Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories created a solar nanowire array that can absorb a wider range of the sun's wavelengths, leading to increased efficiency. The array, grown on a phalanx of nanowires, allows for higher indium percentages and lower absorption base energies.
Researchers have developed a 'pyroelectric nanogenerator' that converts waste heat into electricity using the ancient pyroelectric effect. The device has the potential to power applications such as wireless sensors, temperature imaging, and medical diagnostics, offering a new source of energy from environmental waste.
A research team at Case Western Reserve University discovered that gold catalysts in the form of a triangle or higher order structures can produce longer, faster-growing nanowires. These wires could be used to build next-generation invisible computer chips and highly-sensitive sensors.
Duke University chemists created copper-nickel nanowires with improved stability and conductivity compared to plain silver and copper. The new material is an attractive option for printed electronics applications, including solar cells, LEDs, and clothing. Its low cost and high speed make it suitable for mass production.
Researchers are developing hybrid NEM devices to improve performance and reduce power consumption in electronics. While individual NEM devices show high performance, scaling up production is a challenge due to the need for reliability over millions of cycles. New material selection methods have been demonstrated to enhance robustness.
Engineers at Stanford University have developed a novel method to decorate nanowires with nanoparticles, increasing surface area and altering surface chemistry. This technique may lead to improved lithium-ion batteries, more efficient thin-film solar cells and enhanced catalysts.
Researchers at NIST and partners have demonstrated that the thickness of the electrolyte layer is crucial in determining the performance of nanoscale lithium batteries. The team found that below a threshold of 200 nanometers, electrons can cause a short circuit, leading to rapid discharge and breakdown of the electrolyte.
University of California, San Diego engineers build nanowire 'trees' that capture solar energy and convert it into hydrogen fuel. The trees' vertical structure maximizes energy absorption, making them more efficient than traditional flat surfaces.
Researchers at MIT have developed a method to precisely control the width and composition of nanowires as they grow, enabling complex structures optimally designed for specific applications. This technique could facilitate new semiconductor devices with better functionality than conventional thin-film devices.
Researchers at Stanford have created a novel nanowire welding technique using plasmonics that enables precise heating without damaging the wires. This breakthrough allows for the production of stronger, more efficient meshes for various electronic devices and solar applications.
Researchers at Northwestern University have discovered that individual gallium nitride nanowires exhibit strong piezoelectricity in three dimensions, with efficiency up to six times greater than bulk material. This finding has significant implications for the development of nanogenerators capable of powering self-powered devices.
Researchers developed a nanowire-based optical probe for single-cell endoscopy, overcoming the diffraction barrier in visible light microscopy. The endoscope can deliver genes, proteins, or therapeutic drugs into cells without damaging them.
Scientists at Sandia Labs discover unexpected voltage increases of up to 25% in closely packed nanowires, which may impact the development of next-generation handheld devices and solar arrays. The findings also shed light on the unique properties of one-dimensional conductors and their interactions with electrons.
Researchers at UCLA have developed a highly efficient method for producing transparent electrodes using silver nanowires in combination with other nanomaterials. The new electrodes are flexible and highly conductive, overcoming the limitations of indium tin oxide (ITO) materials.
Researchers at Arizona State University have created a new compound crystal material that can enhance the capabilities of computers, improve internet efficiency, increase solar cell conversion rates, and improve solid-state lighting. The new material contains 1,000 times more erbium atoms than previous compounds, providing superior opt...
Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed a technique to integrate compound semiconductor nanowires on silicon wafers, enabling high-performance solar cells. The approach uses densely packed arrays of tiny strands of III-V semiconductor that grow up vertically from the silicon wafer.
Researchers have successfully fabricated ultrananocrystalline diamond nanowires with exceptional electrical properties, including sensitivity to gas molecule adsorption at grain boundaries. The discovery offers new possibilities for advanced nanoscale sensors.
Researchers propose using single photons and metamaterials for more powerful computers. The technology could harness the principles of quantum mechanics, allowing for more efficient data processing.
Using metamaterials to collect and transmit single photons, researchers aim to encode complex information on individual particles of light. This technology could significantly improve data security for the military and other high-stakes applications.
Researchers have developed a technique to create low-cost, high-performance copper nanowire films for displays and solar cells. The new copper nanowire films outperform current indium tin oxide (ITO) films, which are highly transparent but expensive and prone to cracking.
