Space station's Robonaut awaits delivery of legs

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A humanoid "Robonaut" launched to the International Space Station in 2011 will finally receive its space legs when SpaceX's Dragon cargo carrier arrives at the complex, allowing engineers to experiment with the full breadth of the robot's capabilities.

A ground version of Robonaut 2 undergoes testing with its legs. Photo credit: NASA The two legs are loaded inside the Dragon spacecraft's pressurized cargo cabin, ready for launch atop a Falcon 9 rocket. Liftoff is scheduled as soon as Friday.

The legs will give Robonaut 2, the space station's humanoid robot, mobility inside the space station's modules. Officials eventually plan to test the robot outside the station, once it receives upgrades to its upper body.

The dextrous robot, also called R2, includes a computerized torso, head and two arms with hands and five fingers. It is designed to accomplish many of the same upkeep tasks astronauts do every day aboard the space station.

"Robonaut is an example of how we can use robots for repetitive and dangerous tasks in space," said Andy Petro, head of NASA's small satellite technology development program.

According to NASA, the legs will be unpacked and attached to Robonaut 2 by the end of June, with an eye toward testing the assembled robot within the confines of the space station's pressurized modules later this year.

"We call them legs," Petro said. "They're not really for walking in the zero gravity environment. They're used for climbing around."

The legs have seven joints and stretch out to a length of 9 feet to give Robonaut flexibility when moving around the station.

"At the end, instead of feet, they have clamping devices to allow them to connect to handrails and other objects on the space station," Petro said.

Robonaut's use of its legs for climbing frees up its hands and fingers for finer tasks, such as working with tools or repairing systems.

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Space station's Robonaut awaits delivery of legs

NASA Astronauts Bring Wonder of International Space Station to Indianapolis

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Ever wonder what it's like to be an astronaut and to live and work in space? Find out directly from NASA astronauts who will be in theIndianapolisarea fromApril 24 to May 2as the agency shares the accomplishments, promise and opportunities for research aboard the International Space Station.

NASA astronautsAnna Fisher,Serena AunonandScott Tinglewill deliver presentations during the week. All include media availabilities.

In addition, the agency's newest exhibit, Destination Station, a multimedia exhibit showcasing what it's like to live aboard the International Space Station, is open to the public throughJune 29at the Indiana State Museum.

NASA engineer on the Z-2 spacesuit andPurdue UniversitygraduateIan Meginnisand NASA photographerMark Sowawill host a discussion from6-8 p.m.onApril 24at the Museum of Art inIndianapolis. They will discuss NASA's wearable technology and photography in support of the space station.

OnApril 26, as visitors learn more about our home planet atEarth DayIndiana, they also will have the opportunity to experience one of only eight moon rocks in the world that visitors can touch. Located at the White River State Park, NASA'sDriven to Exploremobile exhibit will be atEarth DayIndiana from11 a.m. to 4 p.m.TheEarth Dayfestivities are conveniently located near the Indiana State Museum so visitors can also take a look at the Destination Station exhibit.

Join Aunon, a medical doctor and member of the 2009 astronaut class, as she discusses "Staying Healthy and Fit in Space." Her presentation is fromnoon-2 p.m.April 26at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, Exposition Hall for the WTHR Health and Fitness Expo. Aunon also will teach visitors how to "Train Like an Astronaut" at the Expo the following day,April 27. Various events will begin at11 a.m.

There will be a live, interactive television event with crew members now in space aboard the International Space Station onTuesday, April 29, at the Children's Museum ofIndianapolis. During the activities, which begin at9 a.m., attendees may ask Expedition 39 flight engineersRick Mastracchio,Steve SwansonandKoichi Wakataabout the progress of their mission.

At11 a.m.April 29, Aunon will participate in an Indianapolis Indians game at Victory Field. She will engage with the audience while showing video to promote human spaceflight and the benefits of the space station.

Aunon also will give a presentation for the public beginning at 5:30 p.m,April 29, at the Indiana State Museum. The presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer session and an opportunity for astronaut autographs.

