Nanotechnology Spotlight – Latest Articles

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Powering up bacteria for green electricity

bioelectricityResearchers have identified the potential of using nanoscale carbon dots on bacteria for augmented bioelectricity production. They used this to demonstrate a novel method for significantly increasing the bacterial bioelectricity generation and applied it to set up microbial fuel cells. The results show that carbon dots' highly conductive carbon core not only improved overall systemic electrical conductivity but could also increase the packing density of the electron transfer path. This significantly improves the bioelectricity production of microbial fuel cells.

Mar 19th, 2020

Electronic skin sensor detects heatstroke danger

skin-sensorA tattoo-like sensor system that sticks to the skin and can indirectly tell the body's hydration level could help prevent heat strokes. The research team behind this invention demonstrated a completely new, versatile strategy to integrate pH sensing elements with high quality, physically transferable PDMS freestanding nanosheets. These sensor stickers can adhere to the skin without any glue. The simple structure of this sensor combined with a thin film pH sensor offers a unique advantage in testing in situ heatstroke detection.

Mar 19th, 2020

Flexible electronics made with wood-based nanotechnology

printed-electronicsResearchers have developed a method to produce a wood-derived, fully bio-based, and environmentally friendly flexible electronic circuit. They tailored the wood nanostructure to create a wood film with high transparency, flexibility, and strong mechanical properties. This material compares favorably with previously published two-dimensional cellulose-based materials developed for electronics or structural applications. This flexible circuit highlights the fact that wood can be used as a feedstock, with the potential to displace petroleum-based material for high-value products.

Mar 12th, 2020

Direct laser-writing of graphene on Kevlar makes protective clothing 'smart'

electronicsResearchers report the direct writing of laser-induced graphene on a Kevlar textile. The transformation of Kevlar into graphene can be attributed to the photothermal effect induced by CO2 laser irradiation. Specifically, this resulted in high localized temperature, leading to the ablation and depolymerization of the Kevlar fiber. The remaining carbon atoms are recombined and 'recrystallized' into graphene. Based on this technique, it becomes feasible to prepare various types of flexible electronics on different commercial textiles such as silk and cotton. This will enable the efficient and customized preparation of multi-functional textile electronics.

Mar 11th, 2020

Super lightweight foam uses sunlight to harvest water from evaporation

rising-vaporAround the world, research teams are addressing the rising global demand of water via the development of sustainable and straightforward technologies that make use of what nature has to offer. Researchers have now reported a hydrophilic and self-floating photothermal foam that shows high-rate evaporation without additional components, enabling an elegant and simple approach for water harvesting through solar evaporation. This photothermal foam enables an elegant and simple approach for water harvesting by utilizing energy from natural sunlight.

Mar 10th, 2020

The analogy between electrolytes and ion-generating nanomaterials in liquid crystals

liquid-crystalsBoth display and non-display applications of liquid crystals rely on advanced liquid crystal materials. Liquid crystal materials with new functionalities can be produced by dispersing nanomaterials in liquid crystals, resulting in a mixture of nano-dopants and liquid crystals. These novel, nanotechnology-based materials very often exhibit unusual properties. For that reason, nanomaterials in liquid crystals are a hot topic of contemporary liquid crystal research and many research teams around the world carry out basic research in this field.

Mar 4th, 2020

Novel desalination method with nearly perfect salt rejection and high water flux

water-filtrationNanofluidic membranes based on two-dimensional materials are promising materials for next-generation water desalination and purification. For instance, pristine and chemically modified graphene oxide membranes (GOMs) effectively block organic dyes and nanoparticles as small as 9 �. However, these nanomembranes fail to exclude smaller inorganic salt ions, which would be required to extract pure potable water from unconventional water sources such as, salt water, industrial waste water, and rain water. With a novel approach called planar heterogeneous interface desalination researchers can now achieve a high salt rejection rate close to 97%.

Mar 3rd, 2020

3D-printing metal-organic framework solids for high-pressure gas storage and separation

3d-printedMetal-organic frameworks (MOFs) rank among the best materials for catalysis, gas storage and gas storage and processing. So far, more than 20 000 different MOFs have been fabricated and characterized. A crucial issue for designing MOF-based solids is about finding the best comprise between the material's porosity and its mechanical resistance in relation to a specific application. To do that, researchers have developed a modified 3D printer for the controlled deposition of inks, formulated from different MOF powders. This robocasting provides perfect control on the size and morphology of the final solid.

Feb 26th, 2020