Nanotrees harvest the sun's energy to turn water into hydrogen fuel

Nanotrees harvest the sun's energy to turn water into hydrogen fuel   ScienceDaily (Mar. 7, 2012) — University of California, San Diego electrical engineers are building a forest of tiny nanowire trees in order to cleanly capture solar energy without using fossil fuels and harvest it for hydrogen fuel generation. Reporting in the journal Nanoscale, the team said nanowires, which are made from abundant natural materials like silicon and zinc oxide, also offer a cheap way to deliver hydrogen fuel on a mass scale.

When size matters: Nanotechnology for energy efficiency

When size matters: Nanotechnology for energy efficiency: "ScienceDaily (June 15, 2011) — Researchers at the University of Leicester are using nanotechnology to create new energy efficient materials."

Limit to nanotechnology mass-production?

Limit to nanotechnology mass-production? In a paper published today, Thursday, 21 April, in IOP Publishing's journal Nanotechnology, Professor Mike Kelly, Centre for Advanced Photonics and Electronics, University of Cambridge, stated that you cannot mass produce structures with a diameter of three nanometres or less using a top-down approach.

Heavy metals open path to high temperature nanomagnets

Heavy metals open path to high temperature nanomagnets: "ScienceDaily (Mar. 30, 2011) — How would you like to store all the films ever made on a device the size of an I-phone? Magnets made of just a few metallic atoms could make it possible to build radically smaller storage devices and have also recently been proposed as components for spintronics devices. There's just one obstacle. Nano-sized magnets have only been seen to work at temperatures a little above absolute zero. Now a chemistry student at the University of Copenhagen has demonstrated that molecular magnets using the metals ruthenium and osmium retain their magnetic properties at higher temperatures. Most likely due to the larger spin-orbit coupling and more diffuse electron cloud present in these heavier elements. Some of his findings have recently been published in Chemistry -- A European Journal."

Seeing below the surface: Engineers devise a new way to inspect advanced materials used to build airplanes

Seeing below the surface: Engineers devise a new way to inspect advanced materials used to build airplanes: "Brian L. Wardle, associate professor of aeronautics and astronautics and his colleagues have devised a new way to detect that internal damage, using a simple handheld device and heat-sensitive camera. Their approach also requires engineering the composite materials to include carbon nanotubes, which generate the heat necessary for the test."

Functionalized carbon nanotubes expand epoxy applications - Small Times

Functionalized carbon nanotubes expand epoxy applications - Small Times: "February 28, 2011 -- Various industries -- such as aerospace, sporting goods manufacturers, construction – are incorporating technological advances using nanocomposites, with extraordinary results. Epoxy materials are being transformed into stiffer, lighter, and stronger materials thanks to the addition of fullerenes and carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Dongsheng Mao, Applied Nanotech, Applied Nanotech Holdings (APNT), describes a process involving multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) that have stronger mechanical properties yet remain lightweight and within end-product cost parameters."

Nanotechnology improves Li-ion battery capacity, says Nanosys - Small Times

Nanotechnology improves Li-ion battery capacity, says Nanosys - Small Times March 1, 2011 – Nanosys' process-ready silicon composites (SiNANOde, Fig 1.) increase lithium ion (Li-ion) battery cell capacity without compromising cycle life. Yimin Zhu, director, battery & fuel cell, at Nanosys, recently spoke at the IEEE Bay Area Nanotechnology Council lunch forum (2/15/11, Santa Clara, CA).