Nanotechnology Manufacturing
Nanoengineering boosts efficiency of materials
May 30, 2013 12:51 pm | News | CommentsHigh-performance thermoelectric materials that convert waste heat to electricity could one day be a source of more sustainable power. But they need to be a lot more efficient before they could be effective on a broad scale in places like power plants or military bases, researchers say. A University of Michigan researcher has taken a step toward that goal.
Researchers propose new old way to purify carbon nanotubes
May 1, 2013 11:46 am | News | CommentsAn old, somewhat passé, trick used to purify protein samples based on their affinity for water has found new fans at NIST, where materials scientists are using it to divvy up solutions of carbon nanotubes, separating the metallic nanotubes from semiconductors. They say it's a fast, easy, and cheap way to produce high-purity samples of carbon nanotubes for use in nanoscale electronics and many other applications.
Researchers synthesize world’s first supramolecular thiophene nanosheets
April 25, 2013 9:36 am | News | CommentsA team of researchers from Japan and Germany have recently developed the world’s first 2D organic sheets from the heterocyclic compound thiophene, resulting in a 3.5-nm thick surfaces that are much more easily controlled in terms of size than similar graphene sheets. The sheets, which have been assembled for the first time in a simple, low-cost method, can also be chemically functionalized.
Scientists build a nanoscale glass blower
March 25, 2013 3:43 pm | News | CommentsUsing a principle similar to the way plastic bags shrivel and crumple in a fire, researchers at EPFL in Switzerland are using the electrical properties of a scanning electron microscope to change the size of glass capillary tubes at the nanoscale. Their method has already been patented and it could pave the way to many novel applications.
Scientists use DNA to create nano-encrypted Morse code
March 12, 2013 3:17 pm | News | CommentsResearchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have devised a dynamic and reversible way to assemble nanoscale structures and have used it to encrypt a Morse code message. The team started with a template of DNA origami―multiple strands of DNA woven into a tile. They “wrote” their message in the DNA template by attaching biotin-bound DNA strands to specific locations on the tiles that would light up as dots or dashes.
Super nanowire composite solves “valley of death” riddle
March 12, 2013 3:03 pm | News | CommentsIn a world first, a team of researchers from Australia, China, and the U.S. has created a super strong metallic composite by harnessing the extraordinary mechanical properties of nanowires. According to the study’s authors, the work has effectively overcome a challenge that has frustrated the world's top scientists and engineers for more than three decades, nicknamed the "valley of death" in nanocomposite design.
Improved “peacock" technology could lock in color for high-res displays
February 5, 2013 12:17 pm | News | CommentsIridescence, or sheen that shifts color depending on your viewing angle, is pretty in peacock feathers. But it's been a nuisance for engineers trying to mimic the birds' unique color mechanism to make high-resolution, reflective, color display screens. Researchers at the University of Michigan have found a way to lock in so-called structural color, which is made with texture rather than chemicals. The finding could lead to advanced color e-books, electronic paper, and screens that don't need their own light to be readable.
Stronger than Kevlar, light as a tee-shirt
February 4, 2013 8:52 am | by Angela Herring, Northeastern University | News | CommentsTraditionally, carbon fibers are made by “carbonizing” a polymer called poly-acrylonitrile, or PAN, by spinning it into a fiber and heating to form a homogenous carbons structure. Since its invention, improvement have been incremental, and version made with 100% carbon nanotubes are extremely expensive. A researcher at Northeastern University is working on a much cheaper, and stronger, alternative.
Building electronics from the ground up
January 14, 2013 5:19 pm | News | CommentsElectronics devices are a mainstay of our daily lives. But the expectation that the next shopping season will inevitably offer an upgrade to more-powerful gadgets largely depends on size, and developers who employ top down manufacturing methods are running into expensive roadblocks as the domain shrinks to the nanoscale. To go further, some researchers looking at a bottom up method, coaxing individual molecules to self-arrange into patterns.
Scientists develop strongest, lightest glass nanofibers
January 10, 2013 10:03 am | News | CommentsThe University of Southampton's Optoelectronics Research Centre is pioneering research into developing the strongest silica nanofibers in the world. The silica nanofibers are 15 times stronger than steel and can be manufactured in lengths potentially of 1,000s of kilometers.
Bottom-up approach provides first characterization of pyroelectric nanomaterials
January 8, 2013 4:03 pm | News | CommentsBy taking a "bottom-up" approach, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have observed for the first time that "size does matter," in regards "pyroelectricity"—the current/voltage developed in response to temperature fluctuations that enables technologies such as infrared sensors, night-vision, and energy conversion units, to name a few.
Food additive enables printed materials for soft robotics
December 20, 2012 9:39 am | News | CommentsResearchers in Australia have recently demonstrated that gellan gum, a well-known food additive, can provide the optimum conditions for printing carbon nanotubes. The research showed that the printing process using this material offered better geometrical flexibility and can be integrated with soft substrates such as textiles or gels to create actuators.
