{"674486":{"#nid":"674486","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Physicists Pioneer New Quantum Sensing Platform","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EQuantum sensors detect the smallest of environmental changes \u2014 for example, an atom reacting to a magnetic field. As these sensors \u201cread\u201d the unique behaviors of subatomic particles, they also dramatically improve scientists\u2019 ability to measure and detect changes in our wider environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMonitoring these tiny changes results in a wide range of applications \u2014\u0026nbsp;from improving navigation and natural disaster forecasting, to smarter medical imaging and detection of biomarkers of disease, gravitational wave detection, and even better quantum communication for secure data sharing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech physicists are pioneering new quantum sensing platforms to aid in these efforts. The research team\u2019s latest study, \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.adk8495\u0022\u003ESensing Spin Wave Excitations by Spin Defects in Few-Layer Thick Hexagonal Boron Nitride\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d was published in \u003Cem\u003EScience Advances\u003C\/em\u003E this week.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research team includes \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E Assistant Professors \u003Cstrong\u003EChunhui (Rita) Du\u003C\/strong\u003E and \u003Cstrong\u003EHailong Wang\u003C\/strong\u003E (corresponding authors) alongside fellow Georgia Tech researchers \u003Cstrong\u003EJingcheng Zhou\u003C\/strong\u003E, \u003Cstrong\u003EMengqi Huang\u003C\/strong\u003E, \u003Cstrong\u003EFaris Al-matouq\u003C\/strong\u003E, \u003Cstrong\u003EJiu Chang\u003C\/strong\u003E, \u003Cstrong\u003EDziga Djugba\u003C\/strong\u003E, and Professor \u003Cstrong\u003EZhigang Jiang\u003C\/strong\u003E and their collaborators.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAn ultra-sensitive platform\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new research investigates quantum sensing by leveraging color centers \u2014 small defects within crystals (Du\u2019s team uses diamonds and other 2D layered materials) that allow light to be absorbed and emitted, which also give the crystal unique electronic properties.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy embedding these color centers into a material called hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), the team hoped to create an extremely sensitive quantum sensor \u2014 a new resource for developing next-generation, transformative sensing devices.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor its part, hBN is particularly attractive for quantum sensing and computing because it could contain defects that can be manipulated with light \u2014 also known as \u0022optically active spin qubits.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe quantum spin defects in hBN are also very magnetically sensitive, and allow scientists to \u201csee\u201d or \u201csense\u201d in more detail than other conventional techniques. In addition, the sheet-like structure of hBN is compatible with ultra-sensitive tools like nanodevices, making it a particularly intriguing resource for investigation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team\u2019s research has resulted in a critical breakthrough in sensing spin waves, Du says, explaining that \u201cin this study, we were able to detect spin excitations that were simply unattainable in previous studies.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDetecting spin waves is a fundamental component of quantum sensing, because these phenomena can travel for long distances, making them an ideal candidate for energy-efficient information control, communication, and processing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe future of quantum\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFor the first time, we experimentally demonstrated two-dimensional van der Waals quantum sensing \u2014 using few-layer thick hBN in a real-world environment,\u201d Du explains, underscoring the potential the material holds for precise quantum sensing. \u201cFurther research could make it possible to sense electromagnetic features at the atomic scale using color centers in thin layers of hBN.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDu also emphasizes the collaborative nature of the research, highlighting the diverse skill sets and resources of researchers within Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWithin the School of Physics, Professor Zhigang Jiang\u0027s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/user\/zhigang-jiang\u0022\u003Eresearch group\u003C\/a\u003E provided the team with high-quality hBN crystals. Jingcheng Zhou,\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003Ewho is a member of both Professor Hailong Wang\u2019s and my research teams, performed the cutting-edge quantum sensing measurements,\u201d she says. \u201cMany incredible students also helped with this project.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDu is a leading scientist in the field of quantum sensing \u2014 this year, she received \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/news\/chunhui-du-awarded-doe-grant-quantum-sensing-research\u0022\u003Ea new grant from the U.S. Department of Energy\u003C\/a\u003E, along with a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/news\/sciences-faculty-awarded-sloan-research-fellowships\u0022\u003ESloan Research Fellowship\u003C\/a\u003E for her pioneering work on developing state-of-the-art quantum sensing techniques for quantum information technology applications. The prestigious Sloan award recognizes researchers whose \u201ccreativity, innovation, and research accomplishments make them stand out as the next-generation of leaders in the fields.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/sciadv.adk8495\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDOI: 10.1126\/sciadv.adk8495\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis work is supported by the U. S. National Science Foundation (NSF) under award No. DMR-2342569, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research under award No. FA9550-20-1-0319 and its Young Investigator Program under award No. FA9550-21-1-0125, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) under grant No. N00014-23-1-2146, NASA-REVEALS SSERVI (CAN No. NNA17BF68A), and NASA-CLEVER SSERVI (CAN No. 80NSSC23M0229).\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech physicists are investigating quantum sensing and leveraging cutting-edge techniques \u2014 embedding color centers in a 2D layered material called hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). The researchers\u2019 results have created a new resource for developing next-generation, ultra-sensitive quantum electronic devices.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The researchers\u2019 results have created a new resource for developing next-generation, ultra-sensitive quantum electronic devices."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2024-05-02 14:27:52","changed_gmt":"2026-08-13 20:06:43","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-05-02T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-05-02T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"673921":{"id":"673921","type":"image","title":"Credit: Unsplash","body":null,"created":"1714660107","gmt_created":"2024-05-02 14:28:27","changed":"1714660107","gmt_changed":"2024-05-02 14:28:27","alt":"Credit: Unsplash","file":{"fid":"257377","name":"zak-7wBFsHWQDlk-unsplash.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/02\/zak-7wBFsHWQDlk-unsplash.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/02\/zak-7wBFsHWQDlk-unsplash.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3269784,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/05\/02\/zak-7wBFsHWQDlk-unsplash.jpg?itok=g4VS2hu9"}},"673922":{"id":"673922","type":"image","title":"From left to right: Hailong Wang, Jingcheng Zhou, Chunhui (Rita Du)","body":null,"created":"1714660107","gmt_created":"2024-05-02 14:28:27","changed":"1714660107","gmt_changed":"2024-05-02 14:28:27","alt":"From left to right: Hailong Wang, Jingcheng Zhou, Chunhui (Rita Du)","file":{"fid":"257378","name":"science advance story_lab photo.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/02\/science%20advance%20story_lab%20photo.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/02\/science%20advance%20story_lab%20photo.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":260533,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/05\/02\/science%20advance%20story_lab%20photo.jpg?itok=HbarXy-m"}}},"media_ids":["673921","673922"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"660410","name":"Quantum"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"}],"categories":[{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192251","name":"cos-quantum"},{"id":"193266","name":"cos-research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"187433","name":"go-ien"},{"id":"186870","name":"go-imat"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by Selena Langner\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EContact: \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto: jess.hunt@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJess Hunt-Raston\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDirector of Communications\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences at Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687406":{"#nid":"687406","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Apple Vision Pro Powers New Wave of Immersive Education","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELearning electrical and computer engineering has always come with a unique challenge: many of its foundational concepts \u2014 electric fields, magnetic forces, semiconductor behavior \u2014 are invisible to the naked eye and difficult to visualize.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo make these invisible principles tangible, students in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E have long used specialized tools and software. Circuit simulators model voltage and current, electromagnetic tools visualize fields, and semiconductor design platforms reveal transistor behavior. These tools turn abstract theory into interactive experiences that prepare students for real-world engineering challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow, Apple Vision Pro is joining this ecosystem.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe technology introduces spatial computing to learning environments, blending digital content with the physical world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInstitute for Matter and Systems\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, infrastructure lead \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/alex-gallmon\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlex Gallmon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, is collaborating with students and industry partners to create immersive digital twins\u2014virtual models that replicate real-world systems\u2014of semiconductor cleanroom equipment.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese machines are complex and costly, with parts that can run tens of thousands of dollars,\u201d he said. \u201cEven minor mistakes during operation can lead to expensive damage or downtime.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGallmon\u0027s team built a virtual replica of a cleanroom vacuum training system. The project serves as a prototype for a workforce development program aimed at high school and college students interested in careers in the semiconductor or vacuum technology fields.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/01\/apple-vision-pro-powers-new-wave-immersive-education\u0022\u003ERead the full story from the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESpatial computing is transforming engineering education at Georgia Tech and opening new paths for entrepreneurship and technical training.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Spatial computing is transforming engineering education at Georgia Tech and opening new paths for entrepreneurship and technical training."}],"uid":"35272","created_gmt":"2026-01-16 22:13:30","changed_gmt":"2026-02-03 18:39:06","author":"aneumeister3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-12T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-12T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679037":{"id":"679037","type":"image","title":"Apple-VR-Headset-002.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech student Yash Rajgure using an Apple Vision Pro headset device to demo his team\u0027s project in ECE 6001 Technology Entrepreneurship: Teaming, Ideation, and Entrepreneurship. \u003Cem\u003EPhoto: Allison Carter, Georgia Tech\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1768601620","gmt_created":"2026-01-16 22:13:40","changed":"1768601620","gmt_changed":"2026-01-16 22:13:40","alt":"Georgia Tech student Yash Rajgure using an Apple Vision Pro headset device to demo his team\u0027s project.","file":{"fid":"263148","name":"Apple-VR-Headset-002.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/16\/Apple-VR-Headset-002.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/16\/Apple-VR-Headset-002.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":247313,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/16\/Apple-VR-Headset-002.jpeg?itok=hvEeDIm3"}},"679038":{"id":"679038","type":"image","title":"Gammon-Vision-Pro_1.jpeg","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGallmon showing how Apple Vision Pro can be utilized to train students and workers on sensitive and expensive technical equipment, in this case a cleanroom vacuum system.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1768601620","gmt_created":"2026-01-16 22:13:40","changed":"1768601620","gmt_changed":"2026-01-16 22:13:40","alt":"Alex Gallmon showing how Apple Vision Pro can be utilized","file":{"fid":"263149","name":"Gammon-Vision-Pro_1.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/16\/Gammon-Vision-Pro_1.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/16\/Gammon-Vision-Pro_1.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":394335,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/16\/Gammon-Vision-Pro_1.jpeg?itok=kxtirBGt"}}},"media_ids":["679037","679038"],"groups":[{"id":"660369","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"194612","name":"Workforce Development"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:dwatson@ece.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EDan Watson \u003C\/a\u003E| School of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["dwatson@ece.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686866":{"#nid":"686866","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Divan, Raychowdhury Named National Academy of Inventors Fellows","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/academyofinventors.org\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENational Academy of Inventors\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E is honoring two Georgia Tech faculty members for their contributions to technology and society: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/deepakraj-m-divan\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDeepakraj \u201cDeepak\u201d Divan\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/arijit-raychowdhury\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EArijit Raychowdhury\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. Both are in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERaychowdhury is a semiconductor pioneer whose patented circuit and system-on-chip designs have advanced computing efficiency and commercialization. Divan is a global leader in power electronics and grid modernization, whose innovations and ventures have transformed how electricity is delivered and managed worldwide.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCongratulations to Deepakraj and Arijit on earning one of the most esteemed accolades in technology and discovery. Their groundbreaking work, with nearly 100 patents between them, advances solutions to global challenges,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/raghupathy-sivakumar\u0022\u003ERaghupathy \u201cSiva\u201d Sivakumar\u003C\/a\u003E, chief commercialization officer at Georgia Tech. \u201cTheir success exemplifies how research commercialization drives real-world impact, and we\u2019re proud to see them honored as academy fellows.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EElection to NAI is the highest professional distinction specifically awarded to inventors. With this recognition, Georgia Tech\u2019s roster of NAI Fellows grows to 24. Divan and Raychowdhury join a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/academyofinventors.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-Fellows-List.pdf\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2025 class of 169 new fellows\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E representing university, government, and nonprofit organizations worldwide. They will be inducted at the NAI 15th Annual Conference on June 4, 2026, in Los Angeles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDeepakraj\u202f\u201cDeepak\u201d Divan\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProfessor Emeritus (2004-2025)\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EFounder, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cde.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Center for Distributed Energy\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDeepakraj\u202f\u201cDeepak\u201d Divan is a globally recognized innovator in power electronics and grid transformation. He was awarded the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/news\/2023\/12\/divan-selected-ieee-medal-power-engineering-recipient\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIEEE Medal in\u202fPower Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E in 2024.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe holds over 85 U.S. and international patents and has authored 400 refereed publications. His pioneering work on soft\u2011switching converters\u2014integral for efficient energy storage, EV charging, and industrial controls\u2014has spurred a global $70\u202fbillion power electronics industry.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDivan laid the groundwork for grid\u2011forming inverter control, enabling high-renewables integration. He is the co-author of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy-2040.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEnergy 2040: Aligning Innovation, Economics and Decarbonization\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, named by Forbes as one of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/globalcitizen\/2024\/12\/28\/10-essential-books-and-podcasts-every-leader-needs-in-2025\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u201c10 Essential Books and Podcasts Every Leader Needs in 2025\u201d\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBeing named an NAI Fellow is a tremendous honor,\u201d said Divan. \u201cIt reflects years of effort to rethink how electricity is delivered and managed to solve real problems and to drive practical innovations that matter.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;As the founder of Georgia Tech\u2019s Center for Distributed Energy, he led research that transforms electricity delivery through analytics, monitoring, and optimization.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAn entrepreneur, Divan co-founded Varentec (backed by Bill Gates and Khosla Ventures) and seeded ventures including GridBlock, Soft Switching Technologies, Innovolt, and Smart Wires\u2014raising over $500\u202fmillion. A National Academy of Engineering member and IEEE Fellow, he champions scalable energy-access solutions worldwide.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EArijit Raychowdhury\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProfessor and Steve W. Chaddick School Chair\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EDirector, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cocosys.ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECenter for the Co-Design of Cognitive Systems\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EArijit Raychowdhury has been the Steve W. Chaddick School Chair of ECE since 2021. He is a leading innovator in semiconductor technologies, holding more than 27 U.S. and international patents and authoring over 350 publications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis work spans low-power circuits, specialized accelerators, and system-on-chip design, with breakthroughs widely adopted in industry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis recognition reflects the collective effort of students, colleagues, and partners who share a vision for advancing microelectronics,\u201d said Raychowdhury. \u201cI am honored that NAI champions the same mission to lead through research, education, and innovation.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Texas Instruments, he developed the world\u2019s first adaptive echo-cancellation network for integrated Digital Subscriber Lines (DSL)\u2014a patented technology that enabled high-speed internet over traditional phone lines that received the EDN Innovation of the Year award. At Intel, he developed and incorporated foundational memory and logic technologies that shaped commercial products across global markets for more than a decade.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis research on fine-grain power management of systems-on-chip at Georgia Tech has been licensed and widely adopted by the semiconductor industry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe directs Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/Georgia Tech\u2019s Center for the Co-Design of Cognitive Systems \u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECenter for the Co-Design of Cognitive Systems\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and leads initiatives to advance microelectronics design with applications to AI. Over the years, he has served as a founding advisor and board member to multiple startups in the areas of edge-computing and low power design.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERaychowdhury\u2019s research bridges invention and real-world impact, earning him numerous honors, including IEEE\u0026nbsp;Fellow, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/news\/2023\/12\/raychowdhury-chosen-src-technical-excellence-award\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESemiconductor Research Corporation Technical Excellence Award\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, and multiple industry awards. Through pioneering designs and mentorship, he continues to drive innovation in computing systems, influencing both academic research and industrial commercialization.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Divan, Raychowdhury Named National Academy of Inventors Fellows"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDivan, Raychowdhury Named National Academy of Inventors Fellows\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Divan, Raychowdhury Named National Academy of Inventors Fellows"}],"uid":"36172","created_gmt":"2025-12-11 14:36:38","changed_gmt":"2025-12-12 14:36:15","author":"dwatson71","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-12-11T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-12-11T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678826":{"id":"678826","type":"image","title":"Divan-and-Arijit_NAI-Fellows-2025.png","body":null,"created":"1765463811","gmt_created":"2025-12-11 14:36:51","changed":"1765463811","gmt_changed":"2025-12-11 14:36:51","alt":"Deepak and Arijit headshot","file":{"fid":"262914","name":"Divan-and-Arijit_NAI-Fellows-2025.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/11\/Divan-and-Arijit_NAI-Fellows-2025.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/11\/Divan-and-Arijit_NAI-Fellows-2025.png","mime":"image\/png","size":3056772,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/11\/Divan-and-Arijit_NAI-Fellows-2025.png?itok=WD-DCWjq"}}},"media_ids":["678826"],"groups":[{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"194609","name":"Industry"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192255","name":"go-commercializationnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDan Watson\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["dwatson@ece.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686657":{"#nid":"686657","#data":{"type":"news","title":"IMS Launches Series on Interdisciplinary Innovation with AI Computing Panel ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute for Matter and Systems (IMS) hosted the inaugural Boundaries and Breakthroughs\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Epanel on Nov. 11, setting the stage for a new era of interdisciplinary dialogue at Georgia Tech. The event, held in the Marcus Nanotechnology building, brought together experts in electrical engineering, computer architecture, and computer systems design to tackle one of today\u2019s pressing challenges: artificial intelligence (AI) scalability and sustainable high-performance computing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs one of Georgia Tech\u2019s 11 interdisciplinary research institutes, IMS is designed to break down silos between traditional academic units. By operating core user facilities and fostering collaborative research, IMS creates a unique ecosystem where device-level innovation meets systems-level design. This event personified that mission by connecting researchers who typically work on different ends of the stack.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re looking for opportunities to bring people together to have discussions that are both informative and potentially create a little bit of friction in the best possible way around trending topics in science and engineering,\u201d said Mike Filler, IMS deputy director, during opening remarks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe panel was moderated by \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/divya-mahajan\u0022\u003EDivya Mahajan\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and featured \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/moin.cc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EMoinuddin Qureshi\u003C\/a\u003E, professor of computer science; \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scs.gatech.edu\/people\/anand-padmanabha-iyer\u0022\u003EAnand Iyer\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor of computer science; and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/people\/asif-khan\u0022\u003EAsif Khan\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in electrical and computer engineering.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe discussion explored the dynamics between compute abundance and energy constraints. As AI models scale up, power consumption has become a societal issue, driving up energy demands and even influencing political conversations. The panelists agreed that the bottleneck isn\u2019t compute \u2014 a computer\u2019s ability to process and execute tasks \u2014 but data movement. Moving data uses 100 to 1,000 times more energy than computation, making memory systems the critical frontier.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe conversation highlighted how breakthroughs in compute must occur at every layer \u2014 from individual devices to full computer systems. At the device level, Khan mentioned emerging memory technologies and \u201cbeyond CMOS\u201d approaches such as embedding compute within memory and exploring bio-inspired architectures.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom a computer architecture level, Qureshi advocated rethinking interfaces and creating designs optimized for the future of computing. AI needs regular patterns to work optimally, and current patterns are not set up for that.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf you want efficiency, design systems that make sense for AI,\u201d Qureshi said. \u201cDevelop new interfaces, develop new modules, architectures, and organization that make for a specific pattern.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the systems level, Iyer stressed practical strategies like near-memory compute and energy-aware scheduling while acknowledging the need for co-design between hardware and software.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cNow in terms of brains or bio-inspired computing, my conjecture is that there is currently no hardware that is capable of doing it,\u201d Khan said. He also noted that right now, there is no computer or algorithm that has the scale of computing comparable to human brain power.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe panelists didn\u2019t shy away from provocative ideas \u2014 such as whether graphic processing units are the final solution for AI and whether matrix multiplication alone can lead to artificial general intelligence. While opinions varied, all agreed that organizations like IMS are key to bringing together diverse expertise to tackle these questions collaboratively.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Boundaries and Breakthroughs series continues in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/events\/boundaries-breakthroughs-panel-series-bioelectronics-med-tech\u0022\u003EJanuary with a panel on bioelectronics and medical technologies\u003C\/a\u003E, reinforcing IMS\u2019s commitment to fostering dialogue that spans the full spectrum of innovation.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Boundaries and Breakthroughs panel explored how interdisciplinary collaboration can drive solutions for the future of artificial intelligence.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Boundaries and Breakthroughs panel explored how interdisciplinary collaboration can drive solutions for the future of artificial intelligence. "}],"uid":"35272","created_gmt":"2025-12-01 17:02:37","changed_gmt":"2025-12-01 17:03:39","author":"aneumeister3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-12-01T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-12-01T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678737":{"id":"678737","type":"image","title":"BB_web_story.png","body":null,"created":"1764608566","gmt_created":"2025-12-01 17:02:46","changed":"1764608566","gmt_changed":"2025-12-01 17:02:46","alt":"Panelists speaking at the Boundaries and Breakthroughs panel series","file":{"fid":"262809","name":"BB_web_story.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/01\/BB_web_story.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/01\/BB_web_story.png","mime":"image\/png","size":4029223,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/01\/BB_web_story.png?itok=zYZRftI4"}}},"media_ids":["678737"],"groups":[{"id":"660369","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:amelia.neumeister@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAmelia Neumeister\u003C\/a\u003E | Research Communications Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute for Matter and Systems\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["amelia.neumeister@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686192":{"#nid":"686192","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Built in I2P: The Student Inventions You\u2019ll Want to See to Believe","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECricket powder-based protein brownies. A visualization system for fencing blades. A personalized AI application for analyzing blood work. All I2P Showcase prototypes. See what Georgia Tech students have been developing this semester at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/i2p-showcase-fall-2025-tickets-1748117429289?aff=article\u0022\u003EFall 2025 Idea to Prototype (I2P) Showcase\u003C\/a\u003E on Tuesday, Dec. 2, at 5 p.m. in the Marcus Nanotechnology Building. This year, attendees will have even more\u0026nbsp;original inventions to view, with over 60 teams\u0026nbsp;displaying prototypes.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe event marks the culmination of the semester-long I2P course, where undergraduate students develop functional prototypes aimed at solving real-world problems. Prototypes this semester include a smart military drone, a gentler device for cervical cancer screening, a rotating espresso station, tools to keep AI safe, compact data centers, systems that simulate cyberattacks to help companies strengthen their defenses, and many more.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe showcase is free and open to students, faculty, staff, and members of the local community.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWinning teams will receive prizes and a \u201cgolden ticket\u201d into CREATE-X\u2019s Startup Launch, a summer accelerator that provides optional seed funding, accounting and legal service credits, mentorship, and more to help students turn their prototypes into viable startups.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is a free event, and refreshments will be provided.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/i2p-showcase-fall-2025-tickets-1748117429289?aff=article\u0022\u003ERegister for the Fall 2025 I2P Showcase\u003C\/a\u003E today!\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMore than 60 undergraduate teams will present functional prototypes at the Fall 2025 Idea to Prototype (I2P) Showcase at Georgia Tech, Tuesday, Dec. 2 at 5 p.m. in the Marcus Nanotechnology Building. See innovative student creations developed over the semester and designed to solve real-world problems. Winning teams earn prizes and a \u201cgolden ticket\u201d into CREATE-X\u2019s Startup Launch accelerator, which offers funding, in-kind services, mentorship, and more. This is a free event for the campus and local community.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech\u2019s Fall 2025 I2P Showcase will feature over 60 student prototypes tackling real-world challenges."}],"uid":"36436","created_gmt":"2025-11-04 20:30:14","changed_gmt":"2025-11-04 20:45:46","author":"bdurham31","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-11-04T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-11-04T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678542":{"id":"678542","type":"image","title":"Founders of Allez Go Adam Kulikowski and Jason Mo","body":"\u003Cp\u003EFounders of Allez Go: Adam Kulikowski and Jason Mo\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1762288717","gmt_created":"2025-11-04 20:38:37","changed":"1762288817","gmt_changed":"2025-11-04 20:40:17","alt":"Founders of Allez Go: Adam Kulikowski and Jason Mo","file":{"fid":"262593","name":"54186413447_045f318b99_o.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/04\/54186413447_045f318b99_o.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/04\/54186413447_045f318b99_o.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":13446225,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/11\/04\/54186413447_045f318b99_o.jpg?itok=AFgCbVoS"}}},"media_ids":["678542"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/i2p-showcase-fall-2025-tickets-1748117429289?aff=article","title":"Register for the 2025 Fall I2P Showcase"}],"groups":[{"id":"583966","name":"CREATE-X"},{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"42921","name":"Exhibitions"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"194685","name":"Manufacturing"},{"id":"147","name":"Military Technology"},{"id":"148","name":"Music and Music Technology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192255","name":"go-commercializationnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBreanna Durham\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarketing Strategist\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["breanna.durham@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"683715":{"#nid":"683715","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Institute for Matter and Systems Expands Cleanroom Facilities ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EInstitute for Matter and Systems (IMS)\u003C\/a\u003E has completed a major expansion of its \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/cleanroom.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ecleanroom facilities\u003C\/a\u003E, which now totals more than 23,000 square feet \u2013 solidifying its position as the largest academic cleanroom in the Southeast.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe expansion includes a newly constructed 2,000-square-foot ISO 6 cleanroom, designed to house an advanced packaging and 3D heterogeneous integration (3DHI) facility.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs demand for cleanroom facilities continues to rise across academia and industry, this expansion strategically positions Georgia Tech to support national initiatives and advance global leadership in semiconductor packaging technologies,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/people\/gary-spinner\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGary Spinner\u003C\/a\u003E, associate director of cleanroom and fabrication facilities at IMS.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis state-of-the-art space will be equipped with next-generation processing and inspection capabilities that represent the next generation of semiconductor manufacturing technology.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe new facility, in conjunction with our existing Marcus facilities, will provide the campus community and our industry and government partners with the tools and capabilities to pursue revolutionary technologies in advanced packaging and 3D heterogeneous integration,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/people\/muhannad-s-bakir\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMuhannad Bakir\u003C\/a\u003E, Dan Fielder Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/prc.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E3D Systems Packaging Research Center\u003C\/a\u003E (PRC). \u201cThese innovations will include developing radical\u202fadvanced packaging and 3D stack architectures that seamlessly integrate electronics, photonics, power delivery, and thermal technologies.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe PRC will use the new facility for advanced packaging research supported by multiple national programs and industry partnerships. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EThis robust infrastructure will support emerging applications in artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, and advanced mm-wave and photonic communications systems. By enabling the dense integration of multiple specialized chips within substrates and chip stacks, the pursued advanced packaging research will deliver more scalable, powerful and energy efficient systems at lower cost and shorter design cycles. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENew 2,000-square-foot ISO 6 cleanroom advances semiconductor packaging innovation\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New 2,000-square-foot ISO 6 cleanroom advances semiconductor packaging innovation "}],"uid":"35272","created_gmt":"2025-08-11 19:10:10","changed_gmt":"2025-08-13 16:05:03","author":"aneumeister3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-08-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-08-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677648":{"id":"677648","type":"image","title":"Cleanroom_expansion.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1754941060","gmt_created":"2025-08-11 19:37:40","changed":"1754941060","gmt_changed":"2025-08-11 19:37:40","alt":"Inside the new Marcus Nanotechnology Building cleanroom space","file":{"fid":"261566","name":"Cleanroom_expansion.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/11\/Cleanroom_expansion.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/11\/Cleanroom_expansion.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":202567,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/08\/11\/Cleanroom_expansion.jpeg?itok=FxS5sK9T"}},"677649":{"id":"677649","type":"image","title":"Media--7-.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1754941096","gmt_created":"2025-08-11 19:38:16","changed":"1754941096","gmt_changed":"2025-08-11 19:38:16","alt":"Inside the new Marcus Nanotechnology Building cleanroom space","file":{"fid":"261567","name":"Media--7-.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/11\/Media--7-.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/11\/Media--7-.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":562830,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/08\/11\/Media--7-.jpeg?itok=T9cPFpIu"}},"677650":{"id":"677650","type":"image","title":"Media--8-.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1754941096","gmt_created":"2025-08-11 19:38:16","changed":"1754941096","gmt_changed":"2025-08-11 19:38:16","alt":"Inside the new cleanroom expansion","file":{"fid":"261568","name":"Media--8-.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/11\/Media--8-.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/11\/Media--8-.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":645617,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/08\/11\/Media--8-.jpeg?itok=obIZFsPi"}}},"media_ids":["677648","677649","677650"],"groups":[{"id":"660369","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"194685","name":"Manufacturing"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:amelia.neumeister@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAmelia Neumeister\u003C\/a\u003E | Research Communications Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute for Matter and Systems\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["amelia.neumeister@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"683062":{"#nid":"683062","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Lighting the Way to Faster Data Transfer","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe future of computing is lit, literally.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs microchips grow more complex and data demands intensify, traditional electrical connections are hitting their limits. Speed is king in today\u2019s digital systems, but a major bottleneck remains in how quickly information can move between components like processors and memory.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis lag is one of the most pressing challenges in advanced hardware design. While processors continue to accelerate, the links that connect them can\u0027t keep pace.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researcher \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/ali-adibi\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAli Adibi\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E is addressing this problem with $5.3 million in funding over three years from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). His project is part of DARPA\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.darpa.mil\/research\/programs\/happi-heterogeneous\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHeterogeneous Adaptively Produced Photonic Interfaces\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (HAPPI) program, which aims to dramatically boost the speed and density of data transmission within microsystems by using light instead of electricity.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOptical solutions are highly advantageous for providing the required data rates and power consumptions, and our project is formed to address the most important challenges for achieving the system-level performance,\u201d said Adibi, a professor and Joseph M. Pettit Chair in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project brings together a multidisciplinary team, including collaborators from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Florida, NY CREATES, and NHanced Semiconductors, Inc.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGoing Vertical\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnlike traditional optical communication, which connects systems across distances, this project focuses on enabling ultra-fast, low-loss communication \u003Cem\u003Ewithin\u003C\/em\u003Eelectronic systems.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe key innovation is vertically connecting electronic chips in a compact stack. This design helps overcome the limitations of planar optical routing geometries (layouts that guide light horizontally across a chip) which are often not compatible with the dense, 3D chip architectures needed for next-generation computing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdibi\u2019s team is developing a novel 3D optical routing system that can transmit data with minimal loss, high bandwidth, and compact components. The system is designed to scale to large arrays of interconnected chips with minimal interference between data channels.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESmarter Design with Machine Learning\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the heart of the project is the use of machine learning (ML) to help design and optimize the light-based communication system.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EML is used to shape and fine-tune the tiny structures that guide light through and between chips. This includes finding the best sizes, shapes, and layouts for components like couplers and waveguides, so they can be made smaller, work more efficiently, and fit into dense chip layouts.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cDesigning a complete, scalable 3D optical routing structure involves innumerable variables,\u201d Adibi said. \u201cMachine learning helps us navigate that complexity and find solutions that would be nearly impossible to identify manually.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETiny \u0022Mirrors\u0022\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother key innovation involves specialized optical structures, or what Adibi refers to as \u201cartificial mirrors\u201d.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe tiny, precisely shaped structures, called metagratings, are embedded in the chip material to redirect light vertically between layers with minimal loss. These components are designed to guide light efficiently in tight spaces, helping connect stacked chips without losing signal strength.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cImagine light traveling through a chip and suddenly being redirected straight up. That\u2019s the kind of precise control we\u2019re achieving,\u201d Adibi explained.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese innovations, along with advanced techniques for building vertical light paths through thick silicon layers and new packaging solutions that keep components precisely aligned, have shown promise on their own. But combining them is what enables dense, high-speed, low-loss communication between vertically stacked chips, something that no system has achieved before, according to Adibi.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs with any complex system, success depends on how well everything is structured and optimized,\u201d he said. \u201cOnce everything is in alignment, data can move faster, more efficiently, and with less energy consumption for communicating each bit of data.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout the Research\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research is supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.darpa.mil\/research\/programs\/happi-heterogeneous\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHeterogeneous Adaptively Produced Photonic Interfaces (HAPPI) program\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E. Notice ID DARPA-SN-24-105.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDARPA is backing Professor Ali Adibi\u2019s work to use light, not electricity, to move data faster and more efficiently in next-generation electronics.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"DARPA is backing Professor Ali Adibi\u2019s work to use light, not electricity, to move data faster and more efficiently in next-generation electronics. "}],"uid":"36172","created_gmt":"2025-07-09 18:43:36","changed_gmt":"2025-07-09 18:49:29","author":"dwatson71","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-07-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-07-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677375":{"id":"677375","type":"image","title":"25-2304-Darpa-Happi-Ali-Adibi-007.JPG","body":"\u003Cp\u003ESilicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer used in a multi-chip module featuring 3D optical interconnects. \u003Cem\u003E(Photo: Allison Carter)\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1752086638","gmt_created":"2025-07-09 18:43:58","changed":"1752086638","gmt_changed":"2025-07-09 18:43:58","alt":"Photo of Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer","file":{"fid":"261269","name":"25-2304-Darpa-Happi-Ali-Adibi-007.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/09\/25-2304-Darpa-Happi-Ali-Adibi-007.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/09\/25-2304-Darpa-Happi-Ali-Adibi-007.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1306660,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/07\/09\/25-2304-Darpa-Happi-Ali-Adibi-007.JPG?itok=b2dPJ-8H"}},"677376":{"id":"677376","type":"image","title":"MulitChip.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA schematic illustration of a multi-chip structure with 3D optical routing. The key parts of Adibi\u0027s proposed system are: 1) multi-layer planar waveguides, 2) free-form couplers, and 3) a dense vertical waveguide array.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1752086638","gmt_created":"2025-07-09 18:43:58","changed":"1752086638","gmt_changed":"2025-07-09 18:43:58","alt":"A schematic illustration of a multi-chip structure with 3D optical routing.","file":{"fid":"261270","name":"MulitChip.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/09\/MulitChip.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/09\/MulitChip.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":7987738,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/07\/09\/MulitChip.jpg?itok=KD-djsVC"}},"677374":{"id":"677374","type":"image","title":"25-2304-Darpa-Happi-Ali-Adibi-006.JPG","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy combining advanced optical techniques, Professor Ali Adibi\u2019s 3D optical routing systems looks to enable vertical chip integration in a way not previously achieved. \u003Cem\u003E(Photo: Allison Carter)\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1752086638","gmt_created":"2025-07-09 18:43:58","changed":"1752086638","gmt_changed":"2025-07-09 18:43:58","alt":"Professor Ali Adibi in front of testing equipment for his 3D optical routing system.","file":{"fid":"261268","name":"25-2304-Darpa-Happi-Ali-Adibi-006.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/09\/25-2304-Darpa-Happi-Ali-Adibi-006.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/09\/25-2304-Darpa-Happi-Ali-Adibi-006.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1563309,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/07\/09\/25-2304-Darpa-Happi-Ali-Adibi-006.JPG?itok=NoOrAjDb"}}},"media_ids":["677375","677376","677374"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"194610","name":"National Interests\/National Security"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDan Watson\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["dwatson@ece.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"681961":{"#nid":"681961","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Thesis on Human-Centered AI Earns Honors from International Computing Organization","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Tech alum\u2019s dissertation introduced ways to make artificial intelligence (AI) more accessible, interpretable, and accountable. Although it\u2019s been a year since his doctoral defense,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/zijie.wang\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EZijie (Jay) Wang\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u2019s (Ph.D. ML-CSE 2024) work continues to resonate with researchers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWang is a recipient of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/medium.com\/sigchi\/announcing-the-2025-acm-sigchi-awards-17c1feaf865f\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2025 Outstanding Dissertation Award from the Association for Computing Machinery Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction (ACM SIGCHI)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. The award recognizes Wang for his lifelong work on democratizing human-centered AI.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThroughout my Ph.D. and industry internships, I observed a gap in existing research: there is a strong need for practical tools for applying human-centered approaches when designing AI systems,\u201d said Wang, now a safety researcher at OpenAI.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMy work not only helps people understand AI and guide its behavior but also provides user-friendly tools that fit into existing workflows.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E[Related: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/research\/chi-2025\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech College of Computing Swarms to Yokohama, Japan, for CHI 2025\u003C\/a\u003E]\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWang\u2019s dissertation presented techniques in visual explanation and interactive guidance to align AI models with user knowledge and values. The work culminated from years of research, fellowship support, and internships.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWang\u2019s most influential projects formed the core of his dissertation. These included:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/poloclub.github.io\/cnn-explainer\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECNN Explainer\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E: an open-source tool developed for deep-learning beginners. Since its release in July 2020, more than 436,000 global visitors have used the tool.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/poloclub.github.io\/diffusiondb\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDiffusionDB\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E: a first-of-its-kind large-scale dataset that lays a foundation to help people better understand generative AI. This work could lead to new research in detecting deepfakes and designing human-AI interaction tools to help people more easily use these models.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/interpret.ml\/gam-changer\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGAM Changer\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E: an interface that empowers users in healthcare, finance, or other domains to edit ML models to include knowledge and values specific to their domain, which improves reliability.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.jennwv.com\/papers\/gamcoach.pdf\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGAM Coach\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E: an interactive ML tool that could help people who have been rejected for a loan by automatically letting an applicant know what is needed for them to receive loan approval. \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/new-tool-teaches-responsible-ai-practices-when-using-large-language-models\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFarsight\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E: a tool that alerts developers when they write prompts in large language models that could be harmful and misused. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI feel extremely honored and lucky to receive this award, and I am deeply grateful to many who have supported me along the way, including Polo, mentors, collaborators, and friends,\u201d said Wang, who was advised by School of Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/poloclub.github.io\/polochau\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPolo Chau\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis recognition also inspired me to continue striving to design and develop easy-to-use tools that help everyone to easily interact with AI systems.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELike Wang, Chau advised Georgia Tech alumnus\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/fredhohman.com\/\u0022\u003EFred Hohman\u003C\/a\u003E (Ph.D. CSE 2020).\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/alumnus-building-legacy-through-dissertation-and-mentorship\u0022\u003EHohman won the ACM SIGCHI Outstanding Dissertation Award in 2022\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/poloclub.github.io\/\u0022\u003EChau\u2019s group\u003C\/a\u003E synthesizes machine learning (ML) and visualization techniques into scalable, interactive, and trustworthy tools. These tools increase understanding and interaction with large-scale data and ML models.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChau is the associate director of corporate relations for the Machine Learning Center at Georgia Tech. Wang called the School of CSE his home unit while a student in the ML program under Chau.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWang is one of five recipients of this year\u2019s award to be presented at the 2025 Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chi2025.acm.org\/\u0022\u003ECHI 2025\u003C\/a\u003E). The conference occurs April 25-May 1 in Yokohama, Japan.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESIGCHI is the world\u2019s largest association of human-computer interaction professionals and practitioners. The group sponsors or co-sponsors 26 conferences, including CHI.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWang\u2019s outstanding dissertation award is the latest recognition of a career decorated with achievement.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMonths after graduating from Georgia Tech,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/research-ai-safety-lands-recent-graduate-forbes-30-under-30\u0022\u003EForbes named Wang to its 30 Under 30 in Science for 2025\u003C\/a\u003E for his dissertation. Wang was one of 15 Yellow Jackets included in nine different 30 Under 30 lists and the only Georgia Tech-affiliated individual on the 30 Under 30 in Science list.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile a Georgia Tech student, Wang earned recognition from big names in business and technology. He received the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/student-named-apple-scholar-connecting-people-machine-learning\u0022\u003EApple Scholars in AI\/ML Ph.D. Fellowship in 2023\u003C\/a\u003E and was in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/georgia-tech-machine-learning-students-earn-jp-morgan-ai-phd-fellowships\u0022\u003E2022 cohort of the J.P. Morgan AI Ph.D. Fellowships Program\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlong with the CHI award, Wang\u2019s dissertation earned him awards this year at banquets across campus. The\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com\/sites.gatech.edu\/dist\/0\/283\/files\/2025\/03\/2025-Sigma-Xi-Research-Award-Winners.pdf\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech chapter of Sigma Xi presented Wang with the Best Ph.D. Thesis Award\u003C\/a\u003E. He also received the College of Computing\u2019s Outstanding Dissertation Award.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech attracts many great minds, and I\u2019m glad that some, like Jay, chose to join our group,\u201d Chau said. \u201cIt has been a joy to work alongside them and witness the many wonderful things they have accomplished, and with many more to come in their careers.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Tech alum\u2019s dissertation introduced ways to make artificial intelligence (AI) more accessible, interpretable, and accountable. Although it\u2019s been a year since his doctoral defense,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/zijie.wang\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EZijie (Jay) Wang\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u2019s (Ph.D. ML-CSE 2024) work continues to resonate with researchers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWang is a recipient of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/medium.com\/sigchi\/announcing-the-2025-acm-sigchi-awards-17c1feaf865f\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2025 Outstanding Dissertation Award from the Association for Computing Machinery Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction (ACM SIGCHI)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. The award recognizes Wang for his lifelong work on democratizing human-centered AI.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":" Zijie (Jay) Wang (Ph.D. ML-CSE 2024) is a recipient of the 2025 Outstanding Dissertation Award from the Association for Computing Machinery Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction (ACM SIGCHI)."}],"uid":"36319","created_gmt":"2025-04-22 14:24:46","changed_gmt":"2025-04-22 14:29:07","author":"Bryant Wine","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-04-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-04-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676903":{"id":"676903","type":"image","title":"Jay-Wang-SIGCHI-Dissertation-Award.jpg","body":null,"created":"1745331896","gmt_created":"2025-04-22 14:24:56","changed":"1745331896","gmt_changed":"2025-04-22 14:24:56","alt":"Zijie (Jay) Wang CHI 2025","file":{"fid":"260750","name":"Jay-Wang-SIGCHI-Dissertation-Award.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/22\/Jay-Wang-SIGCHI-Dissertation-Award.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/22\/Jay-Wang-SIGCHI-Dissertation-Award.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":99526,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/04\/22\/Jay-Wang-SIGCHI-Dissertation-Award.jpg?itok=_QvwIP00"}},"673947":{"id":"673947","type":"image","title":"Farsight CHI.jpg","body":null,"created":"1714954253","gmt_created":"2024-05-06 00:10:53","changed":"1714954253","gmt_changed":"2024-05-06 00:10:53","alt":"CHI 2024 Farsight","file":{"fid":"257404","name":"Farsight CHI.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/05\/Farsight%20CHI.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/05\/Farsight%20CHI.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":139358,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/05\/05\/Farsight%20CHI.jpg?itok=6genJVjw"}}},"media_ids":["676903","673947"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/thesis-human-centered-ai-earns-honors-international-computing-organization","title":"Thesis on Human-Centered AI Earns Honors from International Computing Organization"}],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50877","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"155","name":"Congressional Testimony"},{"id":"143","name":"Digital Media and Entertainment"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"42921","name":"Exhibitions"},{"id":"42891","name":"Georgia Tech Arts"},{"id":"179356","name":"Industrial Design"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"},{"id":"194248","name":"International Education"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"147","name":"Military Technology"},{"id":"148","name":"Music and Music Technology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"42931","name":"Performances"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"},{"id":"193157","name":"Student Honors and Achievements"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"166983","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"},{"id":"187812","name":"artificial intelligence (AI)"},{"id":"181991","name":"Georgia Tech News Center"},{"id":"10199","name":"Daily Digest"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBryant Wine, Communications Officer\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:bryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"679741":{"#nid":"679741","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Joins $840M DoD Project to Develop and Manufacture Next-gen Semiconductor Microsystems","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology is set to play a crucial role in a strategic effort funded by the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) to help bolster America\u2019s national security and global military leadership.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project, led by the Texas Institute for Electronics (TIE) at The University of Texas at Austin, represents a total investment of $1.4 billion. The $840 million award from DARPA, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.utexas.edu\/2024\/07\/18\/uts-texas-institute-for-electronics-awarded-840m-to-build-a-dod-microelectronics-manufacturing-center-advance-u-s-semiconductor-industry\/\u0022\u003Eannounced by TIE in 2024\u003C\/a\u003E, aims to develop the next generation of high-performing semiconductor microsystems for the Department of Defense (DoD).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are honored to collaborate with TIE and its broader team on this far reaching and strategic program to enable best in class 3D heterogeneous integration (3DHI) processes and technologies in the United States,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/muhannad-s-bakir\u0022\u003EMuhannad S. Bakir\u003C\/a\u003E, the Dan Fielder Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/ien-prc\/\u0022\u003E3D Systems Packaging Research Center\u003C\/a\u003E, who is heading the project for Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E3DHI is a semiconductor manufacturing process that incorporates different materials and components into microsystems with precision assembly. The use of 3DHI allows for the creation of high-performance, compact, and energy-efficient systems.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe investment is part of DARPA\u2019s Next Generation Microelectronics Manufacturing (NGMM) Program comprised of 32 defense electronics and leading commercial semiconductor companies and 18 nationally recognized academic institutions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EUnder the agreement, TIE will establish a national open access R\u0026amp;D and prototyping fabrication facility. The facility will enable the DoD to create higher performance, lower power, lightweight, and compact defense systems. The advancements are expected to have wide-ranging applications, including radar, satellite imaging, and unmanned aerial vehicles.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech will provide a wide range of expertise in 3DHI including design, fabrication and assembly processes, and characterization to support the NGMM national open-access R\u0026amp;D and prototyping facility at TIE. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003ERegents\u0027 Professor and Morris M. Bryan, Jr. Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/sitaraman\u0022\u003ESuresh K. Sitaraman\u003C\/a\u003E in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E will be a key contributor to Georgia Tech\u2019s efforts on the project.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are delighted to be partnering with UT\/TIE on the establishment of a 3D Heterogeneous Integration Microsystem prototyping \u0026nbsp;facility,\u201d said Sitaraman. \u201cIn addition to advancing fundamental science, this project is a great opportunity for Georgia Tech to demonstrate and integrate our ground-breaking and innovative 3DHI research approaches and technology solutions into TIE\u2019s prototyping facility, and understand the challenges involved when translating lab-scale research work to a large industry-strength fabrication facility.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EECE Professors \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/saibal-mukhopadhyay\u0022\u003ESaibal Mukhopadhyay\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/arijit-raychowdhury\u0022\u003EArijit Raychowdhury\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/visvesh-s-sathe\u0022\u003EVisvesh Sathe\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/shimeng-yu\u0022\u003EShimeng Yu\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;will be working alongside Bakir and Sitaraman.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA significant portion of the research will be conducted at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EInstitute for Matter and Systems\u003C\/a\u003E (IMS), which operates Georgia Tech\u2019s state-of-the-art electronics and nanotechnology core facilities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERead the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.txie.org\/tifea\/\u0022\u003Epress release\u003C\/a\u003E from TIE and view the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.txie.org\/tifea\/#partners\u0022\u003Eproject\u2019s team and partners\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers will contribute extensive 3D heterogeneous integration expertise to the Texas Institute for Electronics-led initiative.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers will contribute extensive 3D heterogeneous integration expertise to the Texas Institute for Electronics-led initiative. "}],"uid":"36172","created_gmt":"2025-01-21 14:58:25","changed_gmt":"2025-01-21 15:00:38","author":"dwatson71","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-01-21T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-01-21T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676070":{"id":"676070","type":"image","title":"Marcus Nanotechnology Building","body":null,"created":"1737471519","gmt_created":"2025-01-21 14:58:39","changed":"1737471519","gmt_changed":"2025-01-21 14:58:39","alt":"Photo of the Marcus Nanotechnology Building. A glass building with sunshine shining through in the top right corner. ","file":{"fid":"259780","name":"14C10042-P1-118.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/01\/21\/14C10042-P1-118.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/01\/21\/14C10042-P1-118.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5052208,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/01\/21\/14C10042-P1-118.jpg?itok=A13avPiW"}}},"media_ids":["676070"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"690","name":"darpa"},{"id":"543","name":"National Security"},{"id":"167686","name":"Semiconductors"},{"id":"194237","name":"3D Heterogeneous Integration"},{"id":"99661","name":"Muhannad S. Bakir"},{"id":"194238","name":"Suresh K. Sitaraman"},{"id":"194239","name":"Texas Institute for Electronics"},{"id":"166900","name":"Saibal Mukhopadhyay"},{"id":"139771","name":"Arijit Raychowdhury"},{"id":"191068","name":"Visvesh Sathe"},{"id":"178857","name":"Shimeng Yu"},{"id":"166855","name":"School of Electrical and Computer Engineering"},{"id":"194240","name":"Three-Dimensional Systems Packaging Research Center"},{"id":"14545","name":"George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering"},{"id":"194241","name":"Institute for Matter and Systems"},{"id":"194242","name":"Next Generation Microelectronics Manufacturing"},{"id":"194243","name":"NGMM"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDan Watson\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["dwatson@ece.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"679023":{"#nid":"679023","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Special Delivery Nanoparticle Sidesteps the \u2018Middlemen\u2019","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMiddlemen get a bad rap for adding cost and complications to an operation. So, eliminating the go-betweens can reduce expense and simplify a process, increasing efficiency and consumer happiness.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/bme\/faculty\/James-Dahlman\u0022\u003EJames Dahlman\u003C\/a\u003E and his research team have been thinking along those same lines for stem cell treatments. They\u2019ve created a technique that eliminates noisome middlemen and could lead to new, less-invasive treatments for blood disorders and genetic diseases. It sidesteps the discomfort and risks of current treatments, making life easier for patients.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis would be an alternative to invasive hematopoietic stem cell therapies \u2014 we could just give you an IV drip,\u201d said Dahlman, McCamish Early Career Professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering. \u201cIt simplifies the process and reduces the risks to patients. That\u2019s why this work is important.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDahlman and a team of investigators from Georgia Tech, Emory University, and the University of California, Davis, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41587-024-02470-2\u0022\u003Epublished their approach in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Biotechnology\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMinding the Parents\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are like parent cells. Residing in the bone marrow, they produce all types of cells needed to sustain the blood and immune systems. Their versatility makes HSCs a valuable therapeutic tool in treating genetic blood diseases, such as sickle cell anemia, immune deficiencies, and some cancers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHSC therapies usually involve extracting cells from the patient\u2019s bone marrow and re-engineering them in a lab. Meanwhile, the patient endures chemotherapy to help prepare their body to receive the modified HSCs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese therapies are effective but also hard on the patients,\u201d Dahlman said. \u201cPatients undergo chemotherapy to wipe out their immune systems so the body will accept the therapeutic cells without a fight. The procedure can be life-threatening. We\u2019re hoping to change that.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHSCs can also be modified directly inside the body. The procedure uses lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) to carry genetic instructions to the stem cells. The LNPs have targeting ligands attached \u2014 molecules designed to find specific target cells. Precisely engineering them adds layers of time, complexity, and cost to the process. They are, like extraction from bone marrow and chemotherapy, another middleman.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers wanted something simpler. They found it in a specific nanoparticle called LNP67.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cUnlike other nanoparticle designs, this one doesn\u2019t require a targeting ligand,\u201d Dahlman said. \u201cIt\u2019s chemically simple, which means it\u2019s easier to manufacture and opens the door to eventually scaling production, like mRNA vaccines.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOvercoming the Liver\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe key to LNP67\u2019s success is its ability to dodge the liver, the body\u2019s primary blood filter. Foreign invaders, even helpful invaders delivered through an IV as medicine, can be captured by a healthy liver.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe liver absorbs almost everything,\u201d Dahlman said. \u201cBut, by reducing what it captures by even as little as 10 percent, we can double delivery to other tissues where the nanoparticles and their payloads are needed.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers developed 128 unique nanoparticles, narrowing the list down to 105 LNPs that didn\u2019t have targeting ligands. These were ultimately screened and evaluated for their performance in delivering genetic instructions (in the form of mRNA) effectively and safely.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELNP67 emerged as the best performer thanks to its stealthy design. For example, the surface is designed to repel proteins and other molecules that would mark the LNP for capture by the liver. This feature helped the particles circulate more evenly in the body and reach the HSCs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe achieved low-dose delivery without a target ligand, which is exciting,\u201d Dahlman said. \u201cThis is something we\u2019ve been working toward for years, and I\u2019m very happy we got there.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECitation:\u003C\/strong\u003E Hyejin Kim, Ryan Zenhausern, Kara Gentry, Liming Lian, Sebastian G. Huayamares, Afsane Radmand, David Loughrey, Ananda Podilapu, Marine Z. C. Hatit, Huanzhen Ni, Andrea Li, Aram Shajii, Hannah E. Peck, Keyi Han, Xuanwen Hua, Shu Jia, Michele Martinez, Charles Lee, Philip J. Santangelo, Alice Tarantal, James E. Dahlman. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41587-024-02470-2\u0022\u003ELipid Nanoparticle Study, Nov. 2024\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Cem\u003ENature Biotechnology.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFunding:\u003C\/strong\u003E This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health grants UL1TR002378, UH3-TR002855, U42 OD027094, and TL1DK136047; National Science Foundation grant 0923395. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of any funding agency.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECompeting Interests:\u003C\/strong\u003E James Dahlman, Marine Z. C. Hatit, and Huanzhen Ni have filed a provisional patent related to this manuscript (US patent application number 63\/632,354).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Researchers demonstrate stem cell treatment without chemotherapy and painful bone marrow procedure"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers develop a lipid nanoparticle that can program stem cells while inside the body, avoiding the need for chemotherapy and bone marrow extraction in stem cell treatments.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers develop nanoparticle that can program stem cells while inside the body, avoiding the need for chemotherapy and bone marrow extraction in stem cell treatments."}],"uid":"28153","created_gmt":"2024-12-21 12:43:16","changed_gmt":"2024-12-21 13:02:54","author":"Jerry Grillo","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2024-12-21T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2024-12-21T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675906":{"id":"675906","type":"image","title":"Lipid nanoparticle","body":"\u003Cp\u003ELipid nanoparticles in their element: This computer generated image shows lipid nanoparticles, which are used to transport payloads to targets inside the body.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1734785517","gmt_created":"2024-12-21 12:51:57","changed":"1734785634","gmt_changed":"2024-12-21 12:53:54","alt":"Lipid nanoparticle AI generated image from adobe stock","file":{"fid":"259580","name":"Screen Shot 2024-12-17 at 12.14.01 PM.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/21\/Screen%20Shot%202024-12-17%20at%2012.14.01%20PM.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/21\/Screen%20Shot%202024-12-17%20at%2012.14.01%20PM.png","mime":"image\/png","size":9829642,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/12\/21\/Screen%20Shot%202024-12-17%20at%2012.14.01%20PM.png?itok=g8m6iQ-v"}}},"media_ids":["675906"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"189917","name":"lipid nanoparticles"},{"id":"186748","name":"lipid nanoparticle"},{"id":"169030","name":"stem cell treatment"},{"id":"171013","name":"stem cell therapy"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"182868","name":"blood cells"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jerry.grillo@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJerry Grillo\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jerry.grillo@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"678608":{"#nid":"678608","#data":{"type":"news","title":" Semiconductor Research Corp. and Georgia Tech Secure $285M SMART USA Institute ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;The Department of Commerce has granted the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC), its partners, and Georgia Institute of Technology $285 million to establish and operate the 18th \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.manufacturingusa.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EManufacturing USA Institute\u003C\/a\u003E. The \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.src.org\/about\/smart-usa-institute\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESemiconductor Manufacturing and Advanced Reseach with Twins (SMART USA)\u003C\/a\u003E will focus on using digital twins to accelerate the development and deployment of microelectronics. SMART USA, with more than 150 expected partner entities representing industry, academia, and the full spectrum of supply chain design and manufacturing, will span more than 30 states and have combined funding totaling $1 billion.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is the first-of-its-kind CHIPS Manufacturing USA Institute.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech\u2019s role in the SMART USA Institute amplifies our trailblazing chip and advanced packaging research and leverages the strengths of our interdisciplinary research institutes,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/timothy-charles-lieuwen\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ETim Lieuwen\u003C\/a\u003E, interim executive vice president for Research. \u201cWe believe innovation thrives where disciplines and sectors intersect. And the SMART USA Institute will help us ensure that the benefits of our semiconductor and advanced packaging discoveries extend beyond our labs, positively impacting the economy and quality of life in Georgia and across the United States.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/prc.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E3D Systems Packaging Research Center\u003C\/a\u003E (PRC), directed by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E Dan Fielder Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/muhannad-s-bakir\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMuhannad Bakir\u003C\/a\u003E, played an integral role in developing the winning proposal. Georgia Tech will be designated as the Digital Innovation Semiconductor Center (DISC) for the Southeastern U.S. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are honored to collaborate with SRC and their team on this new Manufacturing USA Institute. Our partnership with SRC spans more than two decades, and we are thrilled to continue this collaboration by leveraging the Institute\u2019s wide range of semiconductor and advanced packaging expertise,\u201d said Bakir.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/core-facilities\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EInstitute of Matter and Systems\u2019\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/core-facilities\u0022\u003E core facilities\u003C\/a\u003E, housed in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/bme\/marcus-nanotechnology-building\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMarcus Nanotechnology Building\u003C\/a\u003E, DISC will accelerate semiconductor and advanced packaging development.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe awarding of the Digital Twin Manufacturing USA Institute is a culmination of more than three years of work with the Semiconductor Research Corporation and other valued team members who share a similar vision of advancing U.S. leadership in semiconductors and advanced packaging,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/george-white\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorge White\u003C\/a\u003E, senior director for strategic partnerships at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs a founding member of the SMART USA Institute, Georgia Tech values this long-standing partnership. Its industry and academic partners, including the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/commerce.gov\/news\/blog\/2024\/02\/commerce-secretary-gina-raimondo-hosts-launch-hbcu-chips-network-build-skilled\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHBCU CHIPS Network\u003C\/a\u003E, stand ready to make significant contributions to realize the goals and objectives of the SMART USA Institute,\u201d White added.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;Georgia Tech also plans to capitalize on the supply chain and optimization strengths of the No. 1-ranked \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/isye.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EH. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E (ISyE). ISyE experts will help develop supply-chain digital twins to optimize and streamline manufacturing and operational efficiencies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDavid\u202fHenshall, SRC vice president of Business Development, said, \u201cThe SMART USA Institute will advance American digital twin technology and apply it to the full semiconductor supply chain, enabling rapid process optimization, predictive maintenance, and agile responses to chips supply chain disruptions. These efforts will strengthen U.S. global competitiveness, ensuring our country reaps the rewards of American innovation at scale.\u201d \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.commerce.gov\/news\/press-releases\/2024\/11\/chips-america-announces-new-proposed-285-million-award-chips\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERead the full announcement from the Department of Commerce.\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe award will help increase U.S. global competitiveness in semiconductor and advanced packaging research and manufacturing.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The award will help increase U.S. global competitiveness in semiconductor and advanced packaging research and manufacturing."}],"uid":"35272","created_gmt":"2024-11-22 19:39:38","changed_gmt":"2024-11-22 22:57:46","author":"aneumeister3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2024-11-22T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2024-11-22T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675725":{"id":"675725","type":"image","title":"smart-usa-logo-tm-name-stamped.png","body":null,"created":"1732304385","gmt_created":"2024-11-22 19:39:45","changed":"1732304385","gmt_changed":"2024-11-22 19:39:45","alt":"SMART USA logo","file":{"fid":"259385","name":"smart-usa-logo-tm-name-stamped.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/11\/22\/smart-usa-logo-tm-name-stamped.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/11\/22\/smart-usa-logo-tm-name-stamped.png","mime":"image\/png","size":142392,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/11\/22\/smart-usa-logo-tm-name-stamped.png?itok=iDKwRMd9"}}},"media_ids":["675725"],"groups":[{"id":"660369","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"39541","name":"Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:amelia.neumeister@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAmelia Neumeister\u003C\/a\u003E | Research Communications Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["amelia.neumeister@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"676919":{"#nid":"676919","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Student Analog Chip Designs Come to Life Through New Collaboration with Texas Instruments","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhether it is the sound of music through your headphones or the precise control of a robotic arm, analog circuits play a crucial role in both established and future technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnalog does a lot of things, but in general, it functions as the interpreter between the real world and digital devices. It transforms signals \u2014 like sound waves, voltage levels, temperature, pressure, and light intensity \u2014 into information that digital systems can understand.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs the semiconductor industry evolves, the demand for skilled analog engineers continues to grow even in this digital world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAnalog circuits remain vital because they enable the initial data acquisition from the environment,\u201d said Assistant Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/shaolan-li\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EShaolan Li\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cThat\u2019s just the application perspective, but they are also structurally very different than digital circuits. Students need hands-on experience with real-world measurements, which are crucial for mastering analog circuits.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo meet this demand, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (ECE) is collaborating with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ti.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETexas Instruments\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (TI) to launch strategic educational opportunities aimed at providing students access to industry-grade analog chip design, fabrication, and testing processes. TI is a global semiconductor company that designs, manufactures, and sells analog and embedded processing chips.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/analogchipnews\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERead the full article...\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EStudents experience the real-world analog chip tapeout process, with their designs being produced at Texas Instruments\u2019 state-of-the-art wafer fabs.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Students experience the real-world analog chip tapeout process, with their designs being produced at Texas Instruments\u2019 state-of-the-art wafer fabs."}],"uid":"36172","created_gmt":"2024-09-18 14:45:08","changed_gmt":"2024-09-30 16:28:25","author":"dwatson71","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-09-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-09-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675008":{"id":"675008","type":"image","title":"1_ECE TI Analog_10_working on chip.jpg","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETzu-Han Wang working on a circuit board with an analog chip connected to pattern generator instruments used to create continuous waveforms to test and analyze the performance of the chip.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1726670716","gmt_created":"2024-09-18 14:45:16","changed":"1726670716","gmt_changed":"2024-09-18 14:45:16","alt":"Tzu-Han Wang working on a circuit board with an analog chip connected to pattern generator instruments used to create continuous waveforms to test and analyze the performance of the chip.    ","file":{"fid":"258593","name":"1_ECE TI Analog_10_working on chip.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/09\/18\/1_ECE%20TI%20Analog_10_working%20on%20chip.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/09\/18\/1_ECE%20TI%20Analog_10_working%20on%20chip.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5123597,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/09\/18\/1_ECE%20TI%20Analog_10_working%20on%20chip.jpg?itok=jxsHu5o-"}}},"media_ids":["675008"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"181277","name":"analog circuits"},{"id":"1470","name":"Texas Instruments"},{"id":"182039","name":"Shaolan Li"},{"id":"139771","name":"Arijit Raychowdhury"},{"id":"193959","name":"Tzu-Han Wang"},{"id":"193960","name":"curriculum collaboration"},{"id":"193966","name":"news to share"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDan Watson\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["dwatson@ece.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"677140":{"#nid":"677140","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Dahlman, Kwong Named to AIMBE College of Fellows","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETwo faculty members in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering \u2014 associate professors James Dahlman and Gabe Kwong \u2014 have been elected to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s considered one of the highest professional accolades for medical and biological engineers. Dahlman and Kwong are among 163 colleagues in this year\u2019s induction class, joining only two percent of engineers in their fields who are accorded this distinction. Inductees are nominated and elected by peers and members of the College of Fellows.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMany of the scientists I look up to are part of this organization, so I\u2019m deeply honored to be named an AIMBE Fellow,\u201d said Dahlman, McCamish Foundation Early Career Professor in Coulter BME, a joint department of Georgia Tech and Emory University.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAIMBE recognized him \u201cfor his sophisticated in vivo screens to develop clinically relevant lipid nanoparticles for delivering targeted RNA-based therapies outside the liver.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDahlman\u2019s lab has developed nanoparticle barcodes that allow them rapidly to screen hundreds of potential drug delivery molecules at once, accelerating the discovery and delivery of new RNA therapeutics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019m grateful for the recognition, but this honor really goes to the excellent trainees we have at Georgia Tech and Emory. Without their creativity and hard work, this recognition simply does not happen,\u201d said Dahlman, who also called out his personal advisors, undergraduate mentor Daniel Miracle, and pioneering biotechnologists Robert Langer and Feng Zhang: \u201cThey believed in me and gave me the confidence to pursue high-risk, high-reward science at Georgia Tech and Emory.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKwong was elected, according to the AIMBE citation, \u201cfor pioneering advances in immunoengineering and the clinical translation of such advancements for early cancer detection and immunotherapy.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe\u2019s leading a $50 million project as part of President Biden\u2019s Cancer Moonshot initiative to map the metabolic signatures of cancer. Project CODA (for Cancer and Organ Degradome Atlas) will use this information to build bioengineered sensors for the early detection of multiple cancers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s the kind of multi-institutional project with a potential for great impact that every researcher dreams about,\u201d noted Kwong, who said he did not develop a passion for research until college.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThat\u2019s when I discovered that I liked solving problems \u2014 the harder the better,\u201d said Kwong, whose Laboratory for Synthetic Immunity engineers medicines to intercept and treat disease. \u201cAfter avoiding classes like chemistry in high school, I realized that I enjoy peeking under the hood, so to speak, and learning about the body, about cells and molecules.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe added, \u201cIt just goes to show that there are multiple paths we can take to make contributions to human health. And this honor from AIMBE is personally significant, because it comes from a group of professionals that I sincerely admire, and that inspire me.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAIMBE Fellows are some of the nation\u2019s most distinguished medical and biological engineers, including three Nobel Prize laureates and 22 winners of the Presidential Medal of Science or Medal of Technology and Innovation. Also, 214 Fellows have been inducted to the National Academy of Engineering, 117 to the National Academy of Medicine, and 48 to the National Academy of Sciences.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECoulter BME faculty members James Dahlman and Gabe Kwong have been elected to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Coulter BME faculty members James Dahlman and Gabe Kwong have been elected to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows."}],"uid":"28153","created_gmt":"2024-09-26 16:36:12","changed_gmt":"2024-09-26 16:44:41","author":"Jerry Grillo","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-03-25T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-03-25T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675130":{"id":"675130","type":"image","title":"Dahlman Kwong AIMBE Fellows","body":"\u003Cp\u003ECoulter BME faculty members James Dahlman and Gabe Kwong have been elected to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1727367838","gmt_created":"2024-09-26 16:23:58","changed":"1727368487","gmt_changed":"2024-09-26 16:34:47","alt":"Dahlman Kwong AIMBE Fellows","file":{"fid":"258724","name":"Dahlman Kwong.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/09\/26\/Dahlman%20Kwong.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/09\/26\/Dahlman%20Kwong.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1043398,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/09\/26\/Dahlman%20Kwong.jpg?itok=xS0wr1TX"}}},"media_ids":["675130"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"1007","name":"AIMBE"},{"id":"16371","name":"AIMBE Fellow"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"},{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJerry Grillo\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jerry.grillo@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emailto:jerry.grillo@ibb.