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Wednesday, 26th November 2008 (1845 views)

A new technique that allows four-dimensional (4D) 'movies' of atomic changes in minuscule particles of gold is set to revolutionise the way in which nanotechnology is approached.

The 4D electron microscopy method has been developed by the California Institute of Technology, led by Professor Ahmed Zewail, winner of the 1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

It allows a real-time visualisation to be produced of changes in the shape and structure of matter that measures a billionth of a metre, such as nanoparticles of gold.

This enables scientists to "see the architecture of a complex system at the atomic scale", Professor Zewail explained,

The researchers applied the technique to super-thin sheets of gold and their work has been published in the November 21st edition of the Science journal.

Meanwhile, PharMida, a Swiss firm, has been set up by nanotechnology company Midatech to work on creating new applications using the precious metal.

 

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