Diamonds are technologists' best friends

Researchers have grown needle- and thread-like diamonds and studied their useful properties.

Distinguishing truth under the surface: electrostatic or mechanic

Through a novel approach, we provide a method to decouple one of the major problems into KPFM/EFM advanced modes, the mechanical crosstalk.

Responsive filtration membranes by polymer self-assembly

A new review article discusses recent developments in stimuli-responsive membranes with an emphasis on membranes manufactured by polymer self-assembly.

Review: Graphene could revolutionize photonic and opto-electronic devices

Optical Properties of Graphene, a book solely devoted to the optical properties of graphene, reviews the unique properties of graphene that hold great promise to revolutionize many photonic and opto-electronic devices.

Miniscule amounts of impurities in vacuum greatly affecting OLED lifetime

Reproducibility is a necessity for science but has often eluded researchers studying the lifetime of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Recent research sheds new light on why: impurities present in the vacuum chamber during fabrication but in amounts so small that they are easily overlooked.

Scientists design new heat-guiding device that is thinner than a hair

Researchers have designed for the first time a heat-guiding structure on the size of nanometers that can steer heat away from, or even towards critical regions of current silicon (or advanced chalcogenide) chips through computer simulations.

A flexible, stretchable, self-healing ionic conductor (w/video)

Scientists have developed a transparent, self-healing, highly stretchable conductive material that can be electrically activated to power artificial muscles and could be used to improve batteries, electronic devices, and robots.

Programmable silk-based materials with embedded, pre-designed functions

Process enables creation of mechanical components with functionality, such as surgical pins that change color with strain.

Nanodiscs deliver personalized cancer therapy to immune system

Researchers have had initial success in mice using nanodiscs to deliver a customized therapeutic vaccine for the treatment of colon and melanoma cancer tumors.

Researchers use world's smallest diamonds to make wires 3 atoms wide

LEGO-style building method has potential for making 1-dimensional materials with extraordinary properties.

Curved kick on the nanoscale: Investigations of the skyrmion Hall effect reveal surprising results

One step further towards the application of skyrmions in spintronic devices.

Light opens and closes windows in membranes

Scientists have developed novel membranes, whose selectivity can be switched dynamically with the help of light. For this purpose, azobenzene molecules were integrated into membranes made of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs).

Stability challenge in perovskite solar cell technology

New research results suggest that the degradation of MAPbI3 perovskites may not be a fixable issue.

Fluorescence microscopy: It cannot get any sharper

Researchers achieve ultimate resolution limit in fluorescence microscopy.

The hidden inferno inside your laser pointer

Physicists have discovered that concepts such as 'hot' or 'cold' apply to any system, even those far from equilibrium. The findings could possibly inform the design of future microelectronic devices.

Advance in intense pulsed light sintering opens door to improved electronics manufacturing

Taking a deeper look at photonic sintering of silver nanoparticle films scientists uncovered a relationship between film temperature and densification.

The sound of quantum vacuum

Quantum membranes for ultraprecise mechanical measurements.

Spin filtering at room temperature with graphene

An interdisciplinary team of scientists have reported the first demonstration of metallic spin filtering at room temperature using ferromagnet-graphene-ferromagnet thin film junction devices.

Novel sensor investigates complex surface chemistry on nanostructures

Researchers create a novel sensor capable of measuring both charge and mass of biomolecules with potential applications in healthcare diagnostics.

Nanoscale 'conversations' create complex, multi-layered structures

New technique leverages controlled interactions across surfaces to create self-assembled materials with unprecedented complexity.

New approach captures the energy of slow motion

A new concept in energy harvesting could capture energy currently wasted due to its characteristic low frequency and use it to power next-generation electronic devices, according to a team of materials scientists and electrical engineers.

Ultra-small nanocavity advances technology for secure quantum-based data encryption

Silver-coated nanocavity could help create brighter single-photon light sources.

Materials: when defects turn into qualities

An inventory of research on hybrid organic-inorganic materials to date has revealed surprising new properties for these materials. The more their crystalline structure has defects, the greater their performance.

Nanoparticle tattoos mark the spot - for surgery - then disappear

Researchers report a new nanoparticle ink that glows only under certain light conditions and can disappear altogether after a period of time.

Nanoscale ultrasound technique is first to image inside live cells

Scientists have developed a break-through technique that uses sound rather than light to see inside live cells, with potential application in stem-cell transplants and cancer diagnosis.

How to tell when a nanoparticle is out of shape

New method ensures that measurements are well-rounded.

Nanoarray sniffs out and distinguishes multiple diseases

Researchers report that they have identified a unique 'breathprint' for each disease. Using this information, they have designed a device that screens breath samples to classify and diagnose several types of diseases.

