Nanomaterials

News and Updates

NIST Team Uses Neutron Beams to Authenticate Historic Coins and Spot Fakes

April 29, 2025

Imaging antique coins with beams of low-energy neutrons, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and their colleagues have

NIST Scientists Use DNA Origami on a Chip to Detect Biomolecules

October 17, 2024

Using strands of DNA to create miniature hinges that pop open or shut when binding to specific molecules, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and

Tiny New Lasers Fill a Long-Standing Gap in the Rainbow of Visible-Light Colors, Opening New Applications

August 28, 2024

Researchers have created orange, yellow and green lasers tiny enough to fit on a chip.

Events

Artificial Intelligence for Materials Science (AIMS) Workshop

Wed, Jul 9 - Thu, Jul 10 2025

As part of the JARVIS workshop series, the 6th Artificial Intelligence for Materials Science (AIMS) workshop will be

Projects and Programs

Microplastic and Nanoplastic Metrology

Ongoing

The Micro and Nanoplastic (MNP) Metrology Project aims to develop a toolbox of methods for size-based separations from complex matrices, chemical characterization protocols, and test materials necessary to enable quantification of micro- and nano-sized plastic particles, a need articulated by our

Nanoscale Spectroscopy for Advanced Electronics, Quantum Materials and Devices

Ongoing

Semiconductor technologies are critical to U.S. economic and national security as they are essential to modern life in communications, healthcare, energy, etc. and also underpin many emerging technologies like quantum, artificial intelligence, high power electronics and advanced wireless (6G+). The

Fatigue in Silicon

Ongoing

It has long been thought that bulk silicon is immune to fatigue. We present contrary evidence by demonstrating severe fatigue in macroscale specimens. Cracks are produced during cyclic loading of monocrystalline silicon plates with a 3 mm radius sphere indenter mounted onto a universal testing

Multiscale structure and dynamics in advanced technological materials

Ongoing

New technologies increasingly harness materials phenomena that operate across many length-scales: e.g., in selective gas adsorption, additive manufacturing, new alloy designs, or advanced concretes. To overcome technology barriers, it is no longer sufficient just to characterize the materials

Publications

Single-wall Carbon Nanotube Separations via Aqueous Two-phase Extraction: New Prospects Enabled by High-throughput Methods

December 30, 2024

Author(s)

Christopher Sims, Ming Zheng, Jeffrey Fagan

Aqueous two-phase extraction (ATPE) is an effective and scalable liquid-phase processing method for purifying single species of single-wall carbon nanotubes

Parallel 3D Temperature Image Reconstruction Using Multi-Color Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI)

October 18, 2024

Author(s)

Klaus Natorf Quelhas, Mark-Alexander Henn, Ricardo Cordeiro de Farias, Weston L. Tew, Solomon I. Woods

Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI) is a novel technique developed for remotely detecting magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) tracers, with great potential for biomedical

Synthesis and Size Dependence of Strongly Interacting Ferrite Nano-Objects: Implications for Magnetic Particle Imaging and Spatially Resolved Thermometry

September 25, 2024

Author(s)

Frank Abel, Eduardo De Lima Correa, Thinh Bui, Adam Biacchi, Michael J. Donahue, Solomon I. Woods, Angela Hight Walker, Cindi Dennis

High crystal quality nano-ferrites with short surface ligands (oleic acid) were recently shown to exhibit enhanced spatial resolution in magnetic particle

Material Characterization Study of Magnetite Nanocrystals for RF Sensing

September 24, 2024

Author(s)

Michael Sherburne, Timothy Dreier, Benjamin Klitsner, Dale Huber, Sergei Ivanov, Chris Parks, Matthew Simons, Edl Schamiloglu

Software

Fluxon in Niobium at 4.5 K. The black contours represent the magnetic lines of force in this superconductor. Total phase shift corresponds to h/2e.

HolograFREE

An electron hologram is a fringe modulated image containing the amplitude and phase information of an electron transparent object. The HolograFREE routines

Tools and Instruments

NIST PTIR Instrumentation and Capabilities

Photothermal induced resonance (PTIR) combines the spatial resolution of atomic force microscopy (AFM) with the specificity of absorption spectroscopy

Local Electrode Atom Probe Tomography (LEAP)

Field evaporates (with a voltage and laser pulse) a sharp tip-shaped specimen. Collects the ionization products in a position-sensitive, time-of-flight mass

Dual Beam Focused Ion Beam / Scanning Electron Microscope (FIB/SEM)

Dual beam focused ion beam/scanning electron microscope (FESEM). Focused ion beam using Ga atoms allows the patterning of objects at ~10 nm level (milling and

Aberration-Corrected Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM)

Probe corrected 200kV analytic electron microscope Resolves single atoms Chemical analytic capability (EELS, EDS) Highest resolution in electron optics (<0.1 nm

Awards

Vincent Hackley Honored by ASTM

In recognition of consistent dedication and outstanding service to ASTM Committee E56 on Nanotechnology since the committee’s inception in

Elijah Petersen Honored with PECASE

For pioneering measurement methods of nanomaterials toxicity that now underpin industry and public sector assessments of the environmental