http://phys.org/nanotech-news/nano-materials/ en-us PhysOrg Team Phys.Org provides the latest news on nanomaterials, nanotechnology, nanotech and nanoscience. (Phys.org) -- Researchers at the Center for Nanophysics and Advanced Materials of the University of Maryland have developed a new type of hot electron bolometer a sensitive detector of infrared light, that can be used in a huge range of applications from detection of chemical and biochemical weapons from a distance and use in security imaging technologies such as airport body scanners, to chemical analysis in the laboratory and studying the structure of the universe through improved telescopes. http://phys.org/news258016919.html Nanotechnology - Nanomaterials 2012-06-04T08:22:15-07:00 (Phys.org) -- Similar to how tighter stiches make for a better quality quilt, the "stitching" between individual crystals of graphene affects how well these carbon monolayers conduct electricity and retain their strength, Cornell researchers report. http://phys.org/news257752391.html Nanotechnology - Nanomaterials 2012-06-01T06:53:26-07:00 Graphene has caused a lot of excitement among scientists since the extremely strong and thin carbon material was discovered in 2004. Just one atom thick, the honeycomb-shaped material has several remarkable properties combining mechanical toughness with superior electrical and thermal conductivity. http://phys.org/news257616598.html Nanotechnology - Nanomaterials 2012-05-30T17:10:15-07:00 European scientists studied electron flow in systems of organic photosensitive dyes and titanium-based materials. Results are particularly relevant to increasing the efficiency of a cost-effective class of solar cells and have potential broad application to nanotechnology and clean energy science. http://phys.org/news257593402.html Nanotechnology - Nanomaterials 2012-05-30T10:44:02-07:00 (Phys.org) -- Fullerenes were first discovered back in 1985 by a team of physicists vaporizing graphite in helium gas, one class of which, the buckminsterfullerene (C60) named after Buckminster Fuller and his geodesic domes, forms into spherical, hollow cages that resemble soccer balls. Since that time, a lot of study has been done on and with so named buckyballs, yet no one has been able to figure out how exactly they form. Now, new research by one of the original discoverers of fullerenes, Harold Kroto and his team at Florida State University moves closer to that goal in finding that buckyballs grow larger when exposed to vaporized carbon. The team has written a paper describing their observations and have had it published in the journal Nature Communications. http://phys.org/news257577836.html Nanotechnology - Nanomaterials 2012-05-30T06:24:41-07:00 (Phys.org) -- Researchers first observed graphene in 2004 by extracting the single-atom-thick sheets of carbon from bulk graphite. While graphene’s electrical and optical properties have proven to have extraordinary potential for many applications, creating atomically precise structures out of graphene remains challenging. In an effort to improve graphene’s usability, scientists have been searching for a way to fabricate artificial graphene, which could serve as a helpful structure where devices can be easily tested before their implementation with natural graphene. Now in a new study, scientists have identified all the main criteria required to make artificial graphene, which could provide a guide for experimentally realizing the material. http://phys.org/news257497866.html Nanotechnology - Nanomaterials 2012-05-29T09:20:01-07:00 Multi-walled carbon nanotubes riddled with defects and impurities on the outside could replace some of the expensive platinum catalysts used in fuel cells and metal-air batteries, according to scientists at Stanford University. Their findings are published in the May 27 online edition of the journal Nature Nanotechnology. http://phys.org/news257319327.html Nanotechnology - Nanomaterials 2012-05-27T13:03:24-07:00 EU researchers extensively characterised the self-organisation of nanotubes and developed novel compositions particularly appropriate to solar energy conversion applications. http://phys.org/news257155272.html Nanotechnology - Nanomaterials 2012-05-25T09:50:01-07:00 EU researchers developed polymer blends and processing techniques facilitating recovery of scrap from industrial processes. Advances in this area have the potential to decrease costs and waste while protecting the environment. http://phys.org/news257155239.html Nanotechnology - Nanomaterials 2012-05-25T09:00:46-07:00 A new study shows that the availability of hydrogen plays a significant role in determining the chemical and structural makeup of graphene oxide, a material that has potential uses in nano-electronics, nano-electromechanical systems, sensing, composites, optics, catalysis and energy storage. http://phys.org/news256910979.html Nanotechnology - Nanomaterials 2012-05-22T13:09:48-07:00 (Phys.org) -- University at Buffalo researchers are making significant progress on rust-proofing steel using a graphene-based composite that could serve as a nontoxic alternative to coatings that contain hexavalent chromium, a probable carcinogen. http://phys.org/news256548460.html Nanotechnology - Nanomaterials 2012-05-18T09:00:03-07:00 Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, the core R&D incubator for Samsung Electronics, has developed a new transistor structure utilizing graphene. http://phys.org/news256542031.html Nanotechnology - Nanomaterials 2012-05-18T06:41:25-07:00 (Phys.org) -- Graphene has many promising applications on its own, but pairing the two-dimensional material with the semiconductor titanium dioxide (TiO2) extends its capabilities even further. A team of chemists at the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, has demonstrated that graphene oxide (GO)-TiO2 films, when illuminated, cause electrons to hop from one side of the film to the other. When adding silver ions to the picture, this electron hopping can create films that have a semiconductor on one side of the GO and metal on the other. The resulting semiconductor-graphene-metal (SGM) films could serve as highly sensitive chemical sensors. http://phys.org/news256454750.html Nanotechnology - Nanomaterials 2012-05-17T06:26:10-07:00 Graphene and carbon nanotubes could improve the electronics used in computers and mobile phones, reveals new research from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. http://phys.org/news256223973.html Nanotechnology - Nanomaterials 2012-05-14T14:19:42-07:00 (Phys.org) -- The development of a new combination of polymers associating sugars with oil-based macromolecules makes it possible to design ultra-thin films capable of self-organization with a 5-nanometer resolution. This opens up new horizons for increasing the capacity of hard discs and the speed of microprocessors. The result of a French-American collaboration spearheaded by the Centre de Recherches sur les Macromolécules Végétales (CNRS), this work has led to the filing of two patents. It is published in the journal ACS Nano. This new class of thin films based on hybrid copolymers could give rise to numerous applications in flexible electronics, in areas as diverse as nanolithography, biosensors and photovoltaic cells. http://phys.org/news256206717.html Nanotechnology - Nanomaterials 2012-05-14T10:10:03-07:00 (Phys.org) -- A carbon nanotube sponge that can soak up oil in water with unparalleled efficiency has been developed with help from computational simulations performed at the Department of Energy's (DOE's) Oak Ridge National Laboratory. http://phys.org/news255880735.html Nanotechnology - Nanomaterials 2012-05-10T15:00:09-07:00 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 - Nanomaterials 2012-05-10T09:40:01-07:00 (Phys.org) -- Light-emitting diodes at infrared wavelengths are the magic behind such things as night vision and optical communications, including the streaming data that comes through Netflix. Cornell researchers have advanced the process of making such LEDs cheaper and easier to fabricate, which could lead to ultra-thin LEDs painted onto silicon to replace computer wiring with light waves. http://phys.org/news255849814.html Nanotechnology - Nanomaterials 2012-05-10T06:23:45-07:00 As medical researchers and engineers try to shrink diagnostics to fit in a person's pocket, one question is how to easily move and mix small samples of liquid. http://phys.org/news255773473.html Nanotechnology - Nanomaterials 2012-05-09T09:11:28-07:00 (Phys.org) -- With the age of the incandescent light bulb fading rapidly, the holy grail of the lighting industry is to develop a highly efficient form of solid-state lighting that produces high quality white light. http://phys.org/news255716825.html Nanotechnology - Nanomaterials 2012-05-08T17:27:23-07:00 (Phys.org) -- As vacationers prepare to spend time outdoors this summer, many of them will pack plenty of sunscreen in hopes it will protect their bodies from overexposure, and possibly from skin cancer. But