a blog by the NSF Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology
The size of the materials in nanotechnology is one of the most important factors that power and define the properties of the nanomaterials. But there are many different techniques for measuring that size, and depending on the measurement methods, the results may vary! It doesn’t mean the actual lengths or diameters of the materials change: …
Continue reading "How do we measure the size of nanoparticles in a solution?"
For the first post that I wrote for the blog 2 years ago, I discussed some of the cool things that focused, high intensity light from a laser can do. For example, under the right circumstances laser light can change color (wavelength) when passing through certain materials. We use this cool phenomenon, called frequency doubling, …
Continue reading "Light Can Do Way More Than Bend: Part 2"
This post is written by Anna Bisaro and originally appeared on Medill Reports, a project of Northwestern University graduate journalism students. Sustainability. The magic word that rings with the promises of a better world and cost savings. People want to create clean energy, recycle wastes and eat locally-grown food, all in the quest for sustainability. …
Continue reading "Scientists work to prevent a nano-crisis"
You’ve heard about how lasers work, but what does this mean for science?! We see everyday how light interacts with matter. Ever wonder how a rainbow is formed? Or why your straw looks bent or even broken when it is placed in a cup of water? Both of these phenomena have to do with light …
Continue reading "Laser Science. Light Can Do Way More Than Just Bend"
Nanodiamonds are far too small to be seen by the naked eye, but everything changes if you make them glow! We at the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology have developed a new way to make nanodiamonds absorb and then release light—a property known as fluorescence (see this explainer post). I just made these fluorescent nanodiamonds and …
Continue reading "Fluorescent Nanodiamonds – the movie!"
When Luke Skywalker receives his father’s lightsaber from Obi Wan in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, he learns that it is “not as random or clumsy as a blaster; an elegant weapon for a more civilized age.” Here at our Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology, we don’t work with weapons, no matter how sophisticated …
Continue reading "“How do Lasers Work?” or “Not your father’s lightsaber”"
Sustainable Nano 