Light in a spin

Light must travel in a straight line and at a constant speed, or so the laws of nature suggest. Now, researchers have demonstrated that laser light traveling along a helical path through space, can accelerate and decelerate as it spins into the distance.

Combined effort for structural determination

Combining powder diffraction data with electron crystallography can give us a clearer view of modulated structures.

Carbon nanotube sensor detects spoiled meat

Chemists have devised an inexpensive, portable sensor that can detect gases emitted by rotting meat, allowing consumers to determine whether the meat in their grocery store or refrigerator is safe to eat.

Cobalt film a clean-fuel find

A cobalt-based thin film serves double duty as a new catalyst that produces both hydrogen and oxygen from water to feed fuel cells.

Carbon nanotubes with two walls have singular qualities

Researchers have determined that two walls are better than one when turning carbon nanotubes into materials like strong, conductive fibers or transistors.

Nature-inspired nanotechnology mesh captures oil but lets water through

Nano-coated mesh could clean oil spills for less than $1 per square foot.

Lanthanide-organic framework nanothermometers prepared by spray-drying

New work shows how spray-drying prepared MOF nanoparticles containing lanthanide metals may be used as nanothermometers operative over a wide range of temperatures, in particular, in the cryogenic range.

New method to engineer surfaces along multiple directions in a nanowire

This new technique, termed coaxial lithography (COAL), offers a combination of radial and longitudinal degrees of compositional freedom within the nanowire. Synthetic control over the radial dimension combined with the possibility of selectively deleting features used to build the nanowires significantly expands the range of architectures that can be synthesized using COAL.

Nanotechnology research finds a way to treat tumors with green tea

Lauded for its health benefits, green tea now has another claim to fame - the basis of a therapeutic delivery system for anticancer drugs.

Sputtering start for flat materials

A simple method for creating high-quality two-dimensional materials could enable industrial-scale production.