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The properties of nanoparticles usually differ significantly from those of the material from which they are formed. New evidence for the existence of ultrastable, size-selected CdSe nanoclusters opens new opportunities for taking advantage of these properties in the synthesis of 'cluster-assembled materials'.
A non-contact atomic force microscopy technique and a new model offer the solution to an old question. Why are microdroplets more wetting than macrodroplets? The answer lies on the surface.
Ferroelectric materials promise computer memories with the speed of random access memories and the permanence of hard discs. But how will the microstructure of these materials influence the ultimate performance of ferroelectric memories?
Whatever you are trying to make, the choice of materials is often bewildering. Novel combinatorial approaches allow you to reduce the time and costs necessary to optimize results, while stimulating the quest for deeper fundamental knowledge.
Optical fibres: great for long-haul telecommunications, but can the same concept be used to 'conduct' light on the microscopic scale? Recent research would indicate not only that we can, but that it is a superior solution.