Nanotechnology News – Latest Headlines

Noble metals and semiconductor nanocrystals combine to make nanocomposites with superior catalytic activity

Jackie Y. Ying and her former group member Jun Yang from the A*STAR Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology have now developed a metal-semiconductor nanocomposite that can improve the performance of fuel cells.

August 17, 2011 Read more

Bioimaging: Raman probes for cancer diagnostics

A combinatorial approach speeds up the discovery of highly sensitive probes for detecting cancer.

August 17, 2011 Read more

A one-pot synthesis provides a simpler and faster route to highly efficient solar cells

Mingyong Han at the A*STAR Institute of Materials Research and Engineering and co-workers have now discovered a way to produce high-quality nanoscale heterojunctions, setting the stage for cheaper and more efficient photovoltaic devices.

August 17, 2011 Read more

A new approach to scratch resistance

Analysis by MIT researchers could lead to improved coatings using polymer-based nanocomposite materials.

August 17, 2011 Read more

Gold nanoparticles boost organic solar cell efficiency

Plasmonic technique helps enhance power conversion by up to 20 percent.

August 16, 2011 Read more

A new look below the surface of nanomaterials

Scientists can now look deeper into new materials to study their structure and behavior, thanks to work by an international group of researchers led by UC Davis and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

August 16, 2011 Read more

Regenerating bone with wood-based materials

Regenerating bones with materials of natural origin that can bear a lot of weight might not be science-fiction anymore. Scientists are looking for new ways to transform complex and organized structures that already exist in nature into a device to improve bone and ligament substitution.

August 16, 2011 Read more

Call for proposals: Bionic-Award 2012

For the third time, the VDI (Association of German Engineers) and the DBU (Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt) will present the international Bionic-Award for outstanding scientific achievement in the field of biomimetic/bionic product development.

August 16, 2011 Read more

Ions control shape of nanofibers grown on clear substrate (w/video)

Researchers from North Carolina State University, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and CFD Research Corporation have found a new way to develop straight carbon nanofibers on a transparent substrate.

August 16, 2011 Read more

Carbon nanotube structures changed by 'attack' from within

A team of researchers involving scientists from The University of Nottingham has shown for the first time that chemical reactions at the nano-level which change the structure of carbon nanotubes can be sparked by an 'attack' from within.

August 16, 2011 Read more

NASA finds signs of graphene in space

NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope identified signs of the graphene in two small galaxies outside of our own, called the Magellanic Clouds, specifically in the material shed by dying stars, called planetary nebulae.

August 16, 2011 Read more

New polymeric material brings companies one step closer to cheaper plastic solar cells and electronics

Scientists from Singapore's Institute of Materials Research and Engineering have created a new polymer with both high charge mobility and high power conversion efficiency for application in both plastic electronics and organic solar cells.

August 16, 2011 Read more

Mimicking biological complexity, in a tiny particle

Tiny particles made of polymers hold great promise for targeted delivery of drugs and as structural scaffolds for building artificial tissues. However, current production methods for such microparticles yield a limited array of shapes and can only be made with certain materials, restricting their usefulness.

August 16, 2011 Read more