SEPARATING THE HYPE AND THE BUZZ - Wednesday, October 21, 2009

NEWSWORTHY

Nanoscale cantilevers to measure “Persistent current”
Physicists at Yale University used nanoscale cantilevers to develop a new method of measuring persistent current through a metal ring. They were able to do so by measuring the variations in magnetic force that resulted from the current flow in the ring. Persistent current is sensitive and extremely weak with a low-level magnetic field that cannot be measured using a SQUID. Nanoscale cantilevers were employed successfully to measure these extremely low levels of magnetic force in aluminum rings thereby making it possible to measure persistent currents. See AtoZ Nano, Nanotech Wire, Nanowerk, and Science.

Gold “snowflakes”
Kansas State University engineers formed 24-carat gold “snowflake” islands on a single atom thick material called graphene. They placed graphene dioxide sheets in a gold ion solution with a growth catalyst. Gold did not evenly coat the sheet but formed islands on it. Engineers called these islands snowflake-shaped gold nanostars, or SFGNs. They are continuing work on this discovery and hope to create a graphene-gold DNA sensor. See AtoZ Nano, First Science , Nanotech Wire, and ACS Nano.

Microwave “fridge” for your nano devices
Nanoscale measurement of a material when above absolute zero (-273°C) is difficult as heat produces atomic movements within it. In order to record accurate measurements there is a need to cool the material. This is now possible for ‘micro’ or ‘nano-scale mechanical resonators’ with the new tiny microwave-powered room-temperature refrigerator developed by National Physical Laboratory scientists. See Nanotech Wire, Nanowerk, and Applied Physics Letters.

Nano Butterfly Wings
Scientists of the State University of Pennsylvania (USA) and the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) have found a way to create optically active nanostructures similar to those found in the insect world. Insects have the ability to appear metallic, multi-colored or iridescent. These properties are the result of photonic nanostructures, such as those found in the cuticles of butterfly wings. Their research team has developed a method for replicating these structures, which may be useful in a number of optically active devices (e.g.,optical diffusers in solar panels). See AtoZ Nano, First Science, Nanotech Wire, and Bioinspiration and Biomimetics.

Control of carbon nanotubes
Carbon nanotubes’ (cylindrical carbon molecules) structure and function, or chirality, can now be controlled by mixing different metals in a catalyst. Case Western Reserve researchers found that altering the structure of the catalyst through its composition can result in an ability to control the chirality, as well as the electrical and optical properties, of the nanotubes. See AtoZ Nano and Nanotech Wire.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Nano-scale test tube
Melting, capillarity, and diffusion are now possible at a very small scale. Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin conducted an experiment with a nano-scale test tube composed of a thin shell of carbon. A gold-tipped nanowire was inserted into the test tube and heated to observe melting. The experiment could only be observed through a high power electron microscope. See AtoZ Nano, First Science, Nanotech Wire, and Nanovip.

Nanoaluminum rocket propellant
A frozen mixture of water and nanoscale aluminum particles could provide a more environmentally friendly rocket propellant. ALICE or aluminum (Al) – ice can be used to launch rockets into orbit or for long distance space missions. The fuel can be produced on the Moon, Mars, or any other water-bearing bodies. See AtoZ Nano, First Science, Nanotech Wire, and Nanowerk.

Nanoparticle electric propulsion
NanoFET is an electric rocket thruster that uses nanoparticle electric propulsion to improve the speed of a spacecraft while using less propellant than usual. The Air Force Office of Scientific Research is funding a professor from the University of Michigan to develop this electric rocket thruster. See AtoZ Nano, Nanovip, and Nanowerk.

Artificial neuromuscular junction
Neuromuscular junctions are nerve-muscle connections that help the brain control muscular movements. Researchers from the University of Michigan have developed an artificial neuromuscular junction that can improve the performance of prosthetic hands with a possibility to restore the sense of touch. The artificial junction consists of muscle cells and a nano-sized polymer placed on a biological scaffold. See AtoZ Nano and Nanowerk.

Artificial Photosynthesis
Four chemists from the University of Rochester are developing a three module process to effectively generate hydrogen from water through artificial photosynthesis using carbon nanotubes. In the first module a chromophore (a complex naturally occurring molecule found in plants) is used to create free electrons from visible light. In the second module a membrane of carbon nanotubes acts as a bridge to transport these electrons to the third module, where catalytic reaction is used to extract hydrogen from water. See AtoZ Nano, Nanotech Wire, and Nanowerk.