Nanowerk Nanotechnology News

Tricky feat with stand-up molecule

Wed, 27 Jun 2018 12:49:02 -0400

Researchers have achieved a new level of precision working with single molecules. They succeeded in placing an ultrathin molecule in an upright position on a flat layer of silver atoms - and the molecule remained standing instead of reverting to its naturally favoured position.

Finding the right balance for catalysts in the hydrogen evolution reaction

Wed, 27 Jun 2018 11:19:14 -0400

Researchers optimize the tradeoff between catalyst activity and stability in acidic liquids.

BNAs improve performance of Li-ion batteries

Wed, 27 Jun 2018 10:04:36 -0400

Scientists investigated the effect of hierarchical Bi2MoO6 nanosheet arrays growing on three-dimensional Ni foam synthesized by one-step template-free route.

Composite material mimics color changes of living organisms

Wed, 27 Jun 2018 08:45:40 -0400

Researchers have developed a composite material that, by adjusting its composition and exposing it to different types of light, can mimic animals' changes in color.

The ultimate 'smell test': Device sends rotten food warning to smartphones

Wed, 27 Jun 2018 08:39:43 -0400

Scientists report that they have developed a wireless tagging device that can send signals to smartphones warning consumers and food distributors when meat and other perishables have spoiled.

Thermal camouflage disguises hot and cold

Wed, 27 Jun 2018 07:23:23 -0400

A new type of camouflage makes a human hand invisible to a thermal camera.

How to gather many merry people at a party?

Wed, 27 Jun 2018 02:14:30 -0400

Scientists have managed to control the photon energy density inside opaque materials such as white paint.

Research shows graphene forms electrically charged crinkles

Wed, 27 Jun 2018 02:02:55 -0400

Researchers have discovered another peculiar and potentially useful property of graphene, one-atom-thick sheets of carbon, that could be useful in guiding nanoscale self-assembly or in analyzing DNA or other biomolecules.

Sintering atomically thin materials with ceramics now possible

Tue, 26 Jun 2018 15:36:17 -0400

For the first time, researchers have created a nanocomposite of ceramics with a two-dimensional material that opens the door to new designs of nanocomposites with a variety of applications, such as solid-state batteries thermoelectrics, varistors, catalysts, chemical sensors and much more.

DNA drives design principles for lighter, thinner optical displays

Tue, 26 Jun 2018 15:31:45 -0400

Lighter gold nanoparticles could replace thicker, heavier layered polymers used in displays? back-reflectors.

Fluorescence imaging technique goes from micro to macro, moves closer to clinic

Tue, 26 Jun 2018 12:02:23 -0400

FLIM used to analyze whole mouse tumor with cellular resolution.

Nanoscale membrane both isolates and couples living and non-living catalysts

Tue, 26 Jun 2018 11:55:33 -0400

Innovation paves the way for scaling up biohybrid systems to synthesize fuels, chemicals.

Shining a light on gene regulation

Tue, 26 Jun 2018 11:03:01 -0400

This promising method involves coating nanoparticles with gene-regulatory agents and then exposing them to a dose of laser light to unleash that material.

New metasurface tech improves ability to reflect sound back to its source

Tue, 26 Jun 2018 10:23:25 -0400

Researchers have developed a device that reflects sound in the direction it came from, rather than deflecting it at an angle. The 'retroreflector' can reflect sound across an operating range of 70 degrees in either direction -- more than doubling the effective range of previous technologies.

Electron paramagnetic resonance in modern carbon-based nanomaterials

Tue, 26 Jun 2018 10:15:40 -0400

Electron Paramagnetic Resonance in Modern Carbon-Based Nanomaterials, is a new book which attempts to fill the abovementioned void by compiling key contributions for researchers interested in the electron paramagnetic resonance study of the carbon-containing thin films, nanomaterials, ceramics, porous materials, etc.

Nanocellulose-coated PET film provides low-cost, sustainable option for food packaging

Tue, 26 Jun 2018 10:07:35 -0400

Researchers have developed a large-scale manufacturing process that may change the way some grocery store foods are packaged.

Research on cancer-frying nanoparticles heats up

Tue, 26 Jun 2018 09:48:10 -0400

Scientists have improved the performance of magnetic nanoparticles designed to roast and destroy tumors.

Twisted meta-molecules as they really are

Tue, 26 Jun 2018 09:20:44 -0400

Physicists have devised a clever way to truly test the chirality of a material, eliminating the risk of false positives from other techniques.

Nanotweezer lab-on-a-chip holds promise of early cancer diagnosis

Tue, 26 Jun 2018 07:45:13 -0400

Researchers used plasmonics to develop a new kind of nanotweezers that can rapidly trap and detect molecules, viruses and DNA - a device transformative for medicine that also has color printing applications.

Asymmetric plasmonic antennas deliver femtosecond pulses for fast optoelectronics

Tue, 26 Jun 2018 04:02:25 -0400

Researchers have succeeded for the first time in generating ultrashort electric pulses on a chip using metal antennas only a few nanometers in size, then running the signals a few millimeters above the surface and reading them in again a controlled manner.

