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

In recent years, researchers have found that when certain materials are twisted at specific angles, they can bring out some remarkable properties. Now, a team of researchers has found that when two layers of graphene are twisted at an angle of less than 2 degrees, they have a very strong, and tunable, photoresponse in mid-infrared wavelength range. Compared with regular bilayer graphene that hasn’t been twisted, the photoresponse is more than 20 times stronger.

A team of researchers led by the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory has synthesized a tiny structure with high surface area and discovered how its unique architecture drives ions across interfaces to transport energy or information. The structure, called a nanobrush, contains bristles made of alternating crystal sheets with vertically aligned interfaces and many pores. The nanoscale bristles were made with a novel precision synthesis approach that controls atom diffusion and aggregation during the growth of thin-film materials.

A team of researchers led by the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory has synthesized a tiny structure with high surface area and discovered how its unique architecture drives ions across interfaces to transport energy or information. The structure, called a nanobrush, contains bristles made of alternating crystal sheets with vertically aligned interfaces and many pores. The nanoscale bristles were made with a novel precision synthesis approach that controls atom diffusion and aggregation during the growth of thin-film materials.

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati have found that using a nanovesicle (a nanotechnology drug-delivery system) that contains a combination of a cell protein and a phospholipid can selectively target pancreatic cancer cells while sparing unaffected cells and tissues. By using both animal models and human cancer cells, the researchers demonstrated that the nanovesicles inhibited tumor growth and could potentially increase survival of pancreatic cancer patients.

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati have found that using a nanovesicle (a nanotechnology drug-delivery system) that contains a combination of a cell protein and a phospholipid can selectively target pancreatic cancer cells while sparing unaffected cells and tissues. By using both animal models and human cancer cells, the researchers demonstrated that the nanovesicles inhibited tumor growth and could potentially increase survival of pancreatic cancer patients.

MIT researchers have developed a new way of making large sheets of high-quality, atomically thin graphene, which could lead to ultra-lightweight, flexible solar cells and new classes of light-emitting devices. The new manufacturing process should be relatively easy to scale up for industrial production and involves an intermediate “buffer” layer of material that is key to the technique’s success. The buffer allows the ultrathin graphene sheet to be easily lifted off from its substrate, allowing for rapid roll-to-roll manufacturing.

MIT researchers have developed a new way of making large sheets of high-quality, atomically thin graphene, which could lead to ultra-lightweight, flexible solar cells and new classes of light-emitting devices. The new manufacturing process should be relatively easy to scale up for industrial production and involves an intermediate “buffer” layer of material that is key to the technique’s success. The buffer allows the ultrathin graphene sheet to be easily lifted off from its substrate, allowing for rapid roll-to-roll manufacturing.

Taking inspiration from nature's nanotechnology, a University of Central Florida researcher is creating technology to make extremely low-power, ultra-high-definition displays and screens. Similar to how butterflies, octopuses, parrots, and beetles display color when light is scattered and reflected by nanoscale structures on their bodies, this new technology creates digital displays that are lit by surrounding light – unlike current display technologies, which rely on lights hidden behind screens.

Taking inspiration from nature's nanotechnology, a University of Central Florida researcher is creating technology to make extremely low-power, ultra-high-definition displays and screens. Similar to how butterflies, octopuses, parrots, and beetles display color when light is scattered and reflected by nanoscale structures on their bodies, this new technology creates digital displays that are lit by surrounding light – unlike current display technologies, which rely on lights hidden behind screens.

Researchers from the University of Houston and Texas A&M University have reported a structural supercapacitor electrode made from reduced graphene oxide and aramid nanofiber that is stronger and more versatile than conventional carbon-based electrodes. Reduced graphene oxide and aramid nanofiber have strong electrochemical and mechanical properties. The aramid nanofiber, in particular, offers a mechanical strength that increases the electrode's versatility for a variety of applications, including for the military.