May 11, 2026 Researchers separated overlapping proton transport at different interfaces in energy materials, enabling accurate interface-specific conductivity evaluation. (Nanowerk News) Understanding how protons move at the interface between polymers and electrode materials is essential for improving fuel cells and related energy devices. However, conventional impedance measurements under inert conditions...
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A dynamic molecular sunscreen for perovskite solar cells
May 09, 2026 A photoisomeric molecule called BTTM anchors ions in perovskite solar cells, improving UV stability and raising efficiency from 22.07% to 24.71%. (Nanowerk News) Researchers at Northwestern Polytechnical University and collaborating institutions have reported a molecular additive that protects perovskite solar cells from ultraviolet damage while raising their...
3D printed artificial muscles that bend and twist on demand
May 09, 2026 Rotational multimaterial 3D printing enables nature-inspired, shape-morphing filaments. (Nanowerk News) Nature is replete with slender filaments that bend and coil – from climbing grape vines, to folded proteins, to elephant trunks that can pick up a peanut but also take down a tree. Harvard scientists seeking to...
Glucose nanoparticles help CBD cross the blood-brain barrier
May 09, 2026 Glucose-coated nanoparticles carry CBD across the blood-brain barrier, trigger release in inflamed tissue, and reduce neuroinflammatory signs in mice. (Nanowerk Spotlight) Some drugs fail not because they lack biological activity, but because their chemistry makes them difficult to deliver. They may affect the right pathways in cells,...
New molecular design produces bright twisted light in the near infrared
May 08, 2026 New molecular design unlocks high photoluminescence efficiency and improved stability, with potential applications in lasers, bioimaging, and quantum technologies (Nanowerk News) Circularly polarized light is finding uses in technologies ranging from next-generation 3D displays to bioimaging tools that detect signals deep within living tissue. Producing it efficiently...
Electron crystals melt like solids, opening doors to neuromorphic computing
May 08, 2026 Charge density waves in metals accumulate defects and melt much like physical solids, a behavior that could be harnessed for neuromorphic devices and superconductors. (Nanowerk News) In a process analogous to how solids melt into liquids, the electrons in many different metals form crystal-like patterns that can...
Nanoparticles that disable drug resistance before delivering chemo eliminate tumors in mice
May 08, 2026 A two-step nanoparticle system first blocks cancer cells' drug-expulsion mechanism, then releases chemotherapy combined with laser-driven heat to destroy resistant tumors. (Nanowerk News) Cancer cells frequently develop the ability to expel anticancer drugs before they can work -- a phenomenon called multidrug resistance (MDR) -- which is...
Ion beam technique unlocks low power ferroelectric memory in aluminum nitride
May 08, 2026 Precisely placed defects from a helium ion beam enable ferroelectric switching in aluminum nitride with 40% less energy, using existing chip manufacturing tools. (Nanowerk News) Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have shown for the first time that ferroelectricity can be directly written into aluminum nitride using...
Multimetallic nanoparticles grow more uniform as components increase
May 08, 2026 Mixing five metals into a single nanoparticle produces surprisingly uniform structures and a fourfold boost in catalytic activity for hydrogen production. (Nanowerk News) A KAIST and Stanford University joint research team revealed research results that overturn long-standing beliefs in the field of nanomaterials (Science, "Competitive reactivity drives...
Paper mill waste and liquid metal combine into a 96% efficient solar absorber
May 08, 2026 A coating made from paper-mill waste lignin and liquid metal nanoparticles absorbs 96% of sunlight, powering flat-panel thermoelectric generators while cutting carbon emissions below zero. (Nanowerk Spotlight) Industries routinely destroy materials they later discover were valuable. Coal tar was once a nuisance byproduct of nineteenth-century gas works,...