Recently, scientists used self-assembly under controlled conditions to create a membrane consisting of layers with distinctly different structures. Now, the team utilized small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) to better determine these structures and study how they form. This new information paves the way for design and synthesis of hierarchical structures with biomedical applications.
Oct 28th, 2014
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Researchers have developed a new method to overcome the problems of Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS), an ultra-sensitive analytical technique able to detect chemicals in very low concentration, even up to single molecules, and also to retrieve structural information.
Oct 28th, 2014
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Scientists have made the first observation of the electronic structure in silver-rhodium (Ag-Rh) alloy nanoparticles to investigate why the alloy possesses a hydrogen absorbing/storage property like palladium does, given that bulk Ag and Rh do not form an alloy, and that neither element alone is a hydrogen absorbing/storage metal.
Oct 28th, 2014
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New device screens for kidney disease, prostate cancer on the spot. The tiny tube is lined with DNA sequences that latch onto disease markers in urine. While healthy samples flow freely, a diseased sample gets clogged and stops short of the mark.
Oct 27th, 2014
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Scientists have succeeded in simultaneously observing the reorganizations of atomic positions and electron distribution during the transformation of the 'smart material' vanadium dioxide from a semiconductor into a metal - in a timeframe a trillion times faster than the blink of an eye. This marks the first time experiments have been able to distinguish changes in a material's atomic-lattice structure from the relocation of the electrons in such a blazingly fast process.
Oct 27th, 2014
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Researchers have delivered a scientific one-two punch with a pair of papers that detail how synthetic collagen fibers self-assemble via their sticky ends.
Oct 27th, 2014
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Scientists reveal the atomic-scale structural and electronic degradations that plague some rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and make them vulnerable during high-temperature operations.
Oct 27th, 2014
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You don't always need GPS, a map or a compass to find the right way. What demands a tremendous amount of computational power from today's navigation computers can also be achieved by taking advantage of the laws of physical chemistry and practicing so-called 'chemical computing'.
Oct 27th, 2014
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Nanodiamonds are providing scientists with new possibilities for accurate measurements of processes inside living cells with potential to improve drug delivery and cancer therapeutics.
Oct 27th, 2014
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New technology enables monitoring and stimulation of neurons using optical and electronic methods simultaneously.
Oct 27th, 2014
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The trend toward energy self-sufficient probes and ever smaller mobile electronics systems continues unabated. They are used, for example, to monitor the status of the engines on airplanes, or for medical implants. They gather the energy they need for this from their immediate environment - from vibrations, for instance. Researchers have developed a process for the economical production of piezoelectric materials.
Oct 27th, 2014
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In less than a minute, a miniature device can measure a patient's blood for methotrexate, a commonly used but potentially toxic cancer drug. Just as accurate and ten times less expensive than equipment currently used in hospitals.
Oct 27th, 2014
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Researchers report reproducible and quantitative measurements of electricity flow through long molecules made of four DNA strands, signaling a significant breakthrough towards the development of DNA-based electrical circuits.
Oct 26th, 2014
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Chemists have devised a method using DNA-based tension probes to zoom in at the molecular level and measure and map how cells mechanically sense their environments, migrate and adhere to things.
Oct 24th, 2014
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In a significant breakthrough, scientists have succeeded in creating a large metamateria that is essentially isotropic, using a type of metamaterial element called a split-ring resonator.
Oct 24th, 2014
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Scientists developed a completely new way of forming charged molecules which offers tremendous potential for new areas of chemical research.
Oct 24th, 2014
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