May 15, 2026 The new manufacturing method preserves silk's crystalline structure and could help upcycle short fibers into telecom equipment. (Nanowerk News) Silk threads can be fused into transparent, plastic-like materials that twist terahertz frequencies of light, according to research led by Imperial College London, University of Michigan Engineering and...
AI framework predicts hidden defects that weaken metal 3D-printed parts
May 15, 2026 A new AI framework predicts microscopic defects in metal 3D printing, forecasting part strength in seconds and cutting trial-and-error in materials design. (Nanowerk News) Metal additive manufacturing (AM), widely regarded as a revolution in modern manufacturing for its ability to produce lightweight and geometrically complex components, has...
Nanoparticle aggregates can be plastically deformed with heat
May 15, 2026 Researchers make nanoparticle aggregates heat moldable using ionic liquid cations, preserving particle shape and crystallites during thermoforming. (Nanowerk News) Researchers at The University of Osaka have created heat moldable nanoparticle aggregates that soften and reshape when warmed while keeping the individual particles intact (Science Advances, "Thermoforming nanoparticle...
Lattice symmetry shapes topological spin structures in two-dimensional magnets
May 15, 2026 Lattice symmetry directly shapes topological spin structures in two-dimensional van der Waals magnets, a role typically attributed to interfacial interactions. (Nanowerk News) Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences have shown that the crystal lattice of a two-dimensional magnet directly shapes topological spin structures in Cr 2Ge2Te6...
Solid-state EV battery cathodes need at least 2.5 nanometer protective coatings
May 15, 2026 Researchers identified 2.5 nanometers as the minimum coating thickness that suppresses side reactions in sulfide solid-state batteries. (Nanowerk News) Researchers at Hanyang University in South Korea have pinned down the minimum thickness a protective solid-state battery cathode coating must reach to do its job. A lithium niobium...
DNA barcodes help nanopores detect multiple heavy metals
May 15, 2026 DNA-barcoded probes let nanopores identify which metal-ion signals belong to which targets, enabling multiplexed sensing in water and soil extracts. (Nanowerk Spotlight) In heavy metal sensing, the hardest signal is not always the weakest one. It is the one that cannot be assigned to the right metal....
Recyclable protein fibers could cut textile waste and microplastic pollution
May 15, 2026 Engineered protein fibers created with synthetic biology could enable recyclable textiles, helping reduce fashion waste and microfiber pollution. (Nanowerk News) The textile industry produces a substantial portion of world’s waste with only about 12% of fiber materials ending up in recycling. Textiles also account for much of...