NanogeneratorA nanogenerator is a small device that converts mechanical or thermal energy into electricity. It is an energy harvesting device where energy from external sources (e.g., solar power, thermal energy, wind energy, salinity gradients, and kinetic energy), also known as ambient energy, is converted into electricity for use by small, wireless autonomous devices like those used in wearable electronics, condition monitoring, and wireless sensor networks. Energy harvesters usually provide a very small amount of power for low-energy electronics.
Field-emission microscopyField-emission microscopy (FEM) is an analytical technique that is used in materials science to study the surfaces of needle apexes. The FEM was invented by Erwin Wilhelm Müller in 1936, and it was one of the first surface-analysis instruments that could approach near-atomic resolution. Microscopy techniques are utilized to generate magnified real-space images of the surface of a tip apex. Typically, microscopy information pertains to the surface crystallography (i.e., how the atoms are arranged at the surface) and surface morphology (i.
Stacking (chemistry)In chemistry, pi stacking (also called π–π stacking) refers to the presumptive attractive, noncovalent pi interactions (orbital overlap) between the pi bonds of aromatic rings. However this is a misleading description of the phenomena since direct stacking of aromatic rings (the "sandwich interaction") is electrostatically repulsive.
Rational designIn chemical biology and biomolecular engineering, rational design (RD) is an umbrella term which invites the strategy of creating new molecules with a certain functionality, based upon the ability to predict how the molecule's structure (specifically derived from motifs) will affect its behavior through physical models. This can be done either from scratch or by making calculated variations on a known structure, and usually complements directed evolution.
Synthetic molecular motorSynthetic molecular motors are molecular machines capable of continuous directional rotation under an energy input. Although the term "molecular motor" has traditionally referred to a naturally occurring protein that induces motion (via protein dynamics), some groups also use the term when referring to non-biological, non-peptide synthetic motors. Many chemists are pursuing the synthesis of such molecular motors. The basic requirements for a synthetic motor are repetitive 360° motion, the consumption of energy and unidirectional rotation.
Hybrid materialHybrid materials are composites consisting of two constituents at the nanometer or molecular level. Commonly one of these compounds is inorganic and the other one organic in nature. Thus, they differ from traditional composites where the constituents are at the macroscopic (micrometer to millimeter) level. Mixing at the microscopic scale leads to a more homogeneous material that either show characteristics in between the two original phases or even new properties.
Bilayer grapheneBilayer graphene is a material consisting of two layers of graphene. One of the first reports of bilayer graphene was in the seminal 2004 Science paper by Geim and colleagues, in which they described devices "which contained just one, two, or three atomic layers" Bilayer graphene can exist in the AB, or Bernal-stacked form, where half of the atoms lie directly over the center of a hexagon in the lower graphene sheet, and half of the atoms lie over an atom, or, less commonly, in the AA form, in which the layers are exactly aligned.
Nanomaterial-based catalystNanomaterial-based catalysts are usually heterogeneous catalysts broken up into metal nanoparticles in order to enhance the catalytic process. Metal nanoparticles have high surface area, which can increase catalytic activity. Nanoparticle catalysts can be easily separated and recycled. They are typically used under mild conditions to prevent decomposition of the nanoparticles. Functionalized metal nanoparticles are more stable toward solvents compared to non-functionalized metal nanoparticles.
NanorodIn nanotechnology, nanorods are one morphology of nanoscale objects. Each of their dimensions range from 1–100 nm. They may be synthesized from metals or semiconducting materials. Standard s (length divided by width) are 3-5. Nanorods are produced by direct chemical synthesis. A combination of ligands act as shape control agents and bond to different facets of the nanorod with different strengths. This allows different faces of the nanorod to grow at different rates, producing an elongated object.
Self-assemblySelf-assembly is a process in which a disordered system of pre-existing components forms an organized structure or pattern as a consequence of specific, local interactions among the components themselves, without external direction. When the constitutive components are molecules, the process is termed molecular self-assembly. Self-assembly can be classified as either static or dynamic. In static self-assembly, the ordered state forms as a system approaches equilibrium, reducing its free energy.
