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Sputter coating and many other deposition techniques, including PVD, have become essential tools in the research scientist’s arsenal. Modern sputter deposition systems are practically unrecognisable from their earliest counterparts, with vacuum chambers and sputtering systems now operable on the benchtop. There is often a concern that championing ease-of-usability and compactness will lead to compromises on […]

By exploiting the plasmonic properties of nanomaterials, surface-enhanced Raman offers a dramatic increase in sensitivity compared to conventional Raman spectroscopy, enabling the detection of analytes down to parts-per-billion (ppb) levels. We’ve used our state-of-the-art nanoparticle deposition technology to develop high-performance, low-cost substrates for surface-enhanced Raman, enabling laboratories of all sizes to achieve cheap, versatile and

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is used to detect and characterise samples. Although it was first discovered in the late 1970s for laboratory use, it has been utilised outside of labs since the advent of nanostructured substrates in the 1990s In this blog post, we will explain what SERS technology is used for alongside its benefits.

Nanotechnology is a rapidly developing scientific discipline with an ever-growing range of critical sub-fields. Thin-film engineering, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), state-of-the-art therapeutics, and so much more, are built on research and development (R&D) at the nanoscale. Novel materials are central to so many of these breakthroughs; specifically nanoparticles. Colloidal nanoparticles serve an array of functions, and

Spherical gold nanoparticles are advanced nanomaterials having diverse applications such as targeted drug delivery, radiotherapy, biological imaging, sensors, and chemical catalysis. Gold nanoparticles can be produced by either chemical methods such as aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition, hydro-thermal reduction, and microemulsion or by physical procedures such as plasma-assisted vacuum deposition, laser ablation, spray pyrolysis, and ion

Gold nanospheres are advanced nanomaterials with a strong potential in high-tech biomedical applications. It is possible to modify gold nanospheres’ optoelectronic and physiochemical properties by altering their structure, size, and width-to-height ratio. This blog post outlines the major biomedical applications of gold nanospheres like nano biosensing, imaging, drug and gene delivery, and therapeutic agents. Gold

The use of gold nanoparticles dates back centuries due to the vibrant spectrum of colours they produce interacting with natural light. Advancements in science and technology revealed their remarkable properties and multifunctionality and manifolded their applicability in high-end technologies. This blog post briefly outlines the key properties and modern applications of gold nanoparticles. Key properties

Nanoparticles offer huge opportunities in a staggeringly wide range of technological and medical applications. But in order to realize these applications, researchers require extremely sophisticated tools to produce, handle, and study them. The NL50 is Nikalyte’s flagship nanoparticle deposition system, designed to provide labs of all sizes with the ability to easily produce and deposit

Magnetic nanoparticles are a major class of nanomaterials that offer unique advantages in MRI diagnostics. This blog post covers the fundamentals of magnetic nanoparticles and sees how they’re enabling more accurate medical diagnoses. What are magnetic nanoparticles? Many people are familiar with the idea that materials have certain properties that are independent of size, such

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy is an extremely sensitive method of enhancing the Raman scattering of molecules supported by nanostructured materials. It means that structural fingerprinting of low concentration analytes is possible. This process is done through plasmon-mediated amplification of electrical fields or chemical enhancement. In this article, we discuss how SERS works and its key