Nanogaps improve optical sensor

New optical device could help detect drugs, bomb-making chemicals and more.

Extracting hydrogen from water cheaply and efficiently

Researchers discovered a new class of cheap and efficient catalyst to facilitate the water splitting process.

Carbon nanotubes form first known tunable room-temperature quantum emitters at telecom wavelengths

Single-photon emitter has promise for quantum info-processing.

A semiconductor that can beat the heat

A newly discovered collective rattling effect in a type of crystalline semiconductor blocks most heat transfer while preserving high electrical conductivity.

New nanocluster MRI contrast agent tested on big animals

Experiments in dogs, rabbits and monkeys show the efficacy and biocompatibility of a new MRI/MRA contrast agent in detecting stroke.

Bubbles help new catalysts self-optimize

Scientists have predicted and created new two-dimensional electrocatalysts to extract hydrogen from water with high performance and low cost.

Energy storage solution combines polymers and nanosheets

A new, lightweight composite material for energy storage in flexible electronics, electric vehicles and aerospace applications has been experimentally shown to store energy at operating temperatures well above current commercial polymers.

Bubbles help new catalysts self-optimize

Scientists have predicted and created new two-dimensional electrocatalysts to extract hydrogen from water with high performance and low cost.

Scientists watch artificial atoms assemble into perfect lattices with many uses

A serendipitous discovery lets researchers spy on this self-assembly process for the first time. What they learn will help them fine-tune precision materials for electronics, catalysis and more.

New research could make dew droplets so small, they're invisible

By better understanding the behavior of water in its smallest form, researchers could be improving the efficiency of removing condensation in a major way.

One-nanometer trimetallic alloy particles created

A research group succeeded in developing precisely controlled alloy nanoparticles 'multimetallic nanoclusters (MNCs)' made of three metals: copper, platinum, and gold. They also discovered that MNCs show catalytic activity that is 24 times greater than commercially available carbon-supported platinum catalysts in the oxidization of hydrocarbons using oxygen in the air.

Wood is made into an electrical conductor by turning its surface into graphene

Scientists used a laser to blacken a thin film pattern onto a block of pine. The pattern is laser-induced graphene.

Novel technique uses graphene to create solar cells to be mounted on surfaces

Researchers develop a novel technique using graphene to create solar cells they can mount on surfaces ranging from glass to plastic to paper and tape.

Metal instability achieves energy-efficient nanotechnology

Researchers show their nanowire resonators can be used to miniaturize energy-efficient electronics.