Scientists use light to remotely trigger biochemical reactions
December 13, 2012 9:40 pm | News | CommentsResearchers at Rice University have recently turned light into heat at the point of need, on the nanoscale, to trigger biochemical reactions remotely on demand. The method makes use of materials derived from unique microbes—thermophiles—that thrive at high temperatures but shut down at room temperature.
Making 'nanospinning' practical
November 20, 2012 8:03 am | by Larry Hardesty, MIT News Office | News | CommentsNanofibers have a huge range of possible applications: scaffolds for bioengineered organs, ultrafine air and water filters, and lightweight Kevlar body armor, to name just a few. But so far, the expense of producing them has consigned them to a few high-end, niche applications. Now, a team from Massachusetts Institute of Technology has described a new system for spinning nanofibers that should offer significant productivity increases while reducing power consumption.
Scientists “clone” carbon nanotubes to unlock electronic potential
November 14, 2012 1:14 pm | News | CommentsUsing a new method, researchers at the University of Southern California can now grow carbon nanotube semiconductors of predefined structures. Carbon nanotubes are typically grown using a catalyst. But the scientists instead grew “clones” with predictable diameter and chirality by planting pieces of carbon nanotubes that have been separated and pre-selected based on chirality. This breakthrough may pave the way for carbon to be used in future electronics.
Nanoscale diamond tips improve nanomanufacturing
November 14, 2012 11:24 am | News | CommentsOne of the most promising innovations of nanotechnology has been the ability to perform rapid nanofabrication using nanoscale tips. The fabrication speed can be dramatically increased by using heat. High speed and high temperature have been known to degrade the tip, until now.
Butterfly wings inspire new high-tech surfaces
November 7, 2012 2:33 pm | by Pam Frost Gorder, Ohio State University | News | CommentsAfter carefully studying the structure of butterfly wings and rice leaves, Ohio State University engineers designed a coated plastic surface resembling a butterfly wing’s texture. Butterflies in the wild need to have bright, clean wings for reproduction and flying, and the surface created by engineers was reportedly easier to keep free of dust particles than a flat surface. The finding could inform designs for a variety of surfaces in various industries.
Carbon nanotube films show promise for touchscreens
October 29, 2012 10:44 am | by Mike Williams, Rice University | News | CommentsA Rice University team has hit upon a method to produce nearly transparent films of electrically conductive carbon nanotubes. Slides dipped into a solution of pure nanotubes in chlorosulfonic acid, the researchers found, left them with an even coat of nanotubes that, after further processing, had none of the disadvantages seen with other methods. The films may be suitable for flexible electronic displays and touchscreens.
Fragile forests of nanotubes strengthened for MEMS applications
October 29, 2012 10:00 am | News | CommentsConventional microelectromechanical systems tend to be made out of silicon-based materials familiar to the micro-electronics industry, but this ignores a suite of useful materials such as other semiconductors, ceramics, and metals. By using a variety of materials not commonly associated with MEMS technology, a team from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, has created stronger microstructures that can form precise, tall and narrow 3D shapes.
Chemists pioneer new technique for nanostructure assembly
October 19, 2012 8:51 am | by Donna Hesterman, University of Florida | News | CommentsEngineered nanostructures are typically challenging to create with any sort of sophisticated. However, a new technique for growing new materials from nanorods has been developed the could represent a major breakthrough in the field. It shows how thermodynamic forces can be used to manipulate growth of nanoparticles.
Complex 3D metallic structures manufactured at the nanoscale
October 18, 2012 11:58 am | News | CommentsBy combining ion processing and nanolithography, scientists from Aalto University in Finland and the University of Washington have managed to create complex 3D structures at nanoscale. The breakthrough was made while studying the irregular folding of metallic thin films after they were processed by reactive ion etching. After determining the cause, the researchers realized they could control the bending activity with an ion beam.
Advance could help soldiers, athletes rebound from traumatic brain injuries
October 18, 2012 11:23 am | News | CommentsTraumatic brain injuries (TBI) disrupt the supply of oxygen-rich blood to the brain significantly, hurting chances for successful recovery. Nanotechnology experts have recently found through testing in mice that a certain type of carbon nanoparticle, when administered immediately following TBI, acted like antioxidants, rapidly restoring blood flow to the brain following resuscitation.
New techniques stretch carbon nanotubes, make stronger composites
October 15, 2012 9:38 am | News | CommentsResearchers from North Carolina State University have developed new techniques for stretching carbon nanotubes (CNT) and using them to create carbon composites that can be used as stronger, lighter materials. By stretching the CNT material before incorporating it into a composite for use in finished products, the researchers straighten the CNTs in the material, which significantly improves its tensile strength.
Graphene membranes enhance natural gas production, lower pollution
October 9, 2012 10:10 am | News | CommentsEngineering faculty and students at the University of Colorado Boulder have produced the first experimental results showing that atomically thin graphene membranes with tiny pores can effectively and efficiently separate gas molecules through size-selective sieving. Such capability could significantly enhance the efficiency of natural gas production while reducing carbon dioxide emissions at the plant.