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jerry.grillo@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"675091":{"#nid":"675091","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Nanowires Create Elite Warriors to Enhance T Cell Therapy","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAdoptive T-cell therapy has revolutionized medicine. A patient\u2019s T-cells \u2014 a type of white blood cell that is part of the body\u2019s immune system \u2014 are extracted and modified in a lab and then infused back into the body, to seek and destroy infection, or cancer cells.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow Georgia Tech bioengineer\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/singhlab.bme.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EAnkur Singh\u003C\/a\u003E and his research team have developed a method to improve this pioneering immunotherapy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir solution involves using nanowires to deliver therapeutic miRNA to T-cells. This new modification process retains the cells\u2019 na\u00efve state, which means they\u2019ll be even better disease fighters when they\u2019re infused back into a patient.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBy delivering miRNA in na\u00efve T cells, we have basically prepared an infantry, ready to deploy,\u201d Singh said. \u201cAnd when these na\u00efve cells are stimulated and activated in the presence of disease, it\u2019s like they\u2019ve been converted into samurais.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003ELean and Mean\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECurrently in adoptive T-cell therapy, the cells become stimulated and preactivated in the lab when they are modified, losing their na\u00efve state. Singh\u2019s new technique overcomes this limitation. The approach is described in a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41565-024-01649-7\u0022\u003Enew study\u003C\/a\u003E published in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Nanotechnology\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cNa\u00efve T-cells are more useful for immunotherapy because they have not yet been preactivated, which means they can be more easily manipulated to adopt desired therapeutic functions,\u201d said Singh, the Carl Ring Family Professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EWoodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/bme\/\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe raw recruits of the immune system, na\u00efve T-cells are white blood cells that haven\u2019t been tested in battle yet. But these cellular recruits are robust, impressionable, and adaptable \u2014 ready and eager for programming.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis process creates a well-programmed na\u00efve T-cell ideal for enhancing immune responses against specific targets, such as tumors or pathogens,\u201d said Singh.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe precise programming na\u00efve T-cells receive sets the foundational stage for a more successful disease fighting future, as compared to preactivated cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGiving Fighter Cells a Boost\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWithin the body, na\u00efve T-cells become activated when they receive a danger signal from antigens, which are part of disease-causing pathogens, but they send a signal to T-cells that activate the immune system.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdoptive T-cell therapy is used against aggressive diseases that overwhelm the body\u2019s defense system. Scientists give the patient\u2019s T-cells a therapeutic boost in the lab, loading them up with additional medicine and chemically preactivating them.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s when the cells lose their na\u00efve state. When infused back into the patient, these modified T-cells are an effective infantry against disease \u2014 but they are prone to becoming exhausted. They aren\u2019t samurai. Na\u00efve T-cells, though, being the young, programmable recruits that they are, could be.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe question for Singh and his team was: How do we give cells that therapeutic boost without preactivating them, thereby losing that pristine, highly suggestable na\u00efve state? Their answer: Nanowires.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENanoPrecision: The Pointed Solution\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESingh wanted to enhance na\u00efve T-cells with a dose of miRNA. miRNA is a molecule that, when used as a therapeutic, works as a kind of volume knob for genes, turning their activity up or down to keep infection and cancer in check. The miRNA for this study was developed in part by the study\u2019s co-author, Andrew Grimson of Cornell University.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf we could find a way to forcibly enter the cells without damaging them, we could achieve our goal to deliver the miRNA into na\u00efve T cells without preactivating them,\u201d Singh explained.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETraditional modification in the lab involves binding immune receptors to T-cells, enabling the uptake of miRNA or any genetic material (which results in loss of the na\u00efve state). \u201cBut nanowires do not engage receptors and thus do not activate cells, so they retain their na\u00efve state,\u201d Singh said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe nanowires, silicon wafers made with specialized tools at Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/nano\u0022\u003EInstitute for Electronics and Nanotechnology\u003C\/a\u003E, form a fine needle bed. Cells are placed on the nanowires, which easily penetrate the cells and deliver their miRNA over several hours. Then the cells with miRNA are flushed out from the tops of the nanowires, activated, eventually infused back into the patient. These programmed cells can kill enemies efficiently over an extended time period.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe believe this approach will be a real gamechanger for adoptive immunotherapies, because we now have the ability to produce T-cells with predictable fates,\u201d says Brian Rudd, a professor of immunology at Cornell University, and co-senior author of the study with Singh.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers tested their work in two separate infectious disease animal models at Cornell for this study, and Singh described the results as \u201ca robust performance in infection control.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the next phase of study, the researchers will up the ante, moving from infectious disease to test their cellular super soldiers against cancer and move toward translation to the clinical setting.\u0026nbsp; New funding from the Georgia Clinical \u0026amp; Translational Science Alliance is supporting Singh\u2019s research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Kristel J. Yee Mon, Sungwoong Kim, Zhonghao Dai, Jessica D. West, Hongya Zhu5, Ritika Jain, Andrew Grimson, Brian D. Rudd, Ankur Singh. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41565-024-01649-7\u0022\u003E\u201cFunctionalized nanowires for miRNA-mediated therapeutic programming of na\u00efve T cells,\u201d\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Cem\u003ENature Nanotechnology\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFUNDING:\u003C\/strong\u003E Curci Foundation, NSF (EEC-1648035, ECCS-2025462, ECCS-1542081), NIH (5R01AI132738-06, 1R01CA266052-01, 1R01CA238745-01A1, U01CA280984-01, R01AI110613 and U01AI131348).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EResearchers at Georgia Tech have developed a method using nanowires to deliver miRNA to T-cells, preserving their na\u00efve state and significantly enhancing their effectiveness in adoptive T-cell therapy for fighting infections and potentially cancer.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers at Georgia Tech have developed a method using nanowires to deliver miRNA to T-cells, preserving their na\u00efve state and significantly enhancing their effectiveness in adoptive T-cell therapy for fighting infections and potentially cancer."}],"uid":"28153","created_gmt":"2024-06-12 14:09:49","changed_gmt":"2024-06-12 17:43:33","author":"Jerry Grillo","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-06-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-06-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"674172":{"id":"674172","type":"image","title":"Ankur Singh","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnkur Singh has developed a new way of programming T cells that retains their na\u00efve state, making them better fighters. \u2014 Photo by Jerry Grillo\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1718200954","gmt_created":"2024-06-12 14:02:34","changed":"1718201119","gmt_changed":"2024-06-12 14:05:19","alt":"Ankur Singh","file":{"fid":"257652","name":"ankur1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/06\/12\/ankur1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/06\/12\/ankur1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":7331552,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/06\/12\/ankur1.jpg?itok=aUhlcb_c"}},"674173":{"id":"674173","type":"image","title":"nanowires cells","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThis is an image of a T cell on a nanowire array. The arrow indicates where a nanowire has penetrated the cell, delivering therapeutic miRNA.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1718201149","gmt_created":"2024-06-12 14:05:49","changed":"1718201202","gmt_changed":"2024-06-12 14:06:42","alt":"Nanowires and cell","file":{"fid":"257653","name":"nanowire cell.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/06\/12\/nanowire%20cell.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/06\/12\/nanowire%20cell.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":158813,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/06\/12\/nanowire%20cell.jpg?itok=cpBiHfWS"}}},"media_ids":["674172","674173"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"7074","name":"nanowires"},{"id":"179643","name":"T cell activation"},{"id":"9513","name":"Cancer Reserach"},{"id":"187433","name":"go-ien"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJerry Grillo\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["Jerry.grillo@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"674491":{"#nid":"674491","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology Builds the Future Microelectronics Workforce","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/amy-bonecutter-leonard-bb1a691b\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAmy Bonecutter-Leonard\u003C\/a\u003E was a second-semester undergraduate at the Georgia Institute of Technology, she applied for a work-study job in the cleanroom at the Microelectronics Research Center (MiRC). There, she learned process techniques for making the same type of electronic chips used in cellphones.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWith this new knowledge, she could train and help other students with their research. At the time, Bonecutter-Leonard was a chemical engineering major with no plans to go into microelectronics. Working in the cleanroom changed that.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI fell in love with microelectronics through exposure to the research and development work performed in the cleanroom,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat started as a student job led to her taking microelectronics classes \u2014 and eventually to a career in the field. \u201cMy work-study prepared me with hands-on technical skills I would have never learned from just being in a classroom,\u201d she said. Now, Bonecutter-Leonard works as a microelectronics business chief engineer at defense contractor L3Harris Technologies.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHer story is one of many from the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/nano\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EInstitute for Electronics and Nanotechnology\u003C\/a\u003E (IEN, the successor to MiRC), which has been training students from kindergarten to graduate school to be leaders in the microelectronics and nanotechnology space. The goal of IEN\u2019s outreach is to make nanotechnology and microelectronics \u2014 such as computer chips and sensors \u2014 as accessible as any other science. Ultimately, these efforts will build up the U.S. workforce in the field, ensuring the country remains at the forefront of the technology that powers Americans\u2019 everyday lives.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch2\u003EBuilding the Workforce\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBolstering the number of workers in the microelectronics industry is imperative to keep the U.S. globally competitive. Right now, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.semiconductors.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/SIA-Impact_May2021-FINAL-May-19-2021_2.pdf\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E40% of the industry\u0027s labor force\u003C\/a\u003E is older than 50, with practitioners aging out of their careers at a pace new talent cannot match. Additionally, heavy educational barriers to entry, including required degrees and specialized training, prevent more people from pursuing careers in the field. Without dedicated efforts, the entire sector \u2014 and the nation \u2014 will fall behind.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIEN is working to solve this pipeline problem.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWith the national semiconductor workforce aging, it is important now more than ever that we educate the next generation to move into these jobs,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/michael-filler\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMichael Filler\u003C\/a\u003E, IEN\u2019s interim executive director. \u201cIEN is proud to support the semiconductor industry by providing students with the interdisciplinary skills and hands-on technical training essential for success in this fast-paced, global field.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech is uniquely positioned to lead this charge with its 28,500 square feet of academic cleanroom space, the largest in the Southeast and among the largest in the U.S. From micro-electro-mechanical systems to electronics fabrication, workers have 100 bays in which to conduct leading-edge research. These cleanrooms are also key teaching and training facilities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIEN invites anyone from around the world, whether affiliated with the Institute or not, to become \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/nano\/become-core-user\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ea core user of the cleanroom facilities\u003C\/a\u003E. The center also regularly hosts \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/nano\/short-course\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eshort courses for external partners\u003C\/a\u003E \u2014 academic, industry, and government \u2014 in microfabrication and soft lithography for microfluidics. Over the past three years, more than 700 people went through new-user orientation, and 193 enrolled in the short courses.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch2\u003ETeaching the Next Generation\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMaking nanotechnology \u2014 of which microelectronics is an example \u2014 educationally accessible begins before college. Each semester, more than 800 K-12 students participate in IEN\u2019s Introduction to Nanotechnology virtual lesson. Associate Director for Education and Outreach \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/mikkel-thomas\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMikkel Thomas\u003C\/a\u003E begins his presentations by asking a simple question: What do you know about nanotechnology?\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u201cAbout 99% of the time, they say that\u2019s what makes Ironman\u2019s suit work,\u201d said Thomas. \u201cThat means they\u2019ve learned the wrong lesson \u2014 that nanotechnology is a futuristic tech and that you have to be as smart as Tony Stark to work in the field. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u201cBut most people interact with nanotechnology multiple times throughout their day, and they have no idea they\u0027re doing it.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nThomas also emphasizes there is a career path for everyone, even if they don\u2019t plan to get a traditional four-year degree. Part of IEN\u2019s workforce development initiative is to build up the entire pipeline from industry and research lab technicians at the certificate level to postdoctoral researchers.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s important for us to reach kids who don\u2019t know what career options are available in nanotechnology,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cWe want them to know that whatever they\u0027re interested in, there is a pathway for them.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nSixth- through eighth-grade \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2023\/08\/24\/ien-opens-its-doors-chip-camp\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Estudents sparked by this conversation can attend Chip Camp\u003C\/a\u003E, a three-day STEM summer camp sponsored by Micron. They begin with a day at IEN to learn about thin films, magic sands, ferrofluids, and measuring their height in nanometers. The rest of the camp features hands-on visits to the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mcf.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMaterials Characterization Facility\u003C\/a\u003E (MCF) and the IEN cleanroom, where they can try on the white \u201cbunny suits\u201d technicians wear in the lab.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nTo further their reach, IEN\u2019s workforce development team collaborates with teachers to bring nanotechnology into classrooms. During the summer, IEN offers the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/senic.gatech.edu\/research-experience-for-teachers\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EResearch Experience for Teachers\u003C\/a\u003E, a training program for public school and community college teachers to conduct nanotechnology research and learn how to incorporate it into their lessons. Middle school teachers have similar opportunities through the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/nnci.net\/opportunities-educators\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENanoscience Summer Institute for Middle School Teachers\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch2\u003ETraining the Workforce\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen these students get to a university like Georgia Tech, IEN hires them for work-study jobs like the one Bonecutter-Leonard had. The hands-on cleanroom training is also vital to graduate students pursuing advanced degrees.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nKatie Young earned her Ph.D. in materials science and engineering at Georgia Tech. Learning her way around the IEN cleanroom was essential for her graduate studies.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u201cMy dissertation research involved synthesizing two-dimensional materials \u2014 only a single atom thick \u2014 for permeation barriers,\u201d she explained. \u201cI often used the cleanroom\u2019s vacuum systems to synthesize and process 2D materials.\u201d Now a research scientist at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E, Young still works in the cleanroom on semiconductor device fabrication, building prototype quantum and biological sensors.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nIEN opportunities are not limited to graduate research. Annually, about \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/nano\/graduate-undergraduate-labs\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E150 Georgia Tech undergraduate students take microelectronics packaging and devices classes\u003C\/a\u003E, with labs taught by IEN staff in the teaching cleanroom. These courses include \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/courses\/ece4452\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EIntegrated Circuit Fabrication\u003C\/a\u003E (ECE 4452), in which students learn to fabricate circuit elements, and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/catalog.gatech.edu\/coursesaz\/chbe\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EScience and Engineering of Microelectronic Fabrication\u003C\/a\u003E (ChBE 4050\/6050, open to graduate students as well), for students interested in semiconductor materials and fabrication.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EStudents don\u2019t need to enroll at Georgia Tech to benefit from training, courses, and other opportunities. IEN\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/nano\/tech-college-internship\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Einternship program provides technical college students\u003C\/a\u003E with training to become microelectronics technicians, either through work in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.sums.gatech.edu\/articles\/aboutus2\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EBiocleanroom\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;or in the MCF.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch2\u003EEmpowering Future Innovators\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIEN also participates in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/crssprgm\/reu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENational Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates\u003C\/a\u003E (REU), which provides opportunities for students from underrepresented groups or who attend schools without similar facilities. While enrolled at another university, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/john-mark-page-0113b1197?miniProfileUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_miniProfile%3AACoAAC4nlc0BaGLTSVU5ywESVsWVCabGIOKM-ZQ\u0026amp;lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_search_srp_all%3B%2F31%2BYaIASbCmV6z4uhMjMA%3D%3D\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJohn Mark Page\u003C\/a\u003E was introduced to Georgia Tech\u2019s cleanroom through an REU. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u201cThat was my first exposure to any facility of this kind, and it felt like I was looking at the future. Being in a facility that can fabricate devices at or near the atomic level \u2014 it was hard to fathom,\u201d Page said. \u201cI had never thought that participating in microelectronics and nanotechnology as a student, especially as an undergraduate, was something I could do.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs a result of his REU, Page transferred to Georgia Tech \u2014 he will graduate this summer with a bachelor\u2019s degree in electrical engineering. He also completed a second REU at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, worked as a student assistant in the IEN cleanroom, and participated in a Vertically Integrated Project (VIP), \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.vip.gatech.edu\/teams\/vvg\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EChip Scale Power and Energy\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u201cI was interested in the VIP because it allowed me to spend more time in the cleanroom, familiarizing myself with semiconductor fabrication methods and training on new fabrication equipment,\u201d Page explained. His experiences inspired him to consider a future career in the semiconductor industry.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt wasn\u2019t only the 10-week experience of the REU that made a lasting impact on me,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was also the relationships formed with the people of IEN. The staff there are exceptional representatives of Georgia Tech, and they make IEN a tremendous asset to the future of microelectronics and nanotechnology in the U.S.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/biya-haile-22595b142?miniProfileUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_miniProfile%3AACoAACKrLH0BFwQ7XTHIYco3v-M1izGl6PrMZMg\u0026amp;lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_search_srp_all%3BJUbc9qVsQ9ysDmbFWMlI5Q%3D%3D\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EBiya Haile\u003C\/a\u003E, an ECE Ph.D. student, had a similarly meaningful REU experience. Haile, whose research focuses on creating micro-electro-mechanical systems-based sensors (MEMS), described the REU as \u201cimmersive.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe REU project enabled me to study chemical micro-sensor technologies, as well as state-of-the-art additive nano-manufacturing techniques, which has contributed to my research,\u201d he said. \u201cI feel lucky that my academic journey has entailed developing new technologies that use nanoscience to solve big problems.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile Haile is currently focused more on designing and testing rapid processes for fabricating MEMS-based devices, he still occasionally works in the cleanroom on fabrication. He plans to go into the microelectronics industry after graduating.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch2\u003EThe Path Ahead\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAll of IEN\u2019s training and educational offerings align with IEN\u2019s mission to bolster and diversify the microelectronics workforce, according to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/george-white\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorge White\u003C\/a\u003E, senior director of strategic partnerships for the Georgia Tech research enterprise. \u201cIEN has been at the forefront of the CHIPS infrastructure buildout, particularly in the area of education and workforce development,\u201d he noted.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIEN\u2019s efforts impact not just Atlanta but the entire country. Georgia Tech\u2019s leadership in microelectronics research trains the innovators and practitioners of the future everywhere and ensures that America stays at the forefront of leading-edge technology. As demand increases for microelectronics, IEN is moving to meet it.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEffective July 1, 2024, the Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology and the Institute for Materials will evolve into the Institute for Matter and Systems (IMS). This strategic union aims to foster convergent research at Georgia Tech, focusing on the science, technology, and societal underpinnings of cutting-edge materials and devices. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/vogel-lead-institute-matter-and-systems\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EEric Vogel\u003C\/a\u003E will be the director of IMS, and Michael Filler will be the deputy director.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The center offers educational experiences for students of all ages, as well as teachers and external partners, which will help the U.S. meet the demand for the technology that infuses our daily lives. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe center offers educational experiences for students of all ages, as well as teachers and external partners, which will help the U.S. meet the demand for the technology that infuses our daily lives.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The center offers educational experiences for students of all ages, as well as teachers and external partners, which will help the U.S. meet the demand for the technology that infuses our daily lives. "}],"uid":"35272","created_gmt":"2024-05-02 18:00:26","changed_gmt":"2024-05-02 19:32:38","author":"aneumeister3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-05-02T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-05-02T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"673928":{"id":"673928","type":"image","title":"Summer_Teachers_Program.png","body":null,"created":"1714672836","gmt_created":"2024-05-02 18:00:36","changed":"1714672836","gmt_changed":"2024-05-02 18:00:36","alt":"Mikkel Thomas speakers with K-12 Educators during a summer training","file":{"fid":"257384","name":"Summer_Teachers_Program.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/02\/Summer_Teachers_Program.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/02\/Summer_Teachers_Program.png","mime":"image\/png","size":693730,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/05\/02\/Summer_Teachers_Program.png?itok=tXOT7fzL"}},"673929":{"id":"673929","type":"image","title":"Chips_camp.jpg","body":null,"created":"1714672908","gmt_created":"2024-05-02 18:01:48","changed":"1714672908","gmt_changed":"2024-05-02 18:01:48","alt":"Students pose in bunny suits during Chips Camp.","file":{"fid":"257385","name":"Chips_camp.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/02\/Chips_camp.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/02\/Chips_camp.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1152537,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/05\/02\/Chips_camp.jpg?itok=tJubqmTw"}}},"media_ids":["673928","673929"],"groups":[{"id":"217141","name":"Georgia Tech Materials Institute"},{"id":"197261","name":"Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"660369","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187433","name":"go-ien"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMedia Contact: Tess Malone, Senior Research Writer\/Editor \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:tess.malone@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Etess.malone@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"673098":{"#nid":"673098","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Energy Materials: Driving the Clean Energy Transition","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEnergy is everywhere, affecting everything, all the time. And it can be manipulated and converted into the kind of energy that we depend on as a civilization. But transforming this ambient energy (the result of gyrating atoms and molecules) into something we can plug into and use when we need it requires specific materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThese energy materials \u2014 some natural, some manufactured, some a combination \u2014 facilitate the conversion or transmission of energy. They also play an essential role in how we store energy, how we reduce power consumption, and how we develop cleaner, efficient energy solutions.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAdvanced materials and clean energy technologies are tightly connected, and at Georgia Tech we\u2019ve been making major investments in people and facilities in batteries, solar energy, and hydrogen, for several decades,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/timothy-charles-lieuwen\u0022\u003ETim Lieuwen\u003C\/a\u003E, the David S. Lewis Jr. Chair and professor of aerospace engineering, and executive director of Georgia Tech\u2019s Strategic Energy Institute (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/energy\u0022\u003ESEI\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat research synergy is the underpinning of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/energymaterials\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Energy Materials Day (March 27)\u003C\/a\u003E, a gathering of people from academia, government, and industry, co-hosted by SEI, the Institute for Materials (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/materials\u0022\u003EIMat\u003C\/a\u003E), and the Georgia Tech Advanced Battery Center. This event aims to build on the momentum created by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/georgia-tech-battery-day-reveals-opportunities-energy-storage-research\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Battery Day\u003C\/a\u003E, held in March 2023, which drew more than 230 energy researchers and industry representatives.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe thought it would be a good idea to expand on the Battery Day idea and showcase a wide range of research and expertise in other areas, such as solar energy and clean fuels, in addition to what we\u2019re doing in batteries and energy storage,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/people\/matthew-mcdowell\u0022\u003EMatt McDowell\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in the George W. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EWoodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE)\u003C\/a\u003E, and co-director, with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/people\/gleb-yushin\u0022\u003EGleb Yushin\u003C\/a\u003E, of the Advanced Battery Center.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEnergy Materials Day will bring together experts from academia, government, and industry to discuss and accelerate research in three key areas: battery materials and technologies, photovoltaics and the grid, and materials for carbon-neutral fuel production, \u201call of which are crucial for driving the clean energy transition,\u201d noted \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/people\/eric-vogel\u0022\u003EEric Vogel\u003C\/a\u003E, executive director of IMat and the Hightower Professor of Materials Science and Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech is leading the charge in research in these three areas,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd we\u2019re excited to unite so many experts to spark the important discussions that will help us advance our nation\u2019s path to net-zero emissions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003EBuilding an Energy Hub\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEnergy Materials Day is part of an ongoing, long-range effort to position Georgia Tech, and Georgia, as a go-to location for modern energy companies. So far, the message seems to be landing. Georgia has had more than $28 billion invested or announced in electric vehicle-related projects since 2020. And Georgia Tech was recently ranked by U.S. News \u0026amp; World Report as the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/georgia-tech-named-top-ranked-public-university-energy\u0022\u003Etop public university for energy research\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia has become a major player in solar energy, also, with the announcement last year of a $2.5 billion plant being developed by Korean solar company Hanwha Qcells, taking advantage of President Biden\u2019s climate policies. Qcells\u2019 global chief technology officer, Danielle Merfeld, a member of SEI\u2019s External Advisory Board, will be the keynote speaker for Energy Materials Day.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGrowing these industry relationships, building trust through collaborations with industry \u2014 these have been strong motivations in our efforts to create a hub here in Atlanta,\u201d said Yushin, professor in MSE and co-founder of Sila Nanotechnologies, a battery materials startup valued at more than $3 billion.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMcDowell and Yushin are leading the battery initiative for Energy Materials Day and they\u2019ll be among 12 experts making presentations on battery materials and technologies, including six from Georgia Tech and four from industry. In addition to the formal sessions and presentations, there will also be an opportunity for networking.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI think Georgia Tech has a responsibility to help grow a manufacturing ecosystem,\u201d McDowell said. \u201cWe have the research and educational experience and expertise that companies need, and we\u2019re working to coordinate our efforts with industry.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/marta-hatzell\u0022\u003EMarta Hatzell\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor of mechanical engineering and chemical and biomolecular engineering, is leading the carbon-neutral fuel production portion of the event, while \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/juan-pablo-correa-baena\u0022\u003EJuan-Pablo Correa-Baena\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in MSE, is leading the photovoltaics initiative.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThey\u2019ll be joined by a host of experts from Georgia Tech and institutes across the country, \u201csome of the top thought leaders in their fields,\u201d said Correa-Baena, whose lab has spent years optimizing a semiconductor material for solar energy conversion.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOver the past decade, we have been working to achieve high efficiencies in solar panels based on a new, low-cost material called halide perovskites,\u201d he said. His lab recently discovered how to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/news\/2023\/12\/researchers-find-they-can-stop-degradation-promising-solar-cell-materials\u0022\u003Eprevent the chemical interactions that can degrade it\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of a miracle material, and we want to increase its lifespan, make it more robust and commercially relevant.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile Correa-Baena is working to revolutionize solar energy, Hatzell\u2019s lab is designing materials to clean up the manufacturing of clean fuels.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re interested in decarbonizing the industrial sector, through the production of carbon-neutral fuels,\u201d said Hatzell, whose lab is designing new materials to make clean ammonia and hydrogen, both of which have the potential to play a major role in a carbon-free fuel system, without using fossil fuels as the feedstock. \u201cWe\u2019re also working on a collaborative project focusing on assessing the economics of clean ammonia on a larger, global scale.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe hope for Energy Materials Day is that other collaborations will be fostered as industry\u2019s needs and the research enterprise collide in one place \u2014 Georgia Tech\u2019s Exhibition Hall \u2014 over one day. The event is part of what Yushin called \u201cthe snowball effect.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou attract a new company to the region, and then another,\u201d he said. \u201cIf we want to boost domestic production and supply chains, we must roll like a snowball gathering momentum. Education is a significant part of that effect. To build this new technology and new facilities for a new industry, you need trained, talented engineers. And we\u2019ve got plenty of those. Georgia Tech can become the single point of contact, helping companies solve the technical challenges in a new age of clean energy.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEnergy materials facilitate the conversion or transmission of energy. They also play an essential role in how we store energy, reduce power consumption, and develop cleaner, efficient energy solutions.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Energy materials facilitate the conversion or transmission of energy. They also play an essential role in how we store energy, reduce power consumption, and develop cleaner, efficient energy solutions."}],"uid":"34760","created_gmt":"2024-02-21 16:55:41","changed_gmt":"2024-04-29 18:57:42","author":"Laurie Haigh","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-02-21T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2024-02-21T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"673164":{"id":"673164","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech Energy Materials Day 2024","body":null,"created":"1708534719","gmt_created":"2024-02-21 16:58:39","changed":"1708534718","gmt_changed":"2024-02-21 16:58:38","alt":"Images of a light bulb, solar panels, and batteries","file":{"fid":"256522","name":"GTEM_event_web (2).png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/02\/21\/GTEM_event_web%20%282%29.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/02\/21\/GTEM_event_web%20%282%29.png","mime":"image\/png","size":420152,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/02\/21\/GTEM_event_web%20%282%29.png?itok=HkvgnWJZ"}}},"media_ids":["673164"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"187433","name":"go-ien"},{"id":"193266","name":"cos-research"},{"id":"192251","name":"cos-quantum"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto: jerry.grillo@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJerry Grillo\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"674299":{"#nid":"674299","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Vogel to Lead Institute for Matter and Systems","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEffective July 1, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/eric-vogel\u0022\u003EEric Vogel\u003C\/a\u003E will become the executive director of the Institute for Matter and Systems (IMS), Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/new-interdisciplinary-research-institute-launch-summer\u0022\u003Enewest Interdisciplinary Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (IRI) that will launch on the same date.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs an evolution of the\u0026nbsp;Institute for Materials\u0026nbsp;(IMat) and the\u0026nbsp;Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology (IEN), IMS aims to enable convergent research at Georgia Tech related to the science, technology, and societal underpinnings of innovative materials and devices. Additionally, IMS seeks to integrate these innovations into systems that enhance human well-being and performance across information and communication, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/smm\/basic-information-about-built-environment\u0022\u003Ethe built environment\u003C\/a\u003E, and human-centric technologies\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ethat improve human health, wellness, and performance.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cExecutive Vice President for Research Chaouki Abdallah and I are very excited about the launch of IMS, which positions Georgia Tech for integration of science and technology from atoms to devices, while explicitly drawing in researchers in the social sciences, design, business, and computing,\u201d said Vice President of Interdisciplinary Research Julia Kubanek.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIMS will ensure relevance across Georgia Tech through its newly configured Internal Advisor and Ambassador Board with representation across all six Colleges and GTRI,\u201d she said. \u201cAdditional advisory committees representing IMS employees and facility users will ensure that we don\u2019t sacrifice any of the research excellence for which IEN and IMat are known. With IMS I expect we will be even better positioned to tackle research problems that will have the greatest positive societal impact.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EVogel will continue in his current position as the executive director of IMat until the launch of IMS. In addition to leading and growing IMat, Vogel is the Hightower Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Materials Science and Engineering, and he served as the IEN deputy director prior to leading IMat.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt is an honor to be appointed executive director of the Institute for Matter and Systems, and I look forward to collaborating with the talented faculty and staff associated with it,\u201d said Vogel. \u201cThis opportunity allows us to leverage the core competencies of IEN and IMat while extending our capabilities beyond nanotechnology and materials science. Together, we will be a hub for interdisciplinary research ranging from advanced materials to complex systems that solve global challenges.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s IRIs facilitate collaboration between researchers and students from its six Colleges, the Georgia Tech Research Institute, national laboratories, and corporate entities to tackle critical topics of strategic significance for the Institute as well as for local, state, national, and international communities. IMS will also house and maintain the state-of-the-art \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mcf.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EMaterials Characterization Facility\u003C\/a\u003E and one of the largest \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cleanroom.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003Eacademic cleanroom\u003C\/a\u003Es in the nation, which offers a broad range of fabrication capabilities from basic discovery to prototype realization.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBefore joining Georgia Tech in 2011, Vogel was an associate professor of materials science and engineering and electrical engineering at the University of Texas at Dallas. During this time, he also served as the associate director of the Texas Analog Center of Excellence and led UT Dallas\u2019s involvement in the Southwest Academy for Nanoelectronics.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPrior to UT Dallas, he led the CMOS and Novel Devices Group and established the Nanofabrication Facility at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Vogel holds a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from North Carolina State University and a B.S. in electrical engineering from the Pennsylvania State University. His research focuses on the development and fundamental understanding of electronic and nanomaterials and devices.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEffective July 1, Eric Vogel will become the executive director of the Institute for Matter and Systems, Georgia Tech\u2019s newest Interdisciplinary Research Institute.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Effective July 1, Eric Vogel will become the executive director of the Institute for Matter and Systems, Georgia Tech\u2019s newest Interdisciplinary Research Institute. "}],"uid":"34760","created_gmt":"2024-04-22 13:40:02","changed_gmt":"2024-04-25 13:57:03","author":"Laurie Haigh","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-04-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-04-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"642750":{"id":"642750","type":"image","title":"Eric Vogel, Institute for Materials","body":null,"created":"1610372678","gmt_created":"2021-01-11 13:44:38","changed":"1713798724","gmt_changed":"2024-04-22 15:12:04","alt":"Eric Vogel, IMat executive director","file":{"fid":"244081","name":"eric-vogel-horiz.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/eric-vogel-horiz.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/eric-vogel-horiz.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":797227,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/eric-vogel-horiz.jpg?itok=GGRTeQHw"}}},"media_ids":["642750"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/new-interdisciplinary-research-institute-launch-summer","title":"New Interdisciplinary Research Institute to Launch This Summer"}],"groups":[{"id":"217141","name":"Georgia Tech Materials Institute"},{"id":"197261","name":"Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660369","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"categories":[{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187433","name":"go-ien"},{"id":"186870","name":"go-imat"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto: laurie.haigh@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ELaurie Haigh\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nResearch Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["laurie.haigh@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"672404":{"#nid":"672404","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Bold Move to Columbus Marks First  Semiconductor Manufacturer in Region","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ECOLUMBUS and ATLANTA, GA \u2014\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E Innovative partnering proved successful as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/unitedcv.org\/c4c\/\u0022\u003ECHIPS4CHIPS\u003C\/a\u003E announced the locating of the first semiconductor manufacturer in the Chattahoochee Valley. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.micromize.com\/\u0022\u003EMicromize\u003C\/a\u003E, a pioneering semiconductor manufacturer specializing in energy-efficient electronics for wearables and mobile devices, has chosen Columbus as the location for its inaugural manufacturing facility.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe move is the result of strategic partnerships between\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMicromize\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E, CHIPS4CHIPS (Chattahoochee Hub for Innovation and Production of Semiconductors\/C4C), and several programs at Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/innovate.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEnterprise Innovation Institute\u003C\/a\u003E, including its \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atdc.org\/\u0022\u003EAdvanced Technology Development Center\u003C\/a\u003E (ATDC), its \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gamep.org\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership\u003C\/a\u003E, and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cedr.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Economic Development Research\u003C\/a\u003E. It also signifies a collaborative effort to harness the cutting-edge innovations in semiconductor packaging available at\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ETech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/nano\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EInstitute for Electronics and Nanotechnology\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u0022Our decision to locate in Columbus was driven by several crucial factors, and\u0026nbsp;we are thrilled about the opportunities that this vibrant city presents for our growth and development,\u201d said Prashant Patil, Micromize founder and CEO. \u201cThe work of CHIPS4CHIPS in supporting the semiconductor industry is commendable, and we are excited to be part of this innovative ecosystem.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThis exciting development was announced Tuesday, Jan. 23, at the Marcus Nanotechnology Center on Georgia Tech\u2019s campus to a large group of state legislators and other state officials, a delegation of business and civic leaders from Columbus, and leadership from Georgia Tech and ATDC. The announcement is a true look at how statewide partnerships can lead to success for the Columbus region.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMicromize, a spinoff of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, selected Georgia as its new home, in part, to take advantage of the semiconductor packaging expertise at Georgia Tech. The company plans to establish its\u0026nbsp;headquarters and manufacturing facility in Columbus, further solidifying its presence in the state\u2019s vibrant technology \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Eecosystem. Additionally, Micromize will center its cutting-edge research and development on Georgia Tech\u0027s campus.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u0022The collaboration with Micromize is a significant milestone for CHIPS4CHIPS and the entire region,\u201d said Ben Moser, president and CEO of United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley and chair of CHIPS4CHIPS. \u201c\u003Cspan\u003EThis announcement marks the first of what we believe will be many to come, and we are thankful that Micromize recognizes the potential of our region for this industry. Columbus is poised for remarkable development, and we look forward to the positive impact that Micromize will bring to our community.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe strategic relocation is expected to create significant economic opportunities in the region. Micromize will bring 20-25 jobs to Columbus through its headquarters and manufacturing facility, contributing to the local workforce, and fostering growth. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMicromize will center its Research \u0026amp; Development Lab at Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/ien-prc\/\u0022\u003E3D Systems Packaging Research Center\u003C\/a\u003E, which is regarded as the world\u2019s best for semiconductor packaging research. This partnership represents a synergistic collaboration of industry leaders, research institutions, and the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Micromize\u0027s move to Columbus not only underscores the city\u0027s growing prominence as a technology hub, but also highlights the collaborative efforts driving innovation and economic development in the state of Georgia.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIn addition to C4C\u2019s nationally recognized workforce development efforts, the Fort Moore Army base, and its skilled workforce, the region\u2019s proximity to a port and airport will facilitate efficient shipping, and\u0026nbsp;Columbus played a pivotal role in supporting the company by providing essential infrastructure, he said.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cOur collaboration with Georgia Tech enriches our talent pool, adds exponentially to our research and development capabilities, and access to mentorship at ATDC enhances our commercialization potential,\u201d Patil said. \u201cWe are also proud to be part of the effort to revitalize semiconductor manufacturing in the United States, with Columbus serving as our starting point as we embark on this exciting journey of growth and innovation.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EGeorgia Tech, a leader in microchips and nanotechnology research, innovation, and fabrication, provides fertile ground for Micromize\u0027s relocation. The Institute\u2019s commitment to advancing semiconductor technology aligns with the national push at the federal level (via the CHIPS and Science Act) to bring more semiconductor production to the U.S., making it more competitive in research, development, and manufacturing.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cAs the state\u2019s technology startup incubator, we\u2019re excited to welcome Micromize into our portfolio and to support them into the next phase of growth and expansion,\u201d said ATDC Director John Avery.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cMicrochips, semiconductor packaging, and microelectronics are critical to our national economy and national security. Micromize\u2019s choosing Georgia as its home to grow reflects what is proving to be a successful model when business, government, and research institutions such as Georgia Tech collaborate.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EInnovative partnering proved successful as CHIPS4CHIPS announced the locating of the first semiconductor manufacturer in the Chattahoochee Valley.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"CHIPS4CHIPS strategy, Georgia Tech collaboration, prove successful"}],"uid":"28137","created_gmt":"2024-01-24 15:44:06","changed_gmt":"2024-02-08 01:22:30","author":"P\u00e9ralte Paul","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-01-24T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2024-01-24T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"672851":{"id":"672851","type":"image","title":"Prashant Patil","body":"\u003Cp\u003EPrashant Patil, founder and CEO of Micromize, explains to a coalition of business, civic, and military stakeholders from Columbus, Georgia and Georgia Tech leaders why he opted to relocate his company to Columbus, Georgia from Massachusetts. (PHOTO: Chris Ruggiero)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1706111079","gmt_created":"2024-01-24 15:44:39","changed":"1706111998","gmt_changed":"2024-01-24 15:59:58","alt":"Speaker at podium","file":{"fid":"256173","name":"AR507336.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/01\/24\/AR507336.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/01\/24\/AR507336.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":10293731,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/01\/24\/AR507336.JPG?itok=RxVgWreY"}},"672854":{"id":"672854","type":"image","title":"CHIPS4CHIPS - Georgia Tech","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA coalition of business and civic leaders from Columbus, Georgia and several programs at Georgia Tech, including ATDC, announced Jan. 23, 2024, that semiconductor manufacturer, Micromize, is relocating to Georgia from Massachusetts. (PHOTO: Chris Ruggiero)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1706116275","gmt_created":"2024-01-24 17:11:15","changed":"1706116429","gmt_changed":"2024-01-24 17:13:49","alt":"Group shot","file":{"fid":"256178","name":"AR507346.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/01\/24\/AR507346.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/01\/24\/AR507346.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":11235793,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/01\/24\/AR507346.JPG?itok=yuuw3ooh"}},"672855":{"id":"672855","type":"image","title":"General Buzzard","body":"\u003Cp\u003EDavid Bridges, vice president of Georgia Tech\u0027s Enterprise Innovation Institute, speaks with Maj. Gen Curtis A. Buzzard, commanding general of the United States Army Maneuver Center of Excellence and\u0026nbsp;Fort Moore in Columbus. Because of its skilled workforce, Fort Moore was one reason Micromize selected Georgia for its manufacturing facility. (PHOTO: Chris Ruggiero)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1706116910","gmt_created":"2024-01-24 17:21:50","changed":"1706117915","gmt_changed":"2024-01-24 17:38:35","alt":"Two people conversing","file":{"fid":"256179","name":"AR507261 (edited).JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/01\/24\/AR507261%20%28edited%29.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/01\/24\/AR507261%20%28edited%29.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2304620,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/01\/24\/AR507261%20%28edited%29.JPG?itok=nD9KlgVh"}},"672865":{"id":"672865","type":"image","title":"Richard Smith","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia House Rep. Richard Smith, (R-Columbus), chairman of the Rules Committee, discusses how the collaboration that led to Micromize coming to Columbus could serve as a blueprint for more semiconductor companies developing in or moving to Georgia. (PHOTO: Chris Ruggiero)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1706195876","gmt_created":"2024-01-25 15:17:56","changed":"1706196295","gmt_changed":"2024-01-25 15:24:55","alt":"Speaker at front of audience","file":{"fid":"256191","name":"AR507342.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/01\/25\/AR507342.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/01\/25\/AR507342.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":9983143,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/01\/25\/AR507342.JPG?itok=vOXEPwxr"}}},"media_ids":["672851","672854","672855","672865"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"193447","name":"Micromize"},{"id":"143481","name":"Institute for Electroncs and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"4238","name":"atdc"},{"id":"16331","name":"GaMEP"},{"id":"184294","name":"Center for Economic Development Research"},{"id":"40101","name":"Columbus GA"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EP\u00e9ralte C. Paul\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E404.316.1210\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:peralte@atdc.org\u0022\u003Eperalte@atdc.org\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["peralte@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"661583":{"#nid":"661583","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Partnership with DOD\u2019s Microelectronics Workforce Development Program Continues, Expands ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Scalable Asymmetric Lifecycle En\u0026shy;gage\u0026shy;ment Microelectronics Work\u0026shy;force Development program (SCALE)\u0026nbsp;has announced the program will extend another five years and expand with $10.8 million additional Department of Defense (DoD) funding, with a ceiling of $99 million.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESCALE officials said this expansion of the nation\u0026rsquo;s preeminent program will further its goal to develop a next-generation workforce that can return the United States to prominence in global microelectronics manufacturing.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech participates in the partnership, which is led by Purdue University and managed by NSWC Crane. SCALE facilitates the training of highly skilled U.S. microelectronics engineers, hardware designers and manufacturing experts. SCALE brings together a public-private-academic partnership of 17 universities and 34 partners within the defense industry and government.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This is an extremely exciting time in the country and at Tech for microchip design and manufacturing,\u0026rdquo; said Arijit Raychowdhury, the Steve W. Chaddick School Chair of Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE). \u0026ldquo;These newly announced funds for the SCALE program will help Georgia Tech recruit a new, diverse group of students ready to work in defense microelectronics. We\u0026rsquo;re thrilled to be a SCALE partner university and honored to be leading many of the project\u0026rsquo;s specialty areas.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESCALE\u0026nbsp;provides\u0026nbsp;unique courses, mentoring, internship matching and targeted research projects\u0026nbsp;for college students interested in\u0026nbsp;five microelectronics specialty areas. Georgia Tech ECE faculty members will be the primary investigators for three of the areas:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003Esystem on a chip will be led by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff-directory\/arijit-raychowdhury\u0022\u003ERaychowdhury\u003C\/a\u003E;\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003Eradiation-hardening will be led by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff-directory\/john-d-cressler\u0022\u003EJohn Cressler\u003C\/a\u003E;\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003Eand heterogeneous integration\/advanced packaging will be led by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff-directory\/madhavan-swaminathan\u0022\u003EMadhavan Swaminathan\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe other two focus areas are embedded system security\/trusted AI and supply chain awareness.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIndustry and government partners regularly meet and update a list of knowledge, skills, and abilities important for new entrants to the workforce. The SCALE universities then update their curriculum to ensure the students are prepared for upcoming needs in the rapidly advancing microelectronics field.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPeter Bermel, SCALE director and the Elmore Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue, said the United States will need 50,000 trained semiconductor engineers to meet overwhelming and rapidly growing demand.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The United States is committed to expanding and strengthening its semiconductor industry and workforce rapidly over the next five years,\u0026rdquo; Bermel said. \u0026ldquo;SCALE takes a holistic approach to the microelectronics workforce gap by comprehensively addressing system challenges for workforce training and recruiting.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGoals for the next five years include:\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EExpanding student participation in SCALE fivefold to more than 1,000.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EDeveloping learning models for K-12 classrooms.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003ECollaborating with community colleges nationwide to develop microelectronics classes.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe demand for microelectronics increased by 26.2% in 2021. But while the United States consumes about half of the chips produced worldwide, the country only manufactures about 12%, highlighting the pressing need for the U.S. to strengthen\u0026nbsp;its domestic semiconductor supply chains and increase industrial capacity.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe funding announcement is the latest highlight in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s leadership role in bolstering microelectronics and workforce development. Tech\u0026rsquo;s large engineering and science faculty bring a broad set of research expertise to strengthen the country\u0026rsquo;s semiconductor capacity. The Institute is\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/microelectronics-momentum-drives-nations-semiconductor-resurgence?fbclid=IwAR2BY9KRX_nKRuNmm8PMQ-HkX6jSaObEpY_0j_tPD3Yn33kle6SM2owXlZI\u0022\u003Euniquely positioned\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;to train the microelectronics workforce, drive future microelectronics advances, and provide fabrication and packaging facilities for industry, academic and government partners to develop and test new solutions.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E###\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology, or Georgia Tech, is a top 10 public research university developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute offers business, computing, design, engineering, liberal arts, and sciences degrees. Its nearly 44,000 students, representing 50 states and 149 countries, study at the main campus in Atlanta, at campuses in France and China, and through distance and online learning. As a leading technological university, Georgia Tech is an engine of economic development for Georgia, the Southeast, and the nation, conducting more than $1 billion in research annually for government, industry, and society.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The nearly $11M, five-year extension of the SCALE program aims to restore global lead through education initiatives."}],"uid":"36172","created_gmt":"2022-09-27 20:14:05","changed_gmt":"2022-10-05 12:44:04","author":"dwatson71","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2022-09-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2022-09-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"661582":{"id":"661582","type":"image","title":"The Scalable Asymmetric Lifecycle En\u00acgage\u00acment Microelectronics Work\u00acforce Development program (SCALE) graphic ","body":null,"created":"1664309453","gmt_created":"2022-09-27 20:10:53","changed":"1664309453","gmt_changed":"2022-09-27 20:10:53","alt":"The nearly $11M, five-year extension of the SCALE program aims to restore global lead through education initiatives.","file":{"fid":"250604","name":"SCALEannouncement_GA TECH.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/SCALEannouncement_GA%20TECH.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/SCALEannouncement_GA%20TECH.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":384578,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/SCALEannouncement_GA%20TECH.jpg?itok=T4-zp_yM"}}},"media_ids":["661582"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/research.purdue.edu\/scale\/index.php","title":"Scalable Asymmetric Lifecycle Engagement Microelectronics Workforce Development program (SCALE)"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff-directory\/arijit-raychowdhury","title":"Arijit Raychowdhury"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff-directory\/john-d-cressler","title":"John Cressler"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff-directory\/madhavan-swaminathan","title":"Madhavan Swaminathan"}],"groups":[{"id":"1255","name":"School of Electrical and Computer Engineering"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"191338","name":"Scalable Asymmetric Lifecycle En\u00acgage\u00acment Microelectronics Workforce Development program (SCALE)"},{"id":"139771","name":"Arijit Raychowdhury"},{"id":"191336","name":"John Cressler; Madhavan Swaminathan"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"187433","name":"go-ien"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDan Watson\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:dwatson@ece.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Edwatson@ece.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["dwatson@ece.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"659945":{"#nid":"659945","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech\u2019s New Aluminum Nitride-based Semiconductor is Poised to Transform the Industry","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAlan Doolittle is doing what was once thought impossible: turning an electrical insulator into an ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor. The results have groundbreaking potential for high-power electronics, optoelectronics, and more.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor the past 80 or so years, aluminum nitride (AlN) has been thought of as nothing but an electrical insulator. Because of its high electrical insulating and thermal conductivity properties, it is used frequently in electronic applications to dissipate heat quickly and maintain efficiency.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology, led by professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff-directory\/william-alan-doolittle\u0022\u003EAlan Doolittle\u003C\/a\u003E, are discovering that there is a lot more to AlN than meets the eye, and their promising research shows the material has the potential to transform the semiconductor industry. By leveraging the advantages of AlN, ultra-wide bandgap\u0026nbsp;(UWBG)\u0026nbsp;semiconductors\u0026nbsp;can\u0026nbsp;be used\u0026nbsp;at\u0026nbsp;high-power and high-temperature\u0026nbsp;levels\u0026nbsp;never seen before.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s rare to see such encouraging early results,\u0026rdquo; said Doolittle, the\u0026nbsp;Joseph M. Pettit Professor in the School for Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE). \u0026ldquo;To put things into perspective, AlN has the ability to handle over five times the voltage of other existing wide bandgap semiconductors. It really is the birth of a new semiconductor field.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor electrical devices, there are two types of semiconducting materials needed: one that carries positive charges (p-type) and one that carries negative charges (n-type). The Doolittle group was able to improve current conduction in p-type AlN by 30,000,000 times and n-type AlN by 6,000 times than prior best results.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe findings, recently published in\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1002\/adma.202104497\u0022\u003EAdvanced Materials\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/aip.scitation.org\/jap\/info\/focus\u0022\u003EJournal of Applied Physics\u003C\/a\u003E, received the Most Valuable Contribution\u0026nbsp;Award\u0026nbsp;at the 2022 Workshop on Compound Semiconductor Materials \u0026amp; Devices, a premier workshop in the U.S. on high performance electronic materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUltra-wide Bandgaps Equal Ultra-wide Applications\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s AlN-based semiconductor findings\u0026nbsp;represent an emerging new area of interdisciplinary research covering materials, physics, and devices with promising applications for future generations of high-power electronics and optoelectronics, as well as quantum electronics and harsh-environment applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESemiconductors can both conduct and insulate electricity, meaning they are necessary for all electronic appliances to operate. Scientists make semiconductor materials by using pure elements (most frequently silicon) and adding intentional impurities to make crystals with the desired electrical, thermal, and optical prosperities.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe bandgap is one of the most important properties of a semiconductor, as it represents the minimum\u0026nbsp;energy required for electrical conduction. It is also the largest factor in determining the voltage at which a device fails (called breakdown), as well as represents the energy\/wavelength of light emanating from the semiconductor.\u0026nbsp;UWBG\u0026nbsp;semiconductors can operate at high temperatures, frequencies, and voltages, meaning less semiconductor devices are needed in high voltage circuits which increases performance and efficiency, while reducing costs. Doolittle\u0026rsquo;s AlN-based semiconductor has the highest bandgap ever demonstrated to have both p and n-type conduction needed for electronics.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The new AlN-based semiconductor appears to have the ability to withstand voltages at incredibly high levels,\u0026rdquo; said Doolittle. \u0026ldquo;Levels that can even withstand some sections of the national utility grid, something no other semiconductor can do.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWith the ability to withstand high voltage and high frequency, AlN-based semiconductors can be utilized in power electronic devices found in automotive, industrial, and consumer applications. The technology could also allow utility grids to more effectively control how much power to transmit and where, a growing demand as old systems integrate with other smart grid innovations and renewable energy sources.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe team used a much lower temperature to grow the AlN crystals than what is normally utilized to create semiconductor materials. The low heat process allows for more precise control of the material\u0026rsquo;s surface chemistry during creation and is potentially a groundbreaking innovation in its own right.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;That kind of out of the box solution caught a lot of people off guard,\u0026rdquo; said Doolittle. \u0026ldquo;It was thought that you couldn\u0026rsquo;t grow good quality material at this low of temperature, but we\u0026rsquo;ve shown that it\u0026rsquo;s possible and has broad applicability.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlN\u0026rsquo;s Impressive Optical Properties\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUnlike an incandescent light bulb where a filament is heated to glow and produce light, light-emitting diodes (LEDs)\u0026nbsp;emit light when an electric current flows through a layered semiconductor device. The wide bandgap semiconductor material gallium nitride\u0026nbsp;(GaN) was used to create the first LED blue light in the early 1990s by Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, and Shuji Nakamura (for which they won the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics). Creating the high energy blue LED challenged scientist for decades, as it was the final piece needed to create white light and full-color LED displays that have now revolutionized lighting technology and is predicted to save nearly 20% in energy consumption in the U.S. when fully deployed.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ELike GaN, AlN\u0026rsquo;s wide bandgap means it has enormous light energy which results in the short light wavelengths needed to produce high energy deep ultra-violet (DUV) light beyond the ability of the eye to see. Because AlN has an even larger bandgap than GaN, it produces a DUV light with a wavelength of only 203 nanometers (compared to GaN\u0026rsquo;s ~365 nm) \u0026ndash; nearly twice the energy as light from GaN.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We\u0026#39;re really excited about the optical properties of this material,\u0026rdquo; said Doolittle. \u0026ldquo;Researchers have been attempting to get LEDs under 270 nanometer wavelengths for a while now because it opens up an enormous range of applications.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOne such potential application for AlN-based LEDs is light disinfection, a growing focus in research and industry. Unlike current ultraviolet (UV) lights \u0026mdash; a light disinfectant plagued by power\/efficiency limitations \u0026mdash; DUV LEDs use higher energy electromagnetic radiation that is absorbed in the dead layers of human skin instead of being absorbed in live tissue.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This light gives us a pathway to make light emitters that can kill viruses and bacteria with significantly less \u0026mdash; if any \u0026mdash; damage to human skin and eyes.\u0026rdquo; said Doolittle.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETime to Engineer\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWith the team\u0026rsquo;s encouraging early studies showing AlN having the potential to be a revolutionary semiconductor material, they now turn to prototyping and optimization. While the new technology is a leap forward and largely solves the most difficult science problems that have roadblocked using AlN as a semiconductor, engineering challenges remain.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESince such a wide bandgap semiconductor has never been created, a solution to make good electrical contact to the material (for electrical current to be transported to devices) is essential. All known metals are poorly suited to contact AlN,\u0026nbsp;so metal alloys and exotic contacts will be needed, according to Doolittle.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEarly prototypes have shown some resistance to current flow that must be improved if AlN is to reach the efficiencies it potentially can achieve. Likewise, thicker devices will need to be engineered to use in the high voltages needed to impact utility grids.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We have ideas as to how to push this forward and view most of these issues as engineering challenges requiring only time and resources, not fundamental science limitations,\u0026rdquo; said Doolittle.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E***\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECitation I:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;H. Ahmad, J. Lindemuth, Z. Engel, C. M. Matthews, K. Motoki, W.\u0026nbsp;Alan\u0026nbsp;Doolittle, \u0026ldquo;Substantial P-type Conductivity of AlN Achieved via Beryllium Doping,\u0026rdquo; Advanced Materials 33 (42), 2104497, September 2021.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDOI:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/adma.202104497\u0022\u003Edoi.org\/10.1002\/adma.202104497\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECitation II:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;H. Ahmad, Z. Engel,\u0026nbsp; C. M. Matthews, S. Lee, and\u0026nbsp; W.\u0026nbsp;Alan\u0026nbsp;Doolittle, \u0026ldquo;Realization of homojunction PN AlN diodes\u0026rdquo;, J. Appl. Phys. 131, 175701 (2022)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDOI:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/aip.scitation.org\/doi\/full\/10.1063\/5.0086314\u0022\u003Edoi.org\/10.1063\/5.0086314\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFunding:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EThis work was supported by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) Multidisciplinary University Research Initiatives (MURI) Program entitled, \u0026ldquo;Leveraging a New Theoretical Paradigm to Enhance Interfacial Thermal Transport In Wide Bandgap Power Electronics\u0026rdquo; under Award No. N00014-17-S-F006 administered by Dr. Mark Spector and Lynn Petersen. This work was also in part supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research under Award number FA9550-21-1-0318 administered by Dr. Ali Sayir.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Dan Watson\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPhotography\u003C\/strong\u003E: Marion Crowder\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: Dan Watson |\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:dwatson@ece.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Edwatson@ece.gatech.edu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E###\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology, or Georgia Tech, is a top 10 public research university developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute offers business, computing, design, engineering, liberal arts, and sciences degrees. Its nearly 44,000 students, representing 50 states and 149 countries, study at the main campus in Atlanta, at campuses in France and China, and through distance and online learning. As a leading technological university, Georgia Tech is an engine of economic development for Georgia, the Southeast, and the nation, conducting more than $1 billion in research annually for government, industry, and society.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Alan Doolittle is doing what was once thought impossible: turning an electrical insulator into an ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor. "}],"uid":"36172","created_gmt":"2022-08-04 22:50:52","changed_gmt":"2022-08-22 17:36:48","author":"dwatson71","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2022-08-04T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2022-08-04T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"659937":{"id":"659937","type":"image","title":"Alan Doolittle with Semiconductor Device","body":null,"created":"1659644793","gmt_created":"2022-08-04 20:26:33","changed":"1659644793","gmt_changed":"2022-08-04 20:26:33","alt":"ECE professor Alan Doolittle\u2019s AlN-based semiconductor findings represent an emerging new area of interdisciplinary research covering materials, physics, and devices.","file":{"fid":"250133","name":"Alan Doolittle with Semiconductor Device.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Alan%20Doolittle%20with%20Semiconductor%20Device.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Alan%20Doolittle%20with%20Semiconductor%20Device.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":709178,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Alan%20Doolittle%20with%20Semiconductor%20Device.jpg?itok=GbwHu0io"}},"659938":{"id":"659938","type":"image","title":"Alan Doolitte\u0027s AlN Semiconductor device close up","body":null,"created":"1659644887","gmt_created":"2022-08-04 20:28:07","changed":"1659644887","gmt_changed":"2022-08-04 20:28:07","alt":"Georgia Tech\u2019s AlN-based semiconductor has the highest bandgap ever demonstrated to have both p and n-type conduction needed for electronics.","file":{"fid":"250134","name":"Alan Doolitte\u0027s AlN Semiconductor device close up.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Alan%20Doolitte%27s%20AlN%20Semiconductor%20device%20close%20up.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Alan%20Doolitte%27s%20AlN%20Semiconductor%20device%20close%20up.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":801961,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Alan%20Doolitte%27s%20AlN%20Semiconductor%20device%20close%20up.jpg?itok=SfiYiTDE"}}},"media_ids":["659937","659938"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff-directory\/william-alan-doolittle","title":"Alan Doolittle"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff-directory\/callie-hao","title":"ECE"}],"groups":[{"id":"1255","name":"School of Electrical and Computer Engineering"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1159","name":"Alan Doolittle"},{"id":"191020","name":"Aluminum Nitride-based Semiconductor"},{"id":"191021","name":"ultra-wide bandgap (UWBG) semiconductors"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"187433","name":"go-ien"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDan Watson\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:dwatson@ece.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Edwatson@ece.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["dwatson@ece.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"658072":{"#nid":"658072","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Shaping the Future of Light through Reconfigurable Metasurfaces","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EHarnessing the power of \u0026ldquo;phase-change\u0026rdquo; materials, Georgia Tech researchers have demonstrated how reconfigurable metasurfaces \u0026mdash; artificial materials with extraordinary optical properties \u0026mdash; are crucial to the future of nanotechnology.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe technological advancement of optical lenses has long been a significant marker of human scientific achievement. Eyeglasses, telescopes, cameras, and microscopes have all literally and figuratively allowed us to see the world in a new light. Lenses are also a fundamental component of manufacturing nanoelectronics by the semiconductor industry.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOne of the most impactful breakthroughs of lens technology in recent history has been the development of photonic metasurfaces \u0026mdash; artificially engineered nano-scale materials with remarkable optical properties. Georgia Tech researchers at the forefront of this technology have recently demonstrated the first-ever\u0026nbsp;electrically tunable\u0026nbsp;photonic metasurface platform in a recent study published by\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-022-29374-6\u0022\u003ENature Communications\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Metasurfaces can make the optical systems very thin, and as they become easier to control and tune, you\u0026rsquo;ll soon find them in cell phone cameras and similar electronic imaging systems,\u0026rdquo; said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff-directory\/ali-adibi\u0022\u003EAli Adibi\u003C\/a\u003E, professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe pronounced tuning measures achieved through the new platform represent a critical advancement towards the development of miniaturized reconfigurable metasurfaces. The results of the study have shown a record eleven-fold change in the reflective properties, a large range of spectral tuning for operation, and much faster tuning speed.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHeating Up Metasurfaces\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMetasurfaces are a class of nanophotonic materials in which a large range of miniaturized elements are engineered to affect the transmission and reflection of light at different frequencies in a controlled way.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026quot;When viewing under very strong microscopes, metasurfaces look like a periodic array of posts,\u0026rdquo; said Adibi. \u0026ldquo;The best analogy would be to think of a LEGO pattern formed by connecting many similar LEGO bricks next to each other.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESince their inception, metasurfaces have been used to demonstrate that very thin optical devices can affect light propagation with metalenses (the formation of thin lenses) being the most developed application.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDespite impressive progress, most demonstrated metasurfaces are passive, meaning their performance cannot be changed (or tuned) after fabrication. The work presented by Adibi and his team, led by Ph.D. candidate Sajjad Abdollahramezani, applies electrical heat to a special class of nanophotonic materials to create a platform that can enable reconfigurable metasurfaces to be easily manufactured with high levels of optical modulation.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPCMs Provide the Answer\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA wide range of materials may be used to form metasurfaces including metals, oxides, and semiconductors, but Abdollahramezani and Adibi\u0026rsquo;s research focuses on phase-change materials (PCMs) because they can form the most effective structures with the smallest feature sizes. PCMs are substances that absorb and release heat during the process of heating and cooling. They are called \u0026ldquo;phase-change\u0026rdquo; materials because they go from one crystallization state to another during the thermal cycling process. Water changing from a liquid to a solid or gas is the most common example.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech team\u0026rsquo;s experiments are substantially more complicated than heating and freezing water. Knowing that the optical properties of PCMs can be altered by local heating, they have harnessed the full potential of the PCM alloy Ge\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003ESb\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003ETe\u003Csub\u003E5\u003C\/sub\u003E\u0026nbsp;(GST), which is a compound of\u0026nbsp;germanium,\u0026nbsp;antimony, and\u0026nbsp;tellurium.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBy combining the optical design with a miniaturized electrical microheater underneath, the team can change the crystalline phase of the GST to make active tuning of the metasurface device possible.\u0026nbsp;The fabricated metasurfaces were developed at Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/nano\u0022\u003EInstitute for Electronics and Nanotechnology\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(IEN) and tested in characterization labs by illuminating the reconfigurable metasurfaces with laser light at different frequencies and measuring the properties of the reflected light in real time.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat Tunable Metasurfaces Mean for the Future\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDriven by device miniaturization and system integration, as well as their ability to selectively reflect different colors of light, metasurfaces are rapidly replacing bulky optical assemblies of the past. Immediate impact on technologies like LiDAR systems for autonomous cars,\u0026nbsp;imaging, spectroscopy, and sensing is expected.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWith further development, more aggressive applications like computing, augmented reality, photonic chips for artificial intelligence, and biohazard detection can also be envisioned, according to Abdollahramezani and Adibi.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;As the platform continues to develop, reconfigurable metasurfaces will be found everywhere,\u0026rdquo; said Adibi. \u0026ldquo;They will even empower smaller endoscopes to go deep inside the body for better imaging and help medical\u0026nbsp;sensors detect different biomarkers in blood.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECitation:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;Abdollahramezani, S., Hemmatyar, O., Taghinejad, M.\u0026nbsp;et al.\u0026nbsp;Electrically driven reprogrammable phase-change metasurface reaching 80% efficiency.\u0026nbsp;Nat Commun13,\u0026nbsp;1696 (2022). https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41467-022-29374-6\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFunding:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EThis material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Grant No. 1837021. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF. The work was primarily funded by Office of Naval Research (ONR) (N00014-18-1-2055, Dr. B. Bennett) and by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (D19AC00001, Dr. R. Chandrasekar). W.C. acknowledges support from ONR (N00014-17-1-2555) and National Science Foundation (NSF) (DMR-2004749). A. Al\u0026ugrave; acknowledges support from Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the Simons Foundation. M.W. acknowledges support by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (SFB 917). M.E.S. acknowledges financial support of NSF-CHE (1608801). This work was performed in part at the Georgia Tech Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology (IEN), a member of the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI), which is supported by NSF (ECCS1542174).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Harnessing the power of \u201cphase-change\u201d materials, Georgia Tech researchers have demonstrated how reconfigurable metasurfaces \u2014 artificial materials with extraordinary optical properties \u2014 are crucial to the future of nanotechnology.  "}],"uid":"36172","created_gmt":"2022-05-10 17:55:54","changed_gmt":"2022-05-13 21:02:11","author":"dwatson71","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2022-05-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2022-05-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"658153":{"id":"658153","type":"image","title":"Ali Adibi and Sajjad Abdollahramezani","body":null,"created":"1652369892","gmt_created":"2022-05-12 15:38:12","changed":"1652374741","gmt_changed":"2022-05-12 16:59:01","alt":"ECE professor Ali Adibi with Ph.D. candidate Sajjad Abdollahramezani holding their packaged tunable metasurface device.","file":{"fid":"249489","name":"DSC01455.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/DSC01455.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/DSC01455.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":834176,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/DSC01455.jpg?itok=U_0m229J"}},"658071":{"id":"658071","type":"image","title":"Reconfigurable metasurfaces images graphic","body":null,"created":"1652204833","gmt_created":"2022-05-10 17:47:13","changed":"1652204833","gmt_changed":"2022-05-10 17:47:13","alt":"(I) Image of the fabricated sample mounted on a ceramic chip carrier, (II) tilted false-colored SEM image of the meta-switch comprising the microheater and the phase-change metasurface, and (III) the magnified bird\u2019s eye view of the meta-atom array. (IV) Tilted false-colored SEM image of the meta-switch comprising the microheater and the phase-change metasurface at 50 \u03bcm.","file":{"fid":"249451","name":"Reconfiguraly metasurfaces images graphic.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Reconfiguraly%20metasurfaces%20images%20graphic.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Reconfiguraly%20metasurfaces%20images%20graphic.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1639843,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Reconfiguraly%20metasurfaces%20images%20graphic.jpg?itok=bxariuTL"}},"658154":{"id":"658154","type":"image","title":"Ali Adibi and Sajjad Abdollahramezani in lab","body":null,"created":"1652369990","gmt_created":"2022-05-12 15:39:50","changed":"1652374700","gmt_changed":"2022-05-12 16:58:20","alt":"ECE professor Ali Adibi with Ph.D. candidate Sajjad Abdollahramezani in Ali\u2019s Photonics Research Group lab where the characterization of the tunable metasurfaces takes place.","file":{"fid":"249488","name":"DSC01423.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/DSC01423.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/DSC01423.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":951114,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/DSC01423.jpg?itok=lxWui58e"}}},"media_ids":["658153","658071","658154"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff-directory\/ali-adibi","title":"Ali Adibi "},{"url":"https:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu","title":"ECE"},{"url":"https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/ece-prg\/people\/adibi\/","title":"Photonics Research Group "}],"groups":[{"id":"1255","name":"School of Electrical and Computer Engineering"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"190574","name":"Reconfigurable metasurfaces"},{"id":"190575","name":"Tunable metasurfaces"},{"id":"190576","name":"phase-change materials"},{"id":"2769","name":"Ali Adibi"},{"id":"220","name":"professor"},{"id":"188070","name":"Sajjad Abdollahramezani"},{"id":"2435","name":"ECE"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDan Watson\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dwatson@ece.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Edwatson@ece.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["dwatson@ece.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"657308":{"#nid":"657308","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New \u201cMicro-rocker\u201d Bots Are Powered by a Single Electromagnetic Coil","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers have shown that robots about the size of a particle of dust are capable of precise bidirectional control. By harnessing the power of a magnetic field generated by only a single electromagnetic coil, the mobile micro-robots are the smallest of their type.