News & Comment

Dendrimer-stabilized Pd nanoparticles are used to catalyse carbon–carbon bond-forming reactions and show increasing activity as their concentration is decreased

Two Y-shaped single-walled carbon nanotubes can be joined to form rings that may prove useful for interferometry applications

The rate of protein folding can be enhanced by placing the protein in a nanocontainer with the right geometry

Field-effect transistors incorporating a single germanium nanowire can detect visible light with a high level of sensitivity

Many economies in the developing world rely heavily on the export of minerals. Richard Jones discusses what the development of new nanomaterials will mean for such countries.

From the provision of clean drinking water to the early detection of disease, nanotechnology has the potential to make a real impact in the fight against global poverty.

Access to 'potable' water would transform the lives of many people in the developing world. Nanotechnology is already being used to remove contaminants from drinking water and increase the availability of fresh water, but there is still a long way to go.

A layer-by-layer assembly strategy is used to make ordered composite materials comprising clay nanoplatelets embedded in a polymer matrix

Analysis into the clearance of quantum dots from the body could enable them to fulfil their potential for medical applications

Two experimental studies demonstrate a method for measuring the density of electrons or 'holes' in semiconducting and metallic carbon nanotubes that could prove useful for characterizing nanotube-based electronics

Three-dimensional structures comprising alternating layers of two semiconductor materials are shown to exhibit negative refraction properties

Carbon nanotube electrodes are used to measure the conductance of organic molecules that can be switched back and forth between 'open' and 'closed' structures

A two-dimensional porous molecular network on a gold surface can trap fullerenes with hierarchical organization

Electricity can be generated from single barium titanate nanowires when they are mechanically strained, suggesting that this material may prove useful for energy-harvesting applications

Electromagnetic signals in the radio frequency band can be mixed mechanically with a nanoelectromechanical transistor

pH-sensitive quantum dots can monitor proton transfer reactions in a biological motor to detect viruses

A simple technique that relies on Joule heating can functionalize the surface of 'select' semiconductor nanowires that are part of a larger device

Highly branched organic compounds can be crosslinked to form ion-binding nanoparticles that are soluble in water

The composition and density of biomolecular nanoarrays can be modified using an electrochemical technique