Functional textiles clean pollutants from air and water

Researchers have shown the ability to infuse cotton with a beta-cyclodextrin (BCD) polymer, which acts as a filtration device that works in both water and air.

Nanoparticle treatment adds antimicrobial coatings to leather

Traditional leather manufacturing requires the use of several toxic chemicals, such as halogenated flame retardants or organic antimicrobial solvents, which cause pollution. Now, researchers are testing an eco-friendly alternative: silver-titanium nanoparticles.

Possible reason for carcinogenicity of silica dust is found

Scientists have found unusual properties of silicon nanoparticles. They have shown that at normal conditions silica nanoparticles are enriched in oxygen. Such nanoparticles are magnetic and contain reactive oxygen species. This may explain the known high toxicity and carcinogenicity of silica dust.

Computers made of genetic material?

Physicists conducted a current through gold-plated nanowires, which independently assembled themselves from single DNA strands.

Nanoelectronics scores laboratory victory

Researchers pioneer technique to grow monolayer tungsten disulfide for next-generation transistors, wearable electronics, and biomedical devices.

Portugal calls for startups using nanotechnologies

StartupNano opens its doors to entrepreneurs around the world working with nanotechnology based solutions.

New 'bottlebrush' electroactive polymers make dielectric elastomers increasingly viable for use in devices

A multi-institutional research team has developed a new electroactive polymer material that can change shape and size when exposed to a relatively small electric field. The advance overcomes two longstanding challenges regarding the use of electroactive polymers to develop new devices, opening the door to a suite of applications ranging from microrobotics to designer haptic, optic, microfluidic and wearable technologies.

New nanosensors for the detection of TNT

A new type of sensor has the potential to replace sniffer dogs when it comes to detecting explosives such as TNT.

Engineers develop invisibility cloak for high-tech processing chips

Engineers have developed a cloaking device for microscopic photonic integrated devices - the building blocks of photonic computer chips that run on light instead of electrical current - in an effort to make future chips smaller, faster and consume much less power.

Microscopic sensor for more precise radiology treatments

Researchers succeeded in quantifying the effects of radiation on individual cancer cells. This means that radiation therapies can now be tailored to individual tumours and thus be more effective.

The thinnest photodetector in the world is just 1.3 nanometers thick

With a thickness of just 1.3 nanometers - 10 times smaller than the current standard silicon diodes - this device could be used in the Internet of Things, smart devices, wearable electronics and photoelectronics.

New light sensor to spot deadly bacteria in minutes

The risk of catching fatal Legionnaires' disease from air conditioning units has been dramatically reduced, thanks to a new biophotonic light sensor that spots Legionella bacteria 240 times quicker than methods used today.