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Category: nanotechnology

MXene nanoscrolls could improve energy storage, biosensors and more

Researchers from Drexel University who discovered a versatile type of two-dimensional conductive nanomaterial called MXene nearly a decade and a half ago, have now reported on a process for producing its one-dimensional cousin: the MXene nanoscroll. The group posits that these materials, which are 100 times thinner than human hair yet more conductive than their two-dimensional counterparts, could be used to improve the performance of energy storage devices, biosensors and wearable technology.

Their finding, published in the journal Advanced Materials, offers a scalable method for producing the nanoscrolls from a MXene precursor with precise control over their shape and chemical structures.

“Two-dimensional morphology is very important in many applications. However, there are applications where 1D morphology is superior,” said Yury Gogotsi, Ph.D., Distinguished University and Bach professor in Drexel’s College of Engineering, who was a corresponding author of the paper.

Light-based nanotechnology offers potential alternative to chemotherapy and radiation

Researchers at NYU Abu Dhabi have developed a new light-based nanotechnology that could improve how certain cancers are detected and treated, offering a more precise and potentially less harmful alternative to chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. The study advances photothermal therapy, a treatment approach that uses light to generate heat inside tumors and destroy cancer cells.

The research is published in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science.

The NYU Abu Dhabi team designed tiny, biocompatible and biodegradable nanoparticles that carry a dye activated by near-infrared light. When exposed to this light, the particles heat up, damaging tumor tissue while minimizing harm to healthy cells. Near-infrared light was chosen specifically as it penetrates the body to greater depth than visible light, thereby enabling treatment of tumors that are not close to the surface.

Resolving DNA origami structural integrity and pharmacokinetics in vivo

Impressive leap forwards for DNA origami: an elegant staple strand proximity ligation method for tracking DNA origami pharmacokinetics in vivo! This approach even allows analysis of stability of subregions within a DNA origami nanostructure. I think DNA origami has a lot of therapeutic potential, so it is exciting to see this solution to one of its translational barriers. Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41565-025-02091-z Paper title: “Resolving DNA origami structural integrity and pharmacokinetics in vivo”

Using origami samples in test tubes, we sequentially performed ligation, PCR and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE; Fig. 2a). For both Wrod and Lrod, amplification bands appeared only after ligation (Supplementary Fig. 3) and matched the sizes of single-LSP controls (Fig. 2d, g). When the origami was heat denatured before ligation, no LSP bands were detected (Fig. 2e, h), confirming that proximity ligation requires intact structures. By contrast, we showed that scaffold-targeted qPCR or origamiFISH assays37,38 still detected DNA regardless of the structural state (Fig. 2e, h), emphasizing their inability to distinguish intact origami from degraded origami.

Previous studies have shown that the coating of DNA nanostructures with the oligolysine-PEG polymer can protect them against nucleases and denaturation in low-salt environments, potentially increasing their stability in vivo23. Since PEGylation confers a physical barrier for the interaction of enzymes with DNA helices, we hypothesized that the ligase might also have decreased accessibility to PEGylated origamis. However, our in vitro experiments with PEGylated PEG-Lrod showed comparable ligation and amplification efficiencies to the bare Lrod (Supplementary Fig. 4). Another approach to enhance lattice-based origami stability in low-salt buffers and improved resistance to nucleases is sequence-specific covalent UV crosslinking26. We tested the application of the PLASTIQ protocol to a crosslinked version of the Lrod (UV-Lrod) with the same LSPs as Lrod. We observed a similar amplification pattern when compared to the non-crosslinked Lrod after PAGE electrophoresis of the pooled PCR-amplified LSPs (Extended Data Fig. 1).

Together, these results demonstrate that PLASTIQ reliably detects DNA origami integrity at the single-helix level for both wireframe and lattice designs, and that it is compatible with PEGylated or UV-crosslinked nanostructures.

Framework sets new benchmarks for 3D atom maps in amorphous materials

Researchers at the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA published a step-by-step framework for determining the three-dimensional positions and elemental identities of atoms in amorphous materials. These solids, such as glass, lack the repeating atomic patterns seen in a crystal. The team analyzed realistically simulated electron-microscope data and tested how each step affected accuracy.

