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As small as we can go

Pubblicato il 16/08/2012Read time: 1 min

Which is the highest resolution that can be obtained for colour printing? 
It is determined by the diffraction limit of visible light, and it requires colour elements (pixels) with a pitch of 250 nm. That is, a resolution of ~100,000 dots per inch (d.p.i.). For a comparison, inkjet and laserjet printers have a 10,000 d.p.i. resolution. The highest resolution limit was recently achieved by a research group from the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) in Singapore.

The study, published online in Nature Nanotechnology, illustrates the method that was used to achieve the highest possible resolution limit for printed colour images.

In the used technology, colour information is not encoded in colourants or dyes, but in the dimensions of  metal nanostructures: by changing in the diameters of the elements and the distance between them it is possible to modify the colour of light they reflect.

Each pixel consists of nanospots capped with silver and gold nanodisks. The researchers were able to obtain a full palette of colours that span the visible range by varying the diameter and the spacing of these nanodisks.

The printing method could be used to create microimages or secret messages for security, and to make discs able to store high-density data.

Autori: 
di Valentina Daelli
Sezioni: 
News
Nanotechnology
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prossimo articolo

Discovered a New Carbon-Carbon Chemical Bond

di Chiara D'Errico
Pubblicato il 16/10/2024

A group of researchers from Hokkaido University has provided the first experimental evidence of the existence of a new type of chemical bond: the single-electron covalent bond, theorized by Linus Pauling in 1931 but never verified until now. Using derivatives of hexaarylethane (HPE), the scientists were able to stabilize this unusual bond between two carbon atoms and study it with spectroscopic techniques and X-ray diffraction. This discovery opens new perspectives in understanding bond chemistry and could lead to the development of new materials with innovative applications.

In the cover image: study of the sigma bond with X-ray diffraction. Credits: Yusuke Ishigaki

Chemistry

After nearly a year of review, on September 25, a study was published in Nature that has sparked a lot of discussion, especially among chemists. A group of researchers from Hokkaido University synthesized a molecule that experimentally demonstrated the existence of a new type of chemical bond, something that does not happen very often.