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Unexpected finding: Light can twist ribbons of nanoparticlesUnexpected finding: Light can twist ribbons of nanoparticles

In findings that took the experimenters three years to believe, Univ. of Michigan engineers and their collaborators have demonstrated that light itself can twist ribbons of nanoparticles.

Metallic glass yields secrets under pressure

Metallic glass yields secrets under pressure

Metallic glasses are emerging as potentially useful materials at the frontier of materials science research. They combine the advantages and avoid many of the problems of normal metals and glasses, two classes of materials with a very wide range of applications.

Silk's secrets revealed

Silk's secrets revealed

Silks are among the toughest materials known, stronger and less brittle, pound for pound, than steel. Now scientists at MIT have unraveled some of their deepest secrets in research that could lead the way to the creation of synthetic materials that duplicate, or even exceed, the extraordinary properties of natural silk.

Silicon nanowires trap sunlight

Silicon nanowires trap sunlight

Solar cells made from silicon are projected to be a prominent factor in future renewable green energy equations, but so far the promise has far exceeded the reality. While there are now silicon photovoltaics that can convert sunlight into electricity at impressive 20% efficiencies, the cost of this solar power is prohibitive for large-scale use. Researchers with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), however, are developing a new approach that could substantially reduce these costs.

DSM and Novomer to develop CO2-based resin for coatings

Royal DSM N.V. and Novomer announced that they have signed an agreement to jointly develop a coating resin using carbon dioxide (CO2) as a raw material.

Nanotube thermocells hold promise for converting waste to energy

A study reveals that thermocells based on carbon nanotube electrodes might eventually be used for generating electrical energy from heat discarded by chemical plants, automobiles, and solar cell farms.

Magnetic solders are a leap towards green alternatives

Magnetic solders are a leap towards green alternatives

Yale Univ. scientists have developed a magnetic solder that can be manipulated in three dimensions and selectively heated, and offers a more environmentally friendly alternative to today’s lead-based solders.

Creating a graphene hybrid

Rice Univ. researchers have found a way to stitch graphene and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) into a two-dimensional quilt that offers new paths of exploration for materials scientists.

Fabricating thin films of a new superconducting material

A breakthrough approach by Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison researchers and their collaborators in fabricating thin films of a new superconducting material has yielded promising results: The material has a current-carrying potential 500 times that of previous experiments, making it significant for a variety of practical applications.

Graphene nanomesh could change the future of electronics

A team from UCLA revealed the creation of a new graphene nanostructure called graphene nanomesh, or GNM. The new structure is able to open up a band gap in a large sheet of graphene to create a highly uniform, continuous semiconducting thin film that may be processed using standard planar semiconductor processing methods.

First woven fabric heater made from carbon nanotubes

First woven fabric heater made from carbon nanotubes

A Japanese company has woven conductive fabric made from highly-dispersed carbon nanotube multifilament yarns from Bayer MaterialScience, creating what could be the first fabric heaters to enter practical use: they have been successful tested on-board a train to keep water from freezing during a cold winter.

Heat exchanger tech crucial to new automotive hydrogen storage system

Heat exchanger tech crucial to new automotive hydrogen storage system

A patent has been filed by Purdue engineers for a heat exchanger that uses standard automotive coolant to help shed heat created by a metal-hydride-based hydrogen storage system. The great thing about metal hydrides is that pressure changes can release hydrogen for fuel, but the heat generated by absorption can drastically slow refueling.

New JEOL TEM quickly breaks into picoscale territory

New JEOL TEM quickly breaks into picoscale territory

 Just three weeks after its installation at the Univ. of Texas San Antonio campus, the latest transmission electron microscope from JEOL delivered data on silicon samples that resolved down to 78 picometers, a level that enables atom-by-atom chemical mapping.

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Much ado about next to nothing

Much ado about next to nothing

The recent review of the past 10 years of the National Nanotechnology Initiative--as presented by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology--suggested the rise of nanomanufacturing as the near future of nanotechnology. But the actual proposed funding reflects a cautious approach, even about nanotech in general.

Lunar tires, space MRSA, and resonating microfluidics

Lunar tires, space MRSA, and resonating microfluidics

I typically attend the annual Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy each year in pursuit of specific coverage. This year, I sought out candidates for coverage in a vacuum technology article, and pulled together some instruments for a spectroscopy guide. But as busy as that kept me, it wasn’t all mass spectrometers and vacuum pumps on the show floor.  

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NuGard Coating Ashburn Hill

NuGard Coating Ashburn Hill

NuGard First Response Protective Clothing are lightweight coveralls, jackets, and pants that provide protection from heat and flame while keeping the wearers body temperature constant.

Multi-Touch Music Maker

Multi-Touch Music Maker

Professor David Wessel shows his multi-touch interface that uses computer technologies that allow him to experiment with fine controls to "caress" the instrument.

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Submersible FlowCAM catches particle images and data in-situ and real-time
Submersible FlowCAM catches particle images and data in-situ and real-time

Fluid Imaging Technologies recently introduced its Submersible FlowCAM particle and cell imaging and analysis system at Ocean Sciences 2010 in Portland, Ore. The remote sensing platform can be used for continuous, unattended monitoring tethered to research vessels or autonomous submersibles.

Daytime running light has just two LEDs

The new OSTAR Compact LED from OSRAM has been developed specifically for use in vehicle headlights. Despite drawing just 5 W, the device provides 300 lumens of power and meets ECE/SAE color binning requirements for use on motor vehicles.

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Benchtop NMR analyzer
Benchtop NMR analyzer

Oxford Instruments America, Inc.’s Magnetic Resonance Group released the second generation of its MQC analyzers.

Software solution for microarray image analysis

BioDiscovery Inc. released ImaGene 9.0 for microarray image analysis. The new features include improved memory performance for the latest high density arrays, streamlined processing pipeline focused on image quantification and intensity extraction, and new modular design with options to add modules for analysis of gene/miRNA expression or CGH data.

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