Synopsis: Nanotechnology:


texte_agro-tech\www.nanotech-now.com 2015 00795.txt.txt

Tunable hybrid polaritons realized with graphene layer on hexagonal boron nitride Abstract: Physicists have found a way to control the length

San diego, report their success in Nature Nanotechnology.""Our work demonstrates new properties of polaritonic waves can be achieved by artificially combining different materials,

"This collaborative team was one of two to first demonstrate polaritons in single-atom layers of carbon called graphene.

In graphene, infrared light launches ripples through the electrons at the surface of this metallike material called surface plasmon polaritons that the researchers were able to control using a simple electrical circuit.

By topping a stack of hbn with a single layer of graphene, the team has created an agile new material with hybrid polaritons that propagate throughout the crystalline slab

"Our structures are made from the new wonder material graphene and its cousin boron nitride, which endow them with several advantages compared to traditional metal-based metamaterials.

'858-246-0161copyright University of California-San Diegoissuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.

Web portal on Nanosensors: Both outputs support the Nanotechnology Signature Initiative Nanotechnology for Sensors and Sensors for Nanotechnology:

Improving and Protecting Health, Safety, and the Environment June 24th, 2015university of Tehran to Host 12th Int'l Confab on Membrane Science, Technology (MST2015) June 23rd, 2015iranian Scientists Design Nano Device

2015imaging Robust new process forms 3-D shapes from flat sheets of graphene June 23rd, 2015sweeping lasers snap together nanoscale geometric grids:

A simple reversible process that changes friction in the nanoworld June 22nd, 2015graphene heat-transfer riddle unraveled June 17th, 2015framework materials yield to pressure June 11th, 2015govt.

-Legislation/Regulation/Funding/Policy NNI Publishes Workshop Report and Launches Web portal on Nanosensors: Both outputs support the Nanotechnology Signature Initiative Nanotechnology for Sensors and Sensors for Nanotechnology:

Improving and Protecting Health, Safety, and the Environment June 24th, 2015nanoparticle'wrapper'delivers chemical that stops fatty buildup in rodent arteries Experimental therapy restores normal fat metabolism in animals with atherosclerosis June 23rd,

2015robust new process forms 3-D shapes from flat sheets of graphene June 23rd, 2015sweeping lasers snap together nanoscale geometric grids:

4-D printing to advance chemistry, materials sciences and defense capabilities June 18th, 2015discoveries Nanometric sensor designed to detect herbicides can help diagnose multiple sclerosis June 23rd, 2015sweeping lasers snap together

nanoscale geometric grids: New technique creates multilayered, self-assembled grids with fully customizable shapes and compositions June 23rd,

2015uk Graphene Open for Business with Asia June 23rd, 2015robust new process forms 3-D shapes from flat sheets of graphene June 23rd, 2015bacteria Cellulose,

Natural Polymers with Applications in Various Industries Synthesized in Iran June 22nd, 2015announcements n-tech Research Issues Report on Smart Coatings Market,

Free Download Available on Firms Website June 24th, 2015nni Publishes Workshop Report and Launches Web portal on Nanosensors:

Both outputs support the Nanotechnology Signature Initiative Nanotechnology for Sensors and Sensors for Nanotechnology: Improving and Protecting Health, Safety,

2015nni Publishes Workshop Report and Launches Web portal on Nanosensors: Both outputs support the Nanotechnology Signature Initiative Nanotechnology for Sensors and Sensors for Nanotechnology:

Improving and Protecting Health, Safety, and the Environment June 24th, 2015newly-Developed Biosensor in Iran Detects Cocaine addiction June 23rd,

2015grants/Awards/Scholarships/Gifts/Contests/Honors/Records Robust new process forms 3-D shapes from flat sheets of graphene June 23rd,

2015world's thinnest lightbulb--graphene gets bright! Columbia engineers and colleagues create bright, visible light emission from one-atom thick carbon June 15th,

Carbon nanoparticles you can make at home June 18th, 201 0


texte_agro-tech\www.nanotech-now.com 2015 00845.txt.txt

#Measurement of Tiny Amounts of Heavy metals in Baby Food Samples Abstract: Iranian researchers produced a nanosorbent that can adsorb

Magnetic organometallic framework (MOF) nanocomposite has been used to selectively separate these metals from the foodstuff and their pre-concentration.

Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content. Bookmark: News and information Samsung's New Graphene technology Will Double Life Of Your Lithium-Ion Battery July 1st,

2015nei Announces the Issuance of Multiple Patents on Self-Healing & Superhydrophobic Coatings June 30th, 2015philips Introduces Quantum dot TV with Color IQ Technology from QD Vision:

Manufacturer is first to offer quantum dot displays for both TVS and monitors June 30th, 2015carnegie Mellon chemists characterize 3-D macroporous hydrogels:

Methods will allow researchers to develop new'smart'materials June 30th, 2015discoveries Chitosan coated, chemotherapy packed nanoparticles may target cancer stem cells June 30th,

2015graphene flexes its electronic muscles: Rice-led researchers calculate electrical properties of carbon cones, other shapes June 30th,

2015announcements Samsung's New Graphene technology Will Double Life Of Your Lithium-Ion Battery July 1st, 2015researchers from the UCA, key players in a pioneering study that may explain the origin of several digestive diseases June 30th,

2015interviews/Book reviews/Essays/Reports/Podcasts/Journals/White papers Samsung's New Graphene technology Will Double Life Of Your Lithium-Ion Battery July 1st,

2015high-tech nanofibres could help nutrients in food hit the spot June 17th, 2015the European project SVARNISH,


texte_agro-tech\www.nanotech-now.com 2015 00919.txt.txt

#Environmentally friendly lignin nanoparticle'greens'silver nanobullet to battle bacteria Abstract: Silver nanoparticles have antibacterial properties,

but their use has been a cause for concern because they persist in the environment. Here, we show that lignin nanoparticles infused with silver ions

and coated with a cationic polyelectrolyte layer form a biodegradable and green alternative to silver nanoparticles.

The polyelectrolyte layer promotes the adhesion of the particles to bacterial cell membranes and, together with silver ions, can kill a broad spectrum of bacteria,

Ion depletion studies have shown that the bioactivity of these nanoparticles is limited time because of the desorption of silver ions.

when compared to an equivalent mass of metallic silver nanoparticles or silver nitrate solution. Our results demonstrate that the application of green chemistry principles may allow the synthesis of nanoparticles with biodegradable cores that have higher antimicrobial activity and smaller environmental impact than metallic silver nanoparticles.

North carolina State university researchers have developed an effective and environmentally benign method to combat bacteria by engineering nanoscale particles that add the antimicrobial potency of silver to a core of lignin,

a ubiquitous substance found in all plant cells. The findings introduce ideas for better, greener and safer nanotechnology and could lead to enhanced efficiency of antimicrobial products used in agriculture and personal care.

In a study being published in Nature Nanotechnology July 13 NC State engineer Orlin Velev and colleagues show that silver-ion infused lignin nanoparticles,

which are coated with a charged polymer layer that helps them adhere to the target microbes,

effectively kill a broad swath of bacteria, including E coli and other harmful microorganisms. As the nanoparticles wipe out the targeted bacteria,

they become depleted of silver. The remaining particles degrade easily after disposal because of their biocompatible lignin core,

"People have been interested in using silver nanoparticles for antimicrobial purposes, but there are lingering concerns about their environmental impact due to the long-term effects of the used metal nanoparticles released in the environment,

"said Velev, INVISTA Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular engineering at NC State and the paper's corresponding author."

"The researchers used the nanoparticles to attack E coli, a bacterium that causes food poisoning; Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a common disease-causing bacterium;

The nanoparticles were effective against all the bacteria. The method allows researchers the flexibility to change the nanoparticle recipe in order to target specific microbes.

Alexander Richter, the paper's first author and an NC State Ph d. candidate who won a 2015 Lemelson-MIT prize,


texte_agro-tech\www.nanotech-now.com 2015 00923.txt.txt

#Nanoscale light-emitting device has big profile University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers have created a nanoscale device that can emit light as powerfully as an object 10,000 times its size.

and his collaborators describe a nanoscale device that drastically surpasses previous technology in its ability to scatter light.

They showed how a single nanoresonator can manipulate light to cast a very large"reflection."

"The nanoresonator's capacity to absorb and emit light energy is such that it can make itself--and, in applications,

Given the nanoresonator's capacity to absorb large amounts of light energy, the technology also has potential in applications that harvest the sun's energy with high efficiency.

Because the nanoresonator has a large optical cross-section--that is, an ability to emit light that dramatically exceeds its physical size--it can shed a lot of heat energy,


texte_agro-tech\www.nanotech-now.com 2015 00983.txt.txt

#An easy, scalable and direct method for synthesizing graphene in silicon microelectronics: Korean researchers grow 4-inch diameter, high-quality, multi-layer graphene on desired silicon substrates,

an important step for harnessing graphene in commercial silicon microelectronics Abstract: In the last decade, graphene has been studied intensively for its unique optical, mechanical, electrical and structural properties.

