I-Micronews - NANOMATERIALS : A wide range of nano-coatings in a few spray applications ...

I-Micronews - NANOMATERIALS : A wide range of nano-coatings in a few spray applications ... Easy-to-use nano-coating sprays with optical, electronic, biological properties, etc to cover surfaces. Teams from the Institut Charles Sadron (CNRS / Université de Strasbourg), in collaboration with researchers from the Laboratoire de Biomatériaux et Ingénierie Tissulaire (Inserm / Université de Strasbourg), have managed to improve and extend their technique of “layer by layer” deposition.

New ultra-clean nanowires have great potential in solar cell technology and electronics

New ultra-clean nanowires have great potential in solar cell technology and electronics ScienceDaily (Nov. 12, 2010) — New ultra-clean nanowires produced at the Nano-Science Center, University of Copenhagen will have a central role in the development of new high-efficiency solar cells and electronics on a nanometer scale. PhD student Peter Krogstrup, Niels Bohr Institute, in collaboration with a number of well-known researchers and the company SunFlake A/S, is behind the breakthrough. The new findings have recently been published in the journal Nano Letters.

Atomic-level manufacturing: Manufacturing with every atom in its proper place may be coming soon

Atomic-level manufacturing: Manufacturing with every atom in its proper place may be coming soon ScienceDaily (Oct. 24, 2010) — The long-held dream of creating atomically precise three-dimensional structures in a manufacturing environment is approaching reality, according to the top scientist at a company making tools aimed at that ambitious goal.

Coppin scientists simulate the most efficient solar cells

Coppin scientists simulate the most efficient solar cells Researchers from Coppin State University’s nanotechnology research center made history for simulating the most efficient solar energy cells in the world. Dr. Jamal Uddin ), Coppin State Natural Sciences professor and five undergraduate students modeled nearly 4% more efficient solar cells than Spectrolab, the Boeing Company based in California that held the title for most cells simulated since 2006.

NASA technologist talks CNTs, nanowires, PCMs, and commercialization of nanotechnology - Small Times

NASA technologist talks CNTs, nanowires, PCMs, and commercialization of nanotechnology - Small Times October 21, 2010) -- Speaking at the bi-monthly IMAPS luncheon (Santa Clara, CA; 10/6/10), Dr. Meyya Meyyappan, chief scientist for exploration technology at the Center for Nanotechnology at NASA Ames Research Center, discussed his group’s research in carbon nanotubes (CNTs), nanowires, and phase-change memories (PCM), as well as a next-generation non-volatile resistive switching memory.

I-Micronews - NANOMATERIALS TECHNO: Tyndall nano-material reduces energy consumption in ...

I-Micronews - NANOMATERIALS TECHNO: Tyndall nano-material reduces energy consumption in ... Tyndall National Institute, UCC announced at the 2010 International Power Supply on Chip Workshop in Cork, the development of a new nano-material that will dramatically reduce the operating temperature of silicon chip components and circuits, thereby enhancing the reliability and lifetime of electronics in products ranging from smart phones to automotive electronics.

Scientists reveal battery behavior at the nanoscale

Scientists reveal battery behavior at the nanoscale As industries and consumers increasingly seek improved battery power sources, cutting-edge microscopy performed at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory is providing an unprecedented perspective on how lithium-ion batteries function.A research team led by ORNL's Nina Balke, Stephen Jesse and Sergei Kalinin has developed a new type of scanning probe microscopy called electrochemical strain microscopy (ESM) to examine the movement of lithium ions through a battery's cathode material. The research is published in Nature Nanotechnology.

The strongest organic nanomaterial?

The strongest organic nanomaterial? A revolutionary new spherical nanostructure, fully derived from simple organic elements, yet strong as steel, has been developed and characterized at the laboratories of Ehud Gazit of Tel Aviv University, Israel, and Itay Rousso of the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.

