Research Highlights

Measuring the strength of silicon nanobeams indicates the importance of surface roughness in determining failure due to fracture

Gold nanodisk arrays demonstrate surface-enhanced Raman scattering intensities that depend on disk thickness and gap size

Shining light on carbon nanotube FETs coated with photoactive porphyrin molecules changes their conductance properties

‘Self-catalytic’ metal–organic chemical vapour deposition brings high-quality indium nitride nanoflowers into bloom

A nanotube resonator is capable of detecting mass with exquisite resolution

The formation of a porous molecular honeycomb film is controlled by a delicate balance of forces

Putting carbon nanotubes under stress at high temperatures reveals that deformation occurs through the motion of kinks

Pore size and film thickness of nanoporous polymeric materials can be effectively controlled for better anti-reflective properties

The conductance of a molecule containing two rings of carbon atoms changes when one ring is twisted relative to the other

A pair of edge-sharing pentagons in a filled fullerene cage proves that rules are made to be broken

The in-situ formation of iron nanoparticles in carbon produces highly adsorbent materials that are easily manipulated with magnets

Aligned multiwalled carbon nanotube yarns can be used to make high-current density field emitters

The number of electrons on a superconductor-quantum dot device controls the sign of the superconducting current

Well-organized display of growth factors on self-assembling nanofibres can effectively promote blood vessel growth

Alloying the core and shell of a nanocrystal may lead to better green-emitting quantum dots for television display LEDs

The controlled oxidation of iron nanoparticles gives stable core–shell structures that can be dispersed in water

Critical-energy electron-beam lithography improves patterning of sub-100-nm features on insulating substrates

A scalable process for the production of gallium nitride nanowires will enable this material to realize its full potential

Filling virus capsules with quantum dots leads to strongly luminescent particles that could be used as biological probes

A thin alumina layer is all you need to measure small quantities of anthrax spores using SERS-based sensors