http://phys.org/nanotech-news/ en-us Phys.org provides the latest news on nanotechnology, nanoscience, nanoelectronics, science and technology. Updated Daily. (Phys.org) —A large team of researchers, most of which are based in Korea, has succeeded in extending the process of galvanic replacement reactions to ionic compounds. In their paper published in the journal Science, the team describes how they used preformed nanocrystals to serve as a template to produce hollow box-shaped nanocrystals. http://phys.org/news288606638.html Nanotechnology Fri, 24 May 2013 10:00:01 EST news288606638 University of Delaware researchers are developing sensors that they hope will allow real-time, in situ detection of water and air pollutants in an inexpensive and environmentally friendly manner. http://phys.org/news288601796.html Nanotechnology Fri, 24 May 2013 08:30:02 EST news288601796 Researchers from the National Institute of Materials Science (NIMS) have used Lorentz electron microscopy to show that magnetic skyrmions are spontaneously formed as nanomagnetic clusters in a ferromagnetic manganese oxide with centrosymmetry. http://phys.org/news288599655.html Nanotechnology Fri, 24 May 2013 08:10:02 EST news288599655 There has been great interest in recent years in using tiny particles called quantum dots to produce low-cost, easily manufactured, stable photovoltaic cells. But, so far, the creation of such cells has been limited by the fact that in practice, quantum dots are not as good at conducting an electric charge as they are in theory. http://phys.org/news288601508.html Nanotechnology Fri, 24 May 2013 08:05:15 EST news288601508 Physicist Pawel Sikorski and his group are making beds of nails on a miniature scale – a plate covered in nano-needles designed to puncture individual cells. http://phys.org/news288599199.html Nanotechnology Fri, 24 May 2013 07:28:07 EST news288599199 (Phys.org) —Using the Canadian Light Source (CLS) synchrotron, researchers have discovered a way to create cheaper fuel cells by dividing normally expensive platinum metal into nanoparticles (or even single atoms) for use in everything from automobiles to computers. http://phys.org/news288540296.html Nanotechnology Thu, 23 May 2013 15:05:04 EST news288540296 A billon-frames-per-second film has captured the vibrations of gold nanocrystals in stunning detail for the first time. http://phys.org/news288535684.html Nanotechnology Thu, 23 May 2013 14:00:05 EST news288535684 (Phys.org) —Cubic zirconia has long been favored for its use in costume jewelry. Known scientifically as yttria-stabilized zirconia, it is also a known conductor of oxygen, making it useful as an electrolyte in solid oxide fuel cells. http://phys.org/news288516174.html Nanotechnology Thu, 23 May 2013 09:10:04 EST news288516174 (Phys.org) —Growing thin films out of nanoparticles in ordered, crystalline sheets, to make anything from microelectronic components to solar cells, would be a boon for materials researchers, but the physics is tricky because particles of that size don't form crystals the way individual atoms do. http://phys.org/news288515103.html Nanotechnology Thu, 23 May 2013 08:05:09 EST news288515103 (Phys.org) —A new, natural nanomaterial, which may prove incredibly beneficial to medical bioengineers, has been discovered by the research team at Western University that successfully sequenced the spider mite genome in 2011. http://phys.org/news288514900.html Nanotechnology Thu, 23 May 2013 08:02:14 EST news288514900 (Phys.org) —In pioneering new research at Columbia University, scientists have grown high-quality crystals of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), the world's thinnest semiconductor, and studied how these crystals stitch together at the atomic scale to form continuous sheets. Through beautiful images of strikingly symmetric stars and triangles hundreds of microns across, they have uncovered key insights into the optical and electronic properties of this new material, which can be either conducting or insulating to form the basic "on-off switch" for all digital electronics. The study is published in the May 5, 2013, issue of Nature Materials. http://phys.org/news288457445.html Nanotechnology Wed, 22 May 2013 16:04:19 EST news288457445 (Phys.org) —Researchers have created a new type of transparent electrode that might find uses in solar cells, flexible displays for computers and consumer electronics and future "optoelectronic" circuits for sensors and information processing. http://phys.org/news288455347.html Nanotechnology Wed, 22 May 2013 15:29:14 EST news288455347 (Phys.org) —Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a new technique for creating high-quality semiconductor thin films at the atomic scale – meaning the films are only one atom thick. The technique can be used to create these thin films on a large scale, sufficient to coat wafers that are two inches wide, or larger. http://phys.org/news288442234.html Nanotechnology Wed, 22 May 2013 11:50:44 EST news288442234 Research at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's Advanced Light Source promises four-bit magnetic cells instead of the two-bit magnetic domains of standard magnetic memories. Magnetic vortices are whirlpools of magnetic field, in which electron spins point either clockwise or counterclockwise. In the crowded center of the whirlpool the spins point either down or up. These four orientations could represent separate bits of information in a new kind of memory, if controlled independently and simultaneously. http://phys.org/news288433476.html Nanotechnology Wed, 22 May 2013 09:24:44 EST news288433476 (Phys.org) —Two graduate-level researchers in the School of Engineering have grown some of the world's smallest metallic nanorods; a significant scientific breakthrough that their faculty advisor says is a testament to UConn's robust graduate education programs. http://phys.org/news288427227.html Nanotechnology Wed, 22 May 2013 08:00:04 EST news288427227 (Phys.org) —Northwestern University researchers have developed a new method for delivering molecules into single, targeted cells through temporary holes in the cell surface. The technique could find applications in drug delivery, cell therapy, and related biological fields. http://phys.org/news288361946.html Nanotechnology Tue, 21 May 2013 13:32:54 EST news288361946 Cancers of all types become most deadly when they metastasize and spread tumors throughout the body. Once cancer has reached this stage, it becomes very difficult for doctors to locate and treat the numerous tumors that can develop. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri have found a way to create radioactive nanoparticles that target lymphoma tumor cells wherever they may be in the body. Michael Lewis, an associate professor of oncology in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine, says being able to target secondary tumors is vital to successfully treating patients with progressive cancers. http://phys.org/news288361790.html Nanotechnology Tue, 21 May 2013 13:30:56 EST news288361790 (Phys.org) —Grapefruits have long been known for their health benefits, and the subtropical fruit may revolutionize how medical therapies like anti-cancer drugs are delivered to specific tumor cells. University of Louisville researchers have uncovered how to create nanoparticles using natural lipids derived from grapefruit, and have discovered how to use them as drug delivery vehicles. UofL scientists Huang-Ge Zhang, D.V.M., Ph.D., Qilong Wang, Ph.D., and their team today (May 21, 2013), published their findings in Nature Communications. http://phys.org/news288359461.html Nanotechnology Tue, 21 May 2013 13:00:02 EST news288359461 Rice University scientists have unveiled a robust new method for arranging metal nanoparticles in geometric patterns that can act as optical processors that transform incoming light signals into output of a different color. The breakthrough by a team of theoretical and applied physicists and engineers at Rice's Laboratory for Nanophotonics (LANP) is described this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. http://phys.org/news288359175.html Nanotechnology Tue, 21 May 2013 12:47:04 EST news288359175 Positively charged gold nanoparticles are usually toxic to cells, but cancer cells somehow manage to avoid nanoparticle toxicity. Mayo Clinic researchers found out why, and determined how to make the nanoparticles effective against ovarian cancer cells. The discovery is detailed in the current online issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry. http://phys.org/news288356822.html Nanotechnology Tue, 21 May 2013 12:07:21 EST news288356822 The miniaturization of electronics continues to create unprecedented capabilities in computer and communications applications, enabling handheld wireless devices with tremendous computing performance operating on battery power. This same miniaturization of electronic systems is also creating new opportunities in biotechnology and biophysics. http://phys.org/news288282622.html Nanotechnology Mon, 20 May 2013 15:30:28 EST news288282622 (Phys.org) —Imagine a bendable tablet computer or an electronic newspaper that could fold to fit in a pocket. http://phys.org/news288282505.html Nanotechnology Mon, 20 May 2013 15:28:34 EST news288282505 (Phys.org) —The allure of personalized medicine has made new, more efficient ways of sequencing genes a top research priority. One promising technique involves reading DNA bases using changes in electrical current as they are threaded through a nanoscopic hole. http://phys.org/news288273199.html Nanotechnology Mon, 20 May 2013 12:53:27 EST news288273199 These days, aerospace engineering is all about the light stuff: building airplanes with lighter wings, fuselage and landing gear in an effort to reduce fuel costs. http://phys.org/news288261101.html Nanotechnology Mon, 20 May 2013 09:31:50 EST news288261101 (Phys.org) —A team of University of Pennsylvania engineers has used a pattern of nanoantennas to develop a new way of turning infrared light into mechanical action, opening the door to more sensitive infrared cameras and more compact chemical-analysis techniques. http://phys.org/news288253848.html Nanotechnology Mon, 20 May 2013 07:31:00 EST news288253848 One of the basic principles of nanotechnology is that when you make things extremely small—one nanometer is about five atoms wide, 100,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair—they are going to become more perfect. http://phys.org/news288171951.html Nanotechnology Sun, 19 May 2013 13:00:05 EST news288171951 Since the heart is such a delicate and critical organ, clinicians usually opt not to intervene with the dead cells that remain after a heart attack or cardiac disease. "But we think that all heart attacks deserve some kind of treatment because it puts so much stress on the rest of the heart," said Thomas Webster, professor and chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering. Even a square centimeter of dead heart tissue can put significant strain on the rest of the heart, which has to pick up the slack, he said. http://phys.org/news287998232.html Nanotechnology Fri, 17 May 2013 08:50:05 EST news287998232 Nearly everyone is familiar with the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), otherwise known as Teflon, the brand name used by the chemical company DuPont. Famous for being "non-sticky" and water repellent, PTFE is a dry lubricant used on machine components everywhere, from kitchen tools and engine cylinders to space and biomedical applications. http://phys.org/news287996669.html Nanotechnology Fri, 17 May 2013 08:50:03 EST news287996669 (Phys.org) —Graphene has dazzled scientists, ever since its discovery more than a decade ago, with its unequalled electronic properties, its strength and its light weight. But one long-sought goal has proved elusive: how to engineer into graphene a property called a band gap, which would be necessary to use the material to make transistors and other electronic devices. http://phys.org/news287943744.html Nanotechnology Thu, 16 May 2013 17:22:40 EST news287943744 Frustration led to revelation when Rice University scientists determined how graphene might be made useful for high-capacity batteries. http://phys.org/news287937899.html Nanotechnology Thu, 16 May 2013 15:45:32 EST news287937899