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Category: nanotechnology

Automated Benchtop Synthesis of a Quadrillion-Plus Member Core@Multishell Nanoparticle Library Using a Massively Generalizable Nanochemical Reaction

Rapidly expanding advances in computational prediction capabilities have led to the identification of many potential materials that were previously unknown, including millions of solid-state compounds and hundreds of nanoparticles with complex compositions and morphologies. Autonomous workflows are being developed to accelerate experimental validation of these bulk and nanoscale materials through synthesis. For colloidal nanoparticles, such strategies have focused primarily on compositionally simple systems, due in part to limitations in the generalizability of chemical reactions and incompatibilities between automated setups and mainstream laboratory methods. As a result, the scope of theoretical versus synthesizable materials is rapidly diverging. Here, we use a simple automated platform to drive a massively generalizable reaction capable of producing more than 651 quadrillion distinct core@multishell nanoparticles using a single set of reaction conditions. As a strategic model system, we chose a family of seven isostructural layered rare earth (RE) oxychloride compounds, REOCl (RE = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd, Dy), which are well-known 2D materials with composition-dependent optical, electronic, and catalytic properties. By integrating a computer-driven, hobbyist-level pump system with a laboratory-scale synthesis setup, we could grow up to 20 REOCl shells in any sequence on a REOCl nanoparticle core. Reagent injection sequences were programmed to introduce composition gradients, luminescent dopants, and binary through high-entropy solid solutions, which expands the library to a near-infinite scope. We also used ChatGPT to randomly select several core@multishell nanoparticle targets within predefined constraints and then direct the automated setup to synthesize them. This platform, which includes both massively generalizable nanochemical reactions and laboratory-scale automated synthesis, is poised for plug-and-play integration into autonomous materials discovery workflows to expand the translation of prediction to realization through efficient synthesis.

Nasal nanomedicine delivers immune-boosting therapy to fight brain tumors

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, along with collaborators at Northwestern University, have developed a noninvasive approach to treat one of the most aggressive and deadly brain cancers. Their technology uses precisely engineered structures assembled from nano-size materials to deliver potent tumor-fighting medicine to the brain through nasal drops. The novel delivery method is less invasive than similar treatments in development and was shown in mice to effectively treat glioblastoma by boosting the brain’s immune response.

Metasurfaces etched into 2D crystals boost nonlinear optical effects at nanoscale

In January, a team led by Jim Schuck, professor of mechanical engineering at Columbia Engineering, developed a method for creating entangled photon pairs, a critical component of emerging quantum technologies, using a crystalline device just 3.4 micrometers thick.

Now, in a paper published in Nature Photonics in October, Columbia Engineers have shrunk nonlinear platforms with high efficiency down to just 160 nanometers by introducing metasurfaces: artificial geometries etched into ultrathin crystals that imbue them with new optical properties.

“We’ve established a successful recipe to pattern ultrathin crystals at the nanoscale to enhance nonlinearity while maintaining their sub-wavelength-thickness,” said corresponding author Chiara Trovatello is currently an assistant professor at Politecnico di Milano and was a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Global Fellow at Columbia working with Schuck.

Researchers uncover the source of widespread ‘forever chemical’ contamination in North Carolina

An environmental chemistry laboratory at Duke University has solved a longstanding mystery of the origin of high levels of PFAS—so-called “forever chemicals”—contaminating water sources in the Piedmont region of North Carolina.

By sampling and analyzing sewage in and around Burlington, NC, the researchers traced the chemicals to a local textile manufacturing plant. The source remained hidden for years because the facility was not releasing chemical forms of PFAS that are regulated and monitored. The culprit was instead solid nanoparticle PFAS “precursors” that degrade into the chemicals that current tests are designed to detect.

Incredibly, these precursors were being released into the sewer system at concentrations up to 12 million parts-per-trillion—approximately 3 million times greater than the Environmental Protection Agency’s recently-enacted drinking water regulatory limit for certain types of PFAS.

Ultrasound-responsive nanoparticles: Modulating the tumor microenvironment to advance cancer immunotherapy

Ultrasound-responsive nanoparticles (URNs) enable spatiotemporal activation of immunomodulators that can remodel the tumor microenvironment and strengthen immune responses. This review summarizes how URNs enhance immune checkpoint blockade, vaccines, T cell therapies, cytokine delivery, and innate immune modulators, while synergizing with strategies such as oxygenation, extracellular matrix depletion, metabolic reprogramming, and phototherapy. By offering precise control and reduced systemic toxicity, URNs represent a promising platform for the rational design of next-generation cancer immunotherapies.

Interfacing with the Brain: How Nanotechnology Can ContributeClick to copy article linkArticle link copied!

Interfacing artificial devices with the human brain is the central goal of neurotechnology. Yet, our imaginations are often limited by currently available paradigms and technologies. Suggestions for brain–machine interfaces have changed over time, along with the available technology. Mechanical levers and cable winches were used to move parts of the brain during the mechanical age. Sophisticated electronic wiring and remote control have arisen during the electronic age, ultimately leading to plug-and-play computer interfaces. Nonetheless, our brains are so complex that these visions, until recently, largely remained unreachable dreams. The general problem, thus far, is that most of our technology is mechanically and/or electrically engineered, whereas the brain is a living, dynamic entity. As a result, these worlds are difficult to interface with one another.

A new space radiation shield: Flexible boron nitride nanotube film shows promise

High-energy cosmic radiation damages cells and DNA, causing cancer, and secondary neutrons—generated especially from the planetary surfaces—can be up to 20 times more harmful than other radiations. Aluminum, the most widely used shielding material, has the drawback of generating additional secondary neutrons when below a certain thickness.

Consequently, (BNNTs), which are lightweight, strong, and possess excellent neutron shielding capabilities, are emerging as a promising alternative.

BNNTs are ultrafine tubular only about 5 nanometers in diameter—roughly 1/20,000 the thickness of a human hair—making them extremely light and strong, with excellent thermal neutron absorption capability. However, due to limitations in fabrication technology, they have so far only been produced into thin and brittle sheet, restricting their practical applications.

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