Jan 04, 2024 (Nanowerk News) The integration of mechanical memory in the form of springs has for hundreds of years proven to be a key enabling technology for mechanical devices (like clocks), achieving advanced functionality through complex autonomous movements. In our times, the integration of springs in silicon-based microtechnology has...
Novel memristor design clears critical impediments for future AI chips
Jan 04, 2024 (Nanowerk Spotlight) Researchers are pursuing memristors – resistive memory devices with properties similar to neurons – as a means to develop energy-efficient hardware that can accelerate artificial intelligence. However, multiple obstacles have impeded memristors’ path to widespread adoption, from insufficient current density to sneaking currents that disrupt...
Researchers develop high-performance stretchable solar cells
Jan 04, 2024 (Nanowerk News) With the market for wearable electric devices growing rapidly, stretchable solar cells that can function under strain have received considerable attention as an energy source. To build such solar cells, it is necessary that their photoactive layer, which converts light into electricity, shows high electrical...
Zinc oxide nanopagodas with silver nanoparticles enhance hydrogen production
Jan 04, 2024 (Nanowerk News) A research team consisting of members of the Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute and the Functional Materials Engineering Laboratory at the Toyohashi University of Technology, has developed a novel high-performance photoelectrode by constructing a zinc oxide nanopagoda array with a unique shape on a transparent electrode...
Continuous glucose monitoring
Jan 03, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Monitoring glucose levels is one of the key elements in health monitoring. A research team has now developed a battery-independent fluorescent nanosensor based on single-wall carbon nanotubes and an inactive form of the enzyme glucose oxidase (GOx). Because the enzyme is not in its active...
Researchers develop nature-inspired advanced materials to achieve 99.6% solar reflectivity
Jan 03, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Scientific researchers draw inspiration from nature’s brilliance as they seek to develop transformative solutions to unresolved challenges. Prof. WANG Zuankai, Associate Vice President (Research and Innovation) and Chair Professor of the Department of Mechanical Engineering of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), has meticulously explored...
Scientists explore corrosion process on atomic level
Jan 03, 2024 (Nanowerk News) When water vapor meets metal, the resulting corrosion can lead to mechanical problems that harm a machine’s performance. Through a process called passivation, it also can form a thin inert layer that acts as a barrier against further deterioration. Either way, the exact chemical reaction...
Researchers create first functional semiconductor made from graphene (w/video)
Jan 03, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have created the world’s first functional semiconductor made from graphene, a single sheet of carbon atoms held together by the strongest bonds known. Semiconductors, which are materials that conduct electricity under specific conditions, are foundational components of electronic...
Better microelectronics from coal
Jan 03, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Coal is an abundant resource in the United States that has, unfortunately, contributed to climate change through its use as a fossil fuel. As the country transitions to other means of energy production, it will be important to consider and reevaluate coal’s economic role. A...
On-demand conformation of an artificial cytoskeleton
Jan 03, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Peptide nanotubes are tubular-shaped structures formed by the controlled stacking of cyclic peptide components. These hollow biomaterials show inner and outer faces, allowing the control over their properties. Led by Juan R. Granja, researchers from the Center for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Materials...