Nanotechnology News – Latest Headlines

Using nanoparticles to boost the nutrient content and growth of tomato plants

Researchers are using nanoparticles to boost the nutrient content and growth of tomato plants. Taking a clue from their work with solar cells, the team found that by using zinc oxide and titanium dioxide nanoparticles, the tomato plants better absorbed light and minerals, and the fruit had higher antioxidant content.

Nov 7th, 2015

Membrane 'nano-fasteners' key to next-generation fuel cells

Scientists have developed a new way of making fuel cell membranes using nanoscale fasteners, paving the way for lower-cost, higher-efficiency and more easily manufactured fuel cells.

Nov 6th, 2015

Graphene moves from the lab to the factory floor

A major showcase of companies developing new technologies from graphene and other two-dimensional materials took place this week at the Cambridge Graphene Centre.

Nov 6th, 2015

First synthetic model of bacteria outer membrane

An international collaboration has produced the first in vitro model of the outer membrane of the bacteria E. coli providing a tool for developing new antibiotics and other drugs.

Nov 6th, 2015

Better, faster, cheaper imaging

New technique using existing technologies allows unprecedented views of cells and other soft materials.

Nov 6th, 2015

Denser 'quantum crystal' will help unlock secrets of exotic materials

The crystal is useful for studying correlations among the molecules' spins, or rotations, a quantum behavior related to magnetism.

Nov 6th, 2015

New way to find DNA damage

Chemists devised a new way to detect chemical damage to DNA that sometimes leads to genetic mutations responsible for many diseases, including various cancers and neurological disorders.

Nov 6th, 2015

Light-absorbing polymers stand to attention

By lining up vertical strands of a polymer, researchers probe the unusual optical properties of thin films.

Nov 6th, 2015

Nanoparticle delivery maximizes drug defense against bioterrorism agent

Scientists have developed a nanoparticle delivery system for the antibiotic moxifloxacin that vastly improves the drug's effectiveness against pneumonic tularemia, a type of pneumonia caused by inhalation of the bacterium Francisella tularensis.

Nov 6th, 2015

A new slant on semiconductor characterization

Method analyzes non-uniform conductors with a magnetic field.

Nov 5th, 2015

Using hydrogen-treated graphene nanofoam to enhance lithium ion batteries

Scientists have found that lithium ion batteries operate longer and faster when their electrodes are treated with hydrogen.

Nov 5th, 2015

Single-layer NbSe2, a true 2D superconductor

An international team has demonstrated the coexistence of superconductivity and charge density wave order in a single layer of NbSe2, a model transition metal dichalcogenide metal.

Nov 5th, 2015

Researchers fabricate a metamaterial using a lotus leaf as a template

Unique surface structures play a vital role in metamaterials, and scientists have begun looking to nature itself for patterned surfaces from which to draw inspiration. Using a lotus leaf as a template, the new substance is capable of almost total absorption of light across the entire visible spectrum.