Graphene Researchers Geim and Novoselov Win Nobel Prize in Physics [Updated]: Scientific American

Graphene Researchers Geim and Novoselov Win Nobel Prize in Physics [Updated]: Scientific American Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, both of the University of Manchester in England, shared the prize for their work producing and characterizing the material, which is a one-atom-thick layer of carbon resembling a nanoscale chicken wire. The new physics laureates were announced October 5 at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm.

CNT antenna for solar cell efficiency

CNT antenna for solar cell efficiency Using carbon nanotubes (hollow tubes of carbon atoms), MIT chemical engineers have found a way to concentrate solar energy 100 times more than a regular photovoltaic cell. Such nanotubes could form antennas that capture and focus light energy, potentially allowing much smaller and more powerful solar arrays.

Cheaper better fuel cells with Carbon Nanotube membrane

Cheaper better fuel cells with Carbon Nanotube membrane A Florida State University engineering professor's innovative research with nanomaterials could one day lead to a new generation of hydrogen fuel cells that are less expensive, smaller, lighter and more durable — advantages that might make them a viable option for widespread use in automobiles and in military and industrial technology.

I-Micronews - NANOMATERIALS : UCLA AND MESA+ to collaborate on nanotechnology research...

I-Micronews - NANOMATERIALS : UCLA AND MESA+ to collaborate on nanotechnology research... The California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI), UCLA and MESA+ Institute of Nanotechnology, University of Twente, signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) on September 14th. This agreement unites two of the world’s leading institutes of nanoscience and nanotechnology.

I-Micronews - NANOMATERIALS TECHNO: Carbon nanotubes twice as strong as once thought...

I-Micronews - NANOMATERIALS TECHNO: Carbon nanotubes twice as strong as once thought... New studies on the strength of these submicroscopic cylinders of carbon indicate that on an ounce-for-ounce basis they are at least 117 times stronger than steel and 30 times stronger than Kevlar

I-Micronews - NANOMATERIALS TECHNO: Surface materials: Super clean glass...

I-Micronews - NANOMATERIALS TECHNO: Surface materials: Super clean glass... Gao Han and co-workers at the A*STAR Institute of Materials Research and Engineering1 have now fabricated a transparent palladium-functionalized TiO2 nanotube array on a glass substrate. They studied how the photocatalytic activity of the TiO2 nanotube array changes as the wall thickness or height of the nanotubes was adjusted, and identified the nanotube configuration that gave the highest photocatalytic activity.

Space Colonists Could Use Bacteria to Mine Minerals on Mars and the Moon: Scientific American

Space Colonists Could Use Bacteria to Mine Minerals on Mars and the Moon: Scientific American Microbes currently are used in mining to help recover metals such as gold, copper and uranium. Now researchers suggest bacteria could be enlisted for "bio-mining" in space, to extract oxygen, nutrients and minerals from extraterrestrial bodies such as the moon and Mars for use by future colonists there.

I-Micronews - NANOMATERIALS TECHNO: Pushing ions through carbon nanotubes...

I-Micronews - NANOMATERIALS TECHNO: Pushing ions through carbon nanotubes... For the first time, a team of MIT chemical engineers has observed single ions marching through a tiny carbon-nanotube channel. Such channels could be used as extremely sensitive detectors or as part of a new water-desalination system. They could also allow scientists to study chemical reactions at the single-molecule level.

Why implant coatings detach: Nanocorrosion causes implants to fail

Why implant coatings detach: Nanocorrosion causes implants to fail: "Whether on computer hard disks, saw blades, embossing tools, razor blades or fuel-injection nozzles, extremely hard coatings made of diamond-like carbon (DLC) have proven their value over and over again. They reduce wear and thereby give tools and components a longer operating lifetime."

Nano-architectured aluminum has steely strength

Nano-architectured aluminum has steely strength: "ScienceDaily (Sep. 8, 2010) — A North Carolina State University researcher and colleagues have figured out a way to make an aluminum alloy, or a mixture of aluminum and other elements, just as strong as steel."

Novel nanotechnology collaboration leads to breakthrough in cancer research

Novel nanotechnology collaboration leads to breakthrough in cancer research: "A multidisciplinary research group at UCLA has now teamed up to not only visualize a virus but to use the results to adapt the virus so that it can deliver medication instead of disease."

