https://phys.org/nanotech-news/nano-materials/ en-us The latest science news on nanomaterials, nanotechnology, nanoparticles and nanoscience. 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 Data is growing at a staggering pace, pushing charge-based microelectronics, such as smartphones and laptops, to their physical limits. Spintronics—technology that uses electron spin rather than charge—avoids the limits of conventional electronics by switching information with very little energy, holding states without power and enabling extremely dense data storage. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-skyrmions-atom-thin-magnets-ultra.html Nanophysics Thu, 09 Apr 2026 11:00:07 EDT news694947661 An international team of researchers, led by scientists from the University of California, Irvine, has demonstrated a fundamentally new way to make silicon emit light—overcoming one of the most persistent limitations in modern electronics and photonics. In their work appearing in Nano Letters, the scientists show that silicon, long considered an inefficient light emitter due to its indirect bandgap, can be transformed into a bright, broadband source. The researchers produced emissions from silicon in its conventional bulk form, without modification to its composition or structure. Instead, the breakthrough comes from modifying the properties of light itself. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-momentum-photonic-states-bulk-silicon.html Nanophysics Wed, 08 Apr 2026 18:30:01 EDT news694886582 For smartphones and computers to become smaller and faster, technologies capable of precisely controlling electrical properties at the nanoscale—beyond what is visible to the naked eye—are essential. In particular, ferroelectric materials, which can maintain their electrical state without external power, are gaining attention as key components for next-generation memory and sensor technologies. However, due to their extremely small size, there have been limitations in precisely observing the internal changes occurring within these materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-roadmap-atomic-microscopy-generation-semiconductor.html Nanomaterials Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:50:01 EDT news694871162 When created at the nanoscale, materials can resemble shapes like stars, rods or even pyramids. These particle shapes, also known as the morphologies of a solid, make for more than just interesting images under a microscope—they can determine how the material behaves, sometimes in dramatic ways. University at Buffalo researchers have demonstrated this phenomenon by creating the first-ever star-shaped vanadyl hydroxide (VOOH) and shown that this shape can fundamentally alter how the material stores energy. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-pretty-picture-star-nanomaterial-energy.html Nanophysics Tue, 07 Apr 2026 12:40:04 EDT news694776061 Just as embroiderers, with needle and thread, can transform plain fabric into an intricate pattern, engineers can use lasers and polymers to create flexible, complex structures that could transform life-saving sensing technology. An interdisciplinary team at the University of Pittsburgh's Swanson School of Engineering has developed a new manufacturing strategy that reveals where and how laser-induced graphene (LIG) forms on polymers. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-precise-patterns-lasers.html Nanophysics Mon, 06 Apr 2026 17:10:01 EDT news694710842 While traditional printer pigments fade and most structural color can't be printed, Kobe University material engineer Sugimoto Hiroshi has been working on nothing short of a revolution in the way color is produced. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-inkjet-printer.html Nanomaterials Mon, 06 Apr 2026 09:40:01 EDT news694684801 Solar-power photocatalysis—turning sunlight into energy—holds promise for sustainable and cost-efficient energy and chemical production. Advancing the technology, though, has been hindered by a lack of understanding of exactly how the process works. To that end, a team of Yale researchers has developed a technique that allows them to observe the sunlight-to-fuel conversion in real time, right down to the nanoscale. Specifically, they can see how the light-driven catalyst splits water into hydrogen and oxygen, and how electrons and holes move through the material. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-real-nanoscale-reduction-oxidation-solar.html Nanophysics Fri, 03 Apr 2026 09:40:02 EDT news694427521 Polarization has always been a core property of light that is essential for a broad range of everyday applications, including displays (LED, LCD, 3D Cinematics), photography, as well as satellite and antenna technologies. The ability to tune light polarization empowers us with enhanced communication signals, improved image quality, and access to hidden image details and non-conventional imaging modes (e.g. 3D imaging). https://phys.org/news/2026-04-2d-material-capability-ultrathin-waveplates.html Nanophysics Thu, 02 Apr 2026 18:00:01 EDT news694342108 Control of heat transport in nanostructures is of central importance for numerous modern technologies—from high-performance computer chips that need to be cooled to energy converters—and is a highly active area of research. While great progress has been made in recent years in understanding how heat transport can be influenced by nanostructuring, it was previously unclear whether the replacement of a single atom in a molecule could measurably alter phonon transport—i.e. heat transport through lattice vibrations. