html Condensed Matter Wed, 30 Jul 2025 16:00:19 EDT news673110015 Researchers at Case Western Reserve University have developed an environmentally safer type of plastic that can be used for wearable electronics, sensors and other electrical applications. The material, a so-called ferroelectric polymer, is made without fluorine, considered a "forever" chemical that hurts the environment because compounds made with it don't break down quickly or at all. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-eco-friendly-plastic-flexible-electronic.html Polymers Thu, 03 Jul 2025 16:57:03 EDT news670780621 Researchers at Boise State University have developed a novel, environmentally friendly triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) that is fully printed and capable of harvesting biomechanical and environmental energy while also functioning as a real-time motion sensor. The innovation leverages a composite of Poly (vinyl butyral-co-vinyl alcohol-co-vinyl acetate) (PVBVA) and MXene (Ti3C2Tx) nanosheets, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional TENGs that often rely on fluorinated polymers and complex fabrication. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-mxene-polymer-composite-enables-eco.html Nanomaterials Mon, 16 Jun 2025 17:10:06 EDT news669312601 With recent advancements in technology, the Internet of Things and wireless devices are in high demand. However, these innovations also raise concerns about prolonged exposure to electromagnetic radiation (EMR), which may pose potential risks to eye health. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-mxene-coated-lenses-safer-smarter.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 03 Jun 2025 21:00:01 EDT news668163961 In a world increasingly driven by high-speed communication and low-power electronics, a team of researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) has proposed a fundamentally new way of manipulating light using the geometry of matter itself. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-ballistic-electrons-gen-terahertz-devices.html Nanophysics Thu, 29 May 2025 10:15:03 EDT news667732501 Dr. Han Joong Tark's team at KERI's Nano Hybrid Technology Research Center has successfully fabricated "functional wires," which are the foundation of wearable electronic devices, by directly applying the existing synthetic fiber processing methods. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-carbon-nanotube-wires-wearables-crafted.html Nanomaterials Wed, 19 Mar 2025 11:06:04 EDT news661601162 Plastic that conducts electricity might sound impossible. But there is a special class of materials known as "electronic polymers" that combines the flexibility of plastic with the functionality of metal. This type of material opens the door for breakthroughs in wearable devices, printable electronics and advanced energy storage systems. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-lab-electronic-polymers-discovery.html Polymers Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:22:04 EST news659092921