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IMAGE: A comparison of how linear PEG (left) and cyclic PEG (right) attach to a gold nanoparticle (Yubo Wang, Takuya Yamamoto). view more
Credit: Yubo Wang, Takuya Yamamoto
Hokkaido University scientists have found a way to prevent gold nanoparticles from clumping, which could help towards their use as an anti-cancer therapy.
Attaching ring-shaped synthetic compounds to gold nanoparticles helps them retain their essential light-absorbing properties, Hokkaido University researchers report in the journal
Nature Communications.
Metal nanoparticles have unique light-absorbing properties, making them interesting for a wide range of optical, electronic and biomedical applications. For example, if delivered to a tumour, they could react with applied light to kill cancerous tissue. A problem with this approach, though, is that they easily clump together in solution, losing their ability to absorb light. This clumping happens in response to a variety of factors, inc
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A grant of approx. DKK 21 million (EUR 2.8 million) from the EU framework programme for research and innovation, Horizon 2020 will help a research team from the Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering at Aarhus University to lead a global collaboration aiming to develop new technologies to produce green ammonia.
In terms of volume, ammonia is today one of the ten most important chemicals manufactured globally. The substance is primarily used in the production of fertilisers for modern agriculture, but has lately been envisaged as an opportunity to reduce carbon footprint for other industries, for instance the marine sector.
However, ammonia production is currently far from sustainable and carbon-free. The primary method of producing the annual approx. 235 million tonnes of ammonia used the world over is the Haber-Bosch process, which was invented more than 100 years ago.
Credit: Video credit belongs to the American Chemical Society.
Robots are widely used to build cars, paint airplanes and sew clothing in factories, but the assembly of microscopic components, such as those for biomedical applications, has not yet been automated. Lasers could be the solution. Now, researchers reporting in
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces have used lasers to create miniature robots from bubbles that lift, drop and manipulate small pieces into interconnected structures. Watch a video of the bubble microrobots in action here.
As manufacturing has miniaturized, objects are now being constructed that are only a few hundred micrometers long, or about the thickness of a sheet of paper. But it is hard to position such small pieces by hand. In previous studies, scientists created microscopic bubbles using light or sound to assemble 2D items. Also, in a recent experiment, microbubbles produced by lasers, focused and powerful beams of light, could rotate shapes in 3D space
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The liquid electrolytes in flow batteries provide a bridge to help carry electrons into electrodes, and that changes how chemical engineers think about efficiency.
The way to boost electron transfer in grid-scale batteries is different than researchers had believed, a new study from the University of Michigan has shown.
The findings are a step toward being able to store renewable energy more efficiently.
As governments and utilities around the world roll out intermittent renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, we remain reliant on coal, natural gas and nuclear power plants to provide energy when the wind isn t blowing and the sun isn t shining. Grid-scale flow batteries are one proposed solution, storing energy for later use. But because they aren t very efficient, they need to be large and expensive.
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Scientists from an international collaboration have found evidence of alpha particles at the surface of neutron-rich heavy nuclei, providing new insights into the structure of neutron stars, as well as the process of alpha decay.
Neutron stars are amongst the most mysterious objects in our universe. They contain extremely dense matter that is radically different from the ordinary matter surrounding us being composed almost entirely of neutrons rather than atoms. However, in the nucleus at the center of normal atoms, matter exists at similar densities. Understanding the nature of matter at such extremes is important for our understanding of neutron stars, as well as the beginning, workings, and final fate of the universe, says Junki Tanaka, one of the leaders of the study.