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Public trust in science journalism: comparative insights from Germany, Italy, and Lithuania

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German language skills could be handy for reading this poster although the visuals help for those of us who don’t have those skills,

Caption: Visual design of the research project Credit: ITAS (Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis)

A September 22, 2025 Sissa Medialab press release on EurekAlert announces the results of research project, Note: SISSA is the International School for Advanced Studies or, in Italian, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati; and it owns SISSA MediaLab (as per my May 14, 2025 posting),

“Trust in science is collapsing”—that’s the alarm we often hear. It’s not surprising, then, that recent years have seen major efforts to study the phenomenon and its dynamics in the general population. Far less attention, however, has been paid to the information professionals—journalists—who play a crucial bridging role between the world of scientific research and the public. A new paper in the Journal of Science Communication (JCOM) by a research group at the Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS) of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany, gives voice to journalists in three countries—Germany, Italy, and Lithuania—each representing a different media ecosystem.

The picture that emerges is far more fragmented and nuanced—and, above all, strongly context-dependent—than the common narrative would suggest. The journalists described themselves as being in constant negotiation with their audiences, calling themselves “knowledge brokers.” They also stressed that, in today’s science journalism, fact-checking and accuracy must be coupled with political, social, and emotional dimensions and with audience expectations, and they highlighted the need for new co-creative media formats.

“According to the journalists involved in our study, trust in science is not collapsing,” explains Nora Weinberger, a researcher at ITAS and one of the authors of the study, who contributed to the analysis of the focus-group data (that were all pre-analyzed locally). “That was kind of a surprise for me, because in the media and in discussions among researchers there’s this idea of a collapse, while participants in our study see trust as being constantly negotiated.”

“Public trust in science is not uniformly declining,” confirms Dana Mahr, also a researcher at ITAS and the study’s first author. “It’s fragmented, dynamic, and highly dependent on social, political, and media contexts, as well as individual expectations.”

The focus-group study involved 87 participants—mostly journalists (also including a number of science and institutional communicators and a few scientists)—across three very different countries. Germany shows a relatively solid landscape for science journalism, with dedicated desks in public broadcasters and major outlets, a strong professional network, and good fact-checking practices. Italy is more fragmented, with fewer pure science desks, many freelancers, and often poorly paid. As described by one Italian participant: “Science journalism in Italy is treated as a luxury. When there’s a crisis, it suddenly matters. Otherwise, it’s ignored.” Lithuania, shaped by its post-communist past, has a very small market with few full-time specialists; science is often covered by generalists or in collaboration with universities and research centers.

Context effects and fragmentation

Journalists highlighted the public’s growing ideological polarization: some continue to trust scientific institutions, while others assess information through an emotional and political lens. As one German participant put it: “People don’t evaluate scientific facts independently anymore. They trust or reject science based on whether it aligns with their political identity.”

They also criticized a reactive form of journalism that works on a very short time horizon and often depends on contingencies and public mood. In practice, topics are covered mainly in emergencies (think of the pandemic), while in-depth, long-term reporting is rare. This dynamic, by reducing the public’s familiarity with scientific issues, ends up triggering a vicious circle that further undermines trust in scientific research.

Online sets the agenda

Another key point is that dynamics of the online sphere spill over offline, shaping what appears in print. “The same article gets published in print and online, and if it gets no clicks online, then the topic doesn’t come up next time in the editorial discussions with regard to the print,” explains Mahr.

This further restricts in-depth coverage of important topics — from vaccines to climate change: if a subject doesn’t draw online interest, it stops being covered. Mahr cites global warming: although it’s scientifically crucial, it no longer attracts audiences unless framed with sensational headlines (often misleading, sometimes not evidence-based), and is gradually sidelined by outlets. “The journalists in our focus groups expressed the idea that basically you cannot do journalism on climate change because the public is overladen with information. Basically they are tired of the topic of climate change.” This, in turn, creates space for “alternative information” (not evidence-based and driven by a specific political agenda), which spreads pseudoscientific misinformation.

The role of support structures

Because journalism is so dependent on context and “market” factors, participants stressed the need for broader infrastructures to support their work: “Whether journalists can foster trust depends less on individual reporting and more on systemic conditions,” explains Weinberger. “Now there is really a need for media infrastructures and institutional support. Trust, and political culture, are questions of structures in society, not only of journalistic skills or good stories. For me, that was really surprising, in a way.”

The envisaged structures include elements that help mitigate market pressure: more stable funding (e.g., public service media), dedicated science desks, investigative funds, fact-checking units, collaboration networks, and ongoing training. In Germany, for example, these supports are more established than elsewhere, reducing click pressure and enabling longer-term, well-contextualized coverage.

