Scientists detect tiny atomic motion in crystals

May 16, 2025 Researchers developed an optical method with record sensitivity to detect ultra-weak atomic motion, enabling new ways to study ultrafast processes in materials. (Nanowerk News) A team of researchers from TU Dortmund University, the University of Paderborn, and the University of Nottingham has developed a new optical method...

Lightweight microlattices achieve high stiffness through hierarchical rotating cube structures

May 16, 2025 Researchers engineer a new class of microlattice materials with enhanced stiffness-to-density ratios and giant negative Poisson's ratios, ideal for lightweight applications. (Nanowerk Spotlight) Material performance is often constrained by a tradeoff between strength and weight. This tension has motivated decades of effort to develop structural materials that...

Molecular movie reveals how antibiotic resistance to fusidic acid works

May 16, 2025 Scientists uncovered how the resistance protein FusB deflects fusidic acid in bacteria, using atomic-level imaging to reveal a crowbar-like resistance mechanism. (Nanowerk News) In a new article published in Nature Communications ("Structural mechanism of FusB-mediated rescue from fusidic acid inhibition of protein synthesis"), researchers from Uppsala Antibiotic...

Tuning TiO2 nanorod arrays enhances solar cell efficiency

May 16, 2025 Researchers developed a finely tuned method for growing titanium dioxide nanorod arrays with controllable spacing without changing individual rod size and demonstrated its application in high-performance solar cells. (Nanowerk News) A research team led by Prof. WANG Mingtai at the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the...

On the way to metallic hydrogen

May 15, 2025 New experiment deciphers an important intermediate step towards a new phase of matter. (Nanowerk News) Usually, hydrogen is a colourless gas. Under ultra-high pressure, however, this simplest of all elements should turn into an electrically conducting solid. For decades, this metallic hydrogen has been one of the...

Artificial leaves made from supramolecular hydrogels drive efficient solar-powered chemical reactions

May 15, 2025 Scientists create artificial leaves from supramolecular hydrogels that efficiently convert light into chemical energy for green, recyclable photocatalysis. (Nanowerk Spotlight) The conversion of sunlight into usable energy lies at the center of modern strategies for renewable energy development. Among natural processes, photosynthesis remains the most elegant and...

Miniaturized piezo linear stages with robust bi-phase motors

May 15, 2025 Novel bi-phase piezo motor enables accurate linear motion in an extremely compact package. (Nanowerk News) PI, a global leader in nanopositioning, precision motion control systems, and air bearing technology, introduces the innovative B-421 BIX nanopositioning stages — compact, high-precision linear positioning systems designed for applications requiring reliable...