The mechanical strengths of nano-scale individual crystal or nanopolycrystalline metals, and other dimensionally-related materials are increased by an order of magnitude or more as compared to those values measured at conventional crystal or polycrystal grain dimensions. An explanation for the result is attributed to the constraint provided at the surface of the crystals or, more importantly, a...

Increasing research activity on cellulose nanofibril-based materials provides great opportunities for novel, scalable manufacturing approaches. Cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) are typically processed as aqueous suspensions because of their hydrophilic nature. One of the major manufacturing challenges is to obtain dry CNFs while maintaining their nano-scale dimensions. Four methods were examined to...

A new device is presented for the combinatorial analysis of complex nano-scale material systems. The parallel nano-differential scanning calorimeter (PnDSC) is a micro-machined array of calorimetric cells. This new approach to combinatorial calorimetry greatly expedites the analysis of nano-scale material thermal properties. A power-compensation differential scanning calorimetry measurement is ...

In the last two decades, nano manipulation has been recognized as a potential tool of scientific interest especially in nanotechnology and nano-robotics. Contemporary optical microscopy (super resolution) techniques have also reached the nanometer scale resolution to visualize this and hence a combination of super resolution aided nano manipulation ineluctably gives a new perspective to the sce...

Tailoring materials to obtain unique, or significantly enhanced material properties through rationally designed structures rather than chemical constituents is principle of metamaterial concept, which leads to the realization of remarkable optical and mechanical properties. Inspired by the recent progress in electromagnetic and mechanical metamaterials, here we introduce the concept of ferroele...

As socie ty becomes more comfortable discussing genetics and its related ethics, a new technology is blossoming in the background. Nanotechnology may speak the same societal language as does genetics, in that both technological movements involve tiny science and large imagination. In a way, it is natural—and almost inevitable—that the genetic revolution and the nanotechnology revolution be comp...

Nowadays electronic structure theory gives a microscopic foundation of material science and provides atomistic simulations in which electrons are treated as wavefunction within quantum mechanics. An example is given in the upper left panel of Fig.1. For years, we have developed fundamental theory and program code for large-scale electronic structure calculations, particularly, for nano material...

We describe a small-angle x-ray scattering-based imaging technique that reveals the distribution and orientation of nano-scale structures over extended areas. By combining two measurement and analysis schemes, complementary structural information is available which renders the technique suitable for a broad range of applications, e.g. in materials science and bioimaging. Through a combination o...

The comprehensive search for multifunctional materials has resulted in the discovery of semiconductors and oxides showing ferromagnetic features persisting to room temperature. In this tutorial review the methods of synthesis of these materials, as well as the application of element-specific nano-analytic tools, particularly involving synchrotron radiation and electron microscopy, are described...

Plasmonic nanostructures with a negative Poisson ratio are demonstrated, having the unusual mechanical property of auxetics to expand laterally when being stretched. Using nanomembrane technology, auxetics are shrunk by orders of magnitude, giving simultaneous access to optical properties of plasmonic metamaterials, as well as auxetic mechanical properties on the nanoscale.