Nanoscience and nanotechnology

Scanning Electron Microscope images show an array of zinc-oxide nanowires (top) and a cross-section of a photovoltaic cell made from the nano wires, interspersed with quantum dots made of lead sulfide (dark areas). A layer of gold at the top (light band) and a layer of indium-tin-oxide at the bottom (lighter area) form the two electrodes of the solar cell.

New solar-cell design based on dots and wires

MIT researchers improve efficiency of quantum-dot photovoltaic system by adding a forest of nanowires.

March 25, 2013

Human breast cancer cells (purple) are targeted by nanoparticles (green) developed by MIT professor Paula Hammond. The particles bind to receptors overexpressed by cancer cells.

Practicing medicine at the nanoscale

New approaches to drug delivery offer hope for new, more targeted treatments.

March 11, 2013

This diagram shows one of the core-shell nanoparticles embedded in a host material, as described in a paper in <i>Advanced Materials</i>. The motion of electrons, as shown by brown lines, is bent in such a way that they appear to be unaffected by the presence of the particle, thus allowing them to pass with little resistance.

‘Invisible’ particles could enhance thermoelectric devices

New approach could improve the efficiency of devices that harness power from temperature differences.

February 6, 2013

Dörthe M. Eisele of the Research Laboratory of Electronics (left) and Moungi G. Bawendi of chemistry are investigating fundamental processes in light-harvesting nanotubes and quantum dots with a goal of one day developing a completely new approach to collecting energy from the sun.

Capturing energy from the sun

MIT investigators are inspired by a deep-sea bacterium that is able to harvest tiny amounts of incoming solar energy with exquisite efficiency.

January 23, 2013

As cells squeeze through a narrow channel, tiny holes open in their membranes, allowing large molecules such as RNA to pass through.

Putting the squeeze on cells

By deforming cells, researchers can deliver RNA, proteins and nanoparticles for many applications.

January 23, 2013

James Utterback honored as exemplar of excellence

Professor was honored by KU Leuven at its bi-annual Leuven International Forum.

January 16, 2013

New material harvests energy from water vapor

Polymer film could be used in artificial muscle and to power micro- and nanoelectronic devices.

January 10, 2013

Smithsonian recognizes MIT research on water desalination technology

Magazine ranks nanoporous graphene as one of the top five surprising scientific milestones of 2012.

January 9, 2013

This image shows multiple microfluidic sites in a single system that can be used to conduct many experiments simultaneously.

Tiny tools help advance medical discoveries

MIT researchers are designing tools to analyze cells at the microscale.

January 8, 2013

In this micrograph of an experimental transistor, blue highlighting indicates areas of "strain," where germanium atoms have been forced closer together than they find comfortable. One of the reasons for the transistor's record-setting performance is that the strain has been relaxed in the lateral direction.

Researchers demonstrate record-setting p-type transistor

New design for a basic component of all computer chips boasts the highest ‘carrier mobility’ yet measured.

January 3, 2013

Recent Course X grad named one of Forbes magazine's '30 Under 30'

Pedro Valencia PhD '12 honored for drug research.

December 26, 2012

Illustration shows the layered structure of the new device, starting with a flexible layer of graphene, a one-atom-thick carbon material. A layer of polymer is bonded to that, and then a layer of zinc-oxide nano wires (shown in magenta), and finally a layer of a material that can extract energy from sunlight, such as quantum dots or a polymer-based material.

Flexible, light solar cells could provide new opportunities

MIT researchers develop a new approach using graphene sheets coated with nanowires.

December 21, 2012

F. William Herbert of materials science and engineering (left) and Bilge Yildiz of nuclear science and engineering are examining how nanoscale disruptions in the crystalline structure of metals affect those materials’ vulnerability to stress corrosion cracking.

New experiments, new insights into stress corrosion cracking

MIT researchers now have new insights into how 'stress corrosion cracking' may be affected by nanoscale disruptions in the crystalline structure of metallic materials.

December 20, 2012

These nanoparticles created by MIT engineers can act as synthetic biomarkers for disease. The particles (brown) are coated with peptides (blue) that are cleaved by enzymes (green) found at the disease site. The peptides then accumulate in the urine, where they can be detected using mass spectrometry.

New technology may enable earlier cancer diagnosis

Nanoparticles amplify tumor signals, making them much easier to detect in the urine.

December 16, 2012

A cross-section transmission electron micrograph of the fabricated transistor. The central inverted V is the gate. The two molybdenum contacts on either side are the source and drain of the transistor. The channel is the indium gallium arsenide light color layer under the source, drain and gate.

Tiny compound semiconductor transistor could challenge silicon’s dominance

MIT researchers develop the smallest indium gallium arsenide transistor ever built.

December 10, 2012

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