Tag

Nanotechnology

All articles tagged with #nanotechnology

technology1 month ago•5 min saved

Virus-Rupturing Nano-Pillar Film Gives Surfaces a Chemical-Free Defense

A flexible acrylic film coated with thousands of ultra-fine nanopillars mimics cicada wing textures to mechanically rupture virus particles on contact, offering a scalable, chemical-free way to reduce surface transmission. Lab tests against human parainfluenza virus type 3 showed up to 94% of viruses damaged within an hour, with the closest pillar spacing (~60 nanometres) proving most effective. Potential applications include phones, public transport, hospital equipment, and office desks, though real-world durability and long-term performance require further study.

via ScienceAlert|

#antiviral-surfaces #biomimicry #materials-science

science-tech1 month ago•10 min saved

Flexible nanopillar film ruptures viruses on contact

Researchers at RMIT developed a lightweight, flexible acrylic film with thousands of nanoscale pillars that mechanically rupture viral envelopes on contact, inspired by insect wing textures. Lab tests with human parainfluenza virus type 3 showed up to 94% of virus particles were destroyed within an hour. Pillar spacing (around 60 nanometers) mattered more than pillar height, and the scalable molding process could enable antiviral coatings for phones, hospital equipment, and public transit—providing a chemical-free alternative to disinfectants, though real-world durability remains to be tested.

via The Conversation|

#antiviral-surfaces #infection-control #materials-science

energy1 month ago•13 min saved

Sun-Powered Wood: Engineered Timber Stores Solar Heat and Generates Power

Researchers converted balsa wood into an all-in-one solar energy system by delignifying the wood, nano-engineering its channels with black phosphorene protected by a tannic acid–iron layer and silver nanoparticles, then filling the pores with stearic acid for heat storage. The material stores about 175 kJ/kg, converts roughly 91% of sunlight to usable heat, and can generate up to 0.65 V with a thermoelectric generator after illumination ends, while remaining durable over cycling and highly water-repellent. This wood-based approach could enable compact solar storage and heat management in electronics, pending scale-up.

via Interesting Engineering|

#energy #materials-science #nanotechnology

technology1 month ago•6 min saved

Chip-Scale Nanolaser Promises Faster, Greener Computing

DTU researchers have built a nanolaser inside a semiconductor membrane that concentrates light and electrons in a tiny nanocavity, enabling on-chip data transfer with photons instead of electricity. The technology could dramatically boost speeds and halve energy use once thousands of such sources are integrated on future chips; it currently operates at room temperature using light, with electrical powering and large-scale integration as next challenges. If resolved in 5–10 years, it could impact consumer devices, data centers, and high-precision sensors.

via SciTechDaily|

#nanolaser #nanotechnology #on-chip

science2 months ago•19 min saved

Programmable DNA nanorobots target cancer and viruses in the bloodstream

Scientists are turning DNA into programmable nanomachines that can move, sense, and deliver therapies, using DNA origami and strand displacement to create DNA robots that could autonomously seek out cancer cells or viruses in the bloodstream; while early demonstrations show targeted drug delivery and precise nanoparticle placement, major challenges remain in controlling motion, ensuring stability in the body, and scaling production for real-world medical use.

via Earth.com|

#biotechnology #dna-origami #dna-robots

technology3 months ago•1 min saved

NSF launches $100M initiative to build nationwide quantum and nanotech research hubs

The U.S. National Science Foundation unveiled up to $100 million to create a network of up to 16 open‑access quantum and nanoscale research facilities across five years, enabling students, researchers, and small businesses to access advanced fabrication and characterization tools and expertise as a shared national resource to accelerate leadership in quantum information science, nanotech, semiconductors, biotech, and advanced manufacturing.

via National Science Foundation (.gov)|

#nanotechnology #open-access-facilities #quantum-information-science

world3 months ago•127 min saved

Toothbrush-Activated Powder Promises Safer At-Home Teeth Whitening

Chinese researchers have developed BSCT, a nondestructive whitening powder that, when brushed with an electric toothbrush, generates a small electric field to trigger reactions that break apart stain-causing molecules, whitening teeth while helping enamel repair for potential at-home use.

via The Daily Beast|

#dentistry #enamel-repair #nanotechnology

technology4 months ago•5 min saved

3D nanocoils turn geometry into switchable diodes

Researchers use a focused ion beam to sculpt 3D helices from a single crystal (Co3Sn2S2), creating switchable diode-like electrical transport whose direction can be reversed by changing magnetization or the helix handedness, demonstrating geometry as a design tool for future low-power, 3D nanoscale electronics.

via ScienceDaily|

#diodes #materials-science #nanofabrication

technology4 months ago•6 min saved

Experts Predict Technology Trends for 2050

Experts predict that by 2050, technology will be deeply integrated into daily life, with advancements in AI, cybernetics, nanotechnology, and space exploration leading to human-machine enhancements, autonomous vehicles, virtual twins for health, and potentially habitable lunar bases, shaping a transformative future.

via BBC|

#ai #cybernetics #future-predictions

science4 months ago•3 min saved

Richard Feynman Invents New Field of Physics in 1959 Lecture

Richard Feynman's 1959 lecture at Caltech envisioned the concept of nanotechnology, proposing ideas like atomic manipulation and tiny machines, which laid the groundwork for the field, although the term was only coined in 1974. His predictions have largely come true, influencing modern nanoscience and technology.

via Live Science|

#1959-lecture #field-of-physics #miniaturization

health5 months ago•1 min saved

Nasal Drops Offer New Hope in Brain Cancer Treatment

Researchers have developed a noninvasive nasal drop treatment using nanotechnology to target glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer, showing promising results in mice and potentially offering a safer, more effective therapy in the future.

via NewsNation|

#brain-cancer #cancer-treatment #glioblastoma

science-and-technology5 months ago•4 min saved

Revolutionary Tech Rapidly Eradicates Persistent Chemicals

Researchers at Rice University have developed a rapid, eco-friendly technology using layered double hydroxide (LDH) materials to efficiently capture and destroy 'forever chemicals' (PFAS) in water, with potential for reuse and application in municipal and industrial water treatment.

via ScienceDaily|

#environmentally-friendly #nanotechnology #pfas

health6 months ago•4 min saved

Nanotech Boosts Cancer Drug Potency 20,000x with No Side Effects

Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a nanotech-based reformulation of the chemotherapy drug 5-fluorouracil using spherical nucleic acids, making it 20,000 times more effective against leukemia cells with minimal side effects, potentially revolutionizing cancer treatment.

via ScienceDaily|

#cancer-treatment #chemotherapy #health

health6 months ago•3 min saved

Light-Based Cancer Therapy Targets Tumors While Protecting Healthy Cells

Scientists have developed tin oxide nanoflakes that convert near-infrared light into heat, enabling targeted, safe, and affordable photothermal cancer therapy that kills tumor cells while sparing healthy tissue, with promising results in initial tests and potential for home use in skin cancer treatment.

via WIRED|

#cancer-treatment #health #nanotechnology

science6 months ago•5 min saved

Revolutionary Nanomedicine Eliminates Leukemia in Animal Studies

Northwestern University scientists have redesigned a traditional chemotherapy drug into a spherical nucleic acid, increasing its potency by 20,000 times and targeting leukemia cells more precisely with no detectable side effects in animal models, potentially revolutionizing cancer treatment.

via SciTechDaily|

#cancer #chemotherapy #drug-development