Locked movement in molecular motor and rotor

For a motor to power machinery, the local motion has to be translated into the ordered movement of other parts of the system. Organic chemists have now achieved this in a molecular motor.

Plasmonics could bring sustainable society, desalination tech

The emerging field of plasmonics could bring advances in chemical manufacturing, usher in new clean and sustainable technologies and desalination systems to avert a future global water crisis.

X-ray pulses create 'molecular black hole'

The strongest ionisation of a molecule yet is providing important insights for analysing biomolecules with X-ray lasers.

Highly sensitive nanosensors to prevent catastrophes

Australian researchers have received a grant to develop silicon-carbide nanosensors that will be commercialised to improve the safety and efficiency of systems that operate under hostile conditions.

Fermented foams: Graphene composite foams using beer yeasts

In a novel fermentation method, researchers have developed graphene-containing rubber foams with unusual mechanical and electrical behaviours: when stretched, the composite foams expand and become more conductive. These unexpected properties could be promising for use in smart filters and medical devices.

Researchers flip the script on magnetocapacitance

Researchers show that by using different materials to build a quantum tunneling junction, they were able to alter capacitance by manipulating spins in the opposite way from 'normal' magnetocapacitance. This inverse effect, the researchers say, adds one more potentially useful phenomenon to the spintronics toolkit.

Ultra-stable perovskite solar cell remains stable for more than a year

Scientists have built a low-cost, ultra-stable perovskite solar cell that has operated for more than a year without loss in performance (11.2%).

Metamaterial allows for ultraviolet nanolithography below the diffraction limit

Researchers report an optically patternable metamaterial comprised of monolayered silver nanoislands embedded within a photosensitive polymer resin for ultraviolet nanolithography.

Radiation therapy, macrophages improve efficacy of nanoparticle-delivered cancer therapy

A research team has identified a surprising new role for the immune cells called macrophages - improving the effectiveness of nanoparticle-delivered cancer therapies.

In atomic propellers, quantum phenomena can mimic everyday physics

Chemists have observed that under the appropriate conditions, quantum rotations can very well mimic normal, classical rotation.