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Monday, 27th April 2009 (1056 views)

Scientists in Germany have used nanotechnology to take a step closer to the production of artificial noses, it has emerged.

Researchers at LMU Munich have employed the technology, which often involves the use of gold, in order to develop nano-eletromechanical systems that feature minute strings that resonate when a molecule comes into contact with them.

These strings can then be produced on a chip that could detect various molecules - such as pollutants - at a very sensitive level, according to author of the study Quirin Unterreithmeier.

"Ideally, you would have several thousand strings sitting on a chip the size of a fingernail, each one for highly specifically recognising a single molecule," he explained.

Elsewhere in the sector, Nanowerk News reports that nanotechnology can have a number of benefits for the construction sector.

It can be used to fire-proof city buildings or insulate constructions being built in extreme weather conditions, the news source claimed.

 

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