Li and Hofrichter offer two approaches for large-area synthesis of graphene on substrates with potential for device integration. 

Lee et. al. demonstrated a maskless, additive approach for direct writing of a range of NP–polymer compositions using thermal dip-pen nanolithography (tDPN). This technique represents a facile strategy for deposition of a wide range of NP composite materials in order to create dense nanopatterned films.

Zhang et.al., reported on an approach to synthesize thick mesoporous inorganic oxide films in order to harvest more  incident solar radiation, thereby enhancing the efficiency of the solar cell.

Zhu, et. al., report on the use of “nanodome” solar cells to simultaneously improve optical absorption and enhance surface cleanliness. The resulting structures have power conversion efficiencies of 5.9%.

There are several advantages to metal-catalyst-free Carbon nanotubes, from use in a broader range of applications to easier purification, mitigated toxicity concerns, and lower prices of pure CNT materials. Synthesis of single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) on non-metallic catalysts, as recently carried out by Liu B. et al. and Huang S. et al., demonstrates that one could generalize standard synthesis processes to capture the fundamental physics underlying the CNT nucleation and growth.

Kumnorkaew and Gilchrist report on the use of the “coffee stain” effect to simultaneously deposit controlled arrays of  microparticles embedded in nanoparticles.  These structures can dramatically improve the output coupling of III-Nitride LEDs.

While nanostructured materials combined with emerging nanomanufacturing processes are advancing the next generation of displays, e-paper, renewable energy, and energy storage devices, the predominant technologies have employed scaled processes on flexible substrates facilitated by roll-to-roll platforms. Recently, a group of researchers at Stanford University have taken this concept one step further by demonstrating the core materials and processes for fabrication of such devices on everyday paper.

Electrochemical deposition techniques offer an alternative method for grafting nanostructured materials on a graphene surface. Kim et. al. report an innovative approach to directly integrate CdSe quantum confined nanostructures with graphene basal planes.

Oh and collegaues report a straightforward synthesis route for manufacturing colored electrophoretic inks for emerging flexible displays and E-paper applications.

Distinguishing between normal, cancerous, and metastatic cells is a major hurdle for the early detection of cancer. Bajaj, et. al. describe a detection approach based on selective noncovalent interactions between cell surface elements and functionalized nanoparticle sensors that does not require a priori knowledge of specific biomarkers.

A recent study published in the well-known medical journal, the European Respiratory Journal, has been receiving significant publicity as the authors have claimed their findings support an apparent linkage between workplace exposures to nanoparticles and severe respiratory disease.  Specifically, in this study, investigators at China's Capital University of Medical Science related unusual and progressive lung disease in seven Chinese workers, two of whom died, to nanoparticle exposures in a print plant where a polyacrylic ester paste containing nanoparticles was used.  This linkage was made by the study investigators despite a general lack of exposure data for the workers. 

Jo et. al. introduce a novel concept for the formation of nanopatterns on a polymer film at room temperature.

Kershner, et. al., report a synergistic top down and bottom up process for creating self-assembled nanostructures of DNA origami.

NanoPen represents a versatile approach to patterning a range of nanostructured materials, including nanorods and nanotubes.

In three new studies, the ability to design 3D materials architectures provides a versatile approach towards optimization of device properties for enhanced performance in product applications.

Ji et. al. investigate the use of nanostructured sulphur/mesoporous carbon as a cathode material to overcome the challenges of Lithium-Sulfur cell technology, suggesting a path to the realization of high-capacity, long-cycle-life rechargeable batteries.

Lee et. al demonstrate a simple, low-cost method to imprint nanoscale patterns in the surface of polymer-based photovoltaic materials systems for enhanced power conversion efficiency.

Xiong et. al. report a feasible design to achieve subdiffraction-limited patterns generated from a diffraction-limited mask using a hyperlens with flat input and output surfaces. This approach has demonstrated utility for generating arbitrary subdiffraction-limited pattern features.

Progress towards scaled, large-area NIL for high-throughput roll-to-roll and roll-to-plate processes has been demonstrated, representing a significant step towards integration of emerging nanomanufacturing techniques with high throughput production infrastructure.

Neville, et. al., investigate a silicate nanoparticle fabrication process based on natural biosilication, in which specialized proteins catalyze silication at neutral pH and ambient temperature conditions to produce silicate nanostructures down to 50 nm in size.