NanoTechnology Revolution

A new material can generate hydrogen, produce clean water and even create energy.

Science fiction? Hardly, and there’s more - It can also desalinate water, be used as flexible water filtration membranes, help recover energy from desalination waste brine, be made into flexible solar cells and can also double the lifespan of lithium ion batteries. With its superior bacteria-killing capabilities, it can also be used to develop a new type of antibacterial bandage.

The laboratory, which opened last year, requires stringent controls of the internal environment for precision measurements with lasers, atomic clocks and nanotechnology. For instance, mechanical equipment takes in outdoor air and provides filtration, heating and cooling, and humidity control. Air quality is maintained through the use of low-odor adhesives, sealants and paints, and carpet and floor materials that minimize release of chemicals and gases.

This month at Photonics West, the international fair for photonics in San Francisco, Nanoscribe GmbH introduced a micrometer scale 3D printer.

The ancient Egyptians put gold and silver utensils in their water vessels as an antibacterial. The artifacts have been found in tombs. Of course, the Egyptians didn't know nanotechnology was part of their water purification regimen. It's only now that we understand that nanoparticles of the precious metals formed naturally on the vessel walls from their macro-size components.  

Of course, even the Egyptian's nanotechnology is "new and improved" when you consider that nature has been manufacturing nanomaterials since, well, the beginning of time.  The ocean waves that beat rocks into sand create nanoscale versions of the elements, too. Volcanic eruptions produce nanomaterials. Butterfly wings have a water-repellant nanostructure, and gecko's feet have a sticky one.

Anyone who’s spent any time on the internet is familiar with trolls. From politics to sports to science, trolls take pleasure in bashing a story from every possible angle. Science is no exception, and recent research shows that when it comes to science news, the trolls are winning.

The No-Rain range, which covers two jackets, two bib tights and thermal bib shorts, uses Sportful’s proprietary No-Rain nanotechnology, which uses silicone particles in the fabric to repel water. It’s not fully waterproof but we were impressed by the level of protection offered by the No-Rain Light jacket in steady rain so we’re hoping for more of the same as far as its heavyweight sibling is concerned.

At IBM’s Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, New York, some of the world’s best physicists, chemists, and nanoengineers are trying to create the first high-density, self-assembling carbon nanotube computer chip process.

The challenge is that the nano-scale properties of the material, and the properties of thin films, could be very different from those on a larger scale. So, we were very happy to see such a dramatic improvement and it’s only the beginning. With some adjustments that we are preparing now, we could see greater improvement.

Considered the first artificial pigment, Egyptian blue fell out of use around A.D. 1000, and it wasn’t until the early 19th century that chemists began investigating its properties. Now, new research shows the ancient dye might have a viable role in the cutting-edge world of nanotechnology. Led by Tina Salguero of the University of Georgia, scientists found that calcium copper silicate breaks apart into nanosheets—layers so thin that thousands would cover the width of a human hair—when stirred in water for several days. These nanosheets produce infrared radiation similar to the beams used in remote controls and car door locks.

“I am in awe of the potential impact nanotechnology will have on the rapid and precise diagnosis of illness and its prospective expansion to areas of treatment not yet fully explored,” she said in a statement. “I anticipated commercialization of a substantive development from (NanoInk's) platform. However, as the financial return from our investments supports my personal philanthropy, we could no longer continue to be the sole funder of the company's technology at the level required to fully achieve its commercialization.”

Using nanoparticles as “atoms” and DNA as “bonds,” Chad Mirkin, the director of Northwestern University’s International Institute for Nanotechnology, is constructing his very own periodic table. So far Mirkin has built more than 200 distinct crystal structures with 17 different particle arrangements.

The team's analysis revealed that multiple layers of cells in the seed coat are each made up of a cylindrically layered architecture with high regularity on the nanoscale. The team replicated the key structural elements of the fruit to create flexible, stretchable and color-changing photonic fibers using an innovative roll-up mechanism perfected in the Harvard laboratories.

nanoPT – International Conference on Nanoscience & Nanotechnology, in Porto, 13-15 February.

Bluestone Global Tech (BGT) announces the addition of 24”x300” graphene films to their Grat-Film product line. This marks the pioneering firm as ‘first-to-win’ in the race to avail graphene in sizes and volumes useful for industrial application.