Scientists from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich have developed a new class of molecular motors that rotate unidirectionally at speeds of up to 1 kHz when exposed to sunlight at room temperature. This unique combination of features opens up novel applications in nano-engineering.

Molecular motors are synthetic chemical compounds that can convert …

Diagram showing how mushrooms are turned into a material for battery anodes.Credit: Image courtesy of University of California – Riverside
Can portabella mushrooms stop cell phone batteries from degrading over time?

Researchers at the University of California, Riverside Bourns College of Engineering think so.
They have created a new type of lithium-ion battery …

Scientists design a new way to detect signs of ovarian cancer in patients’ breath.Credit: American Chemical Society
Scientists have been exploring new ways to “smell” signs of cancer by analyzing what’s in patients’ breath. In ACS’ journal Nano Letters, one team now reports new progress toward this goal. The researchers have …

Polymer-ZnO nanoparticle QDs by dispersion polymerization in supercritical CO2 are shown.Credit: Copyright (c) 2015 Toyohashi University of Technology. All Rights Reserved.
Semiconductor nanocrystals known as quantum dots (QDs) are increasingly being used as photoluminescent materials in bio-imaging, photonics, and optoelectronic applications. However, these QDs must have stable photoluminescence properties to be …

Quantum dots make it possible to display any color in full brilliance.Credit: © Fraunhofer IAP
Quantum dots have made it possible to substantially increase color quality in LCD displays. However, these cadmium-based nanocrystals have proven to be harmful to the environment. Fraunhofer researchers are working together with an industry partner to …

his is an illustration of a single cellulose nanocrystal and a cross-section.Credit: Robert Sinko
Theoretically, nanocellulose could be the next hot supermaterial.

A class of biological materials found within numerous natural systems, most notably trees, cellulose nanocrystals have captured researchers’ attention for their extreme strength, toughness, light weight, and elasticity. The materials …

The sun, that yellow dwarf star at the heart of our solar system, has lit up our skies for nearly 4.5 billion years. Through the process of nuclear fusion, the sun’s abundant hydrogen stores are converted to helium. The energy produced during this process is released, or radiated, beyond the …

This image series serves as a data basis for the reconstruction of the 3-D electron tomogram.Credit: Copyright: Migunov, V. et al. Sci. Rep. 5, 14516, 2015 (CC BY 4.0)
Scientists from the Ernst Ruska-Centre in Forschungszentrum Jülich used a transmission electron microscope to record almost 3500 images in 3.5 seconds for …

Nanoparticulate carbon black particles tiny culprits that start emphysema.Credit: Image courtesy of Baylor College of Medicine
When pathologists perform autopsies on smokers who died with severe emphysema, they find that lungs are black in appearance. These emphysematous lungs place strain on lung structures and ultimately other organs. Until recently, researchers and …

A model microscopic system to demonstrate the transmission of torque in the presence of thermal fluctuations — necessary for the creation of a tiny ‘clutch’ operating at the nanoscale — has been assembled at the University of Bristol, UK. This image shows the principle of operation of the ‘nanoclutch’: red …