Trust brokers and co-creation

“What I found really interesting was that they see their role as trust brokers—not only translating complex research, but also building trust,” says Weinberger. “That is not their formal job description, and from my point of view this represents a shift in their role.” This emerges in all three countries studied, despite clear differences in the media landscape. Journalists do not see their work as only conveying scientific information clearly, fairly, and accurately. They also take on an active role of mediation and dialogue with the public, in some cases pushing the profession toward the edge of activism. They feel literally tasked with building public trust in science.

For this reason, they believe news formats should incorporate more co-creation. “The journalists are aware of the social contract that we connect to the role of journalists—so they want to make it even stronger, with more transparency, more humility, and more dialogue with audiences. Basically, their idea is to allow more co-production.” 

The strategies mentioned include producing interactive formats such as podcasts and Q&A sessions, and building relationships within digital communities instead of relying on one-way messaging, adapting content to the platforms without compromising scientific accuracy. These approaches are not panaceas, but necessary experiments that mark a shift from simple dissemination to dialogue and from authority to co-creation, recognizing that trust must be built by meeting audiences where they already are.

The article “Science journalists and public trust: comparative insights from Germany, Italy, and Lithuania” by Dana Mahr, Arianna Bussoletti, Christopher Coenen, Francesca Comunello, Julija Baniukevic and Nora Weinberger is published in the Journal of science Communication JCOM. The study was conducted as part of the EU Horizon Europe project IANUS (Inspiring and Anchoring Trust in Science, Research and Innovation, Link: https://trustinscience.eu/) aimed at strengthening warranted trust in science, research, and innovation through inclusive, value-sensitive, and participatory approaches.

Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,

Science journalists and public trust: comparative insights from Germany, Italy, and Lithuania by Dana Mahr, Arianna Bussoletti, Christopher Coenen, Francesca Comunello, Julija Baniukevic and Nora Weinberger. Journal of science Communication or JCOM 24 (05), A01 DOI: https://doi.org/10.22323/149220250818111637

This paper is open access.

Memristors could help AIs overcome ‘catastrophic forgetting’

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A March 20,205 news item on SciencDaily describes a ‘novel’ memristor,

They consume extremely little power and behave similarly to brain cells: so-called memristors. Researchers from Jülich [Forschungszentrum Juelich; Germany], led by Ilia Valov, have now introduced novel memristive components in Nature Communications that offer significant advantages over previous versions: they are more robust, function across a wider voltage range, and can operate in both analog and digital modes. These properties could help address the problem of “catastrophic forgetting,” where artificial neural networks abruptly forget previously learned information.

The problem of “catastrophic forgetting” occurs when deep neural networks are trained for a new task. This is because a new optimization simply overwrites a previous one. The brain does not have this problem because it can apparently adjust the degree of synaptic change; experts are now also talking about a so-called “metaplasticity”. They suspect that it is only through these different degrees of plasticity that our brain can permanently learn new tasks without forgetting old content. The new memristor accomplishes something similar.

“Its unique properties allow the use of different switching modes to control the modulation of the memristor in such a way that stored information is not lost,” says Ilia Valov from the Peter Grünberg Institute (PGI-7) at Forschungszentrum Jülich.

…

A March 20, 2025 Forschungszentrum Juelich press release (also on EurekAlert), which originated the news item, provides context for the work along with more technical details,

Ideal candidates for neuro-inspired devices

Modern computer chips are evolving rapidly. Their development could receive a further boost from memristors—a term derived from memory and resistor. These components are essentially resistors with memory: their electrical resistance changes depending on the applied voltage, and unlike conventional switching elements, their resistance value remains even after the voltage is turned off. This is because memristors can undergo structural changes—for example, due to atoms depositing on the electrodes.

“Memristive elements are considered ideal candidates for learning-capable, neuro-inspired computer components modeled on the brain,” says Ilia Valov.

Despite considerable progress and efforts, the commercialization of the components is progressing slower than expected. This is due in particular to an often high failure rate in production and a short lifespan of the products. In addition, they are sensitive to heat generation or mechanical influences, which can lead to frequent malfunctions during operation. “Basic research is therefore essential to better control nanoscale processes,” says Valov, who has been working in this field of memristors for many years. ”We need new materials and switching mechanisms to reduce the complexity of the systems and increase the range of functionalities.”

It is precisely in this regard that the chemist and materials scientist, together with German and Chinese colleagues, has now been able to report an important success: “We have discovered a fundamentally new electrochemical memristive mechanism that is chemically and electrically more stable,” explains Valov. The development has now been presented in the journal Nature Communications.

