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

Scientists from Texas A&M University, Hewlett Packard Labs, and Stanford University have described a new nanodevice that acts almost identically to a brain cell. They have shown that these synthetic brain cells can be joined together to form intricate networks that can then solve problems in a brain-like manner. Also, the researchers have demonstrated proof of concept that their brain-inspired system can identify possible mutations in a virus, which is highly relevant for ensuring the efficacy of vaccines and medications for strains exhibiting genetic diversity.

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have developed a new method of 3D-printing gels and other soft materials that has the potential to create complex structures with nanometer-scale precision. So far, the method enabled the researchers to create gels with structures as small as 100 nanometers. Because many gels are compatible with living cells, the new method could jump-start the production of soft tiny medical devices, such as drug-delivery systems or flexible electrodes.

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have developed a new method of 3D-printing gels and other soft materials that has the potential to create complex structures with nanometer-scale precision. So far, the method enabled the researchers to create gels with structures as small as 100 nanometers. Because many gels are compatible with living cells, the new method could jump-start the production of soft tiny medical devices, such as drug-delivery systems or flexible electrodes.

Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles have created thermoelectric coolers that are only 100 nanometers thick. These coolers are made by sandwiching two different semiconductors between metalized plates. When heat is applied, one side becomes hot and the other remains cool; that temperature difference can be used to generate electricity. But that process can also be run in reverse: When an electrical current is applied to the device, one side becomes hot and the other cold, enabling it to serve as a cooler or refrigerator. 

Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles have created thermoelectric coolers that are only 100 nanometers thick. These coolers are made by sandwiching two different semiconductors between metalized plates. When heat is applied, one side becomes hot and the other remains cool; that temperature difference can be used to generate electricity. But that process can also be run in reverse: When an electrical current is applied to the device, one side becomes hot and the other cold, enabling it to serve as a cooler or refrigerator. 

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have used new techniques to create a composite that increases the electrical current capacity of copper wires, providing a new material that can be scaled for use in ultra-efficient, power-dense electric vehicle traction motors. The researchers deposited and aligned carbon nanotubes on flat copper substrates, resulting in a metal-matrix composite material with better current handling capacity and mechanical properties than copper alone. The research is aimed at reducing barriers to wider electric vehicle adoption.

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have used new techniques to create a composite that increases the electrical current capacity of copper wires, providing a new material that can be scaled for use in ultra-efficient, power-dense electric vehicle traction motors. The researchers deposited and aligned carbon nanotubes on flat copper substrates, resulting in a metal-matrix composite material with better current handling capacity and mechanical properties than copper alone. The research is aimed at reducing barriers to wider electric vehicle adoption.

Researchers at Rice University have shown that six-sided aluminum nanoparticles with sharply pointed corners had a reaction rate five times higher than nanocubes and 10 times higher than 14-sided nanocrystals. This study shows that a nanoparticle's shape not only affects how it interacts with light but also affects its ability to use light to catalyze chemical reactions. The work is part of an ongoing green chemistry effort by the researchers to develop commercially viable light-activated nanocatalysts that can insert energy into chemical reactions with surgical precision.

Researchers at Rice University have shown that six-sided aluminum nanoparticles with sharply pointed corners had a reaction rate five times higher than nanocubes and 10 times higher than 14-sided nanocrystals. This study shows that a nanoparticle's shape not only affects how it interacts with light but also affects its ability to use light to catalyze chemical reactions. The work is part of an ongoing green chemistry effort by the researchers to develop commercially viable light-activated nanocatalysts that can insert energy into chemical reactions with surgical precision.

Researchers at Arizona State University have described a method for examining proteins in keen detail by incorporating a phenomenon known as surface plasmon resonance into an innovative type of microscope and by using polystyrene nanoparticles, whose size was precisely controlled. While surface plasmon resonance has been a powerful technique for investigating interactions of bacteria and viruses, the study marks the first occasion when this technique has successfully been used to image single molecules, in this case, proteins.