https://phys.org/nanotech-news/nano-materials/ en-us The latest science news on nanomaterials, nanotechnology, nanoparticles and nanoscience. Rocks can bind carbon dioxide—and much faster than previously thought. For a long time, it was assumed that the transformation of CO2 into carbonate rock depends on very slow, time-consuming processes. According to that view, the binding of CO2 injected industrially into the ground would take centuries. However, practical observations and theoretical calculations suggested that there may also be a much faster route from CO2 to carbonate, mediated by water acting somewhat like a catalyst. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-faster-driven-pathway-term-carbon.html Nanophysics Wed, 29 Apr 2026 17:20:08 EDT news696685659 Water is fundamental to all life—contaminants are harmful to humans and the environment. Herbicides used in agriculture to control weeds present a particular challenge here. The most widely used herbicide in the world is glyphosate. Experts have differing views on its use. Some studies suggest potential risks such as carcinogenic effects in humans, nerve damage, and a negative impact on biodiversity. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-nanofiltration-cleaner-farming-persistent-chemicals.html Nanomaterials Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:10:01 EDT news696695041 Ferromagnets, such as iron, cobalt, and nickel, are materials with a strong, spontaneous, and permanent magnetic field. Over 150 years ago, the physicist and mathematician James Clerk Maxwell speculated that under specific conditions, non-spinning ferromagnets or electromagnets would behave as gyroscopes, objects that maintain their orientation, typically due to the angular momentum arising from spinning. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-levitated-nano-ferromagnet-year-physical.html Nanophysics Wed, 29 Apr 2026 08:40:05 EDT news696602124 Nanographenes are organic semiconductor materials used in smartphones, OLED displays, and solar cells. At the molecular level, they are composed of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are a network of connected benzene rings (hexagon-shaped carbon molecules). Chemists can modify the electronic properties of PAHs by adding more benzene rings to them, changing their size and shape. As such, there is high demand for methods that can selectively extend specific sites of PAH molecules to allow greater versatility in technological applications. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-conquering-frontiers-nanographene-synthetic-methodologies.html Nanomaterials Tue, 28 Apr 2026 17:20:01 EDT news696615181 Under a microscope, a bouquet of lollipop-like structures, each smaller than a grain of sand, waves gently in a Petri dish of liquid. Suddenly, they snap together, like the jaws of a Venus flytrap, as a scientist waves a small magnet over the dish. What was previously an assemblage of tiny passive structures has transformed instantly into an active robotic gripper. The lollipop gripper is one demonstration of a new type of soft magnetic hydrogel developed by engineers at MIT and their collaborators at EPFL and the University of Cincinnati. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-swipe-magnet-microscopic-magno-bots.html Nanophysics Tue, 28 Apr 2026 11:00:03 EDT news696587647 Researchers have demonstrated a new technique for creating 2D materials that runs at room temperature and increases production rates tenfold over current methods, without using toxic solvents. Scientists led by Dr. Jason Stafford from the Department of Mechanical Engineering demonstrated the method can produce nanosheets of conductors, semiconductors and insulators, which are the building blocks of all digital devices and technologies produced today. The research is published in the journal Small. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-room-temperature-vibrations-industry-graphene.html Nanomaterials Mon, 27 Apr 2026 19:20:04 EDT news696521222 Researchers in the University of Minnesota Twin Cities have discovered a powerful new way to control the electronic behavior of a metal—by manipulating the atomic properties of materials where they meet. The study, published in Nature Communications, demonstrates that interfacial polarization can tune the surface work function of metallic ruthenium dioxide (RuO2) by more than 1 electron volt (eV)—a tiny amount of energy—simply by adjusting film thickness at the nanometer scale. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-nanometers-thick-metal-physicists.html Nanophysics Mon, 27 Apr 2026 16:40:04 EDT news696512341 Oil spills and fires are two very different hazards, but both can cause major damage before people have time to react. Oil contamination can spread quickly across water and harm marine ecosystems, while undetected heat buildup can lead to destructive fires in high-risk environments. Many current warning systems depend on batteries, large instruments, or delayed responses, making early action difficult in remote or demanding conditions. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-powered-fibers-oil-contamination-buildup.html Nanomaterials Mon, 27 Apr 2026 15:30:02 EDT news696521401 Until now, molecular-level DNA circuits have mainly been used for simple tasks, such as detecting the presence of cancer-related substances. However, these systems have faced a key limitation: once a reaction occurs, the circuits cannot be reused. Overcoming this challenge, a research team has developed a DNA-based molecular computer that operates at a much smaller scale than conventional semiconductor devices, enabling both computation and memory within the same system. This advancement opens up new possibilities for future computing technologies in bio and medical applications, including disease diagnosis. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-dna-molecular-combines-memory-scales.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 27 Apr 2026 12:20:04 EDT news696504961 For the first time, researchers have mapped how the boundaries of magnetic nanostructures behave on extremely short timescales. The work of physicist Johan Mentink of Radboud University shows that these boundaries are much more stable than previously thought. This insight will aid the development of future ultra-fast and compact data storage. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-extreme-stability-ultrafast-nanomagnetism-aids.html Nanophysics Sun, 26 Apr 2026 12:00:01 EDT news695910300 Many important objects in the world can be divided into two categories based on their chirality or handedness, including molecules important for life such as amino acids. Such chiral objects (formally defined as objects which are not identical to their mirror images) are often characterized by a structure which twists in a given direction. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-surface-ultra-thin-optical-fibers.html Nanophysics Fri, 24 Apr 2026 17:40:01 EDT news696254821 Carbon nanotubes are one technology that many observers believe hasn't quite lived up to the extreme hype that surrounded them when they first appeared on the scene in the late 1990s. At that time, much was made of their extraordinary electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties, with predictions that they would revolutionize materials science, electronics, and daily life. But could we be closer to realizing some of that promise? https://phys.org/news/2026-04-carbon-nanotubes-gap-copper.html Nanomaterials Fri, 24 Apr 2026 13:20:07 EDT news696252968 Excitons are being explored in materials science and information technology as a means of storing light. These luminous quasiparticles move through individual layers of quantum materials and can absorb and emit light with high efficiency. They form when a laser pulse excites an electron, leaving behind a positively charged "hole." The electron and hole attract each other and behave together like a new, independent particle. When the quasiparticle recombines, it emits light and can be detected in high-tech laboratories. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-quantum-quasiparticles-reveal-magneto-optical.html Nanophysics Thu, 23 Apr 2026 16:10:06 EDT news696177481 Scientists have developed a unique way to build electronic components so small they are made from chains of individual molecules—creating a toolbox to help build materials that could power the next generation of technology. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-molecular-chains-atomically-precise-nanoribbons.html Nanomaterials Thu, 23 Apr 2026 14:30:01 EDT news696170350 Just as wave-like patterns can appear on a computer screen when pixels do not align, new research led by Flinders University is investigating atomic-scale "moiré patterns" in the promising field of ferroelectricity. The new study, with experts at Monash University and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, seeks inroads into electrical and optical science by exploring these complex "superlattice" patterns in various ways to create new energy and material capabilities. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-swirly-pattern-moir-potential-power.html Nanophysics Thu, 23 Apr 2026 13:40:01 EDT news696162932 Fine particulate matter in the air or nanoparticles in water—a remarkable new technology developed at TU Wien makes it possible to detect tiny amounts of a wide range of substances in a very short time. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-air-tea-sensor-reveals-invisible.html Nanomaterials Thu, 23 Apr 2026 11:20:05 EDT news696156182 A compass always points north—or does it? Magnets normally maintain a stable direction of magnetization, pointing from south to north (S→N). However, this direction can change under strong magnetic fields or heat. For example, a compass placed near a strong magnet may no longer point in the right direction. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-nanomagnet-slower-assumed.html Nanophysics Wed, 22 Apr 2026 15:00:03 EDT news696077461 Think of how many surfaces you touch every day, from your kitchen bench to the handrail on the bus or train, your work desk and your phone screen. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-plastic-thousands-tiny-pillars-viruses.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 21 Apr 2026 13:20:06 EDT news695991181 Perovskite quantum dots are considered promising materials for LEDs, photocatalysis, and future quantum light sources. Researchers at LMU Munich have managed to master two major hurdles in working with these quantum dots: their stability in solution and precise control of their growth. The results could open new avenues for the processing and application of the materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-perovskite-quantum-dots-big-barriers.html Nanophysics Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:20:03 EDT news695986321 Diamond is among the hardest naturally occurring substances on Earth, but if you shrink it down to the nanoscale, it is surprisingly elastic. And that could be useful for a host of applications such as quantum computing. In a paper published in the journal Physical Review X, Chongxin Shan at Zhengzhou University in China and colleagues studied diamonds as small as four nanometers across to see how they respond to pressure. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-nanodiamond-intense-pressure-flexible.html Nanophysics Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:20:01 EDT news695992166 Spintronics are devices that operate leveraging the spin, an intrinsic form of angular momentum, of electrons. The ability to switch magnetic states is central to the functioning of these devices, as it ultimately allows them to represent binary digits (i.e., "0" and "1") when processing or storing information. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-laser-flip-nanoscale-magnetic-vortices.html Nanophysics Tue, 21 Apr 2026 08:10:01 EDT news695898368 Composed of five or more elements in nearly equal amounts, high-entropy alloys (HEAs) have emerged as promising catalysts due to their compositionally complex surfaces that can accelerate chemical reactions. Until now, scientists have not been able to precisely engineer these surface structures at the nanoscale, making it difficult to study how particle shape influences catalytic performance. Now, a study led by Northwestern University professors Chad A. Mirkin and Christopher M. Wolverton has solved that problem. The research is published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-problem-high-entropy-alloy-nanoparticle.html Nanomaterials Mon, 20 Apr 2026 18:30:04 EDT news695922301 Heat is a ubiquitous form of energy that, unlike others, is notoriously difficult to store due to its natural tendency to dissipate. While this property is essential for phenomena like solar energy reaching Earth, it also poses a significant technological challenge. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-prototype-thermal-memory-states-tiny.html Nanophysics Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:10:01 EDT news695914261 In biological systems, especially for protein molecules, the formation of nanotubular structures is often guided by molecular folding. The folding process organizes interaction sites and enables the formation of complex architectures with high structural precision. However, translating that principle to synthetic small-molecule systems has remained challenging. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-luminophores-reveal-principle-efficient-energy.html Nanophysics Mon, 20 Apr 2026 13:20:02 EDT news695902921 Researchers have developed a thin plastic film that tears apart viruses on contact, offering a promising new way to keep high-touch surfaces such as smartphones and hospital equipment from spreading disease. The innovation is not only effective at killing viruses, but also far more practical and scalable than earlier metal and silicon-based antiviral surfaces. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-plastic-texturing-viruses.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 20 Apr 2026 11:31:30 EDT news695901541 2D materials are widely seen as a promising path toward better computer chips. Researchers at TU Wien have now shown that some of these materials are unsuitable due to an underestimated effect. But there are alternatives. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-mind-gap-semiconductor-industry-wrong.html Nanophysics Mon, 20 Apr 2026 10:00:01 EDT news695893685 In a major advance, researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have devised a method to grow high-quality 2D magnetic materials (2D-MMs) over centimeter-scale wafers. Earlier approaches in the field were limited to growing micrometer-sized flakes. This advance paves the way for their integration into next-generation electronics and spintronics materials used in hard drives and sensors. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-wafer-scale-2d-magnetic-emerge.html Nanomaterials Sun, 19 Apr 2026 16:00:09 EDT news695573455 Researchers from National Taiwan University break traditional frameworks by unveiling a new symmetry-transition mechanism in ZrO2 thin films, achieving ultra-stable antiferroelectric behavior for up to 108 cycles. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-zirconia-thin-reversible-nonpolar-polar.html Nanomaterials Sat, 18 Apr 2026 12:30:02 EDT news695565056 How do organic solar cells work on the inside? The answer lies in structures far too small to see—and difficult to access even with advanced techniques. So far, researchers have relied mainly on X-ray methods to understand how molecules are arranged within these materials and how this order can be optimized for high efficiency. While powerful, X-rays provide only a spatially averaged picture. Electrons, in contrast, offer a local view at the nanoscale, revealing both structure and chemical composition. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-electrons-solar-cells-exposing-hidden.html Nanophysics Wed, 15 Apr 2026 18:50:01 EDT news695490421 Research on graphene has made great strides in recent years. However, to fully harness its potential in applications such as desalination membranes, sensors, and energy storage and conversion, a deeper understanding of the interaction between graphene and water is required. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-graphene-mirror-droplets-dont.html Nanomaterials Tue, 14 Apr 2026 18:40:01 EDT news695396701