Global News:

Nanotechnology aids large-area solar cell
eetimes.com December 31st, 2007 A scientist at Israel's Bar-Ilan University claims that he has managed to create a solar cell 100 times bigger than a typical solar cell, using nanotechnology methods. Professor Arie Zaban, head of Bar-Ilan University's Nanotechnology Institute, is an expert in photovoltaics. In a recently patented technique, Professor Zaban demonstrated how metallic wires mounted on conductive glass can form the basis of solar cells with efficiency similar to that of conventional, silicon-based cells, but that are much cheaper to produce. While Professor Zaban's earlier efforts produced photovoltaic cells one square centimeter in size, he has now achieved a cell measuring 10 centimeters by 10 centimeters, which he claimed would boost the technique's usefulness in producing commercial amounts of solar power. "Initially, we created linked arrays of very small cells, which led to a loss of efficiency because the sunlight hitting the space between the cells was not converted to electricity," Professor Zaban said. Professor Zaban said the cell is now a practical choice for solar energy production. "We've found a way to produce platinum nanodots tiny crystals measuring only a few nanometers in diameter," Professor Zaban said, adding that this highly reactive metal is an important part of his solar cell's operation. "Thanks to this technique now under consideration for a patent we reduce the amount of platinum needed by a factor of 40." In previous research, Professor Zaban developed a low-cost method of depositing semiconductor material in a

Model is first to compare performance of 'biosensors'
Purdue University January 2nd, 2008 Dimensionally Frustrated Diffusion Towards Fractal Adsorbers P. R. Nair and M. A. Alam Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907; Ph: (765) 494-9035 pnair@purdue.edu, alam@purdue.edu Diffusion toward a fractal adsorber is a well researched problem with many applications. While the steady-state flux toward such adsorbers is known to be characterized by the fractal dimension (DF) of the surface, the more general problem of time-dependent adsorption kinetics of fractal surfaces remains poorly understood. In this letter, we show that the time-dependent flux to fractal adsorbers (1<DF<2) style="TEXT-ALIGN: left" novelexperimentalmeasureofDFandanobviousroutetoimprovedsensordesign.>

Smaller is Stronger - Now Scientists Know Why
Berkeley Lab January 2nd, 2008 As structures made of metal get smaller — as their dimensions approach the micrometer scale (millionths of a meter) or less — they get stronger. Scientists discovered this phenomenon 50 years ago while measuring the strength of tin "whiskers" a few micrometers in diameter and a few millimeters in length. Many theories have been proposed to explain why smaller is stronger, but only recently has it become possible to see and record what's actually happening in tiny structures under stress.

Researchers developing solar technology that works at night
gizmag.com January 3rd, 2008 Idaho National Laboratory (INL) reports that research conducted in conjunction with partners at Microcontinuum Inc. (Cambridge, MA) and Patrick Pinhero of the University of Missouri is promising a method for developing cheap solar energy technology that could be imprinted on flexible materials and still draw energy after the sun has set. The technology uses a special manufacturing process to stamp tiny square spirals, or "nanoantennas", of conduction metal onto a sheet of plastic and the team estimates individual nanoantennas can absorb close to 80 percent of the available energy in comparison to current commercial solar panels which usually transform less that 20 percent of the usable energy that strikes them into electricity - this is even more impressive than the 30% conversion rate offered by the recently discussed development of nano flakes.

Helmet device helps gauge brain injuries
armytimes.com January 4th, 2008 For the first time, soldiers headed to combat will wear helmets rigged with tiny sensors for tracking bomb-related brain injuries. Beginning early next year, equipment officials plan to start attaching dosimeters, special devices that measure the forces soldiers are exposed to in an explosion, to the helmets they wear in Iraq and Afghanistan with the hope of better understanding the effects on the brain. Soldiers operating in Iraq and Afghanistan are routinely exposed to blasts from roadside bombs. Though many of those soldiers escape visible injury, medical experts increasingly are concerned about the long-term effects of mild head trauma. Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Richard Cody ordered the battlefield test of dosimeters after learning about the technology during a visit earlier this year to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's nanotechnology laboratory.

SOURCE: Forbes Newsletters [newsletters@forbes.com]

PICTURES: NANOTECH ART

http://gizmodo.com/339973/exploding-nano+wires-create-maybe-the-coolest-picture-weve-ever-seen

SCIENCE: 2007 NANOTECH DISCOVERIES

Nanowires and carbon nanotubes are proving valuable for generating and storing energy. Researchers have shown that nanowires can convert vibrations into electricity. Other nanowires can generate power from light. Carbon nanotubes could be useful for extracting more power from cheap solar-cell materials. Nanotechnology could also greatly improve batteries. MIT researchers made fibers out of viruses coated with functional materials. The fibers could lead to textiles that collect energy from the sun, convert it into electricity, and store it until it's needed.

http://www.technologyreview.com/Nanotech/19983/?nlid=784

COUNTRIES: ISRAEL

Israeli scientists have inscribed the entire Hebrew text of the Jewish Bible onto a space less than half the size of a grain of sugar. The nanotechnology experts at the Technion institute in Haifa say the book was etched on a surface that measures less than 0.01 square inch. They chose the Jewish Bible to highlight how vast quantities of information can be stored in minimum amounts of space.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,318072,00.html

APPLICATIONS: SENSORS

Scientists have created a nanoscale device that is capable of detecting one quadrillionth of a gram of biological matter, or about the size of certain viruses. In the future, the sensor may be able to detect influenza, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), bird flu, and other viruses.

http://www.physorg.com/news117374843.html

APPLICATIONS: SELF-CLEANING MATERIALS

Researchers have made materials that repel oil and are able to clean themselves without the help of soap and water. What's more, the researchers describe exactly how the materials work, which could help others design similar materials. This could lead to a range of applications, including fingerprint-shedding cell-phone displays. The researchers, from MIT and the Air Force Research Laboratory at Edwards Air Force Base, in CA, describe their results in the current issue of Science.

http://www.technologyreview.com/Nanotech/19839/?nlid=751

APPLICATIONS: ANTIMICROBIALS

Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a new way to seek out specific proteins, including dangerous proteins such as anthrax toxin, and render them harmless using nothing but light. The technique lends itself to the creation of new antibacterial and antimicrobial films to help curb the spread of germs, and also holds promise for new methods of seeking out and killing tumors in the human body.

http://www.physorg.com/news116513126.html

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