New material with ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism may lead to better computer memory

Multiferroic materials exhibit both ferromagnetism and ferroelectricity. These are expected to be used as multiple-state memory devices. Furthermore, if the two orders are strongly coupled and the magnetization can be reversed by applying an external electric field, the material should work as a form of low power consumption magnetic memory.

Graphene able to transport huge currents on the nanoscale

New experiments have shown that it is possible for extremely high currents to pass through graphene, a form of carbon. This allows imbalances in electric charge to be rapidly rectified.

A brand-new way to synthesize sodium-embedded carbon nanowalls for electrodes

Scientists created a brand-new way to synthesize sodium-embedded carbon nanowalls. Previously, the material was only theoretical.

Coffee-ring phenomenon explained in new theory

Scientists have modeled how a colloidal droplet evaporates and found a previously overlooked mechanism that more accurately determines the dynamics of particle deposition in evaporating sessile droplets, which has ramifications in many fields of today's technological world.

Safe and inexpensive hydrogen production as a future energy source

Researchers develop efficient 'green' hydrogen production system that operates with gold nanoparticles at room temperature in air.

Going green with nanotechnology

Nanotechnology offers many chances to benefit the environment and health. It can be applied to save raw materials and energy, develop enhanced solar cells and more efficient rechargeable batteries and replace harmful substances with eco-compatible solutions.

Scientists see snowman's face in platinum encrusted nanoparticle

Researchers have captured the formation of a platinum encrusted nanoparticle that bears a striking resemblance to a festive snowman. As well as providing some Christmas cheer, the fully functional ?nano-snowman? has applications for providing greener energy and for advancements in medical care.

Characterization of magnetic nanovortices simplified

Processors and storage media making use of tiny structures called 'skyrmions' could one day lead to the further miniaturization of IT devices and improve their energy efficiency significantly.Physicists have now put forward a method which could speed up the screening of suitable materials.

Revised Schottky diode equation for the graphene/semiconductor Schottky junction

Scientists have uncovered the underlying equation governing the carrier's transport across the graphene/semiconductor Schottky junction, which is one of the building blocks in electronic and optoelectronic devices.

Closer ties for silver clusters

Surrounding silver nanoclusters with hydrogen-rich shells offers new opportunities in catalysis and opto-electronics.

Researcher pursues synthetic 'scaffolds' for muscle regeneration

Scientists are taking a synthetic approach to muscle regeneration. Their goal is to create a synthetic, porous, biologically compatible 'scaffold' that mimics the normal extracellular environment of skeletal muscle - onto which human cells could migrate and grow new replacement fibers.

An invisible electrode

Flexible transparent conductor free of reflection and scattering.

Adding color to the gray world of electron microscopy

With a new technique, scientists found a way to incorporate color labeling directly into electron microscopy.

Ultra-thin solution to primary obstacle in solid-state battery development

Researchers have announced a transformative development in the race to produce batteries that are at once safe, powerful, and affordable.

Nanoparticle-based method shows promise in DNA vaccine delivery

Scientists have developed a novel method for delivering therapeutic molecules into cells. The method harnesses gold nanoparticles that are electrically activated, causing them to oscillate and bore holes in cells' outer membranes and allowing key molecules - such as DNA, RNA, and proteins - to gain entry.

First use of graphene to detect cancer cells

By interfacing brain cells onto graphene, researchers have shown they can differentiate a single hyperactive cancerous cell from a normal cell, pointing the way to developing a simple, noninvasive tool for early cancer diagnosis.

Nanostructure of Rudolph's antlers inspire next generation of unbreakable materials

Scientists have discovered the secret behind the toughness of deer antlers and how they can resist breaking during fights.

Detection system reads biomolecules in barcoded microgels

A team of researchers set out to develop a simple, ultrasensitive fluorescence detection system of in-flow microRNAs that uses spectrally encoded microgels.

A first demonstration of spintronics-based artificial intelligence

Scientists have developed an artificial neural network in which their recently-developed spintronic devices, comprising microscale magnetic material, are employed. The used spintronic device is capable of memorizing arbitral values between 0 and 1 in an analogue manner unlike the conventional magnetic devices, and thus perform the learning function, which is served by synapses in the brain.

How to shield therapeutic nanoparticles from the immune system

A new study details how the immune system recognizes nanoparticles, potentially paving the way to counteract or avoid this detection.

Nanotechnology-modified aerospace composites

Novel functionality including sensors, energy harvesting lighting and communication antennae will now be integrated into the structure of the composite material.

Digital wallpaper means end for painting and decorating

Redecorating your living room could be as easy as pressing a button thanks to scientists who have created a new ceramic tile that can change colour, pattern, or play videos with one tap of your finger, radically changing the way we interact with buildings or public spaces, and taking us a step closer to instant camouflage.

New platinum-based catalysts boost activity for key chemical reaction in fuel cells

Researchers have developed catalysts that can undergo 50,000 voltage cycles with a negligible decay in their catalytic activity and no apparent changes in their structure or elemental composition.