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Vitamin B3 May Have Been Made In Space, Delivered To Earth By Meteorites

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Image Caption: Karen Smith crushing meteorites with a mortar and pestle in Goddards Astrobiology Analytical Laboratory to prepare them for analysis. Vitamin B3 was found in all eight meteorites analyzed in the study. Credit: Karen Smith

Bill Steigerwald, NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center

Ancient Earth might have had an extraterrestrial supply of vitamin B3 delivered by carbon-rich meteorites, according to a new analysis by NASA-funded researchers. The result supports a theory that the origin of life may have been assisted by a supply of key molecules created in space and brought to Earth by comet and meteor impacts.

It is always difficult to put a value on the connection between meteorites and the origin of life; for example, earlier work has shown that vitamin B3 could have been produced non-biologically on ancient Earth, but its possible that an added source of vitamin B3 could have been helpful, said Karen Smith of Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pa. Vitamin B3, also called nicotinic acid or niacin, is a precursor to NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), which is essential to metabolism and likely very ancient in origin. Smith is lead author of a paper on this research, along with co-authors from NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., now available online in the journal Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta.

This is not the first time vitamin B3 has been found in meteorites. In 2001 a team led by Sandra Pizzarello of Arizona State University, in Tempe discovered it along with related molecules called pyridine carboxylic acids in the Tagish Lake meteorite.

In the new work at Goddards Astrobiology Analytical Laboratory, Smith and her team analyzed samples from eight different carbon-rich meteorites, called CM-2 type carbonaceous chondrites and found vitamin B3 at levels ranging from about 30 to 600 parts-per-billion. They also found other pyridine carboxylic acids at similar concentrations and, for the first time, found pyridine dicarboxylic acids.

We discovered a pattern less vitamin B3 (and other pyridine carboxylic acids) was found in meteorites that came from asteroids that were more altered by liquid water. One possibility may be that these molecules were destroyed during the prolonged contact with liquid water, said Smith. We also performed preliminary laboratory experiments simulating conditions in interstellar space and showed that the synthesis of vitamin B3 and other pyridine carboxylic acids might be possible on ice grains.

Scientists think the solar system formed when a dense cloud of gas, dust, and ice grains collapsed under its own gravity. Clumps of dust and ice aggregated into comets and asteroids, some of which collided together to form moon-sized objects or planetesimals, and some of those eventually merged to become planets.

Space is filled with radiation from nearby stars as well as from violent events in deep space like exploding stars and black holes devouring matter. This radiation could have powered chemical reactions in the cloud (nebula) that formed the solar system, and some of those reactions may have produced biologically important molecules like vitamin B3.

Asteroids and comets are considered more or less pristine remnants from our solar systems formation, and many meteorites are prized samples from asteroids that happen to be conveniently delivered to Earth. However, some asteroids are less pristine than others. Asteroids can be altered shortly after they form by chemical reactions in liquid water. As they grow, asteroids incorporate radioactive material present in the solar system nebula. If enough radioactive material accumulates in an asteroid, the heat produced as it decays will be sufficient to melt ice inside the asteroid. Researchers can determine how much an asteroid was altered by water by examining chemical and mineralogical signatures of water alteration in meteorites from those asteroids.

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Vitamin B3 May Have Been Made In Space, Delivered To Earth By Meteorites

Vitamin B3 might have been made in space, delivered to Earth by meteorites

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

17-Apr-2014

Contact: Bill Steigerwald william.a.steigerwald@nasa.gov 301-286-5017 NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

Ancient Earth might have had an extraterrestrial supply of vitamin B3 delivered by carbon-rich meteorites, according to a new analysis by NASA-funded researchers. The result supports a theory that the origin of life may have been assisted by a supply of key molecules created in space and brought to Earth by comet and meteor impacts.

"It is always difficult to put a value on the connection between meteorites and the origin of life; for example, earlier work has shown that vitamin B3 could have been produced non-biologically on ancient Earth, but it's possible that an added source of vitamin B3 could have been helpful," said Karen Smith of Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pa. "Vitamin B3, also called nicotinic acid or niacin, is a precursor to NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), which is essential to metabolism and likely very ancient in origin." Smith is lead author of a paper on this research, along with co-authors from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., now available online in the journal Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta.

This is not the first time vitamin B3 has been found in meteorites. In 2001 a team led by Sandra Pizzarello of Arizona State University, in Tempe discovered it along with related molecules called pyridine carboxylic acids in the Tagish Lake meteorite.

