In this paper a new nanostructured support for the culture of cells is presented. The support consists of fields of sharp and high-aspect-ratio nanoneedles. The support is obtained through a specifically developed process that allows controlling the nanoneedles’ densities and height. The nanoneedles are typically 10 μm high with tip diameters under 200 nm. Cell viability on this support was eva...

Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) are ultra-narrow strips of graphene that have the potential to be used in high-performance graphene-based semiconductor electronics. However, controlled growth of GNRs on dielectric substrates remains a challenge. Here, we report the successful growth of GNRs directly on hexagonal boron nitride substrates with smooth edges and controllable widths using chemical vapou...

Iron doped hexagonal mesoporous silica (Fe-HMS) was successfully prepared by one-pot direct synthesis at ambient temperature by using dodecylamine as a templating agent. The catalyst has been characterized by various techniques including XRD, DR-UV-Vis, FTIR, SEM and N2 adsorption. The obtained material exhibits very large surface area (above 1000 m(2) g(-1)), mesoporosity with narrow distribut...

The recent progress and achievements in the development of preparation of nano and microparticles in a microfluidic environment is reviewed. Microfluidics exploit fluid mechanics to create particles with a narrow range of sizes and offers a finely controllable route to tune the shape and composition of nanomaterials. The advantages of both continuous flowand droplet-based synthesis of polymers ...

Quantum dots (QDs), also known as nanoscale semiconductor crystals, are nanoparticles with unique optical and electronic properties such as bright and intensive fluorescence. Since most conventional organic label dyes do not offer the near-infrared (>650 nm) emission possibility, QDs, with their tunable optical properties, have gained a lot of interest. They possess characteristics such as good...

Pre-eclampsia affects approximately 5% of all pregnant women and remains a major cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. The hypertension associated with pre-eclampsia develops during pregnancy and remits after delivery, suggesting that the placenta is the most likely origin of this disease. The pathophysiology involves insufficient trophoblast invasion, resulting in incomplete nar...

The paper discusses in the context of nanotechnology whether current concepts of chemical risk assessment can be used to assess nanorisk. Nanorisk can be defined from the narrow (eco) toxicological perspective to the broader sense to include societal/cultural impacts or even to the fundamental philosophical level i.e. questioning societies need for the technology. We outline here the limitation...

We report on the development of a highly sensitive optical receiver for heterodyne IR spectroscopy at the communication wavelength of 1.5 μm (200 THz) by use of a superconducting hot-electron bolometer. The results are important for the resolution of narrow spectral molecular lines in the near-IR range for the study of astronomical objects, as well as for quantum optical tomography and fiber-op...

The production of the track-etched membranes is well known in membrane science. Latent ion tracks are the result of the passage of swift ions through solid matter, they can be etched selectively in many materials. As a result, conical, cylindrical or other shape channels can be obtained. The increasing interest in polymer track-etched membranes with nano-channels is connected with the developme...