Nanotechnology News – Latest Headlines

A simple, low cost laser technique to improve properties and functions of nanomaterials

By drawing micropatterns on nanomaterials using a focused laser beam, scientists could modify properties of nanomaterials for effective applications in photonic and optoelectric applications

Jul 22nd, 2014

Ultrasonically propelled nanorods spin dizzyingly fast

At up to 150,000 revolutions per minute, these nanomotors rotate 10 times faster than any nanoscale object submerged in liquid ever reported.

Jul 22nd, 2014

The stability of gold clusters: Every ligand counts

The number of molecules attached to gold clusters has a previously unrecognized influence.

Jul 21st, 2014

NSF grant to study the synthesis of nanoparticles resembling stainless steel

Mathew M. Maye, associate professor of chemistry, has been awarded a three-year, $360,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The award supports his ongoing work with metal stainless alloy nanostructures, the results of which may impact gas storage, heterogeneous catalysis, and rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.

Jul 21st, 2014

Chemists eye improved thin films with metal substitution

Solution-based inorganic process could drive more efficient electronics and solar devices.

Jul 21st, 2014

An optomechanical crystal to study interactions among colocalized photons and phonons

Electromagnetic radiation and mechanical vibrations of matter interact and exchange energy at the nanoscale. The experimental basis to study such interactions with precision is still being established. Researchers have now designed a silicon 1D Optomechanical crystal built up so that it allows to localize in a stable way both phonons and photons.

Jul 21st, 2014

Carbyne morphs from metal to semiconductor when stretched

Applying just the right amount of tension to a chain of carbon atoms can turn it from a metallic conductor to an insulator, according to Rice University scientists.

Jul 21st, 2014

DNA used as a nano-gold lightswitch

A nanostructure made from two tiny gold rods reversibly changes its optical properties when specific DNA molecules are added.

Jul 21st, 2014

New spongelike structure converts solar energy into steam

The structure - a layer of graphite flakes and an underlying carbon foam - is a porous, insulating material structure that floats on water. When sunlight hits the structure's surface, it creates a hotspot in the graphite, drawing water up through the material's pores, where it evaporates as steam.

Jul 21st, 2014

Scientists explain how gold nanoparticles easily penetrate cells, making them useful for delivering drugs (w/video)

A new study from MIT materials scientists reveals that gold nanoparticles enter cells by taking advantage of a route normally used in vesicle-vesicle fusion, a crucial process that allows signal transmission between neurons. They describe in detail the mechanism by which these nanoparticles are able to fuse with a membrane.