NanoFocus

Promoter Quadruplexes

Folded DNA structures in gene-activation sites may be useful cancer drug targets.

Inhaled Nanotubes Reach Lung Lining In Mice

Nanotoxicology: Carbon structures cause unique physiological effects, study shows.

Tomatoes Get Nano Enhancement

Sprinkling soil mix with carbon nanotubes boosts tomato plants' germination and growth rates, with implications for agriculture.

Improved Selectivity In Making Metallic Carbon Nanotubes

A new method to prepare single-walled carbon nanotubes allows better control over the tubes' chirality and thus their conductivity properties.

Colorful Organic Nanocolloids

Confining discreet numbers of dye molecules in liquid crystals yields a colorful array of organic-based materials.

Nanosilver In The Wash

Environmental Chemistry: Fate of fabric-embedded particles depends on conditions, products.

Mapping The Epigenome

New tools chart chemical modifications of DNA and its packaging proteins.

Emulating Nature's Silicon Skills

ACS Meeting News: Diatoms have a knack for working with silicon that chemists hope to reproduce in the lab.

Thin As Thin Can Be

Catalysis: Synthesis yields zeolite crystals one unit cell thick.

DNA Nanostructures By Design

DNA Scaffolds: Scientists attain long-sought goal of 3-D DNA crystals.

DNA Nanostructures By Design

DNA Scaffolds: Scientists attain long-sought goal of 3-D DNA crystals.

Stretchy Insights

Molecular force probe reveals how strain affects reactivity.

Nanomaterials Bug Fruit Flies

Carbon nanomaterials don't seem to harm larvae, but glom onto adults and impair their mobility, leading to early mortality.

Clathrin Smuggles Quantum Dots Into Living Cells

A neuropeptide helps slip CdSe-ZnS quantum dots through cell membranes by recruiting clathrin, a protein that facilitates endocytosis.

Nanotech Toolkit

As nanotechnology R and D advances, instrumentation is keeping stride with scientific and educational needs.

HIV's Genomic Architecture

Chemical method reveals that HIV's RNA genome is highly structured.

Emitting Light With Nanotubes

Liquid electrolytes boost nanotube transistor's performance.

Bimetallic Bifrustums

Nanocrystals with novel shape and composition may spur applications in biodiagnostics and spectroscopy.

Aptamer-Studded Nanopore Detects Ricin

RNA lends sensitivity and specificity to sensor for potent bioterrorism agent.

Gold-Coated Quantum Dots

Glittering nanoparticles promise both fluorescence and plasmonic imaging with a single tag.

Nanoparticles Induce Polymer Patterns

Wave-like oscillations may serve as thin-film stress gauge.

Nanoscale Lenses Beat Diffraction Limit

Scientists overcome traditional material limitations by creating self-assembling molecular lenses that permit nanometer-level optical imaging.

Making Graphene In A Flash

Exposing precursor to a burst of camera light induces fast photoreduction.

Smaller Is Better

Subnanometer catalyst particles are unexpectedly active

Nanoscale Lenses Beat Diffraction Limit

Scientists overcome traditional material limitations by creating self-assembling molecular lenses that permit nanometer-level optical imaging

DNA Sorts Carbon Nanotubes

Specific sequences separate nanotubes according to chirality

Fertilizer's Perchlorate Legacy

Groundwater contaminated with perchlorate (ClO4-) from fertilizer appears to be a consequence of the U.S.'s agricultural history

Graphene Lends Microscopy Support

Berkeley researchers demonstrate the carbon sheet's utility in a novel application: as a specimen support in transmission electron microscopy

Ultrafast EELS

Extreme version of electron energy loss spectroscopy probes bonding dynamics

EELS Finds Atoms

Electron energy loss spectroscopy pinpoints single-atom impurities in solids

Transparent Silver Nanowire Films

Metal nanowires cast as thin-film electrodes could replace indium tin oxide in future display technologies

A Tunable Semiconductor

Bilayer graphene has controllable bandgap

Microtubes Follow Directions

Researchers control the growth, direction, and size of spontaneously assembling microtubes

Flow Spectroscopy For Tagged Nanoparticles

A new instrument swiftly snaps high-resolution Raman scattering spectra of individual nanoparticles to obtain quality-control information

