Posted on 03/07/2008 3:43:08 PM PST by saganite
Carnegie Mellon University's Michael Bockstaller and Krzysztof Matyjaszewski have created a version of Harry Potter's famed "invisibility cloak" for nanoparticles.
Through a collaborative effort, researchers from the departments of Materials Science and Engineering and Chemistry have developed a new design paradigm that makes particles invisible.
In a recent edition of Advanced Materials Magazine, the researchers demonstrate that controlling the structure of nanoparticles can "shrink" their visible size by a factor of thousands without affecting a particle's actual physical dimension.
"What we are doing is creating a novel technique to control the architecture of nanoparticles that will remedy many of the problems associated with the application of nanomaterials that are so essential to business sectors such as the aerospace and cosmetics industry," said Bockstaller, an assistant professor of materials science and engineering.
Colloidal particles are omnipresent as additives in current material technologies in order to enhance strength and wear resistance and other attributes. Light scattering that is associated with the presence of particles often results in an undesirable whitish, or milky, appearance of nanoparticles, which presents a tremendous challenge to current material technologies. Carnegie Mellon researchers have successfully created a way to prevent this problem by grafting polymers onto the particles' surface.
"Essentially, what we learned how to do was to control the density, composition and size of polymers attached to inorganic materials which in turn improves the optical transparency of polymer composites. In a sense, light can flow freely through the particle by putting 'grease' onto its surface," said Matyjaszewski, the J.C. Warner University Professor of Natural Sciences in the Department of Chemistry.
The new "particle invisibility cloak" will help create a vast array of new material technologies that combine unknown property combinations such as strength and durability with optical transparency.
Since we have a new format on FR now I have absolutely positively no inkling of an idea if this has been posted yet as there appears to be no search function any longer so my apologies if this is a repost.
Well there you go. No search function=multiple posts.
I’ve got a search function on ~my~ FR, so maybe it’s just yours that’s busted. :-)
That’s what happens when you post articles about ‘invisible’ stuff.
There may be more than just one other post on this ‘article’ and yet we can’t see it.
Invisible stuff, and Dark stuff. Two subjects that interest everyone.
What would happen if we put an invisibility field over a black hole?
bmflr
bmflr?
Nope. I looked. No search function. I have to go to the home page to even post. The new and improved FR format sucks. But that’s just my uneducated opinion.
bookmark
OK, I scoured the entire lexicon (I think) and didn’t find what you’re referencing as being there. Pretty good post by the way. That list should be on the sidebar.
Looks like you need scouring lessons. Remember that ctrl-F is “Find” and then type in “bmflr” & it comes right up.
AGNTSA: Aw, Geez, not this Sh*t Again!
BIOYAC - Texan freepism - Blow It Out Your A**, Cowboy
BLOAT - Buy lots of ammo today.
BMFLR - Book Marked For Later Reading
BOHICA=BEND OVER, HERE IT COMES AGAIN!
BTTT - “Bump To The Top” or “Back To The Top” is used interchangeably with “Bump”.
CFR - Council on Foreign Relations
DFOB - See FOB.
DINO— those of us who are reformed Democrats but for various reasons have never gotten around to changing our voter registration.
DILLIGAF (Does It Look Like I Give A ****?)
DITHF - See Freeper Lore
DLTDHY - Dont Let The Door Hit You (on the way out)
LOL! Consider me scoured to the max.
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