Nanotubes keep rolling on - p465

doi:10.1038/nnano.2009.206

From single-electron physics and DNA-based sorting techniques to efforts to improve the performance of atomic force microscopes, carbon nanotubes are still at the forefront of research in many areas of nanoscience and technology.

Full Text - Nanotubes keep rolling on | PDF (82 KB) - Nanotubes keep rolling on

Subject Category: Carbon nanotubes and fullerenes

Essential features for proactive risk management - pp467 - 470

Vladimir Murashov & John Howard

doi:10.1038/nnano.2009.205

We propose a proactive approach to the management of occupational health risks in emerging technologies based on six features: qualitative risk assessment; the ability to adapt strategies and refine requirements; an appropriate level of precaution; global applicability; the ability to elicit voluntary cooperation by companies; and stakeholder involvement.

Full Text - Essential features for proactive risk management | PDF (145 KB) - Essential features for proactive risk management

Subject Categories: Education and research | Environmental, health and safety issues

Designs for living - p471

Richard Jones

doi:10.1038/nnano.2009.208

Interactions between scientists and artists or designers can be beneficial for both sides and, as Richard Jones reports, offer intriguing glimpses of the future.

Full Text - Designs for living | PDF (116 KB) - Designs for living

Subject Categories: Nanomaterials | Ethical, legal and other societal issues

Our choice from the recent literature - pp472 - 473

doi:10.1038/nnano.2009.209

Full Text - Our choice from the recent literature | PDF (160 KB) - Our choice from the recent literature

Top down bottom up: East meets northwest - p473

doi:10.1038/nnano.2009.210

Nanodiamonds allow insoluble drugs to be dispersed in water.

Full Text - Top down bottom upEast meets northwest | PDF (112 KB) - Top down bottom upEast meets northwest

Subject Category: Nanomedicine

Nanoelectronics: From droplets to devices - pp475 - 476

Daniel Vanmaekelbergh

doi:10.1038/nnano.2009.216

Single-electron behaviour has been observed in devices that can be made by simply trapping gold nanoparticles between two droplets of liquid metal.

Full Text - NanoelectronicsFrom droplets to devices | PDF (121 KB) - NanoelectronicsFrom droplets to devices

Subject Categories: Electronic properties and devices | Molecular self-assembly

Scanning tunnelling microscopy: A DNA sequence scanned - pp476 - 477

Danny Porath

doi:10.1038/nnano.2009.212

The scanning tunnelling microscope can image and distinguish individual bases in DNA molecules, thus allowing partial sequencing of the strands.

Full Text - Scanning tunnelling microscopyA DNA sequence scanned | PDF (185 KB) - Scanning tunnelling microscopyA DNA sequence scanned

Subject Categories: Nanobiotechnology | Surface patterning and imaging

Force microscopy: On the charge - pp477 - 478

Udo D. Schwarz

doi:10.1038/nnano.2009.215

The atomic force microscope has recently been the subject of a series of exciting developments. The latest advance shows that this instrument can measure the charge state of an individual atom.

Full Text - Force microscopyOn the charge | PDF (255 KB) - Force microscopyOn the charge

Subject Category: Surface patterning and imaging

Microwave sources: Spin-torque oscillators get in phase - pp479 - 480

Andrei Slavin

doi:10.1038/nnano.2009.213

The synchronization of four magnetic vortices without the use of a magnetic field has brought nanoscale microwave oscillators one step closer to fruition.

Full Text - Microwave sourcesSpin-torque oscillators get in phase | PDF (125 KB) - Microwave sourcesSpin-torque oscillators get in phase

Subject Category: Nanomagnetism and spintronics

Diamond nanostructures: Isotopes for nanoelectronic devices - pp480 - 481

Kohei Itoh

doi:10.1038/nnano.2009.214

Charge carriers have been confined by exploiting the small difference between the bandgap energies of the two naturally occurring stable isotopes of carbon.

