Tag

Nanomaterials

All articles tagged with #nanomaterials

science11 days ago•11 min saved

June’s hidden science hits: from ballistics to boron buckyballs

June’s roundup highlights six science stories: how the soccer scissors feint works and how ball design triggers a drag crisis in flight; the Vesuvius Challenge’s breakthrough in digitally unwrapping and reading PHerc.1667 Herculaneum scrolls; the first experimental evidence for an 80-atom boron buckyball; the discovery of ‘ballista’ spiders that catapult prey into their main web; and a physics-based explanation for the distinctive coiled shapes of lugworm poo tied to elastic coiling in gravity.

via Ars Technica|

#aerodynamics #archaeology #nanomaterials

science29 days ago•11 min saved

Boron Buckballs Open a New Fullerene Frontier

Scientists report boron buckyballs (B80), an 80-atom boron fullerene larger than C60 with an predicted ~0.8 eV band gap, potentially acting as a semiconductor with new doping prospects; while tantalizing, scalable production and real-world applications remain uncertain.

via Hackaday|

#boron #buckyball #fullerene

science-and-technology2 months ago•184 min saved

Nano-coating cools roofs and harvests water from the air

Australian researchers have developed a nanoengineered cooling paint that uses passive radiative cooling to reflect most of the sun, keeping rooftops cooler and reducing building energy use, while also condensing moisture from humid air to harvest water. Early field tests showed solar reflectivity up to 96% and roof temperatures up to 6°C cooler than the surrounding air, with a Sydney trial suggesting up to 34% in cooling energy savings. In trials on a 200 m2 roof, about 74 liters of water per day were harvested. The paint is being considered for commercialization, but durability, performance in cloudy weather, upfront costs, and the lack of standardized testing remain challenges.”,

via CNN|

#climate-change #cooling-technology #nanomaterials

technology2 months ago•72 min saved

Hair-thin nanotube shield could protect future space tech from radiation

Scientists have developed a stretchable, ultra-thin shielding material made from carbon and boron nitride nanotubes that blocks electromagnetic radiation (99.999%) and neutron radiation (72%), and can be 3D-printed. When formed in a honeycomb shape, shielding improves by about 15%. This lightweight, flexible material could protect equipment and astronauts across satellites, space stations, and other space tech, with the study published in Advanced Materials.

via Space|

#boron-nitride-nanotubes #carbon-nanotubes #nanomaterials

science2 months ago•6 min saved

Graphene oxide: selective bacteria killer that spares human cells

KAIST researchers reveal that graphene oxide selectively disrupts bacterial membranes by binding to a molecule (POPG) present in bacteria but not human cells, killing a broad range of bacteria including drug-resistant strains while leaving human cells unharmed; when used as nanofibers, it stops bacterial growth and promotes faster wound healing, and its antibacterial properties endure after repeated washing, with real-world uses in antibacterial toothbrushes and textiles.

via Science Daily|

#antibacterial #antibiotic-resistance #graphene-oxide

technology3 months ago•5 min saved

Light-Activated Graphene Coating Promises On-Demand Germ-Killing Shield

Swiss researchers developed ultra-thin graphene-oxide coatings that, when illuminated with near-infrared light, heat to about 44°C and generate reactive oxygen species to kill bacteria. In lab tests, the coating nearly eliminated a drug-resistant strain and reduced another by over 90%, and it can be activated through tissue, offering a potential implant coating solution, though clinical use is years away.

via Indian Defence Review|

#antibiotic-resistance #antimicrobial-coatings #graphene

science4 months ago•14 min saved

Gold, Light, and Salt Unveil Nanoscale Forces in Real Time

Chalmers University researchers have developed a simple platform using micrometer-sized gold flakes in a salt solution between two gold-coated glass plates. When illuminated, light trapped in nanometer-scale liquid cavities creates color changes that reveal the balance between Casimir attraction and electrostatic repulsion, enabling direct study of nanoscale surface forces and self-assembly with potential applications in medicine, biosensing, and materials science.

via SciTechDaily|

#casimir-effect #nanomaterials #nanoscale-physics

science5 months ago•6 min saved

Dancing Peptides Cross the Blood-Brain Barrier to Repair Stroke Damage in Mice

Northwestern researchers developed an intravenously delivered supramolecular peptide therapy, IKVAV-PA, that crosses the blood-brain barrier after a stroke, accumulates at injury sites, and reduces tissue damage and inflammation in mice with a single post-reperfusion dose, without detectable organ toxicity. While no short-term behavioral improvement was seen, the approach shows promise as an adjunct to clot-reopening treatments and could extend to other brain injuries pending longer-term studies on cognitive and functional recovery.