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;There are swimmer micro-robots that move in a fluid with similar size, but these are the smallest \u0026lsquo;walking\u0026rsquo; robots that move on a solid surface,\u0026rdquo; said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff-directory\/azadeh-ansari\u0022\u003EAzadeh Ansari\u003C\/a\u003E, the Sutterfield Family Early Career Assistant Professor at Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech study was recently published in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/link.springer.com\/epdf\/10.1007\/s12213-022-00149-y?sharing_token=6BaiN27mwVkc99vtLSaG3fe4RwlQNchNByi7wbcMAY534Rn_nre52BTa_Z7xlrh6cyolUy9n466Ww7Qz2L30gRo5MLOf7TBMAB6zPtlJr0xHOf1Eu7bqaTbyxfNqz_VCR-ISucKah5fzGAh5bcWtDYPmB-Y66VctYdo7WQA39L4%3D\u0022\u003EJournal of Micro-Bio Robotics\u003C\/a\u003E. Currently, most magnetically-actuated micro-bot systems rely on adding multiple electromagnets to enable full control, resulting in higher power consumption and less flexible setups. Being able to demonstrate that a single coil setup is enough for precise bidirectional motion control is a significant hurdle to clear, according to Ansari. With the micro-bots now much easier to operate, the team has been able to demonstrate micromanipulation capabilities.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;With what we\u0026rsquo;ve shown, we can already think of applying the micro-bots in a lab setting,\u0026rdquo; said Ansari. \u0026ldquo;You could have hundreds of robots on the same substrate working akin to ants in a colony.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn Spring 2019, Ansari\u0026rsquo;s team showcased larger (two millimeters long)\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rh.gatech.edu\/news\/623453\/tiny-vibration-powered-robots-are-size-worlds-smallest-ant\u0022\u003E\u0026ldquo;micro-bristle-bots\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;that could move by harnessing vibrations. Vibrations are no longer needed to move the micro-bots because of their updated \u0026ldquo;rocker\u0026rdquo; design \u0026mdash; hence micro-rocker bots. The new design allows the bots to move by performing a stick\u0026ndash;slip motion with an out-of-plane magnetic field.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EStick-slip motion basically refers to the two states of the robot; one when the robot is in a pinned\/stationary position on the surface and the other when the robot \u0026ldquo;slips\u0026rdquo; slightly in one direction and achieves net motion, according to Ph.D. student Tony Wang. When the magnetic field is turned on, the robot will essentially rise and then fall. This motion enables enough kinetic energy to allow the robot to move.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMore Than a New Design\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEqually as important as the rocker design, the paper demonstrates the novel use of a waveform offset for biasing the direction of the robot\u0026#39;s trajectory. The sign of the magnetic field offset (positive or negative), as well as the rocker\u0026rsquo;s angle with the surface, is what determines the direction the micro-bots will travel. Combined, the rocker design and the magnetic offset make the micro-bots capable of well-controlled, and importantly selectable, movement. The acceleration and deceleration of the micro-rocker bots can further be controlled by changing the frequency of the magnetic field.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe 100-micrometre long micro-bots were 3D printed on to a glass substrate via two-photon lithography and subsequently deposited with a nickel thin film, which acts as a semi-hard magnet in response to external magnetic fields. For many lab applications the robots can be directly printed on the substrate that will go under the microscope, but they can also be printed and transported with a micropipette.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;There are lot of areas the micro-robots can be applied to within the current 2D, under-the-microscope process we\u0026rsquo;ve established so far,\u0026rdquo; said Ansari. \u0026ldquo;But there\u0026rsquo;s also a future where they can be injected into living organisms to deliver drugs or repair injuries.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe team is currently working to equip a micro-bot with a tip that could potentially insert nanoparticles into biological tissue for drug delivery or DNA extraction. Their findings will be presented at the\u0026nbsp;Hilton Head Workshop 2022: A Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems Workshop this June.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E****\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECitation:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003ETony Wang, DeaGyu Kim, Yifan Shi, and Zhijian Hao, Azadeh Ansari \u0026ldquo;Bidirectional microscale rocker robots controlled via neutral position offset\u0026rdquo; (Journal of Micro-Bio Robotics, 2022).\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s12213-022-00149-y\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s12213-022-00149-y\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFunding:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;This work is supported by Georgia Tech Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology (IEN) and the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship under Grant No. DGE-1650044. The device fabrication was performed at the Georgia Tech Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology clean room facilities, a member of the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI), which is supported by the National Science Foundation (Grant ECCS-1542174).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Once the size of ants, these Georgia Tech 3D-printed micro-robots can now only be seen under a microscope."}],"uid":"36172","created_gmt":"2022-04-14 20:09:19","changed_gmt":"2022-04-19 13:17:07","author":"dwatson71","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2022-04-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2022-04-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"657353":{"id":"657353","type":"image","title":"Azadeh Ansari, Georgia Tech Assistant Professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering","body":null,"created":"1650044663","gmt_created":"2022-04-15 17:44:23","changed":"1650044663","gmt_changed":"2022-04-15 17:44:23","alt":"","file":{"fid":"249154","name":"Azadeha.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Azadeha.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Azadeha.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":224467,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Azadeha.jpeg?itok=vAMYJ9os"}},"657355":{"id":"657355","type":"image","title":"Azadeh Ansari in the lab","body":null,"created":"1650045275","gmt_created":"2022-04-15 17:54:35","changed":"1650045275","gmt_changed":"2022-04-15 17:54:35","alt":"","file":{"fid":"249156","name":"19C10200-P46-010.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/19C10200-P46-010.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/19C10200-P46-010.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1654585,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/19C10200-P46-010.jpg?itok=CefnJ24z"}}},"media_ids":["657353","657355"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff-directory\/azadeh-ansari","title":"Azadeh Ansari "},{"url":"https:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu","title":"ECE"},{"url":"https:\/\/rdcu.be\/cJvPH","title":"Journal of Micro-Bio Robotics "},{"url":"https:\/\/rh.gatech.edu\/news\/623453\/tiny-vibration-powered-robots-are-size-worlds-smallest-ant","title":"Micro-bristle-Bot, 2019"}],"groups":[{"id":"1255","name":"School of Electrical and Computer Engineering"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"175301","name":"Azadeh Ansari"},{"id":"190376","name":"micro-rocker bots"},{"id":"2435","name":"ECE"},{"id":"190377","name":"3D-printing"},{"id":"190378","name":"stick-slip motion"},{"id":"1163","name":"microsystems"},{"id":"190379","name":"electromagnetic coil"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDan Watson\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dwatson@ece.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Edwatson@ece.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["dwatson@ece.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"653777":{"#nid":"653777","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Frenkel Biexcitons Light Up Organic Semiconductor Advances","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOrganic semiconductors already provide the energy behind optical technologies inside television displays, solar cells, and lighting fixtures. Their molecular carbon-based structure makes them cheaper to produce, more flexible, of lighter weight, and more environmentally friendly than silicon-based or composite semiconductors. The future in more applications is bright \u0026mdash; if scientists can learn more about harnessing their ability to react to and produce light.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA team of Georgia Tech researchers brings us one step closer to understanding those properties. Their new study, published in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/sciadv.abi5197\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EScience Advances\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, for the first time brings tracking and measurement to organic semiconductor photoexcitations: particles put into \u0026ldquo;excited\u0026rdquo; or energized quantum states by light.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe semiconductors\u0026rsquo; primary photoexcitations, called Frenkel excitons, dictate the optical qualities in those semiconductors. They can, in principle, form bonded pairs called biexcitons, but these have never been identified unambiguously. Quantifying those reactions will help researchers learn more about their properties to unlock future uses, such as more efficient and sustainable batteries and solar cells, biosensors, and new types of lasers.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s a window into the basic electronic structure and properties of these materials,\u0026rdquo; says study co-author \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/user\/carlos-silva\u0022\u003ECarlos Silva Acu\u0026ntilde;a\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor with joint appointments in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E, \u0026ldquo;but also into these tech applications we care about. How do we convert electrical energy to light? Or in photovoltaic applications, how do we convert solar light into electrical power? It\u0026rsquo;s more about understanding and discovering the very basic fundamental properties of materials that will allow the design of tailored materials that optimize a particular function.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESilva Acu\u0026ntilde;a and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/people\/natalie-stingelin\u0022\u003ENatalie Stingelin\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor with joint appointments in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, led a team of researchers that tweaked traditional spectroscopy \u0026mdash; how light or any other form of radiation is emitted and absorbed by materials \u0026mdash; to track and measure the energy coming from Frenkel biexcitons. The researchers wanted to know how those photoexcitations form \u0026ldquo;bonds\u0026rdquo; between each other, how excitons find the right partners to form biexcitons, and how stable those exciton partners are.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe scientists used different spectroscopy techniques such as non-linear and coherent versions, which give researchers more flexibility in determining the energies flying back and forth between pairs of excitons. \u0026ldquo;The idea is an advanced spectroscopy that allows us to dissect interactions between excitations,\u0026rdquo; Silva Acu\u0026ntilde;a says. \u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s designed to measure or resolve the interaction energy between different photoexcitations,\u0026rdquo; adding that the researchers can dissect with more detail where light from the biexcitons falls on the spectrum.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThose interactions are the foundation for any future quantum (atomic and subatomic) science applications for organic semiconductors, \u0026ldquo;because all the quantum phases we might want to induce are all governed by their interactions, and the interactions between photoexcitations are key.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe global organic semiconductor market is expected to grow by $90.8 billion between 2020 and 2024, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.businesswire.com\/news\/home\/20201203005571\/en\/Semiconductor-Market-to-Grow-by-90.80-bn-During-2020-2024-Industry-Analysis-Market-Trends-Market-Growth-Opportunities-and-Forecast-2024-Technavio\u0022\u003Eaccording to Berkshire Hathaway company Business Wire\u003C\/a\u003E. Yet while composite semiconductors have well-studied and defined optical signatures, that\u0026rsquo;s not quite the case for organic semiconductors. \u0026ldquo;We could not find a clear optical signature of biexcitons,\u0026rdquo; Silva Acu\u0026ntilde;a says. \u0026ldquo;That\u0026rsquo;s what has made them more challenging. There is a lot of theoretical prediction and calculation, but not really any experimental measurement\u0026rdquo; preceding the new Georgia Tech research, he explains.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We can for the first time unambiguously identify bound excitons and characterize their nature. They\u0026rsquo;re attracted to what energy, repulsed by what energy, and why? How do those details relate to molecular structure?\u0026rdquo; he says. \u0026ldquo;What would we need to change to change those properties? How do we discover new materials with tailored properties?\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESilva Acu\u0026ntilde;a also notes an unexpected finding in the research: Excitons that interact with each other in different polymer chains attract each other to form biexcitons \u0026mdash; while excitons in the same polymer chain repel each other. \u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s a little bit counterintuitive that you can have two excitons repel each other, and yet they bind,\u0026rdquo; he says.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIf the interaction energy between excitons is strong, a lot of excitons will end up as bound biexcitons, Silva Acu\u0026ntilde;a adds. If science decides that can help add more functions to those materials, \u0026ldquo;Maybe we can design them to be even more strongly bound.\u0026rdquo; Or if it\u0026rsquo;s decided that those bonds need to be weaker for certain functions, \u0026ldquo;How can we turn them off? It\u0026rsquo;s all about material discovery.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E***\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDOI:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Cem\u003Escience.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.abi5197\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAuthors: \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAlong with Silva-Acu\u0026ntilde;a (C.S.-A.) and Stingelin (N.S.), co-authors of the study include: Elizabeth Guti\u0026eacute;rrez-Meza, Ravyn Malatesta, and David A. Valverde-Ch\u0026aacute;vez (all of the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Georgia Tech), Hongmo Li and Seong-Min Kim (both of the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Georgia Tech), Ilaria Bargigia and Ajay Ram Srimath Kandada (Department of Physics and Center for Functional Materials at Wake Forest University), Eric R. Bittner and Hao Li (Department of Chemistry at University of Houston), and Sergei Tretiak (Theoretical Division and Center for Nonlinear Studies, Los Alamos National Laboratory). C.S.-A. acknowledges support from the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the College of Sciences at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFunding:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Cem\u003EThe work at Georgia Tech was funded by the National Science Foundation [DMR-1904293 (to C.S.-A.) and DMREF-1729737 (to N.S. and C.S.-A.)]. C.S.-A. acknowledges support from the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the College of Sciences at Georgia Tech. The work at the University of Houston was funded in part by the National Science Foundation (CHE-1664971 and DMR-1903785) and the Robert A. Welch Foundation (E-1337). This work was also conducted in part at the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, a U.S. Department of Energy and Office of Basic Energy Science user facility. \u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E***\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology, or Georgia Tech, is a top 10 public research university developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute offers business, computing, design, engineering, liberal arts, and sciences degrees. Its nearly 44,000 students representing 50 states and 149 countries, study at the main campus in Atlanta, at campuses in France and China, and through distance and online learning. As a leading technological university, Georgia Tech is an engine of economic development for Georgia, the Southeast, and the nation, conducting more than $1 billion in research annually for government, industry, and society.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"A team led by Carlos Silva Acu\u00f1a and Natalie Stingelin finds a way to track and measure biexcitons: the energy behind the light-emitting qualities of organic semiconductors "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe future of organic semiconductors is bright, thanks to their ability to react to, and produce, light on a much more affordable, sustainable scale than traditional semiconductors. But first scientists must learn more about the forces behind their light-emitting qualities, so-called Frenkel biexcitons. Now, a team of researchers led by Georgia Tech has found a way to measure and track them.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A team led by Carlos Silva Acu\u00f1a and Natalie Stingelin finds a way to track and measure biexcitons: the energy behind the light-emitting qualities of organic semiconductors "}],"uid":"34434","created_gmt":"2021-12-16 20:20:30","changed_gmt":"2022-02-18 19:07:52","author":"Renay San Miguel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2022-02-18T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2022-02-18T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"653779":{"id":"653779","type":"image","title":"Image shows organic-thin film transistors for organic semiconductors under continuous testing on a probe station. (Photo Rob Felt Georgia Tech)","body":null,"created":"1639687055","gmt_created":"2021-12-16 20:37:35","changed":"1639687055","gmt_changed":"2021-12-16 20:37:35","alt":"","file":{"fid":"247994","name":"Image shows organic-thin film transistors for organic semiconductors under continuous testing on a probe station. (Photo Rob Felt, Georgia Tech).jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Image%20shows%20organic-thin%20film%20transistors%20for%20organic%20semiconductors%20under%20continuous%20testing%20on%20a%20probe%20station.%20%28Photo%20Rob%20Felt%2C%20Georgia%20Tech%29.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Image%20shows%20organic-thin%20film%20transistors%20for%20organic%20semiconductors%20under%20continuous%20testing%20on%20a%20probe%20station.%20%28Photo%20Rob%20Felt%2C%20Georgia%20Tech%29.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":430647,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Image%20shows%20organic-thin%20film%20transistors%20for%20organic%20semiconductors%20under%20continuous%20testing%20on%20a%20probe%20station.%20%28Photo%20Rob%20Felt%2C%20Georgia%20Tech%29.jpg?itok=0XVanzJI"}},"628697":{"id":"628697","type":"image","title":"Organic photovoltaic devices","body":null,"created":"1573091672","gmt_created":"2019-11-07 01:54:32","changed":"1573091672","gmt_changed":"2019-11-07 01:54:32","alt":"Organic photovoltaic device in a hand","file":{"fid":"239436","name":"organic-pv.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/organic-pv.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/organic-pv.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1361225,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/organic-pv.jpg?itok=U22CTJni"}},"651283":{"id":"651283","type":"image","title":"Carlos Silva Acu\u00f1a, professor, School of Physics","body":null,"created":"1633030429","gmt_created":"2021-09-30 19:33:49","changed":"1633361640","gmt_changed":"2021-10-04 15:34:00","alt":"","file":{"fid":"247109","name":"Carlos Silva Acuna.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Carlos%20Silva%20Acuna.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Carlos%20Silva%20Acuna.png","mime":"image\/png","size":897147,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Carlos%20Silva%20Acuna.png?itok=_P_F_jmI"}},"653778":{"id":"653778","type":"image","title":"Natalie Stingelin","body":null,"created":"1639686221","gmt_created":"2021-12-16 20:23:41","changed":"1639686221","gmt_changed":"2021-12-16 20:23:41","alt":"","file":{"fid":"247993","name":"Natalie Stingelin.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Natalie%20Stingelin.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Natalie%20Stingelin.png","mime":"image\/png","size":5780806,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Natalie%20Stingelin.png?itok=rfmm-gJy"}}},"media_ids":["653779","628697","651283","653778"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/science-matters\/sciencematters-season-3-episode-7-finding-magic-materials-science","title":"ScienceMatters - Season 3, Episode 7 - Finding the Magic in Materials Science"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/future-colorfully-lit-mystifying-physics-paint-semiconductors","title":"A Future Colorfully Lit by the Mystifying Physics of Paint-On Semiconductors"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/hispanic-and-latinx-heritage-month-faculty-perspectives-representation-mentoring-leadership","title":"Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month: Faculty Perspectives on Representation, Mentoring, Leadership in STEM"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/carlos-silva-named-associate-editor-science-advances","title":"Carlos Silva-Acu\u00f1a Named Associate Editor of Science Advances"},{"url":"https:\/\/silva.chemistry.gatech.edu","title":"Silva Lab"},{"url":"https:\/\/silva.chemistry.gatech.edu","title":"Natalie Stingelin, Siva Sivakumar Named Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors"},{"url":"https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/materials\/5questionsStingelin","title":"5 Questions with the New IMat Advisory Team: Natalie Stingelin"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/institute-materials-imat-announces-initiative-leads-and-science-advisor","title":"Institute for Materials (IMat) Announces Initiative Leads and Science Advisor"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"166937","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"166928","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"189593","name":"School of Materials Science"},{"id":"167445","name":"School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering"},{"id":"188975","name":"Carlos Silva Acuna"},{"id":"65041","name":"natalie stingelin"},{"id":"189564","name":"Frenkel biexcitons"},{"id":"6593","name":"organic semiconductors"},{"id":"12372","name":"organic solar cells"},{"id":"182287","name":"organic photovoltaics"},{"id":"2294","name":"materials science"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Renay San Miguel\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCommunications Officer II\/Science Writer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n404-894-5209\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEditor: \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jess@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["renay.san@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"654670":{"#nid":"654670","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Addressing the Microchip Shortage ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThis country\u0026rsquo;s semiconductor chip shortage is likely to continue well into 2022, and a Georgia Tech expert predicts that the U.S. will need to make major changes to the manufacturing and supply chain of these all-important chips in the coming year to stave off further effects.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat includes making more of these chips here at home. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMadhavan Swaminathan is the John Pippin Chair in Electromagnetics in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He also \u0026nbsp;serves as director of the 3D Systems Packaging Research Center. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs an author of more than 450\u0026nbsp;technical publications who holds 29 patents, Swaminathan is one of the world\u0026rsquo;s leading experts on semiconductors and the semiconductor chips necessary for many of the devices we use every day to function.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Almost any consumer device that is electronic tends to have at least one semiconductor chip in it,\u0026rdquo; Swaminathan explains. \u0026ldquo;The more complicated the functions any device performs, the more chips it is likely to have.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESome of these semiconductor chips process information, some store data, and others provide sensing or communication functions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn short, they are crucial in devices from video games and smart thermostats to cars and computers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOur current shortage of these chips began with the Covid-19 pandemic. When consumers started staying at home and car purchases took a downward turn, chip manufacturers tried to shift to make more chips for other goods like smartphones and computers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBut Swaminathan explains that making that kind of switch is not simple. Entire production operations have to be changed. The chips are highly sensitive and can be damaged by static electricity, temperature variations, and even tiny specks of dust. The manufacturing environments must be highly regulated, and changes in the process can add months.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe pandemic highlighted another challenge with the\u0026nbsp;semiconductor chip industry, according to Swaminathan.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;There\u0026rsquo;s a major shortage of companies making chips,\u0026rdquo; he says.\u0026nbsp;\u0026ldquo;If\u0026nbsp;you look worldwide, there are maybe four or five manufacturers making 80-90% of these chips and they are located outside of the United States.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThis creates supply chain hiccups with the raw supplies needed to make these chips as well. Add in the fact that many of these companies only design their chips \u0026ndash;\u0026nbsp;they don\u0026rsquo;t manufacture them directly.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;American consumers use 50% of the world\u0026rsquo;s chips,\u0026rdquo; Swaminathan says, which creates a serious challenge when the overwhelming majority of those chips are manufactured in other nations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the short term, the costs of the chip shortage is being passed on to the consumer. We see this directly with products like PlayStations and Xboxes that are more and more expensive and harder to purchase when the chips necessary for the consoles to function are in short supply.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond 2022, Swaminathan says we need to work to revitalize the\u0026nbsp;industry domestically.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We need to bring more manufacturing back to the United States,\u0026rdquo; he says. \u0026ldquo;The U.S. government has recognized the importance of this semiconductor chip shortage and is trying to address the issue directly.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat means investing in new plants to manufacture the\u0026nbsp;chips, but America\u0026#39;s\u0026nbsp;journey toward\u0026nbsp; chip self-sufficiency will continue to be a work in progress.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This is a cycle,\u0026rdquo; Swaminathan explains. \u0026ldquo;But this is probably the first time where it has had such a major effect in so many different industries.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBut consumers can take direct action on their own in the coming year.\u0026nbsp;\u0026ldquo;Reduce the number of times you purchase or upgrade electronic devices like phones and cars,\u0026rdquo; he says. \u0026ldquo;Then it becomes just a supply problem, not a demand and supply problem.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAmerica\u0026rsquo;s semiconductor chip shortage is likely to continue well into 2022, and a Georgia Tech expert predicts that America will need to make major changes to the manufacturing and supply chain of these all-important chips in the coming year to stave off further effects.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech expert predicts that America will need to make major changes to the manufacturing and supply chain"}],"uid":"27948","created_gmt":"2022-01-21 16:52:18","changed_gmt":"2022-01-27 19:03:31","author":"Jennifer Tomasino","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2022-01-21T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2022-01-21T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"654671":{"id":"654671","type":"image","title":"Microchips","body":null,"created":"1642784000","gmt_created":"2022-01-21 16:53:20","changed":"1642784000","gmt_changed":"2022-01-21 16:53:20","alt":"Microchip","file":{"fid":"248269","name":"microchips.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/microchips.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/microchips.png","mime":"image\/png","size":100344,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/microchips.png?itok=ZA-iKhWg"}}},"media_ids":["654671"],"groups":[{"id":"1300","name":"Institute Communications"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7342","name":"microchip"},{"id":"176662","name":"microchips"},{"id":"167686","name":"Semiconductors"},{"id":"187433","name":"go-ien"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"},{"id":"39541","name":"Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"653725":{"#nid":"653725","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Dupuis Selected as Benjamin Franklin Medal Recipient","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERussell Dupuis has been named as a co-recipient of the 2022 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Electrical Engineering. He and his fellow laureates will be honored for their achievements during The Franklin Institute Awards Week, to be held May 2-5, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENow in its 197th year, The Franklin Institute Awards Program pays tribute to its namesake and America\u0026rsquo;s first citizen scientist, Benjamin Franklin, by honoring 13 individuals for their extraordinary achievements in science, engineering, and business leadership. This awards program is the oldest comprehensive science and technology awards program in the United States and has recognized more than 2,000 of the most pioneering scientists, engineers, inventors, and innovators from across the globe.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDupuis is being honored for pioneering the technology known as MOCVD (metalorganic chemical vapor deposition). This technology provides the materials quality and ultra-precision required for many device components central to modern life, including LEDS, transistors, lasers, and high-performance solar cells.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHis contributions to the development of MOCVD are among the most significant contributions made in the growth of semiconductor devices in the last 40 years. His work on the understanding and improvement of the MOCVD process was the key development that led to the demonstration of the first MOCVD-grown III-V compound semiconductor heterostructure solar cells, injection lasers, the first CW room-temperature quantum-well lasers grown by any materials technology, and the demonstration of high-reliability MOCVD lasers. These important achievements have had a great impact on the efficient use of energy in the world.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDupuis has been a faculty member in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at Georgia Tech since 2003. He holds the Steve W. Chaddick Endowed Chair in Electro-Optics and is a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar. Dupuis also leads the Center for Compound Semiconductors. Prior to his arrival at Tech, he was a chaired professor at the University of Texas at Austin and worked at Texas Instruments, Rockwell International, and AT\u0026amp;T Bell Laboratories.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDupuis has received several major honors in the last six years. Earlier this year, he and four of his colleagues were awarded the 2021 Queen Elizabeth Prize in Engineering for the creation and development of LED lighting. In 2019, Dupuis was honored with the\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EMaterials Today\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;Innovation Award for his development of the MOCVD technology and seminal contributions to compound semiconductor materials and devices. In 2015, he was one of five pioneers to receive the Draper Prize for Engineering in recognition of the significant benefit to society created by the initial development and commercialization of LED technologies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDupuis has also been recognized\u0026nbsp;with\u0026nbsp;the IEEE Edison Medal and as a Fellow of\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;IEEE, OSA, the American Physical Society, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EECE Professor Russell Dupuis has been named as a co-recipient of the 2022 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Electrical Engineering. He and his fellow laureates will be honored for their achievements during The Franklin Institute Awards Week, to be held May 2-5, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"ECE Professor Russell Dupuis has been named as a co-recipient of the 2022 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Electrical Engineering. "}],"uid":"27241","created_gmt":"2021-12-15 20:46:52","changed_gmt":"2021-12-20 16:30:58","author":"Jackie Nemeth","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2021-12-15T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2021-12-15T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"361591":{"id":"361591","type":"image","title":"Russell Dupuis","body":null,"created":"1449245782","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:16:22","changed":"1475895098","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:51:38","alt":"Russell Dupuis","file":{"fid":"201574","name":"drrusselldupuis-rgb-2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/drrusselldupuis-rgb-2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/drrusselldupuis-rgb-2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5161777,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/drrusselldupuis-rgb-2_0.jpg?itok=ZdC_0bql"}}},"media_ids":["361591"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff-directory\/russell-dean-dupuis","title":"Russell Dupuis"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu","title":"School of Electrical and Computer Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.gatech.edu","title":"Georgia Tech"},{"url":"http:\/\/gra.org","title":"Georgia Research Alliance"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.fi.edu\/awards","title":"The Franklin Institute Awards"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.fi.edu","title":"The Franklin Institute"}],"groups":[{"id":"1255","name":"School of Electrical and Computer Engineering"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2461","name":"Russell Dupuis"},{"id":"276","name":"Awards"},{"id":"1506","name":"faculty"},{"id":"109","name":"Georgia Tech"},{"id":"166855","name":"School of Electrical and Computer Engineering"},{"id":"12065","name":"Center for Compound Semiconductors"},{"id":"189538","name":"Benjamin Franklin Medal in Electrical Engineering"},{"id":"189539","name":"The Franklin Institute"},{"id":"173144","name":"MOCVD"},{"id":"14280","name":"LEDs"},{"id":"7528","name":"transistors"},{"id":"10652","name":"lasers"},{"id":"189540","name":"high-performance solar cells"},{"id":"1464","name":"Georgia Research Alliance"},{"id":"180173","name":"Led Lighting"},{"id":"189541","name":"semiconductor materials and devices"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jackie.nemeth@ece.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJackie Nemeth\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E404-894-2906\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jackie.nemeth@ece.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"653264":{"#nid":"653264","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Data DNA","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have made significant advances toward the goal of a new microchip able to grow DNA strands that could provide high-density 3D archival data storage at ultra-low cost \u0026ndash; and be able to hold that information for hundreds of years. To enable the technology, researchers have also developed a correction system able to compensate for errors in reading data stored in the DNA.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDNA data storage uses the four bases that make up biological DNA - adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine (G) and cytosine (C) \u0026ndash; to store data in a way that is analogous to the zeroes and ones of traditional computing. Current DNA storage is mostly restricted to boutique applications such as time capsules, but there is broad interest in DNA as the next major storage medium for massive data archives.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe microchip work is part of the \u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gtri.gatech.edu\/newsroom\/25-million-project-will-advance-dna-based-archival-data-storage#:~:text=The%20Scalable%20Molecular%20Archival%20Software%20and%20Hardware%20%28SMASH%29,the%20University%20of%20Washington%20in%20collaboration%20with%20Microsoft\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EScalable Molecular Archival Software and Hardware (SMASH)\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E project, a collaboration led by the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) to develop scalable DNA-based read\/write storage techniques. The project, supported by the \u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.iarpa.gov\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EIntelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA)\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.iarpa.gov\/research-programs\/mist\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMolecular Information Storage (MIST)\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E program, could help address the growing demand for archival storage, providing a cost-effective alternative to current tape and hard-drive systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe proof-of-concept nanofabricated microchips include tiny microwell structures a few hundred nanometers deep from which the DNA strands grow in a massively parallel process. The chips will ultimately include a second layer of electronic controls \u0026ndash; fabricated in conventional CMOS \u0026ndash; that will manage the chemical process as a unique molecule of DNA is grown in each of the wells, one base at a time. Once the sequence of bases that stores data has been completed, the DNA strands will be stripped off the surface and dried for long-term storage.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBecause each base that stores information consists of a small number of atoms, the technique will allow hundreds of terabytes of information \u0026ndash; that would now require many conventional disk drives \u0026ndash; to be stored in a single dot of DNA. GTRI is working with California biotech companies \u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.twistbioscience.com\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ETwist Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E and \u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.roswellbiotech.com\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERoswell Biotechnologies\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E toward a goal of demonstrating this new type of commercially viable data storage that could eventually scale into the exabyte regime.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We\u0026rsquo;ve been able to show that it\u0026rsquo;s possible to grow DNA to the sort of length that we want, and at about the feature size that we care about using these chips,\u0026rdquo; said Nicholas Guise, a GTRI senior research scientist who is project director for SMASH. \u0026ldquo;The goal is to grow millions of unique, independent sequences across the chip from these microwells, with each serving as a tiny electrochemical bioreactor.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe current prototype chip is about an inch square and includes 10 banks of microwells where the DNA is grown. \u0026ldquo;Working with our colleagues at Twist and in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/nano\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EInstitute for Electronics and Nanotechnology\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E, we have optimized the geometry of the microwells to fit more and more of them on a chip,\u0026rdquo; he explained.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe DNA chips will be used for long-term, archival data storage in which information is infrequently accessed \u0026ndash; but must be kept available for a long time. Such data is currently kept in magnetic tape memory, which must periodically be replaced by new tapes as the media ages. Storing and retrieving the data in DNA will be time-consuming, but the media will last virtually forever and can be retrieved using standard DNA sequencing techniques used for medical diagnostics.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;As long as you keep the temperature low enough, the data will survive for thousands of years, so the cost of ownership drops to almost zero,\u0026rdquo; Guise said. \u0026ldquo;It only costs much money to write the DNA once at the beginning and then to read the DNA at the end. If we can get the cost of this technology competitive with the cost of writing data magnetically, the cost of storing and maintaining information in DNA over many years should be lower.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOne of the disadvantages of storing data in DNA is a higher error rate \u0026ndash; considerably higher than what computer engineers would tolerate with conventional hard drive storage. In collaboration with the University of Washington, GTRI researchers have designed an encoding of the information into DNA (a \u0026ldquo;codec\u0026rdquo;) designed to identify and correct the errors and protect the data stored in DNA.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We are working with a bunch of new technologies, and these new technologies have higher error rates than storage technologies have in the past,\u0026rdquo; said Adam Meier, a GTRI senior research scientist working on the SMASH project. \u0026ldquo;We\u0026rsquo;ve targeted this codec to be super robust against errors, able to work with devices that read as much as 10% of the bases wrong.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EError correction eases the burden on the hardware side of the project, and the error correction scheme is tunable to allow the team to experiment with different chemistry approaches and DNA lengths. In testing their work, the team received support from the \u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/bio\/research\/core-facilities\/molecular-evolution-core#:~:text=Molecular%20Evolution%20Core.%20Certain%20techniques%20of%20molecular%20evolution\u2014the,yeast%2C%20bacterial%2C%20and%20phage%20surface%20display%20selection%20methods\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMolecular Evolution Core\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E at Georgia Tech and the Advanced Concepts Laboratory at GTRI in sequencing the data stored in the DNA.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;What this does operationally is allow us to potentially turn up the speed and throughput of the synthesizer and sequencer,\u0026rdquo; said Guise. \u0026ldquo;If you can tolerate some of the error through a resilient codec, you can write much more data and read much more data faster.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers have demonstrated writing image files into DNA, then reading them back out, with help from company partner Twist. Meier expects that the error rate will decline as the technology advances, though he says error correction will always be part of the data reading operations.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;What we expect is that eventually the error correction code will be more lightweight,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;It will eventually have less of an impact on the final design, and when the error rates are better, then the codec will become less important. That\u0026rsquo;s part of our research into future phases of the program.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nWriter: \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto: john.toon@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGTRI Communications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia USA\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E*****\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is the nonprofit, applied research division of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).\u202fFounded in 1934 as the Engineering Experiment Station, GTRI has grown to more than 2,800 employees supporting eight laboratories in over 20 locations around the country and performing more than $700 million of problem-solving research annually for government and industry.\u202fGTRI\u0026#39;s renowned researchers combine science, engineering, economics, policy, and technical expertise to solve complex problems for the U.S. federal government, state, and industry.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have made significant advances toward the goal of a new microchip able to grow DNA strands that could provide high-density 3D archival data storage at ultra-low cost \u2013 and be able to hold that information for hundreds of years. "}],"uid":"35832","created_gmt":"2021-11-30 20:22:34","changed_gmt":"2021-12-01 15:53:24","author":"Michelle Gowdy","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2021-11-30T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2021-11-30T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"653259":{"id":"653259","type":"image","title":"Microchip for growing DNA strands","body":null,"created":"1638303357","gmt_created":"2021-11-30 20:15:57","changed":"1638303357","gmt_changed":"2021-11-30 20:15:57","alt":"","file":{"fid":"247775","name":"GTRI_DNA1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/GTRI_DNA1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/GTRI_DNA1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":220886,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/GTRI_DNA1.jpg?itok=lXof8dyr"}},"653263":{"id":"653263","type":"image","title":"Data DNA: Testing the electronics on a microchip used to grow DNA strands","body":null,"created":"1638303529","gmt_created":"2021-11-30 20:18:49","changed":"1638303529","gmt_changed":"2021-11-30 20:18:49","alt":"","file":{"fid":"247777","name":"GTRI_DNA2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/GTRI_DNA2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/GTRI_DNA2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":239096,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/GTRI_DNA2.jpg?itok=wGUMSiw3"}}},"media_ids":["653259","653263"],"groups":[{"id":"1276","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187433","name":"go-ien"},{"id":"416","name":"GTRI"},{"id":"365","name":"Research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"166902","name":"science and technology"},{"id":"1041","name":"dna"},{"id":"7342","name":"microchip"},{"id":"183605","name":"data storage"},{"id":"189439","name":"SMASH"},{"id":"184449","name":"mist"},{"id":"189440","name":"Twist Bioscience"},{"id":"189441","name":"Roswell Biotechnologies"},{"id":"107","name":"Nanotechnology"},{"id":"189442","name":"GT Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"341","name":"innovation"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E(Interim) Director of Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMichelle Gowdy\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMichelle.Gowdy@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E404-407-8060\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["michelle.gowdy@gtri.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"651600":{"#nid":"651600","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Biomolecular Engineer Wins Grant to Make Microorganism-Inspired Machines","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhat do the cylinder in an internal combustion engine and the four-millimeter-long creature, \u003Cem\u003ESpirostomum ambiguum\u003C\/em\u003E, have in common? Surprisingly, quite a bit. Both are similarly shaped. Both shrink to a fraction of their size in an instant. And both release about the same amount of power output per cubic centimeter in volume. But for all we know about the engine, we know relatively little about the living organism.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESaad Bhamla, a professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Georgia Tech, recently received an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/reporter.nih.gov\/search\/Oknss65S00GZ6zWXumkEyw\/project-details\/10273361\u0022\u003EOutstanding Investigator Award\u003C\/a\u003E from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, part of the National Institutes of Health, to continue\u0026nbsp;studying\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ESpirostomum\u003C\/em\u003E and attempt to build machines based on similar principles. The grant will provide his research group with $1.98 million in funding over five years.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor Bhamla, the comparison between the organism and the engine is more than just an analogy. He is now working to build something directly akin to a micro-engine, with pistons and cylinders made out of synthetic cells similar to \u003Cem\u003ESpirostomum\u003C\/em\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;That\u0026#39;s basically the stuff of my dreams,\u0026rdquo; Bhamla said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOnce built, he believes that these molecular engines might prove far more efficient than other miniaturized power sources. The chief difficulty will be making a synthetic cell that functions like \u003Cem\u003ESpirostomum\u003C\/em\u003E, Bhamla said. Today, most synthetic cells do very different things, like\u0026nbsp;producing lab-grown meat.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We still think of them as basically bags of fluid,\u0026rdquo; said Bhamla. \u0026ldquo;They don\u0026#39;t move, they just hang around in test tubes.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOver the last few years, Bhamla and colleagues have learned more about how \u003Cem\u003ESpirostomum\u003C\/em\u003E works. Its capabilities come from its use of an unconventional fuel, calcium, rather than adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the molecule that powers most human cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.biorxiv.org\/content\/10.1101\/854836v1.full\u0022\u003Epreprint\u003C\/a\u003E from 2019, Bhamla and Xinjing Xu, then an undergraduate student at Georgia Tech, figured out exactly what makes the organism contract. They found that when calcium binds to \u003Cem\u003ESpirostomum\u0026rsquo;s\u003C\/em\u003E skeletal mesh, it forces each cell of the skeleton to coil tight.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOne of Bhamla\u0026rsquo;s current doctoral students, Xiangting Lei, is already examining how to replicate this mechanism in a synthetic cell. She is investigating how to give the cell external triggers so that engineers can make it contract whenever they want. Bhamla plans to use the funds from the grant to hire several more graduate students to study these systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe goal is to create modern versions of what were historically known as mechanochemical\u0026nbsp;machines. A rich literature on these chemically-powered machines had been created in the sixties, only to be forgotten, Bhamla said. It seemed to be a classic case of science getting ahead of itself.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;They didn\u0026#39;t have the right optical tools and soft materials to do this,\u0026rdquo; said Bhamla. \u0026ldquo;This is a great time to revisit [the research] because I think this time, we might be able to have much more success.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Georgia Tech\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology, or Georgia Tech, is a top 10 public research university developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute offers business, computing, design, engineering, liberal arts, and sciences degrees. Its nearly 40,000 students representing 50 states and 149 countries, study at the main campus in Atlanta, at campuses in France and China, and through distance and online learning. As a leading technological university, Georgia Tech is an engine of economic development for Georgia, the Southeast, and the nation, conducting more than $1 billion in research annually for government, industry, and society.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"To make a micro-robot that moves, look to what nature does, first."}],"uid":"35899","created_gmt":"2021-10-12 13:49:11","changed_gmt":"2021-10-13 14:05:51","author":"Mordechai Rorvig","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2021-10-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2021-10-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"651598":{"id":"651598","type":"image","title":"Saad Bhamla 001","body":null,"created":"1634045637","gmt_created":"2021-10-12 13:33:57","changed":"1634045637","gmt_changed":"2021-10-12 13:33:57","alt":"","file":{"fid":"247219","name":"DSC_3036.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/DSC_3036.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/DSC_3036.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":449663,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/DSC_3036.jpg?itok=2w176cF3"}}},"media_ids":["651598"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMordechai Rorvig\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nSenior Science Writer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["mrorvig@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"648161":{"#nid":"648161","#data":{"type":"news","title":"If I Had a Hammer: A Simple Tool to Enable Remote Neurological Examinations","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, clinics and patients alike began cancelling all non-urgent appointments and procedures in order to slow the spread of the coronavirus. A boom in telemedicine was borne out of necessity as healthcare workers, administrators, and scientists creatively advanced technologies to fill a void in care.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDuring this time, Georgia Institute of Technology professor Jun Ueda and Ph.D. student Waiman Meinhold, along with their collaborators at NITI-ON Co. and Tohoku University in Japan, began to explore how they might contribute. By employing their previously engineered \u0026ldquo;smart\u0026rdquo; tendon hammer and developing a mobile app to accompany it, Meinhold, Ueda, and their collaborators devised a system that enables the deep tendon reflex exam to be performed remotely, filling a gap in neurological healthcare delivery.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe deep tendon reflex exam is both a basic and crucial part of neurological assessment and is often the first step in identifying neurological illnesses. The traditional exam consists of two main parts. First, using a silicone hammer, a physician taps on a patient\u0026rsquo;s tendon to trigger a reflex response. Next, the physician grades the reflex on a numerical scale. To characterize the reflex, a trained physician relies primarily on previous experience, visual cues, and the \u0026ldquo;feel\u0026rdquo; of the hammer rebounding in their hand. Until now, the physical act of reflex elicitation has been completely out of reach for telemedicine. Hitting the correct spot on the tendon is crucial and is necessary in order to elicit a proper reflex response.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Meinhold and Ueda\u0026rsquo;s research, a patient\u0026rsquo;s caretaker or family member may be able to easily step in to assist with this critical component of the neurological exam. They will simply need to obtain the smart tendon hammer and download the accompanying mobile application for data analysis.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETo make this advance possible, Meinhold and Ueda modified a standard commercially available reflex hammer by furnishing it with a small wireless Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) capable of measuring and streaming the hammer\u0026rsquo;s acceleration data. In the course of their research, Meinhold and Ueda proved that by taking the hammer\u0026rsquo;s acceleration measurements from on-tendon and off-tendon locations and running them through a classification algorithm, they can reliably distinguish whether or not the hammer has hit the correct spot.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHow would this remote exam work, exactly? Equipped with the smart hammer, the lay person uses the app to select which tendon they will test (bicep, Achilles, patellar, etc.), which calls up the pre-programmed \u0026ldquo;classifier\u0026rdquo; for that particular tendon. These \u0026ldquo;classifiers\u0026rdquo; are basic forms of artificial intelligence that use aggregated acceleration data collected from experiments to categorize each tap into one of two categories: correct or incorrect. The lay person then uses the smart tendon hammer to administer a tap on the patient\u0026rsquo;s tendon. As contact is made, the hammer streams acceleration data via Bluetooth to the app, which interprets the data and gives instant feedback to the user about whether they have tapped the correct location. In addition, colored LEDs on the hammer indicate a tap\u0026rsquo;s success, with a green light indicating a correct tap and a red light indicating an incorrect tap. The user is prompted to keep tapping until they log several correct taps.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECrucially, Meinhold and Ueda showed that lay people can adequately perform tendon tapping. Their research appeared in the peer-reviewed journal\u003Cem\u003E Frontiers in Robotics and AI\u003C\/em\u003E on March 16, 2021. There, moving their smart hammer closer to clinical implementation, Meinhold and Ueda directly compared the manual tapping variability between a novice and a trained clinician. The results were reassuring. The team found that while novices had more variability in their tapping than clinicians, their skill level was adequate. They reliably elicited tendon reflexes. Their research demonstrates that a tool is within reach to allow for remote implementation of deep tendon reflex exam.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBut could lay users also aid in grading reflexes? The work by Meinhold and Ueda suggests that non-experts may be able to help. To investigate this, they tested a simple training scheme. They provided participants and physicians with a training video on how to grade reflexes, and then assigned unlabeled videos for them to score. They found that while novices were able to grade reflexes with relatively low error rates, expert physicians outperformed them. Physicians excelled at grading from video, making no errors. To access this expert grading, Meinhold and Ueda envision that through the app, lay users could upload videos of the tendon tapping and reflex response. Physicians could then easily grade the patient\u0026rsquo;s reflexes from their office.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBy revolutionizing a traditional neurological assessment procedure, the smart hammer system developed at Georgia Tech is poised to kick-start a new wave in telemedicine.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EText - Catherine Barzler\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nImages \u0026ndash; Christa Ernst\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/frobt.2021.618656\/full\u0022\u003EA Smart Tendon Hammer System for Remote Neurological Examination\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nW. Meinhold, Y.Yamakawa, H. Honda, T. Mori, S. Izumi and Jun Ueda\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nFontiers in Robotics and AI, #8, 2021\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nDOI=10.3389\/frobt.2021.618656\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"A Smart Tendon Hammer System for Remote Neurological Examination"}],"field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"By employing their previously engineered \u201csmart\u201d tendon hammer and developing a mobile app to accompany it, Meinhold, Ueda, and their collaborators devised a system that enables the deep tendon reflex exam to be performed remotely..."}],"uid":"27863","created_gmt":"2021-06-16 16:17:45","changed_gmt":"2021-06-21 12:37:59","author":"Christa Ernst","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2021-06-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2021-06-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"648159":{"id":"648159","type":"image","title":"Smart Tendon Hammer","body":null,"created":"1623859367","gmt_created":"2021-06-16 16:02:47","changed":"1635275774","gmt_changed":"2021-10-26 19:16:14","alt":"A Smart Tendon Hammer System for Remote Neurological Examination","file":{"fid":"246056","name":"Tendon Hammer for News Item 1280x720.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Tendon%20Hammer%20for%20News%20Item%201280x720.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Tendon%20Hammer%20for%20News%20Item%201280x720.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1348407,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Tendon%20Hammer%20for%20News%20Item%201280x720.png?itok=PgqX3wJN"}},"648160":{"id":"648160","type":"image","title":"Jun Ueda Smart Hammer","body":null,"created":"1623859676","gmt_created":"2021-06-16 16:07:56","changed":"1635275612","gmt_changed":"2021-10-26 19:13:32","alt":"Jun Ueda, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering Professor","file":{"fid":"246057","name":"Jun Ueda George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering  IEN IRIM 6-15-21 Headshot CME.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Jun%20Ueda%20George%20W.%20Woodruff%20School%20of%20Mechanical%20Engineering%20%20IEN%20IRIM%206-15-21%20Headshot%20CME.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Jun%20Ueda%20George%20W.%20Woodruff%20School%20of%20Mechanical%20Engineering%20%20IEN%20IRIM%206-15-21%20Headshot%20CME.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1710818,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Jun%20Ueda%20George%20W.%20Woodruff%20School%20of%20Mechanical%20Engineering%20%20IEN%20IRIM%206-15-21%20Headshot%20CME.png?itok=6YdawqY3"}}},"media_ids":["648159","648160"],"groups":[{"id":"198081","name":"Georgia Electronic Design Center (GEDC)"},{"id":"217141","name":"Georgia Tech Materials Institute"},{"id":"197261","name":"Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"142761","name":"IRIM"},{"id":"1271","name":"NanoTECH"},{"id":"213771","name":"The Center for MEMS and Microsystems Technologies"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188086","name":"remote diagnostics"},{"id":"188087","name":"go-irim"},{"id":"166968","name":"the Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"13887","name":"Jun Ueda"},{"id":"541","name":"Mechanical Engineering"},{"id":"667","name":"robotics"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["christa.ernst@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"647816":{"#nid":"647816","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Neutrons Piece Together 40-year Puzzle Behind Iron-iodide\u2019s Mysterious Magnetism","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis story by Jeremy Rumsey first appeared on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/neutrons.ornl.gov\/content\/neutrons-piece-together-40-year-puzzle-behind-iron-iodide%E2%80%99s-mysterious-magnetism\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022https:\/\/neutrons.ornl.gov\/content\/neutrons-piece-together-40-year-puzzle-behind-iron-iodide%E2%80%99s-mysterious-magnetism\u0022\u003EOak Ridge National Laboratory: Neutron Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAdvanced materials with more novel properties are almost always developed by adding more elements to the list of ingredients. But quantum research suggests some simpler materials might already have advanced properties that scientists just couldn\u0026rsquo;t see, until now.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearchers from Georgia Tech and the University of Tennessee\u0026ndash;Knoxville uncovered hidden and unexpected quantum behavior in a rather simple iron-iodide material (FeI\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E) that was discovered almost a century ago. The new research insights into the material\u0026rsquo;s behavior were enabled using a combination of neutron scattering experiments and theoretical physics calculations at the Department of Energy\u0026rsquo;s (DOE\u0026rsquo;s) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe team\u0026rsquo;s findings\u0026mdash;published in the journal \u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41567-020-01110-1\u0022\u003ENature Physics\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026mdash;solves a 40-year-old puzzle about the material\u0026rsquo;s mysterious behavior and could be used as a map to unlock a treasure trove of quantum phenomena in other materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Our discovery was driven in large part by curiosity,\u0026rdquo; said Xiaojian Bai, the paper\u0026rsquo;s first author. Bai earned his PhD at Georgia Tech and works as a postdoctoral researcher at ORNL, where he uses neutrons to study magnetic materials. \u0026ldquo;I came across this iron-iodide material in 2019 as part of my PhD thesis project. I was trying to find compounds with a magnetic triangular lattice arrangement that exhibits what\u0026rsquo;s called \u0026lsquo;frustrated magnetism.\u0026rsquo;\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn common magnets, like refrigerator magnets, the material\u0026rsquo;s electrons are arranged in a line like arrows that either all point in the same direction\u0026mdash;up or down\u0026mdash;or they alternate between up and down. The directions the electrons point are called \u0026lsquo;spins.\u0026rsquo; But in more complex materials like iron-iodide, the electrons are arranged in a triangular grid, wherein the magnetic forces between the three magnetic moments are conflicted and are unsure of which direction to point\u0026mdash;hence, \u0026lsquo;frustrated magnetism.\u0026rsquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;As I was reading through all the literature, I noticed this compound, iron-iodide, that was discovered in 1929 and was studied somewhat intensively back in the 1970s and 80s,\u0026rdquo; said Bai. \u0026ldquo;At the time, they saw some peculiarity, or unconventional modes of behavior, but they didn\u0026rsquo;t really have the resources to fully understand why they were seeing it. So, we knew there was something unsolved that was strange and interesting, and compared to forty years ago, we have much more powerful experimental tools available, so we decided to revisit this problem and hoped to provide some new insights.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EQuantum materials are often described as systems that exhibit exotic behavior and disobey classical laws of physics\u0026mdash;like a solid material that behaves like a liquid, with particles that move like water and refuse to freeze or stop their motion even at freezing temperatures. Understanding how those exotic phenomena work, or their underlying mechanisms, is the key to advancing electronics and developing other next-generation technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;In quantum materials, two things are of great interest: phases of matter such as liquids, solids, and gases, and excitations of those phases, like soundwaves. Similarly, spin waves are excitations of a magnetic solid material,\u0026rdquo; said Martin Mourigal, professor of physics at Georgia Tech. \u0026ldquo;For a long time, our quest in quantum materials has been to find exotic phases, but the question we asked ourselves in this research is \u0026lsquo;Maybe the phase itself is not apparently exotic, but what if its excitations are?\u0026rsquo; And indeed that\u0026rsquo;s what we found.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENeutrons are ideal probes to study magnetism because they themselves act like microscopic magnets and can be used to interact with and excite other magnetic particles without compromising a material\u0026rsquo;s atomic structure.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBai was introduced to neutrons when he was a graduate student of Mourigal\u0026rsquo;s at Georgia Tech. Mourigal has been a frequent neutron scattering user at ORNL\u0026rsquo;s High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) and Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) for several years, using the DOE Office of Science user facilities to study a wide range of quantum materials and their various and bizarre behaviors.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen Bai and Mourigal exposed the iron-iodide material to a beam of neutrons, they expected to see one particular excitation or band of energy associated with a magnetic moment from a single electron; but instead they saw not one, but two different quantum fluctuations emanating simultaneously.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Neutrons allowed us to see this hidden fluctuation very clearly and we could measure its entire excitation spectrum, but we still didn\u0026rsquo;t understand why we were seeing such abnormal behavior in an apparently classical phase,\u0026rdquo; said Bai.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor answers, they turned to theoretical physicist Cristian Batista, Lincoln Chair Professor at the University of Tennessee\u0026ndash;Knoxville, and deputy director of ORNL\u0026rsquo;s Shull Wollan Center\u0026mdash;a joint institute for neutron sciences that provides visiting researchers with additional neutron scattering resources and expertise.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWith help from Batista and his group, the team was able to mathematically model the behavior of the mysterious quantum fluctuation and, after performing additional neutron experiments using the CORELLI and SEQUOIA instruments at SNS, they were able to identify the mechanism that was causing it to appear.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;What theory predicted and what we were able to confirm with neutrons, is that this exotic fluctuation happens when the spin direction between two electrons is flipped, and their magnetic moments tilt in opposite directions,\u0026rdquo; Batista said. \u0026ldquo;When neutrons interact with the spins of the electrons, the spins rotate in synchronicity along a certain direction in space. This choreography triggered by neutron scattering creates a spin wave.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHe explained that in different materials, electronic spins can take on many different orientations and spin choreographies that create different kinds of spin waves. In quantum mechanics, this concept is known as \u0026ldquo;wave-particle duality,\u0026rdquo; wherein the new waves are regarded as new particles and are typically hidden to neutron scattering under normal conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;In a sense, we\u0026rsquo;re looking for dark particles,\u0026rdquo; Batista added. \u0026ldquo;We can\u0026rsquo;t see them, but we know they\u0026rsquo;re there because we can see their effects, or the interactions they\u0026rsquo;re having with the particles that we can see.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;In quantum mechanics, there\u0026rsquo;s no distinction between waves and particles. We understand the particle\u0026rsquo;s behavior based on the wavelength, and that\u0026rsquo;s what neutrons allow us to measure,\u0026rdquo; said Bai.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMourigal likened the way neutrons detect particles to waves breaking around rocks on the ocean\u0026rsquo;s surface.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;In still water we can\u0026rsquo;t see the rocks at the bottom of the ocean until a wave moves over it,\u0026rdquo; Mourigal said. \u0026ldquo;It was only by creating as many waves as possible with neutrons that, through Cristian\u0026rsquo;s theory, Xiaojian was able to identify the rocks, or in this case, the interactions that make the hidden fluctuation visible.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHarnessing quantum magnetic behavior has already led to technological advances such as the MRI machine and magnetic hard disc storage that catalyzed personal computing. More exotic quantum materials may expedite the next technological wave.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to Bai, Mourigal, and Batista, the paper\u0026rsquo;s authors include Shang-Shun Zhang, Zhiling Dun, Hao Zhang, Qing Huang, Haidong Zhou, Matthew Stone, Alexander Kolesnikov, and Feng Ye.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESince their discovery, the team has used those insights to develop and test predictions into a broader set of materials they expect will yield more promising results.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;As we introduce more ingredients into a material, we also increase potential problems such as disorder and heterogeneities. If we really want to understand and create clean quantum mechanical systems based on materials, going back to these simple systems might be more important than we thought,\u0026rdquo; said Mourigal.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;So that solves the 40-year-old puzzle of the mysterious excitation in iron-iodide,\u0026rdquo; said Bai. \u0026ldquo;We have the advantage today in the advancements of large-scale neutron facilities like SNS that allow us to basically probe the entire energy and momentum space of a material to see what\u0026rsquo;s happening with these exotic excitations.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Now that we understand how this exotic behavior works in a relatively simple material, we can imagine what we could find in more complicated ones. This new understanding has motivated us and hopefully it will motivate the scientific community to investigate more of these kinds of materials which will surely lead to more interesting physics.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe research was supported by DOE\u0026rsquo;s Office of Science. UT-Battelle LLC manages ORNL for the DOE Office of Science. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.energy.gov\/science\u0022\u003Ewww.energy.gov\/science\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAdvanced materials with more novel properties are almost always developed by adding more elements to the list of ingredients. But quantum research suggests some simpler materials might already have advanced properties that scientists just couldn\u0026rsquo;t see, until now, thanks to new work from researchers at Georgia Tech and the University of Tennessee\u0026ndash;Knoxville.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Advanced materials with more novel properties are almost always developed by adding more elements to the list of ingredients. But quantum research suggests some materials might already have advanced properties that scientists couldn\u2019t see, until now."}],"uid":"34528","created_gmt":"2021-05-28 14:19:52","changed_gmt":"2021-05-28 18:36:20","author":"jhunt7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2021-05-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2021-05-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"647817":{"id":"647817","type":"image","title":"Researcher Xiaojian Bai and his colleagues used neutrons at ORNL\u2019s Spallation Neutron Source to discover hidden quantum fluctuations in a rather simple iron-iodide material discovered in 1929. (Credit: ORNL\/Genevieve Martin) ","body":null,"created":"1622211657","gmt_created":"2021-05-28 14:20:57","changed":"1622211657","gmt_changed":"2021-05-28 14:20:57","alt":"","file":{"fid":"245914","name":"MVC_0232RR.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/MVC_0232RR.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/MVC_0232RR.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":49392,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/MVC_0232RR.jpg?itok=5B_y6wi2"}},"647818":{"id":"647818","type":"image","title":"A small sample of iron-iodide held by Bai (above) is mounted and prepared for neutron scattering experiments which were used to measure the material\u2019s fundamental magnetic excitations. (Credit: ORNL\/Genevieve Martin)","body":null,"created":"1622211719","gmt_created":"2021-05-28 14:21:59","changed":"1622211719","gmt_changed":"2021-05-28 14:21:59","alt":"","file":{"fid":"245915","name":"2021-P02813.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/2021-P02813.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/2021-P02813.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2829090,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/2021-P02813.jpg?itok=5vqioXVA"}}},"media_ids":["647817","647818"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/mourigal.gatech.edu\/","title":"Mourigal Lab"},{"url":"https:\/\/neutrons.ornl.gov\/content\/neutrons-piece-together-40-year-puzzle-behind-iron-iodide%E2%80%99s-mysterious-magnetism","title":"ORNL: Science and Discovery: Neutron Sciences"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/12-proposals-achieve-college-sciences-strategic-goals-funded-sutherland-deans-chair","title":"12 Proposals to Achieve College of Sciences Strategic Goals Funded by Sutherland Dean\u0027s Chair"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/institute-materials-imat-announces-initiative-leads-and-science-advisor","title":"Institute for Materials (IMat) Announces Initiative Leads and Science Advisor "},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/martin-mourigal-receives-nsf-career-award-quantum-materials-research","title":"Martin Mourigal receives NSF CAREER award for quantum materials research"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/martin-mourigal-2019-sigma-xi-young-faculty-award-2019-ctlbp-junior-faculty-teaching-excellence","title":"Martin Mourigal: 2019 Sigma Xi Young Faculty Award; 2019 CTL\/BP Junior Faculty Teaching Excellence Award"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/quantum-materials-expertise-georgia-tech","title":"Quantum Materials Expertise at Georgia Tech"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"168235","name":"quantum materials"},{"id":"166937","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"172876","name":"Martin Mourigal"},{"id":"187933","name":"Xiaojian Bai"},{"id":"187961","name":"exotic phases"},{"id":"187962","name":"excitations"},{"id":"187963","name":"frustrated magnetism"},{"id":"187935","name":"neutrons"},{"id":"187964","name":"spin waves"},{"id":"108061","name":"Oak Ridge National Laboratory"},{"id":"187965","name":"High Flux Isotope Reactor"},{"id":"172879","name":"Spallation Neutron Source"},{"id":"3441","name":"DOE"},{"id":"187936","name":"iron-iodide"},{"id":"187966","name":"Cristian Batista"},{"id":"187967","name":"quantum magnetic behavior"},{"id":"187968","name":"mysterious excitation"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"186870","name":"go-imat"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jess@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCommunications Director\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jess@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"643605":{"#nid":"643605","#data":{"type":"news","title":"X-Ray Tomography Lets Researchers Watch Solid-State Batteries Charge, Discharge","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing X-ray tomography, a research team has observed the internal evolution of the materials inside solid-state lithium batteries as they were charged and discharged. Detailed three-dimensional information from the research could help improve the reliability and performance of the batteries, which use solid materials to replace the flammable liquid electrolytes in existing lithium-ion batteries.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Cem\u003Eoperando\u003C\/em\u003E synchrotron X-ray computed microtomography imaging revealed how the dynamic changes of electrode materials at lithium\/solid-electrolyte interfaces determine the behavior of solid-state batteries. The researchers found that battery operation caused voids to form at the interface, which created a loss of contact that was the primary cause of failure in the cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This work provides fundamental understanding of what is happening inside the battery, and that information should be important for guiding engineering efforts that will push these batteries closer to commercial reality in the next several years,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/mtmcdowell\u0022\u003EMatthew McDowell\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u0026ldquo;We were able to understand exactly how and where voids form at the interface, and then relate that to battery performance.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research, supported by the National Science Foundation, a Sloan Research Fellowship, and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, was reported Jan. 28 in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Materials\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe lithium-ion batteries now in widespread use for everything from mobile electronics to electric vehicles rely on a liquid electrolyte to carry ions back and forth between electrodes within the battery during charge and discharge cycles. The liquid uniformly coats the electrodes, allowing free movement of the ions.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERapidly evolving solid-state battery technology instead uses a solid electrolyte, which should help boost energy density and improve the safety of future batteries. But removal of lithium from electrodes can create voids at interfaces that cause reliability issues, limiting how long the batteries can operate.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;To counter this, you could imagine creating structured interfaces through different deposition processes to try to maintain contact through the cycling process,\u0026rdquo; McDowell said. \u0026ldquo;Careful control and engineering of these interface structures will be very important for future solid-state battery development, and what we learned here could help us design interfaces.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech research team, led by first author and graduate student Jack Lewis, built special test cells about two millimeters wide. They were designed to be studied at the Advanced Photon Source, a synchrotron facility at Argonne National Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science facility located near Chicago. Four members of the team studied the changes in battery structure during a five-day period of intensive experiments.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The instrument takes images from different directions, and you reconstruct them using computer algorithms to provide 3D images of the batteries over time,\u0026rdquo; McDowell said. \u0026ldquo;We did this imaging while we were charging and discharging the batteries to visualize how things were changing inside the batteries as they operated.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBecause lithium is so light, imaging it with X-rays can be challenging and required a special design of the test battery cells. The technology used at Argonne is similar to what is used for medical computed tomography (CT) scans. \u0026ldquo;Instead of imaging people, we were imaging batteries,\u0026rdquo; he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBecause of limitations in the testing, the researchers were only able to observe the structure of the batteries through a single cycle. In future work, McDowell would like to see what happens over additional cycles, and whether the structure somehow adapts to the creation and filling of voids. The researchers believe the results would likely apply to other electrolyte formulations, and that the characterization technique could be used to obtain information about other battery processes.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBattery packs for electric vehicles must withstand at least a thousand cycles during a projected 150,000-mile lifetime. While solid-state batteries with lithium metal electrodes can offer more energy for a given size battery, that advantage won\u0026rsquo;t overcome existing technology unless they can provide comparable lifetimes.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We are very excited about the technological prospects for solid-state batteries,\u0026rdquo; McDowell said. \u0026ldquo;There is substantial commercial and scientific interest in this area, and information from this study should help advance this technology toward broad commercial applications.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to those already mentioned, co-authors included Francisco Javier Quintero Cortes, Yuhgene Liu, John C. Miers, Jared Tippens, Dhruv Prakash, Thomas S. Marchese, Sang Yun Han, Chanhee Lee, Pralav P. Shetty, and Christopher Saldana from Georgia Tech; Ankit Verma, Bairav S. Vishnugopi, and Partha P. Mukherjee from Purdue University; Hyun-Wook Lee from Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology; and Pavel Shevchenko and Francesco De Carlo from Argonne National Laboratory.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis work is partially supported by the National Science Foundation under Award No. DMR-1652471, a Sloan Research Fellowship in Chemistry, a NASA Space Technology grant, the Colciencias-Fulbright scholarship program cohort 2016, the Ministry of Trade, Industry \u0026amp; Energy\/Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (MOTIE\/KETEP)(20194010000100), the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) under Grant FA9550-17-1-0130, and the Scialog program sponsored jointly by Research Corporation for Science Advancement and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation that includes a grant to Purdue University by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. This research used resources of the Advanced Photon Source, a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science User Facility operated for the DOE Office of Science by Argonne National Laboratory under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsoring agencies.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: John A. Lewis, et al., \u0026ldquo;Linking Void and Interphase Evolution to Electrochemistry in Solid-State Batteries Using Operando X-Ray Tomography.\u0026rdquo; (\u003Cem\u003ENature Materials\u003C\/em\u003E, 2021) \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41563-020-00903-2\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41563-020-00903-2\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing X-ray tomography, a research team has observed the internal evolution of the materials inside solid-state lithium batteries as they were charged and discharged. Detailed three-dimensional information from the research could help improve the reliability and performance of the batteries, which use solid materials to replace the flammable liquid electrolytes in existing lithium-ion batteries.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Using X-ray tomography, a research team has observed the internal evolution of the materials inside solid-state lithium batteries as they were charged and discharged."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2021-01-29 01:24:23","changed_gmt":"2021-02-15 17:11:37","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2021-01-28T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2021-01-28T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"643600":{"id":"643600","type":"image","title":"Test cell for studying solid-state batteries","body":null,"created":"1611882618","gmt_created":"2021-01-29 01:10:18","changed":"1611882618","gmt_changed":"2021-01-29 01:10:18","alt":"Battery testing cell","file":{"fid":"244347","name":"Cell_v3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Cell_v3.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Cell_v3.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":578303,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Cell_v3.jpg?itok=toH9XoAw"}},"643601":{"id":"643601","type":"image","title":"3D view of lithium-solid electrolyte interface","body":null,"created":"1611882749","gmt_created":"2021-01-29 01:12:29","changed":"1611882749","gmt_changed":"2021-01-29 01:12:29","alt":"3D image of interface of solid-state battery","file":{"fid":"244348","name":"3D reconstruction.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/3D%20reconstruction.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/3D%20reconstruction.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":280902,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/3D%20reconstruction.jpg?itok=_44U0sNK"}},"643602":{"id":"643602","type":"image","title":"Test cell for studying solid-state batteries - 2","body":null,"created":"1611882841","gmt_created":"2021-01-29 01:14:01","changed":"1611882841","gmt_changed":"2021-01-29 01:14:01","alt":"Test cell for studying solid-state batteries","file":{"fid":"244349","name":"solid-state_5047.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/solid-state_5047.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/solid-state_5047.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":359599,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/solid-state_5047.jpg?itok=5Wv3JfI5"}}},"media_ids":["643600","643601","643602"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"1292","name":"battery"},{"id":"186868","name":"solid-state battery"},{"id":"186869","name":"electrolyte"},{"id":"8948","name":"lithium-ion"},{"id":"186867","name":"X-ray tomography"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"642751":{"#nid":"642751","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Names Eric Vogel Executive Director of Institute for Materials","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech has named \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/people\/eric-vogel\u0022\u003EEric M. Vogel\u003C\/a\u003E, professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, as the new executive director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/materials.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EInstitute for Materials (IMat)\u003C\/a\u003E. Vogel, who specializes in electronic materials and nano-materials, has also been serving as associate director of IMat and deputy director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/ien.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EInstitute for Electronics and Nanotechnology\u003C\/a\u003E (IEN).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The reach and impact of Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s materials research program is broad, from fundamental physics, chemistry and biology to simulation, synthesis, processing, and characterization to properties impacting structural, chemical, biomedical, electronic, optical, magnetic, thermal, and energy applications,\u0026rdquo; said Vogel. \u0026ldquo;I am humbled by the opportunity to serve Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s internationally recognized materials research enterprise.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs one of Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s 11 interdisciplinary research institutes, IMat brings together more than 100 principal investigators, providing leadership in discovery and development of materials that address 21st century grand challenges in areas such as energy, mobility, infrastructure, computing, communications, security, and health.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Materials provide the foundation for innovation in broad areas of science and technology that will help solve the challenges of tomorrow,\u0026rdquo; said Raheem Beyah, Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s vice president for interdisciplinary research. \u0026ldquo;Eric Vogel\u0026rsquo;s broad expertise and interdisciplinary research experience make him an ideal leader for this important research area.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EVogel succeeds David L. McDowell, Regents\u0026rsquo; Professor and Carter N. Paden, Jr. Distinguished Chair in Metals Processing, who has served as executive director of IMat since its founding in 2012. McDowell is a professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and the School of Materials Science and Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs associate director of IMat since 2012, Vogel founded and leads Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s Materials Characterization Facility. He has also been deputy director of IEN since 2015, and was responsible for catalyzing large-scale, interdisciplinary research activities in the area of micro- and nano-electronics and photonics.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPrior to joining Georgia Tech, he was associate professor of materials science and engineering and electrical engineering at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD). Prior to joining UTD, he was a research group leader and founded the Nanofab at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, for which he received a Department of Commerce Silver Medal.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EVogel received the Ph.D. degree in 1998 in electrical engineering with a minor in physics from North Carolina State University (NCSU) and was recently honored with induction into NCSU\u0026rsquo;s Electrical Engineering Hall of Fame. He has authored more than 210 peer-reviewed publications that have been cited a total of 11,000 times.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech has named Eric M. Vogel, professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering, as the new executive director of the Institute for Materials (IMat). Vogel, who specializes in electronic materials and nano-materials, has also been serving as associate director of IMat and deputy director of the Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology (IEN).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech has named Eric Vogel, professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering, to be executive director of the Institute for Materials."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2021-01-11 13:52:47","changed_gmt":"2021-01-11 15:32:01","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2021-01-11T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2021-01-11T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"642750":{"id":"642750","type":"image","title":"Eric Vogel, Institute for Materials","body":null,"created":"1610372678","gmt_created":"2021-01-11 13:44:38","changed":"1713798724","gmt_changed":"2024-04-22 15:12:04","alt":"Eric Vogel, IMat executive director","file":{"fid":"244081","name":"eric-vogel-horiz.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/eric-vogel-horiz.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/eric-vogel-horiz.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":797227,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/eric-vogel-horiz.jpg?itok=GGRTeQHw"}}},"media_ids":["642750","642750"],"groups":[{"id":"217141","name":"Georgia Tech Materials Institute"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1692","name":"materials"},{"id":"58051","name":"Institute for Materials"},{"id":"23651","name":"eric vogel"},{"id":"609","name":"electronics"},{"id":"107","name":"Nanotechnology"},{"id":"117271","name":"IMat"},{"id":"58041","name":"IEN"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"641165":{"#nid":"641165","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Machine Learning Advances Materials for Separations, Adsorption, and Catalysis","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAn artificial intelligence technique \u0026mdash; machine learning \u0026mdash; is helping accelerate the development of highly tunable materials known as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) that have important applications in chemical separations, adsorption, catalysis, and sensing.