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Nanostructures can pose big measurement problems
April 30, 2007Materials scientists will tell you that to best understand, characterize and eventually utilize the properties of a specific material, you have to be able to define how the atoms within it are arranged. In the case of common crystals, there are numerous methods, such as X-ray diffraction, by which this can be done. Not so for nanostructured materials (structures with atomic arrangements at a scale of 1-100 nanometers, or between 5 to 1,000 atoms in size) where the inability to determine atomic order with high precision has been dubbed the "nanostructure problem."
In a paper published in the April 27 Science,* researchers Igor Levin at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Simon J.L. Billinge at Michigan State University reviewed various classes of nanostructured materials, listed the array of methods currently used to study their atomic makeup and defined the problems inherent with each one. Overall, the authors state that while many methods exist for probing the atomic structure on the nanoscale, no single technique can provide a unique structural solution.
The authors conclude their paper by calling for a coordinated effort by researchers to develop a coherent strategy for a comprehensive solution of the "nanostructure problem" using inputs from multiple experimental methods and theory.
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
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Nanostructure Current Events and Nanostructure News RSSNew statistical technique improves precision of nanotechnology data
A new statistical analysis technique that identifies and removes systematic bias, noise and equipment-based artifacts from experimental data could lead to more precise and reliable measurement of nanomaterials and nanostructures likely to have future industrial applications.
New fuel cell catalyst uses 2 metals
Material scientists at Washington University in St. Louis have developed a technique for a bimetallic fuel cell catalyst that is efficient, robust and two to five times more effective than commercial catalysts.
Nano-sandwich Triggers Novel Electron Behavior
A material just six atoms thick in which electrons appear to be guided by conflicting laws of physics depending on their direction of travel has been discovered by a team of physicists at the University of California, Davis. Working with computational models, the team has found that the electrons in a thin layer of vanadium dioxide sandwiched between insulating sheets of titanium dioxide exhibit one set of properties when moving in forward-backward directions, and another set when moving left to right.
Self-assembled nanowires could make chips smaller and faster
Researchers at the University of Illinois have found a new way to make transistors smaller and faster. The technique uses self-assembled, self-aligned, and defect-free nanowire channels made of gallium arsenide.
Ancient diatoms lead to new technology for solar energy
Engineers at Oregon State University have discovered a way to use an ancient life form to create one of the newest technologies for solar energy, in systems that may be surprisingly simple to build compared to existing silicon-based solar cells.
New security and medical sensor devices made possible by metallic nanostructures
Scientists have designed tiny new sensor structures that could be used in novel security devices to detect poisons and explosives, or in highly sensitive medical sensors.
First tri-continuous mesoporous Silica complex structure developed in Singapore
Singapore's Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) has developed the first tri-continuous mesoporous material using a unique surfactant template.
Hollow gold nanospheres show promise for biomedical and other applications
A new metal nanostructure developed by researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has already shown promise in cancer therapy studies and could be used for chemical and biological sensors and other applications as well.
Nanostructure boosts efficiency in energy transport
Overcoming a critical conductivity challenge to clean energy technologies, Boston College researchers have developed a titanium nanostructure that provides an expanded surface area and demonstrates significantly greater efficiency in the transport of electrons.
The gold standard: Biodesign Institute researchers use nanoparticles to make 3-D DNA nanotubes
Arizona State University researchers Hao Yan and Yan Liu imagine and assemble intricate structures on a scale almost unfathomably small. Their medium is the double-helical DNA molecule, a versatile building material offering near limitless construction potential.
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