Governments, companies and academic institutions around the globe are working on the nanoscale—billionths of a meter—in order to develop high-performance materials, devices and systems. Indeed, nanotechnology—a broad field of science in which individual atoms and molecules are manipulated to construct useful things—is generating breakthroughs at a breakneck speed around the world. Here's a small sampling:

Better than Conventional Fibers?

Scientists in England have beaten the world record of 20 centimeters for the longest rope made out of carbon nanotubes—microscopic strands of carbon that have amazing properties. In fact, the fibers they have manufactured can be fashioned into any length.

To make these ropes, Alan H. Windle and his colleagues at the University of Cambridge devised a fabrication method that can be likened to spooling yarn out of a ball of wool. The research team heated a carbon mixture in a furnace, where it turned into a jumble of hollow carbon pipes. They then pulled fibers out of the furnace by wrapping them around a rotating rod. While the fibers possess properties that are on par with traditionally produced textile fibers, Windle hopes that their characteristics can be enhanced through modifications to the process. "If this new fiber can challenge conventional high-performance fibers for properties, its vastly simpler method of production will commend it on both cost and environmental grounds," the researchers write in a report published online by the journal Science.

Just like Velcro

Scientists from the University of Michigan, Purdue University and the University of Vigo in Spain have formed "bristled nano-centipedes." The structures could lead to the development of a Velcro-like material at the nanoscale. They are made up of a bristled silica coating on a cadmium tellurium nanowire core.

"We were initially dumbfounded by the formation of the centipedes," Nick Kotov of the University of Michigan tells nanotechweb.org. "The topology of the nanowires is very interesting—it could be exceptionally useful for the design of optically active and remarkably strong nanocomposites, due to the 'Velcro' effect." Additionally, the structures could be used for sensor applications. The researchers' work was featured in Nano Letters.

Nanocomposite Coating Process

A consortium of technical institutes and European technology firms has developed a nanocomposite coating process that could transform food packaging. The method enables wrapping to interact with food to lower oxygen levels or to augment flavorings and preservatives. The innovation could give European companies a head start in the budding market of active food packaging.

While anti-microbial packaging materials represent an active food packaging application with great potential, there are only a few products on the market today. This is because it's hard to cost-efficiently manufacture a safe and effective packaging material. Manufacturers are trying to address this problem by integrating anti-microbial agents directly into the packaging film—the approach the consortium is taking. "The output of the project should be high-performance barrier coatings for food and display applications," project coordinator Dr. Sabine Paulussen of Vito, the Flemish institute for technological research in Belgium, tells BakeryAndSnacks.com. Along with Vito, the consortium includes Dutch firm Philips and Italian company Ferrania, among others.

Nanoparticle Production Goes "Green"

Scientists at the University of North Carolina have produced silver nanoparticles using a completely eco-friendly approach. They relied on water, a reducing sugar and a starch instead of more environmentally unsafe chemicals such as organic solvents.

According to researcher Scott Wallen, their work represents the first time that nanoparticles have been made utilizing the principles of "green" chemistry. "This approach provides a simple, robust means of producing nanoparticles that could be transferred to biological systems, used as water-soluble pharmaceuticals and, potentially, as sensor materials," he notes. The particles they produced were similar in size (most were smaller than 10 nanometers) and polydispersity to those produced with conventional methods. The researchers published their work in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Sources:

Lengthy Nanotube Fibers Could Trump Traditional Textiles
Scientific American, March 15, 2004
www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa003&articleID=00069535-2EF9-1052-AEF983414B7F0000

'Centipedes' Could Lead to Nano-Velcro
Liz Kalaugher
nanotechweb.org, January 21, 2004
nanotechweb.org/articles/news/3/1/5/1

Coating Process Could Revolutionise Food Packaging
BakeryAndSnacks.com, March 3, 2004
www.bakeryandsnacks.com/news/printnews-NG.asp?id=50325

Green Technique Makes Silver Nanoparticles
Liz Kalaugher
nanotechweb.org, January 12, 2004
nanotechweb.org/articles/news/3/1/1/1