Tag: chemistry
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Nanotech Fabrication Process Developed for Smaller Chips
Engineers at Stanford University and two Silicon Valley companies in California have devised a method of creating contact hole patterns for semiconductors that can reduce the size of logic and memory chips, while maintaining their fabrication accuracy. The findings of the team led by Stanford engineering professor H.-S. Philip Wong (pictured left) appear online in the…
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New Standards Released for Drug Impurity Limits, Methods
U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) in Rockville, Maryland has published two new standards governing elemental impurities in medications. USP says conformance to the standards will be required starting 1 May 2014. Elemental impurities include catalysts and environmental contaminants such as lead or mercury that may be present in drugs. According to USP, elemental impurities can occur…
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Faster, Higher Capacity Memory Chip Developed
Engineers at University College London (UCL), with colleagues in France and Spain, have developed a silicon oxide memory chip that is faster can operate in ambient conditions. The discovery is described online in the Journal of Applied Physics (paid subscription required), and a patent has been filed for the technology. The team led by UCL…
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Graphene as Rust-Proof Coating for Steel in Development
Chemistry researchers from University at Buffalo in New York are developing a process for rust-proofing steel using a graphene-based composite as a coating. The Indian steel manufacturer Tata Steel is participating in the research by chemistry professor Sarbajit Banerjee and doctoral candidate Robert Dennis. In early experiments, Banerjee and Dennis were able to increase the…
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Low-Cost Nanoscale Catalyst Splits Hydrogen from Water
Researchers at Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York, part of the U.S. Department of Energy, have developed a new electrocatalyst that generates hydrogen gas from water cleanly and with much less expensive materials than current catalysts. Their findings are described online this week in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition (paid subscription required). Traditional methods…
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Engineered Nanoparticles Target Drug-Resistant Bacteria
Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston have developed nanoscale particles that can deliver antibiotics in larger quantities, but directly to the targeted bacteria to overcome drug resistance. The findings of the engineering, computer science, and health sciences team appear online in the journal ACS Nano (paid…
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Nanotech Composites Aid Tooth Cavity Repair
Researchers at the University of Maryland dental school have developed cavity-filling composites based on nanotechnology that kill bacteria and regenerate the tooth structure. The university has filed patents and is seeking licensees to commercialize the technology. The work of Maryland dental school professor Huakun (Hockin) Xu aims to improve on the standard dental fillings that…
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Starch-Based Fibers for Bandages and Paper Developed
A graduate student in food science at Pennsylvania State University in University Park has developed a fibrous material from ordinary food starch that can be woven into bandages and household paper products. A provisional patent has been filed for the discovery by Lingyan Kong, working under food science professor Greg Ziegler, with the research funded…
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Microemulsion Shows Promise for Extending Vaccine Shelf Life
A U.S. Army medical researcher has devised a new process for mixing vaccine ingredients with the potential for extending the shelf life of vaccines. Maj. Jean Muderhwa (pictured left) , a deputy laboratory director at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, presented his findings yesterday at a meeting of the American Society for…
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Nanoscale Film Coating Strengthens Joint Implants
Chemical engineers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed an ultra-thin film that can strengthen the bond of knee or hip implants and promote bone growth. The findings are described in a recent issue of the journal Advanced Materials (paid subscription required). Knee and hip replacements are becoming more common, with some 773,000 Americans having…