‘SINGLE’ is a new imaging technique that provides the first atomic-scale 3-D structures of individual nanoparticles in solution. This is an important step for improving the design of colloidal nanoparticles for catalysis and energy research applications.

Hexagonal boron nitride bends electromagnetic energy in unusual and potentially useful ways. Physicists recently found that nanoscale granules of the material can store light. Now they have shown that the trapped light, polariton rays, propagate along paths at fixed angles with respect to the atomic structure of the material and at certain ‘magic’ frequencies form simple closed orbits. The insight could guide the development of applications such as nanoresonators, hyperlenses or infrared photon sources.

A study showed that scientists can wirelessly determine the path a mouse walks with a press of a button. Researchers created a remote controlled, next-generation tissue implant that allows neuroscientists to inject drugs and shine lights on neurons deep inside the brains of mice.

Dermatologists have found that the release of nitric oxide over time may be a new way to treat and prevent acne through nanotechnology.

Three-dimensional structures of boron nitride sheets and nanotubes may offer a way to keep small electronic devices cool, according to scientists.

Millimetre-sized crystals of high-quality graphene can be made in minutes instead of hours using a new scalable technique, researchers have demonstrated.

In a breakthrough for nanoscience, polymer engineers have made such a mold for nanostructures that can shape liquid silicon out of an organic polymer material. This paves the way for perfect, 3-D, single crystal nanostructures.

Researchers have developed an effective and environmentally benign method to combat bacteria by engineering nanoscale particles that add the antimicrobial potency of silver to a core of lignin, a ubiquitous substance found in all plant cells. The findings introduce ideas for better, greener and safer nanotechnology and could lead to enhanced efficiency of antimicrobial products used in agriculture and personal care.

A new chemical reaction pathway on titanium dioxide has been discovered. The reaction mechanism involves the application of an electric field that narrows the width of the reaction barrier, thereby allowing hydrogen atoms to tunnel away from the surface. This opens the way for the manipulation of the atomic-scale transport channels of hydrogen, which could be important in hydrogen storage.

A nano-catalyst for air cleaning in a smoking room has been developed that can remove 100 percent of acetaldehyde which accounts for the largest portion of the gaseous substances present in cigarette smoke.