Nanotechnology Spotlight – Latest Articles

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Showing Spotlights 65 - 72 of 203 in category All (newest first):

 

Nanotechnology for developing countries

solar_panelsIn addition to economic, social and political measures, new technologies can provide tools for poverty reduction. Many people in developing countries don't just lack money. Especially in remote regions, many also lack access to electricity, clean drinking water and basic sanitation, cooking facilities, healthcare, adequate housing, etc. The innovative solutions for developing countries supported by the use of nanotechnologies mainly target five areas: water; medicine; agriculture; food; and energy.

Jul 13th, 2017

A true random number generator based on solution-processed semiconducting carbon nanotubes

measurement_curvesNew work demonstrates that one of the most important security primitives, i.e. a true random number generator (TRNG), can be realized within the rigorous constraints required for future Internet-of-Things electronics. The solution-processability of semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes allows to meet these strict constraints by simultaneously enabling small-scale, low cost fabrication of low-power, ultra-thin, printable, and mechanically flexible security devices. This presents a significant milestone in enabling higher level cryptographic solutions using scalable solution processing.

Jul 12th, 2017

Accurate simulations at the nanoscale depend on choosing appropriate interatomic potentials

cubic_nanostructureThe robustness, accuracy, and validity of an atomistic simulations hinge on the appropriate choice of force fields. Force fields are key for modeling the interaction between atoms of a matter under study, and the challenge is to have an accurate force field working for any specific material at any desired temperature. To serve this objective and make a benchmark as well as a shortcut for users to find their best force fields, scientists have examined a number of force fields for materials that are popular in micro- and nanotechnologies.

Jun 12th, 2017

Controlling the formation of ice on surfaces

In recent years, researchers working on de-icing and anti-icing strategies have been inspired by biology and nanotechnology to develop nanocoatings and other nanostructured surfaces. Researchers now have demonstrated the ability to spatially control frost nucleation (ice formation from water vapor) and to manipulate ice crystal growth kinetics. This ice nucleation control and the confinement of ice crystal growth direction through manipulating roughness scale have not been reported before.

Mar 17th, 2017

Phononic origins of friction revealed

phonon_propagationCarbon nanotubes (CNTs), by possessing a uniquely large disparity among its intertube and intratube interaction strengths, have been established as ultralow friction nanostructures and are serving as testbeds for tuning frictional response. In new woirk, researchers now have revealed the phononic origins of friction in CNT oscillators. This work, for the first time, provides a precise connection between individual phonon mode scattering and friction force.

Mar 6th, 2017

Our top 10 nanotechnology spotlight articles 2016

inkjet_printingHere are the 10 most popular Nanowerk Nanotechnology Spotlight articles of 2016. This year, the list includes nanotechnology in textiles; nanotechnology for next-generation inkjet color printing; graphene-based smart contact lens works as self-powered biosensor; nanotechnology's tiny steps toward atomic-scale 3D fabrication; stick-on epidermal electronics tattoo to measure UV exposure; a nanotechnology approach to scavenging wind and solar energy in cities; 3D printing highly conductive nanocomposites; using household items to make a multi-sensory 'Paper Skin'; an analogue smart skin that is self-powered; and writing nanotubes with a nano fountain pen.

Dec 30th, 2016

Nanotechnology: The future is tiny

nanotechnology_bookWritten by Nanowerk's Michael Berger, this just published book is a collection of essays about researchers involved in all facets of nanotechnologies. Nanoscience and nanotechnology research are truly multidisciplinary and international efforts, covering a wide range of scientific disciplines such as medicine, materials sciences, chemistry, biology and biotechnology, physics and electronics. Each of the book's chapters is based on a scientific paper that has been published in a peer-reviewed journal. Although each story revolves around one or two scientists who were interviewed for this book, many, if not most, of the scientific accomplishments covered here are the result of collaborative efforts by several scientists and research groups, often from different organizations and from different countries.

Aug 31st, 2016

Exploring applications of quasicrystals at small scales

nanopillarWhether it is possible to achieve high formability in quasicrystals and how quasicrystals are plastically deformed at room temperature have been long-standing questions since their discovery. In new work, an international group of researchers has found that a typically brittle quasicrystal exhibits superior ductility (ductility is a solid material's ability to deform under stress without fracture) at the sub-micrometer scales and at room temperature. Furthermore, their experiments indicate that 'dislocation glide' could be the dominating deformation mechanism for quasicrystals under high-stress and low temperature conditions, which has been not poorly understood before.

Aug 12th, 2016