Nanotechnology News - July 2009 Archives

Nanophysics: Serving up Buckyballs on a silver platter (7/31/2009)

New measurements conducted on C60 molecules (carbon Buckyballs) adhered to silver substrates push the limits of surface science. ...> Full Article

Scientists manipulate ripples in graphene, enabling strain-based graphene electronics (7/30/2009)

Scientists at the University of California, Riverside, report the first direct observation and controlled creation via simple thermal manipulation of one- and two-dimensional ripples in graphene sheets. The result has important implications for controlling thermally induced stress in graphene electronics and represents the first step towards strain-based graphene engineering. The thermal contraction of graphene had been predicted theoretically, but the UC Riverside lab is the first to demonstrate and quantify the phenomenon experimentally. ...> Full Article

Nanotech particles affect brain development in mice (7/30/2009)

Maternal exposure to nanoparticles of titanium dioxide (TiO2) affects the expression of genes related to the central nervous system in developing mice. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Particle and Fibre Toxicology found that mice whose mothers were injected with the nanoparticles while pregnant showed alteration in gene expression related to neurological dysfunction. ...> Full Article

Video shows nanotube spins as it grows (7/29/2009)

New video showing the atom-by-atom growth of carbon nanotubes reveals they spin stepwise as they grow, much like a ticking clock. Published online this month by researchers at France's Université Lyon1/CNRS and Houston's Rice University, the research provides the first experimental evidence of how individual atoms are added to growing nanotubes. ...> Full Article

1 nano-step closer to weighing a single atom (7/28/2009)

By studying gold nanoparticles with highly uniform sizes and shapes, scientists now understand how they lose energy, a key step towards producing nanoscale detectors for weighing any single atom. ...> Full Article

Nanodiamonds deliver insulin for wound healing (7/28/2009)

Using tiny nanodiamonds, researchers at Northwestern University have demonstrated an innovative method for delivering and releasing insulin at a specific location over a period of time. The nanodiamond-insulin clusters hold promise for wound-healing applications and could be integrated into gels, ointments, bandages or suture materials. ...> Full Article

Twinkling nanostars cast new light into biomedical imaging (7/24/2009)

Researchers have created magnetically responsive gold nanostars that may offer a new approach to biomedical imaging. The nanostars gyrate when exposed to a rotating magnetic field, and can scatter light to produce a pulsating or "twinkling" effect. This twinkling allows them to stand out more clearly from noisy backgrounds like those found in biological tissue. ...> Full Article

New silver nanoparticle skin gel for healing burns (7/23/2009)

Scientists in India are reporting successful laboratory tests of a new and potentially safer alternative to silver-based gels applied to the skin of burn patients to treat infections. The researchers describe gel composed of silver nanoparticles -- each 1/50,000th the width of a human hair -- that appears more effective than these traditional gels. Their study is scheduled for the Aug. 3 issue of ACS' Molecular Pharmaceutics, a bimonthly journal. ...> Full Article

More than meets the eye: New blue light nanocrystals (7/22/2009)

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Chasing tiny vehicles (7/21/2009)

Microscope shows how nanoferries invade cells ...> Full Article

Facile synthesis of nanoparticles with multiple functions advanced in Singapore (7/15/2009)

Metals that dissolve in water successfully extracted, transferred into layer of organic solvent that floats on water ...> Full Article

Nanopillars promise cheap, efficient, flexible solar cells (7/14/2009)

Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California at Berkeley grow dense arrays of single-crystal semiconductors arranged as nanoscale pillars on low-cost, aluminum foil substrates. When the nanopillars are combined with a transparent, positively charged semiconductor that serves as a window, the resulting 3-D photovoltaic promises efficient, cheap, flexible solar cells. ...> Full Article

Material world: Graphene's versatility promises new applications (7/13/2009)

Since its discovery a few years ago, graphene has climbed to the top of the heap of new materials poised to transform the electronics and nanotechnology landscape. Now, ASU Biodesign Institute scientist N.J. Tao has made the first measurement of a fundamental property of graphene, known as quantum capacitance. This crucial variable should prove invaluable to researchers pushing the existing limits of innovation in microchips, chemical sensing instruments, biosensors, ultracapacitance devices and flexible displays. ...> Full Article

Contaminated site remediation: Are nanomaterials the answer? (7/12/2009)

A new review article appearing in Environmental Health Perspectives focuses on the use of nanomaterials for environmental cleanup. The authors conclude that the technology could be an effective and economically viable alternative for some current site cleanup practices, but potential risks remain poorly understood.To coincide with the article's release, the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies has made publicly available an interactive, online map of global nanoremediation sites available. ...> Full Article

Spontaneous assembly (7/11/2009)

A new look at how proteins assemble and organize themselves into complex patterns ...> Full Article

Researchers enlist DNA to bring carbon nanotubes' promise closer to reality (7/10/2009)

Tailored sequences of DNA lead to breakthrough in the campaign to sort and separate CNTs ...> Full Article

Remote-control closed system invented for inserting radio-active atoms inside fullerenes (7/9/2009)

The new material will increase control of radiation therapy ...> Full Article

Canadian researchers set to study impact of nanomaterials on aquatic ecosystems (7/8/2009)

A team of Canadian scientists and engineers, led by the University of Alberta and the National Research Council of Canada, will collaborate on a $3.39 million, three-year study to assess the potential effects of nanoparticles in specific water environments. ...> Full Article

Nano measurement in the third dimension (7/7/2009)

Scientists at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt have developed a metrological scanning probe microscope into a micro and nano coordinate measuring instrument. This now allows dimensional quantities with nanometer resolution also to be measured on three-dimensional objects in an extraordinarily large measurement range of 25 mm x 25 mm x 5 mm. ...> Full Article

A new approach to engineering for extreme environments (7/4/2009)

Scientist creates model to design radiation-resistant materials ...> Full Article

Team to study applicability of solar cell coatings (7/3/2009)

A project under way at the US Department of Energy's Savannah River National Laboratory will study how special coatings that mimic structures found in nature can increase the usefulness of solar energy as a vital part of the nation's future energy strategy. ...> Full Article

New statistical technique improves precision of nanotechnology data (7/2/2009)

A new statistical analysis technique that identifies and removes systematic bias, noise and equipment-based artifacts from experimental data could lead to more precise and reliable measurement of nanomaterials and nanostructures likely to have future industrial applications. ...> Full Article

Researchers discover new fluorescent silicon nanoparticles (7/1/2009)

Research may ultimately track the uptake of drugs by the body's cells ...> Full Article