Mar 05, 2026 Catalyst surfaces work as coordinated networks, not isolated hotspots, a new study reveals, opening doors to designing more efficient catalysts for clean energy. (Nanowerk News) Catalysts are essential to modern industry, accelerating reactions used to produce everything from fertilisers and fuels to medicines and hydrogen energy. But...
Mars orbiters watch solar superstorm hit the Red Planet
Mar 05, 2026 What happens when a solar superstorm hits Mars? Thanks to the European Space Agency's Mars orbiters, we now know: glitching spacecraft and a supercharged upper atmosphere. (Nanowerk News) In May 2024, Earth was hit by the biggest solar storm recorded in over 20 years. It sent our...
Photonic chips enable real time learning in spiking neural networks
Mar 05, 2026 A two-chip photonic neuromorphic system performs real time spiking reinforcement learning using only light, achieving GPU-class energy efficiency. (Nanowerk News) A research team based at Xidian University in China has developed a photonic neuromorphic computing system capable of performing reinforcement learning using only light-based processes. The two-chip...
A nanoplatform turns mild heat into a gene-editing trigger that disarms tumor defenses
Mar 05, 2026 Bismuthene nanodiscs use mild heat to switch on gene editing that dismantles a tumor's heat defenses, creating a feedback loop that kills cancer cells more effectively. (Nanowerk Spotlight) Tumor cells can withstand surprising amounts of heat. When their temperature rises into the 42 to 46 °C range,...
Polymers that crawl like worms without being told where to go
Mar 05, 2026 Densely packed polymer chains can spontaneously start moving in one direction, even without being pushed, a finding that could explain DNA behavior and inspire new smart materials. (Nanowerk News) Researchers at the University of Vienna have discovered that densely packed polymer chains can develop spontaneous directional motion...
Multifunctional hydrogel achieves broadband EMI shielding with minimal filler
Mar 05, 2026 A MXene-based double-network hydrogel delivers broadband electromagnetic interference shielding and infrared stealth at just 0.12 wt% filler content. (Nanowerk News) A newly developed composite hydrogel delivers efficient electromagnetic interference shielding across microwave, terahertz, and infrared frequency bands while using an exceptionally low concentration of conductive filler material....
Electronic nose inspired by insect antennae identifies and locates odor sources
Mar 05, 2026 An electronic nose modeled on insect antennae simultaneously identifies gas mixtures and pinpoints their three-dimensional origin by decoding the natural dynamics of odor plumes. (Nanowerk Spotlight) When a honeybee navigates toward a flower, it does not merely detect the presence of a scent. Its two antennae, separated...
Earth abundant metals unlock low temperature hydrogen from ammonia
Mar 05, 2026 Researchers developed a catalyst support that lets cheap nickel and cobalt rival expensive ruthenium for producing hydrogen from ammonia at lower temperatures. (Nanowerk News) A new catalyst strategy developed at Institute of Science Tokyo uses BaSi2 as a support for nickel and cobalt to decompose ammonia at...
Intermediate phases act as stepping stones for faster nanoparticle crystallization
Mar 04, 2026 Computer simulations reveal that mesophases dramatically speed nanoparticle crystallization and improve crystal quality by reducing free-energy barriers. (Nanowerk News) A well-placed step can turn a high hurdle into an easier jump. The same idea applies to how nanoparticles transition into crystals, according to new research from Cornell....
Engineered nanostring triggers five vibration modes for ultrasensitive sensing
Mar 04, 2026 Scientists engineered a nanostring that cascades energy through five vibration modes from a single push, opening new paths for ultrasensitive nanoscale sensors. (Nanowerk News) Scientists at TU Delft have designed a nanostring that, when poked, doesn’t lose its energy to the environment immediately. Instead, the energy leaks...