Nanomaterials news, June 2021

Enzyme-powered nanorobots behave like a swarm

groups of enzyme-powered nano-sized robots swarm in biological fluids and inside organisms

Meringue material could make jet engine sound like hair-dryer

A novel graphene-based aerogel with a structure similar to meringue is the lightest sound insulation material ever manufactured.

New gold open access journal brings fast and high-quality communications to corrosion research

Article Highlight: Turning leftover coffee into batteries

Researchers hope that carbon obtained from coffee grounds could build better and more sustainable batteries

Article Highlight: Spider silk could be used to make artificial heart tissues

Cardiac disease can cause damage that the body cannot fix. Artificial tissues made with spider silk could be the answer

Article Highlight: New branches for cancer medicine

Research into using structures called dendrimers to deliver photoactive materials into cancer cells could yield new approaches for therapy and diagnosis

MXenes show promise against SARS-CoV-2

2D transition metal carbide nanomaterials known as MXenes show promising antiviral properties against some strains of SARS-CoV-2

Photocathode for hydrogen production is self-improving

Si/GaN could be ideal efficient and durable photoelectrode for photoelectrochemical systems capable of artificial photosynthesis

Call for Papers: Composites Part C Journal targets Bioenvironmental Polymers research with new Special Issue

Call for Papers: Novel approaches for the multiscale analysis of composite materials and structures

Shape memory actuators drive micro-sized robots

shape-memory actuator based on nanometer-thick platinum films capped with titanium dioxide could enable low-power, electrically programmable microrobots

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Flextronics blows hot and cold for 2D semiconductors

Researchers have developed a novel manufacturing technique for producing flexible transistors from 2D semiconductors.

Excitons in 2D materials offer exciting possibilities for quantum computing

Researchers can gain more control over the electrical properties of 2D semiconducting materials by stacking them in specific geometries.

Graphene makes sensitive COVID-19 detector

Researchers have shown that the atomic-level vibrations of graphene sheets coated in antibodies can be used to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Furnace findings uncover steps to 2D material

Researchers have determined the process by which the 2D material molybdenum disulfide flashes into existence during chemical vapor deposition.

Oxygen atoms caught escaping from battery electrodes

For the first time, researchers have made detailed measurements of how oxygen seeps out of the nanoparticles that make up lithium-ion battery electrodes.

New form of silicon advances semiconductor technology

Novel crystalline form of silicon for the next generation of electronic and energy devices

Trions get trapped in moiré superlattices

By shining laser light on semiconducting moiré superlattices, researchers have found a new class of electronic excited states called 'moiré trions'.

Biodegradable battery brings sustainability to the Internet of Things

Biodegradable battery for the Internet of Things, integrated health monitoring, and environmental or agricultural sensing

Polymers go 2D

Researchers have developed a novel photopolymerization process for synthesizing two-dimensional polymers.

Tiny carbon particles engage in shocking behavior

A new material made from carbon nanotubes and a Teflon-like polymer can generate electricity by scavenging energy from its environment.

New study takes bite out of graphene nanoribbons

Researchers have shown that 'bite-defects' in graphene nanoribbons can disrupt their electronic transport but also yield spin-polarized currents.

Changes to the Materialia Editorial Board

Novel cellulose aerogel drifts into drug delivery

A novel, low-cost, sustainable aerogel made from cellulose nanofibrils and alginate shows promise for use in drug delivery and wound dressing.

Carbon nanotube films rotate polarized light

Researchers have found that highly aligned carbon nanotube films can rotate the polarization of light at terahertz frequencies.

Study reveals previously unknown facets of rhodium nanoparticles

Utilizing two microscopy methods, researchers have visualized the oxidation of hydrogen on a rhodium nanoparticle in real time at nanometer resolution.