By Peter Weiss
Anyone who’s suffered sunburn is well aware of the power of ultraviolet (UV) light.
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Researchers in New Mexico have found that they can use that power to fine-tune the properties of an unusual glass film they developed a few years ago. Riddled with pores only nanometers in diameter, the now-adjustable film may prove valuable as a sensor, filter, or optical material. With further development, it may even have the long-sought ability to extract oxygen or nitrogen directly from air, the scientists say. The standard gas-separation process requires expensive steps at cryogenic temperatures.