Posts Tagged ‘nanotechnology’

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Harvesting Solar Energy Using Nanotechnology Saturday, July 31st, 2010

Solar energy is still only a promise as costs are still uneconomic compared to conventional (and generally eco-unfriendly) electricity generation methods. Many are looking to nanotechnology to provide economic solutions.

It had been observed that single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) absorb light strongly and convert the light into heat. SWCNTs are particularly sensitive to light in the near-infrared (NIR) region. This effect has already been used in cancer treatment.

Researchers in China have now discovered that the heat can be converted into electricity. This involved exposing NIR light to buckypapers, i.e. thin sheets made from aggregates of carbon nanotubes. The experiment showed that SWCNT sheets are potentially good IR sensors.

By integrating a large number of two different types of SWCNT sheets (p-type and n-type) in a series to fabricate the power source, a significantly higher voltage output was obtained by the researchers. The output was a macroscopic voltage exceeding 0.1 V. The conclusion of the researchers is that by integrating more elements, larger outputs can be obtained.

The researchers hope that by optimizing the sheet structure, performance can be improved. Other scientific problems also need to be tackled before a practical device for harvesting solar energy or sensing infrared is developed.

Read the news at NanoWerk Spotlight.

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Nanofiber from Cellulose: Keynote Topic at Nanotech Conference Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

Nanofibers have a diameter of 100 nanometers or less. Textiles and filters made of nanofibers have better functionality compared to traditional materials. The potential for their applications are wide, as a few illustrative examples below show:

* Medical applications in tissue engineering and artificial organs
* Protective masks against chemical and biological attacks
* Textile applications for different kinds of specialized apparel, including baby diapers
* Filters used in different industries and systems
* Napkins with antibodies against biohazards

Nanofibers can potentially be made to assemble at injury sites and also to self-braid, making them ideas in certain applications.

Nanofibers can be made from different materials, both organic and inorganic. Carbon nanofibers, “ceramic” nanofibers from materials such as silicon dixide and nanofibers from cellulose are examples.

The 2010 International Conference on Nanotechnology for the Forest Products Industry to be held during September 27-29, 2010 at the Dipoli Congress Centre in Espoo, Finland. The conference, which has the theme “Getting Down to Business with Nanotech Products” will have a keynote presentation from Dr. Hiroyuki Yano on the “Potential of Cellulose Nanofiber-Based Materials.” Dr. Yano is a Professor at the Research Institute of Sustainable Humanosphere, Kyoto University, who received a Ph.D. in wood science from the university in 1989.

Read the conference announcement at TAPPI website.

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Posted in nanomaterials, nanotechnology | 2 Comments »

Miniaturization Applications with Nanotechnology Monday, July 19th, 2010

A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter and objects of nanoscale are invisible to the human eye. Yet these invisible objects could be of immense use in different areas. Some recent developments at the University of Utah point to some of these possibilities.

One researcher is developing a nanotech torch that is invisible but could make it possible to avoid the waste incurred during the production of electronic chips. By depositing and erasing materials at the precise locations where they are needed, not only is waste avoided but the size of the chip also gets much smaller.

With these small chips, it becomes possible to develop much more compact devices such as GPS units and cell phones.

The Utah University team is also developing a nano tuning fork that can help reduce power consumption. These are nanoscale mechanical switches that can, for example, prevent laptop computers from overheating, eliminate wasted energy and keep the battery charged for longer periods.

The research team at the university has received a $3 million, three year federal DARPA grant for nanotechnology research and the faculty in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering working on these projects constitute the Wireless Nanosystems research team.

Read the news at UtahPulse.

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Knowledge Society and Nanotechnology Saturday, July 17th, 2010

Knowledge society is a society where the primary production resource is knowledge, rather than capital, labor or even raw materials. In such societies, accumulated and newly discovered knowledge will be the dominant element supporting not only economic but also social and cultural activities. If one looks around modern societies, one can observe the huge volume of knowledge that underlies almost everything we do, including how we think.

