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).

Nanonets give rust a boost as agent in water splitting's hydrogen harvest

Nanonets give rust a boost as agent in water splitting's hydrogen harvest ScienceDaily (Feb. 10, 2011) — Coating a lattice of tiny wires called Nanonets with iron oxide (rust) creates an economical and efficient platform for the process of water splitting -- an emerging clean fuel method that harvests hydrogen from water, Boston College researchers report in the online edition of the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

"Nanoscoops" could spark new generation of electric car batteries

"Nanoscoops" could spark new generation of electric car batteries An entirely new type of nanomaterial developed at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute could enable the next generation of high-power rechargeable lithium (Li)-ion batteries for electric automobiles, as well as batteries for laptop computers, mobile phones, and other portable devices.The new material, dubbed a “nanoscoop” because its shape resembles a cone with a scoop of ice cream on top, can withstand extremely high rates of charge and discharge that would cause conventional electrodes used in today’s Li-ion batteries to rapidly deteriorate and fail. The nanoscoop’s success lies in its unique material composition, structure, and size.

Multi-metal nanoparticles: Digestive ripening is the ticket - Small Times

Multi-metal nanoparticles: Digestive ripening is the ticket - Small Times December 20, 2010) -- A new study from researchers at North Carolina State University sheds light on how a technique that is commonly used for making single-metal nanoparticles can be extended to create nanoparticles consisting of two metals and that have tunable properties. The study also provides insight into the optical properties of some of these nanoparticles.

Coiled nanowires may hold key to stretchable electronics

Coiled nanowires may hold key to stretchable electronics: "ScienceDaily (Jan. 12, 2011) — Researchers at North Carolina State University have created the first coils of silicon nanowire on a substrate that can be stretched to more than double their original length, moving us closer to incorporating stretchable electronic devices into clothing, implantable health-monitoring devices, and a host of other applications."

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.