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUtilizing data about the properties of more than 200 existing MOFs, the machine learning platform was trained to help guide the development of new materials by predicting an often-essential property: water stability. Using guidance from the model, researchers can avoid the time-consuming task of synthesizing and then experimentally testing new candidate MOFs for their aqueous stability. Already, researchers are expanding the model to predict other important MOF properties.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESupported by the Office of Science\u0026rsquo;s Basic Energy Sciences program within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the research was reported Nov. 9 in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Machine Intelligence\u003C\/em\u003E. The research was conducted in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/efrc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Understanding and Control of Acid Gas-Induced Evolution of Materials for Energy\u003C\/a\u003E (UNCAGE-ME), a DOE Energy Frontier Research Center located at the Georgia Institute of Technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The issue of water stability with MOFs has existed in this field for a long time, with no easy way to predict it,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/people\/krista-s-walton\u0022\u003EKrista Walton\u003C\/a\u003E, professor and Robert \u0026quot;Bud\u0026quot; Moeller faculty fellow in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;Rather than having to do the synthesis and experimentation to figure this out for each candidate MOF, this machine learning model now provides a way to predict water stability given a set of desired features. This will really speed up the process of identifying new materials for specific applications.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMOFs are a class of porous and crystalline materials that are synthesized from inorganic metal ions or clusters connected to organic ligands. They are known for their easily tunable components that can be customized for specific applications, but the large number of potential combinations makes it difficult to choose MOFs with the desired properties. That\u0026rsquo;s where artificial intelligence can help.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMachine learning is playing an increasingly important role in materials science, said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/people\/rampi-ramprasad\u0022\u003ERampi Ramprasad\u003C\/a\u003E, professor and Michael E. Tennenbaum Family Chair in the Georgia Tech School of \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EMaterials Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gra.org\u0022\u003EGeorgia Research Alliance\u003C\/a\u003E Eminent Scholar in Energy Sustainability.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;When materials scientists plan the next set of experiments, we use the intuition and insights that we have accumulated from the past,\u0026rdquo; Ramprasad said. \u0026ldquo;Machine learning allows us to fully tap into this past knowledge in the most efficient and effective manner. If 200 experiments have already been done, machine learning allows us to exploit all that has been learned from them as we plan the 201st experiment.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond experimental data, machine learning can also use the results of physics-based simulations. And unlike simulations, the results from machine learning models can be instantaneous. The machine learning algorithm improves as it receives more information, he noted, and both negative and positive results are useful.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Great discoveries are as important as not-so-exciting discoveries \u0026mdash; failed experiments \u0026mdash; because machine learning uses both ends of the spectrum to get better at what it does,\u0026rdquo; Ramprasad said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe machine learning model used information Walton and her research team had gathered on hundreds of existing MOF materials, both from compounds developed in her own lab and those reported by other researchers. To prepare the information for the model to learn from, she categorized each MOF according to four measures of water stability.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The couple hundred data points used to build the model represented years of experiments,\u0026rdquo; Walton said. \u0026ldquo;I spent basically the first half of my career working to understand this water stability problem with MOFs, so it\u0026rsquo;s something we have studied extensively.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUsing the model, researchers who are developing new adsorbents and other porous materials for specific applications can now check their proposed formulas to determine the likelihood that a new MOF would be stable in the presence of water. That could be particularly helpful for researchers who don\u0026rsquo;t have this particular expertise or who don\u0026rsquo;t have easy access to experimental methods for examining stability.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The MOF community is diverse, with a variety of subfields. Not everyone has the chemical intuition about which materials\u0026rsquo; features lead to good framework stability, and experimental evaluation often requires specialty equipment that many labs may not have or wouldn\u0026rsquo;t otherwise need for their specific subfield. However, with good predictive models, they wouldn\u0026rsquo;t necessarily need to develop it to choose a material for a specific application,\u0026rdquo; Walton said. \u0026ldquo;This capability potentially opens up this field to a broader group of researchers that could accelerate application development.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile screening for water stability is important, Ramprasad says it\u0026rsquo;s just the beginning of the potential benefits from the project. The machine learning model can be trained to predict other properties as long as a sufficient amount of data exists. For instance, the team is already teaching their model about factors affecting methane absorption under varying levels of pressure. In that case, simulations will provide much of the data from which the model will learn.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We will have a very strong predictor that will tell us if a new MOF would be stable under aqueous conditions and a good candidate for methane uptake,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;What we are doing is creating a universal and scalable machine learning platform that can be trained on new properties. As long as the data is available, the model can learn from it, and make predictions for new cases.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to those already mentioned, recent Georgia Tech postdoctoral fellow Rohit Batra and Georgia Tech graduate students Carmen Chen and Tania G. Evans were also coauthors on the \u003Cem\u003ENature Machine Intelligence\u003C\/em\u003E paper.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERamprasad has experience with machine learning techniques applied to other materials and application spaces, and recently coauthored a review article, \u0026ldquo;Emerging materials intelligence ecosystems propelled by machine learning,\u0026rdquo; about a range of artificial intelligence applications in materials science and engineering. Intended to demystify machine learning and to review success stories in the materials development space, it was published, also on Nov. 9, 2020, in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Reviews Materials\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to Ramprasad, coauthors on the \u003Cem\u003ENature Review Materials\u003C\/em\u003E paper included Batra and Le Song, associate professor in the Georgia Tech College of Computing.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThis work was supported as part of the Center for Understanding and Control of Acid Gas-Induced Evolution of Materials for Energy (UNCAGE-ME), an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences under award no. DE-SC0012577.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Rohit Batra, Carmen Chen, Tania G. Evans, Krista S. Walton, and Rampi Ramprasad, \u0026ldquo;Prediction of water stability in metal\u0026ndash;organic frameworks using machine learning.\u0026rdquo; (\u003Cem\u003ENature Machine Intelligence\u003C\/em\u003E, 2020) \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s42256-020-00249-z\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s42256-020-00249-z\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Rohit Batra, Le Song, and Rampi Ramprasad, \u0026ldquo;Emerging materials intelligence ecosystems propelled by machine learning.\u0026rdquo; (\u003Cem\u003ENature Reviews Materials\u003C\/em\u003E, 2020) \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41578-020-00255-y.\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41578-020-00255-y.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAn artificial intelligence technique \u0026mdash; machine learning \u0026mdash; is helping accelerate the development of highly tunable materials known as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) that have important applications in chemical separations, adsorption, catalysis, and sensing.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Machine learning is helping accelerate the development of highly tunable materials known as metal-organic frameworks."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2020-11-10 01:26:31","changed_gmt":"2020-11-10 01:28:45","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2020-11-09T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2020-11-09T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"641162":{"id":"641162","type":"image","title":"Metal-Organic Framework Materials","body":null,"created":"1604970584","gmt_created":"2020-11-10 01:09:44","changed":"1604970584","gmt_changed":"2020-11-10 01:09:44","alt":"Vial containing a metal-organic framework material","file":{"fid":"243654","name":"MOF-1261.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/MOF-1261.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/MOF-1261.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":566912,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/MOF-1261.jpg?itok=c6NtjdiH"}},"641163":{"id":"641163","type":"image","title":"Metal-Organic Framework Materials-2","body":null,"created":"1604970676","gmt_created":"2020-11-10 01:11:16","changed":"1604970676","gmt_changed":"2020-11-10 01:11:16","alt":"Two vials containing metal-organic framework materials","file":{"fid":"243655","name":"MOF-1264.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/MOF-1264.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/MOF-1264.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":628096,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/MOF-1264.jpg?itok=V6JF0Cq3"}}},"media_ids":["641162","641163"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"84571","name":"metal-organic framework"},{"id":"176532","name":"MOF"},{"id":"169566","name":"separation"},{"id":"38801","name":"adsorbent"},{"id":"2506","name":"catalyst"},{"id":"167318","name":"sensor"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"639185":{"#nid":"639185","#data":{"type":"news","title":"E-Beam Atomic-scale 3-D \u2018Sculpting\u2019 Could Enable New Quantum Nanodevices","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBy varying the energy and dose of tightly focused electron beams, researchers have demonstrated the ability to both etch away and deposit high-resolution nanoscale patterns on two-dimensional layers of graphene oxide. The 3D additive\/subtractive \u0026ldquo;sculpting\u0026rdquo; can be done without changing the chemistry of the electron beam deposition chamber, providing the foundation for building a new generation of nanoscale structures.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBased on focused electron beam-induced processing (FEBID) techniques, the work could allow production of 2D\/3D complex nanostructures and functional nanodevices useful in quantum communications, sensing, and other applications. For oxygen-containing materials such as graphene oxide, etching can be done without introducing outside materials, using oxygen from the substrate.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;By timing and tuning the energy of the electron beam, we can activate interaction of the beam with oxygen in the graphene oxide to do etching, or interaction with hydrocarbons on the surface to create carbon deposition,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/fedorov\u0022\u003EAndrei Fedorov\u003C\/a\u003E, professor and Rae S. and Frank H. Neely Chair in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u0026ldquo;With atomic-scale control, we can produce complicated patterns using direct write-remove processes. Quantum systems require precise control on an atomic scale, and this could enable a host of potential applications.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe technique was described August 7 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EACS Applied Materials \u0026amp; Interfaces\u003C\/em\u003E. The work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences. Coauthors included researchers from Pusan National University in South Korea.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECreation of nanoscale structures is traditionally done using a multistep process of photoresist coating and patterning by photo- or electron beam lithography, followed by bulk dry\/wet etching or deposition. Use of this process limits the range of functionalities and structural topologies that can be achieved, increases the complexity and cost, and risks contamination from the multiple chemical steps, creating barriers to fabrication of new types of devices from sensitive 2D materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFEBIP enables a material chemistry\/site-specific, high-resolution multimode atomic scale processing and provides unprecedented opportunities for \u0026ldquo;direct-write,\u0026rdquo; single-step surface patterning of 2D nanomaterials with an in-situ imaging capability. It allows for realizing a rapid multiscale\/multimode \u0026ldquo;top-down and bottom-up\u0026rdquo; approach, ranging from an atomic scale manipulation to a large-area surface modification on nano- and microscales.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;By tuning the time and the energy of the electrons, you can either remove material or add material,\u0026rdquo; Fedorov said. \u0026ldquo;We did not expect that upon electron exposure of graphene oxide we would start etching patterns.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWith graphene oxide, the electron beam introduces atomic scale perturbations into the 2D-arranged carbon atoms and uses embedded oxygen as an etchant to remove carbon atoms in precise patterns without introduction of a material into the reaction chamber. Fedorov said any oxygen-containing material might produce the same effect. \u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s like the graphene oxide carries its own etchant,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;All we need to activate it is to \u0026lsquo;seed\u0026rsquo; the reaction with electrons of appropriate energy.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor adding carbon, keeping the electron beam focused on the same spot for a longer time generates an excess of lower-energy electrons by interactions of the beam with the substrate to decompose the hydrocarbon molecules onto the surface of the graphene oxide. In that case, the electrons interact with the hydrocarbons rather than the graphene and oxygen atoms, leaving behind liberated carbon atoms as a 3D deposit.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Depending on how many electrons you bring to it, you can grow structures of different heights away from the etched grooves or from the two-dimensional plane,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;You can think of it almost like holographic writing with excited electrons, substrate and adsorbed molecules combined at the right time and the right place.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe process should be suitable for depositing materials such as metals and semiconductors, though precursors would need to be added to the chamber for their creation. The 3D structures, just nanometers high, could serve as spacers between layers of graphene or as active sensing elements or other devices on the layers.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;If you want to use graphene or graphene oxide for quantum mechanical devices, you should be able to position layers of material with a separation on the scale of individual carbon atoms,\u0026rdquo; Fedorov said. \u0026ldquo;The process could also be used with other materials.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUsing the technique, high-energy electron beams can produce feature sizes just a few nanometers wide. Trenches etched in surfaces could be filled with metals by introducing metal atoms containing precursors.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond simple patterns, the process could also be used to grow complex structures. \u0026ldquo;In principle, you could grow a structure like a nanoscale Eiffel Tower with all the intricate details,\u0026rdquo; Fedorov said. \u0026ldquo;It would take a long time, but this is the level of control that is possible with electron beam writing.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThough systems have been built to use multiple electron beams in parallel, Fedorov doesn\u0026rsquo;t see them being used in high-volume applications. More likely, he said, is laboratory use to fabricate unique structures useful for research purposes.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We are demonstrating structures that would otherwise be impossible to produce,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;We want to enable the exploitation of new capabilities in areas such as quantum devices. This technique could be an imagination enabler for interesting new physics coming our way with graphene and other interesting materials.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to Fedorov, the research team included Songkil Kim, SungYeb Jung, Jaekwang Lee, and Seokjun Kim from Pusan National University in South Korea.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported primarily by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, under award no. DE-SC0010729, and by the National Research Foundation of Korea grant MSIT no. 2019R1C1C1010556 funded by the Korean government. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsoring organizations.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Songkil Kim, et al., \u0026ldquo;High-Resolution Three-Dimensional Sculpting of Two-Dimensional Graphene Oxide by E\u2011Beam Direct Write.\u0026rdquo; (\u003Cem\u003EACS Applied Materials \u0026amp; Interface\u003C\/em\u003E, 2020.) \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acsami.0c11053\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acsami.0c11053\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBy varying the energy and dose of tightly focused electron beams, researchers have demonstrated the ability to both etch away and deposit high-resolution nanoscale patterns on two-dimensional layers of graphene oxide. The 3D additive\/subtractive \u0026ldquo;sculpting\u0026rdquo; can be done without changing the chemistry of the electron beam deposition chamber, providing the foundation for building a new generation of nanoscale structures.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"By varyingResearchers have demonstrated the ability to both etch away and deposit high-resolution nanoscale patterns on two-dimensional layers of graphene oxide."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2020-09-17 00:21:47","changed_gmt":"2020-09-17 00:24:19","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2020-09-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2020-09-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"639182":{"id":"639182","type":"image","title":"Etching graphene flakes","body":null,"created":"1600301427","gmt_created":"2020-09-17 00:10:27","changed":"1600301427","gmt_changed":"2020-09-17 00:10:27","alt":"Microscope image of etched pattern","file":{"fid":"243031","name":"etching-3a.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/etching-3a.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/etching-3a.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":375298,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/etching-3a.jpg?itok=AfOWKPY3"}},"639183":{"id":"639183","type":"image","title":"Deposition of carbon on graphene","body":null,"created":"1600301531","gmt_created":"2020-09-17 00:12:11","changed":"1600301564","gmt_changed":"2020-09-17 00:12:44","alt":"Microscope image shows carbon deposition","file":{"fid":"243032","name":"deposition-3b.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/deposition-3b.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/deposition-3b.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":409504,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/deposition-3b.jpg?itok=EG-eum9r"}},"639184":{"id":"639184","type":"image","title":"Etching and deposition technique","body":null,"created":"1600301653","gmt_created":"2020-09-17 00:14:13","changed":"1600301653","gmt_changed":"2020-09-17 00:14:13","alt":"Figure showing etching and deposition on graphene oxide","file":{"fid":"243033","name":"etching-and-deposition.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/etching-and-deposition.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/etching-and-deposition.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":606583,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/etching-and-deposition.jpg?itok=lZerIXqH"}}},"media_ids":["639182","639183","639184"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"143091","name":"electron beam"},{"id":"107","name":"Nanotechnology"},{"id":"431","name":"nanoscale"},{"id":"34221","name":"graphene oxide"},{"id":"1744","name":"quantum"},{"id":"185865","name":"quantum nanodevices"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"637308":{"#nid":"637308","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Research in Origami Metamaterials Promises Wide Implications","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe simplicity and elegance of origami, an ancient Japanese art form, has motivated researchers to explore its application in the world of materials.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENew research from an interdisciplinary team, including Northwestern University\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mccormick.northwestern.edu\/research-faculty\/directory\/profiles\/espinosa-horacio.html\u0022\u003EHoracio Espinosa\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mccormick.northwestern.edu\/research-faculty\/directory\/profiles\/krishnaswamy-sridhar.html\u0022\u003ESridhar Krishnaswamy\u003C\/a\u003E and the Georgia Institute of Technology\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cee.gatech.edu\/people\/Faculty\/6709\/overview\u0022\u003EGlaucio Paulino\u003C\/a\u003E, aims to advance the creation and understanding of such folded structures for applications ranging from soft robotics to medical devices to energy harvesters.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EInspired by origami, mechanical metamaterials \u0026mdash; artificial structures with mechanical properties defined by their structure rather than their composition \u0026mdash; have gained considerable attention because of their potential to yield deployable and highly tunable structures and materials.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat wasn\u0026rsquo;t known was which structures integrate shape recoverability, pronounced directional mechanical properties, and reversible auxeticity \u0026mdash; meaning their lateral dimensions can increase and then decrease when progressively squeezed. Though some 3D origami structures have been produced through additive manufacturing, achieving the folding properties displayed in ideal paper origami remained a challenge.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUsing nanoscale effects for an origami design, the team of researchers from Northwestern\u0026rsquo;s McCormick School of Engineering and Georgia Tech\u0026#39;s School of Civil and Environmental Engineering sought to answer that question. They produced small, 3D, origami-built metamaterials, successfully retaining the best properties without resorting to artifacts to enable folding.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The created structures constitute the smallest fabricated origami architected metamaterials exhibiting an unprecedented combination of mechanical properties,\u0026rdquo; said Espinosa, the James and Nancy J. Farley Professor of Manufacturing and Entrepreneurship and professor of mechanical engineering and (by courtesy) biomedical engineering and civil and environmental engineering.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Our work demonstrated that rational design of metamaterials, with a large degree of shape recoverability and direction-dependent stiffness and deformation, is possible using origami designs, and that origami foldability enables a state where the material initially expands and subsequently contracts laterally (reversible auxeticity),\u0026rdquo; added Espinosa, who serves as director of Northwestern\u0026rsquo;s theoretical and applied mechanics graduate program. \u0026ldquo;Such properties promise to influence a number of applications across a wide range of fields encompassing the nano-, micro-, and macro-scales, leveraging the intrinsic scalability of origami assemblies.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Guided by geometry, the scaling and miniaturization of the origami metamaterial are exciting in itself and by the unprecedented multifunctionality that it naturally enables,\u0026rdquo; said Paulino, the Raymond Allen Jones Chair in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Civil and Environmental Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Only an interdisciplinary effort combining origami design, 3D laser printing with nanoscale resolution, and in situ electron microscopy mechanical testing could reveal the unprecedented combination of properties our work demonstrated and their potential impact on future applications,\u0026rdquo; added Paulino, who contributed to establishing the National Science Foundation Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation program named ODISSEI (Origami Design for Integration of Self-assembling Systems for Engineering Innovation).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Just like nature has architected a wide range of structures using just a few material systems, origami allows us to engineer resilient structural components with distinct physical properties along different directions,\u0026rdquo; said Krishnaswamy, professor of mechanical engineering.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We can envision origami-based soft microrobots that are stiff along some directions to carry payloads while maintaining other degrees of flexibility for motion. Origami-metamaterials that exploit reversible auxeticity and large deformation can lead to multifunctional applications ranging from deployable microsurgical instruments and medical devices to energy steering and harvesting,\u0026rdquo; added Krishnaswamy, the director of Northwestern\u0026rsquo;s Center for Smart Structures and Materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/epdf\/10.1002\/smll.202002229\u0022\u003EThe study\u003C\/a\u003E presents new avenues to be explored long term, Espinosa said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;There are a number of possibilities,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;One is the fabrication of origami structures with ceramic and metallic materials, while preserving nanoscale dimensions, to exploit size effects in the mechanical response of the structures leading to superior energy dissipation per unit volume and mass. Another is the use of piezoelectric polymers, which can result in energy harvesters that can drive sensing modalities or power microsurgical tools.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research, \u0026ldquo;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/epdf\/10.1002\/smll.202002229\u0022\u003EFolding at the Microscale: Enabling Multifunctional 3D Origami-Architected Metamaterials\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026rdquo; was published in the journal \u003Cem\u003ESmall\u003C\/em\u003E on July 27. Along with Espinosa, Krishnaswamy, and Paulino, coauthors include Northwestern\u0026rsquo;s Nicolas A. Alderete, Zhaowen Lin, and Heming Wei, and Larissa S. Novelino from Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe research was supported by the Army Research Office (award W911NF1220022), a Multi-University Research Initiative through the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR-FA9550-15-1-0009), the Office of Naval Research (grants N00014-15-1-2935 and N00014-16-1-3021), and the National Science Foundation (grant No. 1538830). Nicolas Alderete received a fellowship from the Argentinian Roberto Rocca Education Program and Larisa Novelino from the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (project 235104\/2014-0).\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Brian Sandalow, Northwestern University\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENew research by the Georgia Institute of Technology and Northwestern Engineering expands the understanding of origami structures, opening possibilities for mechanical metamaterials to be used in soft robotics and medical devices.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New research expands the understanding of origami structures, opening possibilities for mechanical metamaterials to be used in soft robotics and medical devices."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2020-07-27 20:52:22","changed_gmt":"2020-07-28 12:22:30","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2020-07-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2020-07-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"637305":{"id":"637305","type":"image","title":"Origami zipper tubes","body":null,"created":"1595882559","gmt_created":"2020-07-27 20:42:39","changed":"1595882559","gmt_changed":"2020-07-27 20:42:39","alt":"Examples of origami zipper structures","file":{"fid":"242433","name":"20C10200-P43-017-horiz.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/20C10200-P43-017-horiz.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/20C10200-P43-017-horiz.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":368855,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/20C10200-P43-017-horiz.jpg?itok=pJ3EK7ff"}},"637306":{"id":"637306","type":"image","title":"Origami metamaterial prototypes","body":null,"created":"1595882672","gmt_created":"2020-07-27 20:44:32","changed":"1595882672","gmt_changed":"2020-07-27 20:44:32","alt":"Origami metamaterial prototypes","file":{"fid":"242434","name":"20C10200-P43-015.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/20C10200-P43-015.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/20C10200-P43-015.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":616366,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/20C10200-P43-015.jpg?itok=0ggtNmGJ"}},"637307":{"id":"637307","type":"image","title":"Origami zipper tubes - vertical","body":null,"created":"1595882779","gmt_created":"2020-07-27 20:46:19","changed":"1595882779","gmt_changed":"2020-07-27 20:46:19","alt":"Origami zipper tubes - vertical format","file":{"fid":"242435","name":"20C10200-P43-017.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/20C10200-P43-017.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/20C10200-P43-017.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":327236,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/20C10200-P43-017.jpg?itok=0Kju23A1"}}},"media_ids":["637305","637306","637307"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"137","name":"Architecture"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"179356","name":"Industrial Design"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4332","name":"origami"},{"id":"128991","name":"metamaterial"},{"id":"185393","name":"origami metamaterial"},{"id":"185394","name":"auxeticity"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"636208":{"#nid":"636208","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Spontaneous Formation of Nanoscale Hollow Structures Could Boost Battery Storage","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAn unexpected property of nanometer-scale antimony crystals \u0026mdash; the spontaneous formation of hollow structures \u0026mdash; could help give the next generation of lithium ion batteries higher energy density without reducing battery lifetime. The reversibly hollowing structures could allow lithium ion batteries to hold more energy and therefore provide more power between charges.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFlow of lithium ions into and out of alloy battery anodes has long been a limiting factor in how much energy batteries could hold using conventional materials. Too much ion flow causes anode materials to swell and then shrink during charge-discharge cycles, causing mechanical degradation that shortens battery life. To address that issue, researchers have previously developed hollow \u0026ldquo;yolk-shell\u0026rdquo; nanoparticles that accommodate the volume change caused by ion flow, but fabricating them has been complex and costly.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENow, a research team has discovered that particles a thousand times smaller than the width of a human hair spontaneously form hollow structures during the charge-discharge cycle without changing size, allowing more ion flow without damaging the anodes. The research was reported June 1 in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Nanotechnology\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Intentionally engineering hollow nanomaterials has been done for a while now, and it is a promising approach for improving the lifetime and stability of batteries with high energy density,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/mtmcdowell\u0022\u003EMatthew McDowell\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u0026ldquo;The problem has been that directly synthesizing these hollow nanostructures at the large scales needed for commercial applications is challenging and expensive. Our discovery could offer an easier, streamlined process that could lead to improved performance in a way that is similar to the intentionally engineered hollow structures.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers made their discovery using a high-resolution electron microscope that allowed them to directly visualize battery reactions as they occur at the nanoscale. \u0026ldquo;This is a tricky type of experiment, but if you are patient and do the experiments right, you can learn really important things about how the materials behave in batteries,\u0026rdquo; McDowell said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe team, which included researchers from ETH Z\u0026uuml;rich and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, also used modeling to create a theoretical framework for understanding why the nanoparticles spontaneously hollow \u0026mdash; instead of shrinking \u0026mdash; during removal of lithium from the battery.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe ability to form and reversibly fill hollow particles during battery cycling occurs only in oxide-coated antimony nanocrystals that are less than approximately 30 nanometers in diameter. The research team found that the behavior arises from a resilient native oxide layer that allows for initial expansion during lithiation \u0026mdash; flow of ions into the anode \u0026mdash; but mechanically prevents shrinkage as antimony forms voids during the removal of ions, a process known as delithiation.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe finding was a bit of a surprise because earlier work on related materials had been performed on larger particles, which expand and shrink instead of forming hollow structures. \u0026ldquo;When we first observed the distinctive hollowing behavior, it was very exciting and we immediately knew this could have important implications for battery performance,\u0026rdquo; McDowell said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAntimony is relatively expensive and not currently used in commercial battery electrodes. But McDowell believes the spontaneous hollowing may also occur in less costly related materials such as tin. Next steps would include testing other materials and mapping a pathway to commercial scale-up.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It would be interesting to test other materials to see if they transform according to a similar hollowing mechanism,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;This could expand the range of materials available for use in batteries. The small test batteries we fabricated showed promising charge-discharge performance, so we would like to evaluate the materials in larger batteries.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThough they may be costly, the self-hollowing antimony nanocrystals have another interesting property: they could also be used in sodium-ion and potassium-ion batteries, emerging systems for which much more research must be done.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This work advances our understanding of how this type of material evolves inside batteries,\u0026rdquo; McDowell said. \u0026ldquo;This information will be critical for implementing the material or related materials in the next generation of lithium-ion batteries, which will be able to store more energy and be just as durable as the batteries we have today.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to McDowell, the paper\u0026rsquo;s authors include Matthew Boebinger from Georgia Tech; Olesya Yarema, Maksym Yarema, and Vanessa Wood from the Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering at ETH Z\u0026uuml;rich , and Kinga Unocic and Raymond Unocic from the Center for Nanophase Materials Science at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis work was performed at the Georgia Tech Materials Characterization Facility and the Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology, a member of the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure, which is supported by the National Science Foundation (Grant ECCS-1542174). Support also came from the Department of Energy Office of Science Graduate Student Research Program for research performed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. A portion of this research was conducted at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, which is a DOE Office of Science User Facility. Support was also provided by a Sloan Research Fellowship in Chemistry from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and by the Swiss National Science foundation via an Ambizione Fellowship (no. 161249). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the sponsoring organizations.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Matthew G. Boebinger, et al., \u0026ldquo;Spontaneous and reversible hollowing of alloy anode nanocrystals for stable battery cycling\u0026rdquo; (Nature Nanotechnology, 2020). \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41565-020-0690-9\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41565-020-0690-9\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAn unexpected property of nanometer-scale antimony crystals \u0026mdash; the spontaneous formation of hollow structures \u0026mdash; could help give the next generation of lithium ion batteries higher energy density without reducing battery lifetime. The reversibly hollowing structures could allow lithium ion batteries to hold more energy and therefore provide more power between charges.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The spontaneous formation of hollow structures in nanometer-scale antimony crystals could make them useful in lithium-ion batteries."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2020-06-13 18:22:26","changed_gmt":"2020-06-13 18:24:14","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2020-06-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2020-06-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"636204":{"id":"636204","type":"image","title":"Lithium-ion Batteries","body":null,"created":"1592071584","gmt_created":"2020-06-13 18:06:24","changed":"1592071584","gmt_changed":"2020-06-13 18:06:24","alt":"Lithium-ion batteries","file":{"fid":"242075","name":"Batteriessmall.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Batteriessmall.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Batteriessmall.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1896996,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Batteriessmall.jpg?itok=TDiwNIEt"}},"636206":{"id":"636206","type":"image","title":"Battery testing","body":null,"created":"1592071769","gmt_created":"2020-06-13 18:09:29","changed":"1592071769","gmt_changed":"2020-06-13 18:09:29","alt":"Batteries being tested in lab","file":{"fid":"242076","name":"Cycler_Crop.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Cycler_Crop.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Cycler_Crop.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1987162,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Cycler_Crop.jpg?itok=mRDr6vDe"}},"636207":{"id":"636207","type":"image","title":"Antimony anode nanoparticles","body":null,"created":"1592071939","gmt_created":"2020-06-13 18:12:19","changed":"1592071939","gmt_changed":"2020-06-13 18:12:19","alt":"Electron microscope image of nanoparticles","file":{"fid":"242077","name":"ParticlesImage.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ParticlesImage.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ParticlesImage.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2205549,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ParticlesImage.jpg?itok=7_9ElWLm"}}},"media_ids":["636204","636206","636207"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7826","name":"Batteries"},{"id":"8948","name":"lithium-ion"},{"id":"185112","name":"lithium-ion batteries"},{"id":"431","name":"nanoscale"},{"id":"7070","name":"anode"},{"id":"7309","name":"electrode"},{"id":"2054","name":"nanoparticle"},{"id":"44511","name":"energy storage"},{"id":"185113","name":"antimony"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"635143":{"#nid":"635143","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Surfaces That Grip Like Gecko Feet Could Be Easily Mass-Produced","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhy did the gecko climb the skyscraper? Because it could; its toes stick to about anything. Engineers can already emulate\u0026nbsp;the secrets of gecko stickiness to make\u0026nbsp;strips of rubbery materials that can pick\u0026nbsp;up and release\u0026nbsp;objects, but simple mass production for everyday use has been out of reach until now.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/10.1021\/acsami.0c01812\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ein a new study\u003C\/a\u003E, a method of making gecko-inspired adhesive materials that is much more cost-effective than current methods. It could enable mass production and the spread of the versatile gripping strips to manufacturing and homes.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPolymers with \u0026ldquo;gecko adhesion\u0026rdquo; surfaces could be used to make extremely versatile grippers to pick up very different objects even on the same assembly line. They could make picture hanging easy by adhering to both the picture and the wall at the same time. Vacuum cleaner robots with gecko adhesion could someday scoot up tall buildings to clean facades.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;With the exception of things like Teflon, it will adhere to anything. This is a clear advantage in manufacturing because we don\u0026rsquo;t have to prepare the gripper for specific surfaces we want to lift. Gecko-inspired adhesives can lift flat objects like boxes then turn around and lift curved objects like eggs and vegetables,\u0026rdquo; said Michael Varenberg, the study\u0026rsquo;s principal investigator and an\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/varenberg\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eassistant professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECurrent grippers on assembly lines, such as clamps, magnets, and suction cups, can each lift limited ranges of objects. Grippers based on gecko-inspired surfaces, which are dry and contain no glue or goo, could replace many grippers or just fill in capability gaps left by other gripping mechanisms.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDrawing out razors\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe adhesion comes from protrusions a few hundred microns in size that often look like sections of short, floppy walls running parallel to each other across the material\u0026rsquo;s surface. How they work by mimicking geckos\u0026rsquo; feet is explained below.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUp to now, molding has produced these mesoscale walls by pouring ingredients onto a template, letting the mixture react and set to a flexible polymer then removing it from the mold. But the method is inconvenient.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Molding techniques are expensive and time-consuming processes. And there are issues with getting the gecko-like material to release from the template, which can disturb the quality of the attachment surface,\u0026rdquo; Varenberg said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers\u0026rsquo; new method formed those walls by pouring ingredients onto a smooth surface instead of a mold, letting the polymer partially set then dipping rows of laboratory razor blades into it. The material set a little more around the blades, which were then drawn out, leaving behind micron-scale indentations surrounded by the desired walls.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EVarenberg and first author Jae-Kang Kim published details of their new method\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/10.1021\/acsami.0c01812\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ein the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EACS Applied Materials \u0026amp; Interfaces\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;on April 6, 2020.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EForget about perfection\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThough the new method is easier than molding, developing it took a year of dipping, drawing, and readjusting while surveying finicky details under an electron microscope.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;There are many parameters to control: Viscosity and temperature of the liquid; timing, speed, and distance of withdrawing the blades. We needed enough plasticity of the setting polymer to the blades to stretch the walls up, and not so much rigidity that would lead the walls to rip up,\u0026rdquo; Varenberg said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGecko-inspired surfaces have a fine topography on a micron-scale and sometimes even on a nanoscale, and surfaces made via molding are usually the most precise. But such perfection is unnecessary; the materials made with the new method did the job well and were also markedly robust.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Many researchers demonstrating gecko adhesion have to do it in a cleanroom in clean gear. Our system just plain works in normal settings. It is robust and simple, and I think it has good potential for use in industry and homes,\u0026rdquo; said Varenberg, who studies surfaces in nature to mimic their advantageous qualities in human-made materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Csup\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E[Ready for graduate school with social distancing?\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gradadmiss.gatech.edu\/apply-now\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHere\u0026#39;s how to apply to Georgia Tech.\u003C\/a\u003E]\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/sup\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGecko foot fluff\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBehold the gecko\u0026rsquo;s foot. It has ridges on its toes, and this has led some in the past to think their feet stick by suction or some kind of clutching by the skin.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBut electron microscopes reveal a deeper structure \u0026ndash; spatula-shaped bristly fibrils protrude a few dozen microns long off those ridges. The fibrils make such thorough contact with surfaces down to the nanoscale that weak attractions between atoms on both sides appear to add up enormously to create overall strong adhesion.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn place of fluff, engineers have developed rows of shapes covering materials that produce the effect. A common shape makes a material\u0026rsquo;s surface look like a field of mushrooms that are a few hundred microns in size; another is rows of short walls like those in this study.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The mushroom patterns touch a surface, and they are attached straightaway, but detaching requires applying forces that can be disadvantageous. The wall-shaped projections require minor shear force like a tug or a gentle grab to generate adherence, but that is easy, and letting go of the object is uncomplicated, too,\u0026rdquo; Varenberg said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EVarenberg\u0026rsquo;s research team used the drawing method to make walls with U-shaped spaces in between them and walls with V-shaped spaces in between. They worked with polyvinylsiloxane (PVS) and polyurethane (PU). The V-shape made in PVS worked best, but polyurethane is the better material for industry, so Vanenberg\u0026rsquo;s group will now work toward achieving the V-shape gecko gripping pattern in PU for the best possible combination.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlso read: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rh.gatech.edu\/news\/634434\/lung-heart-super-sensor-chip-tinier-ladybug\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ELung-heart super sensor on a chi\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rh.gatech.edu\/news\/634434\/lung-heart-super-sensor-chip-tinier-ladybug\u0022\u003Ep tinier than a ladybug\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHere\u0026#39;s how to\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rh.gatech.edu\/subscribe\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Esubscribe to our free science and technology email\u0026nbsp;newsletter\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter \u0026amp;\u0026nbsp;Media Representative\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield (404-272-2780), email:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The science behind sticky gecko\u0027s feet lets these materials pick up about anything, and now they could be easily mass-produced."}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2020-05-07 14:08:34","changed_gmt":"2020-05-07 20:32:44","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2020-05-07T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2020-05-07T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"635139":{"id":"635139","type":"image","title":"Gecko, gecko adhesion surface, and method","body":null,"created":"1588859261","gmt_created":"2020-05-07 13:47:41","changed":"1588860886","gmt_changed":"2020-05-07 14:14:46","alt":"","file":{"fid":"241691","name":"Gecko.surface.method2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Gecko.surface.method2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Gecko.surface.method2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1461614,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Gecko.surface.method2.jpg?itok=f-QyEJ7s"}},"635138":{"id":"635138","type":"image","title":"Gecko and gecko adhesion","body":null,"created":"1588859012","gmt_created":"2020-05-07 13:43:32","changed":"1588859012","gmt_changed":"2020-05-07 13:43:32","alt":"","file":{"fid":"241688","name":"Intro 1.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Intro%201.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Intro%201.png","mime":"image\/png","size":4071195,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Intro%201.png?itok=0fyv0Kd-"}},"635140":{"id":"635140","type":"image","title":"How gecko adhesion with \u0027wall\u0027 structure works","body":null,"created":"1588859449","gmt_created":"2020-05-07 13:50:49","changed":"1588859449","gmt_changed":"2020-05-07 13:50:49","alt":"","file":{"fid":"241690","name":"Demo.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Demo.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Demo.png","mime":"image\/png","size":3191321,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Demo.png?itok=0o8AdMH0"}},"599834":{"id":"599834","type":"image","title":"Michael Varenberg","body":null,"created":"1513174447","gmt_created":"2017-12-13 14:14:07","changed":"1513174566","gmt_changed":"2017-12-13 14:16:06","alt":"","file":{"fid":"228685","name":"18C10302-P8-003.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/18C10302-P8-003.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/18C10302-P8-003.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":636883,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/18C10302-P8-003.jpg?itok=IE2Az_ZJ"}}},"media_ids":["635139","635138","635140","599834"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"176508","name":"gecko adhesion"},{"id":"43351","name":"drawing"},{"id":"184755","name":"Drawing Template"},{"id":"73861","name":"tribology"},{"id":"2294","name":"materials science"},{"id":"184756","name":"Materials And Manufacturing"},{"id":"90671","name":"materials design"},{"id":"12377","name":"Materials Engineering"},{"id":"184757","name":"Materials Physics"},{"id":"184758","name":"Materials Processing And Production"},{"id":"184759","name":"Materials Processing"},{"id":"18471","name":"materials research"},{"id":"4497","name":"Materials Science and Engineering"},{"id":"184760","name":"Polyurethane"},{"id":"3578","name":"PVS"},{"id":"184761","name":"Polyvinylsiloxane"},{"id":"184762","name":"Van Der Waals Attraction"},{"id":"184763","name":"Van Der Waals Forces"},{"id":"184764","name":"Van Der Waals Solids"},{"id":"68721","name":"assembly line"},{"id":"184765","name":"Assemblyline"},{"id":"58981","name":"manufacturing automation"},{"id":"184766","name":"Manufacturing Engineering"},{"id":"184767","name":"Manufacturing Tools"},{"id":"57811","name":"food processing"},{"id":"184768","name":"Food Processing Plants"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"634293":{"#nid":"634293","#data":{"type":"news","title":"The Case For DIY Masks To Slow Coronavirus\u2019 Spread","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA nationwide chorus is urging the wearing of homemade face masks in public to fight the spread of the novel coronavirus. One voice is that of is physicist Walt de Heer who here explains some of the logic behind wearing the protective covering, starting with old-fashioned wisdom.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Your mother told you to cover your mouth when you cough, and this is the best way to do it without fail,\u0026rdquo; said de Heer, a Regents Professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Physics.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDe Heer advocates that widespread use of masks can save hundreds of lives in just days, and he is not alone. The \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/prevent-getting-sick\/prevention.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECenters for Disease Control and Prevention\u003C\/a\u003E, the U.S. Surgeon General, and the White House have officially recommended cloth face coverings.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESince people can carry the\u0026nbsp;coronavirus with no COVID-19 symptoms and still spread the virus, everyone is a potential carrier, which means that everyone should wear a DIY mask in public, de Heer said. He compared it to coughing\u0026nbsp;into your sleeve but even better because a DIY mask is always in front of your face, and it can be made out of more effective fabrics than a sleeve.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENotes of caution\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAll of these parties, including de Heer, want people to not buy up masks needed by clinicians. N95 masks are not only not necessary for the general public but are also ineffective for many people, which could be dangerous.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;N95 masks are difficult to wear correctly, and they are hard to breathe through. They are not as effective for everyday use as a more comfortable cloth mask,\u0026rdquo; de Heer said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EU.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams has cautioned that wearing masks must not discourage other behaviors to fight contagion like handwashing, avoiding touching your face, and social distancing.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDIY mask physics\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHere is more logic on DIY mask effectiveness followed by links to instructions on how to make them.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs a researcher, de Heer is a leading expert on small clusters, particles the size of the misty droplets that shoot out of mouths when people sneeze or cough. The bigger the droplets, the higher the viral loads they likely contain, and face covers catch nearly all larger drops and most smaller ones as well.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBreathing mist from a cough or sneeze or getting it in the eyes, nose, or mouth \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/prevent-getting-sick\/how-covid-spreads.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fprepare%2Ftransmission.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eis likely the primary source of contagion for the coronavirus\u003C\/a\u003E, according to the CDC. There have also been reports that the mist may hang in the air \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/health\/archive\/2020\/04\/coronavirus-pandemic-airborne-go-outside-masks\/609235\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Elike exhaled cigarette smoke\u003C\/a\u003E that people can inhale and become infected.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA hand-sewn mask out of cloth that has a tighter weave can cut down sharply on the mist, de Heer said, but even a bandana is much better than nothing.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;For math\u0026rsquo;s sake, say a bandana stops 80 percent of dangerous mist. That protection increases when everyone wears them. So, if two people are wearing bandanas \u0026ndash; the sender of the spittle and a potential receiver \u0026ndash; the math tells us that two bandanas would catch 96 percent of the dangerous mist. This shows that we all need to be wearing something.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHordes of Americans wore masks during the last great pandemic to hit the country, the Spanish flu of 1918-1919. Nurses handed out white gauze masks, and people also made them at home.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pwp.gatech.edu\/rapid-response\/face-masks\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers have published instructions and guidance\u003C\/a\u003E for making and using homemade masks. Also, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/article\/how-to-make-face-mask-coronavirus.html?action=click\u0026amp;module=RelatedLinks\u0026amp;pgtype=Article\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ethe New York Times has\u0026nbsp;published mask sewing instructions here\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/prevent-getting-sick\/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ethe CDC here\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Czech example\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOne country, in particular, impressed upon de Heer that the effectiveness of masks \u0026ndash; the Czech Republic. A recent movement there led to the very widespread use of homemade cloth masks, and that country also has a very mild curve of new COVID-19 infections.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECountries turn a variety of weapons against contagion with varying success or failure, so it can be hard to determine if a single one stands out. But some countries have clearly reduced the rise in contagion as well as death rates more effectively.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESome are known for world-class healthcare systems with large capacities to serve their populations, but at the same time, they have displayed signature measures in the struggle. In the Czech Republic, this has been widespread cloth mask use.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;If you look at Western countries \u0026ndash; and I\u0026rsquo;m going to include the state of New York in that list \u0026ndash; New York has had really high increases in new cases. So have Spain, Italy, and France,\u0026rdquo; de Heer said. \u0026ldquo;Then you have outliers. Germany and Austria got out ahead of the game by getting widespread testing going very early on.\u0026quot;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Czech Republic has been another distinct outlier. So have many other places where masks are ubiquitous such as Hong Kong, Japan, or South Korea, de Heer noted, even though they are densely populated, making social distancing more challenging.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAustria also recently mandated the use of face covers when grocery shopping, following the lead of the Czech Republic. De Heer points to the Czech experience and that of successful Asian countries as very conspicuous evidence that masks help and that it is wise to adopt widespread use in the United States as well.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHere\u0026#39;s how to\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rh.gatech.edu\/subscribe\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Esubscribe to our free science and technology\u0026nbsp;newsletter\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlso read: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rh.gatech.edu\/news\/634092\/filtration-engineers-offer-advice-do-it-yourself-face-masks\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAdvice on DIY masks\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter \u0026amp;\u0026nbsp;Media Representative\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield (404-272-2780), email:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"If coughing in your sleeve is effective, face masks must be, too, and successes in Asia and Europe corroborate this, physicist says."}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2020-04-12 00:55:38","changed_gmt":"2020-04-23 13:09:58","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2020-04-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2020-04-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"633641":{"id":"633641","type":"image","title":"Coping with COVID","body":null,"created":"1584493388","gmt_created":"2020-03-18 01:03:08","changed":"1584561934","gmt_changed":"2020-03-18 20:05:34","alt":"Workers in a university lab","file":{"fid":"241113","name":"Steven 1-18.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Steven%201-18.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Steven%201-18.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1772780,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Steven%201-18.png?itok=Sa2qO-Cw"}},"634292":{"id":"634292","type":"image","title":"COVID-19 face mask art","body":null,"created":"1586651910","gmt_created":"2020-04-12 00:38:30","changed":"1586651910","gmt_changed":"2020-04-12 00:38:30","alt":"","file":{"fid":"241361","name":"adam-niescioruk-Z9arfr0f248-unsplash.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/adam-niescioruk-Z9arfr0f248-unsplash.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/adam-niescioruk-Z9arfr0f248-unsplash.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1377648,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/adam-niescioruk-Z9arfr0f248-unsplash.jpg?itok=BaV6uu7z"}}},"media_ids":["633641","634292"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"}],"keywords":[{"id":"184289","name":"covid-19"},{"id":"183843","name":"coronavirus"},{"id":"184375","name":"face mask"},{"id":"184442","name":"mask"},{"id":"184443","name":"n95"},{"id":"56991","name":"cough"},{"id":"171251","name":"sneeze"},{"id":"176614","name":"contagion"},{"id":"184441","name":"face covering"},{"id":"184444","name":"sleeve"},{"id":"184445","name":"DIY mask"},{"id":"184446","name":"hand-sewn mask"},{"id":"179830","name":"hand washing"},{"id":"184447","name":"social distancing"},{"id":"184448","name":"small clusters"},{"id":"14705","name":"droplets"},{"id":"184449","name":"mist"},{"id":"11460","name":"aerosol"},{"id":"184450","name":"bandana"},{"id":"184451","name":"spittle"},{"id":"100601","name":"Czech Republic"},{"id":"768","name":"Germany"},{"id":"3289","name":"hong kong"},{"id":"167310","name":"south korea"},{"id":"751","name":"Japan"},{"id":"166846","name":"Spain"},{"id":"2146","name":"Italy"},{"id":"2050","name":"france"},{"id":"184452","name":"Austria"},{"id":"3783","name":"new york"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39481","name":"National Security"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"},{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"633605":{"#nid":"633605","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Room-temperature Bonded Interface Improves Cooling of Gallium Nitride Devices","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA room-temperature bonding technique for integrating wide bandgap materials such as gallium nitride (GaN) with thermally conducting materials such as diamond could boost the cooling effect on GaN devices and facilitate better performance through higher power levels, longer device lifetime, improved reliability, and reduced manufacturing costs. The technique could have applications for wireless transmitters, radars, satellite equipment, and other high-power and high-frequency electronic devices.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe technique, called surface-activated bonding, uses an ion source in a high-vacuum environment to first clean the surfaces of the GaN and diamond, which activates the surfaces by creating dangling bonds. Introducing small amounts of silicon into the ion beams facilitates forming strong atomic bonds at room temperature, allowing the direct bonding of the GaN and single-crystal diamond to fabricate high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe resulting interface layer from GaN to single-crystal diamond is just four nanometers thick, allowing heat dissipation up to two times more efficient than in the state-of-the-art GaN-on-diamond HEMTs by eliminating the low-quality diamond left over from nanocrystalline diamond growth. Diamond is currently integrated with GaN using crystalline growth techniques that produce a thicker interface layer and low-quality nanocrystalline diamond near the interface. Additionally, the new process can be done at room temperature using surface-activated bonding techniques, reducing the thermal stress applied to the devices.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This technique allows us to place high thermal conductivity materials much closer to the active device regions in gallium nitride,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/s_graham\u0022\u003ESamuel Graham\u003C\/a\u003E, the Eugene C. Gwaltney Jr. School Chair and professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;The performance allows us to maximize the performance for gallium nitride on diamond systems. This will allow engineers to custom design future semiconductors for better multifunctional operation.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research, conducted in collaboration with scientists from Meisei University and Waseda University in Japan, was reported February 19 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EACS Applied Materials and Interfaces\u003C\/em\u003E. The work was supported by a multidisciplinary university research initiative (MURI) project from the U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor high-power electronic applications using materials such as GaN in miniaturized devices, heat dissipation can be a limiting factor in power densities imposed on the devices. By adding a layer of diamond, which conducts heat five times better than copper, engineers have tried to spread and dissipate the thermal energy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, when diamond films are grown on GaN, they must be seeded with nanocrystalline particles around 30 nanometers in diameter, and this layer of nanocrystalline diamond has low thermal conductivity \u0026ndash; which adds resistance to the flow of heat into the bulk diamond film. In addition, the growth takes place at high temperatures, which can create stress-producing cracks in the resulting transistors.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;In the currently used growth technique, you don\u0026rsquo;t really reach the high thermal conductivity properties of the microcrystalline diamond layer until you are a few microns away from the interface,\u0026rdquo; Graham said. \u0026ldquo;The materials near the interface just don\u0026rsquo;t have good thermal properties. This bonding technique allows us to start with ultra-high thermal conductivity diamond right at the interface.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBy creating a thinner interface, the surface-activated bonding technique moves the thermal dissipation closer to the GaN heat source.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Our bonding technique brings high thermal conductivity single crystal diamond closer to the hotspots in the GaN devices, which has the potential to reshape the way these devices are cooled,\u0026rdquo; said Zhe Cheng, a recent Georgia Tech Ph.D. graduate who is the paper\u0026rsquo;s first author. \u0026ldquo;And because the bonding takes place near room temperature, we can avoid thermal stresses that can damage the devices.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat reduction in thermal stress can be significant, going from as much as 900 megapascals (MPa) to less than 100 MPa with the room temperature technique. \u0026ldquo;This low stress bonding allows for thick layers of diamond to be integrated with the GaN and provides a method for diamond integration with other semiconductor materials,\u0026rdquo; Graham said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond the GaN and diamond, the technique can be used with other semiconductors, such as gallium oxide, and other thermal conductors, such as silicon carbide. Graham said the technique has broad applications to bond electronic materials where thin interfacial layers are advantageous.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This new pathway gives us the ability to mix and match materials,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;This can provide us with great electrical properties, but the clear advantage is a vastly superior thermal interface. We believe this will prove to be the best technology available so far for integrating wide bandgap materials with thermally conducting substrates.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn future work, the researchers plan to study other ion sources and evaluate other materials that could be integrated using the technique.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We have the ability to choose processing conditions as well as the substrate and semiconductor material to engineer heterogenous substrates for wide bandgap devices,\u0026rdquo; Graham said. \u0026ldquo;That allows us to choose the materials and integrate them to maximize electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to the researchers already mentioned, the paper included co-corresponding author Fengwen Mu from Meisei University and Waseda University in Japan, Luke Yates from Georgia Tech, and Tadatomo Suga from Meisei University.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported by the U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR) through MURI Grant No. N00014-18-1-2429. Any findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the authors and not necessarily of the Office of Naval Research.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Zhe Cheng, Fengwen Mu, Luke Yates, Tadatomo Suga and Samuel Graham, \u0026ldquo;Interfacial Thermal Conductance across Room-Temperature-Bonded GaN\/Diamond Interfaces for GaN-on-Diamond Devices\u0026rdquo; (\u003Cem\u003EACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces\u003C\/em\u003E, 2020, 12, 8376?8384). \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acsami.9b16959\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acsami.9b16959\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA room-temperature bonding technique for integrating wide bandgap materials such as gallium nitride (GaN) with thermally conducting materials such as diamond could boost the cooling effect on GaN devices and facilitate better performance through higher power levels, longer device lifetime, improved reliability, and reduced manufacturing costs. The technique could have applications for wireless transmitters, radars, satellite equipment, and other high-power and high-frequency electronic devices.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new technique for integrating materials such as gallium nitride and thermally conducting materials could improve performance of wide bandgap devices."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2020-03-16 13:09:50","changed_gmt":"2020-03-16 13:11:45","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2020-03-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2020-03-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"633602":{"id":"633602","type":"image","title":"Interface between GaN and diamond materials","body":null,"created":"1584362726","gmt_created":"2020-03-16 12:45:26","changed":"1584362726","gmt_changed":"2020-03-16 12:45:26","alt":"Interface between diamond and gallium nitride","file":{"fid":"241092","name":"diamond-interface-GaN.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/diamond-interface-GaN.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/diamond-interface-GaN.png","mime":"image\/png","size":587306,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/diamond-interface-GaN.png?itok=GNbcfbCj"}},"633603":{"id":"633603","type":"image","title":"Studying gallium nitride-diamond interfaces","body":null,"created":"1584362879","gmt_created":"2020-03-16 12:47:59","changed":"1584362879","gmt_changed":"2020-03-16 12:47:59","alt":"Researchers study interface between gallium nitride and diamond","file":{"fid":"241093","name":"GaN-diamond002.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/GaN-diamond002.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/GaN-diamond002.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1765649,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/GaN-diamond002.jpg?itok=1BEzeK93"}},"633604":{"id":"633604","type":"image","title":"Polished gallium nitride - silicon carbide samples","body":null,"created":"1584363039","gmt_created":"2020-03-16 12:50:39","changed":"1584363039","gmt_changed":"2020-03-16 12:50:39","alt":"Polished gallium nitride - silicon carbide samples","file":{"fid":"241094","name":"GaN-diamond005.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/GaN-diamond005.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/GaN-diamond005.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1160772,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/GaN-diamond005.jpg?itok=8F43SSS0"}}},"media_ids":["633602","633603","633604"],"groups":[{"id":"217141","name":"Georgia Tech Materials Institute"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"147","name":"Military Technology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"630798":{"#nid":"630798","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Collaborates with IBM to Develop Software Stacks for Quantum Computers","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology has announced its agreement to join the IBM Q Hub at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to help advance the fundamental research and use of quantum computing in building software infrastructure and developing specialized error mitigation techniques. Georgia Tech will have cloud access, via the Oak Ridge Hub, to the world\u0026rsquo;s largest fleet of universal quantum computing systems for commercial use case exploration and fundamental research.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Access to IBM machines will allow Georgia Tech to build software infrastructure to make it easier to operate quantum machines, create specialized error mitigation techniques in software \u0026ndash; thereby mitigating some of the hardware errors \u0026ndash; and develop algorithms and applications for the emerging noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) computing paradigm,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff-directory\/moinuddin-k-qureshi\u0022\u003EMoinuddin Qureshi\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;Access will also allow Georgia Tech researchers to better understand the error patterns in existing quantum computers, which can help with developing the architecture for future machines.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs part of the ORNL hub, Georgia Tech will join a community of Fortune 500 companies, startups, academic institutions and research labs working to advance quantum computing and explore practical applications. Georgia Tech will leverage IBM\u0026rsquo;s quantum expertise and resources, Qiskit software and developer tools, and will have cloud-based access to IBM\u0026rsquo;s Quantum Computation Center. IBM makes available through the cloud 15 of the most-advanced universal quantum computing systems available, including a 53-qubit system \u0026ndash; the most qubits of a universal quantum computer commercially available in the industry.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESince the IBM Q Network\u0026rsquo;s launch in 2017 it has grown to more than 100 organizations, collaborating with IBM and one another to advance fundamental quantum computing research, and the development of practical applications for business and science.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch is being conducted worldwide to develop a new type of computational device known as a quantum computer, based on the principles of quantum physics. Quantum computers could tackle specialized computational problems such as integer factorization, understanding materials properties or optimization challenges much faster than conventional digital computers. Quantum computers will use one of a number of possible approaches to create quantum bits \u0026ndash; units known as qubits \u0026ndash; to compute and store data, giving them unique advantages over computers based on silicon transistors.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile the machines have great promise, there are difficult challenges in operating such machines and in writing software that will take advantage of their power, Qureshi said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe agreement will give Georgia Tech access to IBM\u0026rsquo;s premium systems, including the 53-qubit quantum computer. \u0026ldquo;In the regime between 50 and 60 qubits is where quantum machines can potentially do computations that are beyond the capabilities of existing conventional computers,\u0026rdquo; Qureshi said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout the Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology, also known as Georgia Tech, is one of the leading public research universities in the United States. Georgia Tech provides a technologically focused education to more than 36,000 undergraduate and graduate students in fields ranging from engineering, computing, and sciences, to business, design, and liberal arts. Research, economic development and other sponsored activities at Georgia Tech passed a significant milestone during the fiscal year that concluded on June 30, 2019, recording more than a billion dollars in new grants, contracts and other awards.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout IBM Q\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nIBM Q is an industry-first initiative to build commercial universal quantum systems for business and science applications. For more information about IBM\u0026#39;s quantum computing efforts, please visit www.ibm.com\/ibmq.\u0026nbsp;IBM Q Network\u0026trade; and IBM Q\u0026trade; are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E- \u003Cem\u003EWritten in collaboration with IBM.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology has announced its agreement to join the IBM Q Hub at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to advance the fundamental research and use of quantum computing in building software infrastructure and developing specialized error mitigation techniques. Georgia Tech will have cloud access, via the Oak Ridge Hub, to the world\u0026rsquo;s largest fleet of universal quantum computing systems for commercial use case exploration and fundamental research.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech has agreed to join the IBM Q Hub at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2020-01-08 19:52:43","changed_gmt":"2020-01-08 19:55:51","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2020-01-08T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2020-01-08T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"630796":{"id":"630796","type":"image","title":"IBM Quantum Computer","body":null,"created":"1578512700","gmt_created":"2020-01-08 19:45:00","changed":"1578512700","gmt_changed":"2020-01-08 19:45:00","alt":"IBM quantum computer","file":{"fid":"240123","name":"IBM_SystemOne_Andrew_Lindemann.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/IBM_SystemOne_Andrew_Lindemann.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/IBM_SystemOne_Andrew_Lindemann.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":556200,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/IBM_SystemOne_Andrew_Lindemann.jpg?itok=hpyq2HtD"}},"630797":{"id":"630797","type":"image","title":"IBM Quantum Computer2","body":null,"created":"1578512815","gmt_created":"2020-01-08 19:46:55","changed":"1578512815","gmt_changed":"2020-01-08 19:46:55","alt":"IBM quantum computer","file":{"fid":"240124","name":"IBM_SystemOne_Andrew_Lindemann_2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/IBM_SystemOne_Andrew_Lindemann_2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/IBM_SystemOne_Andrew_Lindemann_2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":532271,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/IBM_SystemOne_Andrew_Lindemann_2.jpg?itok=Xnx78ZX2"}}},"media_ids":["630796","630797"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1744","name":"quantum"},{"id":"4359","name":"quantum computing"},{"id":"1126","name":"ibm"},{"id":"183487","name":"software stacks"},{"id":"183488","name":"error mitigation"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"630729":{"#nid":"630729","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Laser Pulse Creates Frequency Doubling in Amorphous Dielectric Material","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have demonstrated a new all-optical technique for creating robust second-order nonlinear effects in materials that don\u0026rsquo;t normally support them. Using a laser pulse fired at an array of gold triangles on a titanium dioxide (TiO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E) slab, the researchers created excited electrons that briefly doubled the frequency of a beam from a second laser as it bounced off the amorphous TiO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E slab.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBy widening the range of optical materials useful for micro- and nanoscale optoelectronic applications, the work could give optical engineers new options for creating second-order nonlinear effects, which are important in such areas as optical computers, high-speed data processors and bioimaging safe for use in the human body.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Now that we can optically break the crystalline symmetry of traditionally linear materials such as amorphous titanium dioxide, a much wider range of optical materials can be adopted in the mainstream of micro- and nanotechnology applications such as high-speed optical data processors,\u0026rdquo; said Wenshan Cai, a professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe proof-of-concept findings were reported January 2 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EPhysical Review Letters\u003C\/em\u003E. The research received support from the Office of Naval Research, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA majority of optical materials tend to have a symmetric crystal structure that limits their ability to create second-order nonlinear effects such as frequency doubling that have important technological applications. Until now, this symmetry could only be interrupted by applying electrical signals or mechanical strain to the crystal.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the laboratory, Cai and collaborators Mohammad Taghinejad, Zihao Xu, Kyu-Tae Lee and Tianquan Lian created an array of tiny plasmonic gold triangles on the surface of a centrosymmetric TiO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E slab. They then illuminated the TiO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E\/gold structure with a pulse of red laser light, which acted as an optical switch for breaking the crystal symmetry of the material. The amorphous TiO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E slab would not naturally support strong second-order nonlinear effects.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The optical switch excites high-energy electrons inside the gold triangles, and some of the electrons migrate to the titanium dioxide from the triangles\u0026rsquo; tips,\u0026rdquo; Cai explained. \u0026ldquo;Since the migration of electrons to the TiO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E slab primarily happens at the tips of triangles, the electron migration is spatially an asymmetric process, fleetingly breaking the titanium dioxide crystal symmetry in an optical fashion.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe induced symmetry breaking effect is observed almost instantaneously after the red laser pulse is triggered, doubling the frequency of a second laser that is then bounced off the titanium dioxide containing the excited electrons. The lifetime of the induced second-order nonlinearity generally depends on how fast electrons can migrate back from the titanium dioxide to the gold triangles after the disappearance of the pulse. In the case study reported by the researchers, the induced nonlinear effect lasted for a few picoseconds, which the researchers say is enough for most applications where short pulses are used. A stable, continuous wave laser can make this effect last for as long as the laser is on.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The strength of the induced nonlinear response depends on the number of electrons that can migrate from gold triangles to the titanium dioxide slab,\u0026rdquo; Cai added. \u0026ldquo;We can control the number of migrated electrons through the intensity of the red laser light. Increasing the intensity of the optical switch generates more electrons inside the gold triangles, and therefore sends more electrons into the TiO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E slab.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAdditional research will be needed to build on the proof of concept, which showed for the first time that the crystal symmetry of centrosymmetric materials can be broken by optical means, via asymmetric electron migrations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;To approach the practical criteria detailed on the essence of our technique, we still need to develop guidelines that tell us what combination of metal\/semiconductor material platform should be used, what shape and dimension would maximize the strength of the induced second-order nonlinear effect, and what range of laser wavelength should be used for the switching light,\u0026rdquo; Cai noted.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFrequency doubling is just one potential application for the technique, he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We believe that our findings not only provide varieties of opportunities in the field of nonlinear nanophotonics, but also will play a major role in the field of quantum electron tunneling,\u0026rdquo; Cai added. \u0026ldquo;Indeed, built upon the accumulated knowledge in this field, our group is devising new paradigms to employ the introduced symmetry breaking technique as an optical probe for monitoring the quantum tunneling of electrons in hybrid material platforms. Nowadays, achieving this challenging goal is only possible with scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) techniques, which are very slow and show low yield and sensitivity.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis work was performed in part at the Georgia Tech Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology, a member of the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure, which is supported by the National Science Foundation (Grant No. ECCS-1542174). This material is based upon work partially supported by the Office of Naval Research under Grant No. N00014-17-1-2555, by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. ECCS-1609567, and by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Solar Photochemistry Program under Grant No. DE-FG02-12ER16347. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsoring organizations.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Mohammad Taghinejad, Zihao Xu, Kyu-Tae Lee, Tianquan Lian, and Wenshan Cai, \u0026ldquo;Transient Second-Order Nonlinear Media: Breaking the Spatial Symmetry in the Time Domain via Hot-Electron Transfer.\u0026rdquo; (\u003Cem\u003EPhysical Review Letters\u003C\/em\u003E, 2020). \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1103\/PhysRevLett.124.013901\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1103\/PhysRevLett.124.013901\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have demonstrated a new all-optical technique for creating robust second-order nonlinear effects in materials that don\u0026rsquo;t normally support them. Using a laser pulse fired at an array of gold triangles on a titanium dioxide (TiO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E) slab, the researchers created excited electrons that briefly doubled the frequency of a beam from a second laser as it bounced off the amorphous TiO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E slab.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have demonstrated a new all-optical technique for creating robust second-order nonlinear effects in materials that don\u2019t normally support them."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2020-01-08 01:59:17","changed_gmt":"2020-01-08 02:04:57","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2020-01-07T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2020-01-07T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"630726":{"id":"630726","type":"image","title":"Creating nonlinear effects","body":null,"created":"1578447962","gmt_created":"2020-01-08 01:46:02","changed":"1578447962","gmt_changed":"2020-01-08 01:46:02","alt":"Red laser creates nonlinear effects in titanium dioxide","file":{"fid":"240106","name":"frequency-doubled-horizonal.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/frequency-doubled-horizonal.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/frequency-doubled-horizonal.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":654792,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/frequency-doubled-horizonal.jpg?itok=2eg9NRoD"}},"630727":{"id":"630727","type":"image","title":"Breaking Inversion Symmetry","body":null,"created":"1578448098","gmt_created":"2020-01-08 01:48:18","changed":"1578448098","gmt_changed":"2020-01-08 01:48:18","alt":"Diagram of symmetry breaking","file":{"fid":"240107","name":"breaking-inversion-symmetry.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/breaking-inversion-symmetry.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/breaking-inversion-symmetry.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":199506,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/breaking-inversion-symmetry.jpg?itok=hS86ZVti"}},"630728":{"id":"630728","type":"image","title":"Frequency doubling demonstration","body":null,"created":"1578448261","gmt_created":"2020-01-08 01:51:01","changed":"1578448261","gmt_changed":"2020-01-08 01:51:01","alt":"Researchers with laser setup","file":{"fid":"240108","name":"frequency-doubled_1288010.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/frequency-doubled_1288010.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/frequency-doubled_1288010.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":707188,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/frequency-doubled_1288010.jpg?itok=PrArviWg"}}},"media_ids":["630726","630726","630727","630728"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4260","name":"laser"},{"id":"183477","name":"frequency doubling"},{"id":"114491","name":"dielectric materials"},{"id":"183479","name":"symmetry breaking"},{"id":"91661","name":"Wenshan Cai"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"39481","name":"National Security"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"588498":{"#nid":"588498","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Nanofiber Marks Important Step In Next Generation Battery and Water Electrolysis Development","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOne of the keys to building electric cars that can travel longer distances and to powering more homes with renewable energy is developing efficient and highly capable energy storage systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMaterials researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology have created a nanofiber that could help enable the next generation of rechargeable batteries and increase the efficiency of hydrogen production from water electrolysis.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn a study that was published February 27 in \u003Cem\u003ENature Communications\u003C\/em\u003E and was sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the researchers describe the development of double perovskite nanofiber that can be used as a highly efficient catalyst in ultrafast oxygen evolution reactions \u0026ndash; one of the underlying electrochemical processes in hydrogen-based energy and the newer metal-air batteries.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Metal-air batteries, such as those that could power electric vehicles in the future, are able to store a lot of energy in a much smaller space than current batteries,\u0026rdquo; said Meilin Liu, a Regents Professor in the Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering. \u0026ldquo;The problem is that the batteries lack a cost-efficient catalyst to improve their efficiency. This new catalyst will improve that process.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPerovskite refers to the crystal structure of the catalyst the researchers used to form the nanofibers.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This unique crystal structure and the composition are vital to enabling better activity and durability for the application,\u0026rdquo; Liu said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDuring the synthetization process, the researchers used a technique called composition tuning \u0026ndash; or \u0026ldquo;co-doping\u0026rdquo; \u0026ndash; to improve the intrinsic activity of the catalyst by approximately 4.7 times. The perovskite oxide fiber made during the electrospinning process was about 20 nanometers in diameter \u0026ndash; which thus far is the thinnest diameter reported for electrospun perovskite oxide nanofibers.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers found that the new substance showed markedly enhanced oxygen evolution reaction capability when compared to existing catalysts. The new nanofiber\u0026rsquo;s mass-normalized catalytic activity improved about 72 times greater than the initial powder catalyst, and 2.5 times greater than iridium oxide, which is considered a state of the art catalyst by current standards.