Dec. 13, 2011

Transient Absorption: Label-free Imaging of Nanotubes in Cells

Researchers have demonstrated a new imaging tool for tracking structures called carbon nanotubes in living cells and the bloodstream, which could aid efforts to perfect their use in biomedical research and clinical medicine.
moreOct. 25, 2010

AFM Tips from the Microwave

Scientists from the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Germany were successful in improving a fabrication process for Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) probe tips.
Atomic Force Microscopy is able to scan surfaces so that even tiniest nano structures become visible. Knowledge about these structures is for instance important for the development of new materials and carrier systems for active substances. The size of the probe is highly important for the image quality as it limits the dimensions that can be visualized - the smaller the probe, the smaller the structures that are revealed.
Carbon nanotubes are supposed to be a superior material for the improvement of such scanning probes. However, it is difficult to attach them on scanning probes, which limits their practical use. moreJun. 30, 2010

Depth Charge

Over the past couple of decades, atomic force microscopy (AFM) has emerged as a powerful tool for imaging surfaces at astonishing resolutions-fractions of a nanometer in some cases. But suppose you're more concerned with what lies below the surface? Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), USA have shown that under the right circumstances, surface science instruments such as the AFM can deliver valuable data about sub-surface conditions. moreApr. 19, 2010

Formation of α-Manganese Dioxide Nanotubes

Hydrothermal decomposition of KMnO4 in the acidic environment in the presence of Fe3+(aq) ions leads to the formation of α-MnO2 nanotubes. The morphology evolution from the sponge-like spheres to the nanotubes as a function of reaction time was imaged by FE-SEM and TEM. The presence of iron in nanotubes was unambiguously confirmed by STEM-EELS measurement across the nanotube diameter.

Introduction
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