Shape matters in the case of cobalt nan...(few minutes exposure to the illuminating...)

Date:6/17/2009

few minutes exposure to the illuminating beam of a transmission electron microscope, the nanocubes melt together, forming nanowires that are no longer separable as individual nanoparticles. The effect, not observed with the spheres, is surprising because the cubes average 50 nm across, much larger than the spheres 10 nm diameters. You might expect the smaller objects to have a lower melting point, Hight Walker says. However, the sharp edges and corners in the nanocubes could be the locations to initiate melting.

While Walker says that the melting effect could be a potential method for fabricating nanostructures, it also demands further attention. This newfound effect demonstrates the need to characterize the physico-chemical properties of nanoparticles extremely well in order to pursue their applications in biology and medicine, she says.

'/>"/>

Contact: Chad Boutin boutin@nist.gov 301-975-4261 National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Source:Eurekalert

0 GOOD

Page: 1 2
Related biology news :

1. Facial attraction -- choice of sexual partner shaped the human face
2. Shape encoding may start in the retina
3. Grant supports study of abnormal ring-shaped chromosomes
4. Secure Services Corp. Achieves Milestone in United States Identity Protection with the Launch of the SSC SHAPE Card Management Solution
5. How cells keep in shape
6. New process makes nanofibers in complex shapes and unlimited lengths
7. Particle accelerator may reveal shape of alternate dimensions
8. Crop scientists discover gene that controls fruit shape
9. Ozone hole recovery may reshape southern hemisphere climate change
10. Study links low-frequency hearing to shape of the cochlea
11. Courtship pattern shaped by emergence of a new gene in fruit flies