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ScienceQuiet 5d · day 6

MIT-led team unveils flexible-connector method for nanoparticle materials

A new assembly technique uses bendable connector molecules, rather than rigid ones, to build tunable nanoparticle networks for use in photonics, medicine and catalysis.

newest coverage 4d agosummary written 4d ago9 pieces1 likes & upvotes Google NewsNewswiresHacker News

What to know

  • A team including MIT and University of Delaware researchers developed a technique using super-flexible connector molecules, rather than rigid ones, to assemble nanoparticles into controllable network structures.
  • The method contradicts roughly 20 years of assumed dogma that connector ligands must be rigid for successful nanoparticle assembly.
  • Potential applications span photonics, chemical catalysis, medicine, and agriculture, offering a more versatile and scalable way to build 'designer' materials.
  • The findings appeared in Nature Materials and have been widely syndicated across science-news outlets, with no substantive public discussion yet recorded.

Rob Macfarlane MIT professor of materials science and engineeringNicholas Sbalbi MIT PhD candidateStephen Kronenberger University of Delaware doctoral studentArthi Jayaraman Former University of Delaware professorHana Shinzawa MIT undergraduate

How it unfolded 3 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

Peak 5 pieces in two hours at Nov 2, 8 AM; 9 pieces over 6 days (8 articles · 1 post) Nov 2, 4 AM — 2 pieces · 2 articles — Google News 2Nov 2, 6 AM — quietNov 2, 8 AM — 5 pieces · 5 articles — Google News 4, Newswires 1Nov 2, 10 AM — quietNov 2, 12 PM — quietNov 2, 2 PM — quietNov 2, 4 PM — quietNov 2, 6 PM — quietNov 2, 8 PM — quietNov 2, 10 PM — quietNov 3, 12 AM — quietNov 3, 2 AM — quietNov 3, 4 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Google News 1Nov 3, 6 AM — quietNov 3, 8 AM — quietNov 3, 10 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Hacker News 1Nov 3, 12 PM — quietNov 3, 2 PM — quietNov 3, 4 PM — quietNov 3, 6 PM — quietNov 3, 8 PM — quietNov 3, 10 PM — quietNov 4, 12 AM — quietNov 4, 2 AM — quietNov 4, 4 AM — quietNov 4, 6 AM — quietNov 4, 8 AM — quietNov 4, 10 AM — quietNov 4, 12 PM — quietNov 4, 2 PM — quietNov 4, 4 PM — quietNov 4, 6 PM — quietNov 4, 8 PM — quietNov 4, 10 PM — quietNov 5, 12 AM — quietNov 5, 2 AM — quietNov 5, 4 AM — quietNov 5, 6 AM — quietNov 5, 8 AM — quietNov 5, 10 AM — quietNov 5, 12 PM — quietNov 5, 2 PM — quietNov 5, 4 PM — quietNov 5, 6 PM — quietNov 5, 8 PM — quietNov 5, 10 PM — quietNov 6, 12 AM — quietNov 6, 2 AM — quietNov 6, 4 AM — quietNov 6, 6 AM — quietNov 6, 8 AM — quietNov 6, 10 AM — quietNov 6, 12 PM — quietNov 6, 2 PM — quietNov 6, 4 PM — quietNov 6, 6 PM — quietNov 6, 8 PM — quietNov 6, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 12 AM — quietYesterday, 2 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 6 AM — quietYesterday, 8 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 12 PM — quietYesterday, 2 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 6 PM — quietYesterday, 8 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietToday, 12 AM — quietToday, 2 AM — quietToday, 4 AM — quietToday, 6 AM — quietToday, 8 AM — quiet 123
Nov 3Nov 4Nov 5Nov 6yesterdaynow · 10:56 AM ET
  1. 3

    Trade press (AZoNano) picks up the nanoparticle materials study

    Specialist nanotechnology outlet AZoNano republishes coverage of the technique a day after the initial wave of syndication.

    “People are interested in nanoparticle superlattices because of the promise of building designer materials where you have more say in what types of structures they can actually build into.”
    — Rob Macfarlane, MIT professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering · source
    1. 4 outlets A Flexible New Route to Designer Materials Built From Nanoparticles

      first by AZoNano, 5d ago · also EurekAlert!, MIT News, Nanowerk

    2. 1 outlet New Route to Designer Materials Made From Nanoparticles

      first by Mirage News, 6d ago

  2. 2

    Science outlets syndicate the MIT findings

    Phys.org, EurekAlert!, Nanowerk and other science-news aggregators republish the MIT News account of the Nature Materials paper within hours of its release.

  3. 1

    MIT team publishes flexible-connector nanoparticle assembly method

    A paper in Nature Materials by researchers including MIT's Rob Macfarlane and PhD candidate Nicholas Sbalbi, with University of Delaware collaborators, shows that super-flexible connector molecules—rather than the rigid ones long thought necessary—can be used to tune the structure of nanoparticle networks via deliberate deformation and electric charge.

    “It's the exact opposite of what the dogma has been for 20 years: that you need to make connector ligands rigid, and any deviation causes assembly to fail. We showed if you just crank it all the way to the opposite extreme, it works just as well.”
    — Rob Macfarlane
    1. 1 outlet MIT researchers develop flexible route to designer nanoparticle materials

      first by news.lavx.hu, 6d ago

      1 more headline