Nano-engineered cotton promises to wipe out water bugs - tech - 03 September 2010 - New Scientist

Nano-engineered cotton promises to wipe out water bugs - tech - 03 September 2010 - New Scientist: "COTTON impregnated with silver nanowires and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) could provide a cheap and effective method of purifying water in remote locations."

Observations: M.I.T.: Oil-absorbing nanotech could have cleaned up Deepwater in one month [video]

Observations: M.I.T.: Oil-absorbing nanotech could have cleaned up Deepwater in one month [video]: "It looks like a solar-powered treadmill, but researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) say they have created a flat, conveyor belt–like device that could clean up oil slicks far more efficiently than anything used at the Deepwater Horizon site. They key is a nanoparticle-infused, water-repelling mesh coating a conveyor belt. As important is the device's ability to work autonomously as part of a larger team of devices, which M.I.T. calls a Seaswarm." http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=mit-oil-absorbing-nanotech-could-ha-2010-08-27&sc=CAT_ENGYSUS_20100902

Medical nanotech could find unconventional oil - tech - 30 August 2010 - New Scientist

Medical nanotech could find unconventional oil - tech - 30 August 2010 - New Scientist: "THE oil industry, operating on a gigantic scale, might seem at first sight to have little to learn from the intricacies of medical diagnosis and therapies. Yet nanotechnology developed for medical applications could form a model for ways of exploiting oil reserves that conventional methods cannot reach."

Unprecedented look at oxide interfaces reveals unexpected structures on atomic scale

Unprecedented look at oxide interfaces reveals unexpected structures on atomic scale: "ScienceDaily (Aug. 5, 2010) — Thin layers of oxide materials and their interfaces have been observed in atomic resolution during growth for the first time by researchers at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, providing new insight into the complicated link between their structure and properties."

Nanotechnology for water purification

Nanotechnology for water purification: "Writing in the International Journal of Nuclear Desalination, researchers at the D.J. Sanghvi College of Engineering, in Mumbai, India, explain that there are several nanotechnology approaches to water purification currently being investigated and some already in use. 'Water treatment devices that incorporate nanoscale materials are already available, and human development needs for clean water are pressing,' Alpana Mahapatra and colleagues Farida Valli and Karishma Tijoriwala, explain.

Water purification using nanotechnology exploits nanoscopic materials such as carbon nanotubes and alumina fibers for nanofiltration."

Engineering researchers simplify process to make world's tiniest wires

Engineering researchers simplify process to make world's tiniest wires: "Nanowires are so tiny that a human hair would dwarf them -- some have diameters 150 billionths of a meter. Because of their small size, surface tension that occurs during the manufacturing process pulls them together, limiting their usefulness. This is a problem because the wires are seen as a potential core element of new and more powerful microelectronics, solar cells, batteries and medical tools.

But in a paper in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces now online, a University of Florida engineering researcher says he has found an inexpensive solution."

Nanomaterials poised for big impact in construction

Nanomaterials poised for big impact in construction: "ScienceDaily (July 28, 2010) — Nanomaterials are poised for widespread use in the construction industry, where they can offer significant advantages for a variety of applications ranging from making more durable concrete to self-cleaning windows. But widespread use in building materials comes with potential environmental and health risks when those materials are thrown away."

Gallery - Art on a chip: Accidental beauty at the nanoscale - Image 1 - New Scientist

Gallery - Art on a chip: Accidental beauty at the nanoscale - Image 1 - New Scientist: "Spend enough time with your eyes glued to a microscope and you will happen upon some beautiful structure, cell or circuit. Scientists who work at the nanoscale often create and manipulate their experiments to make them even more appealing to the eye. It is in this vein that the journal Lab on a Chip has created a Flickr page, Art on a Chip. Here are a few of our favourites."

I-Micronews - NANOMATERIALS TECHNO: Nearly hard as steel: Aluminum with fullerenes...

