News & Comment

Nanocrystals can be used to dope self-assembled thin films for enhanced conductivity

Iron oxide nanoparticles coated with peptides that target tumours can induce clotting, which, in turn, attracts more of them to the site

Quantum dots can mop up reactive molecules and may be sensitive probes for studying oxidative stress in biological systems and determining the freshness of food

Carbon nanotubes can be assembled into circular structures on a surface patterned using dip-pen nanolithography

Thin-walled boron nitride microparticles with nanosized features can be made using the shells of microscopic marine algae as templates

Carbon nanotubes act as antennas in subwavelength coaxial cables that transmit visible light

Simulations predict the existence of a new two-dimensional liquid state for gold clusters

Using a specially shaped laser trapping potential, optical tweezers can now manipulate cellular structures with less damage

By using a novel phase filter, optical images of single molecules separated by 15 nm can be resolved with scanning near-field microscopy

The ability of rhodium nanoparticles to catalyse a chemical reaction depends on their shape

Glucose sensors based on silicon nanoparticles are shown to have advantages over traditional enzyme-based methods

Self-assembled organic nanotubules are promising photoconductors

The conductance of a silicon atom on a surface is influenced by small changes in the geometry of a pair of organic molecules surrounding it

Computer modelling reveals that water molecules confined inside carbon nanotubes freeze under high pressure to form helical ice sculptures

With new research centres opening in Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin, close links between government-funded laboratories and industry, and a plentiful supply of researchers, China is set to become a major player in nanotechnology. Adarsh Sandhu finds out more about the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology

Security and surveillance are emerging as major and sometimes controversial applications of nanotechnology, especially in the United States. Although some of these applications are to be welcomed, others should be handled with care.

Everyone has heard of Feynman, Binnig and Rohrer, and the scanning tunnelling microscope, but where does Conrad Schneiker fit in? Chris Toumey explains.