/ en-us Â鶹ÒùÔº internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Â鶹ÒùÔºics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. A serendipitous observation in a Chemical Engineering lab at Penn Engineering has led to a surprising discovery: a new class of nanostructured materials that can pull water from the air, collect it in pores and release it onto surfaces without the need for any external energy. /news/2025-05-accidentally-class-nanostructured-materials-passively.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Wed, 21 May 2025 16:10:06 EDT news667062601 A research team led by Dr. Lim Sang-kyu in DGIST's Department of Energy and Environmental Technology has developed a smart fiber sensor that can detect natural disasters such as landslides in real time. The new fiber is based on piezoelectric technology, which converts pressure into electricity. Its three-dimensional (3D) structure dramatically improves performance, facilitating the implementation of a self-powered sensor system that can operate without an external power source. /news/2025-05-high-piezoelectric-fiber-sensor-real.html Nanomaterials Mon, 19 May 2025 11:50:10 EDT news666874206 A team of researchers from Rice University, Carnegie Mellon University and other leading global institutions has outlined a bold new roadmap for harnessing heterogeneous catalysis to destroy per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the so-called "forever chemicals" that have contaminated water supplies worldwide. /news/2025-05-roadmap-advances-catalytic-solutions-destroy.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Wed, 07 May 2025 15:18:34 EDT news665849907 A new study uncovers how fine-tuning the interactions between two distinct network-forming species within a soft gel enables programmable control over its structure and mechanical properties. The findings reveal a powerful framework for engineering next-generation soft materials with customizable behaviors, inspired by the complexity of biological tissues. /news/2025-05-programmable-network-gels-interspecies-interactions.html Soft Matter Tue, 06 May 2025 16:56:02 EDT news665769361 Origami—the Japanese art of folding paper—could be the next frontier in innovative materials. Practiced in Japan since the early 1600s, origami involves combining simple folding techniques to create intricate designs. Now, Georgia Tech researchers are leveraging the technique as the foundation for next-generation materials that can both act as a solid and predictably deform, "folding" under the right forces. The research could lead to innovations in everything from heart stents to airplane wings and running shoes. /news/2025-05-class-materials-origami.html General Â鶹ÒùÔºics Mon, 05 May 2025 11:15:59 EDT news665662549 Managing complex medication schedules could soon become as simple as taking a single capsule each day. Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a capsule that can be packed with multiple medications and release them at designated times throughout the day. /news/2025-05-capsule-multiple-pills.html Biochemistry Polymers Thu, 01 May 2025 13:42:53 EDT news665325768 Researchers at Rice University have developed a new machine learning (ML) algorithm that excels at interpreting the "light signatures" (optical spectra) of molecules, materials and disease biomarkers, potentially enabling faster and more precise medical diagnoses and sample analysis. /news/2025-04-signature-algorithm-precise-insight-viral.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 28 Apr 2025 17:19:03 EDT news665079541 On a wave-battered rock in the northern Pacific Ocean, a fish called the sculpin grips the surface firmly to maintain stability in its harsh environment. Unlike sea urchins, which use their glue-secreting tube feet to adhere to their surroundings, sculpins manage to grip without a specialized adhesive organ like tube feet or the suction cups of octopuses. /news/2025-04-microscopic-fin-features-sculpins-turbulent.html Plants & Animals Cell & Microbiology Wed, 23 Apr 2025 15:41:04 EDT news664641661 Condensation is critical for applications like power generation, water harvesting, and cooling systems. However, traditional surfaces suffer from a drop in performance under high subcooling, when the surface temperature is much lower than the surrounding vapor. This leads to water flooding and reduced heat transfer. /news/2025-04-hybrid-surface-combines-hydrophobic-nanowires.html Nanomaterials Mon, 21 Apr 2025 15:29:35 EDT news664468172 Researchers at Westlake University have disclosed a two-dimensional (2D) mechanically interlocked polymer (MIP) that mimics medieval chainmail at the molecular scale. This micrometer-scale 2D material exhibits exceptional flexibility and stiffness, potentially revolutionizing next-generation lightweight protective gear and smart armor systems. /news/2025-04-mechanically-interlocked-2d-chainmail-smart.html Nanomaterials Wed, 16 Apr 2025 09:14:03 EDT news664013641 A Northwestern University-led international team of scientists has, for the first time, directly observed catalysis in-action at the atomic level. /news/2025-04-atomic-video-catalytic-reaction-reveals.