What do phasons look like?

(Phys.org) -- When illuminated by laser light, assorted colloidal particles can arrange themselves into highly ordered structures called quasicrystals. By changing the phases of the lasers, researchers can force the colloids ...

Chemists mimic bombardier beetles to safeguard ATMs

(Phys.org) —A team of chemists in Switzerland has developed a new way to protect cash inside of ATM machines from thieves—by automatically setting off a nasty chemical reaction if the machine is molested. The group has ...

Sound waves precisely position nanowires

(Phys.org) —The smaller components become, the more difficult it is to create patterns in an economical and reproducible way, according to an interdisciplinary team of Penn State researchers who, using sound waves, can ...

Toughened silicon sponges may make tenacious batteries

(Phys.org) -- Researchers at Rice University and Lockheed Martin reported this month that they've found a way to make multiple high-performance anodes from a single silicon wafer. The process uses simple silicon to replace ...

Nanoscale protein containers could aid drug, vaccine delivery

UCLA biochemists have designed specialized proteins that assemble themselves to form tiny molecular cages hundreds of times smaller than a single cell. The creation of these miniature structures may be the first step toward ...

Chemists devise better way to prepare workhorse molecules

In chemistry, so-called aromatic molecules compose a large and versatile family of chemical compounds that are the stuff of pharmaceuticals, electronic materials and consumer products ranging from sunscreen to plastic soda ...

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