A research team from Atlanta, Georgia, is employing nanocrystals of cerium-doped gadolinium halide for the development of new scintillators for gamma-ray spectroscopy. The nanoparticles are embedded in a matrix of alumino-silicate glass and show high chemical and mechanical stability.
Link to an article by optics.org:
http://optics.org/news/3/5/28
At ANGEL 2012, the “2nd Conference on Laser Ablation and Nanoparticle Generation in Liquids” (organized by EOS), researchers are currently discussing further improvements to state-of-the-art nanomaterials.
From Tuesday to Thursday (May 22 to 24, 2012), the conference in Taormina (Sicily, Italy) is covering sessions that include the production and processing of all kinds of nanoparticles (metals, semiconductors, oxides, carbon) by means of laser ablation in liquids.
One of the first talks was by Daniel Werner from Germany, presenting results that he generated at the University of Tokushima, Japan. He developed a reliable, reproducible production of nano-gold of remarkably narrow size distributions, e.g. 33 nm with a deviation of 2-3 nm, using laser pulses in a small high pressure chamber.
Impression from the town of Taormina
Particular GmbH, the first commercial producer of laser-ablated nanomaterial, is sponsoring a poster and a student presentation prize to be awarded on Thursday.
Link to the ANGEL conference:
http://angel-conference.org/
Link to the conference program:
http://bit.ly/JxGVAx
As Nature explains in a current article that has been referred to a lot in the last weeks, researchers have demonstrated that they can influence cell functions by means of radio waves. Is this what the word “cell phone” could refer to in the future…?
Iron oxide nanoparticles were conjugated with antibodies and were used to open a temperature-sensitive ion channel on the surface of cells using low-frequency radio waves. 
This led to a calcium flow, triggered secondary signals that switched on a calcium-sensitive gene and finally produced insulin. As a result, the mice’s blood sugar levels dropped within 30 minutes.
Direct link to the Nature News article:
http://www.nature.com/news/1.10585
As a reader of this blog, this picture may remind you of a recent article about an Android game.
However, this time it shows real nanoparticles: as Nanowerk explained last month, core-shell nanoparticles with specific elements are capable of light upconversion, meaning that they can emit a new range of colors that are more energetic than the light that they absorb.
Upconverted emission from new activator-doped core-shell nanoparticles (© 2011 NPG)
Link to the article by Nanowerk: http://bit.ly/JMJCv6
Direct link to Nature Materials: http://bit.ly/IzvgL1
A recent blog article by the Scientific American comments on current developments that use nano-gold for cancer treatments.
The key to the possible breakthrough is a multi-conjugation of nanoparticles:
If they can be loaded with different functional molecules at the same time, these nanoparticles could:
This is the principle of nanoparticle-based drug targeting, which, however, has never been successfully applied to cancers in humans.
Now, first clinical trials with such an anti-cancer nanoparticle compound (after previous positive results in mice and monkeys) have been concluded and may be good news for mankind: in many cases, the nano-drug actually stopped the growth or even reduced the tumors.
Blog article by Katherine Harmon:
http://bit.ly/IsrZxH
Link to a related article by AZoNano:
http://azonano.com/news.aspx?newsID=24629
Publication in Science Translational Medicine:
http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/4/128/128ra39
Due to its compatibility with solvents, laser ablation in liquids allows the embedding of nanoparticles into polymers that are suitable for injection molding or extrusion, for example to realize antibacterial applications.
At Hannover Messe (running from April 23rd to 27th, 2012), Particular will present and give away polymeric “silver coins” and “gold coins” that consist of TPU (a transparent polymer without color) with pure metallic nanoparticles.
In these samples (that can be used as coins for supermarket carts), small amounts of nano-gold or nano-silver lead to a red or yellow color - without any use of dyes. They demonstrate how laser-generated nanoparticles can be used in thermoplastic processes like injection die casting without losing their homogeneous distribution in the polymer.
Link to a press release by Particular: http://bit.ly/JgvlrR
The R&D News portal PhysOrg - already presented here in November - has moved from physorg.com to the simpler address phys.org and carries a new logo.
The Nanomaterials homepage is now available at:
http://phys.org/nanotech-news/nano-materials/
Nanotechnology homepage for mobile phones:
http://m.phys.org/nanotech-news/
The “Scientific American” has published an article about the potential of bacteria as customized vehicles for nanoparticles and drugs - one of the topics discussed at the American Chemical Society’s annual meeting in March 2012.
This is another example for the growing relevance of nanoparticle conjugation techniques: whenever an antibody can be attached tightly to a specific nanoparticle surface, this enables a bunch of new applications in biotechnology.
Direct link to the article: http://bit.ly/HkLO8e
“Nanotechnology world” (issued by the Guardian and NANO Channels) has published a “guide to nanotechnology” for consumers.
The small “guide” is available as a colorful PDF that is printable as a landscape format poster. It summarizes and touches on various relevant topics in the context of nanotechnology and, creditably, emphasizes that “nanotechnology” can never be lumped together as either a desirable or a dangerous topic.