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat increase in catalytic activity comes in part from the larger surface area achieved with nanofibers, the researchers said. Synthesizing the perovskite structure into a nanofiber also boosted its intrinsic activity, which also improved how efficiently it worked as a catalyst for oxygen evolution reactions (OER).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This work not only represents an advancement in the development of highly efficient and durable electrocatalysts for OER but may also provide insight into the effect of nanostructures on the intrinsic OER activity,\u0026rdquo; the researchers wrote.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond its applicability in the development of rechargeable metal air batteries, the new catalyst could also represent the next step in creating more efficient fuel cell technologies that could aid in the creation of renewable energy systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Solar, wind, geothermal \u0026ndash; those are becoming very inexpensive today. But the trouble is those renewable energies are intermittent in nature,\u0026rdquo; Liu said. \u0026ldquo;When there is no wind, you have no power. But what if we could store the energy from the sun or the wind when there\u0026rsquo;s an excess supply. We can use that extra electricity to produce hydrogen and store that energy for use when we need it.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat\u0026rsquo;s where the new nanofiber catalysts could make a difference, he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;To store that energy, batteries are still very expensive,\u0026rdquo; Liu said. \u0026ldquo;We need a good catalyst in order for the water electrolysis to be efficient. This catalyst can speed up electrochemical reactions in water splitting or metal air batteries.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Nos. DMR-1410320 and TG-DMR140083. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Bote Zhao, Lei Zhang, Dongxing Zhen, Seonyoung Yoo, Yong Ding, Dongchang Chen, Yu Chen, Qiaobao Zhang, Brian Doyle, Xunhui Xiong and Meilin Liu, \u0026ldquo;A tailored double perovskite nanofiber catalyst enables ultrafast oxygen evolution,\u0026rdquo; (Nature Communications, 2017). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/ncomms14586\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/ncomms14586\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Materials researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology have created a nanofiber that could help enable the next generation of rechargeable batteries and increase the efficiency of hydrogen production from water electrolysis."}],"uid":"31758","created_gmt":"2017-03-09 16:21:52","changed_gmt":"2020-01-07 15:24:48","author":"Josh Brown","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2017-03-09T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2017-03-09T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"588547":{"id":"588547","type":"image","title":"Double perovskite nanofiber catalyst","body":null,"created":"1489096073","gmt_created":"2017-03-09 21:47:53","changed":"1489096073","gmt_changed":"2017-03-09 21:47:53","alt":"","file":{"fid":"224277","name":"Untitled-1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Untitled-1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Untitled-1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":260848,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Untitled-1.jpg?itok=xSUG-oiC"}},"588545":{"id":"588545","type":"image","title":"Meilin Liu","body":null,"created":"1489095511","gmt_created":"2017-03-09 21:38:31","changed":"1489095511","gmt_changed":"2017-03-09 21:38:31","alt":"","file":{"fid":"224276","name":"16C10206-P14-014.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/16C10206-P14-014.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/16C10206-P14-014.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":468979,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/16C10206-P14-014.jpg?itok=unKfGKmI"}}},"media_ids":["588547","588545"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"6531","name":"catalysts"},{"id":"4317","name":"fuel cells"},{"id":"13460","name":"Meilin Liu"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:john.toon@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["john.toon@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"607096":{"#nid":"607096","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Sodium- and Potassium-based Batteries Hold Promise for Cheap Energy Storage","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFrom electric cars that travel hundreds of miles on a single charge to chainsaws as mighty as gas-powered versions, new products hit the market each year that take advantage of recent advances in battery technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBut that growth has led to concerns that the world\u0026rsquo;s supply of lithium, the metal at the heart of many of the new rechargeable batteries, may eventually be depleted.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENow researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have found new evidence suggesting that batteries based on sodium and potassium hold promise as a potential alternative to lithium-based batteries.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;One of the biggest obstacles for sodium- and potassium-ion batteries has been that they tend to decay and degrade faster and hold less energy than alternatives,\u0026rdquo; said Matthew McDowell, an assistant professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and the School of Materials Science and Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;But we\u0026rsquo;ve found that\u0026rsquo;s not always the case,\u0026rdquo; he added.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor the study, which was published June 19 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EJoule\u003C\/em\u003E and was sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy, the research team looked at how three different ions \u0026ndash; lithium, sodium, and potassium \u0026ndash; reacted with particles of iron sulfide, also called pyrite and fool\u0026rsquo;s gold.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs batteries charge and discharge, ions are constantly reacting with and penetrating the particles that make up the battery electrode. This reaction process causes large volume changes in the electrode\u0026rsquo;s particles, often breaking them up into small pieces. Because sodium and potassium ions are larger than lithium, it\u0026rsquo;s traditionally been thought that they cause more significant degradation when reacting with particles.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn their experiments, the reactions that occur inside a battery were directly observed inside an electron microscope, with the iron sulfide particles playing the role of a battery electrode. The researchers found that iron sulfide was more stable during reaction with sodium and potassium than with lithium, indicating that such a battery based on sodium or potassium could have a much longer life than expected.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe difference between how the different ions reacted was stark visually. When exposed to lithium, iron sulfide particles appeared to almost explode under the electron microscope. On the contrary, the iron sulfide expanded like a balloon when exposed to the sodium and potassium.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We saw a very robust reaction with no fracture \u0026ndash; something that suggests that this material and other materials like it could be used in these novel batteries with greater stability over time,\u0026rdquo; said Matthew Boebinger, a graduate student at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study also casts doubt on the notion that large volume changes that occur during the electrochemical reaction are always a precursor to particle fracture, which causes electrode failure leading to battery degradation.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers suggested that one possible reason for the difference in how the different ions reacted with the iron sulfide is that the lithium was more likely to concentrate its reaction along the particle\u0026rsquo;s sharp cube-like edges, whereas the reaction with sodium and potassium was more diffuse along all of the surface of the iron sulfide particle. As a result, the iron sulfide particle when reacting with sodium and potassium developed a more oval shape with rounded edges.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile there\u0026rsquo;s still more work to be done, the new research findings could help scientists design battery systems that use these types of novel materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Lithium batteries are still the most attractive right now because they have the most energy density \u0026ndash; you can pack a lot of energy in that space,\u0026rdquo; McDowell said. \u0026ldquo;Sodium and potassium batteries at this point don\u0026rsquo;t have more density, but they are based on elements a thousand times more abundant in the earth\u0026rsquo;s crust than lithium. So they could be much cheaper in the future, which is important for large scale energy storage \u0026ndash; backup power for homes or the energy grid of the future.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Nos. DMR-1652471, DMR-1410936, CMMI-1554393 and ECCS-1542174, as well as the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-SC0012704. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsors.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION:\u003C\/strong\u003E Matthew G. Boebinger, David Yeh, Michael Xu, B. Casey Miles, Baolin Wang, Marc Papakyriakou, John A. Lewis, Neha P. Kondekar, Francisco Javier Quintero Cortes, Sooyeon Hwang, Xiahan Sang, Dong Su, Raymond R. Unocic, Shuman Xia, Ting Zhu, and Matthew T. McDowell, \u0026ldquo;Avoiding Fracture in a Conversion Battery Material through Reaction with Larger Ions,\u0026rdquo; (Joule, June 2018). https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.joule.2018.05.015\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have found new evidence suggesting that batteries based on sodium and potassium hold promise as a potential alternative to lithium-based batteries."}],"uid":"31758","created_gmt":"2018-06-15 17:09:05","changed_gmt":"2020-01-07 15:14:00","author":"Josh Brown","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-06-19T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2018-06-19T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"607104":{"id":"607104","type":"image","title":"Matthew Boebinger and Matthew McDowell","body":null,"created":"1529092931","gmt_created":"2018-06-15 20:02:11","changed":"1529092931","gmt_changed":"2018-06-15 20:02:11","alt":"","file":{"fid":"231573","name":"18C10200-P31-005_SM.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/18C10200-P31-005_SM.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/18C10200-P31-005_SM.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":406415,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/18C10200-P31-005_SM.jpg?itok=mQmC0odt"}},"607103":{"id":"607103","type":"image","title":"Matthew Boebinger","body":null,"created":"1529092744","gmt_created":"2018-06-15 19:59:04","changed":"1529092987","gmt_changed":"2018-06-15 20:03:07","alt":"","file":{"fid":"231572","name":"mattbSM.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mattbSM.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mattbSM.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":452832,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/mattbSM.jpg?itok=arxN2fN-"}}},"media_ids":["607104","607103"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"178305","name":"sodium batteries"},{"id":"178306","name":"lithium batteries"},{"id":"178307","name":"lithium shortage"},{"id":"143671","name":"Matthew McDowell"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:john.toon@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["john.toon@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"609148":{"#nid":"609148","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Scientist Honored for Energy Research","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0026rsquo;s been eight years since Zhong Lin Wang launched pioneering research into triboelectric nanogenerators, effectively creating an entirely new field of study into materials that produce \u0026nbsp;an electrical charge when in motion.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThis week, Wang, the Hightower Chair and Regents\u0026rsquo; Professor in the Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering, was named the winner of the Eni Award for Energy Frontiers.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe award is one of three awarded each year by the Italian-based oil and gas company Eni, which established the prize a decade ago with a goal of being similar to the Nobel prize for energy. The award \u0026nbsp;recognizes researchers who have made significant contributions to the industry.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWang\u0026rsquo;s research uncovered a new pathway to harvesting energy from a variety of sources such as wind, ocean currents or sound vibrations.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This is a great honor for me and recognition of the tremendous potential we have to capture the random mechanical energy that surrounds us every day,\u0026rdquo; Wang said. \u0026ldquo;Triboelectric nanogenerators have broad applications for harvesting energy from human activities such as rotating tires, mechanical vibration and more, with great applications in self-powered systems for personal electronics, environmental monitoring, and medical.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe triboelectric \u0026nbsp;nanogenerators, which are fabricated \u0026nbsp;from layers of plastic and metal, use a combination of the triboelectric effect and electrostatic induction to generate small amount of electrical power from mechanical motion such as rotation, sliding or vibration.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWang\u0026rsquo;s team in recent years has demonstrated the use of the triboelectric nanogenerators in applications such as a fabric that creates energy when in motion and a self-powered \u0026nbsp;computer keyboard.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWang, who joined Georgia Tech in 1995, has long focused his research into small things that make a big impact. After researching carbon nanotubes, he shifted to zinc oxide nanowires and nanobelts. The latter formed the foundation of another discovery, the piezoelectric nanogenerator, which also captures mechanical energy generated from bending the zinc oxide material.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;These self-powered nanosystems have applications not just in powering small Internet of Things devices such as wearable electronics, but also have the potential to make a significant impact in addressing societal challenges on a large scale \u0026ndash; such as using triboelectric nanogenerators to harvest energy from ocean waves, which, unlike solar energy, could be more reliable and less dependent on whether it\u0026rsquo;s day or night, or whether it\u0026rsquo;s sunny or cloudy.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe award will be presented on October 22 at the Quirinal Palace in Rome.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Zhong Lin Wang was named the winner of the Eni Award for Energy Frontiers."}],"uid":"31758","created_gmt":"2018-07-31 14:35:11","changed_gmt":"2020-01-07 15:12:53","author":"Josh Brown","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-07-31T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2018-07-31T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"455831":{"id":"455831","type":"image","title":"Zhong Lin Wang: Triboelectric nanogenerator","body":null,"created":"1449256334","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:12:14","changed":"1475895199","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:19","alt":"Zhong Lin Wang: Triboelectric nanogenerator","file":{"fid":"203474","name":"triboelectric-sliding.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/triboelectric-sliding_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/triboelectric-sliding_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":508329,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/triboelectric-sliding_0.jpg?itok=59DiHgpt"}},"455861":{"id":"455861","type":"image","title":"Zhong Lin Wang: Lighting a thousand LEDs","body":null,"created":"1449256334","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:12:14","changed":"1475895199","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:19","alt":"Zhong Lin Wang: Lighting a thousand LEDs","file":{"fid":"203477","name":"wang-triboelectric.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/wang-triboelectric_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/wang-triboelectric_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1740870,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/wang-triboelectric_0.jpg?itok=zsutDGo-"}}},"media_ids":["455831","455861"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"109001","name":"ZL Wang"},{"id":"178630","name":"eni"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:john.toon@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["john.toon@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"624498":{"#nid":"624498","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Nanoscale \u201cGlass\u201d Bottles Could Enable Targeted Drug Delivery","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETiny silica bottles filled with medicine and a special temperature-sensitive material could be used for drug delivery to kill malignant cells only in certain parts of the body, according to a study published recently by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research team devised a way to create silica-based hollow spheres around 200 nanometers in size, each with one small hole in the surface that could enable the spheres to encapsulate a wide range of payloads to be released later at certain temperatures only.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the study, which was published on June 4 in the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EAngewandte Chemie International Edition\u003C\/em\u003E, the researchers describe packing the spheres with a mixture of fatty acids, a near-infrared dye, and an anticancer drug. The fatty acids remain solid at human body temperature but melt a few degrees above. When an infrared laser is absorbed by the dye, the fatty acids will be quickly melted to release the therapeutic drug.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This new method could allow infusion therapies to target specific parts of the body and potentially negating certain side effects because the medicine is released only where there\u0026rsquo;s an elevated temperature,\u0026rdquo; said\u0026nbsp;Younan Xia, professor and Brock Family Chair in the\u0026nbsp;Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u0026nbsp;at Georgia Tech and Emory University.\u0026nbsp;\u0026ldquo;The rest of the drug remains encapsulated by the solid fatty acids inside the bottles, which are biocompatible and biodegradable.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers also showed that the size of the hole could be changed, enabling nanocapsules that release their payloads at different rates.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This approach holds great promise for medical applications that require drugs to be released in a controlled fashion and has advantages over other methods of controlled drug release,\u0026rdquo; Xia said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAn earlier method for achieving controlled drug release involves loading the temperature-sensitive material into low-density lipoproteins, which is often referred to as \u0026ldquo;bad cholesterol.\u0026rdquo; Another method involves loading the mixture into gold nanocages. Both have disadvantages in how the material used to encapsulate the drugs interact with the body, according to the study.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETo make the silica-based bottles, the research team started by fabricating spheres out of polystyrene with a small gold nanoparticle embedded in its surface. The spheres are then coated with a silica-based material everywhere except where the gold nanoparticle is embedded. Once the gold and polystyrene are removed, only a hollow silica sphere with a small opening remains. To adjust the size of the opening, the researchers simply changed the size of the gold nanoparticle.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe process to load the bottles with their payload involves soaking the spheres in a solution containing the mixture, removing the trapped air, then washing away the excess material and payload with water. The resulting nanocapsules contain an even mixture of the temperature-sensitive material, the therapeutic drug, and the dye.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETo test the release mechanism, the researchers then put the nanocapsules in water and used a near-infrared laser to heat the dye while tracking the concentration of the released therapeutic. The test confirmed that without the use of the laser, the medicine remains encapsulated. After several minutes of heating, concentrations of the therapeutic rose in the water.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This controlled release system enables us to deal with the adverse impacts associated with most chemotherapeutics by only releasing the drug at a dosage above the toxic level inside the diseased site,\u0026rdquo; said Jichuan Qiu, a postdoctoral fellow in the Xia group.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported by the National Science Foundation under grant No. ECCS-1542174 through the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure. The work was also supported by the China Scholarship Council through a graduate student fellowship. The content is the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the sponsoring agencies.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: \u0026nbsp;Jichuan Qiu, Da Huo, Jiajia Xue, Guanghui Zhu, Hong Lui, and Younan Xia, \u0026ldquo;Encapsulation of a Phase-Change Material in Nanocapsules with a Well-Defined Hole in the Wall for the Controlled Release of Drugs,\u0026rdquo; (Angewandte Chemie International Edition, July 2019).\u0026nbsp;http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1002\/anie.201904549\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Tiny silica bottles filled with medicine and a special temperature-sensitive material could be used for drug delivery to kill malignant cells only in certain parts of the body."}],"uid":"31758","created_gmt":"2019-08-14 15:40:29","changed_gmt":"2020-01-07 15:04:57","author":"Josh Brown","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2019-08-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2019-08-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"624512":{"id":"624512","type":"image","title":"Silica nanocapsules","body":null,"created":"1565802676","gmt_created":"2019-08-14 17:11:16","changed":"1565802766","gmt_changed":"2019-08-14 17:12:46","alt":"","file":{"fid":"237805","name":"1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/1_3.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/1_3.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1889222,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/1_3.jpg?itok=zQQU1H0-"}},"624491":{"id":"624491","type":"image","title":"Jichuan Qiu","body":null,"created":"1565795943","gmt_created":"2019-08-14 15:19:03","changed":"1565799613","gmt_changed":"2019-08-14 16:20:13","alt":"","file":{"fid":"237796","name":"20C10200-P1-012_sm.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/20C10200-P1-012_sm.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/20C10200-P1-012_sm.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1244546,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/20C10200-P1-012_sm.jpg?itok=xyVkLbQn"}},"624485":{"id":"624485","type":"image","title":"Jichuan Qiu and Younan Xia","body":null,"created":"1565793840","gmt_created":"2019-08-14 14:44:00","changed":"1565795965","gmt_changed":"2019-08-14 15:19:25","alt":"","file":{"fid":"237793","name":"20C10200-P1-013_sm.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/20C10200-P1-013_sm.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/20C10200-P1-013_sm.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1466057,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/20C10200-P1-013_sm.jpg?itok=g5BGU0Q5"}},"624507":{"id":"624507","type":"image","title":"Jichuan Qiu","body":null,"created":"1565799591","gmt_created":"2019-08-14 16:19:51","changed":"1565799591","gmt_changed":"2019-08-14 16:19:51","alt":"","file":{"fid":"237803","name":"20C10200-P1-004sm.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/20C10200-P1-004sm.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/20C10200-P1-004sm.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1043704,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/20C10200-P1-004sm.jpg?itok=zGP-gbnP"}}},"media_ids":["624512","624491","624485","624507"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"182009","name":"nanocapsules"},{"id":"24841","name":"Younan Xia"},{"id":"8084","name":"Cancer treatment"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:john.toon@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["john.toon@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"627157":{"#nid":"627157","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Architected Material Shape-Changes to Tune Its Qualities","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELike Transformers, toy cars that change into robots and back, researchers have made a material that can transform its deep structure at the flick of a switch to take on different physical properties. Or it can transition smoothly between those properties.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EArchitected materials are comprised of micron and nanoscale structures like crossbeams, arches, domes, and spirals, much like the elements of a building\u0026rsquo;s architecture. Researchers from the California Institute of Technology, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and ETH Zurich have made an architected material that shifts the shapes of these structures.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen a slight current is applied, nanoscale beams thicken and bend into arches that increasingly bow as the current is boosted. The material maintains the new shape even when the current is off, and the shape can be changed back by reversing the current. Both are novel characteristics.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMost materials that are designed to change their internal structure require a persistent external stimulus to remain in the new form. The new nanomaterial deforms through an electrochemical silicon-lithium alloy reaction that holds its form without applied current.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study\u0026rsquo;s authors describe the material and its variable properties in detail in a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41586-019-1538-z\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Estudy published in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E on Sept. 12, 2019. The research was funded by the Office of Naval Research and the National Science Foundation.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBattery chemistry\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;At the core of this accomplishment, you\u0026rsquo;re changing the geometry not by a little, which would be easy to do, but by a lot and variably, which is hard. And you\u0026rsquo;re doing it by electrochemistry that works the way a battery does,\u0026rdquo; said Claudio Di Leo, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/people\/claudio-vinicius-di-leo\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ean assistant professor in the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering at Georgia Tech\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDi Leo\u0026rsquo;s team modeled the architectures\u0026rsquo; nanoscale mechanics, which are driven by lithium ions and silicon, for the research, which was led by \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/ms.caltech.edu\/people\/jrgreer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECaltech materials science professor Julia Greer\u003C\/a\u003E. Her lab then created the material using an innovative ultra-high-resolution 3D printing process called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=mdup3w7DCZE\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Etwo-photon lithography\u003C\/a\u003E and tested it.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Csup\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E[Ready for graduate school?\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gradadmiss.gatech.edu\/apply-now\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHere\u0026#39;s how to apply to Georgia Tech.\u003C\/a\u003E]\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/sup\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EArchitectures of this class of materials can be periodic \u0026ndash; uniformly tiled or stitched like a lattice \u0026ndash; or non-periodic, that is, a tailored knit that molds physical properties. They can also be applied creatively, as the study\u0026rsquo;s first author, Caltech graduate research assistant Xiaoxing Xia, demonstrated by working structural \u0026ldquo;defects\u0026rdquo; into the material. The defects formed Caltech\u0026rsquo;s logo when current was applied.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The most intriguing part of this work to me is the critical role of defects in such dynamically responsive architected materials,\u0026rdquo; Xia said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;I have always had a particular liking for defects, and this time Xiaoxing managed to first uncover the effect of different types of defects on these metamaterials and then used them to program a particular pattern that would emerge in response to electrochemical stimulus,\u0026rdquo; Greer said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the future, materials like this could make batteries and other energy storage devices lighter, safer, and more durable. Also, waves of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/phonon\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ephonons\u003C\/a\u003E \u0026ndash; special excitations in certain materials that help determine their conductivity \u0026ndash; propagate through one architecture in the material, but then the shift in architecture blocks the waves. This was not the study\u0026rsquo;s main achievement, but still a promising feature and possible opportunity for expanded research.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlso READ: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rh.gatech.edu\/news\/609792\/matrix-delivers-healing-stem-cells-injured-elderly-muscles\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENanohydrogel\u0026nbsp;Delivers Healing Stem Cells to Injured Elderly Muscles\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECoauthors include Caltech postdoctoral researcher Carlos Portela, as well as Arman Afshar of Georgia Tech, and Dennis M. Kochmann of ETH Zurich in Switzerland. The research was funded by the Vannevar-Bush Faculty Fellowship, the Office of Naval Research, and the National Science Foundation (grant CMMI-1825132). Any findings, conclusions or recommendations are those of the authors and not necessarily of the funding agencies.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECalTech media relations contact:\u003C\/strong\u003E Robert Perkins, rperkins@caltech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech media relations contact:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EBen Brumfield, ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A flick of a switch, and this new architected material changes shape and holds it until new current reverses it."}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2019-10-04 14:31:14","changed_gmt":"2019-10-04 14:43:04","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2019-10-04T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2019-10-04T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"627156":{"id":"627156","type":"image","title":"Special electron microscope view of changing architected material","body":null,"created":"1570198827","gmt_created":"2019-10-04 14:20:27","changed":"1570199772","gmt_changed":"2019-10-04 14:36:12","alt":"","file":{"fid":"238798","name":"nano.bending.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nano.bending.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nano.bending.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1509459,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/nano.bending.png?itok=MtRTaoVS"}},"627154":{"id":"627154","type":"image","title":"Architected material changes, maintains and reverses shape","body":null,"created":"1570198361","gmt_created":"2019-10-04 14:12:41","changed":"1570199865","gmt_changed":"2019-10-04 14:37:45","alt":"","file":{"fid":"238796","name":"overview.nano_.move_.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/overview.nano_.move_.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/overview.nano_.move_.png","mime":"image\/png","size":4570612,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/overview.nano_.move_.png?itok=7pT3ftzN"}}},"media_ids":["627156","627154"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"182584","name":"architected material"},{"id":"142571","name":"lithium"},{"id":"167355","name":"silicon"},{"id":"2843","name":"Caltech"},{"id":"46201","name":"3D Nanolithography"},{"id":"2285","name":"nanolithography"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"627106":{"#nid":"627106","#data":{"type":"news","title":"3D Printing Technique Accelerates Nanoscale Fabrication a Thousandfold","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing a new time-based method to control light from an ultrafast laser, researchers have developed a nanoscale 3D printing technique that can fabricate tiny structures a thousand times faster than conventional two-photon lithography (TPL) techniques, without sacrificing resolution.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDespite the high throughput, the new parallelized technique \u0026mdash; known as femtosecond projection TPL (FP-TPL) \u0026mdash; produces depth resolution of 175 nanometers, which is better than established methods and can fabricate structures with 90-degree overhangs that can\u0026rsquo;t currently be made. The technique could lead to manufacturing-scale production of bioscaffolds, flexible electronics, electrochemical interfaces, micro-optics, mechanical and optical metamaterials, and other functional micro- and nanostructures.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe work, reported Oct. 3 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E, was done by researchers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and The Chinese University of Hong Kong. \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/saha\u0022\u003ESourabh Saha\u003C\/a\u003E, the paper\u0026rsquo;s lead and corresponding author, is now an assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EExisting nanoscale additive manufacturing techniques use a single spot of high-intensity light \u0026mdash; typically around 700 to 800 nanometers in diameter \u0026mdash; to convert photopolymer materials from liquids to solids. Because the point must scan through the entire structure being fabricated, the existing TPL technique can require many hours to produce complex 3D structures, which limits its ability to be scaled up for practical applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Instead of using a single point of light, we project a million points simultaneously,\u0026rdquo; said Saha. \u0026ldquo;This scales up the process dramatically because instead of working with a single point that has to be scanned to create the structure, we can use an entire plane of projected light. Instead of focusing a single point, we have an entire focused plane that can be patterned into arbitrary structures.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETo create a million points, the researchers use a digital mask similar to those used in projectors to create images and videos. In this case, the mask controls a femtosecond laser to create the desired light pattern in the precursor liquid polymer material. The high-intensity light causes a polymerization reaction that turns the liquid to solid, where desired, to create 3D structures.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEach layer of the fabricated structure is formed by a 35-femtosecond burst of high-intensity light. The projector and mask are then used to create layer after layer until the entire structure is produced. The liquid polymer is then removed, leaving behind the solid. The FP-TPL technique allows the researchers to produce in eight minutes a structure that would take several hours to produce using earlier processes.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The parallel two-photon system that has been developed is a breakthrough in nanoscale printing that will enable the remarkable performance in materials and structures at this size scale to be realized in usable components,\u0026rdquo; said LLNL\u0026rsquo;s Center for Engineered Materials and Manufacturing Director Chris Spadaccini.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUnlike consumer 3D printing that uses particles sprayed onto a surface, the new technique goes deep into the liquid precursor, allowing the fabrication of structures that could not be produced with surface fabrication alone. For instance, the technique can produce what Saha calls an \u0026ldquo;impossible bridge\u0026rdquo; with 90-degree overhangs and with more than a 1,000:1 aspect ratio of length to feature size. \u0026ldquo;We can project the light to any depth that we want in the material, so we can make suspended 3D structures,\u0026rdquo; he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers have printed suspended structures a millimeter long between bases that are smaller than 100 microns by 100 microns. The structure doesn\u0026rsquo;t collapse while being fabricated because the liquid and solid are about the same density \u0026mdash; and the production happens so quickly that the liquid doesn\u0026rsquo;t have time to be disturbed.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond bridges, the researchers made a variety of structures chosen to demonstrate the technique, including micro-pillars, cuboids, log-piles, wires and spirals. The researchers used conventional polymer precursors, but Saha believes the technique would also work for metals and ceramics that can be generated from precursor polymers.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The real application for this would be in industrial-scale production of small devices that may be integrated into larger products, such as components in smartphones,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;The next step is to demonstrate that we can print with other materials to expand the material palette.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch groups have been working for years to accelerate the two-photon lithography process used to produce nanoscale 3D structures. The success of this group came from adopting a different way of focusing the light, using its time-domain properties, which allowed production of very thin light sheets capable of high resolution \u0026mdash; and tiny features.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUse of the femtosecond laser allowed the research team to maintain enough light intensity to trigger the two-photon process polymerization while keeping the point sizes thin. In the FP-TPL technique, the femtosecond pulses are stretched and compressed as they pass through the optical system to implement temporal focusing. The process, which can generate 3D features smaller than the diffraction-limited, focused light spot, requires that two photons hit the liquid precursor molecules simultaneously.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Traditionally, there are tradeoffs between speed and resolution,\u0026rdquo; Saha said. \u0026ldquo;If you want a faster process, you would lose resolution. We have broken this engineering tradeoff, allowing us to print a thousand times faster with the smallest of features.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAt Georgia Tech, Saha intends to continue advancing the work with new materials and further scale-up of the process.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;So far, we have shown that we can do pretty well on speed and resolution,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;The next questions will be how well we can predict the features and how well we can control the quality over large scales. That will require more work to understand the process itself.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Sourabh K. Saha, Dien Wang, Vu H. Nguyen, Yina Chang, James S. Oakdale, Shih-Chi Chen, \u0026ldquo;Scalable submicrometer additive manufacturing.\u0026rdquo; (Science 2019). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1126\/science.aax8760\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1126\/science.aax8760\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing a new time-based method to control light from an ultrafast laser, researchers have developed a nanoscale 3D printing technique that can fabricate tiny structures a thousand times faster than conventional two-photon lithography (TPL) techniques, without sacrificing resolution.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new 3D-printing technique can create nanoscale structures a thousand times faster than current processes."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2019-10-03 16:45:45","changed_gmt":"2019-10-03 17:39:19","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2019-10-03T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2019-10-03T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"627101":{"id":"627101","type":"image","title":"Cuboid and penny","body":null,"created":"1570120092","gmt_created":"2019-10-03 16:28:12","changed":"1570120092","gmt_changed":"2019-10-03 16:28:12","alt":"Image showing a cuboid with a penny","file":{"fid":"238775","name":"cuboid_penny.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cuboid_penny.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cuboid_penny.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":252076,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/cuboid_penny.jpg?itok=TyWtlnnB"}},"627104":{"id":"627104","type":"image","title":"Micropillar forest","body":null,"created":"1570120355","gmt_created":"2019-10-03 16:32:35","changed":"1570120355","gmt_changed":"2019-10-03 16:32:35","alt":"Micropillar forest","file":{"fid":"238777","name":"micropillar_forest.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/micropillar_forest.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/micropillar_forest.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":270521,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/micropillar_forest.jpg?itok=sY4nf8iT"}},"627102":{"id":"627102","type":"image","title":"Nanoscale ring strucuture","body":null,"created":"1570120227","gmt_created":"2019-10-03 16:30:27","changed":"1570120227","gmt_changed":"2019-10-03 16:30:27","alt":"Nanoscale ring structure","file":{"fid":"238776","name":"ring_structure.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ring_structure.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ring_structure.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":366034,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ring_structure.jpg?itok=IT3g0uY3"}},"627105":{"id":"627105","type":"image","title":"3D Printed Cantilever","body":null,"created":"1570120484","gmt_created":"2019-10-03 16:34:44","changed":"1570120484","gmt_changed":"2019-10-03 16:34:44","alt":"3D printed cantilever","file":{"fid":"238778","name":"cantilever.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cantilever.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cantilever.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":345358,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/cantilever.jpg?itok=jmOXvpyu"}}},"media_ids":["627101","627104","627102","627105"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"13351","name":"3d printing"},{"id":"57171","name":"additive manufacturing"},{"id":"182565","name":"femtosecond"},{"id":"431","name":"nanoscale"},{"id":"182567","name":"two-photon lithography"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404-894-6986)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"623453":{"#nid":"623453","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Tiny Vibration-Powered Robots Are the Size of the World\u2019s Smallest Ant","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have created a new type of tiny 3D-printed robot that moves by harnessing vibration from piezoelectric actuators, ultrasound sources or even tiny speakers. Swarms of these \u0026ldquo;micro-bristle-bots\u0026rdquo; might work together to sense environmental changes, move materials \u0026ndash; or perhaps one day repair injuries inside the human body.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe prototype robots respond to different vibration frequencies depending on their configurations, allowing researchers to control individual bots by adjusting the vibration. Approximately two millimeters long \u0026ndash; about the size of the world\u0026rsquo;s smallest ant \u0026ndash; the bots can cover four times their own length in a second despite the physical limitations of their small size.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We are working to make the technology robust, and we have a lot of potential applications in mind,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff-directory\/azadeh-ansari\u0022\u003EAzadeh Ansari\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u0026ldquo;We are working at the intersection of mechanics, electronics, biology and physics. It\u0026rsquo;s a very rich area and there\u0026rsquo;s a lot of room for multidisciplinary concepts.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA paper describing the micro-bristle-bots has been accepted for publication in the \u003Cem\u003EJournal of Micromechanics and Microengineering\u003C\/em\u003E. The research was supported by a seed grant from Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology. In addition to Ansari, the research team includes George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering Associate Professor Jun Ueda and graduate students DeaGyu Kim and Zhijian (Chris) Hao.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe micro-bristle-bots consist of a piezoelectric actuator glued onto a polymer body that is 3D-printed using two-photon polymerization lithography (TPP). The actuator generates vibration and is powered externally because no batteries are small enough to fit onto the bot. The vibrations can also come from a piezoelectric shaker beneath the surface on which the robots move, from an ultrasound\/sonar source, or even from a tiny acoustic speaker.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe vibrations move the springy legs up and down, propelling the micro-bot forward. Each robot can be designed to respond to different vibration frequencies depending on leg size, diameter, design and overall geometry. The amplitude of the vibrations controls the speed at which the micro-bots move.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;As the micro-bristle-bots move up and down, the vertical motion is translated into a directional movement by optimizing the design of the legs, which look like bristles,\u0026rdquo; explained Ansari. \u0026ldquo;The legs of the micro-robot are designed with specific angles that allow them to bend and move in one direction in resonant response to the vibration.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe micro-bristle-bots are made in a 3D printer using the TPP process, a technique that polymerizes a monomer resin material. Once the portion of the resin block struck by the ultraviolet light has been chemically developed, the remainder can be washed away, leaving the desired robotic structure.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s writing rather than traditional lithography,\u0026rdquo; Ansari explained. \u0026ldquo;You are left with the structure that you write with a laser on the resin material. The process now takes quite a while, so we are looking at ways to scale it up to make hundreds or thousands of micro-bots at a time.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESome of the robots have four legs, while others have six. First author DeaGyu Kim made hundreds of the tiny structures to determine the ideal configuration.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe piezoelectric actuators, which use the material lead zirconate titanate (PZT), vibrate when electric voltage is applied to them. In reverse, they can also be used to generate a voltage, when they are vibrated, a capability the micro-bristle-bots could use to power up onboard sensors when they are actuated by external vibrations.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAnsari and her team are working to add steering capability to the robots by joining two slightly different micro-bristle-bots together. Because each of the joined micro-bots would respond to different vibration frequencies, the combination could be steered by varying the frequencies and amplitudes. \u0026ldquo;Once you have a fully steerable micro-robot, you can imagine doing a lot of interesting things,\u0026rdquo; she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOther researchers have worked on micro-robots that use magnetic fields to produce movement, Ansari noted. While that is useful for moving entire swarms at once, magnetic forces cannot easily be used to address individual robots within a swarm. The micro-bristle-bots created by Ansari and her team are believed to be the smallest robots powered by vibration.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe micro-bristle-bots are approximately two millimeters in length, 1.8 millimeters wide and 0.8 millimeters thick, and weigh about five milligrams. The 3D printer can produce smaller robots, but with a reduced mass, the adhesion forces between the tiny devices and a surface can get very large. Sometimes, the micro-bots cannot be separated from the tweezers used to pick them up.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAnsari and her team have built a \u0026ldquo;playground\u0026rdquo; in which multiple micro-bots can move around as the researchers learn more about what they can do. They are also interested in developing micro-bots that can jump and swim.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We can look at the collective behavior of ants, for example, and apply what we learn from them to our little robots,\u0026rdquo; she added. \u0026ldquo;These micro-bristle-bots walk nicely in a laboratory environment, but there is a lot more we will have to do before they can go out into the outside world.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe micro-bot fabrication was performed at the Georgia Tech Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology, a member of the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure, which is supported by the National Science Foundation through grant ECCS-1542173.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: DeaGyu Kim, Zhijian Hao, Jun Ueda and Azadeh Ansari, \u0026ldquo;A 5mg micro-bristle-bot fabricated by two-photon lithography\u0026rdquo; (\u003Cem\u003EJournal of Micromechanics and Microengineering\u003C\/em\u003E, 2019). \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1088\/1361-6439\/ab309b\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1088\/1361-6439\/ab309b\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have created a new type of tiny 3D-printed robot that moves by harnessing vibration from piezoelectric actuators, ultrasound sources or even tiny speakers. Swarms of these \u0026ldquo;micro-bristle-bots\u0026rdquo; might work together to sense environmental changes, move materials \u0026ndash; or perhaps one day repair injuries inside the human body.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The size of an ant, the micro-bristle-bot moves by harnessing vibration."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2019-07-16 20:24:50","changed_gmt":"2019-07-16 20:27:46","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2019-07-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2019-07-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"623446":{"id":"623446","type":"image","title":"Micro-bristle-bot with penny","body":null,"created":"1563307246","gmt_created":"2019-07-16 20:00:46","changed":"1563307246","gmt_changed":"2019-07-16 20:00:46","alt":"Micro-bristle-bot shown with a penny","file":{"fid":"237437","name":"bristle-bot-011.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bristle-bot-011.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bristle-bot-011.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":703772,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/bristle-bot-011.jpg?itok=xxULuRzr"}},"623447":{"id":"623447","type":"image","title":"Micro-bristle-bot close-up","body":null,"created":"1563307421","gmt_created":"2019-07-16 20:03:41","changed":"1563307421","gmt_changed":"2019-07-16 20:03:41","alt":"Close-up of micro-bristle bot robot","file":{"fid":"237438","name":"bristle-bot-008.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bristle-bot-008.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bristle-bot-008.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":209254,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/bristle-bot-008.jpg?itok=pHgMQYVx"}},"623448":{"id":"623448","type":"image","title":"Micro-bristle-bot with penny-vert","body":null,"created":"1563307543","gmt_created":"2019-07-16 20:05:43","changed":"1563307543","gmt_changed":"2019-07-16 20:05:43","alt":"Micro-bristle-bot shown with a penny","file":{"fid":"237439","name":"bristle-bot-012.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bristle-bot-012.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bristle-bot-012.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":471043,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/bristle-bot-012.jpg?itok=dNcVuLoq"}},"623452":{"id":"623452","type":"image","title":"Micro-bristle-bot team","body":null,"created":"1563308009","gmt_created":"2019-07-16 20:13:29","changed":"1563308009","gmt_changed":"2019-07-16 20:13:29","alt":"Micro-bristle-bot research team","file":{"fid":"237443","name":"bristle-bot-007.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bristle-bot-007.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bristle-bot-007.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":681358,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/bristle-bot-007.jpg?itok=ltwFdFdf"}},"623449":{"id":"623449","type":"image","title":"Testing a micro-bristle-bot","body":null,"created":"1563307674","gmt_created":"2019-07-16 20:07:54","changed":"1563307674","gmt_changed":"2019-07-16 20:07:54","alt":"Testing a micro-bristle-bot","file":{"fid":"237440","name":"bristle-bot-005.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bristle-bot-005.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bristle-bot-005.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":495744,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/bristle-bot-005.jpg?itok=Bz3SKlhC"}},"623451":{"id":"623451","type":"image","title":"Microscope image of micro-bristle-bot","body":null,"created":"1563307896","gmt_created":"2019-07-16 20:11:36","changed":"1563307896","gmt_changed":"2019-07-16 20:11:36","alt":"Micro-bristle-bot with penny under microscope","file":{"fid":"237442","name":"bristle-bot-009.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bristle-bot-009.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bristle-bot-009.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":523183,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/bristle-bot-009.jpg?itok=BDG5hC3Y"}}},"media_ids":["623446","623447","623448","623452","623449","623451"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"181741","name":"micro-bristle-bot"},{"id":"13895","name":"Vibration"},{"id":"1356","name":"robot"},{"id":"179119","name":"3D printed"},{"id":"7699","name":"piezoelectric"},{"id":"175301","name":"Azadeh Ansari"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"622944":{"#nid":"622944","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Tiny Supersonic Jet Injector Accelerates Nanoscale Additive Manufacturing","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBy energizing precursor molecules using a tiny, high-energy supersonic jet of inert gas, researchers have dramatically accelerated the fabrication of nanometer scale structures. The rapid additive manufacturing technique also allows them to produce structures with high aspect ratios. Now, a theory developed to describe the technique could lead to new applications for additive nanomanufacturing and new nanoscale materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBased on focused electron beam deposition, the technique allows structures to be fabricated from gas-phase precursors at rates approaching what could be expected in the liquid phase \u0026ndash; all without raising the temperature of substrates. That could lead to manufacturing of the nanometer-scale structures at rates that could make them practical for use in magnetic memory, high-frequency antennas, quantum communication devices, spintronics and atomic-scale resonators.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We are controlling matter on the atomic scale to bring about new modes of additive manufacturing,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/fedorov\u0022\u003EAndrei Fedorov\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u0026ldquo;This new science could bring about additive manufacturing applications that might otherwise be impossible. The resulting new technology will open up new dimensions for additive manufacturing at the atomic scale.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe work grew out of frustration with trying to create small structures using the electron beams, which can be just a few nanometers in diameter. The research was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy\u0026rsquo;s Office of Science, and was reported May 28 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EPhysical Chemistry Chemical Physics\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;When we went to the lab to use nanofabrication with focused electron beams, which are the size of a few nanometers, we could not grow structures that were just a few nanometers. They grew to be 50 or 100 nanometers,\u0026rdquo; Fedorov explained. \u0026ldquo;And it also took a long time to produce the structures, which meant that, without improvements, we\u0026rsquo;d never be able to produce them at high volume.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFedorov and collaborators Matthew Henry and Songkil Kim realized the reactions producing the structures were slow, and tied to the thermodynamic state of the substrate on which they are being grown. They decided to add some energy to the process to speed things up \u0026ndash; as much as a hundred times faster.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe result was the invention of a micro-capillary injector just a few micrometers in diameter that could introduce tiny jets of gaseous molecules into the deposition chamber to activate the precursors for the nanometer-scale structures. Partly because the jet is entering a vacuum chamber, the gas accelerates to supersonic speeds. Energy from the supersonic jet excites the precursor molecules that are adsorbed to the substrate.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This energetic thermal state allows the electrons from the beam to much more easily break chemical bonds, and as a result, structures grow much faster,\u0026rdquo; Fedorov said. \u0026ldquo;All of this amplification, both the molecule transport and the rate of reaction, are exponential, meaning a small change can lead to a dramatic increase in outcome.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat much has been observed experimentally, but to understand how to control the process and expand its applications, the researchers wanted to create a theory for what they were seeing. They used nano-scale thermometric techniques to measure the temperature of the adsorbed atoms \u0026ndash; also known as adatoms \u0026ndash; subjected to the jet, and used that information to help understand the basic physics at work.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Once we have a model, it essentially becomes a design tool,\u0026rdquo; Fedorov said. \u0026ldquo;With this understanding and the capabilities we have demonstrated, we can expand them to other fields such as directed self-assembly, epitaxial growth and other areas. This could enable a whole host of new capabilities to use this kind of direct-write nanofabrication.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDevelopment of the model and understanding of the first-principles physics behind it could also allow other researchers to find new applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;With this, you can have almost the same order of magnitude growth rate as you\u0026rsquo;d have with liquid phase precursors, but still have access to the richness of possible precursors, the ability to manipulate alloying, and all the experience that has been developed over the years with gas phase deposition,\u0026rdquo; Fedorov said. \u0026ldquo;This technology will allow us to do things at a scale that is meaningful from a practical standpoint and cost-effective.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe ability to rapidly produce small, three-dimensional structures could open up a range of new applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;If you can adapt additive direct-write techniques, this could bring a lot of unique capabilities for magnetic memory, superconducting materials, quantum devices, 3D electronic circuitry, and many more things,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;These structures are currently very hard to make using conventional methods.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond using the jets to accelerate deposition of precursor materials already on the substrate, the researchers have also created hybrid jets that contain both high-energy inert gas and precursor gases, which allow not only dramatic acceleration of nanostructure growth but also precisely control the material composition during growth. In future work, the researchers plan to use these hybrid approaches to enable formation of nanostructures with phase and topology that cannot be achieved by any existing nanofabrication techniques.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences (BES), under Award #DE-SC0010729.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Matthew R. Henry, Songkil Kim and Andrei G. Fedorov, \u0026ldquo;Non-equilibrium adatom thermal state enables rapid additive nanomanufacturing.\u0026rdquo; (Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 2019) \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1039\/c9cp01478k\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1039\/c9cp01478k\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBy energizing precursor molecules using a tiny, high-energy supersonic jet of inert gas, researchers have dramatically accelerated the fabrication of nanometer scale structures. The rapid additive manufacturing technique also allows them to produce structures with high aspect ratios. Now, a theory developed to describe the technique could lead to new applications for additive nanomanufacturing and new nanoscale materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"By energizing precursor molecules, researchers have dramatically accelerated the fabrication of nanometer scale structures."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2019-07-02 17:14:40","changed_gmt":"2019-07-02 17:15:58","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2019-07-02T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2019-07-02T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"622941":{"id":"622941","type":"image","title":"Density of supersonic gas jet","body":null,"created":"1562087034","gmt_created":"2019-07-02 17:03:54","changed":"1562087034","gmt_changed":"2019-07-02 17:03:54","alt":"Image shows the density of the gas jet","file":{"fid":"237232","name":"Density.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Density.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Density.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1447857,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Density.png?itok=If68k6Qj"}},"622943":{"id":"622943","type":"image","title":"RTD image","body":null,"created":"1562087153","gmt_created":"2019-07-02 17:05:53","changed":"1562087153","gmt_changed":"2019-07-02 17:05:53","alt":"resistive thermal device image","file":{"fid":"237233","name":"RTD Colorized.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/RTD%20Colorized.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/RTD%20Colorized.png","mime":"image\/png","size":5252531,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/RTD%20Colorized.png?itok=Ng1Uu68P"}}},"media_ids":["622941","622943"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7690","name":"nanomanufacturing"},{"id":"57171","name":"additive manufacturing"},{"id":"431","name":"nanoscale"},{"id":"1692","name":"materials"},{"id":"2781","name":"Andrei Fedorov"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"593815":{"#nid":"593815","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Brain-Mimicking Nanomaterials for A.I. Retina Receive $7 Million Research Grant","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA future android brain like that of Star Trek\u0026rsquo;s Commander Data might contain neuristors, multi-circuit components that emulate the firings of human neurons.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.nature.com\/nmat\/journal\/v12\/n2\/full\/nmat3510.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENeuristors\u003C\/a\u003E already exist today in labs, in small quantities, and to fuel the quest to boost neuristors\u0026rsquo; power and numbers for practical use in brain-like computing, the U.S. Department of Defense has awarded a $7.1 million grant to a research team led by the Georgia Institute of Technology. The researchers will mainly expand work on new metal oxide materials that buzz electronically at the nanoscale to emulate the way human neural networks buzz with electric potential on a cellular level.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBut to walk expectations back from \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/memory-alpha.wikia.com\/wiki\/Positronic_brain\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ethe distant sci-fi future\u003C\/a\u003E into the scientific present: The research team has developed\u0026nbsp;neuristor materials to build, for now, an intelligent light sensor, and not some artificial version of the human brain, which would require hundreds of trillions of circuits.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We\u0026rsquo;re not going to reach circuit complexities of that magnitude, not even a tenth,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff-directory\/william-alan-doolittle\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAlan Doolittle, a professor at Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;Also, currently science doesn\u0026rsquo;t really know yet very well how the human brain works, so we can\u0026rsquo;t duplicate it.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIntelligent retina\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBut an artificial retina that can learn autonomously appears well within reach of the research team from Georgia Tech and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.binghamton.edu\/physics\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EBinghamton University\u003C\/a\u003E. Despite the term \u0026ldquo;retina,\u0026rdquo; the development is not\u0026nbsp;a medical implant, but it could be used in advanced image recognition cameras for national defense and police work.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAt the same time, it significantly advances brain-mimicking, or neuromorphic, computing. The research field that takes its cues from what science already does know about how the brain computes to develop exponentially more powerful computing.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe retina is\u0026nbsp;comprised of an array of\u0026nbsp;neuristors, which combines the words \u0026ldquo;neuron\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;transistor\u0026rdquo; to refer to ultracompact circuits. The neuristors sense light, compute an image out of it and store the image. All three of the functions would occur simultaneously and nearly instantaneously.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The same device senses, computes and stores the image,\u0026rdquo; Doolittle said. \u0026ldquo;The device is the sensor, and it\u0026rsquo;s the processor, and it\u0026rsquo;s the memory all at the same time.\u0026rdquo; A neuristor itself is comprised in part of devices called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Memristor\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ememristors\u003C\/a\u003E inspired by the way human neurons work.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/features\/cosmos-cranium\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E[Also READ\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cem\u003E:\u003C\/em\u003E The Brain, Cosmos in the Cranium -- brain research in a nutshell]\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrain vs. PC\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat cuts out loads of processing and memory lag time that are inherent in traditional computing.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETake the device you\u0026rsquo;re reading this article on: Its microprocessor has to tap a separate memory component to get data, then do some processing, tap memory again for more data, process some more, etc. \u0026ldquo;That back-and-forth from memory to microprocessor has \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/whatis.techtarget.com\/definition\/von-Neumann-bottleneck\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ecreated a bottleneck\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026rdquo; Doolittle said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA neuristor array breaks the bottleneck by emulating the extreme flexibility of biological nervous systems: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/georgia_tech\/the-brain-cosmos-in-the-cranium-part-2-neurons-compute\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWhen a brain \u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/georgia_tech\/the-brain-cosmos-in-the-cranium-part-2-neurons-compute\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ecomputes\u003C\/a\u003E, it uses a broad set of neural pathways that flash with enormous data. Then, later, to compute the same thing again, it will use quite different neural paths.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETraditional computer pathways, by contrast, are hardwired. For example, look at a present-day processor and you\u0026rsquo;ll see lines etched into it. Those are pathways that computational signals are limited to.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new memristor materials at the heart of the neuristor are not etched, and signals flow through the surface very freely, more like they do through the brain, exponentially increasing the number of possible pathways computation can take. That helps the new intelligent retina compute powerfully and swiftly.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETerrorists, missing children\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe retina\u0026rsquo;s memory could also store thousands of photos, allowing it to immediately match up what it sees with the saved images. The retina could pinpoint known terror suspects in a crowd, find missing children, or identify enemy aircraft virtually instantaneously, without having to trawl databases to correctly identify what is in the images.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIt could even autonomously learn to extrapolate further information, like calculating the third dimension of a face out of data from a two-dimensional image. Even if you take away the optics, the new neuristor arrays still advance \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/av\/technology-34224406\/what-is-artificial-intelligence\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eartificial intelligence\u003C\/a\u003E. Instead of light, a surface of neuristors could absorb massive data streams at once, compute them, store them, and compare them to patterns of other data, immediately.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It will work with anything that has a repetitive pattern like radar signatures, for example,\u0026rdquo; Doolittle said. \u0026ldquo;Right now, that\u0026rsquo;s too challenging to compute, because radar information is flying out at such a high data rate that no computer can even think about keeping up.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESmart materials\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research project\u0026rsquo;s title acronym CEREBRAL may hint at distant dreams of an artificial brain, but what it stands for spells out the present goal in neuromorphic computing: Cross-disciplinary Electronic-ionic Research Enabling Biologically Realistic Autonomous Learning.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe intelligent retina\u0026rsquo;s neuristors are based on novel metal oxide nanotechnology materials unique to Georgia Tech. They allow computing signals to flow flexibly across pathways \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0167273802001820\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ethat are electronic, which is customary in computing, and at the same time make use of ion motion\u003C\/a\u003E, which is more commonly known from the way batteries and biological systems work.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new materials have already been created, and they work, but the researchers don\u0026rsquo;t yet fully understand why.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMuch of the project is dedicated to examining \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PBcwv6tqjE0\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Equantum states\u003C\/a\u003E in the materials and how those states help create useful electronic-ionic properties. Researchers will view them by bombarding the metal oxides with extremely bright x-ray photons at the recently constructed \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.bnl.gov\/ps\/nsls2\/about-NSLS-II.php\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENational Synchrotron Light Source II\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGrant sub-awardee Binghamton University is located close by, and Binghamton physicists will run experiments and hone them via theoretical modeling.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026lsquo;Sea of lithium\u0026rsquo;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe neuristors are created mainly by the way the metal oxide materials are grown in the lab, which has some advantages over building \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/ns.umich.edu\/new\/releases\/24856-next-gen-computing-memristor-chips-that-see-patterns-over-pixels\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eneuristors in a more wired way\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThis materials-growing approach to creating part of the computational structure is conducive to mass production. Also, though neuristors in general free signals to take multiple pathways, Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s neuristors do it much more flexibly thanks to chemical properties.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We also have a sea of lithium, and it\u0026rsquo;s like an infinite reservoir of computational ionic fluid,\u0026rdquo; Doolittle said. The lithium niobite imitates the way ionic fluid bathes\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.khanacademy.org\/science\/biology\/human-biology\/neuron-nervous-system\/v\/sodium-potassium-pump\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ebiological neurons\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and allows them to flash with electric potential while signaling. In a neuristor array, the lithium niobite helps computational signaling move in myriad directions.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s not like the typical semiconductor material, where you etch a line, and only that line has the computational material,\u0026rdquo; Doolittle said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommander Data\u0026rsquo;s brain?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Unlike any other previous neuristors, our neuristors will adapt themselves in their computational-electronic pulsing on the fly, which makes them more like a neurological system,\u0026rdquo; Doolittle said. \u0026ldquo;They mimic biology in that we have ion drift across the material to create the memristors (the memory part of neuristors).\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBrains are far superior to computers at most things, but not all. Brains recognize objects and do motor tasks much better. But computers are much better at arithmetic and data processing.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENeuristor arrays can meld both types of computing, making them biological and algorithmic at once, a bit like \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/memory-alpha.wikia.com\/wiki\/Positronic_brain\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECommander Data\u0026rsquo;s brain\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/georgia_tech\/the-brain-cosmos-in-the-cranium-part-2-neurons-compute\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ELISTEN: How neurons\u0026nbsp;make the brain compute --\u0026nbsp;audio report\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/georgia_tech\/the-brain-cosmos-in-the-cranium-part-1-molecules\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ELISTEN: Wondrous facts about the brain -- audio report\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe research is being funded through the U.S. Department of Defense\u0026rsquo;s Multidisciplinary University Research Initiatives (MURI) Program under grant number FOA: N00014-16-R-FO05. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of those agencies.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe human brain\u0026#39;s computational might is the envy of computer engineers, and emulating it is coming a step closer thanks to new nanomaterials. Georgia Tech research engineers have created next-generation brain-mimmicking memory via \u0026quot;memristors\u0026quot; to underly processing \u0026quot;neuristors.\u0026quot; The engineers are using them to make an artificially intelligent retina\u0026nbsp;that could spot enemy aircraft or find missing children.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The dream of computing the way the human brain does comes a step closer thanks to nanomaterials"}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2017-07-28 15:57:43","changed_gmt":"2019-05-29 20:36:46","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2017-07-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2017-07-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"593805":{"id":"593805","type":"image","title":"National Synchrotron Light Source II","body":null,"created":"1501249823","gmt_created":"2017-07-28 13:50:23","changed":"1501262730","gmt_changed":"2017-07-28 17:25:30","alt":"","file":{"fid":"226357","name":"NSLS II.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/NSLS%20II.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/NSLS%20II.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":49548,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/NSLS%20II.jpg?itok=AvNO3rdc"}},"593806":{"id":"593806","type":"image","title":"Marcus Clean Room with Alan Doolittle and Brooks Tellekamp","body":null,"created":"1501251265","gmt_created":"2017-07-28 14:14:25","changed":"1501254357","gmt_changed":"2017-07-28 15:05:57","alt":"","file":{"fid":"226358","name":"Doolittle.clean_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Doolittle.clean_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Doolittle.clean_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":245474,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Doolittle.clean_.jpg?itok=SAFI3BGr"}},"593810":{"id":"593810","type":"image","title":"Synchrotron UK","body":null,"created":"1501254232","gmt_created":"2017-07-28 15:03:52","changed":"1501254331","gmt_changed":"2017-07-28 15:05:31","alt":"","file":{"fid":"226360","name":"Brookhaven.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Brookhaven.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Brookhaven.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1838255,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Brookhaven.jpg?itok=V2euizA_"}},"593812":{"id":"593812","type":"image","title":"Advanced Computing Nanomaterials","body":null,"created":"1501254805","gmt_created":"2017-07-28 15:13:25","changed":"1501254805","gmt_changed":"2017-07-28 15:13:25","alt":"","file":{"fid":"226361","name":"Doolittle.hands_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Doolittle.hands_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Doolittle.hands_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":291043,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Doolittle.hands_.jpg?itok=f6ny0_JR"}},"593817":{"id":"593817","type":"image","title":"Alan Doolittle with student Brooks Tellekamp","body":null,"created":"1501258451","gmt_created":"2017-07-28 16:14:11","changed":"1501258488","gmt_changed":"2017-07-28 16:14:48","alt":"","file":{"fid":"226364","name":"Doolittle.outside.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Doolittle.outside.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Doolittle.outside.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":507597,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Doolittle.outside.jpg?itok=KWw_VGJO"}}},"media_ids":["593805","593806","593810","593812","593817"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"175011","name":"neuristor"},{"id":"175012","name":"memristor"},{"id":"1159","name":"Alan Doolittle"},{"id":"1785","name":"nanomaterials"},{"id":"175018","name":"metal oxide"},{"id":"91631","name":"neuromorphic computing"},{"id":"175021","name":"brain-like computing"},{"id":"1912","name":"brain"},{"id":"2556","name":"artificial intelligence"},{"id":"175013","name":"artificial retina"},{"id":"175032","name":"lithium niobite"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"39481","name":"National Security"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia \u0026nbsp;30332-0181 \u0026nbsp;USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield (404-660-1408) (ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"619978":{"#nid":"619978","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Urine Test to Evaluate Immunotherapy Success Gets $1.8 Million NIH Research Grant","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENew immunotherapies can dramatically defeat cancer. But more often, cancer evades them, and doctors need to know quickly when that happens, so they can adjust treatment. An experimental urine test to detect immunotherapy effectiveness very early has received a major funding boost.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe National Institutes of Health has granted $1.8 million to a research project at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/lsi.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ethe lab of Gabe Kwong\u003C\/a\u003E has already established a platform to detect complex disease and immune activity. Kwong will use the new funding from the NIH\u0026rsquo;s National Cancer Institute to advance the platform to evaluate immunotherapy progress.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe platform uses an intravenous injection of \u0026ldquo;activity sensors,\u0026rdquo; nanoparticles that detect early enzyme activity of immune cells attacking cancer. The sensor confirms the attack with a fluorescent signal in the urine.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EShifty resistance\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECancer\u0026rsquo;s defenses are crafty and can thwart treatment from the start or disrupt initially successful treatment later on, so progress must be continually monitored, which Kwong\u0026rsquo;s lab is engineering the particle to do. Early resistance to therapy looks very different from later resistance.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We need to be able to classify different forms of resistance, so we can combat them better,\u0026rdquo; said Kwong, an\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/bme\/faculty\/Gabe-A.%20-Kwong\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eassistant professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHe plans to adapt the sensing technology to profile those subtleties. It is already engineered to have advantages over other tests that have recently entered the market, which look for signals that come later, such as dead cancer cells shedding their DNA into the bloodstream.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;These tests can be quite effective, but some issues limit them, particularly in early detection: You have five liters of blood. Whatever the cells shed gets diluted significantly in your bloodstream,\u0026rdquo; Kwong said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat makes these signals harder to detect in blood tests.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEnriched signals\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Our sensors\u0026rsquo; signals get concentrated in the urine, so, not only are they not diluted in the blood, but we usually see a hundred- to thousandfold signal enrichment.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EKwong\u0026rsquo;s lab has already developed the sensors, which are biocompatible nanoparticles, refined them as a reliable platform, and engineered variations that experimentally sense blood clots, liver fibrosis, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/news\/618115\/urine-test-detects-organ-transplant-rejection-could-replace-needle-biopsies\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eorgan transplant rejection\u003C\/a\u003E, and cancer. Kwong has \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/lsi.gatech.edu\/publications\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Epublished multiple papers\u003C\/a\u003E on activity sensor urine test successes.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EKwong\u0026rsquo;s endgame ambitions: \u0026ldquo;In five to ten years, we want to expand the platform to detect most all major complex diseases and progress in treating them.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EQ \u0026amp; A\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is the activity sensor and how does the urine test work?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe sensors are nanoscale balls with bristles made of short amino acid strands that have fluorescent \u0026ldquo;reporter\u0026rdquo; molecules attached to their tips. The sensors tend to accumulate in compromised tissue like cancer.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen immunotherapy -- which can be engineered T cells or the body\u0026rsquo;s own T cells aided by medication -- attack cancer cells, the T cells secrete an enzyme called granzyme that severs \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Peptide_bond\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Etarget amino acid strands\u003C\/a\u003E in the cancer cells, triggering their death. The activity sensor\u0026rsquo;s bristles mimic those strands, so granzymes cut the bristles at the same time.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;That releases the reporter molecules, which are so small that they easily make it through the kidney\u0026rsquo;s filtration and go into the urine,\u0026rdquo; said Kwong who directs the Laboratory for Synthetic Immunity in the Coulter Department.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThen the urine turns a fluorescent color that can be analyzed to determine the intensity of the immunotherapy\u0026rsquo;s attack on cancer.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Csup\u003E\u003Cem\u003E[Thinking about grad school?\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gradadmiss.gatech.edu\/apply-now\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHere\u0026#39;s how to apply to Georgia Tech.\u003C\/a\u003E]\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/sup\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIs there a need for this kind of test?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Many patients, especially those with solid tumors, are not responding to this treatment,\u0026rdquo; Kwong said. \u0026ldquo;The non-responders need to be detected very quickly.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are also diagnostic pitfalls the experimental sensor is devised to overcome: For example, a current measure of treatment success is tumor shrinkage, but when T cells initially cram into a tumor, it can swell. That sometimes leads doctors to believe that a therapy that is actually very effective is not working, and they may discontinue it.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This test does not measure size; it measures activity,\u0026rdquo; Kwong. \u0026ldquo;If those swelling tumors are very high in granzyme activity, that\u0026rsquo;s a great sign, and we will be able to pick that up.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow is the dream of detecting most known complex diseases even feasible?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EQuite conveniently, the human genome produces \u0026ldquo;only\u0026rdquo; 550 proteases, a particular type of enzyme relevant to detecting and combating disease. Kwong believes researchers can adapt this platform to detect any of them and that there\u0026rsquo;s a need for that.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Granzymes are also activated by other things like an infection, so detecting granzyme alone risks getting interference when you\u0026rsquo;re looking at cancer treatment effectiveness. We\u0026rsquo;re developing a panel of sensors that gives us the specificity of T cell activity in tumors over the possible activity of T cells fighting, say, a cold,\u0026rdquo; Kwong said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We want to build 550 different protease-detecting probes, and depending on what disease you have, they would expose a profile of the proteases in varying ratios.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe probes could be combined into a cocktail to detect budding cancer, immunotherapy effectiveness or infections, and machine learning would analyze their respective fingerprints in the urine signals.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlso READ: \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/features\/mending-broken-heart\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMending a Broken Heart - 6 cardiac solutions currently in testing\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe grant was provided by the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health. The grant number is 1 R01 CA237210-01.\u003C\/em\u003E \u003Cem\u003EThe content is the sole responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent official views of the National Institutes of Health.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia relations assistance \/ writer\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 660-1408\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu?subject=Clownfish%20anemone%20story\u0022\u003Eben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECancer immunotherapy\u0026nbsp;is a hopeful, young treatment that shows surprising successes but also dramatic failures. An emerging activity sensor at Georgia Tech warns clinicians of immunotherapy failures so that they can adjust treatments on time.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Immunotherapy can eradicate cancer or fall down trying, and this sensor monitors that success or failure."}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2019-04-02 16:49:00","changed_gmt":"2019-04-02 22:22:40","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2019-04-02T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2019-04-02T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"618105":{"id":"618105","type":"image","title":"Bionanoparticle detects the slightest sign of transplant organ rejection","body":null,"created":"1550605889","gmt_created":"2019-02-19 19:51:29","changed":"1550605889","gmt_changed":"2019-02-19 19:51:29","alt":"","file":{"fid":"235288","name":"Tcell.granzyme.nano_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Tcell.granzyme.nano_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Tcell.granzyme.nano_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1368757,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Tcell.granzyme.nano_.jpg?itok=QNkBSUBg"}},"619975":{"id":"619975","type":"image","title":"Activity sensor to detect immune response","body":null,"created":"1554222298","gmt_created":"2019-04-02 16:24:58","changed":"1554222357","gmt_changed":"2019-04-02 16:25:57","alt":"","file":{"fid":"236042","name":"Tcell.granzyme.nano_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Tcell.granzyme.nano__0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Tcell.granzyme.nano__0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1368757,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Tcell.granzyme.nano__0.jpg?itok=tIUYTx58"}},"618108":{"id":"618108","type":"image","title":"Gabe Kwong (r.) with vat that stores T cells in his lab at Georgia Tech","body":null,"created":"1550606453","gmt_created":"2019-02-19 20:00:53","changed":"1550606453","gmt_changed":"2019-02-19 20:00:53","alt":"","file":{"fid":"235292","name":"N18C10200-P22-005 (1).jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/N18C10200-P22-005%20%281%29.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/N18C10200-P22-005%20%281%29.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":306765,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/N18C10200-P22-005%20%281%29.jpg?itok=j3taGvbZ"}}},"media_ids":["618105","619975","618108"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"385","name":"cancer"},{"id":"4514","name":"immunotherapy"},{"id":"9048","name":"immune"},{"id":"9047","name":"T cell"},{"id":"180944","name":"granzyme"},{"id":"180583","name":"granzyme B"},{"id":"2054","name":"nanoparticle"},{"id":"1588","name":"bionanotechnology"},{"id":"177867","name":"cancer urine test"},{"id":"177871","name":"early detection"},{"id":"180945","name":"treatment monitoring"},{"id":"180946","name":"treatment progress"},{"id":"1439","name":"chemotherapy"},{"id":"172088","name":"chemotherapy resistance"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"618115":{"#nid":"618115","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Urine Test Detects Organ Transplant Rejection, Could Replace Needle Biopsies","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EToo often, it\u0026rsquo;s only after a transplanted organ is seriously damaged that a biopsy reveals the organ is in rejection. A new screening method using sensor particles and a urine test could catch rejection much earlier, more comprehensively, and without a biopsy needle.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen the body\u0026rsquo;s immune system has just begun attacking cells of a transplanted organ, the new method\u0026rsquo;s particles send a fluorescent signal into the urine. In a\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41551-019-0358-7\u0022\u003Enew study\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University validated the method in a mouse model, and they have engineered the sensor with highly biocompatible components, which could make the path to potential future trials easier.