Researchers have discovered a new method to improve the toughness of materials that could lead to stronger versions of body armor, bulletproof glass and other ballistic equipment. The team produced films composed of nanometer-scale ceramic particles decorated with polymer strands (resembling fuzzy orbs) and made them targets in miniature impact tests that showed off the material's enhanced toughness. Further tests unveiled a unique property not shared by typical polymer-based materials that allowed the films to dissipate energy from impacts rapidly.

A new copper surface that kills bacteria more than 100 times faster and more effectively than standard copper could help combat the growing threat of antibiotic-resistant superbugs.

Researchers have come up with a new design for thermal actuators, which can be used to create rapid movement in soft robotic devices.

Biophysicists have found ways to make and manipulate capsule-like DNA structures that could be used in the development of artificial molecular systems. Such systems could function, for example, inside the human body.

Engineers have developed a lanthanum hexaboride (LaB6) nanowire-based field emission gun that is installable on an aberration-corrected transmission electron microscope (TEM). This combined unit is able to perform atomic resolution observation at an energy resolution of 0.2 eV -- the highest resolution ever recorded for non-monochromatic electron guns -- with a high current stability of 0.4%.

The quest to deliver ultra-fast and energy efficient magnetic recording could be a step closer to fruition, due to pioneering new research on all-optical switching of magnetization.

Researchers examine how biology triggers morphological changes in certain types of nanoparticles. These types of particles are called smart transformable nanoparticles, because they can alter their size and shape upon stimulation from their surrounding environment.

Researchers have developed the first metal-organic framework (MOFs) antibody-drug delivery system that has the potential to fast-track potent new therapies for cancer, cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases.

An engineer is changing what we know about when water freezes as he pushes the limit and gets the best look yet at tiny drops of water as they freeze.

Researchers have used electron energy loss spectroscopy to directly measure the coefficient of thermal expansion at grain boundaries in the polycrystalline material SrTiO3. The researchers identified differences in the coefficient of expansion depending on the grain boundary. In addition to revealing the thermal properties of SrTiO3, the findings demonstrate the potential of EELS for probing materials for a wide range of industries.

For exploring materials right down to the nano-level, researchers often need to construct a complex structure to house the materials -- a time-consuming and complicated process. But imagine if there was a way the structure could simply build itself?

Nanoengineers have developed a new and potentially more effective way to deliver messenger RNA (mRNA) into cells. Their approach involves packing mRNA inside nanoparticles that mimic the flu virus -- a naturally efficient vehicle for delivering genetic material such as RNA inside cells.

Current approaches to create superconducting qubits for quantum computers yield chips that are substantially larger than those found in classical computers. To shrink things down, researchers have taken advantage of atomically thin, 2D materials to construct the necessary capacitors for superconducting qubits. Their two-qubit chip is 1,000x smaller than those made with conventional fabrication techniques.

Using a new microspectroscopic technique, scientists have found that steam disinfection of silicone-rubber baby bottle nipples exposes babies and the environment to micro- and nanoplastic particles.

Researchers have developed a device that detects viruses in the body as fast as and more accurately than current, commonly used rapid detection tests. The optical sensor uses nanotechnology to accurately identify viruses in seconds from blood samples. Researchers say the device can tell with 95 percent accuracy if someone has a virus.

Researchers describe a revolutionary imaging technology that compresses lamp light into a nanometer-sized spot. It holds that light at the end of a silver nanowire like a Hogwarts student practicing the 'Lumos' spell, and uses it to reveal previously invisible details, including colors, in nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes.

An international research team that synthesized a new ultrahard form of carbon glass with a wealth of potential practical applications for devices and electronics. It is the hardest known glass with the highest thermal conductivity among all glass materials.

Researchers have developed a unique way of modifying the surfaces of nanoparticles within life-saving medications to provide infusions that can be delivered more quickly, but with a reduced risk of negative reactions.

Researchers have used a suite of microscopy methods to visualize why perovskite materials are seemingly so tolerant of defects in their structure.

Engineers have invented a breakthrough optical phase modulator that controls visible light -- without dimming it -- with the smallest footprint and lowest power consumption. New device will improve LIDAR for remote sensing, AR/VR goggles, quantum information processing chips, implantable optogenetic probes, and more.