Nanoparticles

Taking inspiration from the defense mechanism of the bombardier beetle, researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a film that, when damaged, instantly releases a hot foam to discourage malicious actions. One promising application for the film is to prevent vandalism of ATMs.

In order to run at high temperatures, the metal components of airplane engines are presently treated with heat-shielding coatings. Scientists are now developing a new such coating, that could extend the service life of engines by 300 percent.

A new electrode design inspired by clusters of pomegranate seeds overcomes some of the obstacles in using silicon in lithium-ion batteries, bringing a longer battery life for common gadgets like phones and tablets closer to reality.

Most current transparent display technologies are limited in terms of viewing angle. Now researchers at MIT have come up with a new system that is low-cost and offers a wide angle of view with the projected image appearing on the transparent material itself.

A new study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania has shown that plasmonic nanostructures could prove especially effective at improving the performance of solar cells and optical communication devices.

The University of Virginia’s PureMadi program is aimed at producing water-purifying filters for use in the third world, as made by local villagers.

The NANOMOSKI process utilizes silica nanoparticles to render clothing mosquito-repellant.

Researchers at KAIST have developed a low-cost, large-area piezoelectric nanogenerator.

A new Museum of Modern Art architecture project is designed to clean New York's air.

Researchers at the Eindhoven University of Technology have developed a replacement material for indium tin oxide that uses commonly available materials, and is environmentally friendly.

A new filter kills almost 100 percent of bacteria in water, using silver, carbon nanotubes and electricity.