Knowledge supporting community activity is not something new. Even ancient tribes observed, acquired and passed on knowledge about weather patterns and about the best practices for obtaining desired results. Activities like agriculture and fishing benefited from such knowledge. What is different in modern times is the huge volume of knowledge, the ease of sharing it globally and the elimination of the need for geographical proximity for knowledge societies to arise.

As against physical meeting places and bulletin boards, it is Web portals, chat rooms, video conferences and other information distribution and collaboration environments that dominate the modern scenario.

Validating the results of scientific research through economic achievements that benefit members of the society has become a major topic of study.

Nanotechnology is a field in which many countries, including developing countries, have invested heavily. It is a field with many promises, and also many unknown risks. It is in such a context that many conferences and movements are focusing on nanotechnology.

The article on Nanotechnology for a Knowledge Society in Emerging Economies and Developing Countries discusses this concern.

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Nanotechnology Whitepaper from the 2009 Environmental Health Summit Monday, July 12th, 2010

In a number of posts at this blog, both the positive and the potentially harmful impact that nanotechnology can have on health have been mentioned. The whitepaper on environmentally responsible development of nanotechnology focuses on this duality of benefits and dangers of nanotechnology. It contains the recommendations from the Research Triangle Environmental Health Collaborative and represents a collection of opinions.

The impact of nanotechnology is understood by most countries. In the U.S., for example, $14 billion had been set apart for R&D under the Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI). The NNI is a U.S. government program of “25 agencies working together toward the common vision of a future in which the ability to understand and control matter at the nanoscale leads to a revolution in technology and industry that benefits society.”

Russia has been focusing on developing tools that enable working with materials at nanoscale, something extremely difficult considering that a nanometer is one-billionth of a meter.

As the whitepaper says, when materials at this size scale are released into the environment, they can penetrate traditional biological barriers (like the human skin) and the so far “impermeable” synthetic filters. The result can be unhealthy for humans, animals and the ecology.

As at the time of this writing, the whitepaper can be downloaded from EnvironmentalHealthCollaborative.org.

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Nanotechnology from a Social Angle: the ISSA Symposium Friday, July 9th, 2010

Nanotechnology that works with materials at molecular and atomic levels offers numerous opportunities. The technology also poses risks of which we might not yet be aware. Nanotech is receiving increasing attention from different perspectives.

Some of the nanotech applications being explored (and even actually used) include:

Carrying miniaturization further in electronics and developing innovative new products
Developing new materials that make for new or more effective industrial processes
Developing new treatments and diagnostics for diseases, such as cancer where existing treatments lead to undesirable side effects
Improving the processes in self-cleaning, which can solve several everyday problems
Improving protection against corrosion, as in the case of car bodywork
Enhancing protection against UV rays through their use in cosmetics

As against opportunities like those mentioned above, nanotechnology also poses risks such as the particles entering human bloodstream because of their minuscule size. Such dangers make it necessary to enact regulations that ensure safety aspects are considered by developers and producers. For example, people working with nanomaterials in research laboratories are exposed to unknown risks.

It is in such a context that the International Social Security Association is organizing a symposium on Nanotechnology. The symposium will seek to highlight the opportunities as well as the risks. It will also provide information on incidental legal regulations, national and international. The symposium is scheduled at KKL, Lucerne, Switzerland during October 4th and 5th, 2010.

Read about the event at ISSA website.

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A Glimpse into what Nanotechnology can do Thursday, July 8th, 2010

While opening the Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication, the Premier of Victoria, Australia and other speakers touched upon the potential exciting innovations that nanotechnology makes possible. The possibilities mentioned by them provide an insight into what the technology can provide in widely varying fields.

One of the most promising areas is the field of energy. Energy generation without polluting the environment, batteries that could last far longer than now and minuscule power sources that are efficient and could be accommodated in presently inaccessible locations (such as inside human organs) are some possibilities that nanotechnology offers.

Additionally, energy efficient materials and applications can reduce levels of energy consumed. For example, self-cleaning glass and paint can eliminate much of the effort needed for cleaning (as well as lead to less energy consumption for climate control indoors). And clothing that can keep you cool on a hot day could possibly save on energy needed for keeping people cool.

