Feature Channels: Nanotechnology

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Released: 7-Sep-2018 3:05 PM EDT
New Electron Glasses Sharpen Our View of Atomic-Scale Features
Department of Energy, Office of Science

A new approach to atom probe tomography promises more precise and accurate measurements vital to semiconductors used in computers, lasers, detectors, and more.

Released: 7-Sep-2018 11:05 AM EDT
Getting an Up-Close, 3-D View of Gold Nanostars
Department of Energy, Office of Science

Scientists can now measure 3-D structures of tiny particles with properties that hold promise for advanced sensors and diagnostics.

Released: 6-Sep-2018 3:05 PM EDT
Tuning Terahertz Beams with Nanoparticles
Department of Energy, Office of Science

Scientists uncover a way to control terahertz radiation using tiny engineered particles in a magnetic field, potentially opening the doors for better medical and environmental sensors.

Released: 6-Sep-2018 2:05 PM EDT
Carbon Nanotubes Give Two Excitons for the Price of One
Department of Energy, Office of Science

Efficient generation of photon pairs from modified carbon nanotubes shows path to new types of light sources.

Released: 5-Sep-2018 11:05 AM EDT
Heat Transfer Surprise Could Lead to Thermal Transistors
University of Michigan

As much as 100 times more heat than predicted by the standard radiation theory can flow between two nanoscale objects, even at bigger-than-nanoscale distances, researchers at the University of Michigan and the College of William and Mary have reported in the journal Nature.

Released: 4-Sep-2018 5:00 PM EDT
Argonne’s New Combustion Synthesis Research Facility Heats Up High-Throughput Manufacturing of Nanomaterials
Argonne National Laboratory

Argonne announces the availability of a new manufacturing technology that simplifies the manufacture of nanomaterials in high volumes. Known as Flame Spray Pyrolysis (FSP), the technology offers benefits over traditional methods used to manufacture the particle-based substances that are critical to producing a wide range of industrial materials.

Released: 4-Sep-2018 10:45 AM EDT
Story Tips from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, September 2018
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

ORNL story tips: Lab, field tests show improved building insulation performance; ORNL-developed software runs quantum programs on multiple quantum computers; ORNL moved single atoms below a crystal’s surface; certain bacteria turns mercury into methylmercury at varying rates across species; ORNL hosts Molten Salt Reactor Workshop in Oct.

30-Aug-2018 2:05 PM EDT
Neutrophil nanosponges soak up proteins that promote rheumatoid arthritis
University of California San Diego

Engineers have developed neutrophil “nanosponges” that can safely absorb and neutralize a variety of proteins that play a role in the progression of rheumatoid arthritis. Injections of these nanosponges effectively treated severe rheumatoid arthritis in two mouse models. Administering the nanosponges early on also prevented the disease from developing. The nanosponges are nanoparticles of biodegradable polymer coated with the cell membranes of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell.

   
30-Aug-2018 5:00 PM EDT
Hierarchical 3D Printing of Nanoporous Gold Could ‘Revolutionize’ Electrochemical Reactor Design
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

In a study published today in the journal Science Advances, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory researchers, along with their counterparts at Harvard University, report on the hierarchical 3D printing of nanoporous gold, a proof of concept that researchers say could revolutionize the design of chemical reactors.

Released: 31-Aug-2018 10:05 AM EDT
Cannibalistic Materials Feed on Themselves to Grow New Nanostructures
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory induced a two-dimensional material to cannibalize itself for atomic “building blocks” from which stable structures formed. The findings provide insights that may improve design of 2D materials for fast-charging energy-storage and electronic devices.

Released: 27-Aug-2018 3:40 PM EDT
Sergei Kalinin: Turning Seeing Into Understanding and Making
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Profiled is Sergei Kalinin of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, who knows that seeing something is not the same as understanding it. He convenes experts in microscopy and computing to gain scientific insights that inform the design of advanced materials for energy and information technologies.

23-Aug-2018 1:05 PM EDT
Bowtie-Funnel Combo Best for Conducting Light; Team Found Answer in Undergrad Physics Equation
Vanderbilt University

Running computers on virtually invisible beams of light would make them faster, lighter and more energy efficient. A Vanderbilt team found the answer in a familiar formula.

Released: 23-Aug-2018 9:00 AM EDT
Infrared Beams Show Cell Types in a Different Light
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

By shining highly focused infrared light on living cells, scientists at Berkeley Lab hope to unmask individual cell identities, and to diagnose whether the cells are diseased or healthy.

