Dresden Center for Nanoanalysis opens at TU Dresden, Germany

The Technische Universität Dresden has celebrated the official opening of a new analytics center – the Dresden Center for Nanoanalysis.

How does microstructuring impact on solar cell efficiency?

New research has investigated how the internal structure of organic solar cells impacts their performance.

PDFLink to the original paper on Wiley Online Library

Flexible electrodes for flexible electronics

A high-magnification image of the fabricated electrodes.

Chinese researchers develop a new process to make flexible electrodes for lithium ion batteries quickly and easily.

PDFLink to the original paper on Wiley Online Library

UM nanotech researcher elected to Royal Society

Paul O’Brien’s research centres on developing new chemical processes for thin films and nanoparticles, especially of chalcogenide-containing materials.

Bistable graphene transistor developed

graphene-transister

Device is capable of revolutionising technologies for medical imaging and security screening.

PDFLink to the original paper

Photovoltaics researcher elected to Royal Society

martin-green

Martin Green from UNSW, a pioneer in solar photovoltaic science and engineering, has been elected into the prestigious Fellowship of the Royal Society.

“Smart” nano-network can control insulin release for diabetes treatment

The nano-network releases insulin in response to changes in blood sugar.

Researchers have developed a network of nanoscale particles that can be injected into the body and release insulin when blood-sugar levels rise.

PDFLink to the original paper

Process turns carbon nanotubes into liquid crystals

Crown ether “cages” trap potassium ions but leave nanotubes with a repellant negative charge in solutions that will be valuable for forming very strong, highly conductive carbon nanotube fibers. Image: Martí Group/Rice University

Rice University strategy turns negatively charged carbon nanotubes into liquid crystals that could enhance the creation of fibers and films.

PDFLink to the original paper

Zinc could be a “golden” bullet for bioabsorbable stents

This series of scanning electron microscope images illustrates the corrosion of zinc wire implanted in rats' arteries at 1.5 months, 3 months, 4.5 months and 6 months. The wires degraded at a rate just below 0.2 millimeters per year -- the "magic" value for bioabsorbable stents -- for the first three months. After that, the corrosion accelerated, so the implant would not remain in the artery for too long. Image: Patrick Bowen.

Some materials dissolve too quickly in the body, and some hang around forever — zinc, however, may be just right.

PDFLink to the original paper on Wiley Online Library

Old technique can be used to sort carbon nanotubes

Three examples of partitioning carbon nanotubes in liquid phases. Left: nanotubes partitioned by diameter. Smaller diameters, on the bottom, appear purple. Center: partitioned between semiconductors (amber, top) and metals. Right: A sample with different diameter range partitioned between metals (yellow) and semiconductors. Color differences are due to differences in electronic structure. Image: Baum/NIST.

An old, somewhat passé, trick used to purify protein samples based on their affinity for water has found new fans at NIST.

PDFLink to the original paper