In the new work at Goddard's Astrobiology Analytical Laboratory, Smith and her team analyzed samples from eight different carbon-rich meteorites, called "CM-2 type carbonaceous chondrites" and found vitamin B3 at levels ranging from about 30 to 600 parts-per-billion. They also found other pyridine carboxylic acids at similar concentrations and, for the first time, found pyridine dicarboxylic acids.

"We discovered a pattern less vitamin B3 (and other pyridine carboxylic acids) was found in meteorites that came from asteroids that were more altered by liquid water. One possibility may be that these molecules were destroyed during the prolonged contact with liquid water," said Smith. "We also performed preliminary laboratory experiments simulating conditions in interstellar space and showed that the synthesis of vitamin B3 and other pyridine carboxylic acids might be possible on ice grains."

Scientists think the solar system formed when a dense cloud of gas, dust, and ice grains collapsed under its own gravity. Clumps of dust and ice aggregated into comets and asteroids, some of which collided together to form moon-sized objects or planetesimals, and some of those eventually merged to become planets.

Space is filled with radiation from nearby stars as well as from violent events in deep space like exploding stars and black holes devouring matter. This radiation could have powered chemical reactions in the cloud (nebula) that formed the solar system, and some of those reactions may have produced biologically important molecules like vitamin B3.

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Vitamin B3 might have been made in space, delivered to Earth by meteorites

State of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Key Programs, Budget to be Presented April 17 at Marshall 2014 Update

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The state of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and key programs such as the Space Launch System (SLS) will be discussed during the "Marshall 2014 Update" from 3:30-5 p.m. Thursday, April 17, at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center's Davidson Center for Space Exploration.

Marshall Center Director Patrick Scheuermann will be available to news media at 3:15 p.m. in the downstairs lobby of the Davidson Center.

Among the speakers will be Scheuermann, Marshall Deputy Director Teresa Vanhooser, SLS Program Manager Todd May, Science & Technology Manager Daniel Schumacher, Chief Engineer Lisa Watson-Morgan, Deputy Chief Financial Officer Rhega Gordon and Office of Strategic Analysis & Communications Director Bobby Watkins. Topics to be discussed will include Marshall's economic impact; the fiscal year 2015 budget; improvements to Marshall buildings and other facilities; support for the International Space Station and a variety of science programs; and the importance of science, technology, engineering and math education the STEM fields -- from kindergarten through college to prepare the next generations of scientists and engineers.

The theme for this year's event is "Together We Make Bold Things Happen." Exhibits highlighting Marshall's technical capabilities, SLS, Advanced Manufacturing, Technology Demonstration Missions and more will be on display for elected officials, community and business leaders and other invited guests.

News media interested in covering the event and/or interviewing Scheuermann should contact Marshall Center Public Affairs Officer Angela Storey at 256-544-0632 no later than 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 16.

For more information about NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, visit us on the Web:

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall

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State of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Key Programs, Budget to be Presented April 17 at Marshall 2014 Update

Active Shooter Emergency Exercise Today at Marshall Space Flight Center

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Posted on: 6:30 am, April 17, 2014, by Amanda Redfoot, updated on: 09:11am, April 17, 2014

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. (WHNT) Today, NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center will be conducting a full-scale active shooter emergency exercise.

The event will involve a mock shooter and victims, simulated emergency radio traffic, alerts and announcements. Marshall, Redstone Arsenal and all emergency responders and response teams will be involved in the exercise.

Todays exercise will test the centers emergency response and communications preparedness.

During the event, Emergency Notification System announcements and other messages will be preceded by Exercise.

The event will be held at the centers facilities on Redstone Arsenal.

Marshall Space Flight Center Officials want to remind the community that any unusual activity that might be seen or heard is part of the test and not an actual emergency.

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Active Shooter Emergency Exercise Today at Marshall Space Flight Center

Launch delayed for new ISS experiments

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MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER, Ala. (WAAY) - A big space launch was postponed Monday.

And the delay is adding extra time to what many hope, will lead to a medical breakthrough.

Those experiments will be sent up to the International Space Station.

Not only will they be monitored from right here in Huntsville, one of the experiments themselves was designed here.

"We've been in business here for 13 years, so we've been in business pretty much since it started," says Ricardo Rodriguez, the Payload Operations Manager.

Here at the Marshall Space Flight Center, these workers are kept busy studying science.