A New Mechanism for Memristors

“So far, two main mechanisms have been identified for the functioning of so-called bipolar memristors: ECM and VCM,” explains Valov. ECM stands for ‘Electrochemical Metallization’ and VCM for ‘Valence Change Mechanism’.

  • ECM memristors form a metallic filament between the two electrodes—a tiny “conductive bridge” that alters electrical resistance and dissolves again when the voltage is reversed. The critical parameter here is the energy barrier (resistance) of the electrochemical reaction. This design allows for low switching voltages and fast switching times, but the generated states are variable and relatively short-lived.
     
  • VCM memristors, on the other hand, do not change resistance through the movement of metal ions but rather through the movement of oxygen ions at the interface between the electrode and electrolyte—by modifying the so-called Schottky barrier. This process is comparatively stable but requires high switching voltages.

Each type of memristor has its own advantages and disadvantages. “We therefore considered designing a memristor that combines the benefits of both types,” explains Ilia Valov. Among experts, this was previously thought to be impossible. “Our new memristor is based on a completely different principle: it utilizes a filament made of metal oxides rather than a purely metallic one like ECM,” Valov explains. This filament is formed by the movement of oxygen and tantalum ions and is highly stable—it never fully dissolves. “You can think of it as a filament that always exists to some extent and is only chemically modified,” says Valov.

The novel switching mechanism is therefore very robust. The scientists also refer to it as a filament conductivity modification mechanism (FCM). Components based on this mechanism have several advantages: they are chemically and electrically more stable, more resistant to high temperatures, have a wider voltage window and require lower voltages to produce. As a result, fewer components burn out during the manufacturing process, the reject rate is lower and their lifespan is longer.

Perspective solution for “catastrophic forgetting”

On top of that, the different oxidation states allow the memristor to be operated in a binary and/or analog mode. While binary signals are digital and can only output two states, analog signals are continuous and can take on any intermediate value. This combination of analog and digital behavior is particularly interesting for neuromorphic chips because it can help to overcome the problem of “catastrophic forgetting”: deep neural networks delete what they have learned when they are trained for a new task. This is because a new optimization simply overwrites a previous one.

The brain does not have this problem because it can apparently adjust the degree of synaptic change; experts are now also talking about a so-called “metaplasticity”. They suspect that it is only through these different degrees of plasticity that our brain can permanently learn new tasks without forgetting old content. The new ohmic memristor accomplishes something similar. “Its unique properties allow the use of different switching modes to control the modulation of the memristor in such a way that stored information is not lost,” says Valov.

The researchers have already implemented the new memristive component in a model of an artificial neural network in a simulation. In several image data sets, the system achieved a high level of accuracy in pattern recognition. In the future, the team wants to look for other materials for memristors that might work even better and more stably than the version presented here. “Our results will further advance the development of electronics for ‘computation-in-memory’ applications,” Valov is certain.

Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,

Electrochemical ohmic memristors for continual learning by Shaochuan Chen, Zhen Yang, Heinrich Hartmann, Astrid Besmehn, Yuchao Yang & Ilia Valov. Nature Communications volume 16, Article number: 2348 (2025) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57543-w Published: 08 March 2025

This paper is open access.

With a wave of your finger you can control your electronic fabric

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A March 6, 2025 news item on ScienceDaily announces a durable electronic textile that can be washed,

A team of researchers from Nottingham Trent University (UK), Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) and Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (Italy) has created washable and durable magnetic field sensing electronic textiles — thought to be the first of their kind — which they say paves the way to transform use in clothing, as they report in the journal Communications Engineering. This technology will allow users to interact with everyday textiles or specialized clothing by simply pointing their finger above a sensor.

…

A March 5, 2025 Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf press release (also on EurekAlert but published March 6, 2025), which originated the news item, describes some possibilities that, until now, have been the province of science fiction,

The researchers show how they placed tiny flexible and highly responsive magnetoresistive sensors within braided textile yarns compatible with conventional textile manufacturing. The garment can be operated by the user across a variety of functions through the use of a ring or glove which would require a miniature magnet. The sensors are seamlessly integrated within the textile, allowing the position of the sensors to be indicated using dyeing or embroidering, acting as touchless controls or ‘buttons’.

The technology, which could even be in the form of a textile-based keyboard, can be integrated into clothing and other textiles and can work underwater and across different weather conditions. Importantly, the researchers argue, it is not prone to accidental activation unlike some capacitive sensors in textiles and textile-based switches. “By integrating the technology into everyday clothing people would be able to interact with computers, smart phones, watches and other smart devices, transforming their clothes into a wearable human-computer interface”, summarizes Dr. Denys Makarov from the Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research at HZDR.

