Tag

Self Assembly

All articles tagged with #self assembly

science19 days ago•14 min saved

Gold, Light, and Salt Unveil Nanoscale Forces in Real Time

Chalmers University researchers have developed a simple platform using micrometer-sized gold flakes in a salt solution between two gold-coated glass plates. When illuminated, light trapped in nanometer-scale liquid cavities creates color changes that reveal the balance between Casimir attraction and electrostatic repulsion, enabling direct study of nanoscale surface forces and self-assembly with potential applications in medicine, biosensing, and materials science.

via SciTechDaily|

#casimir-effect #nanomaterials #nanoscale-physics

science2 months ago•2 min saved

Israeli Study Unveils Self-Assembly of Spinning Particles

Israeli researchers at Tel Aviv University discovered that particles rotating in opposite directions within a fluid spontaneously form active, chain-like structures resembling polymers, which can move and reorganize on their own, providing insights into natural phenomena and potential applications in smart materials and microscopic robotics.

via Ynetnews|

#active-particles #biomimicry #fluid-dynamics

science4 months ago•58 min saved

Atomic Stencilling Enables Patchy Nanoparticles

The article introduces a bottom-up atomic stencilling method to create highly precise and uniform patchy nanoparticles with diverse surface patterns, achieved through facet-selective iodide masking and polymer grafting, enabling advanced self-assembly into ordered superlattices and broad applications in nanotechnology.

via Nature|

#atomic-stencilling #nanoparticles #patchy-particles

science5 months ago•15 min saved

Automated Self-Assembly Reverses 'Game of Life' Process

Researchers have developed neural cellular automata (NCAs) that can reverse-engineer rules to self-assemble into desired shapes and regenerate after damage, mimicking biological processes and offering potential applications in medicine, engineering, and computing.

via Quanta Magazine|

#biological-modeling #cellular-automata #neural-networks

science6 months ago•3 min saved

Glowing Algae Unveil Life's Geometric Secrets

Researchers used advanced imaging and machine learning to uncover the intricate, foam-like structure of the extracellular matrix in Volvox algae, revealing how simple cells coordinate to form complex, spherical multicellular organisms despite noisy individual behaviors, providing new insights into developmental biology.

via Phys.org|

#algae #developmental-biology #extracellular-matrix

technology7 months ago•6 min saved

Robots that Consume Each Other for Growth and Survival

Researchers at Columbia University have developed a robotic system that can self-assemble, grow, and reconfigure by 'eating' other robots, inspired by biological metabolism, with potential future applications in building structures like lunar colonies. The project explores the concept of robotic metabolism and survivability, though it currently lacks real-world utility and diverse modules, aiming instead to develop autonomous, adaptable robotic ecosystems.

via Ars Technica|

#artificial-life #metabolism #robot-ecology

technology7 months ago•2 min saved

Cannibal Robots Self-Repair and Grow by Consuming Others

Scientists at Columbia University have developed the Truss Link, a robot that can grow and heal by consuming and merging with parts of other robots, enabling it to adapt and perform better, with potential applications in various fields including research and rescue.,

via Euronews.com|

#ai #columbia-university #robot

technology1 year ago•2 min saved

Innovative Robot Design Inspired by Cheerios Effect

Researchers have developed a novel robot design inspired by the "Cheerios effect," which involves the natural clumping of floating objects due to surface tension and buoyancy. By using ethanol to power tiny robots across liquid surfaces, these devices can potentially perform various environmental or industrial tasks. The study, posted on the physics arXiv, highlights how the "Cheerios effect" can facilitate self-assembly of these robots, leveraging capillary action and surface tension to enhance their movement and clustering capabilities.

via Ars Technica|

#cheerios-effect #environmental-tasks #robotics

technology1 year ago•0 min saved

"MIT Unveils Self-Assembling Modular Moon Habitat"

MIT has developed a modular habitat called Momo that self-assembles on the moon, featuring an aluminum frame and high-density polyethylene membrane, designed to support NASA's Artemis III mission and future lunar settlements.

