Nanotechnology News – Latest Headlines

Graphene nanoribbons: it's all about the edges

Researchers have for the first time succeeded in producing graphene nanoribbons with perfect zigzag edges from molecules. Electrons on these zigzag edges exhibit different (and coupled) rotational directions ('spin').

Mar 24th, 2016

Nanotechnology for label-free colorimetric detection of c-myc mRNA oncogene

Scientists have reported a label-free colorimetric protocol based on peptide nucleic acid/silver nanoparticles (PNA/AgNPs) for specific detection of c-myc mRNA biomarkers.

Mar 23rd, 2016

Novel water-removal technique boosts performance of carbon nanomaterials

This research provides the first comprehensive understanding of waters role within graphene oxide nanosheets.

Mar 23rd, 2016

NNI agencies announce nanotechnology signature initiative for water sustainability

As a part of the White House Water Summit held yesterday on World Water Day, the Federal agencies participating in the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) announced the launch of a Nanotechnology Signature Initiative (NSI), Water Sustainability through Nanotechnology: Nanoscale Solutions for a Global-Scale Challenge.

Mar 23rd, 2016

Researchers develop a technology to enable unzipping of the graphene plane

Scientists have developed a technique, which enables unzipping of the graphene plane without uncontrollable damage.

Mar 23rd, 2016

An innovative device studies gold nanoparticles in depth (w/video)

Researchers have developed a way to explore and optimize gold nanoparticles, which are used in medicine, biology and solar cells.

Mar 23rd, 2016

Assembling micro components with laser tweezers

Researchers develop microscopic components and assemble them to larger objects with the aid of laser tweezers. They are thus establishing methods that one day may be utilised to manufacture machines in dimensions of a few micrometres.

Mar 23rd, 2016

Optimized analytics reduce 'false negatives' in the detection of nanoparticles

Nanoparticles and their sizes are commonly detected using specialized analytical techniques. If nanoparticles are lost in the analytical apparatus, they are not detected, and a 'false negative' result occurs.

Mar 23rd, 2016

Solar cells: Silicon profits from a dose of iron

A streamlined procedure for assembling the active components of photovoltaic devices from inexpensive metals could boost their economic prospects.

Mar 23rd, 2016

Solar water splitting using particulate photocatalyst sheets

Researchers have achieved a solar-to-hydrogen energy conversion efficiency of 1.1% using particulate photocatalyst sheets developed by the research group. The photocatalyst sheet can potentially produce a large quantity of solar hydrogen inexpensively owing to its scalability and low fabrication cost.

Mar 23rd, 2016

Refined protective layer for the 'artificial leaf'

A process for providing sensitive semiconductors for solar water splitting ('artificial leaves') with an organic, transparent protective layer has been developed by researchers. The extremely thin protective layer made of carbon chains is stable, conductive, and covered with catalyzing nanoparticles of metal oxides. These accelerate the splitting of water when irradiated by light.

Mar 23rd, 2016

Wearable graphene-based biomedical device to monitor, combat diabetes

Patch capable of non-invasive blood sugar monitoring, painless drug delivery.

Mar 23rd, 2016

Researchers invent tougher nanostructured plastic with 50 percent renewable content

Researchers have made a better thermoplastic by replacing styrene with lignin, a brittle, rigid polymer that, with cellulose, forms the woody cell walls of plants. In doing so, they have invented a solvent-free production process that interconnects equal parts of nanoscale lignin dispersed in a synthetic rubber matrix to produce a meltable, moldable, ductile material that's at least ten times tougher than ABS, a common thermoplastic.