Mar 06, 2026 MXene materials can be coated onto fabrics to create smart textiles that track heart rate, blood pressure, and temperature while fighting bacteria and storing solar energy. (Nanowerk News) You’re probably used to the sight of smartwatches on people’s wrists. But what about smart clothes? Researchers at the...
Photonic crystal light sails could propel spacecraft without fuel
Mar 06, 2026 Researchers design scalable nanostructures that selectively reflect propulsion laser light while reducing heat and mass for fuel free interplanetary travel. (Nanowerk News) Most space missions rely on chemical rockets for propulsion. Rockets must carry fuel, which increases spacecraft mass and limits their speed and travel distance. For...
Eco-friendly cotton that repels water and separates oil
Mar 06, 2026 Hydrophobic nanoparticles create fluorine-free, water-repellent cotton with micro- and nanoscale surface textures. Stain-resistant, breathable, and eco-friendly. (Nanowerk News) Cotton is well-known for its breathability, comfort, and versatility. However, its natural tendency to absorb water (a property known as hydrophilicity), limits its use in specialised applications such as...
Gradient wall microbottle resonator enables large scale optical trapping
Mar 06, 2026 A gradient-thickness microbottle resonator traps nanoparticles across 195 micrometers at sub-milliwatt power by shielding peak optical fields from particle interference. (Nanowerk News) A new optical trapping platform based on a hollow microbottle resonator with gradient wall thickness achieves stable, large-scale particle confinement across nearly 200 micrometers using...
Tiny thermometers offer on-chip temperature monitoring for processors
Mar 06, 2026 Researchers developed a microscopic thermometer smaller than an ant's antenna that can be integrated onto chips for highly efficient and precise temperature monitoring. (Nanowerk News) The semiconductor chips driving modern-day computer processors are covered in billions of individual transistors, each of which can overheat under stress, causing...
Wet coffee grounds turn black and that simple fact helps desalinate seawater
Mar 06, 2026 A fully biomass hydrogel made from coffee grounds and seaweed polymer turns black when wet, capturing 94% of sunlight to desalinate seawater without synthetic additives. (Nanowerk Spotlight) Spent coffee grounds darken noticeably when wet. It is an everyday observation, easy to overlook, but it reflects a real...
Novel method holds promise for smaller, tuneable machines to produce water-window X-rays
Mar 06, 2026 Discovery paves the way for smaller and more flexible machines for bioimaging. (Nanowerk News) Researchers from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have found a new way to produce X-rays with wavelengths in what is called the “water window”. This new method holds promise in making bioimaging...
Nanoparticle system shows promise for delivering mRNA to prevent Type 1 diabetes
Mar 05, 2026 Lipid nanoparticles deliver mRNA to insulin-producing beta cells, prompting them to express a protective protein that shields them from autoimmune attack. (Nanowerk News) Research on preventing type 1 diabetes often focuses on limiting the autoimmune response that destroys the body’s ability to produce its own insulin. A...
A flexible electrolyte for solid batteries
Mar 05, 2026 Researchers developed a stretchable polymer-based solid electrolyte that could enable safer, flexible solid-state batteries for medical and other applications. (Nanowerk News) Solid-state batteries do not use flammable liquid electrolytes and are therefore safer than conventional lithium-ion batteries. Empa researchers have developed a solid electrolyte based on a...
AI blood test detects early pancreatic cancer with over 90 percent accuracy
Mar 05, 2026 PanMETAI combines AI and NMR metabolomics to detect early-stage pancreatic cancer from a blood sample, achieving 93 percent sensitivity in clinical validation. (Nanowerk News) A new AI-powered diagnostic model can detect precancerous lesions and early-stage pancreatic cancer from a small blood sample, achieving accuracy levels that surpass...