Nanotechnology News – Latest Headlines

First-ever look inside a working lithium-ion battery (w/video)

In an unprecedented view inside a working lithium-ion battery, researchers used a neutron beam to 'see' lithium flow as the battery charged and discharged. The study could one day help explain why rechargeable batteries lose capacity over time, and sometimes even catch fire.

Sep 8th, 2014

A low-energy optical circuit for a new era of technology

Optical circuits use light instead of electricity, making them faster and more energy-efficient than electrical systems. Scientists have developed a first building-block for photonic 'transistors' that requires record-low energy to operate. The device is a big step forward in the development and implementation of optical circuits.

Sep 8th, 2014

Stealthy and sticky: The chemical battle inside instantaneous graphene energy storage devices

Subtle differences in graphene electrodes could help electric cars merge into the mainstream.

Sep 8th, 2014

New nanotechnology method improves knowledge of cannabis for drug development

Scientists have developed a new screening method that makes it possible to study cell membrane proteins that bind drugs, such as cannabis and adrenaline, while reducing the consumption of precious samples by a billion times.

Sep 8th, 2014

Graphene light detector to revolutionize night vision technology

Researchers have developed a graphene-based light detector that could revolutionise chemical sensing and night vision technology.

Sep 8th, 2014

Two-dimensional phosphorus a promising semiconductor

Researchers analyzed the properties of elemental bonds between semiconducting phosphorus atoms in 2-D sheets. Two-dimensional phosphorus is not theoretical; it was recently created through exfoliation from black phosphorus.

Sep 8th, 2014

Layered graphene sandwich for next generation electronics

Sandwiching layers of graphene with white graphene could produce designer materials capable of creating high-frequency electronic devices, scientists have found.

Sep 8th, 2014

Discovery advances understanding of graphene's friction properties

On the nanoscale, adding fluorine to graphene had been reported to vastly increase the friction experienced when sliding against the material. Through a combination of physical experiments and atomistic simulations, researchers have discovered the mechanism behind this surprising finding, which could help researchers better design and control the surface properties of new materials.

Sep 8th, 2014

Researchers separate the nuclear spin states of water

Using an 'electric prism', scientists have found a new way of separating water molecules that differ only in their nuclear spin states and, under normal conditions, do not part ways. Since water is such a fundamental molecule in the universe, the recent study may impact a multitude of research areas ranging from biology to astrophysics.

Sep 8th, 2014

Doped graphene nanoribbons with potential

Researchers developed a new method to selectively dope graphene molecules with nitrogen atoms. By seamlessly stringing together doped and undoped graphene pieces, they were able to form heterojunctions in the nanoribbons, thereby fulfilling a basic requirement for electronic current to flow in only one direction when voltage is applied - the first step towards a graphene transistor.

Sep 8th, 2014

Continuing Bragg legacy of structure determination

Over 100 years since the Nobel Prize-winning father and son team Sir William and Sir Lawrence Bragg pioneered the use of X-rays to determine crystal structure, researchers have made significant new advances in the field.

Sep 7th, 2014

High-speed graphene detector captures unprecedented range of light waves

New research could lead to light detectors that can see below the surface of bodies, walls, and other objects, with applications in emerging terahertz fields such as mobile communications, medical imaging, chemical sensing, night vision, and security.

Sep 7th, 2014

Rethinking the basic science of graphene synthesis

A new route to making graphene has been discovered that could make it easier to ramp up to industrial scale. Graphene, which has super strength and the ability to conduct heat and electricity better than any other known material, has potential industrial uses that include flexible electronic displays, high-speed computing, stronger wind-turbine blades, and more-efficient solar cells, among other uses now under development.