I-Micronews - NANOMATERIALS TECHNO: Nearly hard as steel: Aluminum with fullerenes... They are adding fullerenes—soccer ball-shaped molecules comprising 60 carbon atoms— to aluminum to obtain a new material that is roughly three times harder than conventional composites, yet weights much less. The lightweight yet strong aluminum could be used to improve the performance of compressors, turbochargers and engines.

Magnets trump metallics: Magnetic fields can turn highly conductive nanotubes into semiconductors

Magnets trump metallics: Magnetic fields can turn highly conductive nanotubes into semiconductors: "ScienceDaily (July 13, 2010) — Metallic carbon nanotubes show great promise for applications from microelectronics to power lines because of their ballistic transmission of electrons. But who knew magnets could stop those electrons in their tracks?"

Silicon chip speed record broken on a lead-coated track - tech - 16 July 2010 - New Scientist

Silicon chip speed record broken on a lead-coated track - tech - 16 July 2010 - New Scientist: "Yeom's team added an atom-thick layer of lead to the surface of a silicon block. Because the lead layer is so thin, the arrangement of its atoms is influenced by the silicon atoms underneath. The team suspected that the lead's electrons would, in turn, influence the electronic structure of the silicon at the interface."

I-Micronews - NANOMATERIALS : Nanotubes pass acid test...

I-Micronews - NANOMATERIALS : Nanotubes pass acid test...: "Rice University scientists have found the 'ultimate' solvent for all kinds of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), a breakthrough that brings the creation of a highly conductive quantum nanowire ever closer.

Nanotubes have the frustrating habit of bundling, making them less useful than when they're separated in a solution. Rice scientists led by Matteo Pasquali, a professor in chemical and biomolecular engineering and in chemistry, have been trying to untangle them for years as they look for scalable methods to make exceptionally strong, ultralight, highly conductive materials that could revolutionize power distribution, such as the armchair quantum wire."

Graphene 2.0: A new approach to making a unique material

Graphene 2.0: A new approach to making a unique material: "ScienceDaily (July 5, 2010) — Since its discovery, graphene -- an unusual and versatile substance composed of a single-layer crystal lattice of carbon atoms -- has caused much excitement in the scientific community. Now, Nongjian (NJ) Tao, a researcher at the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University has hit on a new way of making graphene, maximizing the material's enormous potential, particularly for use in high-speed electronic devices"

Nanoparticle bandages could detect and treat infection - health - 09 July 2010 - New Scientist

Nanoparticle bandages could detect and treat infection - health - 09 July 2010 - New Scientist: "A 'self-medicating' bandage could become a mainstay of burns units. Laced with nanoparticles, it detects harmful bacteria in a wound and responds by secreting antibiotics."

I-Micronews - NANOMATERIALS : The thinnest, smoothest metallic lines in the world helps ...

I-Micronews - NANOMATERIALS : The thinnest, smoothest metallic lines in the world helps ...: "Scientists from Singapore A*STAR’s Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), University of Cambridge (UK) and Sungkyunkwan University (South Korea) have created metallic lines so thin and smooth that they can only be seen using powerful electron microscopes. This research will be published in the July issue of Advanced Functional Materials, the leading full-paper materials science journal."

Nanoparticle scientist speaks on new discoveries

Nanoparticle scientist speaks on new discoveries: "'Nanoparticles are everywhere. You eat them, drink them, breathe them, pay to have them, and pay even more to get rid of them,' Navrotsky said. Nanomaterials science deals with particles that are about one billionth of a meter long."

Researchers create self-assembling nanodevices that move and change shape on demand

Researchers create self-assembling nanodevices that move and change shape on demand: "ScienceDaily (June 23, 2010) — By emulating nature's design principles, a team at Harvard's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard Medical School and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has created nanodevices made of DNA that self-assemble and can be programmed to move and change shape on demand. In contrast to existing nanotechnologies,"

Nanowires for future electronics: Process for manufacturing nanoelectronic 'mini-circuits' developed

Nanowires for future electronics: Process for manufacturing nanoelectronic 'mini-circuits' developed: "Scientists at Empa have developed a new method which allows them to create simple networks of organic nanowires."

