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. Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) are fluorescent carbon nanomaterials with potential applications in sensing, optoelectronics, displays, anticounterfeiting and environmental technologies. Their optical properties can be adjusted by modifying the carbon structure and surface chemistry, particularly through defect states and the incorporation of heteroatoms. However, achieving predictable and continuous tuning of photoluminescence from a single carbon precursor remains difficult. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-plastic-yields-carbon-quantum-dots.html Nanophysics Mon, 05 Oct 2026 13:20:12 EDT news710412122 The research group at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia in Pontedera (Pisa), led by Gianni Ciofani, has developed new organic nanoparticles that combine multiple therapeutic functions in a single material for the first time. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-dopamine-based-nanotubes-combine-electrical.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 28 Sep 2026 19:40:08 EDT news709831081 New international best practice guidance, co-written at ANSTO, sets out how to measure where nanoparticles like titanium dioxide end up in the body and how long they remain. The guidance has been shared by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), a forum and knowledge hub for data, analysis and best practices in public policy. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-nanoparticles-body-scientist-guidance.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 28 Sep 2026 08:00:09 EDT news709795441 Behind every secure online transaction or encrypted message lies a string of completely unpredictable numbers. A team of physicists has now proposed a theoretical way around a long-standing roadblock, opening the door to next-generation security chips that protect everyday data without slowing performance. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-physicists-material-blueprint-generation-microchip.html General Physics Thu, 24 Sep 2026 15:10:01 EDT news709479661 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 The humble coffee filter has the relatively simple job of letting the coffee through and leaving the grounds behind. But researchers from the ARC Center of Excellence for Carbon Science and Innovation (COE-CSI) are exploring whether a filter operating on the molecular scale can do something much more difficult: separate the caffeine from the coffee itself. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-coffee-nanoscale-graphene-oxide-membrane.html Nanomaterials Fri, 18 Sep 2026 12:40:04 EDT news708945541 Researchers at the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) have developed microfluidic technology that can grow cells in three dimensions (3D). The goal is to conduct toxicity tests on new products by more accurately simulating living organisms. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-microfluidic-device-simulates-human-tissue.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 17 Sep 2026 17:20:04 EDT news708868411 MXenes are two-dimensional nanomaterials first synthesized at Drexel University in 2011. They have been recognized by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry as an emerging technology with "true potential to transform our world." But their widespread use has thus far been limited by the complicated process required to produce them. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-vapor-phase-synthesis-mxenes-technological.html Nanomaterials Thu, 17 Sep 2026 15:50:02 EDT news708876901 Researchers at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory and Brookhaven National Laboratory have teamed up to get a fresh look at the complex makeup of meteorites and glimpse into our solar system's past. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-glimpse-solar-molecules-meteorite.html Astrobiology Thu, 17 Sep 2026 14:40:21 EDT news708860713 A single application of a "smart" self-repairing coating is being developed to dramatically extend rust protection for buildings, bridges, cars and other steel components. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-rust-coating-nanotech-conquer-corrosion.html Nanomaterials Tue, 15 Sep 2026 07:40:01 EDT news708672061 Access to clean water depends not only on preventing pollution but also on being able to detect contaminants quickly and reliably. Among the pollutants of concern are metal ions such as mercury, lead and zinc, which can enter aquatic environments through industrial and other human activities. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-nanomaterials-method-metal-contamination.html Nanomaterials Mon, 14 Sep 2026 17:40:04 EDT news708620101 The position of biomineralization peptides within liposomes can influence how gold nanoparticles grow, reports a research team from the Institute of Science Tokyo. Peptides localized at the membrane interface promote branched structures, while those confined to the liposome interior favor spherical nanoparticles. The findings offer a new strategy for controlling nanoscale reaction environments in nanoparticle synthesis. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-peptide-position-gold-nanoparticles-stay.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 14 Sep 2026 16:00:04 EDT news708609646 Packaging already tells us where food comes from, when it was made, what's in it and how many calories it contains. But researchers see a future where packaging can "see," in real time, what's happening inside and translate that into information that producers and consumers can act on. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-smart-packaging-ai-food-spoilage.html Biochemistry Fri, 11 Sep 2026 18:20:05 EDT news708346815 For children born with cleft lip and palate, repairing gaps in the jawbone often means waiting until they are 10 to 12 years old before undergoing invasive bone graft surgery. University of Sydney researchers have developed a biodegradable "nanobone" material that allows the body to harness its own healing properties to regrow bone, offering a potential future alternative to procedures that have changed little in more than 50 years. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-biodegradable-nanobone-day-regrow-bone.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 03 Sep 2026 01:00:02 EDT news707586601 Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is usually discussed as something the world needs to get rid of. Activities such as the burning of fossil fuels for daily use, including electricity and transportation, and industrial applications release significant amounts of CO₂, and the gas enters the atmosphere. Researchers are now asking whether this road could have a roundabout. What if CO₂, which is at the center of the climate crisis, could be turned into something useful and put back into the industrial cycle? https://phys.org/news/2026-09-metal-2d-catalysts-extra-electrical.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 02 Sep 2026 19:40:01 EDT news707583901 One of the major challenges in the quest to beat cancer is developing treatments that can selectively destroy cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed. With this in mind, researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) have devised a gold nanorod-based platform that delivers therapeutic agents specifically to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), a structure responsible for protein production and processing within cells, while also generating heat when exposed to near-infrared light. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-harnessing-gold-nanorods-cancer-therapy.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 02 Sep 2026 17:10:01 EDT news707585822 Ohio University Distinguished Professor Alexander Govorov of the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Nanoscale and Quantum Phenomena Institute (NQPI) in the College of Arts and Sciences has co-authored a new study published in Science Advances with collaborators at Wuhan University in China and the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia in Italy. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-chiral-molecules-pharmaceuticals-biotechnology.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 02 Sep 2026 07:40:52 EDT news707553617 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 While fridge magnets are great for saving favorite recipes, modern magnetic materials are useful for improving fiber optics or quantum information science technology. On most fridge magnets the atoms are arranged in a repeated lattice structure called a "spinel." These structures are made up of three types of atoms, generically referred to as atoms "A," "B" and "X." https://phys.org/news/2026-09-exposed-air-nanomaterial-magnetic-high.html Nanomaterials Tue, 01 Sep 2026 08:00:02 EDT news707459341 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 Plastic pollution is one of the most urgent environmental challenges of the 21st century. As larger plastic debris breaks down through mechanical, photochemical and biological processes, it forms microplastics that have been detected in water, soil, air and even the human body. Among these materials, polyamide microplastics are of particular concern because polyamide is widely used in textiles, fishing gear, packaging and engineering materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-polyamide-microplastics-emitting-carbon-quantum.html Nanomaterials Thu, 27 Aug 2026 15:40:01 EDT news707063942 Water stored in dams and reservoirs for humans to use often evaporates, especially in hot regions like southern Africa. Rising temperatures speed up evaporation, leaving less water for people, farming and industry. Daniel Kwasi Kpeglo has just completed a Ph.D. in physics. He explains his laboratory research into a new design—a thin nanomaterial floating cover that could be placed over lakes and dams like a blanket, reducing evaporation by limiting the amount of infrared heat from the sun that reaches the water. He also outlines what hurdles need to be cleared for the design to be tested in the real world. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-sunscreen-lakes-thin-layer-nanomaterial.html Environment Wed, 26 Aug 2026 16:00:01 EDT news706964281 The next time you need to freshen up the paint on your house or apply a bit of cosmetic glitter before heading out for the night, you might want to give a quick nod to the butterflies fluttering in a nearby garden. Taking inspiration from structures on those wings that create their vibrant colors, researchers are now devising more durable and adjustable colors that are also safer for human health and the environment. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-butterfly-crystals-enable-durable-potentially.html Nanomaterials Wed, 26 Aug 2026 05:00:09 EDT news706874161 Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative brain disorder characterized by progressive memory loss and a decline in other mental functions. Past studies have consistently linked this disorder to the accumulation of the protein amyloid-β (Aβ) between brain cells, ultimately resulting in the formation of so-called amyloid plaques. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-gold-nanoclusters-alzheimer-amyloid-plaques.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 17 Aug 2026 10:00:01 EDT news706177996 When certain atoms are irradiated with laser light, they can produce a very different kind of laser light: laser pulses with extremely high frequencies in the X-ray range. These laser pulses, which helped achieve record-breaking results at TU Wien in the 1990s, were the subject of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-rays-nobel-prize-limit.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 11 Aug 2026 13:40:07 EDT news705665527 Nanoscience, which studies small objects, has a big problem. According to a team of scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the field confronts a pervasive data analysis error that can give misleading insights into how these tiny objects' properties depend on their size. The team also offers a practical solution—a mathematical correction that can reveal how these materials truly behave. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-sizing-errors-true-nanoparticle-behavior.html Nanomaterials Thu, 06 Aug 2026 03:00:02 EDT news705141061 Scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory have demonstrated a new quantum-dot mechanism that could significantly expand the reach of light-driven chemistry. By introducing magnetic manganese dopants into semiconductor quantum dots, the team created an ultrafast spin-exchange pathway that captures hot-electron energy before it is lost as heat and uses it to drive chemical reduction. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-magnetic-dopants-quantum-dots-chemical.html Nanophysics Tue, 04 Aug 2026 09:40:03 EDT news705054241 Researchers in the lab of Sam Peng, the Pfizer Inc.–Gerald Laubach Career Development Assistant Professor of Chemistry at MIT and a core institute member of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, have developed a super-resolution imaging technology. It allows scientists to visualize molecular structures with angstrom-level localization precision—three orders of magnitude beyond the nanometer-scale limits of standard fluorescent dyes—while simplifying the imaging process. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-microscopy-method-angstrom-scale-localization.html Nanophysics Sun, 02 Aug 2026 14:00:05 EDT news704556380 Ethanol is an alcohol used in a vast number of industrial and household applications. When dehydrogenated—in this case, stripped of some of its hydrogen atoms—it yields another important compound: acetaldehyde, which is used to make resins, dyes, perfumes and synthetic flavors, among many other products. But currently available catalysts for ethanol dehydrogenation suffer from deactivation, poor performance over time and unwanted side reactions. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-successful-sustainable-catalyst-ethanol-dehydrogenation.html Materials Science Wed, 29 Jul 2026 08:40:01 EDT news704530201 Cancer cells survive by hiding from the immune system's surveillance. A KAIST research team has developed a new anticancer platform that makes cancer cells send out their own danger signals—prompting immune cells to attack—while simultaneously delivering gene therapy. The approach is expected to offer a new treatment strategy that combines cancer immunotherapy and gene therapy in a single nanoparticle. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-helical-nanoparticles-trigger-cancer-alarms.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 28 Jul 2026 09:20:04 EDT news704448901