The one-atom-thick carbon sheets could revolutionize the way electronic devices are manufactured and lead to faster transistors, cheaper solar cells, new types of sensors and more efficient bioelectric sensory devices.

As a potential contact electrode and interconnection material, wafer-scale graphene could be an essential component in microelectronic circuits,

but most graphene fabrication methods are not compatible with silicon microelectronics, thus blocking graphene's leap from potential wonder material to actual profit-maker.

Now researchers from Korea University in Seoul, have developed an easy and microelectronics-compatible method to grow graphene

and have synthesized successfully wafer-scale (four inches in diameter), high-quality, multi-layer graphene on silicon substrates.

The method is based on an ion implantation technique, a process in which ions are accelerated under an electrical field and smashed into a semiconductor.

The impacting ions change the physical, chemical or electrical properties of the semiconductor. In a paper published this week in the journal Applied Physics Letters, from AIP Publishing,

which takes graphene a step closer to commercial applications in silicon microelectronics.""For integrating graphene into advanced silicon microelectronics, large-area graphene free of wrinkles, tears and residues must be deposited on silicon wafers at low temperatures,

which cannot be achieved with conventional graphene synthesis techniques as they often require high temperatures, "said Jihyun Kim, the team leader and a professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological engineering at Korea University."

"Our work shows that the carbon ion implantation technique has great potential for the direct synthesis of wafer-scale graphene for integrated circuit technologies."

"Discovered just over a decade ago, graphene is considered now the thinnest, lightest and strongest material in the world.

Graphene is completely flexible and transparent while being inexpensive and nontoxic, and it can conduct electricity as well as copper,

carrying electrons with almost no resistance even at room temperature, a property known as ballistic transport. Graphene's unique optical, mechanical and electrical properties have lead to the one-atom-thick form of carbon being heralded as the next generation material for faster, smaller, cheaper and less power-hungry electronics."

"In silicon microelectronics, graphene is a potential contact electrode and an interconnection material linking semiconductor devices to form the desired electrical circuits,

"said Kim.""This renders high processing temperature undesirable, as temperature-induced damage, strains, metal spiking

"Thus, although the conventional graphene fabrication method of chemical vapor deposition is used widely for the large-area synthesis of graphene on copper and nickel films,

000 degrees Celsius and a subsequent transfer process of the graphene from the metallic film to the silicon."

"The transferred graphene on the target substrate often contains cracks, wrinkles and contaminants,"said Kim."

"Thus, we are motivated to develop a transfer-free method to directly synthesize high quality, multilayer graphene in silicon microelectronics."

The nickel layer, with high carbon solubility, is used as a catalyst for graphene synthesis. The process is followed then by high temperature activation annealing (about 600 to 900 degrees Celsius) to form a honeycomb lattice of carbon atoms, a typical microscopic structure of graphene.

Kim explained that the activation annealing temperature could be lowered by performing the ion implantation at an elevated temperature.

multi-layer graphene by varying the ambient pressure, ambient gas, temperature and time during the treatment.

as the graphene layer thickness can be determined precisely by controlling the dose of carbon ion implantation.""Our synthesis method is controllable and scalable,

allowing us to obtain graphene as large as the size of the silicon wafer over 300 millimeters in diameter,

and to control the thickness of the graphene for manufacturing production n


texte_agro-tech\www.nanotech-now.com 2015 00989.txt.txt

#Self-Cleaning Woolen Fabrics Produced in Iran Woolen products are very good sources for the growth of bacteria and microorganisms due to their protein structure,

This objective was achieved by creating a homogenous coating made of a nanocomposite of zinc oxide/nitrogen silver (N-Ag/Zno) on the fabrics.

the processing of the woolen fabric samples by using optimum amount of honeycomb nanocomposite such as N-Ag/Zno improves the biological, mechanical and hydrophilicity of the fabrics.

Among the other advantages of the use of this nanocomposite in the production of fabrics, mention can be made of creating a delay in flammability,

Ultrasonic waves are also the cause of the homogenous distribution of simultaneous charges of silver and nitrogen on the surfaces of zinc oxide nanoparticles.

Finally, the abovementioned properties are created in the final product by processing of the woolen fabrics with the nanocomposite.