"We are in charge of the science that happens on ISS. This control room you see behind me is where we manage all of the science that is going on on ISS, Rodriguez says.

Part of that science is from right here in North Alabama at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

"There's a payload going up, it's a protein crystal growth payload, and what that means is they're growing crystals of our human proteins on orbit, says Rodriguez.

Which could have big implications here on earth.

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Launch delayed for new ISS experiments

'Real Heroes' honored at annual Red Cross event

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Tim Blair lowers the Amakuas mainsail as they approach the Presidio Yacht Club near Sausalito. (Alvin Jornada / For The Press Democrat)

Tim Blair is the director, and heart and soul of Transformational Sailing, a group that uses the healing power of wind, sea and sky to help veterans and cancer patients. On Thursday, April 17 he along with other men and women of Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake Counties will be honored as Real Heroes by the American Red Cross.

The 11th Annual Real Heroes Breakfast, presented by Wells Fargo, will honor the courageous acts of inspirational members of the community. Heroes are acknowledged in ten categories which highlight the heroic deeds of community members in Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake Counties. The categories include Medical, Humanitarian Adult, Humanitarian Youth, Law Enforcement, Environment, Rescue Professional, Education, Heroic Deed, Military and Animal.

See photos of the honorees here

Tim Blair, the founder of Transformational Sailing, was nominated by Merrill Lynch in the military category. Other local nominees include Nick Papadopolous and Gary Cedar, who co-founded CropMobster.com, Chris Kittredge who helps raise puppies to become service dogs, and John Bribiescas who co-founded School Plus, a non-profit program developed to save and supplement enrichment programs throughout Santa Rosa schools, just to name a few.

To read about 9-year-old third-grade Kenwood student Riley Orton, another nominee, click here.

The invitation-only event will be heldThursday, April 17at the Doubletree Hotel in Rohnert Park at7:30 a.m.The Breakfast is a highlight event in the Red Cross chapters calendar as it significantly benefits the continuation of essential disaster aid services and classes the Red Cross provides to support the communities of all three counties.

Debbie Abrams of KZST will emcee the event that features sponsors such as Pacific Gas and Electric, Jackson Family Wines, St. Joseph Health, Kaiser Permanente, American AgCredit, Amys Kitchen, Sutter Medical Center, Eileen Adams, Medtronic, Merrill Lynch, The Press Democrat, Sonoma Raceway, North Bay Business Journal, KZST 100.1, and The Ukiah Daily Journal. Table Sponsors are Factory Pipe, Marys Pizza Shack and Freidmans Home Improvement.

Those wishing to attend the event can call the Red Cross at 577-7627. While there is not a set ticket prices, guests are encouraged to contribute a minimum donation of $133 to represent the 133 years the American Red Cross has been serving the American people.

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'Real Heroes' honored at annual Red Cross event

NASA hands over historic Apollo-era launch pad to SpaceX

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Aerial view of Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA has leased to SpaceX use of the historic pad to launch the company's rockets over the next 20 years.NASA

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell, and Kennedy Space Center director Robert Cabana are seen together at Kennedy's Launch Pad 39A, which NASA leased to SpaceX for commercial use on April 14, 2014.Robert Z. Pearlman/collectSPACE.com

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. One of NASA's most historic launch pads is now under new management.

Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida is now under the direction of SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies), the private spaceflight company headed by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk. The launch pad, which was the site where Apollo 11 lifted off on the first manned moon landing in July 1969, will now support the company's rockets and spacecraft as they depart for Earth orbit, and possibly destinations beyond.

"Today, this historic site, from which numerous Apollo and space shuttle missions began, and from which I first flew and left the planet on STS-61C on Columbia, is beginning a new mission as a commercial launch site," said Charles Bolden, NASA Administrator and former astronaut, during a press conference held at the pad.

[The Rockets and Spaceships of SpaceX (Photos)]

On Monday, NASA signed a property agreement with SpaceX beginning a 20-year lease to occupy and use the launch pad. Over the course of the next two decades, the Hawthorne, California-based company will operate and maintain the facility at its own expense.

"Pad 39A is a historic pad, as we all know, and I am so excited that NASA selected us to be one of their partners and also to be their partner in developing 39A as we move forward into the future of space launch," Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX's president and chief operating officer, said.