Released: 23-Aug-2018 7:30 AM EDT
Novel X-Ray Optics Boost Imaging Capabilities at NSLS-II
Brookhaven National Laboratory

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have developed a new approach to 3-D x-ray imaging that can visualize bulky materials in great detail—an impossible task with conventional imaging methods. The novel technique could help scientists unlock clues about the structural information of countless materials, from batteries to biological systems.

Released: 22-Aug-2018 9:05 AM EDT
Brookhaven Lab Pays Tribute to 2018 Summer Interns
Brookhaven National Laboratory

On August 9, 2018, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory bid farewell—for now—to approximately 250 students at the concluding ceremony to their 10 weeks of summer research. The daylong celebration honored the students’ efforts and accomplishments—and gave them the opportunity to showcase their work to their mentors, fellow interns, university administrators and faculty, and Brookhaven Lab staff.

   
7-Aug-2018 8:05 AM EDT
Nanobot Pumps Destroy Nerve Agents
American Chemical Society (ACS)

Once in the territory of science fiction, “nanobots” are closer than ever to becoming a reality, with possible applications in medicine, manufacturing, robotics and fluidics. Today, scientists report progress in developing the tiny machines: They have made nanobot pumps that destroy nerve agents, while simultaneously administering an antidote.

7-Aug-2018 8:05 AM EDT
Bringing Salvaged Wooden Ships and Artifacts Back to Life with ‘Smart’ Nanotech
American Chemical Society (ACS)

Thousands of shipwrecks litter the seafloor all over the world, preserved in sediments and cold water. But when one of these ships is brought up from the depths, the wood quickly starts deteriorating. Today, scientists report a new way to use “smart” nanocomposites to conserve a 16th-century British warship, the Mary Rose, and its artifacts. The new approach could help preserve other salvaged ships by eliminating harmful acids without damaging the wooden structures themselves.

Released: 16-Aug-2018 2:05 PM EDT
Novel Sensors Could Enable Smarter Textiles
University of Delaware

A fabric coating with thin, lightweight and flexible pressure sensors that can be embedded into shoes and other functional garments, sensors that can measure everything from the light touch of a finger to being driven over by a forklift. And it’s comfortable to boot!

16-Aug-2018 4:05 AM EDT
When Sulfur Disappears Without Trace
University of Vienna

Many natural products and drugs feature a so-called dicarbonyl motif – in certain cases however their preparation poses a challenge to organic chemists. In their most recent work, Nuno Maulide and his coworkers from the University of Vienna present a new route for these molecules. They use oxidized sulfur compounds even though sulfur is not included in the final product. The results are now published in the prestigious journal "Science".

Released: 16-Aug-2018 9:45 AM EDT
New Manufacturing Technique Could Improve Common Problem in Printing Technology
Binghamton University, State University of New York

A new manufacturing technique developed by researchers from Binghamton University, State University at New York may be able to avoid the “coffee ring” effect that plagues inkjet printers.

Released: 15-Aug-2018 11:00 AM EDT
Light-Emitting Nanoparticles Could Provide a Safer Way to Image Living Cells
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

A research team has demonstrated how light-emitting nanoparticles, developed at Berkeley Lab, can be used to see deep in living tissue. Researchers hope they can be made to attach to specific components of cells to serve in an advanced imaging system that can pinpoint even single cancer cells.

Released: 13-Aug-2018 12:05 PM EDT
From office windows to Mars: Scientists debut super-insulating gel
University of Colorado Boulder

A new, super-insulating gel developed by researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder could dramatically increase the energy efficiency of skyscrapers and other buildings, and might one day help scientists to build greenhouse-like habitats for colonists on Mars.

Released: 8-Aug-2018 8:00 AM EDT
Scientists 'Squeeze' Nanocrystals in a Liquid Droplet Into a Solid-Like State – and Back Again
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

A team led by scientists at Berkeley Lab found a way to make a liquid-like state behave more like a solid, and then to reverse the process.

6-Aug-2018 3:00 PM EDT
Proof-of-Concept Technique Makes Nanoparticles Attractive for New Medications
University of Utah Health

Researchers at University of Utah Health developed a proof-of-concept technology using nanoparticles that could offer a new approach for oral medications.