researchers at Missouri University of Science and Technology are discovering that sunscreen may not be so safe after all. http://phys.org/news255673995.html Nanotechnology - Nanomaterials 2012-05-08T05:33:53-07:00 Professor Keon- Jae Lee's research team, KAIST (Korea), has developed a nanocomposite-based nanogenerator that successfully overcomes the critical restrictions existed in previous nanogenerators and builds a simple, low-cost, and large-scale self-powered energy system. The team produced a piezoelectric nanocomposite by mixing piezoelectric nanoparticles with carbon-based nanomaterials in a polydimethylsiloxane matrix and fabricated the nanocomposite generator by the simple process of spin-casting or bar-coating method. http://phys.org/news255609671.html Nanotechnology - Nanomaterials 2012-05-07T11:41:58-07:00 (Phys.org) -- Researchers led by Raffaele Mezzenga, a professor in Food and Soft Materials Science, have created a new nanocomposite made of graphene and protein fibrils: a special paper, which combines the best features of both components. http://phys.org/news255598884.html Nanotechnology - Nanomaterials 2012-05-07T08:41:44-07:00 (Phys.org) -- Yale engineers have developed a novel automated system for generating strong, flexible, transparent coatings with promising uses in lithium-ion battery and fuel cell production, among other applications. http://phys.org/news255591362.html Nanotechnology - Nanomaterials 2012-05-07T06:36:27-07:00 (Phys.org) -- European researchers have developed a simple thermodynamic method to predict whether a substance can resist the high temperatures normally involved in the production of thin films for photovoltaic devices. The new approach could help scientists in their search for better energy materials. Jonathan Scragg of Uppsala University, Sweden, and his colleagues of the University of Bath, UK, and the University of Luxembourg present their results in ChemPhysChem. http://phys.org/news255336057.html Nanotechnology - Nanomaterials 2012-05-04T07:41:10-07:00 Strong metals have a tendency to be less ductile — unless the metal happens to be a peculiar form of copper known as nanotwinned copper. The crystal structure of nanotwinned copper exhibits many closely-spaced interruptions in an otherwise regular atomic array. These interruptions, despite being termed ‘defects’, actually increase the metal’s strength without reducing its ductility, making it attractive for applications such as semiconductor devices and thin film coatings. However, the relationship between the properties of these defects and those of the metals containing defects remains unclear. http://phys.org/news255256074.html Nanotechnology - Nanomaterials 2012-05-03T10:20:02-07:00 Chemical sensors are exceedingly good at detecting a single substance or a class of chemicals, even at highly rarified concentrations. Biological noses, however, are vastly more versatile and capable of discriminating subtle cues that would confound their engineered counterparts. Unfortunately, even highly trained noses do leave a certain ambiguity when relaying a signal and are not particularly suited for work in specialized situations like operating rooms. A new DNA-based chemical sensor appears to be both extremely sensitive and discerning, making it an important stride on the path to an all-electronic nose. http://phys.org/news255179203.html Nanotechnology - Nanomaterials 2012-05-02T12:10:01-07:00 People use electromagnetic energy every day … watching television, listening to the radio, popping corn with a microwave, taking an X-ray or using a cellphone. This energy travels in the form of waves, which are widely used in electronic and wireless devices. http://phys.org/news255151438.html Nanotechnology - Nanomaterials 2012-05-02T05:10:01-07:00 Forty times stronger than steel and conducting electricity ten times better than silicon, graphene is the wonder material that could one day replace silicon in microchips. Now the University is opening a new Graphene Centre Laboratory that will study its amazing properties and develop its potential applications. http://phys.org/news255153218.html Nanotechnology - Nanomaterials 2012-05-02T04:53:58-07:00 Like a lead actress on the red carpet, nanowires—those superstars of nanotechnology—can be enhanced by a little jewelry, too. Not the diamonds and pearls variety, but the sort formed of sinuous chains of metal oxide or noble metal nanoparticles. http://phys.org/news254738912.html Nanotechnology - Nanomaterials 2012-04-27T09:50:00-07:00