Direct link to the poster PDF: http://bit.ly/HxXhUv
Text version on the website: http://bit.ly/H9SJV6
Nanomaterial provides a large number of surface atoms for the interaction with its environment. This is the basis of most nano-effects. Materials that are normally almost inactive increase their active surface by a factor of millions when used on the nano-scale.
The following estimation gives an impression of nanomaterial surface areas at the example of silver which is used in medical applications due to its antibacterial activity. 
The American Silver Eagle, a silver bullion coin, has a surface area of 3,300 mm² (based on a diameter of 40.6 mm and a ridged edge of 3 mm). Our first consideration refers to a silver “nano-coating” that is sometimes sputtered onto components to make these anti-infective. When we use the material of one coin to generate a homogeneous 10 nm thin silver layer, this would be enough to coat an area of 770 square meters - which is almost three tennis courts (8,424 square feet).
Our second consideration refers to silver nanoparticles. If the material of one silver bullion coin was fragmented into spherical particles that are 10 nm in diameter, this would correspond to 5.66 billion billions of nanoparticles (5.66E18). The total surface area (the surface that can interact with the environment) would now measure more than 7,100 square meters (75,000 square feet). This is exactly the size of a soccer field of 7,140 m² (which is even larger than an American Football field of 5,350 m²).
In practice, this means that antibacterial applications require far less than the silver amount of one coin. Very small amounts of nanoparticles with a large surface activity are dispersed into fluids, applied to surfaces, or embedded into solid material. By embedding few micrograms of silver nanoparticles into a polymer, the slow emission of silver ions from the particle surfaces is enough to provide a material with antibacterial properties for months or even years.
The same principles apply to the surface activity of other types of nanomaterial: For example, small nanoparticles from platinum, palladium, or ruthenium can unfold huge catalytic activity to flows of chemicals. Even the simple physical adjustment of viscosities of pastes and lotions is often realized by an addition of nanomaterial (nano-scaled powders like “Aerosil”) and is based on their strong surface interaction.
The Kavli Foundation (Oxnard, California), that aims at the support of life sciences, has recently published a summary of a teleconference with four American pioneers in cancer nanotechnologies about the relevance of nanotechnology for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
The experts provide an insight into one of the most challenging application fields for different kinds of nanoparticles and nanodevices, about which new achievements are being reported every day.
Direct link to the article: http://bit.ly/yduhg5
The world’s largest industry trade show, Hannover Messe, will take place again from April 23 to 27, 2012.
In Hall 2 (Research & Technology), the fair will host the joint stand “World of Nano” (D-50). Particular GmbH invites everyone with interest in nanotechnology to visit Hannover Messe for free and see the booth of Particular at the “World of Nano”.
Link to the English “World of Nano” homepage:
http://bit.ly/zzVk0J
Link to Particular GmbH at Hannover Messe:
http://bit.ly/wOCqiE
Direct link to free entrance cards by Particular:
http://particular.eu/hannover-messe-tickets.html
In February, the Japanese newspaper “The Daily Yomiuri” announced plans of a major construction company from Tokyo to build an elevator to a space station 36,000 kilometers above the earth - based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs), the nanomaterial with the highest strength known.
Since the discovery of CNTs, scientists have always dreamed of such an application. However, the available length of CNTs is still restricted to centimeters.
The Australian magazine “The Conversation” explains that this major challenge could be solved by “tethering these tubes together to form ropes, very much like the method used to make wool yarn.”
Link to The Daily Yomiuri: http://bit.ly/zPVxw4
Link to The Conversation: http://bit.ly/w5HLDi
This may become a must-have for nanoparticle experts:
the “Nanoparticles” game for Android smartphones!
In this simple game, you protect a green nanoparticle (yes, nanoparticles obviously have colors!) from aggregating with viole(n)t nanoparticles that keep attracting it by electrostatic and van-der-Waals forces.
To protect your particulate green friend, you can add repulsive (=ugly?) red nanoparticles or attractive (=pretty?) blue nanoparticles to the colloidal playing field.
The levels and participating particles keep increasing endlessly. For about a dozen levels, the game is quite entertaining. Then, try the Party Mode and enjoy about another twenty levels until, for example, you prefer working with real nanoparticles again.
The installation requires a module for physical calculations called Ministro that is downloaded and installed automatically before the first start.
Developer: http://dragly.org/source/nanoparticles/
Link to the Android Play Store: http://bit.ly/yiX06x
In recent articles, optics.org and AZoNano have summarized results from Montréal by Dr. Judith Baumgart and Prof. Michel Meunier about a new transfection method for cancer cells that employs gold nanoparticles and ultrashort laser pulses.
The laser was focused onto nano-gold on malignant melanoma cells. This opened up the cells and allowed to insert genetic material (a method called “lipofection”) without physically destroying them.
The demonstrated procedure could be the basis for numerous new therapeutic methods not only in oncology, whenever it is necessary to deposit material in cells without destroying them.
Link to optics.org:
http://optics.org/news/3/3/2
Link to AZoNano
(with automated translation to 23 languages):
http://azonano.com/news.aspx?newsID=24316
Link to the original article in Biomaterials (March 2012):
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biomaterials.2011.11.062