"We'll make great use of this pad, I promise," she added.

NASA chose SpaceX to lease Complex 39A in December 2013, after determining it no longer had a use for the 40-year-old pad. Instead, the space agency plans to use Pad 39B, Pad 39A's Apollo-era twin, to support future flights of its Space Launch System rockets and Orion capsules to fly astronauts to the vicinity of the moon and out to Mars.

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NASA hands over historic Apollo-era launch pad to SpaceX

NASA Will Unveil New Discovery from Planet-Hunting Kepler Telescope Today @ 2pm ET

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NASA will announce a new discovery by its planet-hunting Kepler space telescope today, and you can following the unveiling live online.

Space agency officials and scientists will host a live news teleconference at 2 p.m. EDT (1800 GMT) to unveil the new Kepler planet discovery. You can watch and listen to the webcast of the NASA Kepler discovery announcement live on Space.com.

The nature of the discovery is embargoed by the journal Science, NASA officials wrote in an update. [7 Greatest Discoveries by Alien Planets (So Far)]

Alien Planet Quiz: Are You an Exoplanet Expert?

Astronomers have confirmed more than 800 planets beyond our own solar system, and the discoveries keep rolling in. How much do you know about these exotic worlds?

0 of 10 questions complete

Alien Planet Quiz: Are You an Exoplanet Expert?

Astronomers have confirmed more than 800 planets beyond our own solar system, and the discoveries keep rolling in. How much do you know about these exotic worlds?

"Launched in March 2009, Kepler is the first NASA mission capable of finding Earth-size planets in or near the habitable zone the range of distance from a star in which the surface temperature of an orbiting planet might sustain liquid water," NASA officials wrote in an alert announcing today's breifing. "The telescope has since detected planets and planet candidates spanning a wide range of sizes and orbital distances, including those in the habitable zone. These findings have led to a better understanding of our place in the galaxy."

Participating in NASA's press conference will be:

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NASA Will Unveil New Discovery from Planet-Hunting Kepler Telescope Today @ 2pm ET

Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery

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WEST HARTFORD, Conn., April 16, 2014 /Emag.co.uk/ Global Information Inc. announces the addition of a new market research report Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery at GIIResearch.com

This report analyzes the worldwide markets for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery in US$ Million. The Global Market is further analyzed by the following Drug Delivery Technologies: Nanocrystals, and Nanocarriers. The report provides separate comprehensive analytics for the US, Canada, Japan, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Rest of World. Annual estimates and forecasts are provided for the period 2009 through 2018. Market data and analytics are derived from primary and secondary research. Company profiles are primarily based on public domain information including company URLs. The report profiles 60 companies including many key and niche players such as -

Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Alkermes PLC Aquanova AG Camurus AB Capsulution Pharma AG Celgene, Inc.

Table of Contents

I. INTRODUCTION, METHODOLOGY & PRODUCT DEFINITIONS II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

III. MARKET

IV. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

More detailed information is available at http://www.giiresearch.com/report/go297187-nanotechnology-drug-delivery.html

Media Contact: Joe Malley, Global Information, Inc., 860-674-8796, US-marketing@gii.co.jp

News distributed by PR Newswire iReach: http://www.giiresearch.com/report/go297187-nanotechnology-drug-delivery.html

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Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery

Nanostructures Offer Medical Images Without X Rays

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Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) have developed a recipe for creating a nearly perfect compound semiconductor that could lead to more efficient photovoltaics, safe and high-resolution biological imaging and the ability to transmit massive amounts of data at higher speeds.

The researchers took the rare earth element, erbium (Er), along with the element antimony (Sb) and made a compound of the two into semimetallic nanowires or nanoparticles. Then they embedded those nanostructures into the semiconducting matrix of gallium antimonide (GaSb). Because the arrangement of atoms within the ErSb nanostructures matches the pattern of the surrounding matrix, the compound semiconductor forms an uninterrupted crystal lattice capable of manipulating light energy in the mid-infrared range.

"The nanostructures are coherently embedded, without introducing noticeable defects, through the growth process by molecular beam epitaxy," said Hong Lu, a researcher in UCSB's Materials department, in a press release. Lu is the lead author of the study that revealed the new material, published in the journal Nano Letters. "Secondly, we can control the size, the shape and the orientation of the nanostructures." (Epitaxy is a manufacturing technique in which crystals are grown on a substrate.)

