Volume 10 Issue 9, September 2015

If emerging technologies such as nanotechnology are to reach their full potential we need to radically change our approach to risk, argues Andrew D. Maynard.

DNA origami nanostructures of unprecedented complexity can be created by finding a DNA strand path through wireframe shapes using an approach based on graph theory.

Arrays of CMOS nanocapacitors, which can operate at high frequencies, can be used to sense beyond the Debye screening length.

The propagation direction of surface plasmon wakes can be controlled by exciting a series of dipoles with different phases along a one-dimensional metamaterial.

Low dimensionality in NbSe₂ layers enhances the critical temperature for the onset of charge density wave order, up to a temperature of 145 K in the monolayer limit.

Characterization of a microdisk resonator suggests that it could be used for ultrasensitive mass detection in biological environments.

This Perspective reviews the molecular, cellular and organismal response pathways that nucleic acid nanodevices are likely to interact with when deployed in living systems, and outlines ways to design nanodevices that either evade or react to the host response.

This article reviews recent progress in the development of cellular DNA nanotechnology, highlighting key potential applications such as DNA-based imaging probes, smart therapeutics, and drug delivery systems.

Heterostructures of graphene and a superconducting metal allow Josephson junctions to be studied in a regime characterized by ballistic transport.

Enhanced electron–phonon interactions in mono- and few-layer NbSe₂ result in a significantly increased transition temperature of charge density waves compared with values in the bulk.

Temporal and spectral control of hot electron decay can be achieved using specific plasmonic nanostructures.

The direction of a single photon emitted from a quantum emitter, and its coupling to a photon waveguide, can be controlled by the helicity of the optical transition.

A design approach for engineering wireframe DNA nanostructures, in which each vertex and line segment can be individually controlled, can be used to fabricate complex structures including quasicrystalline two-dimensional patterns and reconfigurable three-dimensional Archimedean solids.

Gas transport through discrete ångström-sized pores in monolayer graphene can be controlled using gold clusters formed on the surface of the graphene, which can migrate and partially block a pore.

High-frequency impedance spectroscopy using CMOS nanocapacitor arrays allows microparticles and living cells to be imaged in real time under physiological salt conditions.

A monolithic heterostructure nanosheet composed of a ZnCdSSe multi-segment quaternary alloy can simultaneously emit laser light in the red, green and blue.

Surface plasmon wakes can be created and steered using a one-dimensional metamaterial consisting of rotated nanoslits in which the phase velocity of a running wave of polarization propagates faster than the phase velocity of the surface plasmons.

Miniature optomechanical disks could be used as ultrafast and ultrasensitive fluidic sensors due to the combination of their high-frequency vibrations, small mass and low dissipation in liquids.

Biodegradable lignin nanoparticles infused with minimal amounts of silver ions and coated with a cationic polyelectrolyte show short-term broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, offering an environmentally friendly alternative to metallic silver nanoparticles.

Developing soft skills can be an important part of a successful academic career. Elisa De Ranieri shares her views on how students can hone theirs.