Nanotechnology... Sponges and muscles.

A few developments from last year in the field of nanotechnology:

Carbon Nanotube Sponge Can Absorb Toxic Oils and Solvents up to 180x Its Weight!

(source: treehugger.com)

Created by scientists from Peking University and Tsinghua University, this development might prove especially useful for cleaning up oil spills, as it does not absorb water, only the toxic liquids, after which it can be wrung and reused.

"180 times its weight seems to be the maximum that such a sponge can absorb (it depends on what you're mopping up). The figure for diesel fuel is 143x, and for ethylene glycol its 175x."

"The sponges are made from interconnected carbon nanotubes that are about 30-50 nanometres across and tens to hundreds of micrometers long, and they are over 99% porous (which leaves a lot of space to absorb oil and solvents). And since carbon nanotubes are hydrophobic, there's no modification required to make them not absorb water."

The sponges might also have diverse other uses, (for the entire article, click here).

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Another development in the field of nanotechnology:

Carbon Nanotube Muscles

From: Giant-Stroke, Superelastic Carbon Nanotube Aerogel Muscles. Science, Vol. 323 Issue 5921, March 19, 2009.