Phys.org Nanotechnology

• Exceptional points boost sensitivity of surface acoustic wave sensors for gas detection

  In an advance in microsensor technology, researchers have unveiled an ultra-sensitive gas detection method using surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors enhanced by the physics of exceptional points (EPs). These EPs, phenomena from non-Hermitian systems where eigenvalues and eigenvectors converge, allow for amplified signal response.

• Marker ink transforms into graphene-based electric circuit for low-cost sensors

  The first case of an electric circuit created using a simple marker and a laser beam shows that simple and sustainable materials can generate innovative applications on any surface, such as a coffee cup.

• Tiny magnetic silk iron particles could steer drugs directly to hard-to-reach disease sites

  What if doctors could guide life-saving treatments through the body using only a magnet? An interdisciplinary collaboration at the University of Pittsburgh's Swanson School of Engineering is bringing that concept closer to reality with the development of silk iron microparticles (SIMPs)—tiny, magnetic, and biodegradable carriers designed to precisely deliver drugs and treatments to sites in the body, like aneurysms or tumors.

• Scientists develop silk microneedles to deliver nutrients and chemicals to plants

  When farmers apply pesticides to their crops, 30 to 50% of the chemicals end up in the air or soil instead of on the plants. Now, a team of researchers from MIT and Singapore has developed a much more precise way to deliver substances to plants: tiny needles made of silk.

• First real-time visualization of nanofiber self-assembly uncovers key steps in formation of supramolecular gels

  Imagine materials that build themselves, responding intelligently to their environment to deliver drugs precisely where needed, scaffold regenerating tissues, or clean up pollutants. These are the promises of supramolecular gels, fascinating soft materials formed by the spontaneous self-assembly of small molecules.

• Scientists observe how blobs form crystals and discover a new crystal type

  Crystals—from sugar and table salt to snowflakes and diamonds—don't always grow in a straightforward way. New York University researchers have captured this journey from amorphous blob to orderly structures in a new study published in Nature Communications.

• Oscillating microbubbles sort exosomes from blood in minutes, skipping chemicals and centrifuges

  Exosomes, secreted by most cells, carry biological information and proteins that serve as noninvasive biomarkers for diagnosing and predicting disease progression and metastasis. However, the rapid isolation of high-purity exosomes from various biofluids, such as undiluted whole blood, plasma and serum, remains a challenge.

• Nanofiltration and reverse osmosis offer hope for removing disinfection byproducts

  Disinfection byproducts (DBPs) are harmful chemicals that form when disinfectants react with natural organic matter and other precursors during water treatment and distribution. Over the past 50 years, more than 6,300 DBPs have been identified, many of which pose significant risks to human health and the environment.

• DNA-inspired flexible fiber design enhances sensors for wearables

  A fiber sensor inspired by the shape of DNA, developed by researchers at Shinshu University, introduces a new design for more durable, flexible fiber sensors in wearables. Traditional fiber sensors have electrodes at both ends, which often fail under repeated movement when placed on body joints.

• Unveiling the 3D crystal secrets of defective nanoparticles

  Nanomaterials are the future of modern technology. From powering batteries to improving clean energy systems and efficient catalysts, nanomaterials are everywhere. Their unique properties often arise from the precise arrangements of their atoms.

• With AI, researchers can now identify the smallest crystals

  One longstanding problem has sidelined life-saving drugs, stalled next-generation batteries, and kept archaeologists from identifying the origins of ancient artifacts.

• Nanostructured catalyst produces green hydrogen and glycerate with improved energy efficiency

  A research group led by Prof. Chen Liang at the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has designed a high-entropy electrocatalyst that achieves efficient production of hydrogen and valuable glycerol chemicals. The study was published in Nature Nanotechnology.

• Quantum-controlled few-photon strategy powers next-generation optical nanoprinting

  In a development that could reshape the future of microelectronics, optics, and biomedicine, researchers from Jinan University, in collaboration with the Institute of Chemistry at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, have unveiled a new nanoprinting technology that simultaneously achieves unprecedented resolution and efficiency.

