a blog by the NSF Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology
Remember all those great Black Friday deals on QLED televisions? You may not realize it, but they were all about nanotechnology! The Q in QLED stands for quantum dots, which are not only being used to enhance the displays of TVs, but also are used in solar cells, medical imaging, and sensing.1-3 However, the disposal …
Continue reading "Quantum Dots and Lipid Rafts: Analytical Chemistry Solves a Nanoscale Mystery"
Almost 4 years ago now (wow Iām getting old) I wrote a blog post about the Invisible Remnants of Dead Stuff Hiding in the Water called natural organic matter, or NOM. Well, some colleagues and I recently published a new paper entitled āNatural organic matter concentration impacts the interaction of functionalized diamond nanoparticles with model …
Continue reading "How Natural Organic Matter May Change How Nanoparticles Affect Bacteria"
If youāre anything like me, the holiday season is a time for relaxation, family, food, and of course football! If you turned on the television during the New Yearās Day weekend, Iām sure you found yourself with a choice of many different college football games to watch. Personally, I tuned in to watch the University …
Continue reading "Game Day Green: Sustainability in College Football"
Take a look around ā do you see a surface that looks a little bumpy?Ā Now close your eyes, reach out your hand, and feel that surface. Got an idea of what it feels like? Great! Now, could you use what youāve learned with your sense of touch to draw a picture of this bumpy …
Continue reading "The Atomic Force Microscope ā Probing to āSeeā at the Nanoscale"
co-authors: Mimi Hang & Marco Torelli The word mole is one of those crazy words that have multiple meanings that can sometimes lead to confusion.Ā Perhaps your first thought after hearing the word is a cute little animal that burrows in the ground.Ā Or maybe your mind jumps to the small growths on your chin.Ā …
Continue reading "Happy Mole Day from the CSN!"
Ready for a little test?Ā Try to list all of the things you can think of that are found in a river or lakeā¦ Iām sure you came up with things like fish, algae, dirt, plants, and many others.Ā But one thing found in these water bodies that you may not have thought of and …
Continue reading "Invisible Remnants of Dead Stuff Hiding in Water"
Take a look at your wrist.Ā Have you ever wonder what makes your watch tick with such precision?Ā What if I told you the same technology that causes your watch to work is also key to one of the most sensitive balances on the planet?Ā Sounds crazy right?! Well, I promise itās not crazy!Ā The …
Continue reading "One of the Most Sensitive Balances on the Planet ā Quartz Crystal Microbalance"
āHey do you guys want to see some fluorescent nanodiamond water?!ā I eagerly yelled out as two little boys walked by. Honestly, they probably had no idea what I was talking about, but they still excitedly wandered over. I handed them an ultraviolet flashlight and encouraged them to take a look underneath the black drape …
Continue reading "Kids Learn About Nanodiamonds and I Learn About Kids"
Sustainable Nano 