Articles in 2009

Three-dimensional architectures of gold nanoparticles can be built using DNA-based self-assembly

Repulsive forces at the nanoscale could make ultra-low friction nanomechanical devices possible

By combining information from low-resolution images and diffraction patterns, sub-atomic-resolution diffractive imaging of quantum dots can be achieved

Lattice strain has long been avoided in the world of quantum dots, but it is now being used to tune the colour of light emitted by these structures

Two independent groups have demonstrated an unprecedented degree of control over the crystal structure and defect distribution in semiconductor nanowires

A company founded by two ex-Microsoft employees is buying up patents in nanotechnology and other areas on a grand scale, as Adarsh Sandhu reports.

The commercial success of low-tech nano-enabled products, such as sports equipment and lubricants, could pave the way for more advanced nanodevices and applications.

By using reversible enzyme reactions involving short peptides, molecular synthesis can be controlled by the self-assembly of the resulting products.

Protein nanoparticles derived from viruses are commonly studied, but a new rod-shaped thermophilic virus isolated from acidic hot springs may yield another class of protein building blocks that are stable and can be selectively modified with diverse chemical groups.

The commercial success of products based on giant magnetoresistance is often cited as a reason for supporting basic physics research. The reality is more complex, given the range of bodies, including IBM and the US military, involved in developing new technologies based on this Nobel-prize-winning discovery.

The differences between the sciences and the humanities have been debated in academic circles for decades. Chris Toumey explores how nanotechnology fits into this picture and how the nature of science itself is a legitimate subject for researchers in the humanities and social sciences.