Nanoparticles
Sharpening the nanofocus with nanoantennas
May 18, 2011 4:38 am | News | CommentsBerkeley Lab researchers, in conjunction with a team from Stuttgart Germany, have developed a nanoantenna which allows them to observe catalytic processes at the single particle level, and also to optically detect low concentrations of biochemical agents and gases.
New evidence for natural synthesis of silver nanoparticles
May 11, 2011 4:55 am | News | CommentsA team of researchers from the Florida Institute of Technology; the State Univ. of New York, Buffalo; and NIST reports that, given a source of silver ions, naturally occurring humic acid will synthesize stable silver nanoparticles.
Engineers build first-ever organic-inorganic dimer to produce power
May 10, 2011 6:48 am | News | CommentsAccording to its inventors at Brookhaven National Lab, the nanoscale pairings of particles they have self-assembled out of quantum dots and fullerene nanoparticles are the first demonstration of a hybrid inorganic/organic material that can convert light to electric current. Called dimers, the paired particles could serve as power-generating units for molecular electronics.
Nanoflowers to help return eyesight
May 6, 2011 4:30 am | News | CommentsUniv. of Oregon researcher Richard Taylor is on a quest to grow flowers that will help people who've lost their sight—such as those suffering from macular degeneration—to see again. These flowers are not roses, tulips, or columbines. They will be nanoflowers seeded from nano-sized particles of metals that grow, or self assemble, in a natural process—diffusion limited aggregation. They will be fractals that mimic and communicate efficiently with neurons.
Researchers find replacement for rare material indium tin oxide
April 11, 2011 8:54 am | News | CommentsIndium tin oxide (ITO) is an important material used in displays and solar cells, but indium supplies are expected to be virtually exhausted within as little as ten years. A replacement film developed by researchers in The Netherlands is based on electrically conducting carbon nanotubes and plastic nanoparticles, and is made of readily available materials.
Characterizing Engineered Nanomaterials
April 8, 2011 5:43 am | by Andrew W. Salamon, Sr. Staff Scientist, PerkinElmer Inc. | Articles | CommentsVendors offer an extensive portfolio of instruments to analyze material features on the nanoscale. But hurdles must be cleared before nanomaterials enter the manufacturing mainstream.
Breakthrough polymer nanoparticles detect and destroy MRSA and other bacteria
April 4, 2011 7:31 am | News | CommentsResearchers at IBM and Singapore’s Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology have used principles in semiconductor manufacturing to build new types of nanoscale polymer structures that are attracted to infected cells like a magnet. It carries agents that break through cell walls, eliminating the ability of MRSA and other bacterial diseases to develop resistance.
From blue to clear: nanoparticle spray finds liquid explosives fast
April 1, 2011 7:03 am | News | CommentsOn Thursday, chemists reported at the American Chemical Society the successful initial tests of a spray-on material that both detects and renders harmless the same explosives that are responsible for government restriction on liquids aboard commercial airliners. The material, an ink, is made of metallic oxide nanoparticles and changes color to signal detection. It also switches conductivity, allowing electronic sensing.
'Spincasting' holds promise for creation of nanoparticle thin films
March 30, 2011 5:23 am | News | CommentsResearchers from North Carolina State Univ. have investigated the viability of a technique called "spincasting" for creating thin films of nanoparticles on an underlying substrate—an important step in the creation of materials with a variety of uses, from optics to electronics.
New particles can change colors and tag molecules
March 29, 2011 4:11 am | News | CommentsEngineers at Ohio State Univ. have invented a new kind of nanoparticle that shines in different colors to tag molecules in biomedical tests. These tiny plastic nanoparticles are stuffed with even tinier bits of electronics called quantum dots. Like little traffic lights, the particles glow brightly in red, yellow, or green, so researchers can easily track molecules under a microscope.
Researchers develop new model to predict optical properties of nanostructures
March 25, 2011 6:18 am | News | CommentsUBC chemists have developed a new model to predict the optical properties of non-conducting ultra-fine particles. The finding could help inform the design of tailored nanostructures, and be of utility in a wide range of fields, including the remote sensing of atmospheric pollutants and the study of cosmic dust formation.
Using light to join nanoparticles into new materials
March 21, 2011 5:20 am | News | CommentsFor many years, scientists have searched for ways to assemble nanoparticles into larger structures of any desired shape and form at will. This effect has been achieved in a new study by using a laser as if it were a magic wand, creating an assembled, continuous filament as the laser beam is moved around.
