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Tuesday, 11th November 2008 (1221 views)

Scientists at Cornell University have made a breakthrough in nanotechnology using tiny particles of gold.

The team used a microscope to closely observe the behaviour of gold nanoparticles within a catalyst and discovered that not all the particles in a single batch are created equally.

Peng Chan, an assistant professor of chemistry and chemical biology, noted that the development could be used to create advanced catalysts.

"Nanoparticles are dynamic entities. Maybe we can think about designing smart catalysts that can adapt to different conditions," he said.

Applications such as pollutant removal and fuel cells could be improved by the creation of nanocatalysts.

The researchers used gold particles measuring around six nanometres to conduct the study, which is published in the Nature Materials journal.

Recently, scientists from Queensland University discovered that ancient stained glass windows decorated with gold acted as an early form of nanotechnology as the sun heated up the gold particles, causing them to purify the air around them.

 

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