Nanotechnology and Emerging Technologies News from Nanowerk

Designing next-generation neural interfaces with graphene

In order to fully exploit the potential of neural interfaces, the forthcoming generation of devices is expected to simultaneously offer multiple functionalities, including recording and stimulation of electrical activity, recognition of neurotransmitters, neuromodulators and other neurologically relevant biomolecules, as well as the capability for controlled drug delivery. Graphene and other 2D materials possess an array of...

Posted: Sep 22, 2017

A DNA-based rewritable memory device

DNA is well known as the genetic material, but has also been used as a building block for the construction of nanoscale structures and periodic arrays. One other application is the storage of information in DNA. Such an information storage method has many advantages including longevity and ability for highly dense storage, and is more suited for archival storage of data. In new work, scientists use shape-changing DNA nanostructures...

Posted: Sep 18, 2017

The application of nanotechnology to cardiovascular nanomedicine

Nanostructured systems have the potential to revolutionize both preventive and therapeutic approaches for treating cardiovascular disease. Given the unique physical and chemical properties of nanostructured systems, nanoscience and nanotechnology have recently demonstrated the potential to overcome many of the limitations of cardiovascular medicine through the development of new pharmaceuticals, imaging reagents and modalities,...

Posted: Sep 14, 2017

Structural engineering of 2D-layered energy materials

Two-dimensional (2D) energy materials have outstanding physical and chemical properties in contrast to their bulk counterparts. This is particularly true for charge storage devices such as lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors. Unfortunately, when directly applying these 2D nanostructured materials for energy storage, there is still a significant challenge as they may have serious self-restacking leading to decreased active...

Posted: Sep 13, 2017

Alkaline earth metal vanadates: new anode materials for high performance sodium-ion batteries

Sodium-ion battery, as an emerging battery technology beyond lithium-ion battery, has attracted great research interests recent years. Sodium-ion batteries have a similar configuration and electrochemical reaction processes with lithium-ion batteries. But the Na resources are much more abundant and cost-effective than Li resources, which makes sodium-ion batteries highly promising as next-generation energy storage devices,...

Posted: Sep 12, 2017

Assembling colloidal matter with an opto-thermophoretic strategy (w/video)

Researchers have developed various assembly approaches, including self-assembly and electric/magnetic field directed assembly, to build diverse colloidal matters. These techniques feature high throughput but with limited structural configurations. Specifically, some of the techniques highly rely on the physical performance of the colloidal particles. In new work, researchers have developed a versatile colloidal assembly strategy...

Posted: Sep 11, 2017

A nanotechnology approach to augment nerve regeneration

In recent years, researchers working in neurobiology have been intrigued by the idea of microtubule-stabilizing drugs as a therapy to augment nerve regeneration. In new work, scientists show that a better idea is to increase the amount of the dynamic parts of the microtubules. They do this by reducing the levels of fidgetin, a protein that normally exists in nerves to keep the dynamic parts of microtubules from elongating...

Posted: Sep 08, 2017

Proposal for a new legislative framework for regulating nanomaterials

There is a proposal for a new legislative framework tailored for nanomaterials and their applications called Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, Categorization and Tools to Evaluate Nanomaterials - Opportunities and Weaknesses (REACT NOW). REACT NOW is the first attempt to present a truly comprehensive and transparent regulatory decision-making framework tailored for nanomaterials. This proposal for new legislative framework...

Posted: Sep 07, 2017