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There are many ways to build materials that have carbon-nanotube-based fibers, but combining nanotubes to make such materials can lead to a loss in important properties. So, scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed a technique that improves the electrical and mechanical properties of these materials by creating chemical crosslinks among the nanotubes.
Researchers at Oregon State University have found that gene-infused nanoparticles used for combating disease work better when they include plant-based relatives of cholesterol, because their shape and structure help the genes get where they need to be inside cells. This discovery is important because many illnesses that can't be treated effectively with conventional drugs can be treated genetically – by delivering nucleic acids to diseased cells so they can make the correct proteinas needed for health.
Researchers at Oregon State University have found that gene-infused nanoparticles used for combating disease work better when they include plant-based relatives of cholesterol, because their shape and structure help the genes get where they need to be inside cells. This discovery is important because many illnesses that can't be treated effectively with conventional drugs can be treated genetically – by delivering nucleic acids to diseased cells so they can make the correct proteins needed for health.
Researchers at North Carolina State University have verified that it is possible to engineer two-layered nanofibers consisting of an ordered row of alternating peptides. The researchers also have determined what makes these peptides automatically assemble into this pattern. This discovery raises the possibility of creating tailored "ABAB" peptide nanofibers for a variety of biomedical applications.
Researchers at North Carolina State University have verified that it is possible to engineer two-layered nanofibers consisting of an ordered row of alternating peptides. The researchers also have determined what makes these peptides automatically assemble into this pattern. This discovery raises the possibility of creating tailored "ABAB" peptide nanofibers for a variety of biomedical applications.
Electrical engineers and microbiologists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have created a device with electrically conductive protein nanowires (3 nanometers in diameter by 1–3 micrometers in length) produced by bacteria. The device uses these protein nanowires to create electricity from moisture in the air. The researchers say that this new technology could have significant implications for the future of renewable energy, climate change, and the future of medicine.
Electrical engineers and microbiologists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have created a device with electrically conductive protein nanowires (3 nanometers in diameter by 1–3 micrometers in length) produced by bacteria. The device uses these protein nanowires to create electricity from moisture in the air. The researchers say that this new technology could have significant implications for the future of renewable energy, climate change, and the future of medicine.
Researchers at the University of Michigan have shown, for the first time, how a nanoscale thermal switch can be built by using nanoscale effects that arise when heat is transferred between a hot and cold nanoscale-thick membrane via thermal radiation. Compared to the vast array of devices, such as transistors and diodes, that are available to control the flow of electricity, there are few proposals for controlling the flow of heat, especially at the nanoscale. This research was performed to overcome this challenge.
Researchers at the University of Michigan have shown, for the first time, how a nanoscale thermal switch can be built by using nanoscale effects that arise when heat is transferred between a hot and cold nanoscale-thick membrane via thermal radiation. Compared to the vast array of devices, such as transistors and diodes, that are available to control the flow of electricity, there are few proposals for controlling the flow of heat, especially at the nanoscale. This research was performed to overcome this challenge.
Scientists at Rice University, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory have created laser-induced graphene with a very small visible beam mounted to a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The SEM-mounted laser was used to burn the top five microns of polyimide, a commercial polymer, writing graphene features as small as 12 microns. The features of this laser-induced graphene are more than 60% smaller than the macro version and almost 10 times smaller than typically achieved with infrared laser. This discovery could lead to wider commercial production of flexible electronics and sensors.
