Latest Nanocrystal Stories

[ Watch The Video Movie of 3D Image of a Gold Nanocrystal ] University College London The film, which was made using 3D imaging pioneered at the London Centre for Nanotechnology (LCN) at UCL, reveals important information about the composition of gold. The findings are published in the journal Science. Jesse Clark, from the LCN and lead author of the paper said: "Just as the sound quality of a musical instrument can provide great detail about its construction, so too can the...

Quantum dots are tiny nanocrystals with extraordinary optical and electrical properties with possible uses in dye production, bioimaging, and solar energy production. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have developed a way to introduce precisely four copper ions into each and every quantum dot. The introduction of these "guest" ions, called doping, opens up possibilities for fine-tuning the optical properties of the quantum dots and producing spectacular colors. "When...

University of Utah Nanocrystal semiconductor for photovoltaics, medical sensors, heat reuse University of Utah metallurgists used an old microwave oven to produce a nanocrystal semiconductor rapidly using cheap, abundant and less toxic metals than other semiconductors. They hope it will be used for more efficient photovoltaic solar cells and LED lights, biological sensors and systems to convert waste heat to electricity. Using microwaves "is a fast way to make these particles that...

When materials are stressed, they eventually change shape. Initially these changes are elastic, and reverse when the stress is relieved. When the material's strength is exceeded, the changes become permanent. This could result in the material breaking or shattering, but it could also re-shape the material, such as a hammer denting a piece of metal. Understanding this last group of changes is the focus of research from a team including Carnegie's Ho-kwang "Dave" Mao. Their breakthrough...

Michael Harper for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online Scientists have been finding ways to shrink electronic circuits ever since they were first invented. But no matter how small these circuits get, they’ve been largely confined to rigid surfaces, typically silicon. Now, one University of Pennsylvania team have set out to free the electronic circuit from its stiff and rigid existence and, just as many other researchers have been doing in recent years, they looked to...

New process developed at MIT could enable better LED displays, solar cells and biosensors — and foster basic physics research. Films made of semiconductor nanocrystals — tiny crystals measuring just a few billionths of a meter across — are seen as a promising new material for a wide range of applications. Nanocrystals could be used in electronic or photonic circuits, detectors for biomolecules, or the glowing pixels on high-resolution display screens. They also hold promise for more...

A new study by researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory may resolve the question over whether or not nanoparticles act as "artificial atoms" when forming molecular-type building blocks that can assemble into complex structures. The findings could also have implications for synthesizing new biomimetic materials for use in next-generation energy devices, the researchers said. Led by Haimei Zheng, a staff scientist in Berkeley Lab's Materials Sciences Division, the researchers...

Engineers at Brown University and QD Vision Inc. have created nanoscale single crystals that can produce the red, green, or blue laser light needed in digital displays. The size determines color, but all the pyramid-shaped quantum dots are made the same way of the same elements. In experiments, light amplification required much less power than previous attempts at the technology. The team’s prototypes are the first lasers of their kind. Red, green, and blue lasers have become small and...

Liquid solar cells are cheaper, more flexible than existing solar options Scientists at USC have developed a potential pathway to cheap, stable solar cells made from nanocrystals so small they can exist as a liquid ink and be painted or printed onto clear surfaces. The solar nanocrystals are about four nanometers in size — meaning you could fit more than 250,000,000,000 on the head of a pin — and float them in a liquid solution, so "like you print a newspaper, you can print solar...

Liquid solar cells are cheaper, more flexible than existing solar options Scientists at USC have developed a potential pathway to cheap, stable solar cells made from nanocrystals so small they can exist as a liquid ink and be painted or printed onto clear surfaces. The solar nanocrystals are about four nanometers in size — meaning you could fit more than 250,000,000,000 on the head of a pin — and float them in a liquid solution, so "like you print a newspaper, you can print solar...