Research Highlights in 2008

Numerical simulations show that next-generation synchrotron sources could be used to rapidly analyse the atomic structure of a single carbon nanotube

Can electron tunnelling be used to drive nanoscale rotary motors?

Thin films of carbon nanotubes can be made into flexible loudspeakers that have no moving parts

Researchers across Europe have collaborated to identify the 'music' of different types of nanoparticles.

Calculations show that carbon nanotubes collapse progressively along their length when squeezed at one end, and could thereby eject a molecular 'bullet'

Artificial DNA nanostructures can be produced in large numbers using viruses and bacteria

Tiny hollow spheres made from cadmium sulphide nanocrystals can withstand incredibly high stresses and strains

A gold nanowire can act as an amplifying antenna for observing small molecular vibrations

Stimulated emission of surface plasmon polaritons is achieved by using structures with gold strips embedded inside erbium-doped phosphate glass

An atomic force microscope can be used to position individual atoms on a semiconductor surface at room temperature

Self-assembled monolayers show mobilities comparable to those of a single crystal, and make functional transistors and logical circuits

An array of random networks of single-walled carbon nanotubes coated with organic materials can diagnose lung cancer from breath samples

Carbon nanotubes can mimic the hairs on a gecko's feet to make strong but detachable adhesive materials

The size and charge of a nanoparticle can affect the type of protein that adsorb on its surface, possibly impacting the way these particles interact with living systems

The structural quality of metal nanocrystals can be assessed by watching how they vibrate

The fabrication of superconducting single-photon detectors on silicon substrates opens the possibility of integrating high-performance light detectors with low-cost silicon circuits

When pressurized in water, graphite oxide expands

Nitrogen defects in diamond are showing their potential for very-high-resolution magnetic sensing

Electrons confined in two-dimensional nanostructures can affect the colour of light emitted from a scanning tunnelling microscope junction