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 A faint glow emitted by plants as they absorb sunlight could offer scientists a powerful new way to monitor photosynthesis across the planet. Fully realizing that potential, however, will require advances in both the general understanding of plant biology and the satellite technology used to observe it. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-explores-faint-global-photosynthesis.html Ecology Wed, 11 Nov 2026 11:00:04 EST news713615541 A research team led by professor Seong Sik Shin of the SKKU Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology (SAINT) at Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), in international collaboration with the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), the University of California, San Diego, and Princeton University, has developed a next-generation perovskite semiconductor thin film with dramatically reduced defects. Using the same material platform, the researchers demonstrated both high-performance solar cells and LEDs. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-liquid-crystal-growth-perovskite-defects.html Materials Science Sun, 08 Nov 2026 17:00:01 EST news713095674 A research team led by Professor Yang Dong from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), in collaboration with Dalian Jiaotong University, has developed a synergistic additive strategy for large-area slot-die coating of methylammonium-free (MA-free) perovskite films. The study is published in Advanced Materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-synergistic-additives-scalable-slot-die.html Materials Science Thu, 05 Nov 2026 14:20:01 EST news713091501 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 When astronauts first travel to Mars or anywhere else in deep space, they will have to contend with two problems that our planet protects us from on its surface—radiation and weightlessness. Scientists already know both can have a profound impact on the human body, but the extent of that impact and how long it can last remain a mystery. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-mars-heartbreaking.html Space Exploration Wed, 14 Oct 2026 19:00:01 EDT news711190418 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 A new type of advanced microscope (wide-field coherent multidimensional microscopy) has been developed. It uses a carefully designed sequence of ultrashort light pulses to study the behavior of high-tech materials, with potential practical applications in the study of innovative materials such as those used to build solar panels. This is the result of work by a research group of physicists from the Faculty of Sciences, Mathematics, Physics, and Natural Sciences at Università Cattolica's Brescia campus who, for the first time, have developed a "multidimensional microscope" that, in a sense, records the behavior of materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-ultrashort-laser-pulses-microscope-electron.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 07 Oct 2026 17:10:01 EDT news710610361 Research into molecules that regulate sleep and appetite or methods for editing genes could be among the contenders for the Nobel Prize in chemistry, to be announced Wednesday, commentators say. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-appetite-gene-experts-contend-nobel.html Other Wed, 07 Oct 2026 03:00:01 EDT news710558901 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 Florida State University researchers have developed a method to make a class of materials more robust and potentially easier to manufacture for advanced radiation detection devices, including those used in medical imaging and radiation therapy as well as space technologies. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-uv-materials-durable-resistant.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 30 Sep 2026 16:00:17 EDT news709999561 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 To survive periods of drought, trees halt photosynthesis, a highly water-intensive process. For every molecule of CO₂ absorbed by a tree leaf, an average of around 400 water molecules are released. Entire forests may then end up emitting more CO₂ than they capture. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-forests-ability-absorb.html Ecology Mon, 28 Sep 2026 15:20:05 EDT news709816321 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 When sudden rainstorms roll across Texas, flooding can erupt in a matter of minutes. From coastal bends facing storm surges to low-water crossings in San Antonio, flood risks often spike block by block long before regional alerts sound. That means some people could have ankle-deep water in their yards by the time a flash flood warning sounds on their phones. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-powered-smart-local.html Environment Wed, 23 Sep 2026 10:20:05 EDT news709371242 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 A Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) research team led by professors Taeyeon Kim and Doo-Hyun Ko of the Department of Chemistry recently published a comprehensive review titled "Carrier Dynamics in Nonfullerene Acceptor Organic Photovoltaics through Ultrafast Spectroscopy" in the journal ACS Nano. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-carrier-dynamics-efficient-solar-cells.html Nanophysics Mon, 14 Sep 2026 15:00:15 EDT news708616621 In a study recently published in the Chemical Engineering Journal, a research team from National Taiwan University and international collaborators have developed a straightforward solvent-mixing strategy to significantly boost the performance of next-generation all-polymer organic solar cells. By adding a small fraction of a cosolvent during fabrication, the team successfully resolved a long-standing challenge in controlling film quality, opening new possibilities for commercializing flexible, efficient and sustainable clean energy technology. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-solvent-recipe-boosts-efficiency-solar.html Polymers Mon, 14 Sep 2026 13:37:48 EDT news708611851 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