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA patient may feel fine, and a biopsy may look deceptively clean when T cells have already begun attacking a transplanted organ. The sensor particle, a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.understandingnano.com\/medicine.html\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Enanoparticle\u003C\/a\u003E, detects a T cell weapon, an enzyme called granzyme B, that pushes a transplanted organ\u0026rsquo;s cells into the self-destruction process called\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.howstuffworks.com\/life\/cellular-microscopic\/apoptosis.htm\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eapoptosis\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEarliest detection\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Before any organ damage can happen, T cells have to produce\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Granzyme_B\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Egranzyme B\u003C\/a\u003E, which is why this is an early detection method,\u0026rdquo; said Gabe Kwong, a co-principal investigator in the study and an\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/lsi.gatech.edu\/about\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eassistant professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This is sensitive enough to possibly detect budding rejection before you see significant injury to the transplanted organ and that could help clinicians treat early to prevent damage,\u0026rdquo; said Dr. Andrew Adams, co-principal investigator and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.surgery.emory.edu\/about-us\/faculty_directory\/faculty_profile_andrew_adams.html\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ean associate professor of surgery at Emory University School\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;of Medicine. \u0026ldquo;Right now, most tests are aimed at organ dysfunction, and sometimes they don\u0026rsquo;t signal there is a problem until organ function is below 50 percent.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EKwong and Adams published the study\u0026rsquo;s results\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41551-019-0358-7\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ein the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003ENature Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;on February 18, 2019\u003C\/a\u003E. The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBristly nanoball\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe nanoparticles are put together with iron oxide in the middle like a ball. It is double-coated with\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/compound\/dextran\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Edextran\u003C\/a\u003E, a sugar, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.webmd.com\/drugs\/2\/drug-17118\/polyethylene-glycol-3350-oral\/details\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Epolyethylene glycol\u003C\/a\u003E, a common ingredient in laxatives, to keep the body from disposing of it too quickly.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBristles made of amino acids stick out from the iron ball with fluorescent \u0026ldquo;reporter\u0026rdquo; molecules attached to their tips.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe particles are injected intravenously. They are too big to accumulate in native tissue or to pass through the kidneys and out of the body but small enough to accumulate in the tissue of struggling transplanted organs, where they keep a lookout for rejection.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExploiting rejection\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOnce T cells start secreting granzyme B, it severs amino acid strands in the transplanted organ\u0026rsquo;s cells, triggering the cells to unravel and die.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The nanoparticles\u0026rsquo; bristles mimic granzyme\u0026rsquo;s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Peptide_bond\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eamino acid targets\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;in the cells, so the enzyme cuts the bristles on the nanoparticle at the same time,\u0026rdquo; said Kwong who directs the Laboratory for Synthetic Immunity in the Coulter Department. \u0026ldquo;That releases the reporter molecules, which are so small that they easily make it through the kidney\u0026rsquo;s filtration and go into the urine.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the experiment, the animals\u0026rsquo; urine glowed and could be seen in their bladders in near-infrared images.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Csup\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E[Ready for graduate school? \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gradadmiss.gatech.edu\/apply-now\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHere\u0026#39;s how to apply to Georgia Tech.\u003C\/a\u003E]\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/sup\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EComprehensive method\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers plan to augment their new sensor to detect the other major cause of transplant rejection,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3056494\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eattacks by antibodies\u003C\/a\u003E, which are not living cells but proteins the body creates to neutralize foreign entities.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Antibodies kill their target cells through similar types of enzymes. In the future, we envision a single sensor to detect both types of rejection,\u0026rdquo; Kwong said. But there is even more potential.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This method could be adapted to tease out multiple problems like rejection, infection or injury to the transplanted organ,\u0026rdquo; Adams said. \u0026ldquo;The treatments for all of those are different, so we could select the proper treatment or combination of treatments and also use the test to measure how effective treatment is.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOutdoing biopsies\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBiopsies are currently the gold standard in detection but they can go wrong, and the wide, long\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.inradinc.com\/accucore-single-action-biopsy-needles\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eneedle\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;can damage tissue.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The biggest risk of a biopsy is bleeding and injury to the transplanted organ,\u0026rdquo; Adams said. \u0026ldquo;Then there\u0026rsquo;s the possibility of infection. You\u0026rsquo;re also just taking a tiny fraction of the transplanted organ to determine what\u0026rsquo;s going on with the whole organ, and you may miss rejection or misdiagnose it because the needle didn\u0026rsquo;t hit the right spot.\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe urine test gets a more global reading on the whole organ, and it has other advantages over biopsies.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The biopsy is not predictive. It\u0026rsquo;s a static snapshot. It\u0026rsquo;s like looking at a photo of people in mid-jump. You don\u0026rsquo;t know if they\u0026rsquo;re on their way up or on their way down. With a biopsy, you don\u0026rsquo;t know whether rejection is progressing or regressing,\u0026rdquo; Kwong said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Our method measures biological activity rates, and that tells us where things are going.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EImmunosuppressant medications\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat could also allow clinicians to carefully dose powerful\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.kidney.org\/atoz\/content\/immuno\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eimmunosuppressant medications\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;that the vast majority of transplant patients receive.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Adjusting the dose is very difficult but very important because heavy immunosuppression increases occurrence of infections and patients who receive it also get cancer more often,\u0026rdquo; Kwong said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor this experiment, the researchers used small skin grafts on mice and got a very clear, timely signal from the nanoparticle sensor. Since organ transplants represent a lot more tissue, the researchers believe that any occurrence of organ rejection would trigger a much larger signal from the sensor.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E[Also read: \u0026#39;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/news\/614045\/demolition-handshakes-kill-precursor-t-cells-pose-autoimmune-dangers\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EDemolition Handshakes\u0026#39; Kill Precursor T Cells That Pose an Autoimmune Threat\u003C\/a\u003E]\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThese authors contributed to this research: Co-first authors Quoc Mac of the Coulter Department and Dave Mathews of the Emory Transplant Center; Justin Kahla, Claire Stoffers, Olivia Delmas, and Brandon Alexander Holt of the Coulter Department. The research was funded by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, the National Institutes of Health (awards DP2HD091793, 5T32EB006343, and DK109665) and its National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (grant U01AI132904); the National Science Foundation (grant DGE-1650044). Any findings, conclusions or recommendations are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the funding agencies.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter \u0026amp;\u0026nbsp;Media Representative\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield (404-660-1408), email:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia \u0026nbsp;30332-0181 \u0026nbsp;USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"New nanoparticle makes urine glow as soon as T cells initiate an attack on transplanted organs"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGlowing pee may replace the\u0026nbsp;biopsy needle: In detecting organ transplant\u0026nbsp;rejection, a new nanoparticle has proven much faster and more thorough in the lab than a biopsy. When T cells mount\u0026nbsp;their first attack\u0026nbsp;on the\u0026nbsp;organ\u0026#39;s cells the nanoparticle sends an alarm signal into the urine that makes it fluoresce.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New nanoparticle makes urine glow as soon as T cells initiate an attack on transplanted organs"}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2019-02-19 20:19:49","changed_gmt":"2019-03-25 18:52:06","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2019-02-19T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2019-02-19T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"618106":{"id":"618106","type":"image","title":"Nanoparticle engineered at Georgia Tech may replace biopsy needles in detecting transplant organ rejection","body":null,"created":"1550606130","gmt_created":"2019-02-19 19:55:30","changed":"1550606130","gmt_changed":"2019-02-19 19:55:30","alt":"","file":{"fid":"235289","name":"Tcell.granzyme.nano2_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Tcell.granzyme.nano2_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Tcell.granzyme.nano2_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1328939,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Tcell.granzyme.nano2_.jpg?itok=2Zy0uUjX"}},"618105":{"id":"618105","type":"image","title":"Bionanoparticle detects the slightest sign of transplant organ rejection","body":null,"created":"1550605889","gmt_created":"2019-02-19 19:51:29","changed":"1550605889","gmt_changed":"2019-02-19 19:51:29","alt":"","file":{"fid":"235288","name":"Tcell.granzyme.nano_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Tcell.granzyme.nano_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Tcell.granzyme.nano_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1368757,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Tcell.granzyme.nano_.jpg?itok=QNkBSUBg"}},"582084":{"id":"582084","type":"image","title":"Gabe Kwong, assistant professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory","body":null,"created":"1475593669","gmt_created":"2016-10-04 15:07:49","changed":"1475593669","gmt_changed":"2016-10-04 15:07:49","alt":"","file":{"fid":"221889","name":"Kwong_Gabe_Georgia Tech_photo-preferred.JPG.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Kwong_Gabe_Georgia%20Tech_photo-preferred.JPG.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Kwong_Gabe_Georgia%20Tech_photo-preferred.JPG.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":938452,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Kwong_Gabe_Georgia%20Tech_photo-preferred.JPG.jpeg?itok=_amm6zqt"}},"618109":{"id":"618109","type":"image","title":"Dr. Andrew Adams, Emory School of Medicine","body":null,"created":"1550606537","gmt_created":"2019-02-19 20:02:17","changed":"1550612325","gmt_changed":"2019-02-19 21:38:45","alt":"","file":{"fid":"235296","name":"Screen Shot 2019-02-19 at 4.34.12 PM.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Screen%20Shot%202019-02-19%20at%204.34.12%20PM.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Screen%20Shot%202019-02-19%20at%204.34.12%20PM.png","mime":"image\/png","size":457957,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Screen%20Shot%202019-02-19%20at%204.34.12%20PM.png?itok=6BjRkKlH"}},"618291":{"id":"618291","type":"image","title":"Mac Quoc in Gabe Kwong\u0027s lab","body":null,"created":"1550850046","gmt_created":"2019-02-22 15:40:46","changed":"1550850046","gmt_changed":"2019-02-22 15:40:46","alt":"","file":{"fid":"235339","name":"Quoc.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Quoc.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Quoc.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":318817,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Quoc.jpg?itok=d-e9eGof"}},"618293":{"id":"618293","type":"image","title":"Dave Mathews at Emory","body":null,"created":"1550850191","gmt_created":"2019-02-22 15:43:11","changed":"1550850191","gmt_changed":"2019-02-22 15:43:11","alt":"","file":{"fid":"235340","name":"IMG_1440.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/IMG_1440.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/IMG_1440.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":70173,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/IMG_1440.jpg?itok=Z3qivhqG"}}},"media_ids":["618106","618105","582084","618109","618291","618293"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"180571","name":"Rejection"},{"id":"174590","name":"transplant"},{"id":"180572","name":"Transplant Failure"},{"id":"180573","name":"transplant complications"},{"id":"180574","name":"Transplant Biology"},{"id":"180575","name":"Organ Rejection"},{"id":"180576","name":"Transplant Rejection"},{"id":"2054","name":"nanoparticle"},{"id":"1588","name":"bionanotechnology"},{"id":"6891","name":"fluorescence"},{"id":"180577","name":"fluorescence detectors"},{"id":"180578","name":"Fluorescent Labeling"},{"id":"180579","name":"Fluorescent Molecules"},{"id":"180580","name":"Biopsy With Needle"},{"id":"180581","name":"biopsy-free diagnosis"},{"id":"175076","name":"Biopsies"},{"id":"180582","name":"Needle Biopsy"},{"id":"36871","name":"Coulter"},{"id":"180583","name":"granzyme B"},{"id":"9047","name":"T cell"},{"id":"177871","name":"early detection"},{"id":"180584","name":"Kidney Transplant"},{"id":"179158","name":"dextran"},{"id":"180585","name":"PEG"},{"id":"6898","name":"polyethylene glycol"},{"id":"180586","name":"Reporter"},{"id":"180587","name":"Infrared imaging"},{"id":"180588","name":"Immunosuppresion"},{"id":"180589","name":"Immunosuppresive"},{"id":"180590","name":"Immunosuppressant"},{"id":"180591","name":"immunosuppressant drugs"},{"id":"180592","name":"immunosuppressant medications"},{"id":"180593","name":"Immunosuppressants"},{"id":"180594","name":"Immunosuppressive"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"617589":{"#nid":"617589","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Snaring Bacteria in DNA-based Nets the Way White Blood Cells Do","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOne holds it; the other poisons it. This is how a white blood cell may someday work together with an antibiotic. Today\u0026#39;s antibiotics are not particularly engineered to coordinate their fight against bacteria with white blood cells, the body\u0026rsquo;s own first line of defense against infectors, but a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1002\/adma.201807436\u0022\u003Enew study\u003C\/a\u003E gives hope that that could change.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHow white blood cells called neutrophils work has\u0026nbsp;not been understood well on a micron level, but researchers have gotten a closer look by chemically modeling one of their combat weapons, a kind of web, and trying it out on bacteria. The researchers then successfully double-teamed the bacteria with\u0026nbsp;an antibiotic and their synthetic version of the white blood cell\u0026#39;s web.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;One of their (the cells\u0026#39;) weapons are neutrophil extracellular traps, also called NETs,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.uofmhealth.org\/profile\/3184\/j-scott-vanepps-md\u0022\u003EJ. Scott VanEpps\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor of emergency medicine at the University of Michigan. VanEpps co-led the study with Shuichi Takayama from the Georgia Institute of Technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EShooting DNA webs\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENETs are microscopic networks of fibers made primarily of DNA that neutrophils produce to capture bacteria.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s amazing to think that molecular DNA tape, on which our genetic code is recorded, can also be used as a bacteria-lassoing web. White blood cells can act like cellular Spidermen that net bacterial micro-villains to protect our body,\u0026rdquo; said Takayama, who is a professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/bioengineering.gatech.edu\/people\/shuichi-takayama\u0022\u003EPetit Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences\u003C\/a\u003E and in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/bme\/faculty\/Shuichi-Takayama\u0022\u003EWallace H Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETakayama and VanEpps synthesized a rough chemical imitation\u0026nbsp;of the NETs to study how they work by snaring bacteria in the lab \u003Cem\u003Ein vitro\u003C\/em\u003E. They also found antibiotics killed bacteria more effectively when combined with the synthetic\u0026nbsp;web\u0026nbsp;than when applied alone. The researchers published their results in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1002\/adma.201807436\u0022\u003Ethe journal \u003Cem\u003EAdvanced Materials\u003C\/em\u003E on January 20, 2018\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESnagging, poisoning \u003Cem\u003EE. coli\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Although there are literally hundreds of different ingredients in natural NETs, we were able to recreate a lot of their structure and function with just two ingredients,\u0026rdquo; VanEpp said. \u0026ldquo;They look and function very similar to NETs produced by those neutrophil white blood cells and the synthesis method is much simpler than isolating them from neutrophils.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers first used their microwebs to snare and kill bacteria in order to better understand how white blood\u0026nbsp;NETs work. Then they combined their microwebs\u0026nbsp;with antibiotics\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Ein vitro\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Eto test for increased drug effectiveness.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETheir results imply that the presence of white blood cell NETs in the body may increase the effectiveness of antibiotics. Also, the synthetic microwebs may have medical potential on their own.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFighting antibiotic resistance\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;As bacteria develop resistance even to last-resort antibiotics, there is worry of untreatable infections. We found that microwebs can help antibiotics break through such resistance,\u0026rdquo; said Takayama, who is also Price Gilbert, Jr. Chair in Regenerative Engineering and Medicine at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The knowledge gained in this study could be helpful in the future in designing new and better antibiotics that mimic the body\u0026rsquo;s natural defense mechanisms, as well as potentially change how we dose antibiotics given the potential synergy between the immune system and certain antibiotics,\u0026rdquo; VanEpps said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new microwebs also serve as a foundation for future research on even more functions of DNA ejected outside of cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The ability to readily customize the microweb composition opens many opportunities to engineer new DNA materials that mimic biology and increase our understanding of the role of NETs and other types of extracellular DNA in the body,\u0026rdquo; Takayama said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThese authors contributed to this study: Yang Song\u0026nbsp;from Georgia Tech; Usha Kadiyala,\u0026nbsp;Priyan Weerappuli, Srilakshmi Yalavarthi,\u0026nbsp;Cameron Louttit, Jason S. Knight, and James J. Moon from the Unversity of Michigan; Jordan J. Valdez and David S. Weiss from Emory University School of Medicine. The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health: the\u0026nbsp;National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences; and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute\u003C\/em\u003E,\u003Cem\u003E (grants: NIH NIAID U19 AI116482, R01 AI141883, and K08 AI128006; NIGMS R01 GM123517; NHLBI R01 HL134846\u0026nbsp;and U01 CA210152), the Veterans Administration (merit award BX\u2010002788), and a Burroughs Wellcome Fund Investigator in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease award.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriters \/ media contacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EKylie Urban, University of Michigan, \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kylieo@med.umich.edu\u0022\u003Ekylieo@med.umich.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBen Brumfield, Georgia Institute of Technology, \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E, 404-660-1408\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESynthetically modeling white blood cells\u0026rsquo; netlike weapon helped researchers understand how they capture and kill bacteria. The researchers also combined their new synthetic web with antibiotics to make them kill more effectively.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Like Spiderman, white bloods cells shoot NETs at bacteria, made mostly of DNA, and this synthetic microweb emulates it."}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2019-02-11 16:15:18","changed_gmt":"2019-02-12 00:05:43","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2019-02-11T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2019-02-11T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"617609":{"id":"617609","type":"image","title":"Microweb illustration2","body":null,"created":"1549904624","gmt_created":"2019-02-11 17:03:44","changed":"1549904624","gmt_changed":"2019-02-11 17:03:44","alt":"","file":{"fid":"235084","name":"microweb.illu_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/microweb.illu__0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/microweb.illu__0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4899980,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/microweb.illu__0.jpg?itok=91zjcQ4N"}},"617607":{"id":"617607","type":"image","title":"Microweb illustration","body":null,"created":"1549904118","gmt_created":"2019-02-11 16:55:18","changed":"1549904557","gmt_changed":"2019-02-11 17:02:37","alt":"","file":{"fid":"235082","name":"microweb.illu_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/microweb.illu_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/microweb.illu_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4899980,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/microweb.illu_.jpg?itok=1W_b8O7A"}},"617608":{"id":"617608","type":"image","title":"Microweb diagram in vitro","body":null,"created":"1549904425","gmt_created":"2019-02-11 17:00:25","changed":"1549904425","gmt_changed":"2019-02-11 17:00:25","alt":"","file":{"fid":"235083","name":"2019-01-31_23-57-54.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/2019-01-31_23-57-54.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/2019-01-31_23-57-54.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":581837,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/2019-01-31_23-57-54.jpg?itok=BziPAnJc"}},"611744":{"id":"611744","type":"image","title":"Professor Shu Takayama Coulter BME","body":null,"created":"1537465570","gmt_created":"2018-09-20 17:46:10","changed":"1537465570","gmt_changed":"2018-09-20 17:46:10","alt":"","file":{"fid":"232889","name":"Sm.Shu_.Takayama.portrait.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Sm.Shu_.Takayama.portrait.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Sm.Shu_.Takayama.portrait.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3297025,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Sm.Shu_.Takayama.portrait.jpg?itok=Qz0ELKWM"}}},"media_ids":["617609","617607","617608","611744"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"174503","name":"antibiotic resistance"},{"id":"7077","name":"bacteria"},{"id":"12760","name":"E. Coli"},{"id":"180464","name":"biomimetic materials"},{"id":"1041","name":"dna"},{"id":"180465","name":"nanofiber networks"},{"id":"180466","name":"neutrophil"},{"id":"180467","name":"extracellular traps"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"616011":{"#nid":"616011","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Powerful X-ray Beams Unlock Secrets of Nanoscale Crystal Formation","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EHigh-energy X-ray beams and a clever experimental setup allowed researchers to watch a high-pressure, high-temperature chemical reaction to determine for the first time what controls formation of two different nanoscale crystalline structures in the metal cobalt. The technique allowed continuous study of cobalt nanoparticles as they grew from clusters including tens of atoms to crystals as large as five nanometers.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research provides the proof-of-principle for a new technique to study crystal formation in real-time, with potential applications for other materials, including alloys and oxides. Data from the study produced \u0026ldquo;nanometric phase diagrams\u0026rdquo; showing the conditions that control the structure of cobalt nanocrystals as they form.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research, reported November 13 in the \u003Cem\u003EJournal of the American Chemical Society\u003C\/em\u003E, was sponsored by the National Science Foundation, and used U.S. Department of Energy-supported synchrotron X-ray beam lines at Brookhaven National Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We found that we could indeed control formation of the two different crystalline structures, and that the tuning factor was the pH of the solution,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/hailongchen\u0022\u003EHailong Chen\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u0026ldquo;Tuning the crystalline structure allowed us to control the functionality and properties of these materials. We believe this methodology could also be applied to alloys and oxides.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn bulk cobalt, crystal formation favors the hexagonal close-pack (HCP) structure because it minimizes energy to create a stable structure. At the nanoscale, however, cobalt also forms the face-centered cubic (FCC) phase, which has a higher energy. That can be stable because the high surface energy of small nanoclusters affects the total crystalline energy, Chen said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;When the clusters are small, we have more tuning effects, which is controlled by the surface energy of the OH minus group or other ligands,\u0026rdquo; he added. \u0026ldquo;We can tune the concentration of the OH minus group in the solution so we can tune the surface energy and therefore the overall energy of the cluster.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWorking with researchers from the two national laboratories and the Department of Materials Science at the University of Maryland, Chen and graduate research assistant Xuetian Ma examined the polymorphic structures using theoretical, experimental and computational modeling techniques.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EExperimentally, the researchers reduced cobalt hydroxide in a solution of ethylene glycol, using potassium hydroxide to vary the pH of the solution. The reaction takes place under high pressure \u0026ndash; about 1,800 pounds per square inch \u0026ndash; and at more than 200 degrees Celsius.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the laboratory, the researchers use a heavy steel containment vessel that allowed them to analyze only the reaction results. To follow how the reaction took place, they needed to observe it in real time, which required development of a containment vessel small enough to allow for X-ray transmission while handling the high pressure and high temperature at the same time.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe result was a reaction vessel made of a high-strength quartz tube about a millimeter in diameter and about two inches long. After the cobalt hydroxide solution was added, the tube was spun to both facilitate the chemical reaction and average the X-ray signal. A small heater applied the necessary thermal energy and a thermocouple measured the temperature.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMa and Chen used the setup during four separate trips to beam lines at the National Synchrotron Light Source II at Brookhaven, and the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory. X-rays passing through the reaction chamber to a two-dimensional detector provided continuous monitoring of the chemical reaction, which took about two hours to complete.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;When they started forming a detectable spectrum we captured the X-ray diffraction spectrum and continued to observe it until the crystal cobalt formed,\u0026rdquo; Ma explained. \u0026ldquo;We were able to observe step-by-step what was happening from initial nucleation to the end of the reaction.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EData obtained by varying the pH of the reaction produced a nanometric phase diagram showing where different combinations produced the two structures.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe X-ray diffraction results confirmed the theoretical predictions and computational modeling done by Yifei Mo, an assistant professor in the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland. Mo and colleagues Adelaide Nolan and Shuo Zhang used density functional theory to describe how the crystal would nucleate under differing conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe success with cobalt suggests the methodology could be used to produce nanometric phase diagrams for other materials, including more complex alloys and oxides, Chen said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Our goal was to build a model and a systematic understanding about the formation of crystalline materials at the nanoscale,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;Until now, researchers had been relying on empirical design to control growth of the materials. Now we can offer a theoretical model that would allow systematic prediction of what kinds of properties are possible under different conditions.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs a next step, the Georgia Tech researchers plan to study alloys, to further improve the theoretical model and experimental approach.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to those already mentioned, the research also included Jianming Bai and Lijun Wu from Brookhaven National Laboratory and Wenqian Xu from Argonne National Laboratory.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Xuetian Ma, et al., \u0026ldquo;Guiding Synthesis of Polymorphs of Materials Using Nanometric Phase Diagrams,\u0026rdquo; (Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2018) https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/pdf\/10.1021\/jacs.8b11029\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ESupport was provided by the National Science Foundation under grant number 1605692 and 1739884. Support was also received from the National Science Foundation under award 1550423 and from the computational facilities from the University of Maryland supercomputing resources, the Maryland Advanced Research Computing Center (MARCC), and the Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE) supported by National Science Foundation award DMR150038. This research used resources of the beamline X14A of the National Synchrotron Light Source, a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science User Facility operated for the DOE Office of Science by Brookhaven National Laboratory under contract no. DE-AC02-98CH10886, and Advanced Photon Source, a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science User Facility operated for the DOE Office of Science by National Laboratory under contract no. DE-AC02-06CH11357. TEM work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Science, Division of Materials Science and Engineering, under contract DE-SC0012704. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsor organizations.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Assistance\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu) or Josh Brown (404-385-0500) (josh.brown@comm.gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EHigh-energy X-ray beams and a clever experimental setup allowed researchers to watch a high-pressure, high-temperature chemical reaction to determine for the first time what controls formation of two different nanoscale crystalline structures in the metal cobalt. The technique allowed continuous study of cobalt nanoparticles as they grew from clusters including tens of atoms to crystals as large as five nanometers.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have determined what controls formation of two different nanoscale crystalline structures in cobalt."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2019-01-07 19:28:41","changed_gmt":"2019-01-07 19:34:52","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2019-01-07T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2019-01-07T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"616005":{"id":"616005","type":"image","title":"Reaction vessel for studying nanocrystal formation","body":null,"created":"1546888669","gmt_created":"2019-01-07 19:17:49","changed":"1546888669","gmt_changed":"2019-01-07 19:17:49","alt":"Xuetian Ma holding a reaction vessel ","file":{"fid":"234476","name":"cobalt-nanocrystals-001-horiz.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cobalt-nanocrystals-001-horiz.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cobalt-nanocrystals-001-horiz.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":684135,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/cobalt-nanocrystals-001-horiz.jpg?itok=xeF_2voL"}},"616008":{"id":"616008","type":"image","title":"Researchers studying nanocluster growth","body":null,"created":"1546888801","gmt_created":"2019-01-07 19:20:01","changed":"1546888801","gmt_changed":"2019-01-07 19:20:01","alt":"Hailong Chen and Xuetian Ma in lab","file":{"fid":"234478","name":"cobalt-nanocrystals-008.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cobalt-nanocrystals-008.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cobalt-nanocrystals-008.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":560355,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/cobalt-nanocrystals-008.jpg?itok=B6ndbFwM"}},"616009":{"id":"616009","type":"image","title":"Reaction vessel for studying nanocrystal formation 2","body":null,"created":"1546888924","gmt_created":"2019-01-07 19:22:04","changed":"1546888924","gmt_changed":"2019-01-07 19:22:04","alt":"Researcher Xuetian Ma with reaction vessel","file":{"fid":"234479","name":"cobalt-nanocrystals-001.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cobalt-nanocrystals-001.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cobalt-nanocrystals-001.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":504157,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/cobalt-nanocrystals-001.jpg?itok=d1oMAnan"}}},"media_ids":["616005","616008","616009"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"180048","name":"nanoscale crystal"},{"id":"2528","name":"nanocluster"},{"id":"1448","name":"x-ray"},{"id":"177392","name":"cobalt"},{"id":"2054","name":"nanoparticle"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"613410":{"#nid":"613410","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Finally, a Robust Fuel Cell that Runs on Methane at Practical Temperatures","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFuel cells have not been particularly known for their practicality and affordability, but that may have just changed. There\u0026rsquo;s a new cell that runs on cheap fuel at temperatures comparable to automobile engines and which slashes materials costs.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThough the cell is in the lab, it has high potential to someday electrically power homes and perhaps cars, say the researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology who led its development. In a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41560-018-0262-5\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Enew study in the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003ENature Energy\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003Ethe researchers detailed how they reimagined the entire fuel cell with the help of a newly invented fuel catalyst.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe catalyst has dispensed with high-priced hydrogen fuel by making its own out of cheap, readily available methane. And improvements throughout the cell cooled the seething operating temperatures that are customary in methane fuel cells dramatically, a striking engineering accomplishment.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMethane fuel cells usually require temperatures of 750 to 1,000 degrees Celsius to run. This new one needs only about 500, which is even a notch cooler than automobile combustion engines, which run at around 600 degrees Celsius.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat lower temperature could trigger cascading cost savings in the ancillary technology needed to operate a fuel cell, potentially pushing the new cell to commercial viability. The researchers feel confident that engineers can design electric power units around this fuel cell with reasonable effort, something that has eluded previous methane fuel cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026lsquo;Sensation in our world\u0026rsquo;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Our cell could make for a straightforward, robust overall system that uses cheap stainless steel to make\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1996-1073\/7\/7\/4601\u0022\u003Einterconnectors\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026rdquo; said Meilin Liu, who led the study and is a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/people\/meilin-liu\u0022\u003ERegents\u0026nbsp;Professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Materials Science and Engineering.\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;Interconnectors are parts that help bring together many fuel cells into a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioage.typepad.com\/.a\/6a00d8341c4fbe53ef01b7c760a5ae970b-popup\u0022\u003Estack\u003C\/a\u003E, or functional unit.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Above 750 degrees Celsius, no metal would withstand the temperature without oxidation, so you\u0026rsquo;d have a lot of trouble getting materials, and they would be extremely expensive and fragile, and contaminate the cell,\u0026rdquo; Liu said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Lowering the temperature to 500 degrees Celsius is a sensation in our world. Very few people have even tried it,\u0026rdquo; said Ben deGlee, a graduate research assistant in Liu\u0026rsquo;s lab and one of the first authors of the study. \u0026ldquo;When you get that low, it makes the job of the engineer designing the stack and connected technologies much easier.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new cell also eliminates the need for a major ancillary device called a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Steam_reforming\u0022\u003Esteam reformer\u003C\/a\u003E, which is normally required to convert methane and water into hydrogen fuel.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ELiu, deGlee, co-first author Yu Chen, who is a postdoctoral researcher in Liu\u0026rsquo;s lab, and co-first author Yu Tang of the University of Kansas,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41560-018-0262-5\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Epublished the results\u003C\/strong\u003E of their research on October 29, 2018\u003C\/a\u003E. Their work was funded by the Office of Basic Energy Sciences and the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), both in the U.S. Department of Energy. It was also funded by the National Science Foundation\u0026rsquo;s Division of Chemistry.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026lsquo;Distributed generation\u0026rsquo;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research was based on a type of fuel cell with high potential for commercial viability, the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Solid_oxide_fuel_cell\u0022\u003Esolid oxide fuel cell (SOFC)\u003C\/a\u003E. SOFCs are known for their versatility in fuels they can use.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIf it goes to market, though the new cell might not power automobiles for a while, it could land sooner in basements as part of a more decentralized, cleaner, cheaper electrical power grid. The\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.fueleconomy.gov\/feg\/fcv_PEM.shtml\u0022\u003Efuel cell stack\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;itself would be about the size of a shoebox, plus ancillary technology to make it run.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The hope is you could install this device like a tankless water heater. It would run off of natural gas to power your house,\u0026rdquo; Liu said. \u0026ldquo;That would save society and industry the enormous cost of new power plants and large electrical grid expansions.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It would make homes and businesses more power independent,\u0026rdquo; Liu said. \u0026ldquo;That kind of system would be called distributed generation, and our sponsors want to develop that.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHomemade hydrogen\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHydrogen is the best fuel for powering fuel cells, but its cost is exorbitant. The researchers figured out how to convert methane to hydrogen in the fuel cell itself via the new catalyst, which is made with cerium, nickel and ruthenium and has the chemical formula Ce\u003Csub\u003E0.9\u003C\/sub\u003ENi\u003Csub\u003E0.05\u003C\/sub\u003ERu\u003Csub\u003E0.05\u003C\/sub\u003EO\u003Csub\u003E2,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/sub\u003Eabbreviated CNR.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen methane and water molecules come into contact with the catalyst and heat, nickel chemically cleaves the methane molecule. Ruthenium does the same with water. The resulting parts come back together as that very desirable hydrogen (H\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E) and carbon monoxide (CO), which the researchers surprisingly put to good use.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;CO causes performance problems in most fuel cells, but here, we\u0026rsquo;re using it as a fuel,\u0026rdquo; Chen said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMaking electricity\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EH\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E\u0026nbsp;and CO continue on to further catalyst layers that make up the anode, the part of the fuel cell that yanks off electrons, making the carbon monoxide and hydrogen positively charged ions. The electrons travel via a wire -\u0026nbsp;creating the electricity flow -\u0026nbsp;toward the cathode.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThere, oxygen, which is very electron-hungry, sucks up the electrons, closing the electrical circuit and becoming O\u003Csup\u003E2-\u003C\/sup\u003E\u0026nbsp;ions. Ionized hydrogen and oxygen meet and exit the system as water condensation; the carbon monoxide and oxygen ions meet to become pure carbon dioxide, which could be captured.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor the energy produced, fuel cell technology creates far, far less carbon dioxide than combustion engines.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn some fuel cells, the water in the initial reactions must be introduced from the outside. In this new fuel cell, it\u0026rsquo;s replenished in the last reaction phase, which forms water that cycles back to react with the methane.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECatalysts converge\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new catalyst, CNR, manufactured by research collaborators at the University of Kansas, is the outer layer of the anode side of the cell and doubles as a protectant against decay, extending the life of the cell. CNR has strong cohort catalysts in inner layers and on the other side of the cell, the cathode.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOn the cathode end, oxygen\u0026rsquo;s reaction and movement through the system are usually notoriously slow, but Liu\u0026rsquo;s lab has recently sped it up to raise the electricity output by using what\u0026rsquo;s called nanofiber cathodes, which Liu\u0026rsquo;s lab developed in a prior study. (\u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/ncomms14586\u0022\u003EA tailored double perovskite nanofiber catalyst enables ultrafast oxygen evolution\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E.)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The structures of these various catalysts, as well as the nanofiber cathodes, all together allowed us to drop the operating temperature,\u0026rdquo; Chen said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELike this article?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/subscribe\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESubscribe to our email newsletter\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAlso read:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/news\/603738\/turbocharging-fuel-cells-multifunctional-catalyst\u0022\u003ETurbocharging Fuel Cells with a Multifunctional Catalyst \u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;following people coauthored the research: B\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eote\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;Zhao,\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EL\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eei\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;Zhang,\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ES\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eeonyoung\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003EYoo,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003EKai Pei, Jun Hyuk Kim\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003EYong Ding of Georgia Tech; Yuechang Wei and Franklin\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003EF\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eeng\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;Tao of the University of Kansas, and Z\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eiyun\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;Wang and P\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;Hu of The Queen\u0026rsquo;s University of Belfast. The research was funded by the\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003EU.S. Department of Energy under the following agencies and programs: Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) REBELS program (award DE-AR0000502), and\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003ESECA Core Technology Program (award DE-FE0031201)\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, the Catalysis program of the Office of Basic Energy Sciences (grant DE- SC0014561). It was also funded by the Division of Chemistry of the National Science Foundation (award 1462121). Any results, conclusions, and opinions are those of the authors and not necessarily of the funding agencies.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDOI:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E10.1038\/s41560-018-0262-5\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter \u0026amp;\u0026nbsp;Media Representative\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield (404-660-1408), ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia \u0026nbsp;30332-0181 \u0026nbsp;USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEither exorbitantly expensive fuel or insanely hot temperatures have made fuel cells a boutique proposition, but now there\u0026#39;s one that runs on cheap methane and at much lower temperatures. This is a practical, affordable fuel cell and a \u0026quot;sensation in our world,\u0026quot; the engineers say.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Cheap fuel, cool temperatures, low material costs: This fuel cell could spread to homes and cars."}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2018-10-29 15:16:12","changed_gmt":"2018-11-19 19:17:09","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-10-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2018-10-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"613412":{"id":"613412","type":"image","title":"Single fuel cell, new, practical, affordable cell","body":null,"created":"1540829880","gmt_created":"2018-10-29 16:18:00","changed":"1540906546","gmt_changed":"2018-10-30 13:35:46","alt":"","file":{"fid":"233530","name":"FC.label_.sm_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/FC.label_.sm_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/FC.label_.sm_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3530177,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/FC.label_.sm_.jpg?itok=02YquCqL"}},"613406":{"id":"613406","type":"image","title":"Nissan fuel cell prototype car","body":null,"created":"1540824586","gmt_created":"2018-10-29 14:49:46","changed":"1540824586","gmt_changed":"2018-10-29 14:49:46","alt":"","file":{"fid":"233526","name":"Nissan_e_Bio_Fuel_Cell_Prototype_Vehicle_013.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Nissan_e_Bio_Fuel_Cell_Prototype_Vehicle_013_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Nissan_e_Bio_Fuel_Cell_Prototype_Vehicle_013_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":860674,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Nissan_e_Bio_Fuel_Cell_Prototype_Vehicle_013_0.jpg?itok=ZRtup-HW"}},"613408":{"id":"613408","type":"image","title":"Principal investigator Meilin Liu new, affordable fuel cell","body":null,"created":"1540825110","gmt_created":"2018-10-29 14:58:30","changed":"1540825110","gmt_changed":"2018-10-29 14:58:30","alt":"","file":{"fid":"233528","name":"FC.Meilin.sm_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/FC.Meilin.sm_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/FC.Meilin.sm_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2605875,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/FC.Meilin.sm_.jpg?itok=o9oQA-z-"}},"613407":{"id":"613407","type":"image","title":"Yu Chen tests new fuel cell","body":null,"created":"1540824711","gmt_created":"2018-10-29 14:51:51","changed":"1540824711","gmt_changed":"2018-10-29 14:51:51","alt":"","file":{"fid":"233527","name":"FC.Yu_.sm_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/FC.Yu_.sm_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/FC.Yu_.sm_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3097585,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/FC.Yu_.sm_.jpg?itok=QI1W7I1y"}},"613404":{"id":"613404","type":"image","title":"New, affordable fuel cell hooked up for testing","body":null,"created":"1540824321","gmt_created":"2018-10-29 14:45:21","changed":"1540824321","gmt_changed":"2018-10-29 14:45:21","alt":"","file":{"fid":"233525","name":"FC.Ben_.sm_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/FC.Ben_.sm_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/FC.Ben_.sm_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3218233,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/FC.Ben_.sm_.jpg?itok=1eb2Rb6k"}},"613409":{"id":"613409","type":"image","title":"Fuel cell re-imagined diagram with catalyst innovation","body":null,"created":"1540825446","gmt_created":"2018-10-29 15:04:06","changed":"1540825446","gmt_changed":"2018-10-29 15:04:06","alt":"","file":{"fid":"233529","name":"practical.fuel_.cell_.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/practical.fuel_.cell_.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/practical.fuel_.cell_.png","mime":"image\/png","size":403149,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/practical.fuel_.cell_.png?itok=wXrpEHiF"}},"613403":{"id":"613403","type":"image","title":"Practical, affordable fuel cell","body":null,"created":"1540824149","gmt_created":"2018-10-29 14:42:29","changed":"1540824194","gmt_changed":"2018-10-29 14:43:14","alt":"","file":{"fid":"233524","name":"GT.fuel_.cell_.sm_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/GT.fuel_.cell_.sm_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/GT.fuel_.cell_.sm_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3261629,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/GT.fuel_.cell_.sm_.jpg?itok=-OhC4wAB"}}},"media_ids":["613412","613406","613408","613407","613404","613409","613403"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1316","name":"Green Buzz"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2044","name":"Fuel Cell"},{"id":"179519","name":"fuel cell catalyst"},{"id":"179520","name":"fuel cell efficiency"},{"id":"179521","name":"fuel cell electronic vehicle"},{"id":"179522","name":"Fuel Cell Technologies"},{"id":"179523","name":"fuel cell home energy"},{"id":"179524","name":"methane fuel cel"},{"id":"179525","name":"natural gas fuel cell"},{"id":"48351","name":"interconnect"},{"id":"179526","name":"stainless steel interconnectors"},{"id":"179527","name":"fuel cell stack"},{"id":"179528","name":"Stack"},{"id":"171091","name":"solid oxide fuel cell"},{"id":"177407","name":"SOFC"},{"id":"179529","name":"distributed generation"},{"id":"179530","name":"Steam energy plants"},{"id":"179531","name":"Ce0.9Ni0.05 Ru0.05O2"},{"id":"179532","name":"cnr"},{"id":"179533","name":"Ruthenium"},{"id":"1575","name":"carbon monoxide"},{"id":"7021","name":"cathode"},{"id":"179534","name":"nanofiber cathodes"},{"id":"6531","name":"catalysts"},{"id":"174838","name":"perovskite"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"614359":{"#nid":"614359","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Cotton-Based Hybrid Biofuel Cell Could Power Implantable Medical Devices","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA glucose-powered biofuel cell that uses electrodes made from cotton fiber could someday help power implantable medical devices such as pacemakers and sensors. The new fuel cell, which provides twice as much power as conventional biofuel cells, could be paired with batteries or supercapacitors to provide a hybrid power source for the medical devices.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Korea University used gold nanoparticles assembled on the cotton to create high-conductivity electrodes that helped improve the fuel cell\u0026rsquo;s efficiency. That allowed them to address one of the major challenges limiting the performance of biofuel cells \u0026ndash; connecting the enzyme used to oxidize glucose with an electrode.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA layer-by-layer assembly technique used to fabricate the gold electrodes \u0026ndash; which provide both the electrocatalytic cathode and the conductive substrate for the anode \u0026ndash; helped boost the power capacity to as much as 3.7 milliwatts per square centimeter. Results of the research were reported October 26 in the journal Nature Communications.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We could use this device as a continuous power source for converting chemical energy from glucose in the body to electrical energy,\u0026rdquo; said Seung Woo Lee, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. \u0026ldquo;The layer-by-layer deposition technique precisely controls deposition of both the gold nanoparticle and enzyme, dramatically increasing the power density of this fuel cell.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFabrication of the electrodes begins with porous cotton fiber composed of multiple hydrophilic microfibrils \u0026ndash; cellulose fibers containing hydroxyl groups. Gold nanoparticles about eight nanometers in diameter are then assembled onto the fibers using organic linker materials.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETo create the anode for oxidizing the glucose, the researchers apply glucose oxidase enzyme in layers alternating with an amine-functionalized small molecule known as TREN. The cathode, where the oxygen reduction reaction takes place, used the gold-covered electrodes, which have electrocatalytic capabilities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We precisely control the loading of the enzyme,\u0026rdquo; Lee said. \u0026ldquo;We produce a very thin layer so that the charge transport between the conductive substrate and the enzyme is improved. We have made a very close connection between the materials so the transport of electrons is easier.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe porosity of the cotton allowed an increase in the number of gold layers compared to a nylon fiber. \u0026ldquo;Cotton has many pores that can support activity in electrochemical devices,\u0026rdquo; explained Yongmin Ko, a visiting faculty member and one of the paper\u0026rsquo;s co-authors. \u0026ldquo;The cotton fiber is hydrophilic, meaning the electrolyte easily wets the surface.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond improving the conductivity of the electrodes, the cotton fiber could improve the biocompatibility of the device, which is designed to operate at low temperature to allow use inside the body.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EImplantable biofuel cells suffer from degradation over time, and the new cell developed by the U.S. and Korean team offers improved long-term stability. \u0026ldquo;We have a record high power performance, and the lifetime should be improved for biomedical applications such as pacemakers,\u0026rdquo; Lee said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPacemakers and other implantable devices are now powered by batteries that last years, but may still require replacement in a procedure that requires surgery. The biofuel cell could provide a continuous charge for those batteries, potentially extending the time that devices may operate without battery replacement, Lee added.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition, the biofuel cell could be used to power devices intended for temporary use. Such devices might be implanted to provide timed release of a drug, but would biodegrade over time without requiring surgical removal. For these applications, no battery would be included, and the limited power required could be provided by the biofuel cell.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFuture goals of the research include demonstrating operation of the biofuel cell with an energy storage device, and development of a functional implantable power source. \u0026ldquo;We want to develop other biological applications for this,\u0026rdquo; said Lee. \u0026ldquo;We\u0026rsquo;d like to go farther with other applications including batteries and high-performance storage.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to those already named, the research team included Cheong Hoon Kwon, Dongyeeb Shin, Minseong Kwon and Jinhan Cho of Korea University, Jinho Park of Georgia Tech and Wan Ki Bae of SKKU Advanced Institute of Nano Technology at Sungkyunkwan University.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis work was supported by a National Research Foundation (NRF) grant funded by the Korean Ministry of Science, ICT \u0026amp; Future Planning (MSIP) (2018R1A2A1A05019452; 2016M3A7B4910619) and the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (NRF2017R1A6A3A04003192).\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Cheong Hoon Kwon, et al., \u0026ldquo;High-power hybrid biofuel cells using layer-by-layer assembled glucose oxidase-coated metallic cotton,\u0026rdquo; (Nature Communications 9, 2018) http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/ 10.1038\/s41467-018-06994-5\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Assistance\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA glucose-powered biofuel cell that uses electrodes made from cotton fiber could someday help power implantable medical devices such as pacemakers and sensors. The new fuel cell, which provides twice as much power as conventional biofuel cells, could be paired with batteries or supercapacitors to provide a hybrid power source for the medical devices.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A glucose-powered biofuel cell that uses electrodes made from cotton fiber could someday help power implantable medical devices. "}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2018-11-16 18:42:13","changed_gmt":"2018-11-16 19:25:21","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-11-16T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2018-11-16T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"614352":{"id":"614352","type":"image","title":"Cotton for fuel cells","body":null,"created":"1542392949","gmt_created":"2018-11-16 18:29:09","changed":"1542396986","gmt_changed":"2018-11-16 19:36:26","alt":"Cotton growing in a field","file":{"fid":"233889","name":"cotton-boll.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cotton-boll.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cotton-boll.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":822889,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/cotton-boll.jpg?itok=970WdqPY"}},"614353":{"id":"614353","type":"image","title":"SEM image of electrodes","body":null,"created":"1542393070","gmt_created":"2018-11-16 18:31:10","changed":"1542396971","gmt_changed":"2018-11-16 19:36:11","alt":"Microscope images of fuel cell electrodes","file":{"fid":"233890","name":"electrode-sem.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/electrode-sem.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/electrode-sem.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":217880,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/electrode-sem.jpg?itok=P2rITTM4"}},"614354":{"id":"614354","type":"image","title":"Gold electrodes made from cotton","body":null,"created":"1542393185","gmt_created":"2018-11-16 18:33:05","changed":"1542396942","gmt_changed":"2018-11-16 19:35:42","alt":"Image of gold electrodes","file":{"fid":"233891","name":"gold electrodes.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/gold%20electrodes.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/gold%20electrodes.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":218118,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/gold%20electrodes.jpg?itok=nSy6GtRX"}}},"media_ids":["614352","614353","614354"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"179737","name":"biofuel cell"},{"id":"2044","name":"Fuel Cell"},{"id":"179738","name":"glucose"},{"id":"179739","name":"cotton fiber"},{"id":"175833","name":"layer-by-layer"},{"id":"7309","name":"electrode"},{"id":"2054","name":"nanoparticle"},{"id":"179740","name":"power source"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"612167":{"#nid":"612167","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Red Glow Helps Identify Nanoparticles for Delivering RNA Therapies","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new screening process could dramatically accelerate the identification of nanoparticles suitable for delivering therapeutic RNA into living cells. The technique would allow researchers to screen hundreds of nanoparticles at a time, identifying the organs in which they accumulate \u0026ndash; and verifying that they can successfully deliver an RNA cargo into living cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBased on work known as \u0026ldquo;DNA barcoding,\u0026rdquo; the technique inserts unique snippets of DNA into as many as 150 different nanoparticles for simultaneous testing. The nanoparticles are then injected into animal models and allowed to travel to organs such as the liver, spleen or lungs. Genetic sequencing techniques then identify which DNA-labeled nanoparticles have reached specific organs.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn a paper published October 1 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\u003C\/em\u003E, a research team describes taking the process a step farther to verify that the nanoparticles have entered the cells of the specific organs. In addition to the DNA barcode, the researchers inserted into each nanoparticle a snippet of mRNA that is turned into a protein known as \u0026ldquo;Cre.\u0026rdquo; The Cre protein generates a red glow, identifying cells that the nanoparticles have entered and successfully delivered the mRNA drug, allowing the researchers to identify which nanoparticles can deliver RNA drugs to the cells of the specific organs.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This technique, known as Fast Indication of Nanoparticle Discovery (FIND), will allow us to identify the right carrier far more quickly and less expensively than we have been able to do in the past,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/bme\/faculty\/James-Dahlman\u0022\u003EJames E. Dahlman\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;As a result, the odds that we will be able to find carriers for specific tissues should increase dramatically.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe FIND technique would replace in vitro screening, which has limited success at identifying nanoparticle carriers for the genetic therapies. The research was supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health, and from the Cystic Fibrosis Research Foundation, the Parkinson\u0026rsquo;s Disease Foundation and the Bayer Hemophilia Awards Program.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETherapies based on RNA and DNA could address a broad range of genetically based diseases, including atherosclerosis, where such therapies may be able to reverse the buildup of plaque in arteries. Nanoparticles used to deliver RNA and DNA into cells are made from several ingredients whose levels can be varied, creating the potential for tens of thousands of different nanoparticles. Finding the right combination of these ingredients to target specific cells has required extensive trial-and-error discovery processes that have limited the use of RNA and DNA therapies.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUse of the DNA barcoding process allows hundreds of possible nanoparticle combinations to be tested simultaneously in a single animal, but until now, researchers could only tell that the combination had reached specific organs. By examining which cells within the organs have the red glow, they can now verify that the nanoparticles carried the barcodes and delivered functional mRNA drugs into the cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the paper, the researchers report discovering two nanoparticles that efficiently delivered siRNA, sgRNA and mRNA to endothelial cells in the spleen. The researchers believe their technique can deliver therapeutic RNA and DNA to a wide variety of endothelial cell types, and perhaps also to immune system and other cell types.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The field has been able to functionally deliver genetic drugs to the liver, and we are now trying to use our technology to deliver to different organs and cell types to enable therapies to treat all of the cell types that are in the liver,\u0026rdquo; said Cory Sago, the paper\u0026rsquo;s first author and a Ph.D. candidate in Dahlman\u0026rsquo;s lab. \u0026ldquo;Now that we have a system that allows us to probe these questions at a very specific level of resolution, we now want to go after other cell types in a more efficient manner.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDahlman expects to put the new technology to use quickly.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We hope to take projects that would ordinarily require years and complete several of them within the next 12 months,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;FIND could be used to carry all sorts of nucleic acid drugs into cells. That could include small RNAs, large RNAs, small DNAs and large DNAs \u0026ndash; many different types of genetic drugs that are now being developed in research labs.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETechnical challenges ahead include demonstrating that identifying an affinity for mouse organs predicts which particles will work in the human body, and that the approach works for different classes of genetic therapies.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EExperimentally, Dahlman\u0026rsquo;s lab produces the nanoparticles at three formulation stations that require about 90 seconds to produce each of the 250 or so samples used. The resulting nanoparticles are then examined for proper size range \u0026ndash; 40 to 80 nanometers in diameter \u0026ndash; before being purified and sterilized for injection into the animals.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter three days, the researchers separate cells that are glowing red and sequence the DNA snippets in them to identify which chemical compositions were most successful at entering cells of specific organs. The most promising chemical compositions are used to develop of a new batch of candidate nanoparticles for a new round of screening, which takes about a week to complete.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We want to evolve the best particles that we can,\u0026rdquo; Sago said. \u0026ldquo;Every single one of the components matters, and we work to get each component right for the cell type that we are interested in. There is a lot of optimization required.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to those already mentioned, the paper\u0026rsquo;s co-authors include Melissa P. Lokugamage, Kalina Paunovska, Daryll A. Vanover, Marielena Gamboa Castro, Shannon E. Anderson, Tobi G. Rudoltz, Gwyneth N. Lando, Pooja Tiwari, Jonathan L. Kirschman and Philip J. Santangelo, all of the Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering; Chris M. Monaco, Young Jang and Nirav N. Shah of the Georgia Tech School of Biological Sciences; Nick Willett of Emory University and the Atlanta Veteran\u0026rsquo;s Affairs Medical Center, and Anton V. Bryksin of the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe research was supported by the NIH\/NIGMS-sponsored Immunoengineering Training Program (T32EB021962), the Georgia Research Assistantship (Grant 3201330), the NIH\/NIGMS-sponsored Cell and Tissue Engineering (CTEng) Biotechnology Training Program (T32GM008433), the National Institutes of Health GT BioMAT Training Grant (5T32EB006343), the Cystic Fibrosis Research Foundation (DAHLMA15XX0), the Parkinson\u0026rsquo;s Disease Foundation (PDF-JFA-1860), and the Bayer Hemophilia Awards Program (AGE DTD). This content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the sponsors.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Cory D. Sago, et al., \u0026ldquo;A high throughput in vivo screen of functional mRNA delivery identifies nanoparticles for endothelial cell gene editing,\u0026rdquo; (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2018) www.pnas.org\/cgi\/doi\/10.1073\/pnas.1811276115\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new screening process could dramatically accelerate the identification of nanoparticles suitable for delivering therapeutic RNA into living cells. The technique would allow researchers to screen hundreds of nanoparticles at a time, identifying the organs in which they accumulate \u0026ndash; and verifying that they can successfully deliver an RNA cargo into living cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new screening process could dramatically accelerate the identification of nanoparticles suitable for delivering therapeutic RNA into living cells."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2018-10-01 19:07:01","changed_gmt":"2018-10-01 19:09:41","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-10-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2018-10-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"612163":{"id":"612163","type":"image","title":"James Dahlman with microfluidics","body":null,"created":"1538420286","gmt_created":"2018-10-01 18:58:06","changed":"1538420286","gmt_changed":"2018-10-01 18:58:06","alt":"James Dahlman and microfluidic device","file":{"fid":"233034","name":"james-dahlman-006.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/james-dahlman-006.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/james-dahlman-006.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":537439,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/james-dahlman-006.jpg?itok=Mxp2eRUb"}},"612164":{"id":"612164","type":"image","title":"Glow indicates nanoparticle success","body":null,"created":"1538420439","gmt_created":"2018-10-01 19:00:39","changed":"1538420439","gmt_changed":"2018-10-01 19:00:39","alt":"Image of glowing cells","file":{"fid":"233035","name":"functional-mrna-square.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/functional-mrna-square.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/functional-mrna-square.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":207240,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/functional-mrna-square.jpg?itok=pIcnMNvT"}},"612165":{"id":"612165","type":"image","title":"James Dahlman in lab","body":null,"created":"1538420550","gmt_created":"2018-10-01 19:02:30","changed":"1538420550","gmt_changed":"2018-10-01 19:02:30","alt":"nanoparticles, microfluidics, DNA barcoding","file":{"fid":"233036","name":"james-dahlman-014.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/james-dahlman-014.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/james-dahlman-014.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":314510,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/james-dahlman-014.jpg?itok=fOFYr7do"}}},"media_ids":["612163","612164","612165"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"12427","name":"microfluidics"},{"id":"107","name":"Nanotechnology"},{"id":"2973","name":"nanoparticles"},{"id":"984","name":"RNA"},{"id":"172671","name":"RNA therapy"},{"id":"1041","name":"dna"},{"id":"173419","name":"DNA barcoding"},{"id":"145161","name":"James Dahlman"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"609792":{"#nid":"609792","#data":{"type":"news","title":"This Matrix Delivers Healing Stem Cells to Injured Elderly Muscles","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA car accident leaves an aging patient with severe muscle injuries that won\u0026rsquo;t heal. Treatment with muscle stem cells from a donor might restore damaged tissue, but doctors are unable to deliver them effectively. \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/advances.sciencemag.org\/content\/4\/8\/eaar4008\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EA new method\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;may help change this.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology engineered a molecular matrix, a hydrogel, to deliver muscle stem cells called muscle satellite cells (MuSCs) directly to injured muscle tissue in patients whose muscles don\u0026rsquo;t regenerate well. In lab experiments on mice, the hydrogel successfully delivered MuSCs to injured, aged muscle tissue to boost\u0026nbsp;the healing process while protecting the stem cells from harsh immune reactions.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe method was also successful in mice with a muscle tissue deficiency that emulated Duchene muscular dystrophy, and if research progresses, the new hydrogel therapy could one day save the lives of people suffering from the disease.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInflammatory war zone\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESimply injecting additional muscle satellite cells into damaged, inflamed tissue has proven inefficient, in part because the stem cells encounter an immune system on the warpath.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Any muscle injury is going to attract immune cells. Typically, this would help muscle stem cells repair damage. But in aged or dystrophic muscles, immune cells lead to the release a lot of toxic chemicals like cytokines and free radicals that kill the new stem cells,\u0026rdquo; said Young Jang, an\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/biosci.gatech.edu\/people\/young-jang\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eassistant professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and one of the study\u0026rsquo;s principal investigators.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOnly between 1 and 20 percent of injected MuSCs make it to damaged tissue, and those that do, arrive there weakened. Also, some tissue damage makes any injection unfeasible, thus the need for new delivery strategies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Our new hydrogel protects the stem cells, which multiply and thrive inside the matrix. The gel is applied to injured muscle, and the cells engraft onto the tissues and help them heal,\u0026rdquo; said Woojin Han, a postdoctoral researcher in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Mechanical Engineering and the paper\u0026rsquo;s first author.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHan, Jang and Andres Garcia, the study\u0026rsquo;s other principal investigator, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/advances.sciencemag.org\/content\/4\/8\/eaar4008\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Epublished their results on August 15, 2018, in the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EScience Advances\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases of the National Institutes of Health funded the research.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHydrogel: watery nets\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHydrogels often start out as water-based solutions of molecular components that resemble crosses, and other components that make the ends of the crosses attach to each other. When the components come together, they fuse into molecular nets suspended in water, resulting in a material with the consistency of a gel.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIf stem cells or a drug are mixed into the solution, when the net, or matrix, forms, it ensnares the treatment for delivery and protects the payload from death or dissipation in the body. Researchers can easily and reliably synthesize hydrogels and also custom-engineer them by tweaking their components, as the Georgia Tech researchers did in this hydrogel.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It physically traps the muscle satellite cells in a net, but the cells also grab onto chemical latches we engineered into the net,\u0026rdquo; Han said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThis hydrogel\u0026rsquo;s added latches, which bond with proteins protruding from stem cells\u0026rsquo; membranes, not only increase the cells\u0026rsquo; adhesion to the net but also hinder them from committing suicide. Stem cells tend to kill themselves when they\u0026rsquo;re detached and free-floating.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe chemical components and the cells are mixed in solution then applied to the injured muscle, where the mixture sets to a matrix-gel patch that glues the stem cells in place. The gel is biocompatible and biodegradable.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The stem cells keep multiplying and thriving in the gel after it is applied,\u0026rdquo; Jang said. \u0026ldquo;Then the hydrogel degrades and leaves behind the cells engrafted onto muscle tissue the way natural stem cells usually would be.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStem cell breakdown\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn younger, healthier patients, muscle satellite cells are part of the natural healing mechanism.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Muscle satellite cells are resident stem cells in your skeletal muscles. They live on muscle strands like specks, and they\u0026rsquo;re key players in making new muscle tissue,\u0026rdquo; Han said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;As we age, we lose muscle mass, and the number of satellite cells also decreases. The ones that are left get weaker. It\u0026rsquo;s a double whammy,\u0026rdquo; Jang said. \u0026ldquo;At a very advanced age, a patient stops regenerating muscle altogether.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;With this system we engineered, we think we can introduce donor cells to enhance the repair mechanism in injured older patients,\u0026rdquo; Han said. \u0026ldquo;We also want to get this to work in patients with Duchene muscular dystrophy.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Duchene muscular dystrophy is surprisingly frequent,\u0026rdquo; Jang said. \u0026ldquo;About 1 in 3,500 boys get it. They eventually get respiratory defects that lead to death, so we hope to be able to use this to rebuild their diaphragm muscles.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIf the method goes to clinical trials, researchers will likely have to work around the potential for donor cell rejection in human patients.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/news\/583569\/punching-cancer-rna-knuckles\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAlso READ: Punching Cancer with RNA Knuckles Wrapped in Hydrogel\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELike this article? \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/subscribe\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESubscribe to our email newsletter here.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe following researchers coauthored the paper: Shannon Anderson, Mahir Mohiuddin, Shadi Nakhai, and Eunjung Shin from Georgia Tech; Isabel Freitas Amaral, and Ana Paula P\u0026ecirc;go from the University of Porto in Portugal, and Daniela Barros from Georgia Tech and the University of Porto. The research was funded by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases of the National Institutes of Health (awards # R21AR072287 and R01AR062368).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAny opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect views of the National Institutes of Health.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Assistance\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield (404) 660-1408, ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Ben Brumfield\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EInjured elderly muscle tissue heals slowly or not at all, and Duchene MS sufferers often die when their diaphragm muscles weaken then give out. A new hydrogel that packs\u0026nbsp;donor muscle stem cells could someday help these patients recover and live longer.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Elderly accident victims and Duchene muscular dystrophy sufferers could someday benefit from this stem cell hydrogel successfully tested in mice."}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2018-08-15 18:15:03","changed_gmt":"2018-08-17 14:33:47","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-08-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2018-08-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"609786":{"id":"609786","type":"image","title":"New muscle strands thanks to stem cell hydrogel","body":null,"created":"1534355280","gmt_created":"2018-08-15 17:48:00","changed":"1534355280","gmt_changed":"2018-08-15 17:48:00","alt":"","file":{"fid":"232222","name":"4L-4-Image Export-30_c1+2+3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/4L-4-Image%20Export-30_c1%2B2%2B3.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/4L-4-Image%20Export-30_c1%2B2%2B3.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2900598,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/4L-4-Image%20Export-30_c1%2B2%2B3.jpg?itok=E2MrSJdk"}},"609788":{"id":"609788","type":"image","title":"Woojin Han observes muscle tissue in Young Jang\u0027s lab","body":null,"created":"1534355598","gmt_created":"2018-08-15 17:53:18","changed":"1534355598","gmt_changed":"2018-08-15 17:53:18","alt":"","file":{"fid":"232224","name":"WoojinHan.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/WoojinHan.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/WoojinHan.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2864547,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/WoojinHan.jpg?itok=imNBBPkS"}},"609789":{"id":"609789","type":"image","title":"Young Jang and Woojin Han in Jang\u0027s lab","body":null,"created":"1534355772","gmt_created":"2018-08-15 17:56:12","changed":"1534355772","gmt_changed":"2018-08-15 17:56:12","alt":"","file":{"fid":"232225","name":"JangHan.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/JangHan.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/JangHan.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3862958,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/JangHan.jpg?itok=On7idwxO"}},"609790":{"id":"609790","type":"image","title":"Injured muscle tissue with hydrogel delivered stem cells","body":null,"created":"1534355901","gmt_created":"2018-08-15 17:58:21","changed":"1534355901","gmt_changed":"2018-08-15 17:58:21","alt":"","file":{"fid":"232226","name":"RGD1.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/RGD1.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/RGD1.png","mime":"image\/png","size":161336,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/RGD1.png?itok=_vo42zby"}}},"media_ids":["609786","609788","609789","609790"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"172670","name":"nanohydrogel"},{"id":"3356","name":"hydrogel"},{"id":"178747","name":"muscle satellite cell"},{"id":"167413","name":"Stem Cell"},{"id":"178748","name":"elderly and medication"},{"id":"178749","name":"Old Age"},{"id":"178750","name":"Aging and Disease"},{"id":"176","name":"aging"},{"id":"178751","name":"Muscle Regeneration"},{"id":"178752","name":"Muscle Repair"},{"id":"178753","name":"diaphragm muscle replacement"},{"id":"178754","name":"Diaphragm"},{"id":"178755","name":"Duchene muscular dystrophy"},{"id":"178756","name":"elderly adults"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"607441":{"#nid":"607441","#data":{"type":"news","title":"MIT Technology Review Applauds Georgia Tech\u2019s Dahlman in \u201835 Innovators Under 35\u2019","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen a recognition makes your name fit comfortably into the same sentence with Facebook\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;Mark Zuckerberg\u0026rdquo; or Google co-founder \u0026ldquo;Larry Page,\u0026rdquo; you know it\u0026rsquo;s something special. A shout-out in the \u003Cem\u003EMIT Technology Review\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026rsquo;s annual roster of \u0026ldquo;35 Innovators Under 35\u0026rdquo; did just that for Georgia Tech biomedical researcher James Dahlman.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe iconic research magazine applauded Dahlman because, as it stated in its headline, \u0026ldquo;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.technologyreview.com\/lists\/innovators-under-35\/2018\/inventor\/james-dahlman\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHis method makes it possible to test 300 drugs at once\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026rdquo; The \u0026ldquo;35\u0026rdquo; roster is noted for having anticipated the successes of Zuckerberg and Page, as well as that of Helen Greiner, co-founder of iRobot, Jonathan Ive, chief designer at Apple, and other consummate go-getters in industry, technology, and research.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDahlman felt honored to join the list, which was published on June 27, but also humbled.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;I wouldn\u0026rsquo;t put myself in the same category as those people, but research colleagues who have made this list have gone on to make very significant contributions to science,\u0026rdquo; said Dahlman, an assistant professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s hard to get on that list, so I was thrilled, and a little surprised,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;It also comes with certain expectations to live up to.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDNA-barcoding\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat Dahlman scrutinizes with his methods are, more precisely, nanoparticles designed to deliver a drug or gene therapy.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHe calls \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/news\/603270\/comparison-shows-value-dna-barcoding-selecting-nanoparticles\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehis invention \u0026ldquo;DNA-barcoding,\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026quot;\u0026nbsp;because it tracks hundreds of different nanoparticles at once to see how well they hit targeted tumor cells by loading up each one of the particles with its own custom-coded piece\u0026nbsp;of DNA. Researchers can inject the particles all at once into a live mouse then later excise the tumor and sequence the DNA strands to see which nanoparticles best delivered their payloads to tumor cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe top nanoparticles could be loaded up with an effective therapy for targeted delivery.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;DNA makes for a fantastic tracker,\u0026rdquo; Dahlman said. \u0026ldquo;There are thousands to millions to billions of code combinations. It\u0026rsquo;s nature\u0026rsquo;s way of storing information, so we can exploit that.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDNA barcoding has upended other methods of tracking nanoparticles. It has flatly nullified the results of tracking via lab samples, \u003Cem\u003Ein vitro\u003C\/em\u003E. And barcoding has left traditional tracking\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;in vivo,\u003C\/em\u003E in live mice, which can only follow one or a few particles at a time, in the dust.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EParkinson\u0026rsquo;s and heart disease\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Cem\u003EReview\u003C\/em\u003E cited specifically DNA barcoding\u0026rsquo;s potential for honing nanoparticles\u0026rsquo; aim at cancer cells, but there are many possible uses.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It can be for any cell type. We\u0026rsquo;re also using it for heart disease and for Parkinson\u0026rsquo;s,\u0026rdquo; Dahlman said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDahlman gives the real credit for the \u0026ldquo;35\u0026rdquo; kudos to the graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in his Lab for Precision Therapies in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;They have done a lot of the actual work,\u0026rdquo; Dahlman said. \u0026ldquo;If you don\u0026rsquo;t get good students, you won\u0026rsquo;t be able to do anything, and the school here should get a lot of credit for recruiting them.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe graduate students were jazzed to see their principal investigator on a pedestal.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We were all super excited and all huddled around the computer looking at James\u0026rsquo;s profile and at the other people on that list to see what they accomplished to get on that list,\u0026rdquo; said Ph.D. student Cory Sago, who chose Georgia Tech largely because of Dahlman.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPast Georgia Tech honorees\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPast Georgia Tech researchers named in the \u0026ldquo;35\u0026rdquo; list include \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/features\/microneedle-patches-flu-vaccination-prove-successful-first-human-clinical-trial\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Emicroneedle patch co-inventor\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www2.technologyreview.com\/tr35\/profile.aspx?trid=512\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMark Prausnitz\u003C\/a\u003E, and microfluidics engineer and genotype-phenotype researcher \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.technologyreview.com\/s\/404706\/tr-35\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHang Lu\u003C\/a\u003E. More Georgia Tech graduates, mainly from master\u0026rsquo;s programs, have appeared on the \u003Cem\u003EMIT Technology Review\u003C\/em\u003E roster for making notable entrepreneurial waves.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDahlman\u0026rsquo;s inclusion in the 2018 edition of \u0026ldquo;35 Innovators Under 35\u0026rdquo; follows a string of prior acknowledgments and fellowships awarded Dahlman by the National Science Foundation, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the National Institutes of Health and private foundations.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe\u003Cem\u003E MIT Technology Review\u003C\/em\u003E was founded at the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mit.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMassachusetts Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;in 1899, and later became independent but maintains its affiliation with MIT. Dahlman received his Ph.D. jointly from MIT and Harvard Medical School in 2014 and was a postdoctoral researcher at their shared Broad Institute, which is dedicated to improving human health through genomics.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003ELike this article?\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/subscribe\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGet our email newsletter here.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield (404-660-1408) (ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFacebook\u0026#39;s Mark Zuckerberg, iRobot\u0026#39;s Helen Greiner, and now: James Dahlman. The Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;DNA barcoding researcher has landed in the prestigious\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EMIT Technology Review\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026quot;35 Innovators Under 35\u0026quot; annual roster, which has, in the past, predicted resounding success stories -- including others from Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"DNA barcoding has landed James Dahlman in a list that has previously honored Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page and Helen Greiner"}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2018-07-02 14:25:24","changed_gmt":"2018-07-06 19:40:41","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-07-02T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2018-07-02T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"607438":{"id":"607438","type":"image","title":"MIT Technology Review 35 Innovators Under 35","body":null,"created":"1530539790","gmt_created":"2018-07-02 13:56:30","changed":"1530539790","gmt_changed":"2018-07-02 13:56:30","alt":"","file":{"fid":"231706","name":"TechReview.Dahlman.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/TechReview.Dahlman.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/TechReview.Dahlman.png","mime":"image\/png","size":323298,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/TechReview.Dahlman.png?itok=9L2dle3a"}},"607437":{"id":"607437","type":"image","title":"Coulter BME James Dahlman","body":null,"created":"1530539527","gmt_created":"2018-07-02 13:52:07","changed":"1530539527","gmt_changed":"2018-07-02 13:52:07","alt":"","file":{"fid":"231705","name":"Dahlman Slavens.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Dahlman%20Slavens.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Dahlman%20Slavens.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":165055,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Dahlman%20Slavens.jpeg?itok=pMs3Lser"}},"607436":{"id":"607436","type":"image","title":"Coulter BME researcher James Dahlman","body":null,"created":"1530539356","gmt_created":"2018-07-02 13:49:16","changed":"1530539356","gmt_changed":"2018-07-02 13:49:16","alt":"","file":{"fid":"231704","name":"James composit.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/James%20composit.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/James%20composit.