Full Text - Diamond nanostructuresIsotopes for nanoelectronic devices | PDF (211 KB) - Diamond nanostructuresIsotopes for nanoelectronic devices

Subject Categories: Electronic properties and devices | Nanomaterials

Carbon nanotubes: Sorted by DNA - p481

Tim Reid

doi:10.1038/nnano.2009.204

Full Text - Carbon nanotubesSorted by DNA | PDF (201 KB) - Carbon nanotubesSorted by DNA

Subject Category: Carbon nanotubes and fullerenes

Carbon nanotube tips for atomic force microscopy - pp483 - 491

Neil R. Wilson & Julie V. Macpherson

doi:10.1038/nnano.2009.154

Carbon nanotubes have demonstrated considerable potential as tips for atomic force microscopy (AFM), but they are still not widely used. This article reviews the history and applications of nanotube–based AFM tips, and reports on research to improve their performance.

Abstract - Carbon nanotube tips for atomic force microscopy | Full Text - Carbon nanotube tips for atomic force microscopy | PDF (597 KB) - Carbon nanotube tips for atomic force microscopy

Subject Categories: Carbon nanotubes and fullerenes | Surface patterning and imaging

Damping of acoustic vibrations in gold nanoparticles - pp492 - 495

Matthew Pelton, John E. Sader, Julien Burgin, Mingzhao Liu, Philippe Guyot-Sionnest & David Gosztola

doi:10.1038/nnano.2009.192

Experiments on nanoparticles with highly uniform sizes show how acoustic vibrations are damped through a combination of intrinsic and viscous damping by the surrounding fluid.

Abstract - Damping of acoustic vibrations in gold nanoparticles | Full Text - Damping of acoustic vibrations in gold nanoparticles | PDF (1,527 KB) - Damping of acoustic vibrations in gold nanoparticles | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Nanoparticles | Structural properties

Optical nanocrystallography with tip-enhanced phonon Raman spectroscopy - pp496 - 499

Samuel Berweger, Catalin C. Neacsu, Yuanbing Mao, Hongjun Zhou, Stanislaus S. Wong & Markus B. Raschke

doi:10.1038/nnano.2009.190

Tip-enhanced phonon Raman spectroscopy can identify intrinsic ferroelectric domains of individual barium titanate nanocrystals.

Abstract - Optical nanocrystallography with tip-enhanced phonon Raman spectroscopy | Full Text - Optical nanocrystallography with tip-enhanced phonon Raman spectroscopy | PDF (909 KB) - Optical nanocrystallography with tip-enhanced phonon Raman spectroscopy | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Nanometrology and instrumentation | Structural properties

Structural transformations in graphene studied with high spatial and temporal resolution - pp500 - 504

Jamie H. Warner, Mark H. Rümmeli, Ling Ge, Thomas Gemming, Barbara Montanari, Nicholas M. Harrison, Bernd Büchner & G. Andrew D. Briggs

doi:10.1038/nnano.2009.194

A variety of structural changes in few-layer graphene samples can be followed with atomic resolution in real time by using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy.

Abstract - Structural transformations in graphene studied with high spatial and temporal resolution | Full Text - Structural transformations in graphene studied with high spatial and temporal resolution | PDF (10,046 KB) - Structural transformations in graphene studied with high spatial and temporal resolution | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Structural properties | Surface patterning and imaging

Measurement of the quantum capacitance of graphene - pp505 - 509

Jilin Xia, Fang Chen, Jinghong Li & Nongjian Tao

doi:10.1038/nnano.2009.177

Electrochemical measurements show that the quantum capacitance of graphene is influenced by scattering from charged impurities, and also suggest that a longstanding puzzle about the interfacial capacitance in carbon-based electrodes has a quantum origin.