The team used algorithms to analyze rigorously simulated imaging data of nanoparticles—so small they’re measured in billionths of a meter. For amorphous silica, the primary component of glass, they demonstrated 100% accuracy in mapping the three-dimensional positions of the constituent silicon and oxygen atoms, with precision about seven trillionths of a meter under favorable imaging conditions.

While 3D atomic structure determination has a history of more than a century, its application has been limited to crystal structures. Such techniques depend on averaging a pattern that is repeated trillions of times.

Novel nanomaterial uses oxidative stress to kill cancer cells

Scientists at Oregon State University have developed a new nanomaterial that triggers a pair of chemical reactions inside cancer cells, killing the cells via oxidative stress while leaving healthy tissues alone. The study led by Oleh and Olena Taratula and Chao Wang of the OSU College of Pharmacy appears in Advanced Functional Materials.

The findings advance the field of chemodynamic therapy (CDT), an emerging treatment approach based on the distinctive biochemical environment found in cancer cells. Compared to healthy tissues, malignant tumors are more acidic and have elevated concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, the scientists explain.

Conventional CDT works by using the tumor microenvironment to trigger the chemical production of hydroxyl radicals—molecules, made up of oxygen and hydrogen—with an unpaired electron. These reactive oxygen species are able to damage cells through oxidation by stealing electrons from molecules like lipids, proteins, and DNA.

‘Goldilocks size’ rhodium clusters advance reusable heterogeneous catalysts for hydroformylation

Recent research has demonstrated that a rhodium (Rh) cluster of an optimal, intermediate size—neither too small nor too large—exhibits the highest catalytic activity in hydroformylation reactions. Similar to the concept of finding the “just right” balance, the study identifies this so-called “Goldilocks size” as crucial for maximizing catalyst efficiency. The study is published in the journal ACS Catalysis and was featured as the cover story.

Led by Professor Kwangjin An from the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering at UNIST, in collaboration with Professor Jeong Woo Han from Seoul National University, the research demonstrates that when Rh exists as a cluster —comprising about 10 atoms—it outperforms both single-atom and nanoparticle forms in reaction speed and activity.

Hydroformylation is a vital industrial process used for producing raw materials for plastics, detergents, and other chemicals. Currently, many Rh catalysts are homogeneous—dissolved in liquids—which complicates separation and recycling. This challenge has driven efforts to develop solid, heterogeneous Rh catalysts that are easier to recover and reuse.

A new route to synthesize multiple functionalized carbon nanohoops

The field of nanomaterials is witnessing a transformative shift at the intersection of organic chemistry and molecular engineering. Among the most promising molecular structures are carbon nanohoops, of which [n]cycloparaphenylenes ([n]CPPs) are a representative example.

These ring-shaped structures represent the smallest possible slices of carbon nanotubes, which themselves are a widely renowned material of the 21st century.

Given that their structures can, in principle, be precisely tuned at the atomic level, nanohoops hold great potential as molecular components for next-generation optoelectronic devices, including high-resolution displays, photonic circuits, and responsive sensing materials.

‘Spectral slimming’ yields ultranarrow plasmons in single metal nanoparticles

Researchers have developed a new strategy to overcome a long-standing limitation in plasmonic loss by reshaping light–matter interactions through substrate engineering.

“Why can’t plasmons achieve quality factors as high as dielectrics?” “Because metals heat up easily—they’re inherently lossy.” This exchange is almost inevitable whenever plasmonic nanostructures come up in a discussion.

Now, researchers from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and international collaborators have shown that this long-held limitation is not as fundamental as once believed. The research team has demonstrated a powerful new strategy to control optical spectra at the nanoscale, enabling high-quality (high-Q) plasmonic hotspots in individual metal nanoparticles, a long-standing challenge to slim spectra in plasmonics.

When scientists build nanoscale architecture to solve textile and pharmaceutical industry challenges

Scientists from the CSIR-Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI), Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and the S N Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences have collaborated to develop a new class of highly precise filtration membranes.

Ultra-precise “POMbranes” sieve out larger molecules (red) while allowing only 1-nanometer-sized species (green) to pass through its pores, enabling sharp molecular sorting. (Image: Central Salt and Marine Chemical Research Institute)

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