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Category: nanotechnology

Researchers find simple solution for extending the lifespan of LEDs made from glowing quantum dots

A new study led by MIT researchers could drive the development of more energy-efficient digital displays—such as flat-screen TVs, augmented and virtual reality headsets, smartphone screens, medical imaging devices and even large-area ambient lighting surfaces—that also generate richer, brighter colors.

The MIT scientists, in collaboration with researchers at Samsung, studied the microscopic changes that occur inside LEDs that use electrically excited quantum dots, which are precisely shaped nanoscale semiconductor particles that emit extremely pure colored light. The research appears in Science Advances.

Quantum dots are currently used in some of the computer and television displays with the best picture quality available. The efficiency of these displays could be further improved, and their manufacturing process further simplified, if the quantum dots could be electrically excited, as was first demonstrated in the quantum dot LED (QD-LED) structures more than 20 years ago.

Common nanostructures may explain shared photoproperties in two widespread dark materials

A newly developed framework for understanding the photoproperties of both natural organic matter and eumelanin, a natural pigment responsible for dark colors in organisms, may inspire advanced sustainable technologies, scientists say.

Although they are some of the most widespread substances on Earth, not much is known about eumelanin or natural organic matter (NOM)—a dark-colored substance formed by the decomposition of biological material. In humans, eumelanin is a vital pigment in skin and other tissues that protects cells from damage caused by ultraviolet radiation. In nature, NOM gives rivers and soils their color and affects light-driven reactions like photosynthesis.

Although these compounds have been studied individually for decades, researchers in a new study, by scrutinizing them alongside each other, have shown that eumelanin and NOM have common properties beyond their dark colors.

New optical centrifuge unlocks the secrets of frictionless superfluids

Physicists have developed a new way to control the rotation of molecules inside tiny droplets of liquid helium, marking an important advance in the study of superfluids. By using a specially designed optical centrifuge, the team was able to precisely spin molecules suspended in liquid helium nano-droplets, giving scientists a powerful new tool for exploring these unusual frictionless materials.

The achievement represents the first successful demonstration of controlled molecular rotation inside a superfluid. Researchers can now directly adjust both the direction and speed of a molecule’s rotation, making it possible to investigate how molecules interact with their quantum surroundings at different rotational frequencies. The work, led by researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in collaboration with the University of Freiburg, was published in Physical Review Letters.

“Controlling the rotation of a molecule dissolved in any fluid is a challenge,” said Dr. Valery Milner, associate professor with UBC Physics and Astronomy and author on the paper.

Nanozymes map nanoparticle routes inside live cells without genetic engineering

Nanoparticles are widely used in medicine to deliver drugs, genes or imaging agents to specific parts of the body. Once a nanoparticle reaches a cell, however, many things can happen—it can reach its target, be degraded, interact with proteins that help transport it, or interact with proteins that hinder its transport.

A longstanding problem in designing nanomedicines has been understanding what happens to nanoparticles at the cellular level, but scientists have faced many challenges. For example, optical microscopy imaging techniques provide only a generalized view of nanomedicine localization.

On the other hand, proteomics approaches require cell lysis, which disrupts the natural distribution of proteins around the nanoparticle, making it difficult to understand how nanoparticles are transported within the cell. Another method—proximity labeling—enables in situ investigation of intracellular protein-protein interactions, but it relies on genetically engineered enzyme fusion, which limits its applicability across diverse systems.

DNA-based nanoswitch can flip in milliseconds and stay in one state for days without continuous forcing

Scientists have engineered a nanoscale switch using DNA “origami.” Inspired by macroscale mechanical switches, the device achieves long-term functionality without the continuous forcing mechanism that past versions required while remaining capable of fast switching. The paper is published in the journal Science Robotics.

This is not the first time scientists have used DNA as a building material. DNA origami—a technique that folds a single-stranded DNA scaffold into precise 2D or 3D shapes using short DNA strands—offers a way to build custom nanomachines. It has been used in everything from drug delivery to electrically actuated devices. However, in electrically actuated devices, many prior designs faced a trade-off between speed, stability and durability.

In particular, researchers have been interested in creating nanoscale switches that act like their macroscopic counterparts. So far, attempts at DNA-based nanoswitches have lacked either long-term stability without continuous forcing, millisecond switching or high cycle endurance. Many earlier devices relied on DNA “latches,” but these were slow or prone to spontaneous dissociation from natural nanoscale thermal movements.

Multifunctional Organic Materials, Devices, and Mechanisms for Neuroscience, Neuromorphic Computing, and Bioelectronics

Neuromorphic computing has the potential to overcome limitations of traditional silicon technology in machine learning tasks. Recent advancements in large crossbar arrays and silicon-based asynchronous spiking neural networks have led to promising neuromorphic systems. However, developing compact parallel computing technology for integrating artificial neural networks into traditional hardware remains a challenge. Organic computational materials offer affordable, biocompatible neuromorphic devices with exceptional adjustability and energy-efficient switching. Here, the review investigates the advancements made in the development of organic neuromorphic devices. This review explores resistive switching mechanisms such as interface-regulated filament growth, molecular-electronic dynamics, nanowire-confined filament growth, and vacancy-assisted ion migration, while proposing methodologies to enhance state retention and conductance adjustment. The survey examines the challenges faced in implementing low-power neuromorphic computing, e.g., reducing device size and improving switching time. The review analyses the potential of these materials in adjustable, flexible, and low-power consumption applications, viz. biohybrid spiking circuits interacting with biological systems, systems that respond to specific events, robotics, intelligent agents, neuromorphic computing, neuromorphic bioelectronics, neuroscience, and other applications, and prospects of this technology.

Keywords: Brain-inspired neuromorphic computing; Neuromorphic bioelectronics; Neuroscience; Organic materials; Resistive switching mechanisms.

© 2025. The Author(s).

Gold-laced nanoparticles could eventually spot and treat endometriosis without surgery

Endometriosis is a painful, common condition affecting women worldwide, but treatment and diagnosis options are scarce. A new University of Mississippi-led study may have found an answer to both problems.

Early results from a study published in Communications Chemistry show that gold-laced nanoparticles can hitchhike on white blood cells. By using those cells as a delivery vehicle, the team hopes to identify and treat endometriosis without repeated surgeries.

“Lots of women go through their lives being in enormous amounts of pain and thinking that it’s normal, and it’s not normal,” said Eden Tanner, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, who authored the study with a team of Ole Miss researchers.

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