Nanotechnology News

In touch with molecules

Sunday, November 15, 2009 00:00 MST

The performance of modern electronics increases steadily on a fast pace thanks to the ongoing miniaturization of the utilized components. However, severe problems arise due to quantum-mechanical phenomena when conventional structures are simply made smaller and reach the nanometer scale. Therefore current research focuses on the so-called bottom-up approach: the engineering of functional structures with the smallest possible building blocks -- single atoms and molecules.

Behavior modification could ease concerns about nanoparticles

Saturday, November 14, 2009 00:00 MST

In an advance that could help ease health and environmental concerns about the emerging nanotechnology industry, scientists are reporting development of technology for changing the behavior of nanoparticles in municipal sewage treatment plants -- their main gateway into the environment. Their study will be published online Nov. 12 in ACS' journal Environmental Science and Technology.

Understanding mechanical properties of silicon nanowires paves way for nanodevices

Friday, November 13, 2009 00:00 MST

Silicon nanowires are attracting attention from the electronics industry due to the drive for smaller devices, from cell phones to computers. The operation of these devices, and an array of additional applications, will depend on the mechanical properties of these nanowires. Research from North Carolina State University shows that silicon nanowires are far more resilient than their larger counterparts, a finding that paves the way for smaller, sturdier nanoelectronics, nanosensors, light-emitting diodes and other applications.

New nanocrystalline diamond probes overcome wear

Thursday, November 12, 2009 00:00 MST

Researchers at the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science at Northwestern University have developed, characterized, and modeled a new kind of probe used in atomic force microscopy, which images, measures, and manipulates matter at the nanoscale. Using diamond, researchers made a much more durable probe than the commercially available silicon nitride probes, which are typically used in AFM to gather information from a material, but can wear down after several uses.

Scientists develop DNA origami nanoscale breadboards for carbon nanotube circuits

Wednesday, November 11, 2009 00:00 MST

In work that someday may lead to the development of novel types of nanoscale electronic devices, an interdisciplinary team of researchers at the California Institute of Technology has combined DNA's talent for self-assembly with the remarkable electronic properties of carbon nanotubes, thereby suggesting a solution to the long-standing problem of organizing carbon nanotubes into nanoscale electronic circuits.

Magnetic nanoparticles to simultaneously diagnose, monitor and treat

Saturday, November 07, 2009 00:00 MST

The future for magentic nanoparticles (mNPs) appears bright With the design of "theranostic" molecules. mNPs could play a crucial role in developing one-stop tools to simultaneously diagnose, monitor and treat a wide range of common diseases and injuries.

An exquisite container

Friday, November 06, 2009 00:00 MST

A tiny cage of gold covered with a smart polymer responds to light, opening to empty its contents and resealing when the light is turned off. The smart nanocages could be used to deliver drugs directly to target sites, thus avoiding systemic side effects.

Where do nanomaterials go in the body?

Thursday, November 05, 2009 00:00 MST

Tiny, engineered nanomaterials can already be found in many consumer products, and have been hailed as having widespread future uses in areas ranging from medicine to industrial processes. However, little is known about what happens if these nanomaterials get into your body -- where do they go? NC State researchers are working to answer that question under a grant from the National Institutes of Health.

Breakthrough in industrial-scale nanotube processing

Wednesday, November 04, 2009 00:00 MST

Rice University scientists today unveiled a method for the industrial-scale manufacturing of pure carbon-nanotube fibers, a breakthrough that could lead to revolutionary advances in materials science, power distribution and nanoelectronics. The method builds upon tried-and-true processes the chemical industry has used for decades to produce polymer fibers. Findings from Rice's methodical, nine-year program are detailed in this week's Nature Nanotechnology.

Researchers create nanoparticle coating to prevent freezing rain buildup

Sunday, November 01, 2009 00:00 MST

Preventing the havoc wrought when freezing rain collects on roads, power lines, and aircrafts could be only a few nanometers away. A University of Pittsburgh-led team demonstrates in the Nov. 3 edition of Langmuir a nanoparticle-based coating developed in the lab of Di Gao, a chemical and petroleum engineering professor in Pitt's Swanson School of Engineering, that thwarts the buildup of ice on solid surfaces and can be easily applied.

Study shows how carbon nanotubes can affect lining of the lungs

Saturday, October 31, 2009 00:00 MST

Carbon nanotubes are being considered for use in everything from sports equipment to medical applications, but a great deal remains unknown about whether these materials cause respiratory or other health problems. Now a collaborative study from North Carolina State University, the Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences, and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences shows that inhaling these nanotubes can affect the outer lining of the lung, though the effects of long-term exposure remain unclear.

Rice University cuts deal to research graphene-infused drilling fluids

Friday, October 30, 2009 00:00 MST

Rice University and Houston-based M-I SWACO, the world's largest producer of drilling fluids for the petrochemical industry, have signed an agreement for research funds to develop a graphene additive that will improve the productivity of wells.

Knocking nanoparticles off the socks

Thursday, October 29, 2009 00:00 MST

Scientists in Switzerland are reporting results of one of the first studies on the release of silver nanoparticles from laundering those anti-odor, anti-bacterial socks now on the market. Their findings, scheduled for the Nov. 1 issue of ACS' journal Environmental Science and Technology, may suggest ways that manufacturers and consumers can minimize the release of these particles to the environment, where they could harm fish and other wildlife.

Scientists trap light and sound vibrations together in nanocrystal

Wednesday, October 28, 2009 00:00 MST

Researchers at the California Institute of Technology have created a nanoscale crystal device that, for the first time, allows scientists to confine both light and sound vibrations in the same tiny space. "This is a whole new concept," notes Oskar Painter, associate professor of applied physics at Caltech. Painter is the principal investigator on the paper describing the work, which was published in the online edition of the journal Nature.

Researchers find new route to nano self-assembly

Tuesday, October 27, 2009 00:00 MST

By adding select small molecules to mixtures of nanoparticles and polymers, Berkeley Lab researchers can direct the self-assembly of the nanoparticles into arrays of one, two and even three dimensions with no chemical modifications.