Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California at Berkeley have used in situ transmission electron microscopy and Hysitron's PI 95 Picoindenter to measure hollow spherical nanoparticles that withstand extreme stress and deform without losing strength. The geometry of the novel nanospheres can be engineered to approach the theoretical ideal shear strength of the material from which they are made, in this case cadmium sulfide. The researchers report their results in the November, 2008 issue of Nature Materials, available to subscribers in advanced online publication.

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