The ErSb nanoparticles and wires enable the compound semiconductor to absorb a wider spectrum of light due to a phenomenon called surface plasmon resonance. Surface plasmons are oscillations of electrons found on the interface between, for example, a metal and air. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) is the collective oscillation of electrons due to light stimulation.

By exploiting SPR, the researchers believe that their new material could bridge the gap between optics and electronics. While photons offer the potential for computers that can handle data at very high speeds, it has been difficult to manipulate the relatively long wavelengths of light in the compact environment of electronics.

When infrared light strikes the material developed by the UCSB researchers, electrons in a ErSb nanostructure begin to resonate at the same frequency as the incident light. This oscillation of these electrons preserves the optical signal, but shrinks it to a scale where it is manageable for electronic devices.

According to the researchers, the highly conductive nanostructures can also polarize electromagnetic radiation in a broad range, providing a new platform for applications in the infrared and terahertz frequency ranges. The polarization effect could help in filtering and defining images with infrared and even longer-wavelength terahertz light signatures. This could make possible the imaging the internal structure of a variety of materials, including the human body, without the risk posed by using X-rays.

Get more from IEEE Spectrum.

This article originally appeared on IEEE Spectrum; all rights reserved.

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Nanostructures Offer Medical Images Without X Rays

Thinnest feasible nano-membrane produced

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A new nano-membrane made out of the 'super material' graphene is extremely light and breathable. Not only can this open the door to a new generation of functional waterproof clothing, but also to ultra-rapid filtration. The membrane produced by the researchers at ETH Zurich is as thin as is technologically possible.

Researchers have produced a stable porous membrane that is thinner than a nanometer. This is a 100,000 times thinner than the diameter of a human hair. The membrane consists of two layers of the much exalted "super material" graphene, a two-dimensional film made of carbon atoms, on which the team of researchers, led by Professor Hyung Gyu Park at the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering at ETH Zurich, etched tiny pores of a precisely defined size.

The membrane can thus permeate tiny molecules. Larger molecules or particles, on the other hand, can pass only slowly or not at all. "With a thickness of just two carbon atoms, this is the thinnest porous membrane that is technologically possible to make," says PhD student Jakob Buchheim, one of the two lead authors of the study, which was conducted by ETH-Zurich researchers in collaboration with scientists from Empa and a research laboratory of LG Electronics. The study has just been published in journal Science.

The ultra-thin graphene membrane may one day be used for a range of different purposes, including waterproof clothing. "Our membrane is not only very light and flexible, but it is also a thousand fold more breathable than Goretex," says Kemal Celebi, a postdoc in Park's laboratory and also one of the lead authors of the study. The membrane could also potentially be used to separate gaseous mixtures into their constituent parts or to filter impurities from fluids. The researchers were able to demonstrate for the first time that graphene membranes could be suitable for water filtration. The researchers also see a potential use for the membrane in devices used for the accurate measurement of gas and fluid flow rates that are crucial to unveiling the physics around mass transfer at nanoscales and separation of chemical mixtures.

Breakthrough in nanofabrication

The researchers not only succeeded in producing the starting material, a double-layer graphene film with a high level of purity, but they also mastered a technique called focused ion beam milling to etch pores into the graphene film. In this process, which is also used in the production of semiconductors, a beam of helium or gallium ions is controlled with a high level of precision in order to etch away material. The researchers were able to etch pores of a specified number and size into the graphene with unprecedented precision. This process, which could easily take days to complete, took only a few hours in the current work. "This is a breakthrough that enables the nanofabrication of the porous graphene membranes," explains Ivan Shorubalko, a scientist at Empa that also contributed to the study.

In order to achieve this level of precision, the researchers had to work with double-layer graphene. "It wouldn't have been possible for this method to create such a membrane with only one layer because graphene in practice isn't perfect," says Park. The material can exhibit certain irregularities in the honeycomb structure of the carbon atoms. Now and again, individual atoms are missing from the structure, which not only impairs the stability of the material but also makes it impossible to etch a high-precision pore onto such a defect. The researchers solved this problem by laying two graphene layers on top of each other. The probability of two defects settling directly above one another is extremely low, explains Park.