Washable fashion for human-computer interaction

The technology could be applied to areas such as temperature or safety controls for specialized clothing, gaming, or interactive fashion – such as allowing its users to employ simple gestures to control LEDs or other illuminating devices embedded in the textiles. Furthermore, the research team demonstrates the technology on a variety of uses, including a functional armband allowing navigational control in a virtual reality environment, and a self-monitoring safety strap for a motorcycle helmet. “It is the first time that washable magnetic sensors have been unobtrusively integrated within textiles to be used for human-computer interactions”, emphasizes Prof. Niko Münzenrieder from Free University of Bozen-Bolzano.

“Our design could revolutionize electronic textiles for both specialized and everyday clothing,” said lead researcher Dr. Pasindu Lugoda, who is based in Nottingham Trent University’s Department of Engineering. He further remarks: “Tactile sensors on textiles vary in usefulness as accidental activation occurs when they rub or brush against surfaces. Touchless interaction reduces wear and tear. Importantly, our technology is designed for everyday use. It is machine washable and durable and does not impact the drape, or overall aesthetic appeal of the textile.”

Electronic textiles are becoming increasingly popular with wide-ranging uses, but the fusion of electronic functionality and textile fabrics can be very challenging. Such textiles have evolved and now rely on soft and flexible materials which are robust enough to endure washing and bending, but which are intuitive and reliable.

…

Here’s a link to and and a citation for the paper,

Submersible touchless interactivity in conformable textiles enabled by highly selective overbraided magnetoresistive sensors by Pasindu Lugoda, Eduardo Sergio Oliveros-Mata, Kalana Marasinghe, Rahul Bhaumik, Niccolò Pretto, Carlos Oliveira, Tilak Dias, Theodore Hughes-Riley, Michael Haller, Niko Münzenrieder & Denys Makarov. Communications Engineering volume 4, Article number: 33 (2025) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44172-025-00373-x Published: 25 February 2025

This paper is open access.

Natural nanoparticles can form clouds and encourage precipitation over the Amazon rainforest

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I don’t usually stumble across stories about natural nanoparticles; almost all the stories here are about engineered nanoparticles. Nice to get a change of pace. Plus, I love rain. as I sit here composing this post, the rain is pelting against my windows.

This November 8, 2024 news item on ScienceDaily announces a natural nanoparticle story that is centered on the Amazon rainforest,

Atmospheric aerosol particles are essential for the formation of clouds and precipitation, thereby influencing the Earth’s energy budget, water cycle, and climate. However, the origin of aerosol particles in pristine air over the Amazon rainforest during the wet season is poorly understood. A new study, led by the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz, reveals that rainfall regularly induces bursts of newly formed nanoparticles in the air above the forest canopy.

…

Caption: A rain front approaches the ATTO research station in the Amazon rainforest. Credit: Sebastian Brill, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry

A November 8, 2024 Max Planck Institute for Chemistry press release (also on EurekAlert), which originated the news item, provides more details,

An international research team from Germany, Brazil, Sweden, and China now showed that rainfall regularly induces bursts of nanoparticles that can grow to form cloud condensation nuclei. The scientists analyzed comprehensive long-term measurements of aerosol particles, trace gases, and meteorological data from the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory, ATTO, which is equipped with sophisticated instrumentation and measurement towers that are up to 325 m high. The observatory is located in the middle of the Amazon rainforest in northern Brazil, about 150 kilometers north-east of Manaus, and jointly operated by scientists from Germany and Brazil.

Luiz Machado, first author of the study now published in the journal Nature Geoscience, explains: “Rainfall removes aerosol particles and introduces ozone from the atmosphere into the forest canopy. Ozone can oxidize plant-emitted volatile organic compounds, especially terpenes, and the oxidation products can enhance the formation of new particles, leading to temporary bursts of nanoparticles.”

Nanoparticle concentrations are highest just above the forest canopy

The researchers discovered that nanoparticle concentrations are highest just above the forest canopy and decrease with increasing altitude. “This gradient persists throughout the wet season, indicating continuous particle formation in the canopy and an upward flux of newly formed particles that can grow by further uptake of low volatile molecules and serve as cloud condensation nuclei”, adds Christopher Pöhlker, co-author and research group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry. Among the low volatile molecules involved in the formation and growth of natural nanoparticles in the atmosphere are oxygen- and nitrogen-containing organic compounds that are formed upon oxidation of isoprene, terpenes, and other volatile organic compounds, which are naturally emitted by plants and oxidized by ozone and hydroxyl radicals in the air.

