A new study details the technique used by scientists at Penn State to achieve tunable nanowire patterning using standing surface acoustic waves (SSAW). University Park, Pennsylvania — The smaller components become, the more difficult it is to create patterns in an economical and reproducible way, according to an interdisciplinary team of Penn State researchers who, [...]

Researchers at Penn State University have discovered that a nanoparticle composed of nickel and phosphorus can catalyze a chemical reaction that generates hydrogen from water. Cheaper clean-energy technologies could be made possible thanks to a new discovery. Led by Raymond Schaak, a professor of chemistry at Penn State University, research team members have found that [...]

In a new study, SLAC and Stanford scientists detail a new three-layer solid-state device can directly identify the wavelength of light that hits it. Researchers at SLAC and Stanford have created a new device, smaller than a grain of rice, that could streamline optical data communications. It can directly identify the wavelength of light that [...]

By coating electrodes made of silicon with a conducting polymer hydrogel, researchers developed a new technique to significantly improve the charge storage capacity of lithium-ion batteries. Stanford University scientists have dramatically improved the performance of lithium-ion batteries by creating novel electrodes made of silicon and conducting polymer hydrogel, a spongy substance similar to the material [...]

Researchers look to improve magnetic memory by controlling spin orientation in magnetic nanodisks. “We spent 15 percent of home energy on gadgets in 2009, and we’re buying more gadgets all the time,” says Peter Fischer of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab). Fischer lets you know right away that while [...]

An international team of researchers used a method called atomic-scale multilayer sputtering to create iron-platinum alloys with an ordered crystal structure that could be used for the next generation of hard drives. Meeting the demand for more data storage in smaller volumes means using materials made up of ever-smaller magnets, or nanomagnets. One promising material [...]

Researchers at the Berkeley Lab have developed the first fully integrated nanosystem for artificial photosynthesis. In the wake of the sobering news that atmospheric carbon dioxide is now at its highest level in at least three million years, an important advance in the race to develop carbon-neutral renewable energy sources has been achieved. Scientists with [...]

New research shows that synthetic silicate nanoplatelets can stimulate stem cells into bone cells without the need of additional bone-inducing factors. Researchers from Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) are the first to report that synthetic silicate nanoplatelets (also known as layered clay) can induce stem cells to become bone cells without the need of [...]

Researchers at the University at Buffalo are working on the development of organic photovoltaics that use polymers and small molecules that are carbon-based and can be applied in liquid form over large areas, reducing the cost and possibly becoming as inexpensive as paint. Buffalo, New York – Most Americans want the U.S. to place more [...]

Using graphene with monolayers of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDC), scientists from the University of Manchester and National University of Singapore developed extremely sensitive and efficient photovoltaic devices that could create the next generation of solar cells and optoelectronic devices. University of Manchester and National University of Singapore researchers have shown how building multi-layered heterostructures in [...]

Researchers at Princeton created a 3D printed “bionic” ear that exhibits enhanced auditory sensing for radio frequency reception, merging biologic and nanoelectronic functionalities via 3D printing. Scientists at Princeton University used off-the-shelf printing tools to create a functional ear that can “hear” radio frequencies far beyond the range of normal human capability. The researchers’ primary [...]

A team of researchers have managed to control chirality in carbon nanotubes, achieving an epitaxial formation of Co nanoparticles by reducing a well-developed solid solution in CO. An ultimate goal in the field of carbon nanotube research is to synthesize single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with controlled chiralities. Twenty years after the discovery of SWNTs, scientists [...]