Nanotechnology News – Latest Headlines

You can have your conductor and insulator, too

By carefully tuning the chemical composition of a particular compound, researchers have created a 'topological crystalline insulator', whose bulk acts as an insulator but whose surface conducts electrical currents through a process that is related to the coupling between the motion and spin of electrons.

Dec 11th, 2015

Metal-oxide interfaces create a flipping point

Coating nanowires with an oxide layer can enhance by an order of magnitude the probability of 'spin flips' for spintronic devices.

Dec 11th, 2015

Heat radiates 10,000 times faster at the nanoscale

In a unique ultra-low vibration lab, engineers have measured how heat radiates from one surface to another in a vacuum at distances down to 2 nanometers.

Dec 10th, 2015

Viable single-molecule diodes

Researchers have designed a new technique to create single-molecule diodes that perform 50 times better than all prior designs.

Dec 10th, 2015

Diamondoid monolayer increases electron gun emission 13,000-fold

Scientists have figured out how to increase electron flows in electron guns 13,000-fold by applying a single layer of diamondoids - tiny, perfect diamond cages - to an electron gun's sharp gold tip.

Dec 10th, 2015

Study reveals essential ingredients for nanowire growth

As semiconductor nanowires emerge as indispensable building blocks for next-generation electronic, energy conversion, and photonic devices (i.e. solar panels, lasers), better understanding how to direct nanowire growth is vital.

Dec 10th, 2015

Nanocatalysts key to developing diesel that emits far less CO2

Researchers have discovered a new approach to the production of fuels. Their new method can be used to produce much cleaner diesel. It can quickly be scaled up for industrial use. In 5 to 10 years, we may see the first cars driven by this new clean diesel.

Dec 10th, 2015

Physics of wrapping miniature droplets takes cue from street foods (w/video)

Research on soft condensed matter physics focuses on substances that can be easily bent or deformed, such as liquids, foams, and gels. In this case, scientists investigated the way very thin elastic sheets wrap droplets of water.

Dec 10th, 2015

Characterization of soft magnetic nanocomposites

Optimizing the performance of soft magnetic materials requires an understanding of the nanostructure and consideration of the local composition of each phase.

Dec 10th, 2015

Quantum physics problem proved unsolvable

A mathematical problem underlying fundamental questions in particle and quantum physics is provably unsolvable, according to a new report. The findings are important because they show that even a perfect and complete description of the microscopic properties of a material is not enough to predict its macroscopic behavior.

Dec 10th, 2015

Hierarchical self-assembly of supramolecular muscle-like fibers

Scientists have introduced a method for making an artificial muscle that is based on the hierarchical self-assembly of supramolecular muscle-like fibers. Using this technique, they were able to amplify a molecular motion up to the microscopic scale.

Dec 10th, 2015

Nanotechnology drug delivery shows promise for improved melanoma treatment

Researchers have developed a new three-drug delivery system for cancer treatment, especially metastatic melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer - and shown that the system may have particular value with cancers like this that often spread through the lymphatic system.

Dec 9th, 2015