What’s new in nano
Every dated step in the nanotechnology we track, newest first. Each one says what happened, why it matters and how far it is from your life, with its source. New ones arrive every morning.
1 step
July 2026
- Tandem solar
A LONGi tandem cell reached 35.5% efficiency, a world record, certified by the European Solar Test Installation.
Approved or on sale
2 steps
Oct 2025
- MOF carbon capture
Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar Yaghi won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing metal-organic frameworks, citing uses that include capturing carbon dioxide.
Real-world testing - MOF water harvesting
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry for metal-organic frameworks named harvesting water from desert air among their uses.
Real-world testing
1 step
Sept 2024
- Tandem solar
Oxford PV shipped its first commercial tandem panels, with 24.5% module efficiency, to a customer in the US.
Approved or on sale
1 step
Nov 2023
- MOF carbon capture
BASF said it was the first company to make a MOF at a scale of several hundred tons a year, for Svante's carbon capture filters.
Real-world testing
1 step
2019
- MOF carbon capture
Svante installed a demonstration plant capturing 1 tonne of CO2 a day at Lafarge's cement plant in Richmond, British Columbia, using its MOF material.
Real-world testing
1 step
Oct 2017
- MOF water harvesting
UC Berkeley researchers tested a prototype harvester in a backyard in Scottsdale, Arizona, where humidity fell as low as 8% in the day, and collected drinkable water each day-night cycle.
Real-world testing