Abstract - Measurement of the quantum capacitance of graphene | Full Text - Measurement of the quantum capacitance of graphene | PDF (896 KB) - Measurement of the quantum capacitance of graphene | Supplementary information

Subject Category: Electronic properties and devices

Tunable optical forces between nanophotonic waveguides - pp510 - 513

Joris Roels, Iwijn De Vlaminck, Liesbet Lagae, Bjorn Maes, Dries Van Thourhout & Roel Baets

doi:10.1038/nnano.2009.186

The optical-gradient force between two nanophotonic waveguides can be tuned from attractive to repulsive by controlling the relative phase of the optical fields injected into the waveguides.

Abstract - Tunable optical forces between nanophotonic waveguides | Full Text - Tunable optical forces between nanophotonic waveguides | PDF (507 KB) - Tunable optical forces between nanophotonic waveguides | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: NEMS | Photonic structures and devices

Determination of protein structural flexibility by microsecond force spectroscopy - pp514 - 517

Mingdong Dong, Sudhir Husale & Ozgur Sahin

doi:10.1038/nnano.2009.156

The flexibility of biomolecules at the microsecond timescale can be monitored under physiologically relevant conditions and with high spatial resolution using a technique based on atomic force microscopy.

Abstract - Determination of protein structural flexibility by microsecond force spectroscopy | Full Text - Determination of protein structural flexibility by microsecond force spectroscopy | PDF (1,380 KB) - Determination of protein structural flexibility by microsecond force spectroscopy | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Nanobiotechnology | Nanometrology and instrumentation

Partial sequencing of a single DNA molecule with a scanning tunnelling microscope - pp518 - 522

Hiroyuki Tanaka & Tomoji Kawai

doi:10.1038/nnano.2009.155

It is possible to sequence individual guanine bases in long-chain DNA molecules using a scanning tunnelling microscope by exploiting a distinct electronic state in the base molecule.

Abstract - Partial sequencing of a single DNA molecule with a scanning tunnelling microscope | Full Text - Partial sequencing of a single DNA molecule with a scanning tunnelling microscope | PDF (3,341 KB) - Partial sequencing of a single DNA molecule with a scanning tunnelling microscope | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Nanobiotechnology | Surface patterning and imaging

See also: News and Views by Porath

Evidence of intrinsic ferromagnetism in individual dilute magnetic semiconducting nanostructures - pp523 - 527

Z. H. Zhang, Xuefeng Wang, J. B. Xu, S. Muller, C. Ronning & Quan Li

doi:10.1038/nnano.2009.181

Individual zinc oxide nanoparticles are shown to be intrinsically ferromagnetic when they are doped with cobalt, which should prove useful in spintronics and other applications.

Abstract - Evidence of intrinsic ferromagnetism in individual dilute magnetic semiconducting nanostructures | Full Text - Evidence of intrinsic ferromagnetism in individual dilute magnetic semiconducting nanostructures | PDF (469 KB) - Evidence of intrinsic ferromagnetism in individual dilute magnetic semiconducting nanostructures | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Nanomagnetism and spintronics | Nanoparticles

Phase-locking of magnetic vortices mediated by antivortices - pp528 - 532

A. Ruotolo, V. Cros, B. Georges, A. Dussaux, J. Grollier, C. Deranlot, R. Guillemet, K. Bouzehouane, S. Fusil & A. Fert

doi:10.1038/nnano.2009.143

A magnetic vortex can be made to gyrate by a d.c. spin-polarized current. Researchers have now demonstrated the synchronization of four magnetic vortices through their interaction with antivortices. This work could lead to improved nanoscale microwave oscillators and a new way to study the behaviour of interacting solitons.

Abstract - Phase-locking of magnetic vortices mediated by antivortices | Full Text - Phase-locking of magnetic vortices mediated by antivortices | PDF (704 KB) - Phase-locking of magnetic vortices mediated by antivortices | Supplementary information

Subject Category: Nanomagnetism and spintronics

See also: News and Views by Slavin