Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Computer Science: General Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

Blueprints of self-assembly      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have taken a step closer to replicating nature's processes of self-assembly. The study describes the synthetic construction of a tiny, self-assembled crystal known as a 'pyrochlore,' which bears unique optical properties. The advance provides a steppingstone to the eventual construction of sophisticated, self-assembling devices at the nanoscale -- roughly the size of a single virus.

Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Expanding on the fundamental principles of liquid movement      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

We are living in a world surrounded by liquid and flow, and understanding the principles that govern its movement is vital in our high-tech world. Through mathematical modeling and experimentation, researchers have expanded on Tanner's Law -- a law in fluid dynamics that describes how non-volatile liquids move across surfaces -- to cover a wider range of volatile liquids. These findings have the potential to play a role in various liquid-based industries such as electronics cooling.

Engineering: Graphene Engineering: Nanotechnology Physics: General Physics: Optics
Published

Ion irradiation offers promise for 2D material probing      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Two-dimensional materials such as graphene promise to form the basis of incredibly small and fast technologies, but this requires a detailed understanding of their electronic properties. New research demonstrates that fast electronic processes can be probed by irradiating the materials with ions first.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General Physics: General Physics: Optics
Published

Diamond glitter: A play of colors with artificial DNA crystals      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Using DNA origami, researchers have built a diamond lattice with a periodicity of hundreds of nanometers -- a new approach for manufacturing semiconductors for visible light.

Chemistry: General Engineering: Nanotechnology Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Green concrete recycling twice the coal ash is built to last      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New modelling reveals that low-carbon concrete can recycle double the amount of coal ash compared to current standards, halve the amount of cement required and perform exceptionally well over time.

Engineering: Nanotechnology Engineering: Robotics Research Physics: Optics
Published

Researchers use artificial intelligence to boost image quality of metalens camera      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have leveraged deep learning techniques to enhance the image quality of a metalens camera. The new approach uses artificial intelligence to turn low-quality images into high-quality ones, which could make these cameras viable for a multitude of imaging tasks including intricate microscopy applications and mobile devices.

Chemistry: General Engineering: Nanotechnology Environmental: Water Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Scientists develop an affordable sensor for lead contamination      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new system could enable simple, low-cost detectors for monitoring water for lead contamination, and potentially other heavy metals as well.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Microbiology Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Engineering: Nanotechnology Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Research explores ways to mitigate the environmental toxicity of ubiquitous silver nanoparticles      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have taken a key step toward closing the silver nanoparticles knowledge gap with a study that indicates the particles' shape and surface chemistry play key roles in how they affect aquatic ecosystems.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics Energy: Technology Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

Transforming common soft magnets into a next-generation thermoelectric conversion materials by 3 minutes heat treatment      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A research team has demonstrated that an iron-based amorphous alloy, widely used as a soft magnetic material in transformers and motors, can be transformed into a 'transverse' thermoelectric conversion material that converts electric and thermal currents in orthogonal directions, with just a short period of heat treatment. This is the first example that highlights the importance of microstructure engineering in the development of transverse thermoelectric conversion materials, and provides new design guidelines for materials development to realize environmentally friendly power generation and thermal management technologies using magnetic materials.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology Engineering: Robotics Research Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Swarms of miniature robots clean up microplastics and microbes, simultaneously      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

When old food packaging, discarded children's toys and other mismanaged plastic waste break down into microplastics, they become even harder to clean up from oceans and waterways. These tiny bits of plastic also attract bacteria, including those that cause disease. Researchers describe swarms of microscale robots (microrobots) that captured bits of plastic and bacteria from water. Afterward, the bots were decontaminated and reused.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

'Better than graphene' material development may improve implantable technology      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Move over, graphene. There's a new, improved two-dimensional material in the lab. Borophene, the atomically thin version of boron first synthesized in 2015, is more conductive, thinner, lighter, stronger and more flexible than graphene, the 2D version of carbon. Now, researchers have made the material potentially more useful by imparting chirality -- or handedness -- on it, which could make for advanced sensors and implantable medical devices.

Engineering: Nanotechnology Physics: General Physics: Optics
Published

Researchers 'unzip' 2D materials with lasers      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers used commercially available tabletop lasers to create tiny, atomically sharp nanostructures in samples of a layered 2D material called hexagonal Boron Nitride (hBN). The new nanopatterning technique is a simple way to modify materials with light--and it doesn't involve an expensive and resource-intensive clean room.

Computer Science: Encryption Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR) Engineering: Biometric
Published

VR may pose privacy risks for kids: A new study finds parents aren't as worried as they should be      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research finds that, while an increasing number of minors are using virtual reality (VR) apps, not many parents recognize the extent of the security and privacy risks that are specific to VR technologies. The study also found that few parents are taking active steps to address those security and privacy issues, such as using parental controls built into the apps.

Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

Towards transparent and antimicrobial surfaces for touch displays      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers report the development of a durable and transparent antimicrobial surface containing copper nanoparticles. The nanostructured surface was obtained by dewetting ultrathin metal copper films on a glass substrate.

Chemistry: General Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

Nanotubes, nanoparticles, and antibodies detect tiny amounts of fentanyl      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A research team has developed a fentanyl sensor that is six orders of magnitude more sensitive than any electrochemical sensor for the drug reported in the past five years. The portable sensor can also tell the difference between fentanyl and other opioids.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Sugar-based catalyst upcycles carbon dioxide      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New catalyst is made from an inexpensive, abundant metal and table sugar. Catalyst converts carbon dioxide (CO2) into carbon monoxide, a building block for producing a variety of useful chemicals including syngas. With recent advances in carbon capture technologies, post-combustion carbon capture is becoming a plausible option to help tackle the global climate change crisis. But how to handle the captured carbon remains an open-ended question. The new catalyst potentially could provide one solution for disposing the potent greenhouse gas by converting it into a more valuable product.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology Engineering: Robotics Research Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Activity in a room stirs up nanoparticles left over from consumer sprays      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Common household products containing nanoparticles -- grains of engineered material so miniscule they are invisible to the eye -- could be contributing to a new form of indoor air pollution, according to a new study.

Engineering: Nanotechnology Physics: Optics
Published

Speeding up spectroscopic analysis      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Ultrafast laser spectroscopy allows the ascertainment of dynamics over extremely short time scales, making it a very useful tool in many scientific and industrial applications. A major disadvantage is the considerable measuring time this technique usually requires, which often leads to lengthy acquisition times spanning minutes to hours. Researchers have now developed a technique to speed up spectroscopic analysis.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology Physics: Optics
Published

Imaging technique shows new details of peptide structures      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers outline how they used a chemical probe to light up interlocking peptides. Their technique will help scientists differentiate synthetic peptides from toxic types found in Alzheimer's disease.