Another One-Atom-Thick Material

Boron nitride joins graphene on list of thinnest free-standing crystals

Specks Mark The Clot

Iron oxide nanoparticles functionalized with a fluorescent dye and a peptide light up newly formed clots for diagnostic imaging

Finding Crystallization Sweet Spots

Automated device mixes nanoliter quantities of membrane-protein components

Magnetic Nanopropellers On The Move

Microscopic swimmers can be propelled wirelessly

A Simpler Route To Multifunctional Nanocomposites

Viruses serve as biological templates for nanoscale heterostructures

DNA In Another Dimension

3-D construction technique creates a wealth of structures

Silicon Nanowires Light Up For Imaging

Nanowires serve as intense in vivo and in vitro imaging probes to study circulating blood and organ tissue samples of mice

Building In 3-D With DNA Origami

Shaping DNA strands into predetermined shapes advances from flat, 2-D smiley faces to 3-D boxes

Nanotubes Sniff Out Kidney Failure

Scientists use a nanotube-based sensor array to detect VOCs in a breath test that can identify rats with chronic renal disease

Turning Nanotubes Into Nanoribbons

Cutting carbon nanotubes lengthwise yields thin strips of graphene

A New Zip For Nanoribbons

New methods peel open carbon nanotubes lengthwise to give strips of graphene

Antimicrobials From Silver And Egg Whites

Scientists have developed an environmentally friendly way to prepare bacteria-bursting silver nanoparticles for potential first-aid uses

Single-Molecule Fluorescence Events Seen In Real Time

Flashes of light help monitor electrocatalytic events that take place at discrete sites on the surface of single-walled carbon nanotubes

Improved Nanowire-Cell Connections

Versatile new design allows individual cells to be oriented over nanowire transistor arrays for better recording of the cells' electrical activity

Sustainable Nanotech

Workshop prioritizes research and regulatory needs for safe design, disposal of nanomaterial-containing products

Quantum Control Of Diamond Structures

Quantum effects may govern the formation of nanostructures on the surface of boron-doped diamond microcrystals

Morphology Is Key To Catalyst's Activity

By fashioning tricobalt tetraoxide into a nanorod, researchers have managed to boost the catalyst’s activity and stability

Virus Power

Genetically engineered virus fabricates lithium-ion battery's cathode

Calculating the costs of nanohazard testing

If all existing nanomaterials were to be tested for toxicity, it would cost U.S. industries between $249 million and $1.18 billion...

Solar Cells Move Further Into The Red

FRET technique helps improve the quantum yield of red photons by as much as a factor of four

Clear Nanofiber Paper

Cellulose-based material could be used for flexible electronics

Chemists Meet In Utah

Nanoscience is the theme of society's Salt Lake City convention

Muscular Nanotubes

Aerogels built from carbon nanotubes turn electrical into mechanical energy

Stable AFM In Air

Setup makes method suitable for probing biological systems and nanomanufacturing

Key Advance In DNA Sequencing With Nanopores

High-quality detection takes the label-free, single-molecule technique closer to reality

Promising Green Nanomaterials

In the quest to clean water of unwanted pollutants, one of the latest tools is shaped like the roots of a tree and can reach 100 nanometers from tip to tip

Attoreactors From Nanofibers

Intersecting fibers create reaction vessels for zeptomole-scale chemistry

Nanotubes Resolve Serum Proteins

Adding functionalized carbon nanotubes to a polyacrylamide gel permits better electrophoresis separation of proteins in complex mixtures

Graphene Via Arc Discharge

Electrical method yields sheets of carbon a few atoms thick

Imaging Tumors With Degradable Nanoparticles

Fluorescent, porous silicon particles can also carry drugs in vivo

Surface Impacts Of Nanoscale Oscillations

Oscillating reactions on surfaces are guided by nanoscale structural features rather than by diffusion, as in solution oscillating reactions

Acid-Responsive Nanoparticles Expand To Deliver Drugs

A drop in pH triggers polymeric nanoparticles to swell and spill out their therapeutic contents

