Spectroscopy and theory shed light on excitons in semiconductors

Research team make extremely fast, precise images for first time

21-Mar-2024 - From solar panels on our roofs to the new OLED TV screens, many everyday electronic devices simply wouldn’t work without the interaction between light and the materials that make up semiconductors. A new category of semiconductors is based on organic molecules, which largely consist of carbon, ...

Carbyne – an unusual form of carbon

International team of researchers investigates optical band gap of carbon compound

13-Nov-2020 - Which photophysical properties does carbyne have? This was the subject of research carried out by scientists at FAU, the University of Alberta, Canada, and the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland, which has led to a greater understanding of the properties of this unusual form ...

Diamond friction

Simulation reveals previously unknown friction mechanisms at the molecular level

04-Sep-2017 - Diamond coatings help reduce friction and wear on tools, bearings, and seals. Lubricating diamond with water considerably lowers friction. The reasons for this are not yet fully understood. The Fraunhofer Institute for Material Mechanics IWM in Freiburg and the Physics Institute at the University ...

“Multi-spectra glasses” for scanning electron microscopy

30-Sep-2014 - The scanning electron microscope is not only used for precisely surveying the surface topology of samples, but also for determining their chemical compositions. This is done by exciting the atoms to fluoresce under irradiation by an electron beam while scanning the sample. This secondary emission ...

AFM Tips from the Microwave

Chemists from the Jena University (Germany) improve the process for the fabrication of sharp Atomic Force Microscopy tips

28-Oct-2010 - Scientists from the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena (Germany) were successful in improving a fabrication process for Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) probe tips. Atomic Force Microscopy is able to scan surfaces so that even tiniest nano structures become visible. Knowledge about these structures ...

Nanoribbons for graphene transistors

Materials for tomorrow's nanoelectronics

23-Jul-2010 - In the recent issue of Nature, scientists from Empa and the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research report how they have managed for the first time to grow graphene ribbons that are just a few nanometres wide using a simple surface-based chemical method. Graphene ribbons are considered to be ...

Laser pulses control single electrons in complex molecules

03-Sep-2009 - Predatory fish are well aware of the problem: In a swarm of small fish it is hard to isolate prey. A similar situation can be found in the microcosm of atoms and molecules, whose behavior is influenced by "swarms" of electrons. In order to achieve control over single electrons in a bunch, ...

NanoCare Project Builds Trust

Nanomaterials knowledge base expanded

18-Jun-2009 - The NanoCare Project has gained new knowledge about the effects of nanomaterials on health and on the environment. Dr. Peter Nagler, head of Innovation Management for Evonik’s Chemistry Business Area, said that the project, sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, would ...

Biomass as a source of raw materials

New process for obtaining alkanes from bio-oil

19-May-2009 - For the protection of the environment, and because of the limited amount of fossil fuels available, renewable resources, such as specially cultivated plants, wood scraps, and other plant waste, are becoming the focus of considerable attention. Processes such as pyrolysis or liquefaction allow the ...

Carbon dioxide forms polymeric materials under high pressure

27-Mar-2009 - Carbon dioxide is a molecular gas at ambient conditions and an important consitituent of the Earth's atmosphere. It is also a likely component in the Earth's mantle, and it plays an important role in the life cycle. But at high pressure, carbon dioxide can transform to a solid. The commonly known ...