News from the NNI Community - Research Advances Funded by Agencies Participating in the NNI

Oil and water may not mix, but adding the right nanoparticles to the recipe can convert these two immiscible fluids into an exotic gel with uses ranging from batteries to water filters to tint-changing smart windows. Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the University of Delaware have found what appears to be a better way to create these gels, which have been an area of intense research focus for more than a decade.

Superconductors – materials that conduct electricity without resistance – provide a macroscopic glimpse into quantum phenomena, which are usually observable only at the atomic level. Superconductors are also found in medical imaging, quantum computers, and cameras used with telescopes. But superconducting devices are expensive to manufacture and are prone to err, due to environmental noise. That could change, thanks to research from engineers at MIT, who are developing a superconducting nanowire, which could enable more efficient superconducting electronics.

Superconductors – materials that conduct electricity without resistance – provide a macroscopic glimpse into quantum phenomena, which are usually observable only at the atomic level. Superconductors are also found in medical imaging, quantum computers, and cameras used with telescopes. But superconducting devices are expensive to manufacture and are prone to err, due to environmental noise. That could change, thanks to research from engineers at MIT, who are developing a superconducting nanowire, which could enable more efficient superconducting electronics.

Percutaneous coronary intervention, commonly known as angioplasty with a stent, opens clogged arteries and saves lives. Despite its benefit in treating atherosclerosis, this procedure still poses severe complications for some patients. Focused on tackling this treatment complication, researchers at the University of South Florida Health have recently developed a next-generation nanotherapy that consists of a nontoxic peptide and a synthetic messenger RNA (mRNA). The peptide and the mRNA spontaneously self-assemble into compacted nanoparticles that specifically target the injured regions of the arteries in mouse models mimicking angioplasty. The nanoparticles can also contain a microRNA switch, which can be added to the mRNA. The nanoparticles were injected into mice with arteries mimicking post-angioplasty vessel injury every three days for two weeks. Mice treated with the nanoparticles containing the microRNA switch completely restored endothelial cell growth in the injured artery, compared to animals treated with nanoparticles containing mRNA without the microRNA switch.

Percutaneous coronary intervention, commonly known as angioplasty with a stent, opens clogged arteries and saves lives. Despite its benefit in treating atherosclerosis, this procedure still poses severe complications for some patients. Focused on tackling this treatment complication, researchers at the University of South Florida Health have recently developed a next-generation nanotherapy that consists of a nontoxic peptide and a synthetic messenger RNA (mRNA). The peptide and the mRNA spontaneously self-assemble into compacted nanoparticles that specifically target the injured regions of the arteries in mouse models mimicking angioplasty. The nanoparticles can also contain a microRNA switch, which can be added to the mRNA. The nanoparticles were injected into mice with arteries mimicking post-angioplasty vessel injury every three days for two weeks. Mice treated with the nanoparticles containing the microRNA switch completely restored endothelial cell growth in the injured artery, compared to animals treated with nanoparticles containing mRNA without the microRNA switch.

Rice University researchers have created a "defective" nanoparticle-based catalyst that simplifies the generation of hydrogen peroxide from oxygen. The process shows promise to replace the complex anthraquinone-based production method that requires expensive catalysts and generates toxic organic byproducts and large amounts of wastewater. Hydrogen peroxide is widely used as a disinfectant, as well as in wastewater treatment, in the paper and pulp industries and for chemical oxidation.

Rice University researchers have created a "defective" nanoparticle-based catalyst that simplifies the generation of hydrogen peroxide from oxygen. The process shows promise to replace the complex anthraquinone-based production method that requires expensive catalysts and generates toxic organic byproducts and large amounts of wastewater. Hydrogen peroxide is widely used as a disinfectant, as well as in wastewater treatment, in the paper and pulp industries and for chemical oxidation.

Researchers at the University of California Santa Barbara have developed the first 3D-printable "bottlebrush" elastomer. The new material results in printed objects that have unusual softness and elasticity – mechanical properties that closely resemble those of human tissue. The key discovery involves the self-assembly of bottlebrush polymers (which have additional polymers attached to the linear backbone) at the nanometer length scale, which causes a solid-to-liquid transition in response to applied pressure.

Researchers at the University of California Santa Barbara have developed the first 3D-printable "bottlebrush" elastomer. The new material results in printed objects that have unusual softness and elasticity – mechanical properties that closely resemble those of human tissue. The key discovery involves the self-assembly of bottlebrush polymers (which have additional polymers attached to the linear backbone) at the nanometer length scale, which causes a solid-to-liquid transition in response to applied pressure.

Researchers at New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering and the New York Stem Cell Foundation Research Institute have created the exact replica of a bone by using a system that pairs biothermal imaging with a heated "nano-chisel." The researchers sculpted, in a biocompatible material, the exact structure of the bone tissue, with features as small as a few nanometers. They used a nanofabrication method that takes a "photograph" of the bone tissue and then uses the photograph to produce a bona fide replica of it.