Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology News

RSS

Independent Testing Challenges Perceptions Around Solar Durability at Sea

Solar technology as long been regarded by some in the maritime industry as too fragile to withstand the demanding conditions at sea.

13 Jun 2026

Cherry Bark Design Turns Cellulose Into Spider Silk-Like Tough Fibers

Researchers developed regenerated cellulose fibers inspired by cherry bark’s helical architecture, using microfluidic spinning to create a biaxially oriented structure with spider silk-like toughness. The fibers reached 553 MPa tensile strength, 41% fracture strain, and 184 MJ m?³ toughness, and could be woven into durable fabrics for future sustainable textiles and structural materials.

8 Jun 2026

Atomic Pulses Tune 2D Semiconductor Alloys for Future Quantum Materials

Researchers used pulsed sub-atomic layer deposition to control both composition and metal-atom distribution in Mo-W-S2 monolayers across the full MoS2-to-WS2 range. The study shows how engineered line structures and elongated islands can shift excitonic emission, pointing toward future quantum-dot and quantum-wire-like 2D materials.

6 Jun 2026

Atomic Precision Helps Scientists Tailor Thin MXenes for Space Systems

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory are helping show what it means to design a material almost atom-by-atom.

4 Jun 2026

Nanostructured Black Metal Desalinates Ocean Water Without Brine Waste

Researchers developed an additive-free solar-thermal desalination platform that uses a nanostructured superwicking black metal surface to evaporate real ocean water while moving crystallized salts away from active evaporation zones. The prototype achieved stable evaporation, near-complete salt recovery, and zero-liquid-discharge operation in testing, while also showing early potential for selective mineral recovery from seawater.

27 May 2026

Nanoplastic-Induced Protein Misfolding - A Submicron IR Study of Molecular Changes in Biological Systems

Nanoplastics (NPs) are being increasingly recognized as potential biological hazards, but their direct effects on molecular structure and cellular function remain poorly understood

From Photothermal Spectroscopy Corp 22 May 2026

From Waste To Watts: New Anode Materials Could Strengthen Microbial Fuel Cells

Microbial fuel cells can convert wastewater pollutants into electricity, but their performance depends heavily on the anode materials that support microbial biofilms and electron transfer. This review shows that biomass-derived carbons, nanostructured coatings, and hybrid anodes could improve power output and lower costs, but scale-up, durability, and real-wastewater performance remain major hurdles.

18 May 2026

Scientists Use Powerful X-Rays to Visualize Hidden Dynamics Inside Opaque Fluids

Using powerful X-rays and computer models, researchers at Argonne and the University of Chicago linked nanoscale particle motion to surprising flow behaviors in soft materials.

14 May 2026

Advanced Microscopy Reveals How Light Interacts With Tiny Nanoframes

Argonne and Northwestern University scientists teamed up to understand how light interacts with metallic nanoframes, with implications for biosensing, quantum information science and beyond.

27 Mar 2026

Diamond and 2D Materials Create Powerful Electronics for Harsh Conditions

Argonne researchers have developed a method for combining diamond with a thin layer of molybdenum disulfide, enabling electronic devices to operate at room temperature and potentially improving performance in challenging environments.

27 Jan 2026

Editorial Highlights