New Storage Device Gets Data from Only 12 Atoms

IBM researchers stored and retrieved the digital 1s and 0s in a 12 atom array, pushing the limits of magnetic storage to enable greater capacity while using less energy.
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Nano-Coated Sponge Can Instantly Stop Bleeding

By coating a sponge with a nanoscale thin film containing thrombin, a blood clotting agent, and tannic acid, a molecule found in tea, the sponge can prevent hemorrhage, the leading cause of death in the battlefield.
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Lab on a chip could revolutionize rural medicine

Using nanotechnology, scientists created a microfluidic chip about the size of a thumb nail that can test for a wide variety of illnesses, including infectious diseases and rare cancers.
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Berkeley Lab creates flexible, stretchable electronics

Potential applications include coatings that could monitor surfaces for cracks and other structural failures, medical bandages that could treat infections, and food packaging that could detect spoilage.
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Nano coating promises smudge-proof eye glasses, touch screens

Using candle soot, scientist made a nanotechnology-enabled glass coating that completely repels both oil and water, leaving surfaces perfectly clean.
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  • Nanotechnology is the understanding and control of matter at the nanoscale, at dimensions between approximately 1 and 100 nanometers, where unique phenomena enable novel applications.
  • Encompassing nanoscale science, engineering, and technology, nanotechnology involves imaging, measuring, modeling, and manipulating matter at this length scale.
  • So how small is "nano"? A nanometer is one billionth of a meter. A sheet of paper is about 100,000 nanometers thick. And there are 25,400,000 nanometers in one inch.

See more in Nano 101

  • Certain nanostructures can recognize diseased cells and deliver drugs directly to cancerous tumors without harming healthy cells or organs.
  • New solar panels incorporating nanotechnology are far more efficient than standard designs in converting sunlight to electricity, promising much more economical solar power in the future.
  • Researchers have discovered how ultrasmall specks of rust can help remove arsenic from drinking water.
  • For environmental cleanup, researchers have developed a nanofabric that is woven from tiny wires and can absorb 20 times its weight in oil.

Learn more in Benefits and Applications

  • NNI agencies have developed an extensive infrastructure of more than 60 major interdisciplinary research and education centers across the United States. The centers have state-of-the-art equipment for nanoscale research; many are designated as user facilities and are available to researchers from academia, the private sector, and national laboratories. See the full list at NNI Centers, Networks, and Facilities.
  • In addition to grants, the Federal Government offers special programs designed to seed commercialization activity that facilitates economic growth. These programs support small business collaboration with universities and other research institutions. Learn more at Funding Opportunities.

Nano and Energy brochure coverNanotechnology and Energy: Powerful Things from a Tiny World

This educational brochure provides an overview of nanotechology's potential applications in the energy sector, including information on batteries, catalysts, solar cells, and green fuels.

 

Nanotechnology: Big Things from a Tiny World brochure cover

Nanotechnology: Big Things from a Tiny World

An educational overview of nanotechnology and its potential, written for general audiences.

NNI Research Centers and Networks

Centers and networks provide opportunities and support for multidisciplinary research. See a list of these centers and learn more about the research they are supporting.

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