Study paves the way for scalable organic solar cells with enhanced thickness tolerance

Apr 30, 2025 New study explores the key mechanisms that allow certain organic photovoltaic cells to maintain high efficiency even when the active layer is thicker - an essential requirement for large-scale, roll-to-roll manufacturing. (Nanowerk News) Researchers from the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), in collaboration with Heidelberg...

DNA templates enable precise control of light-sensitive nanomaterial behavior

Apr 30, 2025 Researchers use DNA to assemble mixed-dimensional nanostructures with tunable optical properties, enabling scalable photodetectors with high sensitivity. (Nanowerk Spotlight) Efforts to build high-performance optoelectronic devices have repeatedly run into the limitations of individual low-dimensional materials. Nanoparticles are excellent at absorbing and emitting light but suffer from poor...

Sponge-like carbon nanotube thermoelectric generator easily molds to complex shapes and powers sensors

Apr 30, 2025 Researchers created a flexible thermoelectric generator using sponge-like carbon nanotubes to efficiently power small wearable sensors via heat harvesting. (Nanowerk News) A Korean research team has developed a novel thermoelectric material and generator (TEG) that leverages sponge-like carbon nanotube (CNT) structures, improving the limitations of organic thermoelectric...

Turning marker ink into graphene circuits with a laser

Apr 30, 2025 Researchers transformed red marker ink into graphene-based circuits using a laser, enabling low-cost, flexible electronics on everyday surfaces like paper or cups. (Nanowerk News) It is the first case of electric circuit created using a simple marker and a laser beam. Simple and sustainable materials to generate...

Long-travel XY piezo nanopositioners

Apr 29, 2025 XY flexure-guided piezo nanopositioning stage delivers ultra-precise motion, long-term stability, and travel to 1500 microns. (Nanowerk News) Nanometer adjustment precision, wear-free operation, and clean-room compatibility is critical in applications such as super-resolution microscopy, micro-assembly, beam delivery, photonics, and optical metrology, often requiring continuous 24/7 operation. To address...

No assumptions: just quantum advantage

Apr 29, 2025 Researchers demonstrate that even small, noisy quantum circuits can outperform certain types of classical computation, without relying on assumptions or ideal conditions. (Nanowerk News) INL researcher Michael de Oliveira, together with collaborators from the University of Cambridge and the Hon Hai (Foxconn) Quantum Computing Research Center, has...

Atomic strain sensing with a silver single atom chain

Apr 29, 2025 A silver single-atom chain demonstrates atomic-scale strain sensing and piezoresistive effects, advancing nanotechnology and nanoscale sensing capabilities. (Nanowerk Spotlight) At the scale of individual atoms, materials behave in ways that defy everyday intuition. Stretch a metal wire by a few micrometers and its resistance changes only slightly....