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."