Earlier studies had detected new particle formation in the outflow of convective clouds in the upper troposphere and suggested a downward flux rather than an upward flux of newly formed nanoparticles.

“Our findings imply a paradigm shift in the scientific understanding of interactions between the rainforest, aerosols, clouds, and precipitation in the Amazon, which are important for regional and global climate”, concludes Ulrich Pöschl, co-author and director at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry.

About ATTO:
The Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO) is an internationally collaborative research site in the central Amazon, dedicated to studying atmospheric processes and the exchange of energy, water, and gases between the biosphere and atmosphere. It is one of the world’s most critical observatories for understanding the impacts of climate change on tropical forests.

Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,

Frequent rainfall-induced new particle formation within the canopy in the Amazon rainforest by Luiz A. T. Machado, Gabriela R. Unfer, Sebastian Brill, Stefanie Hildmann, Christopher Pöhlker, Yafang Cheng, Jonathan Williams, Harder Hartwig, Meinrat O. Andreae, Paulo Artaxo, Joachim Curtius, Marco A. Franco, Micael A. Cecchini, Achim Edtbauer, Thorsten Hoffmann, Bruna Holanda, Théodore Khadir, Radovan Krejci, Leslie A. Kremper, Yunfan Liu, Bruno B. Meller, Mira L. Pöhlker, Carlos A. Quesada, Akima Ringsdorf, Ilona Riipinen, Susan Trumbore, Stefan Wolff, Jos Lelieveld & Ulrich Pöschl. Nature Geoscience volume 17, pages 1225–1232 (2024) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-024-01585-0 Published online: 08 November 2024 Issue Date: December 2024

This paper is open access.

Poetics of Rhythm: a literary study

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First dance (“Explaining topological insulators with dance,” my January 23, 2025 posting), now poetry. This November 6, 2024 Goethe University Frankfurt press release (also on EurekAlert) announces a new research project, which is less ‘scientific’ and more focused on literary theory,

“Poetics of Rhythm” – that is the title of a project currently in the starting blocks at Goethe University Frankfurt. The aim of Professor Achim Geisenhanslüke, Professor for Literary Theory and Comparative Literature, is to unfold the possibilities of a poetics of rhythm, which have not yet been fully exploited by literary studies, both systematically and historically. He combines the question of the fundamental significance of rhythm for the theory and practice of poetry (= poetics) with that of concrete manifestations of this phenomenon in poetry from modernity to the present day.

At the heart of the research work is rhythm in poetry. Is rhythm in poetry not simply meter? Not at all, says Achim Geisenhanslüke. Although rhythm also describes “form in motion” [emphasis mine] in poetic speech, it is far more encompassing than the concept of meter. Especially with regard to modern poetry, the potential offered by the concept of rhythm has so far hardly been studied. In his approach, Geisenhanslüke is above all continuing the work of Henri Meschonnic (1932-2009), the French poet, linguist and literary scholar who induced an upward revaluation of the concept of rhythm as part of a critical analysis of structuralist and post-structuralist literary theories.

Achim Geisenhanslüke’s project will approach the topic in three sub-studies: The first will focus on rhythm in the poems of Friedrich Hölderlin, the second will critically examine Foucault’s theory of discourse and Meschonnic’s theory of rhythm, while the third sub-study is dedicated to rhythm as “form in motion” in modern poetry up to the present day, from Annette von Droste-Hülshoff and Charles Baudelaire to Thomas Kling.

The financial support from the German Research Foundation (DFG) allows the freedom needed to pursue all these aspects. The project will receive €750,000 in increments spread over five years, which can be distributed flexibly for teaching replacements, recruiting staff, assistants, workshops and conferences.

The funding line, which has existed since 2008, is named after Reinhart Koselleck (1923-2006), one of the most important German historians of the 20th century, who is considered a co-founder of modern social history. Reinhart Koselleck Projects are awarded to “outstanding researchers with a proven scientific track record”. The prerequisites for approval are exceptionally innovative approaches or a higher degree of risk.

In the case of Achim Geisenhanslüke’s project, the risks lie in the attempt, within a comparative approach, to take rhythm, a concept that is as central to literary studies as it is underestimated, and use it to give poetics new impetus: No risk, no gain. [emphasis mine]

It’s not often one associates any kind of danger with poetry.

Corporate venture capital (CVC) and the nanotechnology market plus 2023’s top 10 countries’ nanotechnolgy patents

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I have two brief nanotechnology commercialization stories from the same publication.

