Nanotechnology News – Latest Headlines

Light in a spin

Light must travel in a straight line and at a constant speed, or so the laws of nature suggest. Now, researchers have demonstrated that laser light traveling along a helical path through space, can accelerate and decelerate as it spins into the distance.

Apr 15th, 2015

Cobalt film a clean-fuel find

A cobalt-based thin film serves double duty as a new catalyst that produces both hydrogen and oxygen from water to feed fuel cells.

Apr 15th, 2015

Carbon nanotube sensor detects spoiled meat

Chemists have devised an inexpensive, portable sensor that can detect gases emitted by rotting meat, allowing consumers to determine whether the meat in their grocery store or refrigerator is safe to eat.

Apr 15th, 2015

Combined effort for structural determination

Combining powder diffraction data with electron crystallography can give us a clearer view of modulated structures.

Apr 15th, 2015

Nature-inspired nanotechnology mesh captures oil but lets water through

Nano-coated mesh could clean oil spills for less than $1 per square foot.

Apr 15th, 2015

Carbon nanotubes with two walls have singular qualities

Researchers have determined that two walls are better than one when turning carbon nanotubes into materials like strong, conductive fibers or transistors.

Apr 15th, 2015

New method to engineer surfaces along multiple directions in a nanowire

This new technique, termed coaxial lithography (COAL), offers a combination of radial and longitudinal degrees of compositional freedom within the nanowire. Synthetic control over the radial dimension combined with the possibility of selectively deleting features used to build the nanowires significantly expands the range of architectures that can be synthesized using COAL.

Apr 15th, 2015

Lanthanide-organic framework nanothermometers prepared by spray-drying

New work shows how spray-drying prepared MOF nanoparticles containing lanthanide metals may be used as nanothermometers operative over a wide range of temperatures, in particular, in the cryogenic range.

Apr 15th, 2015

Sputtering start for flat materials

A simple method for creating high-quality two-dimensional materials could enable industrial-scale production.

Apr 15th, 2015

Nanotechnology research finds a way to treat tumors with green tea

Lauded for its health benefits, green tea now has another claim to fame - the basis of a therapeutic delivery system for anticancer drugs.

Apr 15th, 2015

Making carboxyl(ate) friends

When it comes to supramolecular chemistry, the carboxylic acid group - and its conjugate carboxylate base - is one of the chemist's most flexible friends. In pairs, they act as supramolecular synthons from which more complicated structures might be built but also offer up complex hydrogen bond connectivity.

Apr 14th, 2015

Study shows novel pattern of electrical charge movement through DNA

A new study explores the ways in which electrical charges move along DNA bases affixed to a pair of electrodes.

Apr 14th, 2015

Graphene scientists develop ultrafast photodetectors

Scientists affiliated with Europe's Graphene Flagship develop a photodetector that converts incident light into electrical signals on femtosecond timescales, enabling ultrafast operation speeds for electronic circuits in optical communications and various other applications.