Tag Archives: nanoscale
Stanford scientists use nanotechnology to boost the performance of a key industrial catalyst
Nanoscale stretching or compressing significantly boosts the performance of ceria, a material widely used in catalytic converters and clean-energy technologies. A tiny amount of squeezing or stretching can produce a big boost in catalytic performance, according to
Nanoscale engineering of heterostructured anode materials for boosting lithium ion storage
Rechargeable lithium ion batteries (LIBs), as one of the most important electrochemical energy storage devices, currently provide the dominant power source for a range of devices including portable electronic devices and electric vehicles due to their high
New account of wetting phenomena at the nanoscale
Can you think of any very smooth surface in nature or in the man-made objects surrounding you? How about a glass window? Glass is smooth, right? very smooth? Well in reality standard glass substrates, and any other
A new phase change material for thermal energy storage
The technologies currently used to generate energy through renewable sources such as solar, wind and biomass are still characterized by high costs and insufficient continuity of generation. Such sources will therefore continue to have a secondary role
Transparent coatings and see-through materials from heating
Many modern technologies are based on materials that are deposited on special underlying materials. Optical coatings can prevent tarnishing, give anti-reflection benefits, and in some cases filter out harmful UV rays. In consumer devices, many modern optoelectronic
Compact, all-optical, Terahertz wave generator
Terahertz (THz) wave is a kind of invisible light that has the frequency of about 1012 Hz. THz wave can path through different materials with small absorption or reflection, therefore this kind of wave can be used
Gold “bowtie” coming into reality on two-dimensional MoS2 surface
“Bowtie’’, which is a type of necktie, is very popular in our daily life. In some formal meetings or parties, bowtie is the normal choice to make you look good. Actually, this kind of bowtie structures of
Surface plasmon effect detected in carbon nanodots
Surface plasmons (SPs) are coherent delocalized electron oscillations that exist at the interface between two materials where the real part of the dielectric has different sign across the interface, and they has versatile applications in many interesting fields, such as improving
How to design a plasmonic sensor more sensitive to the environment?
Noble metal nanoparticles (NPs) such as Au NPs and Ag NPs support localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs), which are the light-coupled coherent oscillations of free electrons confined within the NPs. The LSPRs, which are characterized by the
Elastic properties of the annular ligament of the human stapes
Stapes – the smallest bone in the human body. It is located in the middle-ear. It constantly vibrates transferring sound from the external word to the hearing organ. The vibrations are possible thanks to the extremely compliant
The thinner, the glassier
Polymers are a key component of our technologies. The diversity of uses and forms of these inexpensive materials is impressive: polymers are present in almost all the aspect of everyday life. Polymers are also intensively studied at
Scanning Microwave Microscopy: nanoscale imaging of material electrical properties using microwaves
In 1965 Gordon Moore estimated that the number of components on electronic chips would double every 2 years. This prediction has so far been respected. Today’s microprocessors included in our mobile phones and laptops use transistors on
