Feb 23, 2026 Advanced imaging reveals a detailed understanding of the mechanisms driving a previously misunderstood material, researchers say. (Nanowerk News) A stretchy, conductive type of plastic could help power the next generation of implantable biomedical devices, like longer-lasting pacemakers or glucose monitors, according to Enrique Gomez, professor of chemical...
Polystyrene nanoparticles can increase fish embryo early mortality especially in a stressful environment
Feb 23, 2026 Plastic pollution in freshwater is increasing, leading to micro- and nanoplastic buildup. A study found these particles and their surface charge can harm fish reproduction, especially under stress. (Nanowerk News) Plastic contamination in freshwater ecosystems continues to rise, resulting in micro- and nanoparticle accumulation in the aquatic...
Nanophotonic color router solves smartphone camera angle problem
Feb 23, 2026 A new metamaterial-based nanophotonic color router maintains 78% optical efficiency at oblique angles, enabling accurate color separation for next-gen smartphone cameras. (Nanowerk News) Smartphone cameras are becoming smaller, yet photos are becoming sharper. Korean researchers have elevated the limits of next-generation smartphone cameras by developing a new...
All-optical morphological image processing at the speed of light
Feb 23, 2026 A nanophotonic diffractive network performs morphological image processing, including dilation and erosion, purely through light propagation. (Nanowerk Spotlight) In the age of big data, we are generating more images than we can actually process. Autonomous vehicles, medical scanners, and quality control systems rely heavily on morphological transformations—the...
Neutral molecule delivers DNA into cells, promising safer gene therapy approach
Feb 22, 2026 Scientists developed a charge-free polymer-DNA complex that boosts cellular DNA uptake 14-fold in mice, avoiding the harmful inflammation caused by current methods. (Nanowerk News) Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have created a new molecule which carries DNA into biological cells, to treat or vaccinate against illnesses (ACS...
Shark-inspired electronic skin gives robotic hands the ability to sense objects without touching them
Feb 22, 2026 A flexible electronic skin inspired by shark electroreception lets robotic hands identify object shapes and materials through both non-contact electrostatic scanning and touch-based sensing. (Nanowerk Spotlight) Sharks possess a sensory ability that most animals lack: they detect faint electric fields produced by the muscle contractions of nearby...
Single-atom catalyst produces hydrogen and oxygen simultaneously, slashing costs
Feb 20, 2026 Scientists developed a single-atom iridium catalyst that drives both water-splitting reactions on one electrode, using 98.5% less precious metal for cheaper green hydrogen. (Nanowerk News) Green hydrogen production technology, which utilizes renewable energy to produce eco-friendly hydrogen without carbon emissions, is gaining attention as a core technology...
How AI found better battery materials among 14 million possibilities
Feb 20, 2026 A machine-learning loop searched 14 million battery cathode compositions and found fivefold performance gains across four metrics using fewer than 200 experiments. (Nanowerk Spotlight) Among millions of untested chemical compositions, there almost certainly exists a battery cathode that charges faster, lasts longer, and wastes less energy than...
Understanding the physics at the anode of sodium-ion batteries
Feb 20, 2026 Researchers reveal new mechanisms governing the storage and the movement of sodium ions in hard carbon nanopore anodes. (Nanowerk News) Sodium-ion batteries (NIBs) are gaining traction as a next-generation technology to complement the widely used lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). NIBs offer clear advantages versus LIBs in terms of...
MXene membrane acts like a transistor to control ion flow in real time
Feb 20, 2026 A new electrically controlled MXene membrane tunes ion separation on demand, opening doors to more efficient water treatment, drug delivery and rare earth mining. (Nanowerk News) By applying voltage to electrically control a new “transistor” membrane, researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) achieved real-time tuning of...