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-atom-substitution-successfully-tunes-molecular.html Nanophysics Thu, 02 Apr 2026 17:20:01 EDT news694360621 A team led by scientists at the National Graphene Institute (NGI) at The University of Manchester has developed the first technique capable of capturing atomic‑resolution videos of individual gold atoms 'dancing' across a surface surrounded by liquid, opening a window into a hidden atomic world that has been invisible until now. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-graphene-nano-aquariums-capture-atomic.html Nanomaterials Thu, 02 Apr 2026 14:00:03 EDT news694340281 Experiments conducted in Brazil using laboratory rats have shown that graphene-based structures can act as a powerful ally in bone regeneration. These structures are made of sheets of the chemical element carbon that are just one atom thick. They can help heal fractures or bone loss. In the tests, the biocompatible matrix containing graphene facilitated nearly 90% repair of the damage sustained by the test subjects one month after the fracture was induced in the laboratory—a superior performance to that of other materials used in the research. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-graphene-scaffold-bone-cells-body.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:30:01 EDT news694271641 In a first for the field, materials scientists from The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have interfaced two materials to artificially generate a highly conductive ferroelectric charged domain wall. Led by associate professor of materials science and engineering Arend van der Zande and graduate student Shahriar Muhammad Nahid (now a postdoc at Stanford) and published in Advanced Materials, their approach highlights the versatility of charged domain walls in 2D materials and may be used in the future development of neuromorphic devices and reconfigurable electronics. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-synthetic-domain-wall-2d-material.html Nanophysics Tue, 31 Mar 2026 18:20:06 EDT news694186377 Recent advancements in nanophotonics are moving beyond isotropic noble metals to achieve dynamic and directional control over plasmons. Conventional localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPR) are limited by their isotropic permittivity and geometry-dependent resonance tuning. Introducing strong material anisotropy offers an effective alternative strategy, providing an additional degree of freedom for controlling plasmon propagation and confinement. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-anisotropic-2d-crystal-hyperbolic-localized.html Nanophysics Tue, 31 Mar 2026 17:00:06 EDT news694194841 An international team of researchers built a highly sensitive quantum microscope and used it to directly observe, for the first time at room temperature, how electrons subtly interact with each other in graphene—confirming a decades-old theoretical prediction with remarkable precision. The research is published in the journal Nano Letters. The team was led by Dmitri Efetov, Professor of Experimental Solid State Physics at LMU München's Faculty of Physics and MCQST co-coordinator for Research Area Quantum Matter. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-quantum-microscope-reveals-electron-interactions.html Nanophysics Mon, 30 Mar 2026 19:40:01 EDT news694104917 Bacteria are a major cause of infections and death in hospital settings, due—in part—to the rising incidence of antibiotic resistance. In the United States, antibiotic-resistant bacteria are involved in more than 2 million infections and cause 23,000 deaths annually. There's a growing need for new options that can both treat infections and limit resistance. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-copper-starch-nanoparticles-bacteria-microbial.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 30 Mar 2026 16:50:03 EDT news694106161 Hygiene in everyday items that touch the body—such as clothing, masks, and toothbrushes—is critically important. The underlying principle of how graphene selectively eliminates only bacteria has now been revealed. In Advanced Functional Materials, a KAIST research team presents the potential for a next-generation antibacterial material that is safe for the human body and capable of replacing antibiotics. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-graphene-oxide-bacteria-human-cells.html Bio & Medicine Sun, 29 Mar 2026 19:30:01 EDT news693754306 Argonne and Northwestern University scientists teamed up to understand how light interacts with metallic nanoframes, with implications for biosensing, quantum information science and beyond. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-ultrafast-microscopy-metallic-nanoframe-behavior.html Nanophysics Fri, 27 Mar 2026 17:50:01 EDT news693831240 Just as an antenna interacts with radio waves, light interacts with metallic nanostructures. Therefore, understanding how a structure influences field oscillations provides valuable insights into the structure's physical properties. An international research team, including scientists from the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light (MPL), is investigating the changes in field oscillations that occur when light interacts with indium tin oxide (ITO) nanocrystals. This will deepen our understanding of how the interaction between light and these nanocrystals depends on time. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-fieldoscopy-reveals-femtosecond-optical-nm.html Nanophysics Thu, 26 Mar 2026 22:20:01 EDT news693760638 Nucleic acids such as DNA and RNA play a central role in gene therapies and vaccines. They store and transmit biological information. In order for them to work in the body, they must enter the cells using chemical carrier systems. Researchers at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon are now proposing a new strategy for developing such systems: instead of using the same carrier material for different nucleic acids, the carrier should be individually adapted to the respective payload. This could improve the effectiveness of vaccines, for example. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-lipid-nanoparticles-custom-polymers-ai.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 26 Mar 2026 17:50:01 EDT news693763621 A team of researchers led by the University of Pittsburgh demonstrated a programmable superconducting diode at the LaAlO3/KTaO3 (LAO/KTO) interface, an advance that holds potential to enhance/help usher in the future of next-generation electronics and quantum circuits. The work, published in the journal Nano Letters, and featured on the journal's cover, was led by first author Muqing Yu, a graduate student in the lab of Jeremy Levy, Distinguished Professor of Condensed Matter Physics. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-programmable-superconducting-diode.html Nanophysics Thu, 26 Mar 2026 14:20:01 EDT news693744961 Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are porous structures composed of metal ions (or clusters) and organic linker molecules—much like a molecular scaffold. Thanks to their high porosity and large surface area, MOFs can store large amounts of gases, accelerate chemical reactions, or even transport drugs in a targeted manner. Until now, research has primarily focused on the use of rigid 3D crystals, which, however, have limitations in terms of flexibility and scalability. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-nanometer-layer-uio-mof-nanosheet.html Nanomaterials Thu, 26 Mar 2026 10:40:02 EDT news693739012 Cuproptosis was discovered in 2022. It was a previously unknown type of cell death caused by an excess of copper. The research group led by Professor Johannes Karges at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, used this mechanism to develop a new, copper-based agent complex that kills cells 100 times more effectively than existing chemotherapy treatments. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-nanoparticles-trigger-copper-overload-cancer.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 26 Mar 2026 10:00:09 EDT news693735241 A research team has demonstrated that silicon nanospheres can strongly enhance second-harmonic generation (SHG) from an atomically thin semiconductor while preserving the circular polarization information tied to its valley degree of freedom. The study, published in Nano Letters, provides design guidelines for efficient, polarization-preserving nonlinear light sources at the nanoscale. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-silicon-nanospheres-boost-ws-harmonic.html Nanophysics Wed, 25 Mar 2026 19:40:04 EDT news693667158 Researchers from the University of Jyväskylä and Aalto University have developed a new method based on laser modification, which allows metal-organic materials to be grown locally one molecule-thick layer at a time. The method enables the precise construction of films of different shapes and offers new ways to modify the properties of materials for various applications. The study was published in the journal ACS Nano. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-laser-graphene-enables-molecule-thick.html Nanomaterials Wed, 25 Mar 2026 17:50:01 EDT news693676921 Modern polymer materials face a fundamental challenge: they must remain strong and durable during use, yet ideally degrade when they are no longer needed. Designing materials that satisfy both requirements has long been a major challenge in polymer science. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-polymer-movable-molecular-durabilitydegradability.html Nanomaterials Wed, 25 Mar 2026 10:00:07 EDT news693650821 An international research team has successfully synthesized oriented belt-shaped vanadium dioxide (VO2(B)) single crystals via a hydrothermal reduction method, using one-dimensional vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) nanofibers as the starting material. This work, published in the journal ACS Sensors, provides a new material platform and design guidelines for the development of next-generation low-power gas sensors capable of operating at room temperature. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-belt-vob-crystals-high-sensitivity.html Nanomaterials Tue, 24 Mar 2026 16:20:02 EDT news693581401 A team of researchers from Tel Aviv University, in collaboration with colleagues from Japan, has taken an important step toward the next generation of electronics. The scientists achieved highly precise control of the internal structure of graphene—an exceptionally thin and strong material—using a minute, nearly negligible amount of energy. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-electronics-future-ultra-efficient-graphene.html Nanophysics Tue, 24 Mar 2026 15:00:04 EDT news693573241 Penn Engineers have redesigned a key component of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), the delivery vehicles behind mRNA vaccines, to steer the particles toward lymph nodes while reducing off-target delivery to the liver. The advance could make mRNA vaccines more efficient, potentially achieving strong immune protection at lower doses. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-lipid-nanoparticle-precision-mrna-vaccine.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 24 Mar 2026 08:00:03 EDT news693489121 Some materials behave unexpectedly. They crack differently than expected, or react in ways that are hard to explain. The answer often lies in their atomic structure. Is it neatly arranged, as in a crystal, or disordered, as in glass? Researchers at the University of Twente have now created a material that is both simultaneously. In two directions it is disordered; in the third, perfectly ordered. Their findings have been published in Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-chaos-layered-material-disorder-coexist.html Nanomaterials Mon, 23 Mar 2026 18:00:07 EDT news693489902