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5/24/12
| News
The
contention of a major but controversial new theory to explain
nanocrystal growth is that nanoparticles can act as “artificial atoms,”
forming molecular-type building blocks that can assemble into complex
structures. The conclusion is based on recent observations of growing
nanorods made by Lawrence Berkeley National Laoratory researchers using
transmission electron microscopy and advanced liquid cell handling
techniques.
May 7 | News
Researchers
in Switzerland have created a new nanocomposite that combines the best
features of graphene and protein fibrils, the two main ingredients of a
specialized type of paper. The material is created in much the same way
as normal cellulose paper, but the properties are far different. Shape
memory, electrical conductivity, and hydrophobia all offer interesting
application possibilities.
May 4 | News
By measuring how strongly electrons are bound together to form Cooper pairs in an iron-based superconductor, scientists provide direct evidence supporting theories in which magnetism holds the key to this material’s ability to carry current with no resistance. This research strengthens confidence that this type of theory may one day be used to identify or design new materials with improved properties.
16 hours ago | News
An
important chemical species, molecular oxygen is linear, has an
anisotropic shape, and spins from two unpaired electrons. However, until
now, we didn’t know how these properties influenced important oxidation
reactions. Researchers in Japan have now reported development of the
world's first molecular oxygen beam that can designate the alignment of
the molecular axis and spin direction.
May 24 | News
Researchers
at the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory have invented a simple,
inexpensive dip-and-dry treatment can convert ordinary silk into a
fabric that kills disease-causing bacteria—even the armor-coated spores
of microbes like anthrax—in minutes.
May 22 | News
What makes a piece of armor effective? Sure, it needs to be strong, and it should be lightweight. But what is it about a material's composition that gives it such properties? And can we develop materials that provide even better protection? With decades' worth of investment and preparation, California Institute of Technology engineers are particularly well equipped to address such questions as part of a new Army-funded program to improve protective gear and vehicles for soldiers.
May 21 | News
A
year-long evaluation of the effect of quantum dots in primates has
found the nanoparticles to be safe, encouraging doctors and scientists
who are hoping to use them to battle diseases like cancer. Cadmium
selenide quantum dots were the variety used in the study.
May 18 | News
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.
May 18 | News
Joshua
Zide has spent nearly a decade engineering nanomaterials using
molecular beam epitaxy. His particular area of expertise are
metalllic-semiconductor nanocomposite for use in electronics, and he is
now working on a variation of epitaxy that he hopes will bring the
materials deposition technique to the production line for the first
time.
May 17 | News
The
U.S. Army Research Laboratory-led Army ManTech program has achieved a
breakthrough in the ability to process thermoplastic-based composites for
use in the helmets of soldiers. The new material grades have produced
several types of head protection, each of which saves at least
one-quarter the weight and up to 35% higher tolerance from fragmenting
munitions.
May 17 | News
Scientists
in the U.K. have discovered a previously unrecognized volcanic process
called “fluidized spray granulation”, which can occur during kimberlite
eruptions to produce well-rounded particles containing mantle, most
notably diamonds. This physical process is remarkable similar to the gas
injection and spraying process used to form smooth coatings on
chocolates.
May 16 | News
Wet
chemical processes or vacuum plasma processes are typically used for
coating applications in industry. Both have drawbacks: vacuum units are
expensive and time-consuming, and wet chemistry is energy-intensive and
environmentally challenging. Researchers have recently developed a new
kind of plasma coating process that works at ambient pressure.
May 14 | News
There's
nothing worse than a shonky pool table with an unseen groove or bump
that sends your shot off course. A new study has found that the same
goes at the nano-scale, where the "billiard balls" are tiny electrons
moving across a "table" made of the semiconductor gallium arsenide.