Nanotechnology Spotlight – Latest Articles

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New technique paves the way for mass production of perovskite solar cells

perovskite-dilutionScientists have demonstrated a technique for producing perovskite photovoltaic materials on an industrial scale, which will reduce the cost and improve the performance of mass-produced perovskite solar cells. The technique, which uses spin coating by designing a co-solvent dilution strategy, is low-cost, simple, energy-efficient, and should pave the way for creating perovskite solar cells. This work demonstrates that these existing technologies could be used to create perovskite solar cells.

Jan 31st, 2022

Improving optical-tweezer technology with graphene

graphene-based-tweezersBy replacing gold film with graphene, researchers have improved the performance of opto-thermoelectric tweezers. These new graphene-based opto-thermoelectric tweezers benefits from a much broader working wavelength range and a larger trapping area. They extend the working wavelength from visible band to the infrared and far-infrared bands, which are less harmful to biological samples. Owing to the ultrahigh thermal conductivity of graphene, this technology can achieve large-area particle trapping or concentration.

Jan 28th, 2022

Technological improvements in lubricant development due to recent advances in nano additives

drops-on-leafThis article discusses the use of nanotechnology in lubricants. Nanoparticle additives show significant enhancements in lubricant attributes like anti-oxidation capability, tribological features, and thermal properties. Nanotechnology offers the possibility of using nanosized additives to increase the performance of lubricating oil. The addition of nanoparticles to conventional base oils is a promising method for improving properties like friction and wear resistance in instruments.

Jan 26th, 2022

Tracing nanoscale variations of optical properties of 2D heterostructures with multidimensional optical imaging

nano-islandA novel multidimensional characterization approach that combines several characterization techniques, allowing to get materials properties of the heterostructure with (almost) nanometer resolution. The method combines several microscopy tools into a multidimensional imaging tool that allows the inspection of materials' optical properties at a resolution much higher than with regular optical microscopy. At the core of this method are nanometer-resolution optical maps that we obtained with scattering Scanning Near-field Optical Microscopy (sSNOM).

Jan 22nd, 2022

Large-scale synthesis of graphene and other 2D materials

grapheneThis review summarizes the current industrial graphene synthetic and analytical methods, as well as recent academic advancements in larger-scale or sustainable synthesis of graphene. Specific emphasis is placed on recent research in the use of flash Joule heating as a rapid, efficient, and scalable method to produce graphene and other 2D nanomaterials. Challenges and opportunities in the larger-scale synthesis of graphene and a perspective on the broader use of flash Joule heating for larger-scale 2D materials synthesis are discussed.

Jan 19th, 2022

Machine Learning assisted computational discovery of two-dimensional energy storage materials

2D-electrode-materialResearchers developed a holistic approach, which predicts both Li-ion storage and supercapacitive properties and hence identifies various important electrode materials that are common to both devices, may pave the way for next-generation energy storage systems. By leveraging the big-data generated by the computational pipeline, the team trains crystal graph-based machine learning models and demonstrates how this data-driven model could be helpful for the rapid discovery of potential materials from other databases.

Jan 13th, 2022

The future of learning: Cambridge Advance Online meets bionanotechnology

Cambridge_Advance_OnlineBeing a relatively young field, Bionanotechnology is often neglected within undergraduate and postgraduate curriculum. With an increasing number of researchers and professionals of different backgrounds coming into the field, there is a clear need to have learning platforms that cover techniques, strategies and methods that characterise the design of bionano structures. In September 2021, Cambridge Advance Online, a new educational initiative created between the University of Cambridge and Cambridge University Press and Assessment, launched a 6-week online course about Bionanotechnology: Bionanotechnology from Theory to Practice.

Jan 11th, 2022

Nanotechnology strategies for plant genetic engineering

genetic_engineeringThe development of plant genetic engineering lags behind the development of animal genetic engineering. Plant cells differ from animal cells in several aspects, a major one being that, in addition to the cell membrane, they possess a wall surrounding them to provide mechanical and structural support. In recent years, breakthroughs in nanotechnology for genetic engineering have provided more favorable tools for the genetic transformation of plants. A review summarizes the types of gene carriers used in plant genetic transformation, the ways of combining with foreign genes, and the differences and advantages compared with earlier traditional transgenic methods.

Jan 10th, 2022