Efficient, eco-friendly production of fine chemicals with single-atom catalyst

Tue, 26 Jun 2018 02:39:11 -0400

Chemical engineers have developed a new catalyst for forming a bond between two carbon atoms in a cost-effective and eco-friendly way.

Engineer creates new design for ultra-thin capacitive sensors

Tue, 26 Jun 2018 02:31:05 -0400

The thin and flexible sensor is ideal for sensing sounds because it can move with the airflow made by even the softest noises and addresses issues with accelerometers, microphones and many other similar sensors.

Team's e-whiskers may be a touchstone for future of electronic skin

Tue, 26 Jun 2018 02:26:34 -0400

Researchers used shape-memory polymers to create artificial, electronic versions called e-whiskers, which mimic the properties of the real thing.

Nanomaterials could mean more algae outbreaks for wetlands, waterways

Tue, 26 Jun 2018 02:20:03 -0400

High tech metal particles may inadvertently take a toll on aquatic life.

Defining the immunological effects of nucleic acid nanoparticles

Mon, 25 Jun 2018 11:24:52 -0400

Programmable nucleic acid nanoparticle (NANP) technology is a relatively new field that has already given rise to a host of self-assembling nucleic acid nanoparticles that are increasingly viewed as promising biological materials for medical applications. Programmable self-assembling NANPs are amenable to chemical modifications, control over functionalization, and consistent batch-to-batch formulation. Researchers present the first detailed and systematic study that involved 25 most representative NANPs, originally designed by different groups, screened for the induction of 29 different cytokines.

No barrier to applications for a remarkable 2D material

Mon, 25 Jun 2018 02:53:26 -0400

An innovative technique for growing large, uniform sheets of single-layer molybdenum disulfide could lead to new flexible electronic and optoelectronic devices.

Ligands control nanowire growth

Mon, 25 Jun 2018 02:48:19 -0400

Thiol molecules drive gold atoms to form a forest of nanowires with useful properties.

Nanoemulsions formed by self-assembly of nanoparticles around droplets

Sat, 23 Jun 2018 15:21:52 -0400

Researchers have developed a single-step technique for creating nanoemulsions that is faster, more energy efficient, and smaller than previous methods.

Superconducting vortices quantize ordinary metal

Fri, 22 Jun 2018 13:21:26 -0400

Researchers have discovered that a genuine feature of superconductors -- quantum Abrikosov vortices of supercurrent -- can also exist in an ordinary nonsuperconducting metal put into contact with a superconductor.

'Stealth' material hides hot objects from infrared eyes

Fri, 22 Jun 2018 13:20:56 -0400

Infrared cameras are the heat-sensing eyes that help drones find their targets even in the dead of night or through heavy fog. Hiding from such detectors could become much easier, thanks to a new cloaking material that renders objects -- and people -- practically invisible.

The photoelectric effect in stereo

Fri, 22 Jun 2018 13:11:41 -0400

In the photoelectric effect, a photon ejects an electron from a material. Researchers have now used attosecond laser pulses to measure the time evolution of this effect in molecules. From their results they can deduce the exact location of a photoionization event.

Insulator-metal transition at the nanoscale: x-ray holography reveals existence of nano-patchwork

Fri, 22 Jun 2018 06:13:21 -0400

In a recent study, researchers have finally been able to probe the phase transitions that occur in thin films of vanadium dioxide using resonant soft X-ray holography.

Is nature exclusively left-handed? Using chilled atoms to find out

Fri, 22 Jun 2018 02:32:19 -0400

Elegant techniques of trapping and polarizing atoms open vistas for beta-decay tests of fundamental symmetries, key to understanding the most basic forces and particles constituting our universe.

As future batteries, hybrid supercapacitors are super-charged

Fri, 22 Jun 2018 02:18:30 -0400

A new supercapacitor could be a competitive alternative to lithium-ion batteries.

Sense like a shark: Saltwater-submersible films

Fri, 22 Jun 2018 02:11:28 -0400

A nickelate thin film senses electric field changes analogous to the electroreception sensing organ in sharks, which detects the bioelectric fields of prey.

Researchers achieve unprecedented control of polymer grids

Thu, 21 Jun 2018 15:13:06 -0400

Materials could find applications in water purification, solar energy storage, body armor.

Researchers solve major challenge in mass production of low-cost solar cells

Thu, 21 Jun 2018 12:46:52 -0400

Spray coating could make perovskite an inexpensive alternative to silicon for solar panels.

Beyond conventional solution-process for 2-D heterostructure

Thu, 21 Jun 2018 10:13:14 -0400

Researchers demonstrated a facile wet-chemical method to directly grow organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite nanocrystals on surfaces of dispersible MoS2 nanosheets.

Scientists print sensors on gummi candy

Thu, 21 Jun 2018 09:57:43 -0400

Printing microelectrode arrays on gelatin and other soft materials could pave the way for new medical diagnostics tools.

Thermal radiation from nanoparticles

Thu, 21 Jun 2018 09:52:59 -0400

Scientists have succeeded in performing time-resolved measurements of the internal energy distribution of stored clusters. The clusters investigated consisted of four cobalt atoms and an additional electron.