Conferences in the nanoworld - p371

doi:10.1038/nnano.2008.180

Scientific meetings and conferences come in all shapes and size, and love them or loathe them, they have an important role to play in all areas of science.

Full Text - Conferences in the nanoworld | PDF (131 KB) - Conferences in the nanoworld

Subject Category: Education and research

Indefinite particles - pp372 - 373

Chris Toumey

doi:10.1038/nnano.2008.196

It is difficult to be definitive about certain aspects of nanotechnology, especially the use of nanoparticles in medical applications. Chris Toumey looks at two views.

Full Text - Indefinite particles | PDF (164 KB) - Indefinite particles

Subject Categories: Nanomedicine | Environmental, health and safety issues

Cherenkov radiation in silicon nanoparticles, gold's catalytic secrets, graphene sheets keep their distance, and the safe production of nanomaterials - pp374 - 375

doi:10.1038/nnano.2008.204

Full Text - Cherenkov radiation in silicon nanoparticles, gold's catalytic secrets, graphene sheets keep their distance, and the safe production of nanomaterials | PDF (351 KB) - Cherenkov radiation in silicon nanoparticles, gold's catalytic secrets, graphene sheets keep their distance, and the safe production of nanomaterials

Top down bottom up: Mass appeal - p375

doi:10.1038/nnano.2008.205

Nanoparticles can improve the spatial resolution of mass spectrometry imaging of mammalian tissues.

Full Text - Top down bottom up: Mass appeal | PDF (262 KB) - Top down bottom up: Mass appeal

Subject Category: Nanosensors and other devices

Nanodevices: Charge of the heavy brigade - pp377 - 378

Victor V. Zhirnov & Ralph K. Cavin

doi:10.1038/nnano.2008.197

Hybrid devices that rely on the movement of both electrons and ions might one day challenge conventional silicon electronics by exploiting both classical and quantum electron transport.

Full Text - NanodevicesCharge of the heavy brigade | PDF (137 KB) - NanodevicesCharge of the heavy brigade

Subject Category: Electronic properties and devices

Nanotoxicology: The asbestos analogy revisited - pp378 - 379

Agnes B. Kane & Robert H. Hurt

doi:10.1038/nnano.2008.182

Direct injection of long multiwalled carbon nanotubes into the abdominal cavity of mice produces asbestos-like pathogenic behaviour. What does this finding mean for nanotube safety?

Full Text - NanotoxicologyThe asbestos analogy revisited | PDF (176 KB) - NanotoxicologyThe asbestos analogy revisited

Subject Categories: Carbon nanotubes and fullerenes | Environmental, health and safety issues

Surface patterning: Ancients inspire modern memory - pp380 - 381

J. Marty Gregg

doi:10.1038/nnano.2008.192

A stencilling technique for depositing arrays of nanoscale ferroelectric capacitors on a surface could be useful in data storage devices.

Full Text - Surface patterningAncients inspire modern memory | PDF (270 KB) - Surface patterningAncients inspire modern memory

Subject Categories: Electronic properties and devices | Synthesis and processing

Nanoelectronics: The strain of it all - pp381 - 382

Abbas Ourmazd

doi:10.1038/nnano.2008.195

Electron interferometry can be used to measure strain with nanoscale resolution in electronic devices by exploiting a simple idea found in physics textbooks.

Full Text - NanoelectronicsThe strain of it all | PDF (169 KB) - NanoelectronicsThe strain of it all

Subject Categories: Electronic properties and devices | Nanometrology and instrumentation

Nanomechanics: Macromolecules flex their muscles - pp383 - 384

Ben L. Feringa & Wesley R. Browne

doi:10.1038/nnano.2008.194

It will take a concerted effort for nanomachines to express themselves on a macroscopic scale. Could self-organizing helical polymers help?

Full Text - NanomechanicsMacromolecules flex their muscles | PDF (274 KB) - NanomechanicsMacromolecules flex their muscles

Subject Category: Molecular machines and motors

Instrumentation: Carbon nanotubes on the brain - pp384 - 385

Vladimir Parpura

doi:10.1038/nnano.2008.193

The performance of metal electrodes used for studying brain function and relieving the symptoms of medical conditions can be significantly improved by coating them with carbon nanotubes.

Full Text - InstrumentationCarbon nanotubes on the brain | PDF (324 KB) - InstrumentationCarbon nanotubes on the brain

Subject Categories: Electronic properties and devices | Nanomedicine | Carbon nanotubes and fullerenes

Progress towards monodisperse single-walled carbon nanotubes - pp387 - 394

Mark C. Hersam

doi:10.1038/nnano.2008.135

Single-walled carbon nanotubes tend to be produced in polydisperse mixtures with different lengths, diameters and electronic properties. This review article surveys the various techniques that have been developed for producing monodisperse samples from these mixtures. Selective growth techniques are also covered.

Abstract - | Full Text - Progress towards monodisperse single-walled carbon nanotubes | PDF (881 KB) - Progress towards monodisperse single-walled carbon nanotubes

Subject Categories: Carbon nanotubes and fullerenes | Electronic properties and devices | Synthesis and processing

Tailoring the atomic structure of graphene nanoribbons by scanning tunnelling microscope lithography - pp397 - 401

Levente Tapasztó, Gergely Dobrik, Philippe Lambin & László P. Biró

doi:10.1038/nnano.2008.149

A lithographic method using a scanning tunnelling microscope can etch graphene nanoribbons in graphite sheets with nanometre precision. The electronic properties of these ribbons can be engineered by controlling their width and crystallographic orientation.