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":955321,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/James%20composit.jpg?itok=qWBQ4Blq"}},"603266":{"id":"603266","type":"image","title":"James Dahlman with microfluidic chip","body":null,"created":"1520268601","gmt_created":"2018-03-05 16:50:01","changed":"1520268601","gmt_changed":"2018-03-05 16:50:01","alt":"James Dahlman with microfluidic chip","file":{"fid":"229926","name":"nanoparticles006.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nanoparticles006_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nanoparticles006_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1575361,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/nanoparticles006_0.jpg?itok=2TxMqc0L"}},"607445":{"id":"607445","type":"image","title":"MIT Technology Review 35 Innovators Under 35 thumbnail 2","body":null,"created":"1530542628","gmt_created":"2018-07-02 14:43:48","changed":"1530542628","gmt_changed":"2018-07-02 14:43:48","alt":"","file":{"fid":"231709","name":"MITtr2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/MITtr2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/MITtr2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":92446,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/MITtr2.jpg?itok=9WIO0nLo"}}},"media_ids":["607438","607437","607436","603266","607445"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"365","name":"Research"},{"id":"1503","name":"Biotechnology"},{"id":"398","name":"health"},{"id":"569","name":"bioengineering"},{"id":"5718","name":"Genetics"},{"id":"280","name":"Cancer research"},{"id":"178460","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"516","name":"engineering"},{"id":"178461","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"92971","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"607170":{"#nid":"607170","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Uses Nanotechnology to Create World\u2019s Smallest Ad","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen Arby\u0026rsquo;s announced in world record-breaking fashion that it had completed the nationwide conversion to Coca-Cola beverages, it turned to Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology (IEN) to help.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUsing a Focused Ion Beam, Georgia Tech engineers etched \u0026ldquo;We have a big announcement. This isn\u0026rsquo;t it.\u0026rdquo; onto a sesame seed from an Arby\u0026rsquo;s bun. The ad measured 38.3 microns by 19.2 microns, or 735.36 square micron in area, and has been officially recognized by the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS as the world\u0026rsquo;s \u003Cem\u003ESmallest advertisement\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe world\u0026rsquo;s smallest ad was displayed inside an Arby\u0026rsquo;s in America\u0026rsquo;s largest city, New York. Arby\u0026rsquo;s guests at the 32 E. 23rd St. restaurant in Manhattan were able to view the world\u0026rsquo;s smallest ad by using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) provided by Hitachi-HTA.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;When Arby\u0026rsquo;s ad agency, Moxie, approached us about this, I raised an eyebrow,\u0026rdquo; said Dean Sutter, associate director for industry outreach for IEN. \u0026ldquo;But then I thought it was a great way to highlight our unique capabilities and let industry know we have facilities that can help them with their nanotechnology needs.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EArby\u0026rsquo;s used the world\u0026rsquo;s \u003Cem\u003ESmallest advertisement\u003C\/em\u003E on June 11 to tease the announcement of switching to Coca-Cola with a second GUINESS WORLD RECORDS title \u0026ndash; the \u003Cem\u003ELargest advertisement\u003C\/em\u003E. The 212,000-square-foot advertisement was unveiled June 19 in Monowi, Nebraska. The town is the only incorporated municipality in the United States with a population of one, making it the smallest city in America. The idea was to have the world\u0026rsquo;s smallest ad in the largest city \u0026ndash; New York City \u0026ndash; and the largest ad in the smallest city.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor more on IEN and its capabilities or to become a shared asset user, go to \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/ien.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/ien.gatech.edu\/\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFounded in 1964, Arby\u0026rsquo;s is the second-largest sandwich restaurant brand in the world with more than 3,400 restaurants in seven countries. Arby\u0026rsquo;s is part of the Inspire Brands family of restaurants. For more information, visit \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.arbys.com\/\u0022\u003EArbys.com\u003C\/a\u003E and InspireBrands.com.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Coca-Cola Company is a total beverage company, offering over 500 brands in more than 200 countries. With its bottling partners, Coca-Cola employs more than 700,000 people, bringing economic opportunity to local communities worldwide.\u0026nbsp;Learn more at Coca-Cola Journey at \u003Ca href=\u0022file:\/\/\/C:\/Users\/A63978\/AppData\/Local\/Microsoft\/Windows\/Temporary%20Internet%20Files\/Content.Outlook\/RMW2KW1F\/www.coca-colacompany.com\u0022\u003Ewww.coca-colacompany.com\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing a Focused Ion Beam, Georgia Tech engineers etched \u0026ldquo;We have a big announcement. This isn\u0026rsquo;t it.\u0026rdquo; onto a sesame seed from an Arby\u0026rsquo;s bun.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Nanotechnology makes smallest advertisement on a sesame seed"}],"uid":"28797","created_gmt":"2018-06-19 15:55:49","changed_gmt":"2018-06-19 15:55:49","author":"Lance Wallace","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-06-19T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2018-06-19T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"606960":{"id":"606960","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech Arby\u0027s Ad 2 ","body":null,"created":"1528824562","gmt_created":"2018-06-12 17:29:22","changed":"1529516636","gmt_changed":"2018-06-20 17:43:56","alt":"Researchers used an atomic force microscope to etch an image on a sesame seed. ","file":{"fid":"231520","name":"Screen Shot 2018-06-12 at 1.24.39 PM.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Screen%20Shot%202018-06-12%20at%201.24.39%20PM.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Screen%20Shot%202018-06-12%20at%201.24.39%20PM.png","mime":"image\/png","size":565131,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Screen%20Shot%202018-06-12%20at%201.24.39%20PM.png?itok=Nm-AGm49"}},"606959":{"id":"606959","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech Arby\u0027s Ad 1","body":null,"created":"1528824516","gmt_created":"2018-06-12 17:28:36","changed":"1529516470","gmt_changed":"2018-06-20 17:41:10","alt":"Georgia Tech helps set world record for smallest advertisment. ","file":{"fid":"231519","name":"Screen Shot 2018-06-12 at 10.57.06 AM.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Screen%20Shot%202018-06-12%20at%2010.57.06%20AM.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Screen%20Shot%202018-06-12%20at%2010.57.06%20AM.png","mime":"image\/png","size":3359964,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Screen%20Shot%202018-06-12%20at%2010.57.06%20AM.png?itok=VShaZrNZ"}}},"media_ids":["606960","606959"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/ien.gatech.edu\/","title":"Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"197261","name":"Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"58041","name":"IEN"},{"id":"107","name":"Nanotechnology"},{"id":"178273","name":"world\u0027s smallest ad"},{"id":"178372","name":"advertisement"},{"id":"178373","name":"sesame seed"},{"id":"2741","name":"coca-cola"},{"id":"178374","name":"Arby\u0027s"},{"id":"12701","name":"Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003Elance.wallace@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["lance.wallace@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"603738":{"#nid":"603738","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Turbocharging Fuel Cells with a Multifunctional Catalyst","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPowering clean, efficient cars is just one way fuel cell technology could accelerate humanity into a sustainable energy future, but unfortunately, the technology has been a bit sluggish. Now, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.joule.2018.02.008\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eengineers may be able to essentially turbocharge fuel cells\u003C\/a\u003E with a new catalyst.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe sluggishness comes from a chemical bottleneck, the rate of processing oxygen, a key ingredient that helps fuel cells, which are related to batteries, produce electricity. The new catalyst, a nanotechnology material developed by engineers at the Georgia Institute of Technology, markedly speeds up oxygen processing and is \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.joule.2018.02.008\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ethe subject of a new study\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPartly to accommodate oxygen\u0026rsquo;s limitations, fuel cells usually require pure hydrogen fuel, which reacts with the oxygen taken in from the air, but the costs of producing the hydrogen have been prohibitive. The new catalyst is a potential game-changer.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It can easily convert chemical fuel into electricity with high efficiency,\u0026rdquo; said Meilin Liu, who led the study and is a \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/people\/meilin-liu\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERegents\u0026rsquo; Professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Material Science and Engineering.\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp; \u0026ldquo;It can let you use readily available fuels like methane or natural gas or just use hydrogen fuel much more efficiently,\u0026rdquo; Liu said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECatalyst 8 times as fast\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe catalyst achieves the efficiency by rushing oxygen through a fuel cell\u0026rsquo;s system. \u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s more than eight times as fast as state-of-the-art materials doing the same thing now,\u0026rdquo; said Yu Chen, a postdoctoral research associate in Liu\u0026rsquo;s lab and the study\u0026rsquo;s first author.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are a few types of fuel cells, but the researchers worked to improve solid oxide fuel cells, which are found in some prototypical fuel cell cars. The research insights could also aid in honing \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.explainthatstuff.com\/how-supercapacitors-work.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Esupercapacitors\u003C\/a\u003E and technology paired with solar panels, thus advancing sustainable energy beyond the new catalyst\u0026rsquo;s immediate potential to improve upon fuel cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ELiu and Chen published their study\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.joule.2018.02.008\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ein the March issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003EJoule\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. Their research was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and by the Guangdong Innovative and Entrepreneurial Research Program. The fuel cell work from Liu\u0026rsquo;s lab has already attracted significant energy industry and automotive industry interest.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENaturally sluggish oxygen\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThough they work differently from fuel cells and are much less efficient and clean, combustion engines make a useful metaphor to aid in understanding how fuel cells and the new catalyst work.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn a combustion engine, fuel from a tank and oxygen from the air come together to react in an explosion, producing energy that turns a crankshaft. Adding a turbocharger speeds the process up by mixing fuel and oxygen together more quickly and rushing them to combustion.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECurrently, in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hydrogen.energy.gov\/pdfs\/doe_fuelcell_factsheet.pdf\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Efuel cells, hydrogen fuel from a tank and oxygen\u003C\/a\u003E from the air also drive a process that produces energy, in this case, electricity. The two ingredients do come together in a reaction, but one very different from combustion, and much cleaner.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOne end of the fuel cell, the anode, removes electrons from the hydrogen atoms in what\u0026rsquo;s called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lQ6FBA1HM3s\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eoxidation\u003C\/a\u003E and sends the electrons through an external circuit as electric current to the cathode on the other side. There, oxygen, which is notoriously electron hungry, sucks the electrons up in what\u0026rsquo;s called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lQ6FBA1HM3s\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ereduction\u003C\/a\u003E, and that keeps the electricity flowing.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe hydrogen, now positively charged, and the oxygen, now negatively charged, meet up to form water, which is the fuel cell\u0026rsquo;s exhaust.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn that reaction chain, oxygen is the slow link in two ways: Oxygen\u0026rsquo;s reduction takes longer than hydrogen\u0026rsquo;s oxidation, and the reduced oxygen moves more slowly through the system to meet with hydrogen. Analogous to the turbocharger, the new catalyst pushes the oxygen forward.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOxygen rush nanotech\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe catalyst is applied as a sheer coating only about two dozen nanometers thick and is comprised of two connected nanotechnology solutions that break both oxygen bottlenecks.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFirst, nanoparticles highly attractive to oxygen grab the O\u003Csub\u003E2 \u003C\/sub\u003Emolecule and let inflowing electrons quickly jump onto it, easily reducing it and tearing it into two separate oxygen ions (each one an O\u003Csup\u003E2-\u003C\/sup\u003E). Then a series of chemical gaps called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/post\/what_is_the_true_definition_of_Oxygen_vacancy_in_magnetic_nanoparticles\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eoxygen vacancies\u003C\/a\u003E that are built into the nanoparticles\u0026rsquo; structures suck up the oxygen ions like chains of vacuum cleaners passing the ions hand to hand to the second phase of the catalyst.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe second phase is a coating that is full of oxygen vacancies that can pass the O\u003Csup\u003E2-\u003C\/sup\u003E even more rapidly toward its final destination.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The oxygen goes down quickly through the channels and enters the fuel cell, where it meets with the ionized hydrogen or another electron donor like methane or natural gas.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe ions meet to make water, which exits the fuel cell. In the case of methane fuel, pure CO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E is also emitted, which can be \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.nationalgeographic.com\/news\/energy\/2011\/08\/110811-turning-carbon-emissions-into-fuel\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ecaptured and recycled back into fuel\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInteresting rare metals\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the first stage, there are two different flavors of nanoparticle at work. Both have cobalt, but one contains barium and the other praseodymium, a rare-earth metal that can be pricey in high quantities.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chemicool.com\/elements\/praseodymium.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EPraseodymium\u003C\/a\u003E is in such very small amounts that it doesn\u0026rsquo;t impact costs,\u0026rdquo; Liu said. \u0026ldquo;And the catalyst saves lots of money on fuel and on other things.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHigh operating temperatures in existing fuel cells require expensive protective casings and cooling materials. The researchers believe the catalyst could help lower the temperatures by reducing electrical resistance inherent in current fuel cell chemistry. That could, in turn, reduce overall material costs.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EProtective cathode coating\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe second stage of the catalyst is a lattice that contains praseodymium and barium, as well as calcium and cobalt (PBCC). In addition to its catalytic function, the PBCC coating protects the cathode from degradation that can limit the lifetime of fuel cells and similar devices.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe underlying original cathode material, which contains the metals lanthanum, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chemicool.com\/elements\/strontium.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Estrontium\u003C\/a\u003E, cobalt, and iron (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lanthanum_strontium_cobalt_ferrite\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ELSCF\u003C\/a\u003E), has become an industry standard but comes with a caveat.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s very conductive, very good, but the problem is that strontium undergoes a diminishment called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.corrosionpedia.com\/definition\/1017\/segregation-materials\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Esegregation\u003C\/a\u003E in the material,\u0026rdquo; Liu said. \u0026ldquo;One component of our catalyst, PBCC, acts as a coating and keeps the LSCF a lot more stable.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ELSCF manufacturing is already well-established, and adding the catalyst coating to production could be likely reasonably achieved. Liu also is considering replacing the LSCF cathode completely with the new catalyst material, and his lab is developing a yet another catalyst to boost fuel oxidation reactions at the fuel cell\u0026rsquo;s anode.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ELike this article?\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/subscribe\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGet our email newsletter here.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/news\/587954\/triboelectric-nanogenerators-boost-mass-spectrometry-performance\u0022\u003EAlso \u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/news\/587954\/triboelectric-nanogenerators-boost-mass-spectrometry-performance\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EREAD:\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/news\/587954\/triboelectric-nanogenerators-boost-mass-spectrometry-performance\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E Nanogenerators boost mass spectrometry.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECoauthors of the study were: Seonyoung Yoo, Yong Ding, Ruiqiang Yan, Kai Pei, Chong Qu, Lei Zhang, Ikwhang Cha, Bote Zhao, Ben deGlee, and Ryan Murphy of Georgia Tech; YongMan Choi from the SABIC Technology Center in Saudi Arabia; Yanxiang Zhang from the Harbin Institute of Technology in China; Huijun Chen, Yan Chen, Chenghao Yang and Jiang Liu from the South China University of Technology. The research was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy SECA Core Technology Program (grants FC FE0026106 and DE-FE0031201) and the Guangdong Innovative and Entrepreneurial Research Team Program (grant 2014ZT05N200). Any opinions or findings are those of the authors and not necessarily of the funding agencies.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EZero-emissions cars zipping into a sustainable energy future are just one dream powered by fuel cells. But\u0026nbsp;cell technology has been a little sluggish and\u0026nbsp;fuel prohibitively pricey. This new catalyst could offer a game changer. And there are more developments to come.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Zero-emission cars and recyclable fuel are dreams powered by fuel cells, and this new catalyst brings the dream a little closer."}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2018-03-13 20:31:36","changed_gmt":"2018-03-14 16:33:19","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-03-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2018-03-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"603760":{"id":"603760","type":"image","title":"Nissan fuel cell vehicle","body":null,"created":"1521037756","gmt_created":"2018-03-14 14:29:16","changed":"1521037756","gmt_changed":"2018-03-14 14:29:16","alt":"","file":{"fid":"230114","name":"Nissan_e_Bio_Fuel_Cell_Prototype_Vehicle_013.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Nissan_e_Bio_Fuel_Cell_Prototype_Vehicle_013.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Nissan_e_Bio_Fuel_Cell_Prototype_Vehicle_013.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":860674,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Nissan_e_Bio_Fuel_Cell_Prototype_Vehicle_013.jpg?itok=fL6FfvcL"}},"603750":{"id":"603750","type":"image","title":"Meilin Liu and Yu Chen with catalyst-coated disc","body":null,"created":"1521035447","gmt_created":"2018-03-14 13:50:47","changed":"1521038201","gmt_changed":"2018-03-14 14:36:41","alt":"","file":{"fid":"230108","name":"CAT.Liu_.Chen_.SM_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/CAT.Liu_.Chen_.SM_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/CAT.Liu_.Chen_.SM_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3417735,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/CAT.Liu_.Chen_.SM_.jpg?itok=w7479N1p"}},"603756":{"id":"603756","type":"image","title":"Multiphase catalyst coats disc for fuel cell cathode","body":null,"created":"1521036485","gmt_created":"2018-03-14 14:08:05","changed":"1521038165","gmt_changed":"2018-03-14 14:36:05","alt":"","file":{"fid":"230112","name":"Cata.disk_.best_.SM_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Cata.disk_.best_.SM_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Cata.disk_.best_.SM_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1861246,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Cata.disk_.best_.SM_.jpg?itok=zAkDOOrs"}},"603754":{"id":"603754","type":"image","title":"Multiphase catalyst with barium and praseodymium","body":null,"created":"1521035950","gmt_created":"2018-03-14 13:59:10","changed":"1521035950","gmt_changed":"2018-03-14 13:59:10","alt":"","file":{"fid":"230110","name":"cata.2phase.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cata.2phase.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cata.2phase.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":626217,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/cata.2phase.jpg?itok=NjXL2jIW"}},"603758":{"id":"603758","type":"image","title":"Meilin Liu nanomaterial catalyst lab","body":null,"created":"1521037132","gmt_created":"2018-03-14 14:18:52","changed":"1521042618","gmt_changed":"2018-03-14 15:50:18","alt":"","file":{"fid":"230113","name":"fuel.gases_.insola.SM_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/fuel.gases_.insola.SM_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/fuel.gases_.insola.SM_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3385267,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/fuel.gases_.insola.SM_.jpg?itok=b_F1DDv0"}},"603763":{"id":"603763","type":"image","title":"Regents\u0027 Professor Meilin Liu","body":null,"created":"1521038551","gmt_created":"2018-03-14 14:42:31","changed":"1521038551","gmt_changed":"2018-03-14 14:42:31","alt":"","file":{"fid":"230117","name":"Meilin.Liu_.portrait.SM_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Meilin.Liu_.portrait.SM_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Meilin.Liu_.portrait.SM_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2703440,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Meilin.Liu_.portrait.SM_.jpg?itok=_UpyLSvP"}},"603762":{"id":"603762","type":"image","title":"Fuel cell simple diagram from Smithsonian edu","body":null,"created":"1521038106","gmt_created":"2018-03-14 14:35:06","changed":"1521038106","gmt_changed":"2018-03-14 14:35:06","alt":"","file":{"fid":"230116","name":"Smithson.fuel cell.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Smithson.fuel%20cell.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Smithson.fuel%20cell.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":43869,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Smithson.fuel%20cell.jpg?itok=nbc07kdH"}},"603761":{"id":"603761","type":"image","title":"Nissan fuel cell vehicle on the road","body":null,"created":"1521037859","gmt_created":"2018-03-14 14:30:59","changed":"1521037859","gmt_changed":"2018-03-14 14:30:59","alt":"","file":{"fid":"230115","name":"Nissan_e_Bio_Fuel_Cell_Prototype_Vehicle_014 (1).jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Nissan_e_Bio_Fuel_Cell_Prototype_Vehicle_014%20%281%29.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Nissan_e_Bio_Fuel_Cell_Prototype_Vehicle_014%20%281%29.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":972024,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Nissan_e_Bio_Fuel_Cell_Prototype_Vehicle_014%20%281%29.jpg?itok=MAhsq-Uw"}}},"media_ids":["603760","603750","603756","603754","603758","603763","603762","603761"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2506","name":"catalyst"},{"id":"177382","name":"oxygen vacancy"},{"id":"177383","name":"o2-"},{"id":"170502","name":"O2"},{"id":"1703","name":"co2 capture"},{"id":"2044","name":"Fuel Cell"},{"id":"177384","name":"hydrogen fuel cell"},{"id":"171091","name":"solid oxide fuel cell"},{"id":"177385","name":"carbon recycling"},{"id":"177386","name":"co2 recycling"},{"id":"177387","name":"oxygen reduction"},{"id":"177388","name":"oxygen transport"},{"id":"177389","name":"praseodymium"},{"id":"177390","name":"lanthanides"},{"id":"177391","name":"strontium"},{"id":"177392","name":"cobalt"},{"id":"177393","name":"lanthanum"},{"id":"177394","name":"hydrogen oxidation"},{"id":"177395","name":"PBCC"},{"id":"177396","name":"LSCF"},{"id":"177397","name":"barium"},{"id":"175831","name":"supercapacitor"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter \u0026amp;\u0026nbsp;Media Representative\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield (404-660-1408)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia \u0026nbsp;30332-0181 \u0026nbsp;USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"603270":{"#nid":"603270","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Comparison Shows Value of DNA Barcoding in Selecting Nanoparticles","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe first direct comparison of \u003Cem\u003Ein vitro\u003C\/em\u003E and \u003Cem\u003Ein vivo\u003C\/em\u003E screening techniques for identifying nanoparticles that may be used to transport therapeutic molecules into cells shows that testing in lab dishes isn\u0026rsquo;t much help in predicting which nanoparticles will successfully enter the cells of living animals.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new study demonstrated the advantages of an \u003Cem\u003Ein vivo\u003C\/em\u003E DNA barcoding technique, which attaches small snippets of DNA to different lipid-based nanoparticles that are then injected into living animals; more than a hundred nanoparticles can be tested in a single animal. DNA sequencing techniques are then used to identify which nanoparticles enter the cells of specific organs, making the particles candidates for transporting gene therapies to treat such killers as heart disease, cancer and Parkinson\u0026rsquo;s disease.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe traditional technique for identifying promising nanoparticles examines how the particles enter living cells kept in lab dishes. To compare the new and old screening techniques, the researchers added barcoded nanoparticles to living cells in lab dishes, and injected identical barcoded nanoparticles into living animal models. They found almost no correlation between the nanoparticles identified as promising in the lab dish tests and those that actually performed well in the mice.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;DNA barcoding has the potential to advance the science of selecting nanoparticles for delivering gene therapies,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/bme\/faculty\/James-Dahlman\u0022\u003EJames Dahlman\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University\u003C\/a\u003E and the study\u0026rsquo;s principal investigator. \u0026ldquo;Using this technique, companies and academic labs could pick out promising nanoparticles much more efficiently. That could accelerate the rate at which nanoparticle-based therapies move into the clinic, while reducing the amount of animal testing required.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research, which is supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Cancer Research Institute, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Parkinson\u0026rsquo;s Disease Foundation, was reported February 28 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EACS Nano Letters\u003C\/em\u003E. The research was conducted by scientists from the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGenetic therapies, such as those made from DNA or RNA, face challenges because of the difficulty in delivering the nucleic acid to the right cells. For the past two decades, scientists have been developing nanoparticles made from a broad range of materials and adding compounds such as cholesterol to help carry these therapeutic agents into cells. But the development of nanoparticle carriers has been slowed by the challenges of testing them, first in cell culture to identify promising nanoparticles, and later in animals. With millions of possible combinations, identifying the optimal nanoparticles to target each organ has been overwhelming.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUsing DNA strands just 58 nucleotides long to uniquely identify each particle allows researchers to skip the cell culture screening altogether \u0026ndash; and test a hundred or more different types of nanoparticles simultaneously in just a handful of animals.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;If you wanted to test 200 nanoparticles in the traditional way, you would need 600 mice \u0026ndash; three for each type of nanoparticle,\u0026rdquo; said Dahlman. \u0026ldquo;Using the DNA barcoding technique, which we call Joint Rapid DNA Analysis of Nanoparticles (JORDAN), we are able to do the testing in just three animals.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study examined nanoparticle entry into endothelial cells and macrophages for the\u003Cem\u003E in vitro\u003C\/em\u003E study, and the same type of cells from the lung, heart and bone marrow for the \u003Cem\u003Ein vivo\u003C\/em\u003E component. The two cell types are important to a broad range of organ systems in the body and play active roles in diseases that could be targets for nucleic acid therapies. The study compared how the same 281 lipid nanoparticles delivered the barcodes in lab dishes and living animals.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;There was no predictive capability between the lab dish tests and the animal tests,\u0026rdquo; Dahlman said. \u0026ldquo;If the \u003Cem\u003Ein vitro\u003C\/em\u003E tests had been good predictors, then particles that did well in the dish would also have done well in the animals, and particles that did poorly in the dish would also have done poorly in the animals. We did not see that at all.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research team, led by co-first authors Kalina Paunovska and Cory D. Sago, also studied how nanoparticle delivery changes with the microenvironment of specific tissue types. For that, they quantified how 85 nanoparticles delivered DNA barcodes to eight cell populations in the spleen, and found that cell types derived from myeloid progenitors tended to be targeted by similar nanoparticles.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearchers are interested not only in which nanoparticles deliver the therapeutics most effectively, but also which can deliver them selectively to specific organs. Therapeutics targeted to tumors, for example, should be delivered only to the tumor and not to surrounding tissues. Therapeutics for heart disease likewise should selectively accumulate in the heart.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe single-strand DNA barcode sequences use in the technique are about the same size as antisense oligonucleotides, microRNA and siRNA being developed for possible therapeutic uses. Other gene-based therapeutics are larger, and additional research would be needed to determine if the technique could be used with them.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOnce the promising nanoparticles are identified with the screening, they would be subjected to additional testing to verify their ability to deliver therapeutics. To avoid the possibility of nanoparticles merging, only structures that are stable in aqueous environments can be tested with this technique. Only nontoxic nanoparticles can be screened, and researchers must control for potential inflammation generated by the inserted DNA.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Nucleic acid therapies hold considerable promise for treating a range of serious diseases,\u0026rdquo; said Dahlman. \u0026ldquo;We hope this technique will be used widely in the field, and that it will ultimately bring more clarity to how these drugs affect cells \u0026ndash; and how we can get them to the right locations in the body.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to those already mentioned, the research team included Christopher M. Monaco, Marielena Gamboa Castro, Tobi G. Rudoltz, Sujay Kalathoor, Daryll A. Vanover and Professor Philip J. Santangelo of the Coulter Department; William H. Hudson and Rafi Ahmed of the Emory Vaccine Center and Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Emory University, and Anton V. Bryksin of the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported the NIH\/NIGMS-sponsored Cell and Tissue Engineering (CTEng) Biotechnology Training Program (T32GM08433), the NIH\/NIGMS-sponsored Immunoengineering Training Program (T32EB021962), the Cancer Research Institute Irvington Fellow program supported by the Cancer Research Institute, the Cystic Fibrosis Research Foundation, the Parkinson\u0026rsquo;s Disease Foundation, and the Bayer Hemophilia Awards Program. This study was also supported with funding from the National Institutes of Health GT BioMAT Training Grant under Award Number (5T32EB006343). This work was performed in part at the Georgia Tech Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology, a member of the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure, which is supported by the National Science Foundation (Grant ECCS-1542174). The content of this news release is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the sponsoring organizations.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Kalina Paunovska and Cory D. Sago, et al., \u0026ldquo;A direct comparison of in vitro and in vivo nucleic acid delivery mediated by hundreds of nanoparticles reveals a weak correlation,\u0026rdquo; (Nano Letters 2018). https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/10.1021\/acs.nanolett.8b00432\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe first direct comparison of in vivo and in vitro screening techniques for identifying nanoparticles that may be used to transport therapeutic molecules into cells shows that testing in lab dishes isn\u0026rsquo;t much help in predicting which nanoparticles will successfully enter the cells of living animals.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New research may guide selection of nanoparticles for transporting therapeutic molecules into cells."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2018-03-05 17:06:44","changed_gmt":"2018-03-05 17:11:21","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-03-05T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2018-03-05T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"603263":{"id":"603263","type":"image","title":"Cell with nanoparticles","body":null,"created":"1520268370","gmt_created":"2018-03-05 16:46:10","changed":"1520268370","gmt_changed":"2018-03-05 16:46:10","alt":"Cells with nanoparticles carrying DNA barcodes","file":{"fid":"229924","name":"cell-nanoparticles.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cell-nanoparticles.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cell-nanoparticles.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":596679,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/cell-nanoparticles.jpg?itok=2QvO6zG1"}},"603266":{"id":"603266","type":"image","title":"James Dahlman with microfluidic chip","body":null,"created":"1520268601","gmt_created":"2018-03-05 16:50:01","changed":"1520268601","gmt_changed":"2018-03-05 16:50:01","alt":"James Dahlman with microfluidic chip","file":{"fid":"229926","name":"nanoparticles006.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nanoparticles006_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nanoparticles006_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1575361,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/nanoparticles006_0.jpg?itok=2TxMqc0L"}},"603264":{"id":"603264","type":"image","title":"Microfluidic chip for nanoparticles","body":null,"created":"1520268490","gmt_created":"2018-03-05 16:48:10","changed":"1520268490","gmt_changed":"2018-03-05 16:48:10","alt":"Microfluidic chip for nanoparticle fabrication","file":{"fid":"229925","name":"nanoparticles005.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nanoparticles005_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nanoparticles005_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":980742,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/nanoparticles005_0.jpg?itok=zcqLiDnv"}}},"media_ids":["603263","603266","603264"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2973","name":"nanoparticles"},{"id":"1041","name":"dna"},{"id":"173419","name":"DNA barcoding"},{"id":"172120","name":"therapeutic"},{"id":"7415","name":"transport"},{"id":"532","name":"cell"},{"id":"169827","name":"nucleic acid"},{"id":"177286","name":"James Dahlaman"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"601694":{"#nid":"601694","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Self-assembled \u201cHairy\u201d Nanoparticles Could Give a Double Punch to Cancer","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Hairy\u0026rdquo; nanoparticles made with light-sensitive materials that assemble themselves could one day become \u0026ldquo;nano-carriers\u0026rdquo; providing doctors a new way to simultaneously introduce both therapeutic drugs and cancer-fighting heat into tumors. That\u0026rsquo;s one potential application for a new technology that combines water-repelling yet light-sensitive and water-absorbing materials into polymeric nano-reactors for creating photo-responsive gold nanoparticles.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ELight of specific wavelengths causes the nanoparticles to assemble and disassemble on demand, allowing the dynamic organization of the nanoparticles for smart in vitro drug release. By including chemotherapy molecules in the nanoparticle structures when they are assembled, the molecules could be drawn into tumors \u0026ndash; and then released with the application of a light at a shorter wavelength that triggers disassembly through photo-cleavage.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to such a dynamic self-assembly and disassembly, the encapsulation and release of chemotherapy molecules could also be achieved by reversible covalent bonding of anticancer drugs to the polymeric \u0026ldquo;hairs\u0026rdquo; situated on the surface of nanoparticles. And by absorbing the same light that triggers the drug release, the gold nanoparticles could also heat the cancer cells, providing a double punch.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn a broad range of other applications, the nanoparticle self-assembly process could also be triggered by environmental factors including temperature, pH or solvent polarity by rationally designing the polymeric hairs. In this study, gold nanoparticles were used, but the process could also make self-assembled nanoparticles from a variety of metals and metal oxides. By tailoring the surface of nanoparticles with water-absorbing polymers containing near-infrared responsive components, the drug release could be performed \u003Cem\u003Ein vivo\u003C\/em\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe spherical gold nanoparticles can be replaced with more complex shaped nanomaterials \u0026ndash; such as hollow nanoparticles, nanorods, or nanotubes \u0026ndash; to render a better absorption of near-infrared light to penetrate biological tissues. No testing of these nanoparticles has been done so far in living cells or organisms.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research was supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the National Science Foundation, and was reported January 31 in the early edition of the journal \u003Cem\u003EProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\u003C\/em\u003E. Materials scientists from the Georgia Institute of Technology and South China University of Technology co-authored the paper.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We envision that these photo-responsive polymer-capped gold nanoparticles could one day serve as nano-carriers for drug delivery into the body using our robust and reversible process for assembly and disassembly,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/people\/zhiqun-lin\u0022\u003EZhiqun Lin\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the Georgia Tech \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;Used in cancer therapy, this process could increase the impact of a treatment by heating the cancer cells while introducing the drug compound into the tumor.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUnder light, the assemblies of photo-sensitive nanoparticles separate over a period of hours at a rate that can be controlled by the intensity and wavelength of the light. \u0026ldquo;Because the disassembly can be turned on and off at will, we could provide a timed release of the drug by controlling the short-wavelength light exposure,\u0026rdquo; Lin added.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe hairy nanoparticles are fabricated around a tiny core of beta-cyclodextrin from which polymer chains of poly(acrylicacid)-block-poly(7-methylacryloyloxy-4-methylcoumarin) (PAA-b-PMAMC) are grown. That material attracts water-soluble metal precursors, which use the space within the polymer hairs as nano-reactors to form gold nanoparticles.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETo these inner structures \u0026ndash; which are hydrophilic PAA polymers \u0026ndash; the researchers add hairs made from the hydrophobic monomer MAMC. These materials are sensitive to light, and cause the nanoparticles to self-assemble through a photo-dimerization process \u0026ndash; crosslinking \u0026ndash; when subjected to light at a wavelength of 365 nanometers.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe assembly process can be reliably reversed on demand using a shorter wavelength at 254 nanometers.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Once the polymer chains from adjacent gold nanoparticles begin to photo-crosslink, they bring nanoparticles together via a self-assembly process to generate large assemblies of nanoparticles,\u0026rdquo; said Lin. \u0026ldquo;This process is completely reversible and can be repeated in many cycles.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research team incorporated dye molecules into the self-assembled nanoparticles to simulate what might be done to incorporate and then release chemotherapy agents. A magnetic oxide material incorporated into the nanoparticles could allow the assemblies to be directed to a tumor site by an external magnet, and could also support diagnostic imaging.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond the activity of the drugs, the plasmonic effects of the gold nanoparticles could heat the nanoparticles when they are subjected to light, attacking the cancer cells through a second route.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to the potential medical uses, the self-assembly technique could have applications in optics, optoelectronics, magnetic technologies, sensing materials and devices, catalysis and nanotechnology. The technique could also lead to new basic research in crystallization kinetics, using the self-assembly process to create \u0026ldquo;artificial crystals\u0026rdquo; held together by polymer chains.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ELin\u0026rsquo;s lab has worked on the amphiphilic star-shaped block polymers for several years, adding new features and exploring new capabilities for the nanoparticle systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Our work provides a design strategy that allows the manipulation of both the outer block and the inner block of a star-shaped block co-polymer,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;Our fundamental contribution in this work is to judiciously prepare a star-shaped block co-polymer in which the inner block has the capability to coordinate with metal precursors while the outer block allows photo-responsive materials to interact, which in turn renders the crafting of photo-responsive gold nanoparticles for light-enabled reversible and reliable self-assembly.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research team included Yihuang Chen, associated with both Georgia Tech and the South China University of Technology; Zewei Wang, Yanjie He, Young Jun Yoon, and Jaehan Jung, associated with Georgia Tech, and Guangzhao Zhang from South China University of Technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis work is supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (Grant FA9550-16-1-0187) and the National Science Foundation (Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation Grants 1562075 and 1727313; Division of Materials Research Grant 1709420). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsors.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Yihuang Chen, et al., \u0026ldquo;Light-enabled reversible self-assembly and tunable optical properties of stable hairy nanoparticles,\u0026rdquo; (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2018). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.pnas.org\/content\/early\/2018\/01\/30\/1714748115\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/www.pnas.org\/content\/early\/2018\/01\/30\/1714748115\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Hairy\u0026rdquo; nanoparticles made with light-sensitive materials that assemble themselves could one day become \u0026ldquo;nano-carriers\u0026rdquo; providing doctors a new way to simultaneously introduce both therapeutic drugs and cancer-fighting heat into tumors. That\u0026rsquo;s one potential application for a new technology that combines water-repelling yet light-sensitive and water-absorbing materials into polymeric nano-reactors for creating photo-responsive gold nanoparticles.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new class of light-sensitive self-assembling nanoparticles could give cancer a double punch."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2018-02-01 02:56:30","changed_gmt":"2018-02-01 02:57:41","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-01-31T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2018-01-31T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"601690":{"id":"601690","type":"image","title":"Hairy nanoparticles","body":null,"created":"1517452911","gmt_created":"2018-02-01 02:41:51","changed":"1517452911","gmt_changed":"2018-02-01 02:41:51","alt":"Vials containing hairy nanoparticles","file":{"fid":"229335","name":"hairy-nanoparticles2a.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/hairy-nanoparticles2a.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/hairy-nanoparticles2a.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":670446,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/hairy-nanoparticles2a.jpg?itok=8zYiWtxh"}},"601691":{"id":"601691","type":"image","title":"Researchers with hairy nanoparticles","body":null,"created":"1517453027","gmt_created":"2018-02-01 02:43:47","changed":"1517453027","gmt_changed":"2018-02-01 02:43:47","alt":"Researchers with hairy nanoparticles","file":{"fid":"229336","name":"hairy-nanoparticles4.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/hairy-nanoparticles4.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/hairy-nanoparticles4.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":301285,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/hairy-nanoparticles4.jpg?itok=A0ymQVfO"}},"601692":{"id":"601692","type":"image","title":"Researchers with hairy nanoparticles2","body":null,"created":"1517453138","gmt_created":"2018-02-01 02:45:38","changed":"1517453138","gmt_changed":"2018-02-01 02:45:38","alt":"Researchers in laboratory of Zhiqun Lin","file":{"fid":"229337","name":"hairy-nanoparticles5.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/hairy-nanoparticles5.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/hairy-nanoparticles5.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":433813,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/hairy-nanoparticles5.jpg?itok=uPiibkrv"}},"601693":{"id":"601693","type":"image","title":"Evolution of nanoparticle assemblies","body":null,"created":"1517453242","gmt_created":"2018-02-01 02:47:22","changed":"1517453242","gmt_changed":"2018-02-01 02:47:22","alt":"Evolution of nanoparticle assemblies","file":{"fid":"229338","name":"hairy-nanoparticles.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/hairy-nanoparticles.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/hairy-nanoparticles.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1319973,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/hairy-nanoparticles.jpg?itok=PRCEj3OB"}}},"media_ids":["601690","601691","601692","601693"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2054","name":"nanoparticle"},{"id":"176967","name":"hairy nanoparticles"},{"id":"168050","name":"self-assembly"},{"id":"385","name":"cancer"},{"id":"3346","name":"drug delivery"},{"id":"1439","name":"chemotherapy"},{"id":"67921","name":"Zhiqun Lin"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"601449":{"#nid":"601449","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Boost Efficiency and Stability of Optical Rectennas","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe research team that announced the first optical rectenna in 2015 is now reporting a two-fold efficiency improvement in the devices \u0026mdash; and a switch to air-stable diode materials. The improvements could allow the rectennas \u0026ndash; which convert electromagnetic fields at optical frequencies directly to electrical current \u0026ndash; to operate low-power devices such as temperature sensors.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, the researchers believe their device design \u0026ndash; a combination of a carbon nanotube antenna and diode rectifier \u0026ndash; could compete with conventional photovoltaic technologies for producing electricity from sunlight and other sources. The same technology used in the rectennas could also directly convert thermal energy to electricity.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This work takes a significant leap forward in both fundamental understanding and practical efficiency for the optical rectenna device,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/cola\u0022\u003EBaratunde Cola\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u0026ldquo;It opens up this technology to many more researchers who can join forces with us to advance the optical rectenna technology to help power a range of applications, including space flight.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research was reported January 26 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EAdvanced Electronic Materials\u003C\/em\u003E. The work has been supported by the U.S. Army Research Office under the Young Investigator Program, and by the National Science Foundation.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOptical rectennas operate by coupling the light\u0026rsquo;s electromagnetic field to an antenna, in this case an array of multiwall carbon nanotubes whose ends have been opened. The electromagnetic field creates an oscillation in the antenna, producing an alternating flow of electrons. When the electron flow reaches a peak at one end of the antenna, the diode closes, trapping the electrons, then re-opens to capture the next oscillation, creating a current flow.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe switching must occur at terahertz frequencies to match the light. The junction between the antenna and diode must provide minimal resistance to electrons flowing through it while open, yet prevent leakage while closed.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The name of the game is maximizing the number of electrons that get excited in the carbon nanotube, and then having a switch that is fast enough to capture them at their peak,\u0026rdquo; Cola explained. \u0026ldquo;The faster you switch, the more electrons you can catch on one side of the oscillation.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETo provide a low work function \u0026ndash; ease of electron flow \u0026ndash; the researchers initially used calcium as the metal in their oxide insulator - metal diode junction. But calcium breaks down rapidly in air, meaning the device had to be encapsulated during operation \u0026ndash; and fabricated in a glovebox. That made the optical rectenna both impractical for most applications and difficult to fabricate.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESo Cola, NSF Graduate Research Fellow Erik Anderson and Research Engineer Thomas Bougher replaced the calcium with aluminum and tried a variety of oxide materials on the carbon nanotubes before settling on a bilayer material composed of alumina (Al2O3) and hafnium dioxide (HfO2). The combination coating for the carbon nanotube junction, created through an atomic deposition process, provides the quantum mechanical electron tunneling properties required by engineering the oxide electronic properties instead of the metals, which allows air stable metals with higher work functions than calcium to be used.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERectennas fabricated with the new combination have remained functional for as long as a year. Other metal oxides could also be used, Cola said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers also engineered the slope of the hill down which the electrons fall in the tunneling process. That also helped increase the efficiency, and allows the use of a variety of oxide materials. The new design also increased the asymmetry of the diodes, which boosted efficiency.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;By working with the oxide electron affinity, we were able to increase the asymmetry by more than ten-fold, making this diode design more attractive,\u0026rdquo; said Cola. \u0026ldquo;That\u0026rsquo;s really where we got the efficiency gain in this new version of the device.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOptical rectennas could theoretically compete with photovoltaic materials for converting sunlight into electricity. PV materials operate using a different principle, in which photons knock electrons from the atoms of certain materials. The electrons are collected into electrical current.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn September 2015 in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, Cola and Bougher reported the first optical rectenna \u0026ndash; a device that had been proposed theoretically for more than 40 years, but never demonstrated.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe early version reported in the journal produced power at microvolt levels. The rectenna now produces power in the millivolt range and conversion efficiency has gone from 10\u003Csup\u003E-5\u003C\/sup\u003E\u0026nbsp;to 10\u003Csup\u003E-3\u003C\/sup\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026ndash; still very low, but a significant gain.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Though there still is room for significant improvement, this puts the voltage in the range where you could see optical rectennas operating low-power sensors,\u0026rdquo; Cola said. \u0026ldquo;There are a lot of device geometry steps you could take to do something useful with the optical rectenna today in voltage-driven devices that don\u0026rsquo;t require significant current.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECola believes the rectennas could be useful for powering internet of things devices, especially if they can be used to produce electricity from scavenged thermal energy. For converting heat to electricity, the principle is the same as for light \u0026ndash; capturing oscillations in a field with the broadband carbon nanotube antenna.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;People have been excited about thermoelectric generators, but there are many limitations on getting a system that works effectively,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;We believe that the rectenna technology will be the best approach for harvesting heat economically.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn future work, the research team hopes to optimize the antenna operation, and improve their theoretical understanding of how the rectenna works, allowing further optimization. One day, Cola hopes the devices will help accelerate space travel, producing power for electric thrusters that will boost spacecraft.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Our end game is to see carbon nanotube optical rectennas working on Mars and in the spacecraft that takes us to Mars,\u0026rdquo; he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis work was supported by the Army Research Office under the Young Investigator Program agreement W911NF-13-1-0491 and the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship program under grant DGE-1650044. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsoring organizations.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Erik C. Anderson, Thomas L. Bougher and Bartatunde A. Cola, \u0026ldquo;High Performance Multiwall Carbon Nanotube\u0026ndash;Insulator\u0026ndash;Metal Tunnel Diode Arrays for Optical Rectification, (Advanced Electronic Materials, 2018). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1002\/aelm.201700446\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1002\/aelm.201700446\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu) or Josh Brown (404-385-0500) (josh.brown@comm.gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe research team that announced the first optical rectenna in 2015 is now reporting a two-fold efficiency improvement in the devices \u0026mdash; and a switch to air-stable diode materials. The improvements could allow the rectennas \u0026ndash; which convert electromagnetic fields at optical frequencies directly to electrical current \u0026ndash; to operate low-power devices such as temperature sensors.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have boosted the efficiency and stability of the optical rectenna design they developed."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2018-01-26 20:40:56","changed_gmt":"2018-01-26 20:43:28","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-01-26T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2018-01-26T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"601446":{"id":"601446","type":"image","title":"Testing optical rectenna","body":null,"created":"1516998306","gmt_created":"2018-01-26 20:25:06","changed":"1516998306","gmt_changed":"2018-01-26 20:25:06","alt":"Testing an optical rectenna","file":{"fid":"229216","name":"optical-rectenna-9.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/optical-rectenna-9.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/optical-rectenna-9.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":342376,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/optical-rectenna-9.jpg?itok=E9w9qanS"}},"601447":{"id":"601447","type":"image","title":"Testing optical rectenna2","body":null,"created":"1516998423","gmt_created":"2018-01-26 20:27:03","changed":"1516998423","gmt_changed":"2018-01-26 20:27:03","alt":"Testing an optical rectenna","file":{"fid":"229217","name":"optical-rectenna-11.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/optical-rectenna-11.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/optical-rectenna-11.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":291799,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/optical-rectenna-11.jpg?itok=R10kPhM1"}},"601448":{"id":"601448","type":"image","title":"Optical rectenna researchers","body":null,"created":"1516998562","gmt_created":"2018-01-26 20:29:22","changed":"1516998562","gmt_changed":"2018-01-26 20:29:22","alt":"Baratunde Cola and Erik Anderson","file":{"fid":"229218","name":"optical-rectenna-13.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/optical-rectenna-13.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/optical-rectenna-13.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":581473,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/optical-rectenna-13.jpg?itok=n-s7La-q"}}},"media_ids":["601446","601447","601448"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"142841","name":"rectenna"},{"id":"142851","name":"optical rectenna"},{"id":"213","name":"energy"},{"id":"7294","name":"diode"},{"id":"2616","name":"antenna"},{"id":"5116","name":"carbon nanotube"},{"id":"107","name":"Nanotechnology"},{"id":"8875","name":"Baratunde Cola"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"600798":{"#nid":"600798","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Nanostructured Gate Dielectric Boosts Stability of Organic Thin-Film Transistors","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA nanostructured gate dielectric may have addressed the most significant obstacle to expanding the use of organic semiconductors for thin-film transistors. The structure, composed of a fluoropolymer layer followed by a nanolaminate made from two metal oxide materials, serves as gate dielectric and simultaneously protects the organic semiconductor \u0026ndash; which had previously been vulnerable to damage from the ambient environment \u0026ndash; and enables the transistors to operate with unprecedented stability.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new structure gives thin-film transistors stability comparable to those made with inorganic materials, allowing them to operate in ambient conditions \u0026ndash; even underwater. Organic thin-film transistors can be made inexpensively at low temperature on a variety of flexible substrates using techniques such as inkjet printing, potentially opening new applications that take advantage of simple, additive fabrication processes.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We have now proven a geometry that yields lifetime performance that for the first time establish that organic circuits can be as stable as devices produced with conventional inorganic technologies,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff-directory\/bernard-j-kippelen\u0022\u003EBernard Kippelen\u003C\/a\u003E, the Joseph M. Pettit professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E (ECE) and director of Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.cope.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Organic Photonics and Electronics\u003C\/a\u003E (COPE). \u0026ldquo;This could be the tipping point for organic thin-film transistors, addressing long-standing concerns about the stability of organic-based printable devices.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research was reported January 12 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EScience Advances\u003C\/em\u003E. The research is the culmination of 15 years of development within COPE and was supported by sponsors including the Office of Naval Research, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and the National Nuclear Security Administration.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETransistors comprise three electrodes. The source and drain electrodes pass current to create the \u0026ldquo;on\u0026rdquo; state, but only when a voltage is applied to the gate electrode, which is separated from the organic semiconductor material by a thin dielectric layer. A unique aspect of the architecture developed at Georgia Tech is that this dielectric layer uses two components, a fluoropolymer and a metal-oxide layer.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;When we first developed this architecture, this metal oxide layer was aluminum oxide, which is susceptible to damage from humidity,\u0026rdquo; said Canek Fuentes-Hernandez, a senior research scientist and coauthor of the paper. \u0026ldquo;Working in collaboration with Georgia Tech Professor Samuel Graham, we developed complex nanolaminate barriers which could be produced at temperatures below 110 degrees Celsius and that when used as gate dielectric, enabled transistors to sustain being immersed in water near its boiling point.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new Georgia Tech architecture uses alternating layers of aluminum oxide and hafnium oxide \u0026ndash; five layers of one, then five layers of the other, repeated 30 times atop the fluoropolymer \u0026ndash; to make the dielectric. The oxide layers are produced with atomic layer deposition (ALD). The nanolaminate, which ends up being about 50 nanometers thick, is virtually immune to the effects of humidity.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;While we knew this architecture yielded good barrier properties, we were blown away by how stably transistors operated with the new architecture,\u0026rdquo; said Fuentes-Hernandez. \u0026ldquo;The performance of these transistors remained virtually unchanged even when we operated them for hundreds of hours and at elevated temperatures of 75 degrees Celsius. This was by far the most stable organic-based transistor we had ever fabricated.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor the laboratory demonstration, the researchers used a glass substrate, but many other flexible materials \u0026ndash; including polymers and even paper \u0026ndash; could also be used.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the lab, the researchers used standard ALD growth techniques to produce the nanolaminate. But newer processes referred to as spatial ALD \u0026ndash; utilizing multiple heads with nozzles delivering the precursors \u0026ndash; could accelerate production and allow the devices to be scaled up in size. \u0026ldquo;ALD has now reached a level of maturity at which it has become a scalable industrial process, and we think this will allow a new phase in the development of organic thin-film transistors,\u0026rdquo; Kippelen said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAn obvious application is for the transistors that control pixels in organic light-emitting displays (OLEDs) used in such devices as the iPhone X and Samsung phones. These pixels are now controlled by transistors fabricated with conventional inorganic semiconductors, but with the additional stability provided by the new nanolaminate, they could perhaps be made with printable organic thin-film transistors instead.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EInternet of things (IoT) devices could also benefit from fabrication enabled by the new technology, allowing production with inkjet printers and other low-cost printing and coating processes. The nanolaminate technique could also allow development of inexpensive paper-based devices, such as smart tickets, that would use antennas, displays and memory fabricated on paper through low-cost processes.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBut the most dramatic applications could be in very large flexible displays that could be rolled up when not in use.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We will get better image quality, larger size and better resolution,\u0026rdquo; Kippelen said. \u0026ldquo;As these screens become larger, the rigid form factor of conventional displays will be a limitation. Low processing temperature carbon-based technology will allow the screen to be rolled up, making it easy to carry around and less susceptible to damage.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor their demonstration, Kippelen\u0026rsquo;s team \u0026ndash; which also includes Xiaojia Jia, Cheng-Yin Wang and Youngrak Park \u0026ndash; used a model organic semiconductor. The material has well-known properties, but with carrier mobility values of 1.6 cm2\/Vs isn\u0026rsquo;t the fastest available. As a next step, they researchers would like to test their process on newer organic semiconductors that provide higher charge mobility. They also plan to continue testing the nanolaminate under different bending conditions, across longer time periods, and in other device platforms such as photodetectors.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThough the carbon-based electronics are expanding their device capabilities, traditional materials like silicon have nothing to fear.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;When it comes to high speeds, crystalline materials like silicon or gallium nitride will certainly have a bright and very long future,\u0026rdquo; said Kippelen. \u0026ldquo;But for many future printed applications, a combination of the latest organic semiconductor with higher charge mobility and the nanostructured gate dielectric will provide a very powerful device technology.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported in part by the Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics at Georgia Tech, by the Department of the Navy, Office of Naval Research Awards N00014-14-1-0580 and N00014-16-1-2520, through the MURI Center for Advanced Photovoltaics (CAOP), by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research through Award No. FA9550-16-1-0168, by the National Nuclear Security Administration Award DE-NA0002576 through the Consortium for Nonproliferation Enabling Technologies (CNEC). Seminal work on the concept of using a bilayer gate dielectric in OFETs was funded in part by Solvay S.A. and described in part in issued patent No. US 9,368,737 B2.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Xiaojia Jia, Canek Fuentes-Hernandez, Cheng-Yin Wang, Youngrak Park, Bernard Kippelen, \u0026ldquo;Stable organic thin-film transistors,\u0026rdquo; (Science Advances, 2018).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu) or Josh Brown (404-385-0500) (josh.brown@comm.gatech.edu)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA nanostructured gate dielectric may have addressed the most significant obstacle to expanding the use of organic semiconductors for thin-film transistors. The structure, composed of a fluoropolymer layer followed by a nanolaminate made from two metal oxide materials, serves as gate dielectric and simultaneously protects the organic semiconductor \u0026ndash; which had previously been vulnerable to damage from the ambient environment \u0026ndash; and enables the transistors to operate with unprecedented stability.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have addressed one of the most significant challenges to the use of organic thin-film transistors."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2018-01-12 21:19:42","changed_gmt":"2018-01-12 21:23:33","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-01-12T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2018-01-12T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"600794":{"id":"600794","type":"image","title":"Thin-film transistor","body":null,"created":"1515790462","gmt_created":"2018-01-12 20:54:22","changed":"1515790462","gmt_changed":"2018-01-12 20:54:22","alt":"New organic thin-film architecture","file":{"fid":"229021","name":"thin-film2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/thin-film2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/thin-film2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":240943,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/thin-film2.jpg?itok=89P8NW6D"}},"600795":{"id":"600795","type":"image","title":"Thin-film transistor2","body":null,"created":"1515791419","gmt_created":"2018-01-12 21:10:19","changed":"1515791419","gmt_changed":"2018-01-12 21:10:19","alt":"Thin-film transistor under test","file":{"fid":"229022","name":"thin-film5.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/thin-film5.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/thin-film5.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":430647,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/thin-film5.jpg?itok=C8f-QBif"}},"600797":{"id":"600797","type":"image","title":"Thin-film transistor schematic","body":null,"created":"1515791525","gmt_created":"2018-01-12 21:12:05","changed":"1515791525","gmt_changed":"2018-01-12 21:12:05","alt":"Schematic of thin-film transistor","file":{"fid":"229023","name":"thin-film-schematic.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/thin-film-schematic.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/thin-film-schematic.png","mime":"image\/png","size":134654,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/thin-film-schematic.png?itok=qxBcmv9n"}}},"media_ids":["600794","600795","600797"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2289","name":"organic"},{"id":"176769","name":"organic thin-film transistors"},{"id":"7528","name":"transistors"},{"id":"176770","name":"gate dielectric"},{"id":"7577","name":"nanostructure"},{"id":"2431","name":"Bernard Kippelen"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"39481","name":"National Security"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"600246":{"#nid":"600246","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Project Will Provide Reaction Kinetics Data for Deterministic Synthesis of Metallic Nanocrystals","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have published the first part of what they expect to be a database showing the kinetics involved in producing colloidal metal nanocrystals \u0026ndash; which are suitable for catalytic, biomedical, photonic and electronic applications \u0026ndash; through an autocatalytic mechanism.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the solution-based process, precursor chemicals adsorb to nanocrystal seeds before being reduced to atoms that fuel growth of the nanocrystals. The kinetics data is based on painstaking systematic studies done to determine growth rates on different nanocrystal facets \u0026mdash; surface structures that control how the crystals grow by attracting individual atoms.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn an article published December 11 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\u003C\/em\u003E, a research team from the Georgia Institute of Technology provided a quantitative picture of how surface conditions controlled the growth of palladium nanocrystals. The work, which will later include information on nanocrystals made from other noble metals, is supported by the National Science Foundation.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This is a fundamental study of how catalytic nanocrystals grow from tiny seeds, and a lot of people working in this field could benefit from the systematic, quantitative information we have developed,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/bme\/faculty\/Younan-Xia\u0022\u003EYounan Xia\u003C\/a\u003E, professor and Brock Family Chair in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech and Emory University. \u0026ldquo;We expect that this work will help researchers control the morphology of nanocrystals that are needed for many different applications.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA critical factor controlling how nanocrystals grow from tiny seeds is the surface energy of the crystalline facets on the seeds. Researchers have known that energy barriers dictate the surface attraction for precursors in solution, but specific information on the energy barrier for each type of facet had not been readily available.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Typically, the surface of the seeds that are used to grow these nanocrystals has not been homogenous,\u0026rdquo; explained Xia, who is also the Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Nanomedicine and holds joint appointments in School of Chemistry \u0026amp; Biochemistry and School of Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering. \u0026ldquo;You may have different facets on the crystals, which depend on the arrangement of the atoms below them. From the standpoint of precursors in the solution around the seeds, these surfaces have different activation energies which determine how difficult it will be for the precursors or atoms to land on each surface.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EXia\u0026rsquo;s research team designed experiments to assess the energy barriers on various facets, using seeds in a variety of sizes and surface configurations chosen to have only one type of facet. The researchers measured both the growth of the nanocrystals in solution and the change in concentration of palladium tetrabromide (PdBr\u003Csub\u003E4\u003C\/sub\u003E \u003Csup\u003E2-\u003C\/sup\u003E)\u0026nbsp;precursor salt.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;By choosing the right precursor, we can ensure that all the reduction we measure is on the surface and not in the solution,\u0026rdquo; he explained. \u0026ldquo;That allowed us to make meaningful measurements about the growth, which is controlled by the type of facet, as well as presence of a twin boundary, corresponding to distinctive growth patterns and end results.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOver the course of nearly a year, visiting graduate research assistant Tung-Han Yang studied the nanocrystal growth using different types of seeds. Rather than allowing nanocrystal growth from self-nucleation, Xia\u0026rsquo;s team chose to study growth from seeds so they could control the initial conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EControlling the shape of the nanocrystals is critical to applications in catalysis, photonics, electronics and medicine. Because these noble metals are expensive, minimizing the amount of material needed for catalytic applications helps control costs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;When you do catalysis with these materials, you want to make sure the nanocrystals are as small as possible and that all of the atoms are exposed to the surface,\u0026rdquo; said Xia. \u0026ldquo;If they are not on the surface, they won\u0026rsquo;t contribute to the activity and therefore will be wasted.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe ultimate goal of the research is a database that scientists can use to guide the growth of nanocrystals with specific sizes, shapes and catalytic activity. Beyond palladium, the researchers plan to publish the results of kinetic studies for gold, silver, platinum, rhodium and other nanocrystals. While the pattern of energy barriers will likely be different for each, there will be similarities in how the energy barriers control growth, Xia said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s really how the atoms are arranged on the surface that determines the surface energy,\u0026rdquo; he explained. \u0026ldquo;Depending on the metals involved, the exact numbers will be different, but the ratios between the facet types should be more or less the same.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EXia hopes that the work of his research team will lead to a better understanding of how the autocatalytic process works in the synthesis of these nanomaterials, and ultimately to broader applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;If you want to control the morphology and properties, you need this information so you can choose the right precursor and reducing agent,\u0026rdquo; said Xia. \u0026ldquo;This systematic study will lead to a database on these materials. This is just the beginning of what we plan to do.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to the researchers already mentioned, the study also included Shan Zhou, Kyle Gilroy, Legna Figueroa-Cosme, Yi-Hsien Lee and Jenn-Ming Wu.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis work was supported in part by a research grant from the NSF (CHE 1505441) and startup funds from the Georgia Institute of Technology. The electron microscopy studies were performed at Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology, a member of the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure supported by the NSF (ECCS-1542174).\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Tung-Han Yang, et al., \u0026ldquo;Autocatalytic surface reduction and its role in controlling seed-mediated growth of colloidal metal nanocrystals,\u0026rdquo; (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2017). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1073\/pnas.1713907114\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1073\/pnas.1713907114\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (jtoon@gatech.edu) (404-894-6986).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have published the first part of what they expect to be a database showing the kinetics involved in producing colloidal metal nanocrystals \u0026ndash; which are suitable for catalytic, biomedical, photonic and electronic applications \u0026ndash; through an autocatalytic mechanism.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers are providing information about the reaction kinetics involved in growing metallic nanocrystals."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2017-12-27 01:01:32","changed_gmt":"2017-12-27 01:02:44","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2017-12-26T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2017-12-26T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"600244":{"id":"600244","type":"image","title":"Professor Younan Xia","body":null,"created":"1514335795","gmt_created":"2017-12-27 00:49:55","changed":"1514335795","gmt_changed":"2017-12-27 00:49:55","alt":"Professor Younan Xia","file":{"fid":"228833","name":"younan-xia.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/younan-xia.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/younan-xia.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":354470,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/younan-xia.jpg?itok=mxHHPdb_"}},"600245":{"id":"600245","type":"image","title":"Energy Landscapes for Palladium Seeds","body":null,"created":"1514335936","gmt_created":"2017-12-27 00:52:16","changed":"1514335936","gmt_changed":"2017-12-27 00:52:16","alt":"Energy landscapes for palladium nanocrystals","file":{"fid":"228834","name":"energy-landscapes.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/energy-landscapes.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/energy-landscapes.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":451413,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/energy-landscapes.jpg?itok=_1bjHss8"}}},"media_ids":["600244","600245"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"176605","name":"metallic nanocrystals"},{"id":"18481","name":"nanocrystals"},{"id":"176607","name":"autocatalytic"},{"id":"176606","name":"reaction kinetics"},{"id":"24841","name":"Younan Xia"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"599931":{"#nid":"599931","#data":{"type":"news","title":"One in Five Materials Chemistry Papers May be Wrong, Study Suggests","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECan companies rely on the results of one or two scientific studies to design a new industrial process or launch a new product? In at least one area of materials chemistry, the answer may be yes \u0026mdash; but only 80 percent of the time.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe replicability of results from scientific studies has become a major source of concern in the research community, particularly in the social sciences and biomedical sciences. But many researchers in the fields of engineering and the hard sciences haven\u0026rsquo;t felt the same level of concern for independent validation of their results.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA new study that compared the results reported in thousands of papers published about the properties of metal organic framework (MOF) materials \u0026ndash; which are prominent candidates for carbon dioxide adsorption and other separations \u0026ndash; suggests the replicability problem should be a concern for materials researchers, too.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOne in five studies of MOF materials examined by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology were judged to be \u0026ldquo;outliers,\u0026rdquo; with results far beyond the error bars normally used to evaluate study results. The thousands of research papers yielded just nine MOF compounds for which four or more independent studies allowed appropriate comparison of results.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;At a fundamental level, I think people in materials chemistry feel that things are reproducible and that they can count on the results of a single study,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/people\/david-s-sholl\u0022\u003EDavid Sholl\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor and John F. Brock III School Chair in the Georgia Tech \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;But what we found is that if you pull out any experiment at random, there\u0026rsquo;s a one in five chance that the results are completely wrong \u0026ndash; not just slightly off, but not even close.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhether the results can be more broadly applied to other areas of materials science awaits additional studies, Sholl said. The results of the study, which was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, were published November 28 in the ACS journal \u003Cem\u003EChemistry of Materials.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESholl chose MOFs because they\u0026rsquo;re an area of interest to his lab \u0026ndash; he develops models for the materials \u0026ndash; and because the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) had already assembled a database summarizing the properties of MOFs. Co-authors Jongwoo Park and Joshua Howe used meta-analysis techniques to compare the results of single-component adsorption isotherm testing \u0026ndash; how much CO\u003Csup\u003E2\u003C\/sup\u003E can be removed at room temperature.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat measurement is straightforward and there are commercial instruments available for doing the tests. \u0026ldquo;People in the community would consider this to be an almost foolproof experiment,\u0026rdquo; said Sholl, who is also a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Energy Sustainability.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers considered the results definitive when they had four or more studies of a given MOF at comparable conditions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe implications for errors in materials science may be less than in other research fields. But companies could use the results of a just one or two studies to choose a material that appear to be more efficient, and in other cases, researchers unable to replicate an experiment may simply move on to another material.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The net result is non-optimal use of resources at the very least,\u0026rdquo; Sholl said. \u0026ldquo;And any report using one experiment to conclude a material is 15 or 20 percent better than another material should be viewed with great skepticism, as we cannot be very precise on these measurements in most cases.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhy the variability in results? Some MOFs can be finicky, quickly absorbing moisture that affect adsorption, for instance. The one-in-five \u0026ldquo;outliers\u0026rdquo; may be a result of materials contamination.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;One of the materials we studied is relatively simple to make, but it\u0026rsquo;s unstable in an ambient atmosphere,\u0026rdquo; Sholl explained. \u0026ldquo;Exactly what you do between making it in the lab and testing it will affect the properties you measure. That could account for some of what we saw, and if a material is that sensitive, we know it\u0026rsquo;s going to be a problem in practical use.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOther factors that may prevent replication include details that were inadvertently left out of a methods description \u0026ndash; or that the original scientists didn\u0026rsquo;t realize were relevant. That could be as simple as the precise atmosphere in which the material is maintained, or the materials used in the apparatus producing the MOFs.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESholl hopes the paper will lead to more replication of experiments so scientists and engineers can know if their results really are significant.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;As a result of this, I think my group will look at all reported data in a more nuanced way, not necessarily suspecting it is wrong, but thinking about how reliable that data might be,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;Instead of thinking about data as a number, we need to always think about it as a number plus a range.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESholl suggests that more reporting of second, third or fourth efforts to replicate an experiment would help raise the confidence of data on MOF materials properties. The scientific publishing system doesn\u0026rsquo;t currently provide much incentive for reporting validation, though Sholl hopes that will change.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHe also feels the issue needs to be discussed within all parts of the scientific community, though he admits that can lead to \u0026ldquo;uncomfortable\u0026rdquo; conversations.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We have presented this study a few times at conferences, and people can get pretty defensive about it,\u0026rdquo; Sholl said. \u0026ldquo;Everybody in the field knows everybody else, so it\u0026rsquo;s always easier to just not bring up this issue.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd, of course, Sholl would like to see others replicate the work he and his research team did. \u0026ldquo;It will be interesting to see if this one-in-five number holds up for other types of experiments and materials,\u0026rdquo; he added. \u0026ldquo;There are other certainly other areas of materials chemistry where this kind of comparison could be done.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy through grant DE-FE0026433 and by the Center for Understanding and Control of Acid Gas-Induced Evolution of Materials for Energy (UNCAGE-ME), an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences under Award #DE-SC0012577. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of sponsors.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Jongwoo Park, Joshua D. Howe, and David S. Sholl, \u0026ldquo;How Reproducible Are Isotherm Measurements in Metal-Organic Frameworks?,\u0026rdquo; (Chemistry of Materials, 2017). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/10.1021\/acs.chemmater.7b04287\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/10.1021\/acs.chemmater.7b04287\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECan companies rely on the results of one or two scientific studies to design a new industrial process or launch a new product? In at least one area of materials chemistry, the answer may be yes \u0026mdash; but only 80 percent of the time.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new study assesses scientific papers in materials chemistry."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2017-12-14 19:22:23","changed_gmt":"2017-12-14 19:23:35","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2017-12-14T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2017-12-14T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"599928":{"id":"599928","type":"image","title":"Study suggests one in five materials chemistry papers may be wrong","body":null,"created":"1513278809","gmt_created":"2017-12-14 19:13:29","changed":"1513278809","gmt_changed":"2017-12-14 19:13:29","alt":"Diagram of MOF materials","file":{"fid":"228716","name":"mofs_7290.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mofs_7290.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mofs_7290.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3322865,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/mofs_7290.jpg?itok=6qNLKXU0"}},"599929":{"id":"599929","type":"image","title":"Study suggests one in five materials chemistry papers may be wrong2","body":null,"created":"1513278882","gmt_created":"2017-12-14 19:14:42","changed":"1513278882","gmt_changed":"2017-12-14 19:14:42","alt":"Diagram of MOF materials","file":{"fid":"228717","name":"mofs_7297.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mofs_7297.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mofs_7297.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3344567,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/mofs_7297.jpg?itok=3EWFLOXT"}}},"media_ids":["599928","599929"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"176532","name":"MOF"},{"id":"176534","name":"metal organic framework"},{"id":"176535","name":"study replication"},{"id":"38811","name":"David Sholl"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"599830":{"#nid":"599830","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Nanotexturing Creates Bacteria-Killing Spikes on Stainless Steel Surfaces","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBy using an electrochemical etching process on a common stainless steel alloy, researchers have created a nanotextured surface that kills bacteria while not harming mammalian cells. If additional research supports early test results, the process might be used to attack microbial contamination on implantable medical devices and on food processing equipment made with the metal.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile the specific mechanism by which the nanotextured material kills bacteria requires further study, the researchers believe tiny spikes and other nano-protrusions created on the surface puncture bacterial membranes to kill the bugs. The surface structures don\u0026rsquo;t appear to have a similar effect on mammalian cells, which are an order of magnitude larger than the bacteria.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond the anti-bacterial effects, the nano-texturing also appears to improve corrosion resistance. The research was reported December 12 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EACS Biomaterials Science \u0026amp; Engineering\u003C\/em\u003E by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This surface treatment has potentially broad-ranging implications because stainless steel is so widely used and so many of the applications could benefit,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/people\/julie-champion\u0022\u003EJulie Champion\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. \u0026ldquo;A lot of the antimicrobial approaches currently being used add some sort of surface film, which can wear off. Because we are actually modifying the steel itself, that should be a permanent change to the material.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EChampion and her Georgia Tech collaborators found that the surface modification killed both Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria, testing it on \u003Cem\u003EEscherichia coli\u003C\/em\u003E and \u003Cem\u003EStaphylococcus aureus\u003C\/em\u003E. But the modification did not appear to be toxic to mouse cells \u0026ndash; an important issue because cells must adhere to medical implants as part of their incorporation into the body.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research began with a goal of creating a super-hydrophobic surface on the stainless steel in an effort to repel liquids \u0026ndash; and with them, bacteria. But it soon became clear that creating such a surface would require the use of a chemical coating, which the researchers didn\u0026rsquo;t want to do. Postdoctoral Fellows Yeongseon Jang and Won Tae Choi then proposed an alternative idea of using a nanotextured surface on stainless steel to control bacterial adhesion, and they initiated a collaboration to demonstrate this effect.