Fastest possible filtration

A key advantage of the tiny dimensions is that the thinner a membrane, the lower its permeation resistance. The lower the resistance, the higher the energy-efficiency of the filtration process. "With such atomically thin membranes we can reach maximal permeation for a membrane of a given pore size and we believe that they allow the fastest feasible rate of permeation," says Celebi. However, before these applications are ready for use on an industrial scale or for the production of functional waterproof clothing, the manufacturing process needs to be further developed. To investigate the fundamental science, the researchers worked with tiny pieces of membrane with a surface area of less than one hundredth of a square millimetre. Objectives from now on will be to produce larger membrane surfaces and impose various filtering mechanisms.

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Thinnest feasible nano-membrane produced

Thinnest membrane feasible has been produced

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A new nano-membrane made out of the 'super material' graphene is extremely light and breathable. Not only can this open the door to a new generation of functional waterproof clothing, but also to ultra-rapid filtration. The new membrane just produced is as thin as is technologically possible.

Researchers have produced a stable porous membrane that is thinner than a nanometre. This is a 100,000 times thinner than the diameter of a human hair. The membrane consists of two layers of the much exalted "super material" graphene, a two-dimensional film made of carbon atoms, on which the team of researchers, led by Professor Hyung Gyu Park at the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering at ETH Zurich, etched tiny pores of a precisely defined size.

The membrane can thus permeate tiny molecules. Larger molecules or particles, on the other hand, can pass only slowly or not at all. "With a thickness of just two carbon atoms, this is the thinnest porous membrane that is technologically possible to make," says PhD student Jakob Buchheim, one of the two lead authors of the study, which was conducted by ETH-Zurich researchers in collaboration with scientists from Empa and a research laboratory of LG Electronics. The study has just been published in journal Science.

The ultra-thin graphene membrane may one day be used for a range of different purposes, including waterproof clothing. "Our membrane is not only very light and flexible, but it is also a thousand fold more breathable than Goretex," says Kemal Celebi, a postdoc in Park's laboratory and also one of the lead authors of the study. The membrane could also potentially be used to separate gaseous mixtures into their constituent parts or to filter impurities from fluids. The researchers were able to demonstrate for the first time that graphene membranes could be suitable for water filtration. The researchers also see a potential use for the membrane in devices used for the accurate measurement of gas and fluid flow rates that are crucial to unveiling the physics around mass transfer at nanoscales and separation of chemical mixtures.

Breakthrough in nanofabrication

The researchers not only succeeded in producing the starting material, a double-layer graphene film with a high level of purity, but they also mastered a technique called focused ion beam milling to etch pores into the graphene film. In this process, which is also used in the production of semiconductors, a beam of helium or gallium ions is controlled with a high level of precision in order to etch away material. The researchers were able to etch pores of a specified number and size into the graphene with unprecedented precision. This process, which could easily take days to complete, took only a few hours in the current work. "This is a breakthrough that enables the nanofabrication of the porous graphene membranes," explains Ivan Shorubalko, a scientist at Empa that also contributed to the study.

In order to achieve this level of precision, the researchers had to work with double-layer graphene. "It wouldn't have been possible for this method to create such a membrane with only one layer because graphene in practice isn't perfect," says Park. The material can exhibit certain irregularities in the honeycomb structure of the carbon atoms. Now and again, individual atoms are missing from the structure, which not only impairs the stability of the material but also makes it impossible to etch a high-precision pore onto such a defect. The researchers solved this problem by laying two graphene layers on top of each other. The probability of two defects settling directly above one another is extremely low, explains Park.

Fastest possible filtration

A key advantage of the tiny dimensions is that the thinner a membrane, the lower its permeation resistance. The lower the resistance, the higher the energy-efficiency of the filtration process. "With such atomically thin membranes we can reach maximal permeation for a membrane of a given pore size and we believe that they allow the fastest feasible rate of permeation," says Celebi. However, before these applications are ready for use on an industrial scale or for the production of functional waterproof clothing, the manufacturing process needs to be further developed. To investigate the fundamental science, the researchers worked with tiny pieces of membrane with a surface area of less than one hundredth of a square millimetre. Objectives from now on will be to produce larger membrane surfaces and impose various filtering mechanisms.

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Thinnest membrane feasible has been produced