http://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. (Phys.org)—Seven years ago, physics pro­fessor Latika Mennon's first grad­uate stu­dent said he wanted to "change the world." She knew of her exper­tise in making nanoporous alu­minum oxide and believed an anal­o­gous system with tita­nium dioxide, or titania, could be useful in the devel­op­ment of fuel cells and solar panels. http://phys.org/news270976601.html Nanotechnology Thu, 01 Nov 2012 08:16:58 EST news270976601 (Phys.org) -- Titanium dioxide, or titania, is an inorganic material commonly used as a whitening agent in food and toothpaste. It is also used as one of the main active ingredients in sunscreens. The properties that make titania useful in commercial applications — namely its whitening ability and high refractive index — are now being exploited in a wide range of technological applications. http://phys.org/news260617883.html Nanotechnology Wed, 04 Jul 2012 10:52:13 EST news260617883 As recently as twenty-five years ago, chemists considered gold to be one of the most inert metallic elements, until the discovery that nanoscale-sized dispersions of gold had high catalytic activity forced a re-think of old principles. Researchers soon found that gold nanoparticles could promote many industrially important reactions, such as the removal of harmful carbon monoxide gas from emission streams. Whilst the benefits of nanoscale gold are well-attested, preparing the material in a durable and reusable form remains a significant challenge that limits its uptake by manufacturers. http://phys.org/news255856165.html Nanotechnology Thu, 10 May 2012 09:40:01 EST news255856165 (PhysOrg.com) -- Titania semiconducting nanorods grown on the surface of carbon fibers look more like bristles on a tiny hairbrush than a solar cell, but the novel configuration could have several advantages over conventional flat solar cells. For instance, the flexible tube-shaped cells can capture light from all directions and even have the potential to be woven into clothing and paper for novel applications. But at the current stage of development, researchers are trying to find a simple, low-cost method for fabricating high-quality tube-shaped solar cells. http://phys.org/news249824090.html Nanotechnology Thu, 01 Mar 2012 12:20:01 EST news249824090