Nanomaterials

News and Updates

NIST Scientists Use DNA Origami on a Chip to Detect Biomolecules

October 17, 2024

Using strands of DNA to create miniature hinges that pop open or shut when binding to specific molecules, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and

Tiny New Lasers Fill a Long-Standing Gap in the Rainbow of Visible-Light Colors, Opening New Applications

August 28, 2024

Researchers have created orange, yellow and green lasers tiny enough to fit on a chip.

Bullseye! NIST Devises a Method to Accurately Center Quantum Dots Within Photonic Chips

March 18, 2024

Devices that capture the brilliant light from millions of quantum dots, including chip-scale lasers and optical amplifiers, have made the transition from

Projects and Programs

Microplastic and Nanoplastic Metrology

Ongoing

The Micro and Nanoplastic (MNP) Metrology Project aims to develop a toolbox of methods for size-based separations from complex matrices, chemical characterization protocols, and test materials necessary to enable quantification of micro- and nano-sized plastic particles, a need articulated by our

Nanoscale Spectroscopy for Advanced Electronics, Quantum Materials and Devices

Ongoing

Semiconductor technologies are critical to U.S. economic and national security as they are essential to modern life in communications, healthcare, energy, etc. and also underpin many emerging technologies like quantum, artificial intelligence, high power electronics and advanced wireless (6G+). The

Nanotube Metrology

Completed

Single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are a tubular form of carbon consisting of a single shell of sp2 bonded carbon with a nanometer scale diameter that have many predicted properties superior to other available materials. However, every production technique for SWCNTs produces many different

Metrologies for Non-linear Materials in Impact Mitigation

Ongoing

Overview This project develops fundamental structure-property measurements on model materials and novel material chemistries from quasi-static to dynamic rates. The goal is to foster a materials by design approach for novel energy dissipation and force re-direction mechanisms. Processing-Structure

Publications

Single-wall Carbon Nanotube Separations via Aqueous Two-phase Extraction: New Prospects Enabled by High-throughput Methods

December 30, 2024

Author(s)

Christopher Sims, Ming Zheng, Jeffrey Fagan

Aqueous two-phase extraction (ATPE) is an effective and scalable liquid-phase processing method for purifying single species of single-wall carbon nanotubes

Parallel 3D Temperature Image Reconstruction Using Multi-Color Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI)

October 18, 2024

Author(s)

Klaus Natorf Quelhas, Mark-Alexander Henn, Ricardo Cordeiro de Farias, Weston L. Tew, Solomon I. Woods

Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI) is a novel technique developed for remotely detecting magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) tracers, with great potential for biomedical

Material Characterization Study of Magnetite Nanocrystals for RF Sensing

September 24, 2024

Author(s)

Michael Sherburne, Timothy Dreier, Benjamin Klitsner, Dale Huber, Sergei Ivanov, Chris Parks, Matthew Simons, Edl Schamiloglu

Orthogonal Determination of Competing Surfactant Adsorption onto Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes During Aqueous Two-Polymer Phase Extraction via Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Analytical Ultracentrifugation

July 31, 2024

Author(s)

Christopher Sims, Jeffrey Fagan

A combination of analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) and fluorescence spectroscopy are utilized to orthogonally probe compositions of adsorbed surfactant

Software

HolograFREE

An electron hologram is a fringe modulated image containing the amplitude and phase information of an electron transparent object. The HolograFREE routines

Tools and Instruments

NIST PTIR Instrumentation and Capabilities

Photothermal induced resonance (PTIR) combines the spatial resolution of atomic force microscopy (AFM) with the specificity of absorption spectroscopy

Local Electrode Atom Probe Tomography (LEAP)

Field evaporates (with a voltage and laser pulse) a sharp tip-shaped specimen. Collects the ionization products in a position-sensitive, time-of-flight mass

Dual Beam Focused Ion Beam / Scanning Electron Microscope (FIB/SEM)

Dual beam focused ion beam/scanning electron microscope (FESEM). Focused ion beam using Ga atoms allows the patterning of objects at ~10 nm level (milling and

Aberration-Corrected Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM)

Probe corrected 200kV analytic electron microscope Resolves single atoms Chemical analytic capability (EELS, EDS) Highest resolution in electron optics (<0.1 nm

Awards

Vincent Hackley Honored by ASTM

In recognition of consistent dedication and outstanding service to ASTM Committee E56 on Nanotechnology since the committee’s inception in

Elijah Petersen Honored with PECASE

For pioneering measurement methods of nanomaterials toxicity that now underpin industry and public sector assessments of the environmental