Apr 15, 2026 Researchers built superconducting quantum devices using a new material and a technique adapted from electronics manufacturing processes. (Nanowerk News) Beginning in the 1950s, silicon transformed the electronics industry by enabling smaller and faster devices that could be reliably manufactured at scale. More than six decades later, silicon-based...
3D Printing accelerates the future of lithium batteries
Apr 15, 2026 Researchers are investigating how 3D printers could achieve unprecedented levels of precision when creating batteries, opening the door for new innovations. (Nanowerk News) Recent progress in advanced energy manufacturing has opened a new path for lithium battery design. A joint research team led by Associate Professor Eric...
A single measurement sorts chiral molecules by type, handedness, and ratio
Apr 16, 2026 A terahertz platform built on an achiral gradient metasurface resolves the components, handedness, and mixing ratios of chiral biomolecule mixtures in a single broadband measurement. (Nanowerk Spotlight) Many molecules come in two versions that are perfect mirror images of one another, like a left and a right...
Understanding material degradation in solar cells
Apr 16, 2026 A new measurement method for photoelectrochemical cells enables real-time observation of material aging. (Nanowerk News) A research team at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon has demonstrated how a classic technique can be repurposed to measure the material degradation of photoelectrodes in real time. This new method enables continuous and...
AI-powered biochip detects genetic markers in 20 minutes
Apr 16, 2026 Scientists have developed a new biochip that, when paired with Artificial Intelligence (AI), can detect quickly and accurately extremely small amounts of microRNAs, which are tiny genetic markers linked to diseases such as heart disease. (Nanowerk News) Published in the scientific journal Advanced Materials ("Broadband Nanocavity Imaging...
AI system removes coding barrier in search for stable energy materials
Apr 16, 2026 An AI system enables researchers to find stable energy materials using plain language, removing coding barriers while maintaining scientific accuracy and reliability. (Nanowerk News) A new artificial intelligence (AI) tool that could make it much easier to discover better materials for clean energy technologies. The system, called...
Lichen-inspired nanocomposite coating delays ice for nearly an hour and melts it on demand
Apr 16, 2026 A nanocomposite coating modeled on Antarctic lichens traps a stable insulating air layer and adds sunlight-driven and electrical heating, delaying ice formation and clearing it within minutes. (Nanowerk Spotlight) Subzero air settling onto a wet surface sets up a small but consequential physical problem. Water finds its...
AI model finds hidden high-performance dielectric materials by learning the underlying physics
Apr 16, 2026 A physics-based AI model identifies new high-dielectric materials by modeling atomic behavior, enabling faster and more accurate materials discovery. (Nanowerk News) Predicting material properties remains a major challenge in materials science, as it often requires complex and computationally intensive calculations. In particular, understanding how materials respond to...
Bottled lightning makes a cleaner fuel
Apr 15, 2026 Bursts of plasma convert methane into methanol without high heat and pressures. (Nanowerk News) Northwestern University chemists have discovered a new way to turn natural gas into liquid fuel — and it’s lightning in a bottle. By harnessing tiny bursts of plasma — or mini “lightning bolts”...
Biodegradable implant mimics electric eel organs to regenerate severed nerves
Apr 15, 2026 A biodegradable ionic hydrogel battery modeled on electric eel organs powers a nerve conduit that accelerates peripheral nerve regeneration without external energy. (Nanowerk Spotlight) Every nerve signal in the body is, at its core, an electrical event. When a peripheral nerve is severed, the biological wiring that...