More efficient means of creating carbon nanofibers
March 17, 2011 5:37 am | News | CommentsCarbon nanofibers hold promise for technologies ranging from medical imaging devices to precise scientific measurement tools, but the time and expense associated with uniformly creating nanofibers of the correct size has been an obstacle. Now, a study from North Carolina State Univ. demonstrates an improved method for creating carbon nanofibers of specific sizes, as well as explaining the science behind the method.
LGC Standards offers world's first certified reference nanomaterial
March 10, 2011 5:14 am | News | CommentsDeveloped by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, the world's first certified reference material (ERM-FD100) based on industry-sourced nanoparticles has been approved, helping to ensure the comparability of nanoparticle measurement globally.
Going with the flow: New 3D microfluidic system developed
March 8, 2011 3:51 am | News | CommentsResearchers at MIT and Brigham and Women’s Hospital have developed a new way to produce nanoparticles that can deliver drugs for cancer and other diseases. The new production system offers greater control over the size and composition of the particles, allowing large quantities of homogenous particles to be rapidly produced.
Instrument keeps an 'eye' on nanoparticles
March 7, 2011 3:14 am | News | CommentsPrecision measurement in the world of nanoparticles has now become a possibility, thanks to scientists at UC Santa Barbara. The UCSB research team has developed a new instrument capable of detecting individual nanoparticles with diameters as small as a few tens of nanometers.
Nanoparticles increase survival after blood loss
March 3, 2011 6:31 am | News | CommentsIn an advance that could improve battlefield and trauma care, scientists at Univ. of California San Diego and Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva Univ. have used nanoparticles to improve survival after life-threatening blood loss.
Study: Cement that self-repairs cracks and store heats could be possible
March 2, 2011 6:39 am | News | CommentsResearchers in Spain have been encapsulating different organic compounds in silica for use in providing cement paste with certain abilities. A sol-gel chemistry combined with emulsion technology, researchers found, allowed the cement to release material that would heal cracks as well as store heat energy. The technology has led to a patent application.
Using nanotechnology to prolong machine and engine life
March 2, 2011 2:52 am | News | CommentsGuojun Liu has discovered a way to use nanotechnology to reduce friction in automobile engines and machines. The team prepared miniscule polymer particles that were dispersed in automobile engine base oils. When tested under metal surface contact conditions that simulated conditions found in automobile engines, these tiny particles were discovered to have an unprecedented friction reduction capability.
Research: New findings on drug delivery with nanoparticles
March 2, 2011 2:42 am | News | CommentsResearchers are able to produce medicine encapsulated in nanoparticles the size of viruses, but new research has shown another great challenge in nanomedicine—the immune system—and the importance of the coating polymers on the nanoparticle surface.
A new way to design metal nanoparticle catalysts
February 23, 2011 3:13 am | News | CommentsResearchers at Northwestern Univ.'s Institute for Catalysis in Energy Processing have discovered a new strategy for fabricating metal nanoparticles in catalysts that promises to enhance the selectivity and yield for a wide range of structure-sensitive catalytic reactions.
MIT nanoparticles could lead to powerful vaccines for HIV and malaria
February 22, 2011 3:34 am | News | CommentsMIT engineers have designed a new type of nanoparticle that could safely and effectively deliver vaccines for diseases such as HIV and malaria. The new particles consist of concentric fatty spheres that can carry synthetic versions of proteins normally produced by viruses.
World's first certified reference material for nanoparticle size analysis
February 18, 2011 5:31 am | News | CommentsThe European Commission's Joint Research Centre has recently developed the world's first certified nanoparticle reference material based on industry-sourced nanoparticles. ERM-FD100 consists of 20 nm dia silica nanoparticles, and nominal size was measured in collaboration with 33 laboratories from 11 different countries. Silica is among the world’s most widely dispersed nanoparticles.
Tracking neural stem cells with magnetism
February 18, 2011 5:21 am | News | CommentsAccording to scientists in the UK and at Caltech, non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging techniques could be used to track neural stem cells after a transplant in order to monitor how the cells heal spinal injuries. The key to the technology is the design of the particles, which are hollow and made of biocompatible cobalt-platinum.
Tiny microworms implanted under skin to give biomedical information
February 17, 2011 3:17 am | by David L. Chandler, MIT News Office | News | CommentsResearchers at MIT and Northeastern have come up with a new system for monitoring biomedical indicators—such as levels of sodium or glucose in the blood—that could someday lead to implantable devices that would allow, for example, people with diabetes to check their blood sugar just by glancing at an area of skin.
