News from the NNI Community - Research Advances Funded by Agencies Participating in the NNI

Typically, bioelectronics are created through a "top-down" approach, with the electronics already put together and made smaller to fit with a biological system. But researchers from the University of Chicago and Northwestern University have taken a "bottom-up" approach, in which small building blocks, called micelles, come together to form carbon-based bioelectronics. The small micelles come together to form very thin sheets that are nanoporous – covered with extremely tiny holes – and allow for more flexibility. 

Typically, bioelectronics are created through a "top-down" approach, with the electronics already put together and made smaller to fit with a biological system. But researchers from the University of Chicago and Northwestern University have taken a "bottom-up" approach, in which small building blocks, called micelles, come together to form carbon-based bioelectronics. The small micelles come together to form very thin sheets that are nanoporous – covered with extremely tiny holes – and allow for more flexibility. 

When sheets of two-dimensional nanomaterials, such as graphene, are stacked on top of each other, tiny gaps form between the sheets that have a wide variety of potential uses. Now, a team of researchers from Brown University has found a way to orient those gaps, called nanochannels, in a way that makes them more useful for filtering water and other liquids of nanoscale contaminants.

When sheets of two-dimensional nanomaterials, such as graphene, are stacked on top of each other, tiny gaps form between the sheets that have a wide variety of potential uses. Now, a team of researchers from Brown University has found a way to orient those gaps, called nanochannels, in a way that makes them more useful for filtering water and other liquids of nanoscale contaminants.

A promising technique for single-molecule imaging is surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). By focusing a laser beam on a sample, SERS detects changes in molecules based upon how they scatter light and can identify specific molecules through their unique Raman spectra. Now, engineers from Johns Hopkins University have created a novel nanomaterial that enables fast and highly sensitive single-molecule detection using SERS. Their invention could pave the way for rapid and more accurate diagnostic testing.

A promising technique for single-molecule imaging is surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). By focusing a laser beam on a sample, SERS detects changes in molecules based upon how they scatter light and can identify specific molecules through their unique Raman spectra. Now, engineers from Johns Hopkins University have created a novel nanomaterial that enables fast and highly sensitive single-molecule detection using SERS. Their invention could pave the way for rapid and more accurate diagnostic testing.

Individual carbon nanotubes are basically rolled-up tubes of graphene, which is one of the strongest known materials. But when bundled into nanotube fibers, the fibers are far weaker – about one-hundredth the strength of individual nanotubes. Now, researchers at Rice University have developed a computational model that establishes a universal scaling relationship between nanotube length and friction between them in a bundle – parameters that can be used to fine-tune the strength of carbon nanotube fibers. The model is a tool for scientists and engineers who develop conductive fibers for aerospace, automotive, medical, and textile applications.

Individual carbon nanotubes are basically rolled-up tubes of graphene, which is one of the strongest known materials. But when bundled into nanotube fibers, the fibers are far weaker – about one-hundredth the strength of individual nanotubes. Now, researchers at Rice University have developed a computational model that establishes a universal scaling relationship between nanotube length and friction between them in a bundle – parameters that can be used to fine-tune the strength of carbon nanotube fibers. The model is a tool for scientists and engineers who develop conductive fibers for aerospace, automotive, medical, and textile applications.

Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the University of Washington, and CUNY City College of New York have established a quantitative understanding of how nano-sized particles assemble and crystalize for a model system of semiconductor zinc oxide. This new understanding is important for using particles to design and synthesize materials with desired arrangements and shapes. It also helps scientists understand how minerals form in the earth and in biological systems and expands potential applications for zinc oxide.

Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the University of Washington, and CUNY City College of New York have established a quantitative understanding of how nano-sized particles assemble and crystalize for a model system of semiconductor zinc oxide. This new understanding is important for using particles to design and synthesize materials with desired arrangements and shapes. It also helps scientists understand how minerals form in the earth and in biological systems and expands potential applications for zinc oxide.