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Fri, 11 Apr 2025 11:05:48 EDT news663588340 Technology for converting solar energy into thermal energy is ever evolving and has numerous applications. A breakthrough in the laboratory of Professor My Ali El Khakani at Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) has made a significant contribution to the field. /news/2025-04-plasma-photothermal-material-enable-efficient.html Nanomaterials Fri, 11 Apr 2025 10:27:48 EDT news663586064 Rapidly increasing data traffic is placing ever greater demands on the capacity of communication systems. In an article titled "Ultra-broadband optical amplification using nonlinear integrated waveguides" published in Nature, a research team from Chalmers University of Technology, in Sweden, introduce a new amplifier that enables the transmission of 10 times more data per second than those of current fiber-optic systems. /news/2025-04-amplifier-bandwidth-super-lasers.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 09 Apr 2025 11:00:28 EDT news663406261 Traditional water filters struggle to remove smaller PFAS molecules, but a new Monash-designed filter changes that. Researchers at Monash University have developed a water filtration membrane that effectively removes small PFAS molecules, overcoming a significant challenge faced by conventional water filters. /news/2025-04-filter-nanoscale-channels-stubborn-chemicals.html Nanomaterials Tue, 08 Apr 2025 12:25:04 EDT news663333901 Plants don't just grow, they build. From towering trees to delicate flowers, complex plant shapes are sculpted with remarkable precision. Now a study by biologists and biophysicists at Université de Montréal reveals how plants build their organs in three dimensions. /news/2025-04-physical-generate-complex-3d.html Plants & Animals Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 01 Apr 2025 17:10:12 EDT news662746201 In the battle against climate change, the role of chemistry and the chemical industry is often overlooked. As India accelerates its industrial growth, it must embrace sustainable biomanufacturing and green chemistry not just to meet environmental commitments but to reinforce economic competitiveness. /news/2025-04-sustainable-biomanufacturing-key-india-green.html Biochemistry Polymers Tue, 01 Apr 2025 10:20:01 EDT news662721079 In a leap forward for materials science, a multi-institutional team of researchers has developed a pioneering method of 3D printing cholesteric liquid crystal elastomers (CLCEs), enabling complex, color-changing responsive materials and paving the way for novel applications like smart textiles and advanced robotics. /news/2025-03-3d-method-materials-smart-textiles.html Materials Science Mon, 31 Mar 2025 14:53:04 EDT news662651581 Researchers from the Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, have developed a smart gel that responds to multiple stimuli for precise drug release. /news/2025-03-nanocomposite-hydrogel-multiple-stimuli-drug.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 27 Mar 2025 10:55:19 EDT news662291716 A research team, led by Professor Taesung Kim from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UNIST, reports the development of a technology that utilizes nanoscale wrinkles formed on transparent films to display or conceal color patterns, such as the traditional Korean Dancheong designs, by folding and unfolding the film. /news/2025-03-nanoscale-wrinkles-display-conceal-vibrant.html Nanomaterials Wed, 26 Mar 2025 13:39:46 EDT news662215177 A research team led by Prof. Liu Xuanyong from the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has introduced a pioneering antibacterial strategy that disrupts bacterial energy metabolism by interfering with proton and electron transfer in bacterial membranes. /news/2025-03-strategy-combats-implant-infections-starving.