University of Chicago scientists have pioneered a technique that could one day create a pacemaker that operates using tiny pulses of light. “It’s essentially a tiny solar cell, which stimulates cardiac muscle in a very unique way,” said Bozhi Tian, an associate professor of chemistry who examines innovative ways to control biology with light. In…
Electronics Improved by Nanocrystal Links
Chemists and engineers today are very interested in a kind of nanotechnology enabled by tiny islands of nanoparticles called “colloidal nanocrystals.” They can be made out of abundant and non-toxic materials, and they can be easily tweaked to have a number of different properties as a function of their size. Depending on how they’re built,…
Tiny Courier “Ziplocs” in the Body Release Molecules on Cue
Your body keeps its neurons firing, immune system working and serotonin flowing with a clever bit of engineering: tiny capsules that deliver signaling molecules from place to place in the body. A team including University of Chicago engineer Juan de Pablo announced in Nature Chemistry that they have created a recipe to mimic these capsules.…
Miniscule, Light-Powered Wires Manipulate Brain’s Electrical Signals
The human brain largely remains a black box: How the network of fast-moving electrical signals turns into thought, movement and disease remains poorly understood. But it is electrical, so it can be hacked — the question is finding a precise, easy way to manipulate electrical signaling between neurons. A new University of Chicago study shows…
Animal Scales Recreated to Serve as Waterproof Implants
Scales are the material of choice for animals from pangolins to fish: They’re customizable, water-friendly, strong but flexible, and easy to fix when damaged. Scientists would like to recreate this unique structure — they can imagine uses from medical implants to flexible electronics — but it’s proved difficult using non-organic materials. But researchers with the…
Why Certain Origami Refuse to Fold Under Pressure
Scientists and engineers are fascinated by self-folding structures. Imagine the possibilities: Heart stents that unfold in the right location or pop-up tents that assemble at the press of a button, as well as nanoscale versions for tiny machines. But sometimes these structures get stuck during the folding process, and scientists don’t know why. A new…
Atoms Set Off Fireworks at Ultra-Low Temps
Scientists aren’t normally treated to fireworks when they discover something about the universe. But a team of University of Chicago researchers found a show waiting for them at the atomic level — along with a new form of quantum behavior. “This is a very fundamental behavior that we have never seen before; it was a…
Thin Semiconductor “Post-It Notes” Aid Solar Cells
Over the past half-century, scientists have shaved silicon films down to just a wisp of atoms in pursuit of smaller, faster electronics. For the next set of breakthroughs, though, they’ll need novel ways to build even tinier and more powerful devices. In a study published Sept. 20 in Nature, UChicago and Cornell University researchers describe…
New Method Promises Easier Nanoscale Manufacturing
Scientists at the University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory have discovered a new way to precisely pattern nanomaterials that could open a new path to the next generation of everyday electronic devices. The new research, published in Science, is expected to make such materials easily available for eventual use in everything from LED displays…