Science

Tags:

Onion-like layers help this efficient new nanoparticle glow: A dye-coated surface is 1 of 3 specially crafted layers that help the particle emit light ideal for bioimaging

A new, onion-like nanoparticle could open new frontiers in biomaging, solar energy harvesting and light-based security techniques.

52539.jpg
An artist's rendering shows the layers of a new, onion-like nanoparticle whose specially crafted layers enable it to efficiently convert invisible near-infrared light to higher energy blue and UV light.

Tags:

Quantum dots made from fool's gold boost battery performance

If you add quantum dots - nanocrystals 10,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair - to a smartphone battery it will charge in 30 seconds, but the effect only lasts for a few recharge cycles.

52540.jpg
Vanderbilt graduate student Anna Douglas holding one of the batteries that she has modified by adding millions of quantum dots made from iron pyrite, fool's gold.

Tags:

Sunscreen ingredient may prevent medical implant infections

A common ingredient in sunscreen could be an effective antibacterial coating for medical implants such as pacemakers and replacement joints.

52537.jpg
The illustration shows a pacemaker lead with a coating of nanoscale zinc oxide pyramids. These pyramids prevent MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant strain of bacteria common in hospitals, from colonizing coated surfaces well.

Tags:

Microwave field imaging using diamond and vapor cells

Microwave field imaging is becoming increasingly important, as microwaves play an essential role in modern communications technology and can also be used in medical diagnostics. Researchers from the Swiss Nanoscience Institute and the Department of Physics at the University of Basel have now independently developed two new methods for imaging microwave fields. Both methods exploit the change in spin states induced by an applied microwave field, as reported".

52533.jpg
Imaging of microwave fields is made possible by measuring of spin changes in individual atoms or electrons.

Tags:

Clay makes better high-temp batteries: Rice University scientists develop materials to power devices in harsh environments

A unique combination of materials developed at Rice University, including a clay-based electrolyte, may solve a problem for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries destined for harsh environments.

52534.jpg
Batteries with clay-based electrolyte/separators were tested at up to 120 degrees Celsius and showed strong performance over 120 charge-discharge cycles, according to scientists at Rice University.

Tags:

Tomatoes get boost in growth, antioxidants from nano-sized nutrients

With the world population expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, engineers and scientists are looking for ways to meet the increasing demand for food without also increasing the strain on natural resources, such as water and energy -- an initiative known as the food-water-energy nexus.

52515_0.jpg
This illustration shows the different effects of the application of nano nutrients on a tomato plant.

Tags:

Efforts to Obtain Drug Carrier Nanofibers to Treat Wounds

Iranian researchers produced and studied laboratorial samples of nanofibers that have application in the treatment of wound and infection thanks to their antibacterial properties and ability to prevent the extension of infection.

52511_0.jpg

Tags:

Tomatoes get boost in growth, antioxidants from nano-sized nutrients

Ramesh Raliya, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher, and Pratim Biswas, PhD, the Lucy & Stanley Lopata Professor and chair of the Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, both at the School of Engineering & Applied Science at Washington University in St. Louis, are addressing this issue by using nanoparticles to boost the nutrient content and growth of tomato plants. Taking a clue from their work with solar cells, the team found that by using zinc oxide and titanium dioxide nanoparticles, the tomato plants better absorbed light and minerals, and the fruit had higher antioxidant content.

Tags:

New Model Presented to Design, Produce Electronic Nanodevices

Iranian researchers presented a new model to design and produce electronic switches.

Results of the research may lead to an appropriate approach to obtain nanometric devices and equipment to be used in electronics, computers, communication and biosciences.

Tags:

New Clues to How Gatekeeper for the Cell Nucleus Works

Berkeley Lab scientists study the nuclear pore complex, which contributes to many diseases when it malfunctions

Scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have uncovered new clues to how a molecular machine inside the cell acts as a gatekeeper, allowing some molecules to enter and exit the nucleus while keeping other molecules out.

Could not connect2