Feb 26, 2026 Crystalline polymers assembled inside tumor cell lysosomes rupture membranes, release iron, and trigger immune-activating ferroptosis that shrinks tumors in mice. (Nanowerk Spotlight) Cells produce natural polymers such as DNA, proteins, and sugars to sustain life. Synthetic polymers can offer properties they lack: customizable architecture, tunable porosity, built-in...
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Cheap, large-scale graphene production from agricultural waste
Feb 26, 2026 Engineers have developed a cheaper and greener way to make graphene from leftover peanut shells. (Nanowerk News) The development opens the door to cheaper, more sustainable electronics and energy storage devices and could help transform agricultural waste into valuable products inside phones and computers that are used...
Bursting bubbles make water puddles jump, showing promise for precise 3D printing
Feb 26, 2026 Researchers found that bursting bubbles can launch centimeter-wide water puddles into the air, a mechanism that could enable precise micro- and nano-scale 3D printing. (Nanowerk News) Water droplets have a unique ability: They can leap from a surface on their own. This can happen for a variety...
Atomic precision unlocks smarter oxygen reduction catalysts
Feb 26, 2026 Scientists found that tweaking nitrogen arrangement around single cobalt atoms dramatically improves oxygen reduction, offering a blueprint for better fuel cell catalysts. (Nanowerk News) Tiny changes at the atomic scale can determine the future of clean energy. In a new study (Journal of the American Chemical Society,...
Enzymes work as Maxwell’s demon by using memory stored as motion
Feb 25, 2026 Scientists show enhanced enzyme diffusion after catalysis actively drives reactions away from equilibrium, offering a new role for enzymes in metabolic regulation and a possible missing link in prebiotic chemistry. (Nanowerk News) Living cells are sustained by countless chemical reactions that must be carefully regulated to maintain...
A foam sensor gives robotic fingers both thermal and tactile perception
Feb 25, 2026 A flexible foam sensor built from silver selenide detects temperature and pressure simultaneously, enabling a robotic gripper to identify nine different materials with 96% accuracy. (Nanowerk Spotlight) Pick up a coffee mug without looking and your hand instantly reports back: ceramic, warm, smooth, light. That snap judgment...
LED-powered nanosensor detects multiple hazardous gases at room temperature
Feb 25, 2026 A new nanostructure gas sensor uses safe blue LED light to distinguish hydrogen, ammonia, and ethanol with 56x better sensitivity and minimal power consumption. (Nanowerk News) The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS, President Lee Ho Seong) has developed a next-generation gas sensor technology that...
Largest image of its kind shows hidden chemistry at the heart of the Milky Way
Feb 25, 2026 Astronomers have captured the central region of our Milky Way in a striking new image, unveiling a complex network of filaments of cosmic gas in unprecedented detail. This rich dataset will allow astronomers to probe the lives of stars in the most extreme region of our galaxy,...
Boron nitride nanosheets create ceramic that is both tough and radar-invisible
Feb 25, 2026 A dual-phase silicon carbide ceramic reinforced with boron nitride nanosheets achieves 94.5% greater strength while absorbing radar waves for stealth applications. (Nanowerk News) In aerospace engineering, materials face a fundamental tradeoff. They can either be structurally tough enough to survive extreme heat and pressure, or they can...
Printable enzyme ink powers next-generation wearable biosensors
Feb 25, 2026 Researchers overcome key challenges in the mass production of enzymatic biofuel cells, paving the way for self-powered wearable sensor. (Nanowerk News) Wearable sensors are rapidly advancing, becoming smaller yet more capable than ever of tracking physiological signals in real time. Recent studies have focused on developing skin...