Sep 16, 2026 A flat-band metasurface converts infrared light into visible images more than 1,000 times brighter while preserving sharp detail. (Nanowerk News) New research led by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems (TMOS) at the University of Melbourne demonstrates a new way to make invisible infrared...
Light-programmable microswimmers switch between bacterial and algal propulsion
Sep 16, 2026 Researchers use light to switch artificial microswimmers in real time between bacteria-like and algae-like propulsion, enabling adaptive active matter. (Nanowerk News) Physicists at Leipzig University and Charles University in Prague have developed a method for changing the swimming style of tiny artificial microswimmers in real time. They...
Single material enables charge injection into both n- and p-type 2D transistors
Sep 16, 2026 A tin diselenide tunneling injector supplies charge efficiently to both n- and p-type 2D semiconductor channels, simplifying the design of ultrathin CMOS devices. (Nanowerk News) A new approach could help make future AI chips smaller and more energy-efficient. A KAIST-led research team has used a single material...
Microscale porous crystals form springs that stretch and contract with solvent
Sep 16, 2026 Researchers created helical porous organic crystals that reversibly stretch and contract as solvent molecules leave and re-enter their pores. (Nanowerk News) Crystals are usually imagined as rigid objects with flat faces and straight edges. A research team led by the University of Osaka has created a porous...
6-nanometer vapor layer shields ultrathin ice from intense heat
Sep 16, 2026 Rapid heating creates a roughly 6-nanometer vapor gap between platinum and amorphous ice, sharply reducing heat flow on nanosecond timescales. (Nanowerk News) Put a drop of water into a very hot pan and it can skitter across the surface on a cushion of vapour. This is known...
Novel solvent recipe boosts efficiency of organic solar cells
Sep 15, 2026 A simple solvent-mixing strategy optimizes the microstructures of all-polymer organic solar cells, enabling ultrafast energy transfer and boosting power conversion efficiency beyond 17%. (Nanowerk News) In a study published in the Chemical Engineering Journal ("Cosolvent-driven exciton delocalization and dual dissociation pathways enable high-efficiency inverted all-polymer solar cells"),...