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 20 Mar 2025 14:03:04 EDT news661698182 Dr. Han Joong Tark's team at KERI's Nano Hybrid Technology Research Center has successfully fabricated "functional wires," which are the foundation of wearable electronic devices, by directly applying the existing synthetic fiber processing methods. /news/2025-03-carbon-nanotube-wires-wearables-crafted.html Nanomaterials Wed, 19 Mar 2025 11:06:04 EDT news661601162 Researchers from Tsinghua University, the Beijing Institute of Technology, the University of Wollongong (Australia), and the Hefei Institutes of Â鶹ÒùÔºical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, have achieved an ultrahigh electrostrain of 1.9% in (K,Na)NbO3 (KNN) lead-free piezoelectric ceramics. /news/2025-03-high-electrostrain-free-piezoceramics.html Condensed Matter Thu, 13 Mar 2025 12:31:02 EDT news661087861 The Smart 3D Printing Research Team at KERI, led by Dr. Seol Seung-kwon has developed the world's first technology for printing high-resolution 3D microstructures using MXene, a material known as the dream material. /news/2025-03-chapter-3d-microprinting-mxene.html Nanomaterials Wed, 12 Mar 2025 12:19:16 EDT news661000753 An international team of researchers has discovered a new method to generate electricity using small plastic beads. By placing these beads close together and bringing them into contact, they generate more electricity than usual. This process, known as triboelectrification, is similar to the static electricity produced when rubbing a balloon against hair. /news/2025-03-scientists-smart-generate-energy-tiny.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 11 Mar 2025 12:25:03 EDT news660914701 Composite adhesives like epoxy resins are excellent tools for joining and filling materials including wood, metal, and concrete. But there's one problem: once a composite sets, it's there forever. Now there's a better way. Researchers have developed a simple polymer that serves as a strong and stable filler that can later be dissolved. It works like a tangled ball of yarn that, when pulled, unravels into separate fibers. /news/2025-03-composite-materials-polymer-combines-strength.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 06 Mar 2025 13:24:03 EST news660489841 Plastics, which are polymeric materials composed of long chains of small molecules called monomers, are widely used in everyday life and industry due to their lightweight, good strength and flexibility. However, with approximately 52 million tons of plastic waste generated annually, plastic pollution has become a major environmental concern. /news/2025-03-sustainable-smart-polymers.html Polymers Analytical Chemistry Thu, 06 Mar 2025 11:57:04 EST news660484622 A new University of Maryland study has revealed a coordinated dance of microscopic particles—breaking up and clustering back together in just seconds—after receiving electrical and chemical stimuli. This work represents a new class of materials that mimic the behaviors of living organisms, known as "active matter." /news/2025-03-microscopic-particles-tune-electrochemical-reactions.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Wed, 05 Mar 2025 13:10:05 EST news660402601 A Chinese research team has developed a single-step femtosecond laser 4D printing technology that enables rapid and precise micro-scale deformation of smart hydrogels. This innovation, inspired by the hierarchical structure of butterfly wings, holds significant promise for applications in flexible electronics and minimally invasive medicine. /news/2025-03-butterfly-4d-smart-hydrogels-enables.html Polymers Materials Science Wed, 05 Mar 2025 08:28:02 EST news660385681 Researchers developed a theoretical model that predicts a substantial increase in the brightness of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) by leveraging novel quantum states called polaritons. Integrating polaritons into OLEDs effectively requires the discovery of new materials, making practical implementation an exciting challenge. /news/2025-02-hybrid-states-significantly-oled-brightness.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 24 Feb 2025 16:57:04 EST news659638622 A new type of cloth developed by researchers at the University of Waterloo can heat up when exposed to the sun thanks to innovative nanoparticles embedded in the fabric's fibers. This advance represents an innovative and environmentally friendly option for staying warm in the winter. /news/2025-01-smart-fabric-30c-minutes-sun.html Nanomaterials Thu, 23 Jan 2025 09:39:04 EST news656847541