May 11, 2026 Defect-engineered zinc oxide converts tiny reversible strains into near-infrared light, opening a rare-earth-free path to self-powered optical stress sensing. (Nanowerk Spotlight) Mechanoluminescent materials emit light when mechanical force acts on them. Researchers have demonstrated them in prototype systems for stress mapping, structural health monitoring, and biomedical sensing....
Ultrahigh-energy cosmic messengers may carry ultraheavy secrets
May 11, 2026 There may be an ultraheavy explanation for the mystery surrounding the origins of the highest-energy particles ever observed. (Nanowerk News) Ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays are particles from space that strike Earth with energies far beyond those reachable by human-made particle accelerators. One of the most extreme events ever...
Stevia-based hydrogel improves triboelectric nanogenerator performance
May 11, 2026 Researchers developed a stevia-PVA hydrogel triboelectric nanogenerator with 2-5 times greater mechanical strength and 3-8 times higher electrical output than conventional designs. (Nanowerk News) A research team from South Korea has built a triboelectric nanogenerator using a stevia-infused hydrogel that surpasses existing designs in mechanical strength, electrical...
First separation of interfacial proton transport in ultrathin energy device materials
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...
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...