Corporate venture capital (CVC) and the nano market

From a March 23, 2024 article on statnano.com, Note: Links have been removed,

Nanotechnology’s enormous potential across various sectors has long attracted the eye of investors, keen to capitalise on its commercial potency.

Yet the initial propulsion provided by traditional venture capital avenues was reined back when the reality of long development timelines, regulatory hurdles, and difficulty in translating scientific advances into commercially viable products became apparent.

While the initial flurry of activity declined in the early part of the 21st century, a new kid on the investing block has proved an enticing option beyond traditional funding methods.

Corporate venture capital has, over the last 10 years emerged as a key plank in turning ideas into commercial reality.

Simply put, corporate venture capital (CVC) has seen large corporations, recognising the strategic value of nanotechnology, establish their own VC arms to invest in promising start-ups.

The likes of Samsung, Johnson & Johnson and BASF have all sought to get an edge on their competition by sinking money into start-ups in nano and other technologies, which could deliver benefits to them in the long term.

…

Unlike traditional VC firms, CVCs invest with a strategic lens, aligning their investments with their core business goals. For instance, BASF’s venture capital arm, BASF Venture Capital, focuses on nanomaterials with applications in coatings, chemicals, and construction.

It has an evergreen EUR 250 million fund available and will consider everything from seed to Series B investment opportunities.

…

Samsung Ventures takes a similar approach, explaining: “Our major investment areas are in semiconductors, telecommunication, software, internet, bioengineering and the medical industry from start-ups to established companies that are about to be listed on the stock market.

…

While historically concentrated in North America and Europe, CVC activity in nanotechnology is expanding to Asia, with China being a major player.

China has, perhaps not surprisingly, seen considerable growth over the last decade in nano and few will bet against it being the primary driver of innovation over the next 10 years.

As ever, the long development cycles of emerging nano breakthroughs can frequently deter some CVCs with shorter investment horizons.

…

2023 Nanotechnology patent applications: which countries top the list?

A March 28, 2024 article from statnano.com provides interesting data concerning patent applications,

In 2023, a total of 18,526 nanotechnology patent applications were published at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the European Patent Office (EPO). The United States accounted for approximately 40% of these nanotechnology patent publications, followed by China, South Korea, and Japan in the next positions.

According to a statistical analysis conducted by StatNano using data from the Orbit database, the USPTO published 84% of the 18,526 nanotechnology patent applications in 2023, which is more than five times the number published by the EPO. However, the EPO saw a nearly 17% increase in nanotechnology patent publications compared to the previous year, while the USPTO’s growth was around 4%.

Nanotechnology patents are defined based on the ISO/TS 18110 standard as those having at least one claim related to nanotechnology orpatents classified with an IPC classification code related to nanotechnology such as B82.

…

From the March 28, 2024 article,

Top 10 Countries Based on Published Patent Applications in the Field of Nanotechnology in USPTO in 2023

Rank1CountryNumber of nanotechnology published patent applications in USPTONumber of nanotechnology published patent applications in EPOGrowth rate in USPTOGrowth rate in EPO
1United States6,9264923.20%17.40%
2South Korea1,71547613.40%8.40%
3China1,6275694.20%47.40%
4Taiwan1,118615.00%-12.90%
5Japan1,113445-1.20%9.30%
6Germany484229-10.20%15.70%
7England331505.10%16.30%
8France323145-8.00%17.90%
9Canada290125.10%-14.30%
10Saudi Arabia268322.40%0.00%
1- Ranking based on the number of nanotechnology patent applications at the USPTO

If you have a bit of time and interest, I suggest reading the March 28, 2024 article in its entirety.

Seeing a single nanoparticle catalyst at work

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https://www.desy.de/e409/e116959/e119238/media/9833/alloy_kat_np_close-up.jpg
Carbon monoxide oxidises to carbon dioxide on the surface of the nanoparticle. Credit: Science Communication Lab for DESY

An October 1, 2021 news item on ScienceDaily announces research enabling scientists to observe a single nanoparticle at work,

A DESY-led research team has been using high-intensity X-rays to observe a single catalyst nanoparticle at work. The experiment has revealed for the first time how the chemical composition of the surface of an individual nanoparticle changes under reaction conditions, making it more active. The team led by DESY’s Andreas Stierle is presenting its findings in the journal Science Advances. This study marks an important step towards a better understanding of real, industrial catalytic materials.

