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

MIT engineers have developed a way to closely track how plants respond to stresses – such as injury, infection, and light damage – using sensors made of carbon nanotubes. These sensors can be embedded in plant leaves, where they report on hydrogen peroxide signaling waves. Plants use hydrogen peroxide to communicate within their leaves, sending out a distress signal that stimulates leaf cells to produce compounds that help them repair damage or fend off insects.

A collaboration of scientists from the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II)—a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science user facility at DOE’s Brookhaven National Laboratory—Yale University, and Arizona State University has designed and tested a new two-dimensional catalyst that can be used to improve water purification using hydrogen peroxide. So far, scientists have struggled to improve the efficiency of the process through catalysis because each part of the reaction needs its own catalyst—called a co-catalyst—and the co-catalysts can’t be next to each other. The team presented the design for the new two-dimensional catalyst, in which two co-catalysts are in two different locations on a thin nanosheet. One of the co-catalysts—a single cobalt atom—sits in the center of the sheet, whereas the other one, a molecule called anthraquinone, is placed around the edges.

A collaboration of scientists from the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II)—a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science user facility at DOE’s Brookhaven National Laboratory—Yale University, and Arizona State University has designed and tested a new two-dimensional catalyst that can be used to improve water purification using hydrogen peroxide. So far, scientists have struggled to improve the efficiency of the process through catalysis because each part of the reaction needs its own catalyst—called a co-catalyst—and the co-catalysts can’t be next to each other. The team presented the design for the new two-dimensional catalyst, in which two co-catalysts are in two different locations on a thin nanosheet. One of the co-catalysts—a single cobalt atom—sits in the center of the sheet, whereas the other one, a molecule called anthraquinone, is placed around the edges.

Researchers have shown that polymers filled with carbon nanotubes could potentially improve how unmanned vehicles dissipate energy.

Researchers have shown that polymers filled with carbon nanotubes could potentially improve how unmanned vehicles dissipate energy.

Researchers have shown that the chemical compounds that coat cicada wings contribute to their ability to repel water and kill microbes. Previous studies have shown that cicadas have a highly ordered pattern of tiny pillars, called nanopillars, on their wings. The new study revealed that cicada wings are coated in hydrocarbons, fatty acids, and oxygen-containing molecules. The oxygen-containing molecules were most abundant deep in the nanopillars, while hydrocarbons and fatty acids made up more of the outermost nanopillar layers. The study also revealed that altering these surface chemicals changed the nanopillar structure and the wings' wettability and anti-microbial characteristics.

Researchers have shown that the chemical compounds that coat cicada wings contribute to their ability to repel water and kill microbes. Previous studies have shown that cicadas have a highly ordered pattern of tiny pillars, called nanopillars, on their wings. The new study revealed that cicada wings are coated in hydrocarbons, fatty acids, and oxygen-containing molecules. The oxygen-containing molecules were most abundant deep in the nanopillars, while hydrocarbons and fatty acids made up more of the outermost nanopillar layers. The study also revealed that altering these surface chemicals changed the nanopillar structure and the wings' wettability and anti-microbial characteristics.

Researchers at the University of California, Irvine and other institutions have architecturally designed nanometer-sized carbon structures called plate nanolattices that are stronger than diamonds (as a ratio of strength to density). The researchers showed that their design improved the average performance of cylindrical beam-based architectures by up to 639 percent in strength and 522 percent in rigidity. Nanolattices hold great promise for structural engineers, particularly in aerospace, because it is hoped that their combination of strength and low mass density will greatly enhance aircraft and spacecraft performance.

Researchers at the University of California, Irvine and other institutions have architecturally designed nanometer-sized carbon structures called plate nanolattices that are stronger than diamonds (as a ratio of strength to density). The researchers showed that their design improved the average performance of cylindrical beam-based architectures by up to 639 percent in strength and 522 percent in rigidity. Nanolattices hold great promise for structural engineers, particularly in aerospace, because it is hoped that their combination of strength and low mass density will greatly enhance aircraft and spacecraft performance.

Abnormal levels of stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, are linked to a variety of mental health disorders, including depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). MIT researchers have now devised a way to remotely control the release of these hormones from the adrenal gland, using magnetic nanoparticles. The researchers plan to use this approach to study how hormone release affects PTSD and other disorders, and they say that it could be adapted for treating such disorders.