via Indian Defence Review|

#blood-brain-barrier #ikvav-pa #nanomaterials

technology1 year ago•4 min saved

Revolutionary Contact Lenses Enable Night Vision and Infrared Detection

Researchers have developed a non-powered contact lens embedded with nanomaterials that allows humans to see certain infrared signals, opening new possibilities for security, rescue, and medical applications by transforming infrared light into visible colors and patterns.

via Earth.com|

#contact-lens #infrared-detection #medical-imaging

health1 year ago•3 min saved

Sugar-Coated Particles Offer Hope Against Alzheimer's

Researchers have developed sugar-coated nanomaterials that can trap misfolded amyloid beta proteins, potentially preventing the formation of toxic plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease, offering a promising early intervention approach. Further studies are needed to assess their effectiveness in humans.

via ScienceAlert|

#alzheimers #amyloid-beta #health

science-and-technology2 years ago•3 min saved

"Breakthrough: Two-Dimensional Nanomaterial Achieves Unprecedented Expansion Record"

A new two-dimensional nanomaterial, tungsten semi-carbide, has been developed by researchers at Western University, demonstrating an unprecedented expansion behavior known as auxetics. The nanosheets can expand perpendicular to the applied force, setting a new world record of 40% expansion, surpassing the previous 10% record. This innovation was achieved through the use of remote plasma vapor deposition, a technique that relies on plasma physics to form single-atom layers. The material's potential applications include strain gauges, sensors, and stretchable electronics due to its enhanced electrical conductivity when subjected to stretching.

via Phys.org|

#auxetics #nanomaterials #plasma-physics

science-and-technology2 years ago•3 min saved

"Study Confirms Quantum Paths for Electron Movement"

Researchers, including Professor Jong Han, have published a study in Nature Communications exploring the physics behind insulator-to-metal transitions. They propose that a relatively small electric field can collapse the gap between energy bands in materials, creating a quantum pathway for electrons to transition freely. This insight into the behavior of novel nanomaterials at low temperatures could have implications for future microelectronic technologies, such as compact memories for data-intensive applications like artificial intelligence. Further research is needed to understand the precise conditions required for this quantum avalanche phenomenon to occur.

via The Quantum Insider|

#electrical-conductivity #insulator-to-metal-transition #microelectronics

science-and-technology2 years ago•3 min saved

"Wonder Material Graphene Shows Promise in Human Trials for Tackling Global Challenges Safely"

A study published in Nature Nanotechnology suggests that carefully controlled inhalation of a specific type of graphene, a revolutionary nanomaterial, has no short-term adverse effects on lung or cardiovascular function. The study, involving 14 volunteers, indicates that this graphene oxide material could be further developed with minimal risk to human health, paving the way for potential applications in electronics, healthcare, and environmental solutions. Researchers emphasize the need for further investigation into potential long-term effects and different forms of graphene, but the findings represent a significant step in understanding the safety of nanomaterials for broader use.

via Phys.org|

#graphene #human-health #nanomaterials

science-and-technology2 years ago•3 min saved

"Showcasing Breakthroughs in Plasmonics Potential"

Researchers from the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology in Korea have presented new breakthroughs in plasmonics, focusing on growth techniques for tailored plasmonic nanomaterials and clock-inspired magnesium nano-rotamers. They have showcased the potential of shadow growth techniques for creating diverse nanostructures with tunable optical properties, with applications in areas such as wound healing, drug delivery, photonic devices, and chiral spectroscopy. The studies also introduced 3D rotamers capable of linear and circular polarization, holding promise for applications in security verification, anti-counterfeiting devices, and displays with programmable optical states.

via Phys.org|

#nanomaterials #optical-materials #plasmonics

science-and-technology2 years ago•5 min saved

"Graphene Ribbons: Building Nanoscale Power Plants for Quantum Energy Generation"

Quantum physicist Mickael Perrin is researching the use of graphene nanoribbons to build nanoscale power plants that can efficiently convert thermal energy into electricity using quantum effects, with potential applications in smartphones and minisensors. His work combines thermodynamics and quantum mechanics, and has earned him prestigious research grants and fellowships. Perrin's research group at Empa has demonstrated that graphene nanoribbons can preserve quantum effects at higher temperatures, paving the way for future practical applications. However, challenges remain in scaling up and incorporating these materials into devices, with an estimated timeline of at least 15 years for practical implementation.

via Phys.org|

#graphene #nanomaterials #nanoscale-power-plants