Released: 6-Aug-2018 1:15 PM EDT
Smart Wristband With Wireless Link to Smartphones Could Monitor Health, Environmental Exposures
Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Rutgers University–New Brunswick engineers have created a smart wristband with a wireless connection to smartphones that will enable a new wave of personal health and environmental monitoring devices. Their technology, which could be added to watches and other wearable devices that monitor heart rates and physical activity, is detailed in a study published online in Microsystems & Nanoengineering.

   
Released: 3-Aug-2018 1:05 PM EDT
UW, PNNL to host energy research center focusing on bio-inspired design and assembly
University of Washington

The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded an expected $10.75 million, four-year grant to the University of Washington, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and other partner institutions for a new interdisciplinary research center to define the enigmatic rules governing how molecular-scale building blocks assemble into ordered structures & hierarchical materials.

Released: 2-Aug-2018 8:05 AM EDT
CALL FOR PAPERS—Plasticity and Fracture at the Nanoscales
Materials Research Society (MRS)

This Focus Issue will look at recent advances in the in situ experimentation of plasticity and fracture, especially those that enable the development and design of materials and nanocomposites with enhanced mechanical properties reaching or approaching the extreme limits of materials properties.

Released: 1-Aug-2018 1:05 PM EDT
New Competition for MOFs: Scientists Make Stronger COFs
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Hollow molecular structures known as COFs suffer from an inherent problem: It’s difficult to keep a network of COFs connected in harsh chemical environments. Now, a team at the Berkeley Lab has used a chemical process discovered decades ago to make the linkages between COFs much more sturdy, and to give the COFs new characteristics that could expand their applications.

Released: 1-Aug-2018 12:05 PM EDT
Story Tips from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, August 2018
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

ORNL story tips: Residents’ shared desire for water security benefits neighborhoods; 3D printed molds for concrete facades promise lower cost, production time; ORNL engineered the edges of structures in 2D crystals; chasing runaway electrons in fusion plasmas; new tools to understand U.S. waterways and identify potential hydropower sites; better materials for 3D-printed permanent magnets could last longer, perform better.

Released: 1-Aug-2018 11:05 AM EDT
Large Supercrystals Promise Superior Sensors
Sandia National Laboratories

Using an artful combination of nanotechnology and basic chemistry, Sandia National Laboratories researchers have encouraged gold nanoparticles to self-assemble into unusually large supercrystals that could significantly improve detection sensitivity to chemicals in explosives or drugs.

Released: 31-Jul-2018 10:05 AM EDT
The Quest for Longer-Lasting Solar Cells
Argonne National Laboratory

An Argonne researcher is collaborating with a user of the laboratory’s Center for Nanoscale Materials to study what makes silicon solar cells degrade. The answers may help lead to more durable solar cells and more affordable solar power.

Released: 30-Jul-2018 12:05 PM EDT
Magnetic Nanoparticles Deliver Chemotherapy to Difficult-to-Reach Spinal Tumors
University of Illinois Chicago

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have demonstrated that magnetic nanoparticles can be used to ferry chemotherapy drugs into the spinal cord to treat hard-to-reach spinal tumors in an animal model. The unique delivery system represents a novel way to target chemotherapy drugs to spinal cancer cells, which are hard to reach because the drugs must cross the blood-brain barrier.

Released: 26-Jul-2018 4:25 PM EDT
Tin Type
Argonne National Laboratory

Argonne researchers find that tin is a silicon-friendly alternative for production of solid-state memory components.

Released: 23-Jul-2018 4:30 PM EDT
Liquid Microscopy Technique Reveals New Problem with Lithium-Oxygen Batteries
University of Illinois Chicago

Using an advanced, new microscopy technique that can visualize chemical reactions occurring in liquid environments, researchers have discovered a new reason lithium-oxygen batteries — which promise up to five times more energy than the lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles and cell phones — tend to slow down and die after just a few charge/discharge cycles.

Released: 19-Jul-2018 6:05 PM EDT
Two Faces Offer Limitless Possibilities
Argonne National Laboratory

Named for the mythical god with two faces, Janus membranes — double-sided membranes that serve as gatekeepers between two substances — have emerged as a material with potential industrial uses.

Released: 19-Jul-2018 3:05 PM EDT
Steering Light with Dynamic Lens-on-MEMS
Department of Energy, Office of Science

Scientists add active control to design capabilities for new lightweight flat optical devices.

Released: 18-Jul-2018 3:05 PM EDT
Sugar-Coated Sheets Selectively Target Pathogens
Department of Energy, Office of Science

Researchers design self-assembling nanosheets that mimic the surface of cells.