Engineered patches with gold nanowires improve electrical conductivity and cell contraction in heart tissue, outperforming existing patches in clinical trials. The technology could be applied to other electrically excitable tissues, including the brain and spinal cord.
Researchers studied individual phase slips in aluminum nanowires, observing the nature and temperature at which they occur. The findings provide information to build ultra-thin superconducting wires without phase slips, which could play a role in ultra-miniaturized electronics.
The discovery of GNR@SWNTs opens up potential applications in electronics, optoelectronics, and energy storage. Researchers have found that the shape of encapsulated graphene nanoribbons can be modified by different polyaromatic hydrocarbon molecules, allowing for metallic or semiconductor properties.
Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have demonstrated a promising approach to creating high-efficiency nanowire solar cells using solution-based cation-exchange chemistry. The new technique produces core/shell nanowires with superior open-circuit voltage and fill factor values compared to conventional planar solar cells.
Scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science have developed a method to grow semiconductor nanowires on a surface, producing relatively long, orderly, aligned structures. This breakthrough enables the production of enhanced electronic and optical properties suitable for various applications.
Researchers at Rice University have created a hybrid graphene film that combines conductivity and transparency, potentially replacing indium tin oxide as a transparent conductive coating in displays. The material outperforms ITO in terms of transparency and conductivity, and is environmentally stable.
Researchers at Rice University have developed a hybrid energy storage device packed into a single nanowire, which shows promise as a rechargeable power source for nanoelectronics. The devices have good capacity but require further optimization to improve performance.
Researchers at Harvard University developed a coating that improves nanowire efficiency and sensitivity for photodetectors and energy harvesting applications. The coated wires showed a 90-fold increase in photosensitivity, reducing surface recombination nearly two orders of magnitude.
Researchers have developed a new semiconductor nanowire laser technology that can potentially kill viruses, increase storage capacity of DVDs, and provide superfast data processing. The discovery uses p-type zinc oxide nanowires, which can offer smaller sizes, lower costs, and higher powers.
Researchers at NIST have developed a tungsten-silicon alloy that significantly improves the efficiency of ultrafast single-photon detectors, enabling their use in quantum communications and computing systems. The new detection method can capture photons across longer wavelengths, including those used in telecommunications.
Scientists have developed a new 4-D scanning ultrafast electron microscopy technique that allows researchers to visualize atomic-scale dynamics on metal surfaces. This breakthrough promises wide-ranging applications in materials science and single-particle biological imaging.
Researchers have developed nano-sized sensors that detect harmful pollutants at lower concentrations and with greater reliability than traditional commercial gas sensors. The new nanowire sensors operate at room temperature, reducing power consumption and enabling more widespread use.
A new study by NIST and George Mason University researchers may have found the optimal characteristics for a type of computer memory based on nanowires. The technology has the potential to store information faster and at lower voltage, making it suitable for applications such as portable computers and cell phones.
Researchers successfully fabricate and test a new type of solar cell using inorganic core/shell nanowire structures with high bandgap semiconductors. The device efficiently absorbs visible wavelength light and shows potential as an affordable and durable solar energy solution.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have made significant progress in controlling the characteristics of lead selenide nanowires, a promising material for semiconductors. By manipulating the exposure to oxygen and chemical hydrazine, they can alter the conductive properties between p-type and n-type devices.
Lawrence Livermore researchers have developed a nanosensor that relies on semiconductor nanowires to detect various molecules quickly and selectively responds to different types of solvent molecules. The device is simple, highly sensitive and could be the first step in making an easily deployable chemical sensor for the battlefield.
Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have developed a method for drug testing that uses individual living cells on nanowire carpets, with potential applications for neurological problems, cancer, and heart disease.
The new method developed by NC State researchers allows for the controlled assembly of nanowires on rubber substrates, facilitating research into device applications such as nanoelectronics and nanosensors. By stretching the rubber substrate, the alignment and density of the nanowires can be precisely controlled.
Stevens researchers create reliable nano-actuators that can benefit diverse applications, including biomaterials and nano robots. The precise arrangement of nanowires is crucial for practical applications, but current techniques face limitations.
Engineers at Harvard and MITRE create the world's first programmable nanoprocessor, capable of performing arithmetic and logical functions. The prototype represents a significant advancement in computer circuit complexity, enabled by advances in nanowire design and synthesis.
