Directed Assembly of Au-Tipped 1D Inorganic Nanostructures via Nanolithographic Docking.

Controlled assembly of nanostructures is a key challenge in nanotechnology. In this work, we introduce an approach for the controlled assembly of 1D nanodumbbells-Au-tipped semiconductor nanorods-into arbitrary 2D higher architectures, by their chemical docking to nanopatterned functionalities. We realized the docking functionalities via nanoimprinted metallic nanodots functionalized with an organic monolayer, whose terminal thiol groups chemically bind the nanodumbbell tips.

Superior biolubricant from a species of red microalga.

The rheological properties of the sulfated polysaccharide of the red microalga Porphyridium sp., a heteropolymer with a molecular weight of 3-5 x 10(6) Da, indicated that this material might be an excellent candidate for lubrication applications: the viscosity of the polysaccharide is stable over a range of temperatures, pH values, and salinities. In this study, various rheological and lubricant properties of the polysaccharide were evaluated in comparison with those of a widely used biolubricant, hyaluronic acid.