Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a new "templated growth" technique for fabricating nanometer-scale graphene devices. The method addresses what had been a significant obstacle to the use of this promising material in future generations of high-performance electronic devices.

Knowing how to build nanosized assemblies of polymers (long molecular chains) holds the key to improving a broad range of industrial processes, from the production of nanofibers, filters, and new materials to the manufacture of low-energy, nanoscale circuits and devices. A recent paper in Nature Communications sheds light on key behaviors of polymers in specially engineered confined spaces, opening the door to a level of control that has previously been impossible.

While refining their novel method for making nanoscale wires, chemists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) discovered an unexpected bonus—a new way to create nanowires that produce light similar to that from light-emitting diodes (LEDs). These "nano-LEDs" may one day have their light-emission abilities put to work serving miniature devices such as nanogenerators or lab-on-a-chip systems.

Northwestern University researchers have taken another step towards realizing a new class of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) enzyme mimics, opening the door for the development of highly sensitive chemical detection systems that go beyond nucleic acid targets.

Rice University physicist Dmitri Lapotko has demonstrated that plasmonic nanobubbles, generated around gold nanoparticles with a laser pulse, can detect and destroy cancer cells in vivo by creating tiny, shiny vapour bubbles that reveal the cells and selectively explode them.

Researchers at Oregon State University have reported the successful loading of biological molecules onto "nanosprings" – a type of nanostructure that has gained significant interest in recent years for its ability to maximize surface area in microreactors.

A Florida State University engineering professor's innovative research with nanomaterials could one day lead to a new generation of hydrogen fuel cells that are less expensive, smaller, lighter and more durable — advantages that might make them a viable option for widespread use in automobiles and in military and industrial technology.

Within the framework of the Belgian Presidency of the EU, a conference was held on Tuesday on the development of nanomaterials management and information tools.

Carbon nanotubes — those tiny particles poised to revolutionize electronics, medicine, and other areas — are much bigger in the strength department than anyone ever thought, scientists are reporting. New studies on the strength of these submicroscopic cylinders of carbon indicate that on an ounce-for-ounce basis they are at least 117 times stronger than steel and 30 times stronger than Kevlar, the material used in bulletproof vests and other products.

Using carbon nanotubes, MIT chemical engineers have found a way to concentrate solar energy 100 times more than a regular photovoltaic cell. Such nanotubes could form antennas that capture and focus light energy, potentially allowing much smaller and more powerful solar arrays.

Arkema, CNRS, Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse and Université Paul Sabatier have signed a framework agreement to set up a joint research laboratory, NAUTILE (NAnotUbes et écoToxIcoLogiE), the first public/private joint laboratory dedicated to the study of the ecotoxicological impact of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the aquatic environment.

Extremely thin membrane, a mere one-atom thick, lives up to its acclaim as a 'rapidly rising star'

Graphene, a one-atom-thick layer of graphitic carbon, has great potential to make electronic devices such as radios, computers and phones faster and smaller. But its unique properties have also led to difficulties in integrating the material into such devices.

Speakers made from carbon nanotube sheets that are a fraction of the width of a human hair can both generate sound and cancel out noise -- properties ideal for submarine sonar to probe the ocean depths and make subs invisible to enemies. That’s the topic of a report on these “nanotube speakers," which appears in ACS’ Nano Letters, a monthly journal.

A new "smart materials" process - Multiple Memory Material Technology - developed by University of Waterloo engineering researchers promises to revolutionize the manufacture of diverse products such as medical devices, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), printers, hard drives, automotive components, valves and actuators.

K-Swiss is the latest premium sports footwear brand to announce that it has teamed up with P2i, the world leader in liquid repellent nano-coating technology, in a move which is set to revolutionize the performance of its two latest product lines – Kwicky Blade-Light™ and California™, debuting at retail in February 2011.

CVD Equipment Corporation and Graphene Laboratories, Inc., today launched a new line of Chemical Vapor Deposited (CVD) Graphene products. These products include large-area single layer graphene films grown on copper foils or copper-coated wafers. This is the first truly two dimensional material that has become commercially available on the market. CVD Equipment Corporation will manufacture single-layer CVD grown graphene based materials and products and Graphene Laboratories, Inc. will provide marketing of the new products with the CVDGraphene™ trademark for sale worldwide.

By dipping plain cotton cloth in a high-tech broth full of silver nanowires and carbon nanotubes, Stanford researchers have developed a new high-speed, low-cost filter that could easily be implemented to purify water in the developing world.

Nanostructures with Fano resonance fabricated from plasmonic materials and metamaterials could give rise to a range of applications such as label-free chemical and bioanalysis probes that are adaptable to high-throughput applications, electronics-free sensor for sensing physical parameter changes such as temperature or pressure. Fano resonance permits the creation of ultracompact nanoantennas which can be used in mobile telephones or wireless connections and many other devices (e. g. interferometers, displays, systems for near-field imaging, high-quality optical waveguides, etc.).

 

Researchers at Imperial College London have developed a versatile, practical and efficient method for activating sites on the surface of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and subsequently binding a wide range of molecules to them. This new method will enable large-scale manufacture of modified CNTs.