• Ultrasonic nanocrystal surface modification restores stainless steel's corrosion resistance

  Found in everything from kitchen appliances to sustainable energy infrastructure, stainless steels are used extensively due to their excellent corrosion (rusting) resistance. They're an important material in many industries, including manufacturing, transportation, oil and gas, nuclear power and chemical processing.

• Structure dictates effectiveness and safety in nanomedicine, driving therapeutic innovation, say scientists

  Historically, the vast majority of pharmaceutical drugs have been meticulously designed down to the atomic level. The specific location of each atom within the drug molecule is a critical factor in determining how well it works and how safe it is. In ibuprofen, for example, one molecule is effective as a pain reliever, but the mirror image of that same molecule is completely inactive.

• Modular protein adapter technology enables exosome-based precision drug delivery

  A joint research team has developed a modular protein adapter technology that enables the stable attachment of various substances to the surface of extracellular vesicles (exosomes). It was designed to enable functional molecules to bind efficiently, even in the complex environments of cell membranes. The research demonstrated the potential for the development of tailored therapeutics.

• Ultrafast plasmon-enhanced magnetic bit switching at the nanoscale

  Researchers from Max Born Institute have demonstrated a successful way to control and manipulate nanoscale magnetic bits—the building blocks of digital data—using an ultrafast laser pulse and plasmonic gold nanostructures. The findings were published in Nano Letters.

• High-performance 3D-printed graphene composites developed for efficient ice control

  A research team led by Prof. Wang Zhenyang at the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a novel 3D-printed graphene/polymer double-layer composite featuring high anisotropic thermal conductivity.

• Nanoparticle treatment combined with radiation therapy significantly improves glioblastoma survival in mice

  Glioblastoma multiforme is an aggressive brain tumor that mainly affects adults. Approximately 30,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with GBM every year and patients have a 5-year survival rate of 7%. Current treatments include surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy with temozolomide. Unfortunately, none of these methods can cure GBM.

• Scientists have found a way to 'tattoo' tardigrades

  If you haven't heard of a tardigrade before, prepare to be wowed. These clumsy, eight-legged creatures, nicknamed water bears, are about half a millimeter long and can survive practically anything: freezing temperatures, near starvation, high pressure, radiation exposure, outer space and more. Researchers reporting in the journal Nano Letters took advantage of the tardigrade's nearly indestructible nature and gave the critters tiny "tattoos" to test a microfabrication technique to build microscopic, biocompatible devices.

• Carbon nanotube-based strain sensor can detects deformations in multiple directions

  Over the past decades, electronics engineers developed increasingly small, flexible and sophisticated sensors that can pick up a wide range of signals, ranging from human motions to heartrate and other biological signals. These sensors have in turn enabled the development of new electronics, including smartwatches, biomedical devices that can help monitor the health of users over time and other wearable or implantable systems.

• Q&A: Microscopic 'traffic jams' solution inspires new insights into particle movement and drug delivery

  From microscopic robots that can carry and deliver drugs inside the human body to tiny particles that can detect and break down microplastics, an emerging field called active matter is looking toward the microscale to solve some of the world's biggest problems.

• Dual-mode MRI nanoprobe mimics biological processes to pinpoint early fibrosis in fatty liver disease

  A research team has developed an innovative biomimetic dual-mode magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) nanoprobe for detecting early-stage liver fibrosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

• Smart nanotherapy enhances immune attack on melanoma

  Researchers have developed an innovative nano-immune agonist that significantly improves immunotherapy outcomes for melanoma—a highly aggressive and hard-to-treat form of skin cancer.

• First-ever real-time visualization of nanoscale domain response may boost ultrasound imaging technology

  Ultrasound imaging is one of the most widely used diagnostic tools in modern medicine. Behind its noninvasive magic lies a class of materials known as piezoelectric single crystals, which can convert electrical signals into mechanical vibrations and vice versa.