Researchers at Northwestern University have found that piezoelectricity in GaN and ZnO nanowires increases by two orders of magnitude as the diameter decreases. This could lead to more efficient energy harvesting devices.
Researchers at North Carolina State University have successfully created the first coils of silicon nanowires on a stretchable substrate that can be stretched to more than double their original length. The new design improves the stretchability of electronic materials without compromising their electric functionality.
Rice University researchers have developed microbatteries with nanowire 'hearts' that can store more energy and charge faster than traditional lithium-ion batteries. The batteries employ vertical arrays of nickel-tin nanowires encased in a PMMA polymer, which insulates the wires and allows ions to pass through.
Researchers observed electrode wires made from materials used in rechargeable lithium ion batteries contorting and fatten as they become charged with electricity. This study suggests how rechargeable batteries eventually give out and might offer insights for improving battery performance.
Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have created the world's smallest battery using a single tin oxide nanowire anode, which nearly doubles in length during charging. The discovery provides new insights into lithium batteries and could improve power and energy density.
Researchers have developed racetrack memory, which uses magnetic tape and spin-polarized currents to store data at speeds of several hundred meters per second. This technology could enable computers to boot up instantly and access information 100,000 times more rapidly than traditional hard disks.
Researchers have developed ultra-clean nanowires with a perfect cubic crystal structure, allowing for higher efficiency in nano-electronic devices. The breakthrough is achieved by growing wires on a silicon substrate without metal catalysis.
Researchers at the University of Leeds have developed a novel technique to control molecular alignment in discotic liquid crystals, enabling the creation of stable nanowires. These wires could be used in low-cost biosensors for water quality testing and next-generation electronic devices.
Researchers have discovered that specialized bacterial filaments, known as nanowires, can conduct electricity, allowing microbial colonies to thrive. The findings suggest a new way for bacteria to transfer electrons and support each other, potentially leading to breakthroughs in biofilm resistance and sustainable energy.
Researchers at NIST developed a surface-directed method for growing nanowires horizontally, producing nano-LEDs with improved properties. The technique enables easy localization of individual heterojunctions on the surface, making it suitable for various applications.
Researchers at UCLA have overcome difficulties in integrating graphene into electronic devices, achieving the fastest graphene transistor to date with a cutoff frequency of up to 300 GHz. This breakthrough enables the development of high-speed radio-frequency electronics for applications in microwave communication and radar technologies.
The researchers have developed a new class of electronic logic device using strain-gated transistors fabricated on a flexible polymer substrate, enabling logic operations powered by mechanical action. The devices can be combined to create self-powered, autonomous systems with memory, processing, and sensing capabilities.
Researchers at Harvard University have developed nanowire-based V-shaped transistors that can be inserted into cells without damaging them. These devices allow for the measurement of ion flux or electrical signals within cells, and can even be fitted with receptors to probe for specific biochemicals.
NIST nanowires grown through precisely defined holes in a stencil-like mask covering the silicon wafer exhibit excellent mechanical quality factors and controlled diameter placement. The technique enables precise control of wire location, resulting in uniform shape and size of nearly perfect hexagonal shapes.
Rice researchers have found a breakthrough solvent for carbon nanotubes, untangling long tubes and clearing the way for scalable methods to create strong, lightweight materials. The discovery brings the creation of a highly conductive quantum nanowire closer.
Dr. Yong Shi's innovative nano-generators convert mechanical energy into electrical energy, powering wireless devices and implantable biosensors. This technology has vast potential for various industries and research fields.
Scientists at Johns Hopkins University create method for pinpoint delivery of molecules to individual cells, enabling targeted cancer treatment. The technique uses gold nanowires coated with tumor necrosis factor-alpha, which triggers specific cellular responses without affecting surrounding cells.
Researchers found that flaws in magnetic nanowire structure impact device operating speed. Disorder in the wire enables domain walls to move faster, affecting future experiment interpretation.
Scientists at Rice University have made a breakthrough in creating highly purified samples of carbon nanotube species using ultracentrifugation, a technique that can help enable the development of efficient nationwide electrical grids and critical applications in medicine and electronics.
A team led by University of Wisconsin-Madison chemist Song Jin shows that a screw dislocation drives the growth of hollow zinc oxide nanotubes. The finding provides new insight into the processes guiding the formation of smallest manufactured structures, a significant challenge in nanoscience and nanotechnology.