Abstract - | Full Text - Tailoring the atomic structure of graphene nanoribbons by scanning tunnelling microscope lithography | PDF (461 KB) - Tailoring the atomic structure of graphene nanoribbons by scanning tunnelling microscope lithography | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Surface patterning and imaging | Electronic properties and devices

Individually addressable epitaxial ferroelectric nanocapacitor arrays with near Tb inch^-2 density - pp402 - 407

Woo Lee, Hee Han, Andriy Lotnyk, Markus Andreas Schubert, Stephan Senz, Marin Alexe, Dietrich Hesse, Sunggi Baik & Ulrich Gösele

doi:10.1038/nnano.2008.161

Ferroelectric oxides have emerged as candidate materials for non-volatile data-storage applications, but they can be difficult to process. Researchers have now used a high-temperature deposition process to fabricate arrays of metal–ferroelectric–metal nanocapacitors with a density of 176 gigabits per square inch.

Abstract - | Full Text - Individually addressable epitaxial ferroelectric nanocapacitor arrays with near Tb inch-2 density | PDF (849 KB) - Individually addressable epitaxial ferroelectric nanocapacitor arrays with near Tb inch-2 density | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Electronic properties and devices | Synthesis and processing

See also: News and Views by Gregg

Prediction of very large values of magnetoresistance in a graphene nanoribbon device - pp408 - 412

Woo Youn Kim & Kwang S. Kim

doi:10.1038/nnano.2008.163

On the basis of first-principles computer simulations, theorists have predicted that zigzag graphene nanoribbons should display magnetoresistance values that are thousands of times higher than previously reported experimental values, and also should be able to generate highly spin-polarized currents.

Abstract - | Full Text - Prediction of very large values of magnetoresistance in a graphene nanoribbon device | PDF (515 KB) - Prediction of very large values of magnetoresistance in a graphene nanoribbon device | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Computational nanotechnology | Electronic properties and devices | Nanomagnetism and spintronics

Subwavelength direct-write nanopatterning using optically trapped microspheres - pp413 - 417

Euan Mcleod & Craig B. Arnold

doi:10.1038/nnano.2008.150

A number of optical techniques can produce subwavelength features on surfaces, but they tend to be limited in speed and expensive to implement. Researchers have now shown that a microsphere can be trapped near a surface by a specially shaped laser beam and used as a lens to focus another laser beam that writes subwavelength patterns directly onto the surface.

Abstract - | Full Text - Subwavelength direct-write nanopatterning using optically trapped microspheres | PDF (318 KB) - Subwavelength direct-write nanopatterning using optically trapped microspheres | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Photonic structures and devices | Surface patterning and imaging

Self-assembled DNA nanostructures for distance-dependent multivalent ligand–protein binding - pp418 - 422

Sherri Rinker, Yonggang Ke, Yan Liu, Rahul Chhabra & Hao Yan

doi:10.1038/nnano.2008.164

DNA tiles can be used as a platform to display two different aptamers — short sequences of nucleotides that bind to proteins — with high spatial control, to systematically study the distance dependence of multivalent interactions.

Abstract - | Full Text - Self-assembled DNA nanostructures for distance-dependent multivalent ligand–protein binding | PDF (495 KB) - Self-assembled DNA nanostructures for distance-dependent multivalent ligand–protein binding | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Molecular self-assembly | Nanobiotechnology

Carbon nanotubes introduced into the abdominal cavity of mice show asbestos-like pathogenicity in a pilot study - pp423 - 428

Craig A. Poland, Rodger Duffin, Ian Kinloch, Andrew Maynard, William A. H. Wallace, Anthony Seaton, Vicki Stone, Simon Brown, William MacNee & Ken Donaldson

doi:10.1038/nnano.2008.111

A pilot study in a small number of mice shows that long multiwalled carbon nanotubes introduced into the abdominal cavity can cause asbestos-like pathogenic behaviour. The results suggest the need for further research and caution before introducing nanotube products into the market.

Abstract - | Full Text - Carbon nanotubes introduced into the abdominal cavity of mice show asbestos-like pathogenicity in a pilot study | PDF (547 KB) - Carbon nanotubes introduced into the abdominal cavity of mice show asbestos-like pathogenicity in a pilot study | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Carbon nanotubes and fullerenes | Structural properties

See also: News and Views by Kane & Hurt

Memristive switching mechanism for metal/oxide/metal nanodevices - pp429 - 433

J. Joshua Yang, Matthew D. Pickett, Xuema Li, Douglas A. A. Ohlberg, Duncan R. Stewart & R. Stanley Williams

doi:10.1038/nnano.2008.160

Nanoscale metal/oxide/metal devices that are capable of fast non-volatile switching have been built from platinum and titanium dioxide. The devices could have applications in ultrahigh density memory cells and novel forms of computing.

Abstract - | Full Text - Memristive switching mechanism for metal/oxide/metal nanodevices | PDF (479 KB) - Memristive switching mechanism for metal/oxide/metal nanodevices | Supplementary information

Subject Category: Electronic properties and devices

See also: News and Views by Zhirnov & Cavin

Carbon nanotube coating improves neuronal recordings - pp434 - 439

Edward W. Keefer, Barry R. Botterman, Mario I. Romero, Andrew F. Rossi & Guenter W. Gross

doi:10.1038/nnano.2008.174

Coating conventional tungsten and stainless steel electrodes with carbon nanotubes improves their performance in research involving the implantation of electrical devices into the nervous system. The results could have an impact on electrophysiology and the development of brain–machine interfaces.

Abstract - | Full Text - Carbon nanotube coating improves neuronal recordings | PDF (678 KB) - Carbon nanotube coating improves neuronal recordings | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Carbon nanotubes and fullerenes | Nanomedicine | Nanometrology and instrumentation | Nanosensors and other devices | Surface patterning and imaging

See also: News and Views by Parpura