Nano coatings make more efficient heat transfer.

Nanotech/MEMS Wire News: ElectroIQ.com: "Researchers at Oregon State University and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have discovered a new way to apply nanostructure coatings to make heat transfer far more efficient, with important potential applications to high tech devices as well as the conventional heating and cooling industry."

I-Micronews - NANOMATERIALS TECHNO: Nanospheres stretch limits of hard disk storage ...

I-Micronews - NANOMATERIALS TECHNO: Nanospheres stretch limits of hard disk storage ...: "A new magnetic recording medium made up of tiny nanospheres has been devised by European researchers. The technology may lead to hard disks able to store more than a thousand billion bits of information in a square inch."

I-Micronews - NANOMATERIALS : CNano launches carbon nanotube based conductive ...

I-Micronews - NANOMATERIALS : CNano launches carbon nanotube based conductive ...: "The super conductive paste is leveraging both physical and electrical properties of carbon nanotubes, and is used as the conductive additive for both Lithium ion battery cathodes and anodes to enhance battery energy and power density, cycle life and safety. This paste product is based on the volume produced carbon nanotubes from CNano. It replaces the traditional conductive additives for Lithium ion batteries with less loading but greatly improving battery
performance, especially for high power applications such as electrical vehicles and power tools."

Nanotechnology tattoo may help diabetics track their blood sugar

Nanotechnology tattoo may help diabetics track their blood sugar: "“They never really escape it,” says Paul Barone, a postdoctoral researcher in MIT’s Department of Chemical Engineering. Barone and professor Michael Strano are working on a new type of blood glucose monitor that could not only eliminate the need for finger pricks but also offer more accurate readings.
“Diabetes is an enormous problem, global in scope, and despite decades of engineering advances, our ability to accurately measure glucose in the human body still remains quite primitive,” says Strano, the Charles and Hilda Roddey Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering. “It is a life-and-death issue for a growing number of people.”"

New advances in science of the ultra-small promise big benefits for cancer patients

New advances in science of the ultra-small promise big benefits for cancer patients: "ScienceDaily (May 17, 2010) — A $145-million U.S. Federal Government effort to harness the power of nanotechnology to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cancer is producing innovations that will radically improve care for the disease."

Faster computers with nanotechnology

Faster computers with nanotechnology: "ScienceDaily (June 1, 2010) — The silicon transistors in your computer may be replaced in ten years by transistors based on carbon nanotubes. This is what scientists at the University of Gothenburg are hoping -- they have developed a method to control the nanotubes during production."

Copper nanowires enable bendable displays and solar cells; Pin-like copper structures self-assemble in solution

Copper nanowires enable bendable displays and solar cells; Pin-like copper structures self-assemble in solution: "ScienceDaily (June 2, 2010) — A team of Duke University chemists has perfected a simple way to make tiny copper nanowires in quantity. The cheap conductors are small enough to be transparent, making them ideal for thin-film solar cells, flat-screen TVs and computers, and flexible displays."

Using nature's design principles to create specialized nanofabrics

Using nature's design principles to create specialized nanofabrics: " Bio-engineers have developed a new technology that can be used to regenerate heart and other tissues and to make nanometer-thick fabrics that are both strong and extremely elastic."

WELCOME TO NANOWORLD

“Nano” is a prefix attached to words to denote a quantity one billionth of that represented by the words. In science and technology we generally use nanometer as the linear dimension one billionth of a meter. It is a very small length indeed! Atoms of many elements have diameters ranging from 0.1 to 1 nanometer. Scientists have discovered that matter exhibits strange and often beneficial properties when their dimensions are reduced to the nanometer levels. Many uses have been envisaged for such small materials. Superior mechanical properties, electrical properties and magnetic properties have been detected in many nanomaterials. In the medical profession, nanomolecules could be used to deliver medication to an exact location, like a tumor, in the human body. Structures and devices of nanometer size have been thought of for various applications. Nanomaterials, nanostructures and nanodevices occupy the nanoworld. This blog is intended to collect and present new developments in this nanoworld.