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#Scientists print low cost radio frequency antenna with graphene ink (Nanowerk News) Scientists have moved graphene--the incredibly strong and conductive single-atom-thick sheet of carbon--a significant step along the path

Researchers from the University of Manchester, together with BGT Materials Limited, a graphene manufacturer in the United kingdom, have printed a radio frequency antenna using compressed graphene ink.

from AIP Publishing("Binder-free highly conductive graphene laminate for low cost printed radio frequency applications")."These scanning electron microscope images show the graphene ink after it was deposited

and dried (a) and after it was compressed (b). Compression makes the graphene nanoflakes more dense,

which improves the electrical conductivity of the laminate. Image: Xianjun Huang, et al.//University of Manchester) The study demonstrates that printable graphene is now ready for commercial use in low-cost radio frequency applications,

said Zhirun Hu, a researcher in the School of Electrical and Electronic engineering at the University of Manchester."

"The point is that graphene is no longer just a scientific wonder. It will bring many new applications to our daily life very soon,"added Kostya S. Novoselov, from the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Manchester, who coordinated the project.

Graphene Gets Inked Since graphene was isolated first and tested in 2004, researchers have striven to make practical use of its amazing electrical and mechanical properties.

One of the first commercial products manufactured from graphene was conductive ink, which can be used to print circuits and other electronic components.

Graphene ink is generally low cost and mechanically flexible advantages it has over other types of conductive ink,

such as solutions made from metal nanoparticles. To make the ink, graphene flakes are mixed with a solvent,

and sometimes a binder like ethyl cellulose is added to help the ink stick. Graphene ink with binders usually conducts electricity better than binder-free ink,

but only after the binder material, which is an insulator, is broken down in a high-heat process called annealing.

Annealing, however, limits the surfaces onto which graphene ink can be printed because the high temperatures destroy materials like paper or plastic.

The University of Manchester research team together with BGT Materials Limited, found a way to increase the conductivity of graphene ink without resorting to a binder.

They accomplished this by first printing and drying the ink, and then compressing it with a roller,

and the resulting"graphene laminate"was also almost two times more conductive than previous graphene ink made with a binder.

and More The researchers tested their compressed graphene laminate by printing a graphene antenna onto a piece of paper.

"Graphene based RFID tags can significantly reduce the cost thanks to a much simpler process and lower material cost,

The University of Manchester and BGT Materials Limited team has plans to further develop graphene enabled RFID tags,


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Researchers measure graphene vibrations (Nanowerk News) An international research group led by scientists at the National Institute of Standards

and Technology's (NIST) Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology has developed a method for measuring crystal vibrations in graphene.

Understanding these vibrations is a critical step toward controlling future technologies based on graphene, a one-atom thick form of carbon.

Tunneling electrons from a scanning tunneling microscope tip excites phonons in graphene. The image shows the graphene lattice with blue arrows indicating the motion direction of that carbon atoms for one of the low energy phonon modes in graphene.

Image: Wyrick/NIST) They report their findings in the June 19, 2015, issue of Physical Review Letters("Strong Asymmetric Charge Carrier Dependence in Inelastic Electron Tunneling Spectroscopy of Graphene Phonons").

"Carbon atoms in graphene sheets are arranged in a regularly repeating honeycomb-like latticea two-dimensional crystal. Like other crystals,

when enough heat or other energy is applied, the forces that bond the atoms together cause the atoms to vibrate

NIST researchers used their STM to systematically alter the number of electrons moving through their graphene device.

The team was able to map all the graphene phonons this way, and their findings agreed well with their Georgia Tech collaborators'theoretical predictions.

when we switched the graphene charge carrier from holes to electronspositive to negative charges, "says Stroscio."

The high purity graphene device was fabricated by NIST researcher Y. Zhao in the Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology's Nanofab, a national user facility available to researchers from industry, academia and government t


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#Nanogenerator harvests power from rolling tires A group of University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers and a collaborator from China have developed a nanogenerator that harvests energy from a car's rolling tire friction.

the nanogenerator ultimately could provide automobile manufacturers a new way to squeeze greater efficiency out of their vehicles.

which is the first of its kind, in a paper published May 6, 2015, in the journal Nano Energy("Single-electrode triboelectric nanogenerator for scavenging friction energy from rolling tires").

The nanogenerator relies on the triboelectric effect to harness energy from the changing electric potential between the pavement and a vehicle's wheels.

Wang says the nanogenerator provides an excellent way to take advantage of energy that is usually lost due to friction."

