nanostructure
noun
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Two important types of nanostructure are nanocrystals (tiny crystals, often of semiconducting material) and nanotubes (tiny tubes, usually of pure carbon). Nanocrystals made from semiconductors change color depending on their size, and are being used for such tasks as detecting viruses in living cells. Nanotubes can conduct enormous amounts of electrical current, far more than metal wires. They are the basic material of tiny "paper" batteries, which can be rolled, folded, or cut while still producing power. Nanotubes are also now being used in materials for lightweight tennis rackets and golf clubs, and may soon enable the manufacture of TV screens no thicker than a film.
Examples of nanostructure in a Sentence
Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Nov. 2024
Heterostructures describe the interfaces between two semiconductors that serve as the building blocks between more elaborate nanostructures.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 May 2024
Prior to designing the spiky silicon, researchers studied the structural composition of cicada and dragonfly wings, which have evolved to feature similarly sharp nanostructures capable of skewering fungal spores and bacterial cells.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 27 Mar. 2024
The films, inspired by how morpho butterflies create their vivid blue color with reflective scales, circumvent this with nanostructures that reflect light to produce color without heating up.
—Cameron Pugh, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Sep. 2023
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“Nanostructure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nanostructure. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
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