Released: 18-Jul-2018 10:00 AM EDT
Splitting Water: Nanoscale Imaging Yields Key Insights
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

In the quest to realize artificial photosynthesis to convert sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into fuel – just as plants do – researchers need to not only identify materials to efficiently perform photoelectrochemical water splitting, but also to understand why a certain material may or may not work. Now scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have pioneered a technique that uses nanoscale imaging to understand how local, nanoscale properties can affect a material’s macroscopic performance.

Released: 17-Jul-2018 2:05 PM EDT
Oleo Sponge Successful in Real-World Conditions Off California Coast
Argonne National Laboratory

Argonne’s Oleo Sponge, developed to clean oil spills, lived up to its promise in an experiment conducted off the coast of Southern California, in April.

Released: 17-Jul-2018 12:05 PM EDT
Close-Ups of Grain Boundaries Reveal How Sulfur Impurities Make Nickel Brittle
University of California San Diego

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have shed new light on a scientific mystery regarding the atomic-level mechanism of the sulfur embrittlement of nickel, a classic problem that has puzzled the scientific community for nearly a century. The discovery also enriches fundamental understanding of general grain boundaries that often control the mechanical and physical properties of polycrystalline materials.

Released: 12-Jul-2018 5:05 PM EDT
Slippery When Dry
Argonne National Laboratory

Argonne scientists reaffirm the potential of graphene as a cheaper, more efficient alternative to oil for lubrication purposes.

Released: 12-Jul-2018 8:00 AM EDT
Scientists Create Nano-Size Packets of Genetic Code Aimed at Brain Cancer ‘Seed’ Cells
Johns Hopkins Medicine

In a “proof of concept” study, scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have successfully delivered nano-size packets of genetic code called microRNAs to treat human brain tumors implanted in mice. The contents of the super-small containers were designed to target cancer stem cells, a kind of cellular “seed” that produces countless progeny and is a relentless barrier to ridding the brain of malignant cells.

   
Released: 11-Jul-2018 4:05 PM EDT
High School Student Mentored by UA Little Rock Chemistry Professors Wins More Than $60k for Outstanding Research
University of Arkansas at Little Rock

When most people think of tea and molasses, their thoughts don’t stray any further than the kitchen. Meghana Bollimpalli, a Central High School student who was mentored by two chemistry professors at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, saw the potential to create a less-expensive renewable energy source that has earned her more than $60,000 in scholarships and prize money from science fair competitions.

   
Released: 11-Jul-2018 8:05 AM EDT
Researchers Identify Cost Cutting Option in Treating Nail Fungus with Nanotechnology
George Washington University

Adam Friedman, MD, professor of dermatology at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences, and his team investigated the use of nanotechnology to improve efinaconazole treatment and make it more cost effective.

   
Released: 10-Jul-2018 5:05 PM EDT
Wall of Sound
Argonne National Laboratory

Argonne researchers improve upon acoustic levitation by using less material, lowering costs and paving the way for more research in the field.

Released: 10-Jul-2018 3:05 PM EDT
Why Nanowires Lose Their Superpowers
University of Vermont

Scientists uncovered the microscopic process by which metal wires can lose their superconductivity. The ability to control this transition in nanowires could lead to a new class of energy-efficient information technologies based on tiny superconductors.

Released: 9-Jul-2018 1:05 PM EDT
Biosensor Chip Detects Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Wirelessly and with Higher Sensitivity
University of California San Diego

A team led by the University of California San Diego has developed a chip that can detect a type of genetic mutation known as a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and wirelessly send the results in real time to an electronic device. The chip is at least 1,000 times more sensitive at detecting an SNP than current technology. The advance could lead to cheaper, faster and portable biosensors for early detection of genetic markers for diseases such as cancer.

   
Released: 9-Jul-2018 12:50 PM EDT
New Patch Boosts Brightness in Medical Diagnostic Tests
Washington University in St. Louis

A multidisciplinary team from Washington University in St. Louis and the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base has developed a high-tech fix that brings some medical diagnostic tests out of the dark and into the light.

5-Jul-2018 10:00 AM EDT
Physicists Uncover Why Nanomaterial Loses Superconductivity
University of Utah

For the first time, physicists discovered that superconducting nanowires made of MoGe alloy undergo quantum phase transitions from a superconducting to a normal metal state in increasing magnetic field at low temperatures. The findings are fully explained by the critical theory.



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