"The nanogenerator relies on an electrode integrated into a segment of the tire. When this part of the tire surface comes into contact with the ground,


texte_agro-tech\www.nanowerk.com 2015 04907.txt.txt

#Nanotechnology transforms cotton fibers into modern marvel (Nanowerk News) Juan Hinestroza and his students live in a cotton-soft nano world,

who directs the Textiles Nanotechnology Laboratory at Cornell. In a nanoscale world and that is our world we can control cellulose-based materials one atom at a time.

The Hinestroza group has turned cotton fibers into electronic components such as transistors and thermistors so instead of adding electronics to fabrics,

Taking advantage of cottons irregular topography, Hinestroza and his students added conformal coatings of gold nanoparticles,

Synthesizing nanoparticles and attaching them to cotton not only creates color on fiber surfaces without the use of dyes,

can be manipulated at the nano level to build nanoscale cages that are the exact same size as the gas they are trying to capture.


texte_agro-tech\www.nanowerk.com 2015 04946.txt.txt

#Environmentally friendly lignin nanoparticle'greens'silver nanobullet to battle bacteria North carolina State university researchers have developed an effective

and environmentally benign method to combat bacteria by engineering nanoscale particles that add the antimicrobial potency of silver to a core of lignin,

greener and safer nanotechnology and could lead to enhanced efficiency of antimicrobial products used in agriculture and personal care.

In a study published in Nature Nanotechnology("An environmentally benign antimicrobial nanoparticle based on a silver-infused lignin core),

"NC State engineer Orlin Velev and colleagues show that silver-ion infused lignin nanoparticles, which are coated with a charged polymer layer that helps them adhere to the target microbes,

As the nanoparticles wipe out the targeted bacteria, they become depleted of silver. The remaining particles degrade easily after disposal because of their biocompatible lignin core,

People have been interested in using silver nanoparticles for antimicrobial purposes, but there are lingering concerns about their environmental impact due to the long-term effects of the used metal nanoparticles released in the environment,

said Velev, INVISTA Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular engineering at NC State and the papers corresponding author.

The researchers used the nanoparticles to attack E coli a bacterium that causes food poisoning; Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a common disease-causing bacterium;

The nanoparticles were effective against all the bacteria. The method allows researchers the flexibility to change the nanoparticle recipe in order to target specific microbes.

Alexander Richter, the papers first author and an NC State Ph d. candidate who won a 2015 Lemelson-MIT prize,


texte_agro-tech\www.nanowerk.com 2015 04955.txt.txt

#Nanoscale light-emitting device has big profile University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers have created a nanoscale device that can emit light as powerfully as an object 10,000 times its size.

In a paper published July 10 in the journal Physical Review Letters("Extraordinarily large optical cross section for localized single nanoresonator"),Zongfu Yu, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering,

and his collaborators describe a nanoscale device that drastically surpasses previous technology in its ability to scatter light.

They showed how a single nanoresonator can manipulate light to cast a very large"reflection."

"The nanoresonator's capacity to absorb and emit light energy is such that it can make itself--and, in applications,

Given the nanoresonator's capacity to absorb large amounts of light energy, the technology also has potential in applications that harvest the sun's energy with high efficiency.

Because the nanoresonator has a large optical cross-section--that is, an ability to emit light that dramatically exceeds its physical size--it can shed a lot of heat energy,


texte_agro-tech\www.nanowerk.com 2015 05024.txt.txt

#An easy, scalable and direct method for synthesizing graphene in silicon microelectronics (Nanowerk News) In the last decade,

graphene has been studied intensively for its unique optical, mechanical, electrical and structural properties. The one-atom-thick carbon sheets could revolutionize the way electronic devices are manufactured

As a potential contact electrode and interconnection material, wafer-scale graphene could be an essential component in microelectronic circuits,

but most graphene fabrication methods are not compatible with silicon microelectronics, thus blocking graphene's leap from potential wonder material to actual profit-maker.

Now researchers from Korea University in Seoul, have developed an easy and microelectronics-compatible method to grow graphene

and have synthesized successfully wafer-scale (four inches in diameter), high-quality, multi-layer graphene on silicon substrates.

The method is based on an ion implantation technique, a process in which ions are accelerated under an electrical field and smashed into a semiconductor.

In a paper published this week in the journal Applied Physics Letters("Wafer-scale synthesis of multi-layer graphene by high-temperature carbon ion implantation"),from AIP Publishing

which takes graphene a step closer to commercial applications in silicon microelectronics. Wafer-scale (4 inch in diameter) synthesis of multi-layer graphene using high-temperature carbon ion implantation on nickel/Sio2/silicon.