The new facility’s sophisticated equipment “will enable the production of devices, customised sensors and integrated systems with applications in biomedicine, energy, nanoelectronics and environmental management,” according to one of the participants. The Victorian and commonwealth governments have funded investment in the new centre, “directed to the Australian Synchrotron, Monash University’s Electron Microscopy facility and CSIRO’s Niche Manufacturing Flagship,” according to the Victorian Premier.

Read the news at Nanowerk

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Mid-Infrared Imaging and Spectroscopic Chemical Sensing Gets a Boost Tuesday, July 6th, 2010

The European Union has awarded Euro 2.8 million to the Plaisir project, a three-year project that seeks to create ultra sensitive chemical sensors and smarter, cheaper infrared photodetectors. Infrared (IR) technology is being used in more applications and the mid-IR range is used for fingerprinting molecules and proteins. Mid-IR detectors will thus have a more significant market in the coming days.

The Plaisir project is aimed at utilizing latest developments such as nanotechnology and optical telecommunications to the more traditional spectroscopic chemical sensing (SCS) to identify molecules. A goal of the project is to use SCS to sense Carbon Dioxide that causes global warming, and glucose the level of which is used to diagnose diabetes, which is becoming a serious problem with an ageing population.

The phenomenon of plasmonics is used in nanotechnology to confine and control light at both wavelengths and subwavelength scales. It is plasmonics that is the key to the improved SCS and IR detection. The advances can also help develop better IR cameras.

Mid-IR plasmonics has application in all areas from health, environment through to security and chemical process control.

Read the news at NewElectronics.co.uk and about the project at Plaisir Project website.

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Nanotech Solutions in Arabian Gulf Countries Sunday, July 4th, 2010

A Nanotech Insight (NTI) conference is scheduled for February 27-March 2, 2011 at Cairo, Egypt. Leading technologists in the field will speak at the conference, discussing practical developments that can be put to use to solve specific problems. Additionally, the speakers will address technological, scientific and social aspects of working at nanometer scale (a nanometer is one billionth of a meter).

Previous conferences had speakers like Chad Mirkin (Northwestern University, USA), Wilheim Huck (University of Cambridge, UK), Paul Hansma (U. California, Santa Barbara) and Hari Manoharan (Stanford University, USA). A featured item will be an introductory lecture on water opportunities with nanotechnology in the Middle East. Other lectures will cover topics such as:

* Energy Water Electronics Optics Nanomedicine Magnetism
* Nanofabrication Characterization and manipulation
* Nano Ethics / Environmental Impact

The conference is being organized by SabryCorp, whose chairman Dr. Mohamed Abdel-Mottaleb said that the event “will offer a forum for both scientific discussions and networking in order to forge lasting global partnerships.” He added that the cost-saving and ecological benefits of these new materials enable nanotechnology “to play a significant role in the future of both developed and developing nations.”

SabryCorp is reported to be the first scientific consultancy in the Middle East and Africa specializing in nanotechnology.

Read the news release at: NanoVip.

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Nanoeducator to Train Students in Nanotechnology Thursday, July 1st, 2010

The potential of nanotechnology in solving some of the greatest problems we face, including sustainable and non-polluting energy, is becoming increasingly evident. At the same time it is extremely difficult to work with matter at nanoscale (a nanometer is one-billionth of a meter). The risks of working with materials at this scale (which can permeate the human skin, for example) is also a major factor.

Education on all these aspects is essential if nanotechnology is to fulfill its promise.

Nanoeducator is a device that was developed by two Russian foundations, Foundation of Assistance to Development of Small Forms of the Enterprises in Scientific and Technical Sphere and Foundation of education and science (Alferov’s foundation).

The device includes a basic scanning microscope (SPM) and other incidentals, including a text book that teaches how to use SPM microscopy and nanolithography fundamentals. It comes with scientific training software that works under Mac OS or Windows XP. The student oriented device can be used for applications in biology, materials science, data storage devices, micro and nano structures and inspection of parts made with MEMS technology.

The device can be used in AFM, AFM lithography and STM modes. The software can be used for STM manipulation and image processing/analysis.

 

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