Nanocrystals can mimic atoms in solid-state devices by altering the electrical properties—for example conductance—according to a report by Jeffrey Urban and colleagues in the February issue of Nature Materials (doi: 10.1038/nmat1826).

Before carbon nanotubes can fulfill their promise as ultrastrong fibres, electrical wires in molecular devices or hydrogen storage components for fuel cells, better methods are needed for purifying raw nanotube materials. Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL, Golden, Colo.), have taken a step toward this goal by demonstrating a simple method of cleaning nanotubes by zapping them with carefully calibrated laser pulses.

New York University chemistry professor Nadrian C. Seeman and his graduate student Baoquan Ding have developed a DNA cassette through which a nanomechanical device can be inserted and function within a DNA array, allowing for the motion of a nanorobotic arm. The results, reported in the latest issue of the journal Science, mark the first time scientists have been able to employ a functional nanotechnology device within a DNA array.

ASTM International’s Committee E56 has recently published the first known consensus-based standard defining a common technical language for the rapidly developing field of nanotechnology. The issuance of ASTM E2456-06, Standard Terminology Relating to Nanotechnology, has the agreement of a broad range of experts and provides precisely defined vocabulary for the burgeoning nanotechnology industry.