Science

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New Topical Hemostatic Agent: Neutral Self-Assembling Peptide Hydrogel

Self-assembling peptide is characterized by a stable β-sheet structure and known to undergo self-assembly into nanofibers that could further form a hydrogel. Self-assembling peptide hydrogels have already been employed for tissue engineering, drug delivery systems, and wound healing.　In addition, self-assembling peptide hydrogels are effective as topical hemostatic agents. However, their low pH raises the possibility of harmful effects on living tissues.

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Hemostasis in a rat liver laceration model. Incision was made on the left hepatic lobe. Bleeding decreased immediately following application of the 1.5% (w/v) SPG-178 hydrogel to the bleeding surface. Because SPG-178 hydrogel is transparent, the bleeding surface was visible.

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Cold Atom Laboratory Chills Atoms to New Lows

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Artist's concept of an atom chip for use by NASA's Cold Atom Laboratory (CAL) aboard the International Space Station. CAL will use lasers to cool atoms to ultracold temperatures.

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Rosetta to Deploy Lander on November 12

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Image depicts the primary landing site on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko chosen for the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission.

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Production of Anticorrosive Chromate Nanocoatings in Iran

Researchers from University of Tehran proposed biocompatible anticorrosive coatings with nanometric thickness to increase corrosion resistance in metallic structures in various fields, including petroleum, gas, petrochemical, automobile fabrication and marine industries.

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Rosetta to deploy lander on 12 November

The European Space Agency’s Rosetta mission will deploy its lander, Philae, to the surface of Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko on 12 November.

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World's smallest reference material is big plus for nanotechnology

If it's true that good things come in small packages, then the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) can now make anyone working with nanoparticles very happy. NIST recently issued Reference Material (RM) 8027, the smallest known reference material ever created for validating measurements of these man-made, ultrafine particles between 1 and 100 nanometers (billionths of a meter) in size.

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A structural model of a typical silicon nanocrystal (yellow) was stabilized within an organic shell of cyclohexane (blue).

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On the Road to Artificial Photosynthesis: Berkeley Lab Study Reveals Key Catalytic Factors in Carbon Dioxide Reduction

The excessive atmospheric carbon dioxide that is driving global climate change could be harnessed into a renewable energy technology that would be a win for both the environment and the economy. That is the lure of artificial photosynthesis in which the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide is used to produce clean, green and sustainable fuels. However, finding a catalyst for reducing carbon dioxide that is highly selective and efficient has proven to be a huge scientific challenge. Meeting this challenge in the future should be easier thanks to new research results from Berkeley Lab.

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This TEM shows gold–copper bimetallic nanoparticles used as catalysts for the reduction of carbon dioxide, a key reaction for artificial photosynthesis.

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Penn Team Studies Nanocrystals by Passing Them Through Tiny Pores

An interdisciplinary team of University of Pennsylvania researchers has now applied a cutting-edge technique for rapid gene sequencing toward measuring other nanoscopic structures. By passing nanoscale spheres and rods through a tiny hole in a membrane, the team was able to measure the electrical properties of those structures' surfaces.

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An illustration of a nanocrystal passing through a nanopore.

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Smallest-possible diamonds form ultra-thin nanothread

A team including Carnegie's Malcolm Guthrie and George Cody has, for the first time, discovered how to produce ultra-thin "diamond nanothreads" that promise extraordinary properties, including strength and stiffness greater than that of today's strongest nanotubes and polymer fibers. Such exceedingly strong, stiff, and light materials have an array of potential applications, everything from more-fuel efficient vehicles or even the science fictional-sounding proposal for a "space elevator." Their work is published in Nature Materials.

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"Diamond nanothreads" promise extraordinary properties, including strength and stiffness greater than that of today's strongest nanotubes and polymers. The threads have a structure that has never been seen before. Image is courtesy of the Vincent Crespi lab, Penn State University.

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Nanotechnology leads to better, cheaper LEDs for phones and lighting

Princeton University researchers have developed a new method to increase the brightness, efficiency and clarity of LEDs, which are widely used on smartphones and portable electronics as well as becoming increasingly common in lighting.

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