Image: J. Kim/Korea University, Korea)" For integrating graphene into advanced silicon microelectronics, large-area graphene free of wrinkles, tears and residues must be deposited on silicon wafers at low temperatures,

which cannot be achieved with conventional graphene synthesis techniques as they often require high temperatures, "said Jihyun Kim, the team leader and a professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological engineering at Korea University."

"Our work shows that the carbon ion implantation technique has great potential for the direct synthesis of wafer-scale graphene for integrated circuit technologies."

"Discovered just over a decade ago, graphene is considered now the thinnest, lightest and strongest material in the world.

Graphene is completely flexible and transparent while being inexpensive and nontoxic, and it can conduct electricity as well as copper,

carrying electrons with almost no resistance even at room temperature, a property known as ballistic transport. Graphene's unique optical, mechanical and electrical properties have lead to the one-atom-thick form of carbon being heralded as the next generation material for faster, smaller, cheaper and less power-hungry electronics."

"In silicon microelectronics, graphene is a potential contact electrode and an interconnection material linking semiconductor devices to form the desired electrical circuits,

"said Kim.""This renders high processing temperature undesirable, as temperature-induced damage, strains, metal spiking

"Thus, although the conventional graphene fabrication method of chemical vapor deposition is used widely for the large-area synthesis of graphene on copper and nickel films,

000 degrees Celsius and a subsequent transfer process of the graphene from the metallic film to the silicon."

"The transferred graphene on the target substrate often contains cracks, wrinkles and contaminants,"said Kim."

"Thus, we are motivated to develop a transfer-free method to directly synthesize high quality, multilayer graphene in silicon microelectronics."

The nickel layer, with high carbon solubility, is used as a catalyst for graphene synthesis. The process is followed then by high temperature activation annealing (about 600 to 900 degrees Celsius) to form a honeycomb lattice of carbon atoms, a typical microscopic structure of graphene.

Kim explained that the activation annealing temperature could be lowered by performing the ion implantation at an elevated temperature.

multi-layer graphene by varying the ambient pressure, ambient gas, temperature and time during the treatment.

as the graphene layer thickness can be determined precisely by controlling the dose of carbon ion implantation.""Our synthesis method is controllable and scalable,

allowing us to obtain graphene as large as the size of the silicon wafer over 300 millimeters in diameter,

and to control the thickness of the graphene for manufacturing production n


texte_agro-tech\www.nanowerk.com 2015 05029.txt.txt

#New study shows how nanoparticles can clean up environmental pollutants Many human-made pollutants in the environment resist degradation through natural processes,

and disrupt hormonal and other systems in mammals and other animals. Removing these toxic materials

In a new paper published this week in Nature Communications("Nanoparticles with photoinduced precipitation for the extraction of pollutants from water and soil),

"researchers from MIT and the Federal University of Goiás in Brazil demonstrate a novel method for using nanoparticles

Nanoparticles that lose their stability upon irradiation with light have been designed to extract endocrine disruptors, pesticides,

The system exploits the large surface-to-volume ratio of nanoparticles, while the photoinduced precipitation ensures nanomaterials are released not in the environment.

Ferdinand Brandl and Nicolas Bertrand, the two lead authors, are former postdocs in the laboratory of Robert Langer, the David H. Koch Institute Professor at MIT Koch Institute

They initially sought to develop nanoparticles that could be used to deliver drugs to cancer cells. Brandl had synthesized previously polymers that could be cleaved apart by exposure to UV LIGHT.

Nanoparticles made from these polymers have a hydrophobic core and a hydrophilic shell. Due to molecular-scale forces

in a solution hydrophobic pollutant molecules move toward the hydrophobic nanoparticles, and adsorb onto their surface,

If left alone, these nanomaterials would remain suspended and dispersed evenly in water. But when exposed to UV LIGHT,

The fundamental breakthrough, according to the researchers, was confirming that small molecules do indeed adsorb passively onto the surface of nanoparticles. o the best of our knowledge,

it is the first time that the interactions of small molecules with preformed nanoparticles can be measured directly,

we showed in a system that the adsorption of small molecules on the surface of the nanoparticles can be used for extraction of any kind,

as another example of a persistent pollutant that could potentially be remediated using these nanomaterials. nd for analytical applications where you don need as much volume to purify or concentrate,

The study also suggests the broader potential for adapting nanoscale drug-delivery techniques developed for use in environmental remediation. hat we can apply some of the highly sophisticated,

and an expert in nanoengineering for health care and medical applications. hen you think about field deployment,


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