Making Water Step By Step

Atomic resolution study reveals sequence of events

Measuring Cell Fever

Nanogel makes it possible to sense tiny temperature differences inside cells

Ceria Nanoparticles Act Like Enzymes

Polymer-coated cerium oxide nanoparticles exhibit oxidase-like activity at low pH without the need for hydrogen peroxide as an oxidizing agent

House Approves Nanotech Bill

The House of Representatives approved legislation on Feb. 11 to strengthen and improve the National Nanotechnology Initiative

Nanoceuticals

Dietary supplements made with nanotechnology are hitting the market with little government oversight

Nanotube Catalysts

Nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes could make fuel cells more affordable

Atom-sized Quantum Dots

Newly discovered property of silicon atoms may shrink computers

Nanocube-Nanotube Biosensors

Hybrid structure leads to sensitive detectors with wide linear response

Synthetic HDL Binds Cholesterol

A novel gold-protein core-shell nanoparticle mimics the action of "good" cholesterol and could lead to new therapies to prevent heart disease

Insurers scrutinize nanotechnology

U.S. insurance company Continental Western Group (CWG) issued a statement noting that it would exclude nanotubes and nanotechnology from its coverage

Nanomaterial Data Remain Scarce

Company participation in EPA's voluntary Nanoscale Materials Stewardship Program (NMSP) remains low

Fastest Graphene Transistor Yet

IBM researchers report the creation of a transistor that operates at 26 GHz, the highest frequency yet achieved for the 2-D carbon material

Sweet Nanoparticle Imaging

Sugar-coated nanoparticles aid MRI diagnosis of disease-associated lesions in the brain.

Wee Welding With Nanosolder

Sheffield chemists weld nanowires together via a nanoscale soldering technique carried out in a scanning electron microscope.

Ultracentrifugation Separates Nanotubes Wall By Wall

Double-walled carbon nanotubes can now be more easily separated from mixtures containing single- and multiwalled nanotubes.

Nanotube Building Block Created

Route to cycloparaphenylenes could lead to a new way to make carbon nanotubes.

Nanomaterial Characterization

Grassroots effort aims to improve quality of nanotoxicology studies.

Nanotech Safety

NRC report blasts federal research strategy for addressing risks of nanomaterials.

Yarn Gets Smart With Nanotube Coating

Coating common cotton thread with carbon nanotubes provides a simple route to electronic textiles that could be used as medical sensors.

Yarn Gets Smart With Nanotube Coating

Coating common cotton thread with carbon nanotubes provides a simple route to electronic textiles that could be used as medical sensors.

Tiny Backpacks For Cells

Polymer patches add cargo to cells without disturbing normal activities.

Tiny Loudspeakers

Flexible, stretchable carbon-nanotube-based devices emit sound via thermoacoustic effect.

Nanotubes Deemed Different From Carbon

EPA clarifies to industry that material must be treated as new substance.

Natural Enzyme Degrades Nanotubes

Horseradish peroxidase and hydrogen peroxide may provide a way to break down carbon nanotubes in the environment.

Probing Hazards Of Nanomaterials

Two new centers will orchestrate studies of possible biological and environmental effects.

Nanosilver toxicity: ions, nanoparticles-or both?

Researchers continue to question whether nanosilver's toxicity arises from its size or its ability to release silver ions.

Get Ready For Nanotech Food

Nanoscale materials are hitting the U.S. market in a wide range of food products.

Imaging Molecular Escapes

Method lets researchers watch hydrocarbon chains pass through pores in a nanotube.

Catching Catalyst Particles In Action

Analytical methods for probing catalytic nanocrystals while they mediate chemical reactions can uncover insights that lead to better catalysts.

Colloidal Dumbbells Form Chiral Chains

Silica nanoparticles joined together by iron oxide line up in a magnetic field to make chiral colloidal helices.

Evaluating Nanomaterials

Research alliance will develop means to predict hazards of nanoscale materials.

STM Reveals Bimetallic Nanoclusters

High-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy (HRSTM) has afforded researchers an atomic-scale view of a triangle-shaped bimetallic catalyst deposited on a silica substrate for the first time.

Making Borosilicate Nanoparticles Is Now Possible

A team of researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, reports the first synthesis and characterization of borosilicate nanoparticles.

What's Next For Nanotechnology

Future of field lies in hands of the next administration.