via Designboom|

#artemis-iii #lunar-habitat #mit

science-and-technology2 years ago•1 min saved

"Guinness Record Broken: Scientists Tie World's Smallest Knot with 54 Atoms"

Scientists have created the world's tightest molecular knot, a trefoil made of 54 atoms, which is 15 atoms smaller than the previous record. The accidental discovery, detailed in a study published in Nature Communications, has practical implications for understanding DNA and other naturally knotting molecules in the human body.

via indy100|

#chemistry #molecular-knot #nanotechnology

science-and-technology2 years ago•30 min saved

Atomic-Scale Self-Assembly Revolutionizes Nanotechnology with Light-Trapping Cavities

Researchers have developed a new method for manufacturing semiconductor devices using self-assembly and surface forces. By harnessing the pull-in instabilities between nearby objects, the researchers were able to fabricate nanostructures with few- or sub-nanometer dimensions. They demonstrated the application of this method by creating photonic nanocavities that confine light in air gaps in silicon membranes with aspect ratios exceeding 100. The self-assembled nanocavities exhibited high-quality factors and small mode volumes, surpassing previous experiments on dielectric cavities. The researchers also successfully integrated the self-assembled devices with photonic circuits, demonstrating the scalability and potential for interfacing with top-down planar technology.

via Nature.com|

#nanofabrication #nanotechnology #photonic-cavities

science-and-technology2 years ago•2 min saved

Advancements in Fabricating Atomically-Precise Quantum Antidots through Vacancy Self-Assembly

Scientists at the National University of Singapore have achieved a breakthrough in fabricating atomically precise quantum antidots (QAD) using self-assembled single vacancies (SVs) in a two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD). By strategically introducing antidot patterns into carefully designed lattices, they created artificial structures with unique quantum phenomena and transport properties. The QADs, which can be used for quantum information technologies, were fabricated through the self-assembly of SVs into a regular pattern. The structures exhibited robustness against environmental influences and could potentially advance various material technologies.

via Phys.org|

#atomic-scale-quantum-antidots #nanoelectronics #quantum-dots

science-and-technology2 years ago•2 min saved

Vibrating Particles Yield Bizarre New Material and Largest Quasicrystal

Physicists from the University of Paris-Saclay have observed the emergence of a quasicrystal, a combination of order and chaos, in a granular material for the first time on a millimeter-scale. The researchers used computer simulations to identify the necessary conditions for the formation of a quasicrystal and then conducted an experiment with vibrating steel spheres. The study found that small, localized configurations of differently sized spheres formed rapidly, but global alignment required rare collective rearrangements. The unexpected discovery suggests that quasicrystals can form in both atomic-scale and granular systems, opening up possibilities for applications in insulation and electronics.

via ScienceAlert|

#experimental-physics #material-science #particle-physics

science2 years ago•3 min saved

Uniform DNA-encapsulating microgels mimic living cells.

Researchers from Doshisha University in Japan have developed a one-step method for producing uniform gelatin-based cell mimetics called "microgels" that can be used to study cellular self-assembly. The microgels are created by generating domain structures comprising of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and gelatin, which are transformed into gel state by decreasing the temperature. The addition of DNA molecules to the gelatin-rich droplets spontaneously entrap them, giving rise to cell-mimicking microgels. The method proposed in the study may be useful for producing microgels for food, medicines, cosmetics, and other materials.

via Phys.org|

#biomedical-research #dna #gelatin

science-and-technology2 years ago•2 min saved

New self-assembled crystal structures discovered by researchers.

Researchers at Cornell University have discovered over 20 new self-assembled crystal structures using a targeted computational approach. The team developed a new functional form for particle interactions, allowing them to control various features of the particles' interaction landscape. The findings suggest that there are potentially limitless new and exotic materials configurations possible through controlled self-assembly, serving as design targets for researchers who make nanoparticles and colloids.

via Phys.org|

#computational-approach #crystal-structures #materials-science