An October 1, 2021 Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) press release (also on EurekAlert), which originated the news item, explains why this research is important and provides more technical details,

Catalysts are materials that promote chemical reactions without being consumed themselves. Today, catalysts are used in numerous industrial processes, from fertiliser production to manufacturing plastics. Because of this, catalysts are of huge economic importance. A very well-known example is the catalytic converter installed in the exhaust systems of cars. These contain precious metals such as platinum, rhodium and palladium, which allow highly toxic carbon monoxide (CO) to be converted into carbon dioxide (CO2) and reduce the amount of harmful nitrogen oxides (NOx).

“In spite of their widespread use and great importance, we are still ignorant of many important details of just how the various catalysts work,” explains Stierle, head of the DESY NanoLab. “That’s why we have long wanted to study real catalysts while in operation.” This is not easy, because in order to make the active surface as large as possible, catalysts are typically used in the form of tiny nanoparticles, and the changes that affect their activity occur on their surface.

Surface strain relates to chemical composition

In the framework of the EU project Nanoscience Foundries and Fine Analysis (NFFA), the team from DESY NanoLab has developed a technique for labelling individual nanoparticles and thereby identifying them in a sample. “For the study, we grew nanoparticles of a platinum-rhodium alloy on a substrate in the lab and labelled one specific particle,” says co-author Thomas Keller from DESY NanoLab and in charge of the project at DESY. “The diameter of the labelled particle is around 100 nanometres, and it is similar to the particles used in a car’s catalytic converter.” A nanometre is a millionth of a millimetre.

Using X-rays from the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility ESRF in Grenoble, France, the team was not only able to create a detailed image of the nanoparticle; it also measured the mechanical strain within its surface. “The surface strain is related to the surface composition, in particular the ratio of platinum to rhodium atoms,” explains co-author Philipp Plessow from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), whose group computed strain as a function of surface composition. By comparing the observed and computed facet-dependent strain, conclusions can be drawn concerning the chemical composition at the particle surface. The different surfaces of a nanoparticle are called facets, just like the facets of a cut gemstone.

When the nanoparticle is grown, its surface consists mainly of platinum atoms, as this configuration is energetically favoured. However, the scientists studied the shape of the particle and its surface strain under different conditions, including the operating conditions of an automotive catalytic converter. To do this, they heated the particle to around 430 degrees Celsius and allowed carbon monoxide and oxygen molecules to pass over it. “Under these reaction conditions, the rhodium inside the particle becomes mobile and migrates to the surface because it interacts more strongly with oxygen than the platinum,” explains Plessow. This is also predicted by theory.

“As a result, the surface strain and the shape of the particle change,” reports co-author Ivan Vartaniants, from DESY, whose team converted the X-ray diffraction data into three-dimensional spatial images. “A facet-dependent rhodium enrichment takes place, whereby additional corners and edges are formed.” The chemical composition of the surface, and the shape and size of the particles have a significant effect on their function and efficiency. However, scientists are only just beginning to understand exactly how these are connected and how to control the structure and composition of the nanoparticles. The X-rays allow researchers to detect changes of as little as 0.1 in a thousand in the strain, which in this experiment corresponds to a precision of about 0.0003 nanometres (0.3 picometres).

Crucial step towards analysing industrial catalyst materials

“We can now, for the first time, observe the details of the structural changes in such catalyst nanoparticles while in operation,” says Stierle, Lead Scientist at DESY and professor for nanoscience at the University of Hamburg. “This is a major step forward and is helping us to understand an entire class of reactions that make use of alloy nanoparticles.” Scientists at KIT and DESY now want to explore this systematically at the new Collaborative Research Centre 1441, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and entitled “Tracking the Active Sites in Heterogeneous Catalysis for Emission Control (TrackAct)”.

“Our investigation is an important step towards analysing industrial catalytic materials,” Stierle points out. Until now, scientists have had to grow model systems in the laboratory in order to conduct such investigations. “In this study, we have gone to the limit of what can be done. With DESY’s planned X-ray microscope PETRA IV, we will be able to look at ten times smaller individual particles in real catalysts, and under reaction conditions.”
 
DESY is one of the world’s leading particle accelerator centres and investigates the structure and function of matter – from the interaction of tiny elementary particles and the behaviour of novel nanomaterials and vital biomolecules to the great mysteries of the universe. The particle accelerators and detectors that DESY develops and builds at its locations in Hamburg and Zeuthen are unique research tools. They generate the most intense X-ray radiation in the world, accelerate particles to record energies and open up new windows onto the universe. DESY is a member of the Helmholtz Association, Germany’s largest scientific association, and receives its funding from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) (90 per cent) and the German federal states of Hamburg and Brandenburg (10 per cent).

Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,

Single alloy nanoparticle x-ray imaging during a catalytic reaction by Young Yong Kim, Thomas F. Keller, Tiago J. Goncalves, Manuel Abuin, Henning Runge, Luca Gelisio, Jerome Carnis, Vedran Vonk, Philipp N. Plessow, Ivan A. Vartaniants, Andreas Stierle. Science Advances • 1 Oct 2021 • Vol 7, Issue 40 • DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abh0757

This paper is open access.

New nanoparticle beam technology

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It’s been quite a while since there’s been an equipment announcement here and, happily, this equipment will help with climate change, and more according to scientists from Swansea University (UK).

A June 29, 2021 Swansea University press release (also on EurekAlert but published on July 2, 2021) announces the new nanoparticle beam instrument,

A new state-of-the-art instrument has been built by a team from Swansea University’s Nanomaterials Laboratory which will help scientists fight against climate change, microbial infection and other major global challenges.

The team invented and built the nanoparticle beam instrument with the help of scientists from Freiburg University, Germany and have now installed it at the UK’s national synchrotron science facility, Diamond Light Source, based at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire.

In an initial four-year contract, the instrument will be available for use by staff and users of the Diamond synchrotron and a new Swansea University satellite laboratory team based at the Diamond facility, seconded from the University’s Nanomaterials Laboratory in Engineering led by Professor Richard Palmer. The Laboratory is a world leader in inventing revolutionary nanoparticle beam technology.

The new Swansea instrument located at Diamond’s versatile soft X-ray (VerSoX) beamline B07 will enable the precise generation of nanoscale particles of diverse materials by the method of gas-phase condensation, their size-selection with a mass spectrometer and then deposition onto surfaces to make prototype devices. It will help scientists explore and optimise the influence of particle size, structure and composition on properties relevant to applications as varied as catalysis, batteries, and antibacterial coatings for medical implants. It has the potential to aid radical discovery and innovation in both energy and medical technologies. Initial focus will be on the generation of green hydrogen and green ammonia as clean fuels. This can positively contribute to tackling climate change by harnessing renewable but intermittent energy sources – such as wind, tidal and solar – and storing the energy in these molecules.

The nanoparticle source at Diamond will complement the Matrix Assembly Cluster Source (MACS) and two more new instruments developed by the group at Swansea University. The instrument at Diamond is an ultra-precision source of size-selected nanoparticles (also termed clusters) designed for materials discovery and optimisation, while the MACS is designed to scale-up discoveries made at this model scale to the level of manufacturing.

Professor Steve Wilks, Provost of Swansea University, said: “The installation of this new nanoparticle instrument heralds the start of a strategic partnership between Swansea University and Diamond Light Source, and is underpinned by the Welsh Government. It opens up new opportunities for the Diamond staff and user community to work alongside our Swansea University satellite team based at Diamond, as conceived by Professor Palmer. In particular, nanoparticles have tremendous potential as new catalysts for sustainable energy generation, such as the splitting of water by sunlight to make clean hydrogen fuel, and for the synthesis of medicines and sensors.”

Professor Laurent Chapon, Diamond’s Physical Sciences Director, commented: “Diamond always wants to offer state -of-the-art instruments – often unique in the world – to the user community. One of the ways we push our technology is by partnering with key universities to help us drive forward the balance of scientific vision and needs from the community. Our collaboration with Swansea University provides a unique experimental (nanoparticle beam) set-up for materials discovery, that supports our surface, interface and catalysis community in addressing the pressing challenges of global health and climate. We all now look forward to the advancement in knowledge this new capability will bring.”

The Welsh Government Office for Science Sêr Cymru Programme is supporting the secondment of Dr Yubiao Niu from the Swansea team to Diamond via a Sêr Cymru Industrial Fellowship. He will commission the new instrument and explore the use of nanoparticle catalysts for low energy synthesis of ammonia and storage of hydrogen, with Imperial College also collaborating.

Professor Peter Halligan, WG’s Chief Science Advisor, said: “Generating a hydrogen-based fuel such as ammonia promises to overcome several of the technical challenges faced by hydrogen but has its own challenges. The metallic cluster catalyst method is innovative technology and one which deserves to be explored and exploited to its full potential. Dr Yubiao Niu, Swansea University, Diamond Light Source and Imperial College should be applauded for their foresight and ambition in this exciting area of research.”

in case you’re curious,

Caption: Professor Richard Palmer and Dr. Yubiao Niu from Swansea University with the new nanoparticle instrument at Diamond Light Source.. Credit: Henry Hoddinott.