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research team experimented with varying levels of voltage and current flow in a standard electrochemical process. Typically, electrochemical processes are used to polish stainless steel, but Champion and collaborator \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/people\/dennis-w-hess\u0022\u003EDennis Hess\u003C\/a\u003E \u0026ndash; a professor and Thomas C. DeLoach, Jr. Chair in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering \u0026ndash; used the technique to roughen the surface at the nanometer scale.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Under the right conditions, you can create a nanotexture on the grain surface structure,\u0026rdquo; Hess explained. \u0026ldquo;This texturing process increases the surface segregation of chromium and molybdenum and thus enhances corrosion resistance, which is what differentiates stainless steel from conventional steel.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMicroscopic examination showed protrusions 20 to 25 nanometers above the surface. \u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s like a mountain range with both sharp peaks and valleys,\u0026rdquo; said Champion. \u0026ldquo;We think the bacteria-killing effect is related to the size scale of these features, allowing them to interact with the membranes of the bacterial cells.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers were surprised that the treated surface killed bacteria. And because the process appears to rely on a biophysical rather than chemical process, the bugs shouldn\u0026rsquo;t be able to develop resistance to it, she added.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA second major potential application for the surface modification technique is food processing equipment. There, the surface treatment should prevent bacteria from adhering, enhancing existing sterilization techniques.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers used samples of a common stainless alloy known as 316L, treating the surface with an electrochemical process in which current was applied to the metal surfaces while they were submerged in a nitric acid etching solution.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EApplication of the current moves electrons from the metal surface into the electrolyte, altering the surface texture and concentrating the chromium and molybdenum content. The specific voltages and current densities control the type of surface features produced and their size scale, said Hess, who worked with Choi \u0026ndash; then a Ph.D. student \u0026ndash; and Associate Professor Victor Breedveld in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Professor Preet Singh in the School of Materials Science and Engineering, to design the nanotexturing process.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETo more fully assess the antibacterial effects, Jang engaged the expertise of Andr\u0026eacute;s Garc\u0026iacute;a, a Regents\u0026rsquo; Professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, and Graduate Student Christopher Johnson. In their experiments, they allowed bacterial samples to grow on treated and untreated stainless steel samples for periods of up to 48 hours.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAt the end of that time, the treated metal had significantly fewer bacteria on it. That observation was confirmed by removing the bacteria into a solution, then placing the solution onto agar plates. The plates receiving solution from the untreated stainless steel showed much larger bacterial growth. Additional testing confirmed that many of the bacteria on the treated surfaces were dead.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMouse fibroblast cells, however, did not seem to be bothered by the surface. \u0026ldquo;The mammalian cells seemed to be quite healthy,\u0026rdquo; said Champion. \u0026ldquo;Their ability to proliferate and cover the entire surface of the sample suggested they were fine with the surface modification.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor the future, the researchers plan to conduct long-term studies to make sure the mammalian cells remain healthy. The researchers also want to determine how well their nanotexturing holds up when subjected to wear.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;In principle, this is very scalable,\u0026rdquo; said Hess. \u0026ldquo;Electrochemistry is routinely applied commercially to process materials at a large scale.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Yeongseon Jang, et al., \u0026ldquo;Inhibition of Bacterial Adhesion on Nano-Textured Stainless Steel 316L by Electrochemical Etching,\u0026rdquo; (ACS Biomaterials Science \u0026amp; Engineering, 2017). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/abs\/10.1021\/acsbiomaterials.7b00544\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/abs\/10.1021\/acsbiomaterials.7b00544\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu) or Josh Brown (404-385-0500) (josh.brown@comm.gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Process could improve medical implants, food processing"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBy using an electrochemical etching process on a common stainless steel alloy, researchers have created a nanotextured surface that kills bacteria while not harming mammalian cells. If additional research supports early test results, the process might be used to attack microbial contamination on implantable medical devices and on food processing equipment made with the metal.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Nanotextured surface on stainless steel appears to kill bacteria."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2017-12-13 00:52:05","changed_gmt":"2017-12-13 00:52:54","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2017-12-12T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2017-12-12T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"599826":{"id":"599826","type":"image","title":"Developing a nanotextured surface","body":null,"created":"1513125320","gmt_created":"2017-12-13 00:35:20","changed":"1513125320","gmt_changed":"2017-12-13 00:35:20","alt":"Researchers in Julie Champion\u0027s lab","file":{"fid":"228680","name":"stainless-steel007.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/stainless-steel007.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/stainless-steel007.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":955222,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/stainless-steel007.jpg?itok=_uwSgEKA"}},"599827":{"id":"599827","type":"image","title":"Stainless steel treatment comparison","body":null,"created":"1513125436","gmt_created":"2017-12-13 00:37:16","changed":"1513954122","gmt_changed":"2017-12-22 14:48:42","alt":"Comparison of treated versus untreated surface","file":{"fid":"228681","name":"stainless-steel008.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/stainless-steel008.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/stainless-steel008.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":986117,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/stainless-steel008.jpg?itok=zzVb_0q1"}},"599828":{"id":"599828","type":"image","title":"Measuring bacterial growth with nanotextured stainless","body":null,"created":"1513125584","gmt_created":"2017-12-13 00:39:44","changed":"1513125584","gmt_changed":"2017-12-13 00:39:44","alt":"Measuring bacterial growth on stainless steel","file":{"fid":"228682","name":"stainless-steel010.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/stainless-steel010.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/stainless-steel010.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":874131,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/stainless-steel010.jpg?itok=wIPc1ZXu"}},"599829":{"id":"599829","type":"image","title":"Bacterial growth on treated and untreated stainless steel","body":null,"created":"1513125730","gmt_created":"2017-12-13 00:42:10","changed":"1513125730","gmt_changed":"2017-12-13 00:42:10","alt":"Comparison of bacteria growth in treated and untreated stainless","file":{"fid":"228683","name":"bacterial-growth.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bacterial-growth.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bacterial-growth.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":285553,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/bacterial-growth.jpg?itok=1piF8ajg"}}},"media_ids":["599826","599827","599828","599829"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"54711","name":"antibacterial"},{"id":"176505","name":"nanotextured"},{"id":"382","name":"nanoscience"},{"id":"107","name":"Nanotechnology"},{"id":"176506","name":"stainless steel"},{"id":"176507","name":"medical implant"},{"id":"42511","name":"Dennis Hess"},{"id":"10961","name":"julie champion"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"599531":{"#nid":"599531","#data":{"type":"news","title":"AAAS Honors Cola, Fox and Weitz as Fellows","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has named three researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology as fellows for 2017 for their contributions to the advancement of science.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBaratunde Cola, Mary Frank Fox, and Joshua Weitz, who are members of AAAS, were elected by their peers to receive the honor and join hundreds of their contemporaries who became fellows this year. \u0026ldquo;This year 396 members have been awarded this honor by AAAS because of their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications,\u0026rdquo; the AAAS wrote in its announcement of this year\u0026rsquo;s fellows.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAll three Georgia Tech fellows saw the AAAS Fellowship as encouragement to continue serving science and humanity.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe three have excelled in research in the following fields, according to AAAS: Cola in nanoscale engineering, Fox in the participation and performance of women and men in science, and Weitz in virus dynamics in populations and in ecosystems. Here are summaries of the researchers\u0026rsquo; achievements and interests.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/cola\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBaratunda Cola\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E may be best known for engineering the first-ever optical rectenna. A rectenna, or rectifying antenna, turns electromagnetic waves into direct current electricity, and Cola\u0026rsquo;s invention was the first known to work with sunlight instead of radio waves, making it an innovation in efficient solar energy generation.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECola, who is an associate professor in The George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech, is currently focused on the transfer of heat, and the conversion of energy in nanostructures, particularly those based on carbon nanotubes. He holds three carbon nanotube related patents and is interested in making his innovations producible on a large scale for practical use.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;I was honored that AAAS chose to recognize my contributions to science over the years,\u0026rdquo; Cola said. \u0026ldquo;The fellowship gives a bigger platform to my work so it can reach more people and be useful to them.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECola\u0026rsquo;s vision transcends arbitrary confines of a research field. \u0026ldquo;I think of myself less as being a mechanical engineer and more as a person concerned with the advancement and well-being of people, and I appreciate the power of science to positively affect lives through practical applications.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn April, Cola \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/news\/590379\/georgia-tech-researcher-honored-alan-t-waterman-award\u0022\u003Ereceived the highest honor awarded by the National Science Foundation to up-and-coming scientists and engineers\u003C\/a\u003E. Like the AAAS Fellowship, the Alan T. Waterman award also recognized Cola\u0026rsquo;s achievements in transforming light and heat into electricity on the nanoscale, and it added $1 million in funding to his research.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECola also serves as CEO of Carbice Corporation, a Georgia Tech spinoff company that has developed a heat-conducting tape that helps prevent electronic devices from overheating.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.iac.gatech.edu\/people\/faculty\/fox\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMary Frank Fox\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E is known for her research on women and men in scientific organizations and occupations. She is nationally recognized as a leader on issues of diversity, equity, and equity in science, and her work has had a significant influence on science and technology policy.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFox, who is an \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.advance.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EADVANCE Professor\u003C\/a\u003E at the School of Public Policy in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, is particularly interested in how social and organizational settings, in which scientists are educated and work, influence their performance. She holds multiple board of director positions in societies connected to science and technology policy.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;I\u0026rsquo;m deeply honored by the AAAS award,\u0026rdquo; Fox said. \u0026ldquo;I value that it recognizes my years of research on women and men in sciences and the policy implications for equity.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFox sees the award as recognition that her work advances science and is aligned with AAAS\u0026rsquo;s commitments. \u0026ldquo;I\u0026rsquo;m one of the founders of this area of science, and I value this award recognizing this research that advances science,\u0026rdquo; Fox said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/ecotheory.biology.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJoshua Weitz\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E uses models to predict the effects of viruses on populations and on ecosystems, but his work encompasses many complex biological systems. His group combines methods from physics, math, computational biology, and bioinformatics to develop in-depth analytical models of biological dynamics to understand experimental and environmental data.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the field of virology, he applies this approach to the molecular workings of viruses, their spread through a population and their evolution into new strains. His work is theoretical, but he uses his detailed computational methods to collaborate with experimentalists. Weitz is a professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Biological Sciences, Courtesy Professor of Physics and the Director of the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Quantitative Biosciences.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;When AAAS first informed me, I was honored and humbled.\u0026nbsp; And I was proud of my group and its collective effort in the last 10 years at Georgia Tech to study viral ecology,\u0026rdquo; Weitz said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The mission of the AAAS is ever more important in these times, and being a fellow gives us a greater responsibility to communicate our research beyond the scientific community, to let the public know how it serves society\u0026rsquo;s betterment by improving public health and environmental health.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe American Association for the Advancement of Science lays claim to the distinction of being \u0026ldquo;the world\u0026rsquo;s largest general scientific society.\u0026rdquo; AAAS was founded in 1848 and publishes the journal \u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E as well as many other prestigious research periodicals. The AAAS Fellowship began in 1874.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Three Georgia Tech researchers honored as AAAS Fellows for 2017 for their contributions to the advancement of science."}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2017-12-04 23:08:37","changed_gmt":"2017-12-04 23:24:48","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2017-12-04T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2017-12-04T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"599529":{"id":"599529","type":"image","title":"Mary Frank Fox AAAS Fellow 2017","body":null,"created":"1512428091","gmt_created":"2017-12-04 22:54:51","changed":"1512428091","gmt_changed":"2017-12-04 22:54:51","alt":"","file":{"fid":"228566","name":"MaryFrankFox.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/MaryFrankFox.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/MaryFrankFox.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":576361,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/MaryFrankFox.jpg?itok=p6Ex56AY"}},"599528":{"id":"599528","type":"image","title":"Joshua Weitz AAAS Fellow","body":null,"created":"1512427820","gmt_created":"2017-12-04 22:50:20","changed":"1512427820","gmt_changed":"2017-12-04 22:50:20","alt":"","file":{"fid":"228565","name":"Weitz.bboard.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Weitz.bboard.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Weitz.bboard.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":241085,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Weitz.bboard.jpg?itok=45GUazon"}},"599530":{"id":"599530","type":"image","title":"Baratunde Cola AAAS Fellow 2017","body":null,"created":"1512428369","gmt_created":"2017-12-04 22:59:29","changed":"1512428369","gmt_changed":"2017-12-04 22:59:29","alt":"","file":{"fid":"228567","name":"cola.lab_.noglasses.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cola.lab_.noglasses.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cola.lab_.noglasses.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1096193,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/cola.lab_.noglasses.jpeg?itok=Dj1oiAkz"}}},"media_ids":["599529","599528","599530"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"11701","name":"AAAS Fellows"},{"id":"167053","name":"sociology"},{"id":"713","name":"Gender"},{"id":"176413","name":"virus in populations"},{"id":"140461","name":"Computational Biology"},{"id":"176412","name":"virus ecology"},{"id":"5209","name":"carbon nanotubes"},{"id":"142851","name":"optical rectenna"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"},{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter and Media Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield (404-660-1408)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia \u0026nbsp;30332-0181 \u0026nbsp;USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"598974":{"#nid":"598974","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Advancing the Path to Organic Electronics Beyond Cell Phone Screens","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA discovery by an international team of researchers from Princeton University, the Georgia Institute of Technology and Humboldt University in Berlin points the way to more widespread use of an advanced technology generally known as organic electronics.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/nmat5027\u0022\u003Epublished\u003C\/a\u003E November 13, 2017, in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Materials\u003C\/em\u003E, focused on organic semiconductors, a class of materials prized for their applications in emerging technologies such as flexible electronics, solar energy conversion, and high-quality color displays for smartphones and televisions. In the short term, the advancement could particularly help with organic light-emitting diodes that operate at high energy to emit colors such as green and blue.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Organic semiconductors are ideal materials for the fabrication of mechanically flexible devices with energy-saving, low-temperature processes,\u0026rdquo; said Xin Lin, a doctoral student and a member of the Princeton research team. \u0026ldquo;One of their major disadvantages has been their relatively poor electrical conductivity. In some applications, this can lead to difficulties and inefficient devices. We are working to improve the electrical properties of organic semiconductors.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESemiconductors, typically made of silicon, are the foundation of modern electronics because engineers can take advantage of their unique properties to control electrical currents. Among many applications, semiconductor devices are used for computing, signal amplification, and switching. They are used in energy-saving devices such as light-emitting diodes and devices that convert energy such as solar cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEssential to these functionalities is a process called doping, in which the semiconductor\u0026rsquo;s chemical makeup is modified by adding a small amount of chemicals or impurities. By carefully choosing the type and amount of dopant, researchers can alter semiconductors\u0026rsquo; electronic structure and electrical behavior in a variety of ways.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn their \u003Cem\u003ENature Materials\u003C\/em\u003E paper, the researchers have described a new approach for greatly increasing the conductivity of organic semiconductors, formed of carbon-based molecules rather than silicon atoms. The dopant, a ruthenium-containing compound, was a reducing agent, which means it added electrons to the organic semiconductor as part of the doping process. The addition of the electrons was the key to increasing the semiconductor\u0026rsquo;s conductivity. The compound belongs to a newly-introduced class of dopants called dimeric organometallic dopants. Unlike many other powerful reducing agents, these dopants are stable when exposed to air but still work as strong electron donors both in solution and solid state.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/marder.gatech.edu\/frontpage\u0022\u003ESeth Marder\u003C\/a\u003E, a Regents Professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Stephen Barlow, a research scientist in the school, led the development of the new dopant. They called the ruthenium compound a \u0026ldquo;hyper-reducing dopant.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThey said it was unusual, not only in its combination of electron donation strength and air stability but also in its ability to work with a class of organic semiconductors that have previously been very difficult to dope. In studies conducted at Princeton, the researchers found that the new dopant increased the conductivity of these semiconductors by about a million times.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe ruthenium compound was a dimer, meaning it consisted of two identical molecules, or monomers, connected by a chemical bond. \u0026nbsp;As is, the compound proved relatively stable and, when added to these difficult-to-dope semiconductors, it did not react and remained in its equilibrium state. That posed a problem because to increase the conductivity of the organic semiconductor, the ruthenium dimer needed to split and release its two identical monomers.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPrinceton\u0026rsquo;s Lin, the study\u0026rsquo;s lead author, said the researchers looked for different ways to break up the ruthenium dimer and activate the doping. Eventually, he and Berthold Wegner, a visiting graduate student from the group of Norbert Koch at Humboldt University, took a hint from how photosynthetic systems work. They irradiated the system with ultraviolet light, which excited molecules in the semiconductor and initiated the reaction. Under exposure to the light, the dimers were able to dope the semiconductor, leading to a roughly 100,000 times increase in the conductivity.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter that, the researchers made an interesting observation.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Once the light was turned off, one might naively expect the reverse reaction to occur and the increased conductivity to disappear,\u0026rdquo; said Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s Marder, who is also associate director of the Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics (\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/cope.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECOPE\u003C\/a\u003E) at Georgia Tech. \u0026ldquo;However, this was not the case.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers found that the ruthenium monomers remained isolated in the semiconductor, increasing conductivity, even though thermodynamics should have returned the molecules to their original configuration as dimers. Antoine Kahn, a Princeton professor who led the research team, said the physical layout of the molecules inside the doped semiconductor provides a likely answer to this puzzle. The hypothesis is that the monomers are scattered in the semiconductor in such a way that it was very difficult for them to return to their original configuration and re-form the ruthenium dimer. To recombine, he said, the monomers would have to have faced in the correct orientation, but in the mixture, they remained askew. So, even though thermodynamics showed that dimers should reform, most never snapped back together.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The question is why aren\u0026rsquo;t these things moving back together into equilibrium,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/ee.princeton.edu\/people\/faculty\/antoine-kahn\u0022\u003EKahn\u003C\/a\u003E, who is Stephen C. Macaleer \u0026#39;63 Professor in Engineering and Applied Science. \u0026ldquo;The answer is they are kinetically trapped.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn fact, the researchers observed the doped semiconductor for over a year and found very little decrease in the electrical conductivity. Also, by observing the material in light-emitting diodes fabricated by the group of Barry Rand, an \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/ee.princeton.edu\/people\/faculty\/barry-p-rand\u0022\u003Eassistant professor\u003C\/a\u003E of electrical engineering at Princeton and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, the researchers discovered that doping was continuously re-activated by the light produced by the device.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The light activates the system more, which leads to more light production and more activation until the system is fully activated, said Marder, who is Georgia Power Chair in Energy Efficiency. \u0026ldquo;This alone is a novel and surprising observation.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe paper was co-authored by Kyung Min Lee, Michael A. Fusella, and Fengyu Zhang, of Princeton, and Karttikay Moudgil of Georgia Tech. \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003EResearch was funded by the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003ENational Science Foundation (grants DMR-1506097, DMR-1305247), the Department of Energy\u0026rsquo;s Energy Efficiency \u0026amp; Renewable Energy Solid-State Lighting program (award DE-EE0006672) and the DoE\u0026rsquo;s Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering (award DE-SC0012458), the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (project SFB 951) and the Helmholtz Energy-Alliance Hybrid Photovoltaics project.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EN-doping achieved with the help of ultraviolet light, improving organic semiconductor conductivity.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"N-doping achieved with the help of ultraviolet light, improving organic semiconductor conductivity."}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2017-11-20 15:53:11","changed_gmt":"2017-11-20 16:41:44","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2017-11-20T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2017-11-20T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"598970":{"id":"598970","type":"image","title":"N-doping of a semiconductor with the aid of ultraviolet light","body":null,"created":"1511192003","gmt_created":"2017-11-20 15:33:23","changed":"1511192003","gmt_changed":"2017-11-20 15:33:23","alt":"","file":{"fid":"228371","name":"n-doping art.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/n-doping%20art.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/n-doping%20art.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2875628,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/n-doping%20art.jpg?itok=hqXxkfMp"}},"598979":{"id":"598979","type":"image","title":"Seth Marder Regents Professor, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry","body":null,"created":"1511196039","gmt_created":"2017-11-20 16:40:39","changed":"1511196039","gmt_changed":"2017-11-20 16:40:39","alt":"","file":{"fid":"228376","name":"Seth Marder.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Seth%20Marder.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Seth%20Marder.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1150222,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Seth%20Marder.jpeg?itok=ugD3_3-b"}},"585070":{"id":"585070","type":"image","title":"Seth Marder","body":null,"created":"1481746858","gmt_created":"2016-12-14 20:20:58","changed":"1481898150","gmt_changed":"2016-12-16 14:22:30","alt":"","file":{"fid":"223096","name":"SRM photo.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/SRM%20photo.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/SRM%20photo.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2641807,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/SRM%20photo.jpg?itok=oIaVv_Lj"}}},"media_ids":["598970","598979","585070"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"176315","name":"organic semiconductor"},{"id":"176314","name":"n-doping"},{"id":"9856","name":"ultraviolet light"},{"id":"7430","name":"light emitting diode"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWriter: John Sullivan\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EJohn Sullivan, media representative, Princeton University\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMobile: 609-439-2310\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBen Brumfield, media representative, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMobile: 404-660-1408\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003Eben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["js29@princeton.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"596973":{"#nid":"596973","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Fight Against Top Killer, Clogged Arteries, Garners Acclaimed NIH Award","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EVery many lives may someday depend on the work of researchers like Tony Kim. He\u0026rsquo;s fighting atherosclerosis, the foremost cause of coronary artery disease, which is\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/youtu.be\/ecuCECYhw_M\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAmerica\u0026rsquo;s single greatest killer\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe National Institutes of Health has awarded Kim over $2.3 million in funding to boost his innovative research using\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/blogs.fda.gov\/fdavoice\/index.php\/2017\/04\/organs-on-chips-technology-fda-testing-groundbreaking-science\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Elife-mimicking laboratory chips\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;to explore the treatment of atherosclerosis. No other health hazard appears to be deadlier, as the condition is also behind\u0026nbsp;stroke, some chronic kidney diseases, peripheral artery disease, and carotid artery disease.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EKnown for its high prestige, the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/commonfund.nih.gov\/newinnovator\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENIH Director\u0026rsquo;s New Innovator Award\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Eis\u0026nbsp;one of four\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/commonfund.nih.gov\/highrisk\u0022\u003EHigh-Risk, High-Reward awards\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;given annually, which recognize promising new projects that address challenges in biomedical research of pressing importance to human health.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEveryone is at risk\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWe are all at risk for clogged arteries or hardening of the arteries, common terms for\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nhlbi.nih.gov\/health\/health-topics\/topics\/atherosclerosis\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eatherosclerosis\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIf atherosclerosis is detected in time, bypass surgery,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/high-blood-cholesterol\/in-depth\/statins\/art-20045772\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Edrugs that lower bad cholesterol\u003C\/a\u003E, and lifestyle changes can save lives. But many patients\u0026rsquo; conditions worsen in spite of these, and there is a strong need for better treatment options.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.statnews.com\/2016\/10\/31\/hdl-cholesterol\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EFailures in clinical trials of new potential treatments that raise levels of \u0026ldquo;good cholesterol\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;have underscored the need for better understanding of the therapeutic role of good cholesterols known as\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3215094\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehigh-density lipoprotein (HDL)\u003C\/a\u003E. They are the focus of the research for which Kim\u0026rsquo;s grant was awarded.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBad\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026lsquo;good cholesterol\u0026rsquo;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERecently, researchers have uncovered that good cholesterols are not always good. There are thousands of different HDLs, and, take together, they don\u0026rsquo;t work as they should in patients with coronary artery disease. Some HDLs even do bad things.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Researchers tried raising HDL\u0026nbsp;levels in patients\u0026rsquo; bloodstreams thinking patients\u0026rsquo; conditions might improve, but the coronary artery disease did not get better,\u0026rdquo; said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/kim\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EKim, an assistant professor in the George W. Woodruff School of\u0026nbsp;Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;at the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;Also, high levels of HDLs in the bloodstream don\u0026rsquo;t always protect people from atherosclerosis.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EKim is interested in HDLs\u0026rsquo; hit-or-miss qualities in atherosclerosis patients, and in how inflammation leads to HDLs\u0026rsquo; diminished effectiveness.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC2976566\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EProinflammatory proteins in the bloodstream junk up good HDL\u003C\/a\u003Es. \u0026ldquo;HDLs remake themselves all the time, and they can incorporate proinflammatory proteins, which disturb the traditional good cholesterol functions that HDL is known for,\u0026rdquo; Kim said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Kim group could better understand the mechanisms behind that, and also find ways to leverage these for treatments. His team may be able to identify some HDL cocktails that reduce atherosclerosis despite raised proinflammatory proteins levels in the bloodstream of patients with coronary artery disease or chronic kidney disease.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EArtery-on-a-chip\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EKim\u0026rsquo;s proposed research that won the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nih.gov\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENIH\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;award illuminates HDL interactions with proinflammatory proteins and with vascular tissues by mimicking some of them in the lab. Kim makes aspects of these interactions observable via a special slide called a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/wyss.harvard.edu\/technology\/human-organs-on-chips\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehuman-coronary-artery-on-a-chip\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0026rsquo;s a clear\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.elveflow.com\/microfluidic-tutorials\/microfluidic-reviews-and-tutorials\/microfluidics\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eplastic chip with microfluidic passages\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;lined with living arterial cells to form an artificial coronary artery. Inside the artificial arteries,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mbmn.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EKim\u0026rsquo;s research group\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;experiments with what are called engineered high-density lipoproteins (eHDLs), nanoparticles synthesized to be near faultless samples of specific HDLs.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENatural HDLs are often not as uniform in composition and size because of interactions with other proteins. On the other hand, Kim\u0026rsquo;s group can produce eHDLs with uniform properties, allowing for reliable experimental parameters. The eHDLs are\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wgbh\/nova\/next\/body\/reproducibility-explainer\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehighly reproducible, as are the experiments, the latter of which is essential in research\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;for cementing trustworthy results.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EInnovative\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/pubs.rsc.org\/en\/content\/articlelanding\/2017\/lc\/c7lc00668c\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Emicrofluidic technology\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;allows for the robust production of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=hYjOBQAAQBAJ\u0026amp;pg=PA423\u0026amp;lpg=PA423\u0026amp;dq=multicomponent+nanomaterials\u0026amp;source=bl\u0026amp;ots=LJmfqI0IB_\u0026amp;sig=ymKF847Mq1n2pbBF7xk05XABno8\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=0ahUKEwiM3Z-iz9nWAhUGOiYKHYPDBzUQ6AEIVjAH#v=onepage\u0026amp;q=multicomponent%20nanomaterials\u0026amp;f=false\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Emulticomponent nanomaterials\u003C\/a\u003E, in this case, the eHDLs and inflammatory proteins, in large quantities and varieties. As a result, Kim\u0026rsquo;s team can compile a comprehensive eHDL library with various functional proteins to see how they affect the artificial artery the way actual HDLs might in combination with inflammatory proteins affect real arteries in the body.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOnce the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.dictionary.com\/browse\/in-vitro\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ein vitro\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;chip experiments yield results, Kim\u0026rsquo;s research group will work to corroborate them\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.medicinenet.com\/script\/main\/art.asp?articlekey=4034\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ein vivo\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;in experiments on a mouse model of atherosclerosis in collaboration with cardiology engineering researcher\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/medicine.emory.edu\/cardiology\/faculty-directory\/jo-hanjoong.html\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHanjoong Jo at Emory University School of Medicine\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtherosclerosis\u0026nbsp;brief description\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe old explanation about how cholesterol gunk coats blood vessels like lard is not quite correct, but animal fats are involved in atherosclerosis. Here\u0026rsquo;s a brief description of how the disease clogs arteries.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOil and water don\u0026rsquo;t mix.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, lipoproteins, which are large collections of particular protein molecules, wrap around lipids, which include\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.health.harvard.edu\/newsletter_article\/triglycerides-a-big-fat-problem\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eoily fats called triglycerides\u003C\/a\u003E, to transport them through the bloodstream, which is water-based. Some lipoproteins, like the infamous\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.webmd.com\/heart-disease\/ldl-cholesterol-the-bad-cholesterol#1\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Elow-density lipoproteins (LDLs)\u003C\/a\u003E, deliver lipids to cells, but HDLs pick them up from cells when it\u0026rsquo;s time for them to leave and take them to the liver for breakdown, a process called\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=q0YiPqmsXRg\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ereverse cholesterol transport\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIf there aren\u0026rsquo;t enough well-functioning HDLs in the bloodstream, reverse cholesterol transport can slow down, and the lipids amass in artery walls behind\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK26848\/#A4127\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eendothelial cells, which make up the lining inside of arteries\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA healthy body maintains a balance between anti-inflammatory and proinflammatory proteins, so normally not too many HDLs are corrupted too badly. But when levels of proinflammatory proteins in the bloodstream rise, more HDLs get corrupted.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs a result, lipids congregate in the arterial wall, along with immune cells that get stuck there, together forming plaque, which causes the arteries to narrow and constrict blood flow. The plaque can burst into the artery, clogging it even more.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA heart attack or stroke can result.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/features\/alzheimers-killing-mind-first\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAlso READ: Alzheimer\u0026#39;s research, its vexing past, its future hopes\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHigh-Risk, High-Reward\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe name of the category of the NIH grant Kim received is High-Risk, High-Reward for a reason. The risk refers to a bold move into uncharted territory, according to the NIH.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe potential reward, in this case, could mean discovering new effective treatments against what appears to be the single deadliest killer of our times.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EKim sees high reward potential in the unique possibilities combining the human-\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Organ-on-a-chip\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eorgan-on-a-chip technology\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and the bioinspired nanotechnology provides. \u0026ldquo;You can\u0026rsquo;t do this type of work\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Ein vivo\u003C\/em\u003E,\u0026rdquo; Kim said. \u0026ldquo;And the high reproducibility is very valuable to sort out truly good candidates for treatment trials.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EShould the experiments result in nailing down a drug candidate, Kim\u0026rsquo;s lab will leverage its high-throughput manufacturing method to produce ample substances with high consistency for drug testing.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd the high risk in his view?\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Even if we find HDLs with specific functions, they may not work in the same way in our bodies because of HDLs\u0026rsquo; compositional and functional complexity. The body can still introduce unidentified proteins into the HDLs,\u0026rdquo; Kim said. \u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s always like that in human trials. Things we still don\u0026rsquo;t know about the body\u0026rsquo;s enormous biochemistry can get in the way.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Even so, the experiments may provide unprecedented insights into these complex nanoparticles and still move research forward toward better treatments. I think that, combined with all the engineering and scientific possibilities the work taps into, the high rewards dampen the potential risk.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe NIH Director\u0026rsquo;s New Innovator Award covers five years of research funding and is given to a principal investigator who is in an early career stage and has never received a large-category NIH grant before.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETony Kim is also affiliated with Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/bme\/faculty\/Tony-Kim\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory\u003C\/a\u003E, Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/petitinstitute.gatech.edu\/yongtae-kim\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for\u0026nbsp;Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E, and Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ien.gatech.edu\/news\/professor-tony-kim-receives-aha-award-further-research-ending-heart-disease\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EInstitute for Electronics and\u0026nbsp;Nanotechnology\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/news\/593009\/microneedle-patches-flu-vaccination-successful-first-human-clinical-trial\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAlso READ: Successful human trials of painless\u0026nbsp;vaccine you give to yourself: Microneedle patches\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Georgia Tech\u0027s nanotech search for good cholesterol that works against atherosclerosis"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENo disorder appears to kill more people than atherosclerosis, the foremost cause of coronary artery disease and stroke. Formerly hopeful experimental treatments to fight it with \u0026quot;good cholesterol,\u0026quot; or HDL,\u0026nbsp;have failed. New research reapproaches HDL with carefully\u0026nbsp;engineered nanoparticles in an organ-on-a-chip, in highly reproducible experiments in search\u0026nbsp;of what does work. And if something does, high-throughput production will be ready.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The fight to discover HDL cocktails that actually work against atherosclerosis, the #1 killer of our times, receives major funding."}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2017-10-04 21:17:46","changed_gmt":"2017-10-06 20:21:01","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2017-10-05T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2017-10-05T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"596962":{"id":"596962","type":"image","title":"Coronary artery disease NIH","body":null,"created":"1507147960","gmt_created":"2017-10-04 20:12:40","changed":"1507223731","gmt_changed":"2017-10-05 17:15:31","alt":"","file":{"fid":"227542","name":"NIH heart athero.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/NIH%20heart%20athero.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/NIH%20heart%20athero.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":102619,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/NIH%20heart%20athero.jpeg?itok=rBdMpla1"}},"596971":{"id":"596971","type":"image","title":"Tony Kim holds up microfluidic chips with Yom and Sei","body":null,"created":"1507151302","gmt_created":"2017-10-04 21:08:22","changed":"1507220246","gmt_changed":"2017-10-05 16:17:26","alt":"","file":{"fid":"227533","name":"Kim.phdcands.chips_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Kim.phdcands.chips__0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Kim.phdcands.chips__0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":385157,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Kim.phdcands.chips__0.jpg?itok=V_aeg6w-"}},"596963":{"id":"596963","type":"image","title":"Microfluidic chips for artificial artery","body":null,"created":"1507148216","gmt_created":"2017-10-04 20:16:56","changed":"1507149248","gmt_changed":"2017-10-04 20:34:08","alt":"","file":{"fid":"227526","name":"chips.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/chips.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/chips.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":531820,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/chips.jpg?itok=evdq-Hrh"}},"596966":{"id":"596966","type":"image","title":"Endothelial cells in artery-on-a-chip","body":null,"created":"1507149069","gmt_created":"2017-10-04 20:31:09","changed":"1507220647","gmt_changed":"2017-10-05 16:24:07","alt":"","file":{"fid":"227528","name":"endothelial2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/endothelial2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/endothelial2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":680224,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/endothelial2.jpg?itok=3QzDbQK-"}},"596967":{"id":"596967","type":"image","title":"Human-coronary-artery-on-a-chip cell culture","body":null,"created":"1507149653","gmt_created":"2017-10-04 20:40:53","changed":"1507224173","gmt_changed":"2017-10-05 17:22:53","alt":"","file":{"fid":"227529","name":"chip-cell-cultured.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/chip-cell-cultured.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/chip-cell-cultured.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":390871,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/chip-cell-cultured.jpg?itok=GJrzqhdo"}},"596968":{"id":"596968","type":"image","title":"NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute atherosclerosis","body":null,"created":"1507149838","gmt_created":"2017-10-04 20:43:58","changed":"1507149838","gmt_changed":"2017-10-04 20:43:58","alt":"","file":{"fid":"227530","name":"athero NHLBI NIH.gif","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/athero%20NHLBI%20NIH.gif","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/athero%20NHLBI%20NIH.gif","mime":"image\/gif","size":37445,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/athero%20NHLBI%20NIH.gif?itok=mOwhcdwf"}},"596965":{"id":"596965","type":"image","title":"YongTae Kim holds up microfluidic chip","body":null,"created":"1507148501","gmt_created":"2017-10-04 20:21:41","changed":"1581356402","gmt_changed":"2020-02-10 17:40:02","alt":"","file":{"fid":"227527","name":"Kim.chip_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Kim.chip_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Kim.chip_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":276330,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Kim.chip_.jpg?itok=m8C-4Lp_"}},"596969":{"id":"596969","type":"image","title":"Microfluidic chips for artificial artery with production","body":null,"created":"1507150056","gmt_created":"2017-10-04 20:47:36","changed":"1507220467","gmt_changed":"2017-10-05 16:21:07","alt":"","file":{"fid":"227531","name":"Chips.mold_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Chips.mold_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Chips.mold_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":429523,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Chips.mold_.jpg?itok=JhfLaj2X"}}},"media_ids":["596962","596971","596963","596966","596967","596968","596965","596969"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"175802","name":"atheroscleroisis"},{"id":"10842","name":"atherosclerosis treatment"},{"id":"175789","name":"HDL"},{"id":"175790","name":"Hdl Cholesterol"},{"id":"175791","name":"HDL-C"},{"id":"175792","name":"Good Cholesterol"},{"id":"7553","name":"CAD"},{"id":"175793","name":"Kidney Ailment"},{"id":"175794","name":"Peripheral Artery Disease"},{"id":"175795","name":"peripheral atherosclerosis"},{"id":"175796","name":"Cardiac Arrest"},{"id":"175797","name":"Clogged Arteries"},{"id":"175798","name":"Hardening Of The Arteries"},{"id":"167732","name":"Stroke"},{"id":"175799","name":"Carotid Artery Disease"},{"id":"175800","name":"carotid artery plaque"},{"id":"175801","name":"Plaque Build Up"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia \u0026nbsp;30332-0181 \u0026nbsp;USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield (404-660-1408)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"597073":{"#nid":"597073","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Paper-Based Supercapacitor Uses Metal Nanoparticles to Boost Energy Density","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing a simple layer-by-layer coating technique, researchers from the U.S. and Korea have developed a paper-based flexible supercapacitor that could be used to help power wearable devices. The device uses metallic nanoparticles to coat cellulose fibers in the paper, creating supercapacitor electrodes with high energy and power densities \u0026ndash; and the best performance so far in a textile-based supercapacitor.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBy implanting conductive and charge storage materials in the paper, the technique creates large surface areas that function as current collectors and nanoparticle reservoirs for the electrodes. Testing shows that devices fabricated with the technique can be folded thousands of times without affecting conductivity.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This type of flexible energy storage device could provide unique opportunities for connectivity among wearable and internet of things devices,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/lee_seungwoo\u0022\u003ESeung Woo Lee\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EWoodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u0026ldquo;We could support an evolution of the most advanced portable electronics. We also have an opportunity to combine this supercapacitor with energy-harvesting devices that could power biomedical sensors, consumer and military electronics, and similar applications.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research, done with collaborators at Korea University, was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea and reported September 14 in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Communications\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEnergy storage devices are generally judged on three properties: their energy density, power density and cycling stability. Supercapacitors often have high power density, but low energy density \u0026ndash; the amount of energy that can be stored \u0026ndash; compared to batteries, which often have the opposite attributes. In developing their new technique, Lee and collaborator Jinhan Cho from the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Korea University set out to boost energy density of the supercapacitors while maintaining their high power output.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThey began by dipping paper samples into a beaker of solution containing an amine surfactant material designed to bind the gold nanoparticles to the paper. Next they dipped the paper into a solution containing gold nanoparticles. Because the fibers are porous, the surfactants and nanoparticles enter the fibers and become strongly attached, creating a conformal coating on each fiber.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBy repeating the dipping steps, the researchers created a conductive paper on which they added alternating layers of metal oxide energy storage materials such as manganese oxide. The ligand-mediated layer-by-layer approach helped minimize the contact resistance between neighboring metal and\/or metal oxide nanoparticles. Using the simple process done at room temperatures, the layers can be built up to provide the desired electrical properties.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s basically a very simple process,\u0026rdquo; Lee said. \u0026ldquo;The layer-by-layer process, which we did in alternating beakers, provides a good conformal coating on the cellulose fibers. We can fold the resulting metallized paper and otherwise flex it without damage to the conductivity.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThough the research involved small samples of paper, the solution-based technique could likely be scaled up using larger tanks or even a spray-on technique. \u0026ldquo;There should be no limitation on the size of the samples that we could produce,\u0026rdquo; Lee said. \u0026ldquo;We just need to establish the optimal layer thickness that provides good conductivity while minimizing the use of the nanoparticles to optimize the tradeoff between cost and performance.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers demonstrated that their self-assembly technique improves several aspects of the paper supercapacitor, including its areal performance, an important factor for measuring flexible energy-storage electrodes. The maximum power and energy density of the metallic paper-based supercapacitors are estimated to be 15.1 mW\/cm2 and 267.3 uW\/cm2, respectively, substantially outperforming conventional paper or textile supercapacitors.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe next steps will include testing the technique on flexible fabrics, and developing flexible batteries that could work with the supercapacitors. The researchers used gold nanoparticles because they are easy to work with, but plan to test less expensive metals such as silver and copper to reduce the cost.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDuring his Ph.D. work, Lee developed the layer-by-layer self-assembly process for energy storage using different materials. With his Korean collaborators, he saw a new opportunity to apply that to flexible and wearable devices with nanoparticles.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We have nanoscale control over the coating applied to the paper,\u0026rdquo; he added. \u0026ldquo;If we increase the number of layers, the performance continues to increase. And it\u0026rsquo;s all based on ordinary paper.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to those already mentioned, the research team included Yongmin Ko and Minseong Kwon from Korea University, Wan Ki Bae from the Photoelectronic Hybrids Research Center at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology, and Byeongyong Lee from Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis work was supported by National Research Foundation (NRF) grants funded by the Korean government (NRF-2015R1A2A1A01004354 and NRF-2016M3A7B4910619).\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Yongmin Ko, Minseong Kwon, Wan Ki Bae, Byeongyong Lee, Seung Woo Lee \u0026amp; Jinhan Cho, \u0026ldquo;Flexible supercapacitor electrodes based on real metal-like cellulose papers,\u0026rdquo; (Nature Communications, 2017) \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/s41467-017-00550-3\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/s41467-017-00550-3\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing a simple layer-by-layer coating technique, researchers from the U.S. and Korea have developed a paper-based flexible supercapacitor that could be used to help power wearable devices. The device uses metallic nanoparticles to coat cellulose fibers in the paper, creating supercapacitor electrodes with high energy and power densities \u0026ndash; and the best performance so far in a textile-based supercapacitor.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have developed a paper-based flexible supercapacitor that could be used to help power wearable devices. "}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2017-10-06 18:49:51","changed_gmt":"2017-10-06 18:53:20","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2017-10-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2017-10-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"597071":{"id":"597071","type":"image","title":"Paper metallized with gold nanoparticles","body":null,"created":"1507315219","gmt_created":"2017-10-06 18:40:19","changed":"1507315219","gmt_changed":"2017-10-06 18:40:19","alt":"Paper metallized with gold nanoparticles","file":{"fid":"227559","name":"supercapacitor-paper.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/supercapacitor-paper.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/supercapacitor-paper.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":380551,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/supercapacitor-paper.jpg?itok=-a5sj5dk"}},"597072":{"id":"597072","type":"image","title":"Metallized paper retains its properties","body":null,"created":"1507315352","gmt_created":"2017-10-06 18:42:32","changed":"1507315352","gmt_changed":"2017-10-06 18:42:32","alt":"Crumpled paper remains conductive","file":{"fid":"227560","name":"paper-testing.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/paper-testing.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/paper-testing.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":476939,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/paper-testing.jpg?itok=mdZmeQjD"}}},"media_ids":["597071","597072"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"175831","name":"supercapacitor"},{"id":"2106","name":"Paper"},{"id":"213","name":"energy"},{"id":"175832","name":"energy density"},{"id":"175833","name":"layer-by-layer"},{"id":"2054","name":"nanoparticle"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"595769":{"#nid":"595769","#data":{"type":"news","title":"As \u0027Flesh-Eating\u0027\u00a0Leishmania Come Closer, a Vaccine Against Them Does, Too","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EParasites that ulcerate\u0026nbsp;the skin, can disfigure the face, and can fatally mutilate\u0026nbsp;internal organs are creeping closer to the southern edges of the United States.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENo vaccine is available against\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ELeishmania\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;yet, but researchers have now come closer to changing that. A new experimental vaccine, made with a proprietary biological particle developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology, has immunized laboratory mice that were genetically altered to mimic the human immune system.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe vaccine exploits a weakness in \u003Cem\u003ELeishmania\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026rsquo;s tricky chemical camouflage, which normally hides it from the victim\u0026rsquo;s disease-fighting cells, to trigger \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/full\/10.1021\/acscentsci.7b00311\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ea forceful immune response against the parasite, according to a new study.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESecond-deadliest parasite\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ELeishmania\u003C\/em\u003E are \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.doctorswithoutborders.org\/our-work\/medical-issues\/kala-azar-leishmaniasis\u0022\u003Ethe second-deadliest parasite\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.doctorswithoutborders.org\/our-work\/medical-issues\/kala-azar-leishmaniasis\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Es\u003C\/a\u003E in the world, topped only by malaria, according to the World Health Organization. There are some 30 strains of \u003Cem\u003ELeishmania\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThey are transmitted mainly through the bite of a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ecdc.europa.eu\/en\/disease-vectors\/facts\/phlebotomine-sand-flies\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ephlebotomine sand fly\u003C\/a\u003E, which feeds on blood, and global warming is expanding the insect\u0026rsquo;s potential habitat northward from Latin America. The outbreak regions closest to the United States of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/parasites\/leishmaniasis\/index.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eleishmaniasis, the disease caused by the parasite\u003C\/a\u003E, have come within roughly 300 miles of the border.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs with many diseases, many people who contract \u003Cem\u003ELeishmania,\u003C\/em\u003E the parasite, may develop leishmaniasis, the disease, with varying symptoms, or perhaps even show no outward signs of the disease. But when it breaks out, it can cause large skin boils, and some forms\u0026nbsp;severely eat away at the nose and lips, even removing parts of them.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIf another form of the parasite gets into the bloodstream, it can damage the liver and spleen in a deadly form of the disease called visceral leishmaniasis, also known as black fever.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;If you don\u0026rsquo;t treat it, within 20 to 40 days visceral leishmaniasis very often kills the victim,\u0026rdquo; said Alexandre Marques, a professor in the parasitology department of the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais in Brazil, and one of the lead researchers on the new experimental vaccine. Conventional treatment, though mostly effective, can leave behind small numbers of the parasite, which can lead the patient to relapse or act as a carrier, in a similar manner as malaria.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA vaccine could be better at halting or averting outbreaks.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELong-awaited vaccine\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ELeishmania\u003C\/em\u003E, which are single-cell organisms about the size of large bacteria, have been a scourge in about 90 countries in South America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and southern Europe. For decades, researchers have worked to find a vaccine against them and similar parasites without success.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;In comparison to viruses and bacteria, these are much more complex organisms and more difficult to crack,\u0026rdquo; said M. G. Finn, who also led work on the new vaccine. Finn is a \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/biosci.gatech.edu\/people\/m.g.-finn\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eprofessor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E and in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/finn\/m.g.\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ethe School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, which he also chairs\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new vaccine leverages intimate knowledge that Marques\u0026rsquo;s team has gained living and working on the edge of leishmaniasis outbreak regions. \u0026ldquo;Alex\u0026rsquo;s (Marques\u0026rsquo;s) students collect the sand flies, then they extract the parasites in the lab and do complex mass spectrometry and other tests to study their molecular makeup in impressive detail,\u0026rdquo; Finn said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe team has uncovered minute details on the outer surface of \u003Cem\u003ELeishmania\u003C\/em\u003E that make it vulnerable to a human immune reaction. The potential new vaccine, invented at Georgia Tech, employs a fake virus as bait to attract major immune system forces to these weaknesses to attack them.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe fake virus, or virus-like particle, is not infectious, and the body destroys it after use. Finn\u0026rsquo;s lab has developed many variations of such particles in recent years, and other products containing it have already been through phase II human clinical trials.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMarques and Finn \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/full\/10.1021\/acscentsci.7b00311\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Epublished the results of their vaccination development and testing on September 13, 2017, in the journal ACS Central Science.\u003C\/a\u003E The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health, Children\u0026rsquo;s Healthcare of Atlanta, and Brazil\u0026rsquo;s National Council for Scientific and Technological Development.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELeishmaniasis vaccine Q \u0026amp; A\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHere are some questions and answers to help readers better understand how the vaccine would leverage \u003Cem\u003ELeishmania\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026rsquo;s chemical camouflage.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat\u0026rsquo;s so tricky about \u003Cem\u003ELeishmania\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026rsquo;s chemical camouflage?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe parasites cover themselves in carbohydrates, which look like food and also cover all other cells in the body. So, to the body, the \u003Cem\u003ELeishmania\u003C\/em\u003E cells look inoffensive, and the immune system mostly leaves them alone.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat\u0026rsquo;s the chink in the camouflage?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESome of those carbohydrates do actually trigger a mild human immune response. It\u0026rsquo;s not strong enough to really battle leishmaniasis, but it gives Marques and Finn\u0026rsquo;s vaccine a foot in the door.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0026rsquo;s lucky that humans, and some other primates, have this particular immune reaction, because other mammals don\u0026rsquo;t, so this vaccine wouldn\u0026rsquo;t work on them. Incidentally, that\u0026rsquo;s why, to test the new vaccine, the laboratory mice have to be genetically altered to make their immune systems react to the carbohydrates the way ours does.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow does the fake virus work?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We use the virus-like particle to highlight a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ekey carbohydrate\u003C\/a\u003E on the surface of \u003Cem\u003ELeishmania\u003C\/em\u003E clearly to the body. This coaxes its immune system into reacting strongly against it as a foreign structure,\u0026rdquo; Finn said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe immune system goes after the fake virus like guard dogs after an invader. The researchers attach the odd carbohydrate to the fake virus, and that makes the immune system recognize that carbohydrate as a serious threat. Immune cells then hunt it down, and, in the process, destroy the parasite that produces it.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhen could a vaccine be on the market?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0026rsquo;s too early to stoke hopes\u0026nbsp;because a lot has to happen before any drug or vaccine can hit the market. But the researchers have some interesting arguments for moving on to human testing.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Normally, in medical testing, you would test next in rabbits or infected cats or dogs,\u0026rdquo; Finn said. \u0026ldquo;But they don\u0026rsquo;t have the right immune system. The only other possibilities are genetically altered pigs, or certain primates, or humans.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs mentioned, the fake virus is a biological nanoparticle that has been tested in humans before without showing toxicity. Also, the researchers want to add some more kinds of \u003Cem\u003ELeishmania\u003C\/em\u003E camouflage carbohydrates to the fake virus to give the vaccine even more punch.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIsn\u0026rsquo;t leishmaniasis limited to poverty regions with poor hygiene?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAbsolutely not.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIt can take hold anywhere people and animals live in high density and certain species of sand flies, and some other insects, can thrive. The insects like warmer weather, which is why climate change is causing the sand fly\u0026rsquo;s habitat to spread north.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;People in developed countries in climates that were cooler will have to start caring about this, as global warming encourages this to spread to them,\u0026rdquo; Marques said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAnother potentially deadly \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/parasites\/chagas\/gen_info\/vectors\/index.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Einsect-borne tropical disease called Chagas disease\u003C\/a\u003E has already made it to three southern U.S. states, and the same researchers are working on a vaccine against it, too.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHighly cited chemist\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EM. G. Finn is a highly cited award-winning chemist. The \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.prnewswire.com\/news-releases\/thomson-reuters-predicts-2013-nobel-laureates-225134522.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EThompson Reuters news agency included Finn in its 2013 predictions of possible winners of that year\u0026rsquo;s Nobel Prize in Chemistry\u003C\/a\u003E. (That year\u0026rsquo;s prize went to different well-deserving researchers and their achievements.)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFinn is most widely known for his research on click chemistry. A famous study in partnership with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nobelprize.org\/nobel_prizes\/chemistry\/laureates\/2001\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENobel Prize winning chemist Karl Barry Sharpless\u003C\/a\u003E, and Harmuth Kolb, \u0026quot;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1002\/1521-3773(20010601)40:11%3C2004::AID-ANIE2004%3E3.0.CO;2-5\/full\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EClick Chemistry: Diverse Chemical Function from a Few Good Reactions\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026quot; has been cited more than 10,000 times, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?view_op=view_citation\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;user=H0fC2pEAAAAJ\u0026amp;citation_for_view=H0fC2pEAAAAJ:u5HHmVD_uO8C\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eaccording to Google Scholar\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFinn also holds the James A. Carlos Family Chair for Pediatric Technology at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECo-authors of this study were Ana P. Venuto,\u003C\/em\u003E \u003Cem\u003ELuiza C. B. Santos,\u003C\/em\u003E \u003Cem\u003ECarlos Ramon Nascimento Brito,\u003C\/em\u003E \u003Cem\u003EEdward Valencia,\u003C\/em\u003E \u003Cem\u003ECaroline Junqueira,\u003C\/em\u003E \u003Cem\u003EAdalberto A. P. Filho,\u003C\/em\u003E \u003Cem\u003EMauricio R. V. Sant\u0026#39;Anna,\u003C\/em\u003E \u003Cem\u003ENelder F. Gontijo,\u003C\/em\u003E \u003Cem\u003EDaniella C. Bartholomeu,\u003C\/em\u003E \u003Cem\u003ERicardo T. Fujiwara,\u003C\/em\u003E \u003Cem\u003ERicardo T. Gazzinelli from the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003EUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, and Craig S. McKay and Carlos A. Sanhueza from Georgia Tech. Funders of the research were: T\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ehe Conselho Nacional de\u003C\/em\u003E \u003Cem\u003EDesenvolvimento Cient\u0026iacute;fico e Tecnol\u0026oacute;gico (CNPQ) Brazil, the\u003C\/em\u003E \u003Cem\u003ENational Institute of General Medical Sciences at the National Institutes of\u003C\/em\u003E \u003Cem\u003EHealth (\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003Egrant number \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003ER01 GM101421), and \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003EChildren\u0026rsquo;s Healthcare of Atlanta.\u003C\/em\u003E \u003Cem\u003EAny opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of those sponsors.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBoils the size of sand dollars, acid-like facial wounds, death by maiming\u0026nbsp;of liver and spleen. \u003Cem\u003ELeishmania\u003C\/em\u003E parasites inflict suffering around the world that is the stuff of parables, and they\u0026#39;re the second-deadliest parasites after malaria. Global warming is slowly pushing them north toward the United States. Can a new experimental vaccine someday stop them? The vaccine has worked in humanized mice, as detailed in a new study.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A potentially deadly parasite that can ulcerate skin, nose, mouth and organs could someday meet its match in an experimental vaccine that has now worked in lab tests on humanized mice."}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2017-09-08 22:15:22","changed_gmt":"2017-09-13 15:49:08","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2017-09-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2017-09-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"595692":{"id":"595692","type":"image","title":"Leishmaniasis infector-disease illustration","body":null,"created":"1504819454","gmt_created":"2017-09-07 21:24:14","changed":"1505141586","gmt_changed":"2017-09-11 14:53:06","alt":"","file":{"fid":"227002","name":"iStock.purchase.Leishmaniasis.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/iStock.purchase.Leishmaniasis.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/iStock.purchase.Leishmaniasis.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":313408,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/iStock.purchase.Leishmaniasis.jpg?itok=8eG6XtcM"}},"595688":{"id":"595688","type":"image","title":"Phlebotomine sand fly","body":null,"created":"1504818577","gmt_created":"2017-09-07 21:09:37","changed":"1505310182","gmt_changed":"2017-09-13 13:43:02","alt":"","file":{"fid":"227080","name":"Fe\u0302mea alimentada Lutzomyia sp.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Fe%CC%82mea%20alimentada%20Lutzomyia%20sp.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Fe%CC%82mea%20alimentada%20Lutzomyia%20sp.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":454058,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Fe%CC%82mea%20alimentada%20Lutzomyia%20sp.jpg?itok=J4Ixlqdi"}},"595695":{"id":"595695","type":"image","title":"Leishmaniasis boil","body":null,"created":"1504820222","gmt_created":"2017-09-07 21:37:02","changed":"1504902467","gmt_changed":"2017-09-08 20:27:47","alt":"","file":{"fid":"227006","name":"cuta leish.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cuta%20leish.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cuta%20leish.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":12672,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/cuta%20leish.jpg?itok=belXq9s6"}},"595755":{"id":"595755","type":"image","title":"Leishmania lifecycle CDC","body":null,"created":"1504902419","gmt_created":"2017-09-08 20:26:59","changed":"1505140453","gmt_changed":"2017-09-11 14:34:13","alt":"","file":{"fid":"227026","name":"leishmania_lifecycle.gif","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/leishmania_lifecycle.gif","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/leishmania_lifecycle.gif","mime":"image\/gif","size":40975,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/leishmania_lifecycle.gif?itok=GG1QadBH"}},"595854":{"id":"595854","type":"image","title":"University of Texas at Austin, Leishmania carrier predicted U.S. spread map","body":null,"created":"1505312833","gmt_created":"2017-09-13 14:27:13","changed":"1505313301","gmt_changed":"2017-09-13 14:35:01","alt":"","file":{"fid":"227083","name":"journal.pntd_.0000585.g004.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/journal.pntd_.0000585.g004.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/journal.pntd_.0000585.g004.png","mime":"image\/png","size":609299,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/journal.pntd_.0000585.g004.png?itok=crKygtG1"}},"595777":{"id":"595777","type":"image","title":"Virus-like particle with carbohydrate","body":null,"created":"1505068805","gmt_created":"2017-09-10 18:40:05","changed":"1505068805","gmt_changed":"2017-09-10 18:40:05","alt":"","file":{"fid":"227037","name":"fake virus carb.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/fake%20virus%20carb.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/fake%20virus%20carb.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":70718,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/fake%20virus%20carb.jpg?itok=q-9nkQjy"}},"595759":{"id":"595759","type":"image","title":"Phlebotomine sand fly field collection","body":null,"created":"1504903227","gmt_created":"2017-09-08 20:40:27","changed":"1504903239","gmt_changed":"2017-09-08 20:40:39","alt":"","file":{"fid":"227027","name":"separation flies.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/separation%20flies.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/separation%20flies.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":16858,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/separation%20flies.jpg?itok=E391rVgj"}},"595760":{"id":"595760","type":"image","title":"Finn and Marques","body":null,"created":"1504903937","gmt_created":"2017-09-08 20:52:17","changed":"1504903937","gmt_changed":"2017-09-08 20:52:17","alt":"","file":{"fid":"227028","name":"RESEARCH NEWS DSC_8293.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/RESEARCH%20NEWS%20DSC_8293.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/RESEARCH%20NEWS%20DSC_8293.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":405446,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/RESEARCH%20NEWS%20DSC_8293.jpg?itok=47WF8b7q"}},"595762":{"id":"595762","type":"image","title":"M. G. Finn portrait","body":null,"created":"1504904546","gmt_created":"2017-09-08 21:02:26","changed":"1538559622","gmt_changed":"2018-10-03 09:40:22","alt":"","file":{"fid":"227030","name":"RESEARCH NEWS DSC_8371.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/RESEARCH%20NEWS%20DSC_8371.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/RESEARCH%20NEWS%20DSC_8371.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":317030,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/RESEARCH%20NEWS%20DSC_8371.jpg?itok=4MsZwrN3"}},"595761":{"id":"595761","type":"image","title":"M. G. Finn in his lab","body":null,"created":"1504904257","gmt_created":"2017-09-08 20:57:37","changed":"1504904257","gmt_changed":"2017-09-08 20:57:37","alt":"","file":{"fid":"227029","name":"RESEARCH NEWS DSC_8315.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/RESEARCH%20NEWS%20DSC_8315.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/RESEARCH%20NEWS%20DSC_8315.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":397465,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/RESEARCH%20NEWS%20DSC_8315.jpg?itok=ALVJAXq-"}},"595765":{"id":"595765","type":"image","title":"Alexandre Marques portrait","body":null,"created":"1504905272","gmt_created":"2017-09-08 21:14:32","changed":"1504905296","gmt_changed":"2017-09-08 21:14:56","alt":"","file":{"fid":"227032","name":"RESEARCH NEWS DSC_8410.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/RESEARCH%20NEWS%20DSC_8410.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/RESEARCH%20NEWS%20DSC_8410.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":451333,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/RESEARCH%20NEWS%20DSC_8410.jpg?itok=8K00xyql"}},"595764":{"id":"595764","type":"image","title":"Alexandre Marques in M. G. Finn\u0027s lab","body":null,"created":"1504905053","gmt_created":"2017-09-08 21:10:53","changed":"1504905053","gmt_changed":"2017-09-08 21:10:53","alt":"","file":{"fid":"227031","name":"RESEARCH NEWS DSC_8339 (1).jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/RESEARCH%20NEWS%20DSC_8339%20%281%29.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/RESEARCH%20NEWS%20DSC_8339%20%281%29.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":366188,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/RESEARCH%20NEWS%20DSC_8339%20%281%29.jpg?itok=w7gfeU_X"}}},"media_ids":["595692","595688","595695","595755","595854","595777","595759","595760","595762","595761","595765","595764"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"175451","name":"Leishmania"},{"id":"175453","name":"Leishmaniasis"},{"id":"13023","name":"virus-like particle"},{"id":"175492","name":"fake virus"},{"id":"175452","name":"biological nanoparticle"},{"id":"175454","name":"alpha-galactose"},{"id":"175482","name":"M. G. Finn"},{"id":"7631","name":"parasite"},{"id":"791","name":"Global Warming"},{"id":"831","name":"climate change"},{"id":"175493","name":"climate change epidemiology"},{"id":"126571","name":"go-PetitInstitute"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia \u0026nbsp;30332-0181 \u0026nbsp;USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield (404-660-1408)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"594502":{"#nid":"594502","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Print No Evil: Three-Layer Technique Helps Secure Additive Manufacturing","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAdditive manufacturing, also known as 3-D printing, is replacing conventional fabrication processes in critical areas ranging from aerospace components to medical implants. But because the process relies on software to control the 3-D printer, additive manufacturing could become a target for malicious attacks \u0026ndash; as well as for unscrupulous operators who may cut corners.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology and Rutgers University have developed a three-layer system to verify that components produced using additive manufacturing have not been compromised. Their system uses acoustic and other physical techniques to confirm that the printer is operating as expected, and nondestructive inspection techniques to verify the correct location of tiny gold nanorods buried in the parts. The validation technique is independent of printer firmware and software in the controlling computer.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe verification and intrusion detection research will be described August 18 at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.usenix.org\/conference\/usenixsecurity17\u0022\u003E26th USENIX Security Symposium\u003C\/a\u003E in Vancouver, British Columbia. The two institutions recently received a grant from the National Science Foundation to further develop the process described at the symposium.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;These 3-D printed components will be going into people, aircraft and critical infrastructure systems,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff-directory\/raheem-a-beyah\u0022\u003ERaheem Beyah\u003C\/a\u003E, the Motorola Foundation Professor and associate chair in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;Malicious software installed in the printer or control computer could compromise the production process. We need to make sure that these components are produced to specification and not affected by malicious actors or unscrupulous producers.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe three components of the new system include:\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAcoustic measurement of the 3-D printer in operation\u003C\/strong\u003E. When compared to a reference recording of a correct print, this acoustic monitoring \u0026ndash; done with an inexpensive microphone and filtering software \u0026ndash; can detect changes in the printer\u0026rsquo;s sound that may indicate installation of malicious software.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPhysical tracking of printer components\u003C\/strong\u003E. To create the desired object, the printer\u0026rsquo;s extruder and other components should follow a consistent mechanical path that can be observed with inexpensive sensors. Variations from the expected path could indicate an attack.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDetection of nanorods in finished components\u003C\/strong\u003E. Using Raman Spectroscopy and computed tomography (CT), the researchers were able to detect the location of gold nanorods that had been mixed with the filament material used in the 3-D printer. Variations from the expected location of those particles could indicate a quality problem with the component. The variations could result from malicious activity, or from efforts to conserve printer materials. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers tested their technique on three different types of 3-D printers and a computer numerical control (CNC) machine using a polyethylene tibial knee prosthesis as a test case. Beyond detecting malicious activity or quality problems, the technique could stop inadvertent production problems, reducing materials waste.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn their technique to detect flaws in 3-D printed components, the researchers were inspired to apply the same kind of contrast agents used in medical imaging techniques for detecting tumors, said Mehdi Javanmard, assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rutgers University.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe gold contrast materials were tested to make sure they wouldn\u0026rsquo;t compromise the structural integrity of the printed components.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENow that they\u0026rsquo;ve demonstrated the feasibility of the techniques, the researchers plan to use the NSF funding awarded August 1 to improve the validation methods and move them closer to application. \u0026ldquo;Our focus now will be on testing the resilience of this technology and its resistance to intrusion and malicious attacks,\u0026rdquo; Javanmard said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAmong the challenges ahead will be obtaining good acoustic data in the noisy environments in which 3-D printers typically operate. In the research reported by the researchers, operation of other 3-D printers near the one being observed cut the accuracy significantly, but Beyah believes that challenge can be addressed with additional signal processing. The technique will also be applied to additional types of printers, and to different materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWith the capabilities of 3-D printers growing and their cost declining, Beyah believes the use of additive manufacturing techniques will continue to expand. The validation and intrusion detection system will therefore become more critical.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The idea that additive manufacturing processes could be compromised to intentionally hurt someone hasn\u0026rsquo;t really been considered with some of these applications,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;There is a good bit of room to improve the security of 3-D printers, and we think that will start with applications that are closest to humans, such as implants and medical devices.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to those already mentioned, the research included Christian Bayens from Georgia Tech, and Saman Zonouz, Tuan Le, and Luis Garcia from Rutgers University.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECITATION: Christian Bayens, Tuan Le, Luis Garcia, Raheem Beyah, Mehdi Javanmard and Saman Zonouz, \u0026ldquo;See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Feel No Evil, Print No Evil? Malicious Fill Patterns Detection in Additive Manufacturing,\u0026rdquo; (26th USENIX Security Symposium, August 18, 2017). \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.usenix.org\/conference\/usenixsecurity17\/technical-sessions\/presentation\/bayens\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/www.usenix.org\/conference\/usenixsecurity17\/technical-sessions\/presentation\/bayens\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EResearch described in this news release is being funded under award 1739259 from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia \u0026nbsp;30332-0181 \u0026nbsp;USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (jtoon@gatech.edu) (404-894-6986) or Josh Brown (josh.brown@comm.gatech.edu) (404-385-0500).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers from Georgia Tech and Rutgers University have developed a three-layer technique for protecting the additive manufacturing (3-D printing) process from malicious attack.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have developed a three-layer technique for protecting the additive manufacturing (3-D printing) process."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2017-08-16 15:25:24","changed_gmt":"2017-08-16 15:30:26","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2017-08-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2017-08-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"594498":{"id":"594498","type":"image","title":"Raheem Beyah in 3-D Printing Lab","body":null,"created":"1502896597","gmt_created":"2017-08-16 15:16:37","changed":"1502896718","gmt_changed":"2017-08-16 15:18:38","alt":"Raheem Beyah in 3-D printing lab","file":{"fid":"226585","name":"additive-manufacturing-0277.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/additive-manufacturing-0277.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/additive-manufacturing-0277.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":385406,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/additive-manufacturing-0277.jpg?itok=i6jndLXf"}},"594500":{"id":"594500","type":"image","title":"Raheem Beyah in 3-D Printing Lab2","body":null,"created":"1502896693","gmt_created":"2017-08-16 15:18:13","changed":"1502896733","gmt_changed":"2017-08-16 15:18:53","alt":"Raheem Beyah in 3-D printing lab","file":{"fid":"226586","name":"additive-manufacturing-0293.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/additive-manufacturing-0293.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/additive-manufacturing-0293.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":395197,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/additive-manufacturing-0293.jpg?itok=Y-r-e0zx"}}},"media_ids":["594498","594500"],"groups":[{"id":"430601","name":"Institute for Information Security and Privacy"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"175204","name":"additive"},{"id":"57171","name":"additive manufacturing"},{"id":"173033","name":"3-D printing"},{"id":"167055","name":"security"},{"id":"215","name":"manufacturing"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"39481","name":"National Security"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"592976":{"#nid":"592976","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Thwarting Metastasis by Breaking Cancer\u2019s Legs with Gold Rods","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Your cancer has metastasized. I\u0026rsquo;m sorry,\u0026rdquo; is something no one wants to hear a doctor say.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECancer cells \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.cancerresearchuk.org\/about-cancer\/coping\/physically\/how-can-cancer-kill-you\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ekill most often\u003C\/a\u003E by crawling away from their original tumors to later re-root in vital parts of the body in a process called \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.cancer.net\/navigating-cancer-care\/cancer-basics\/what-metastasis\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Emetastasis\u003C\/a\u003E. Now, a research team led by the Georgia Institute of Technology \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.pnas.org\/content\/early\/2017\/06\/21\/1703151114\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehas developed a new treatment\u003C\/a\u003E to thwart cancer\u0026#39;s spread through the body by, in a sense, breaking cancer cells\u0026rsquo; legs.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECancer cells often cover themselves with bristly leg-like protrusions that enable them to creep. The researchers have used minuscule gold rods heated gently by a laser to mangle the protrusions, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.pnas.org\/cgi\/doi\/10.1073\/pnas.1703151114\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eaccording to a new study\u003C\/a\u003E. The treatment prevented cell migration, a key mechanism in metastasis, in experiments on common laboratory cultures (\u003Cem\u003Ein vitro\u003C\/em\u003E) of cancerous human cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe method could potentially, in the future, offer clinicians going after individual tumors a weapon to combat cancer\u0026rsquo;s deadly spread at the same time. The medical field is currently less than well-equipped to stop metastasis.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;If cancer stays in a tumor in one place, you can get to it, and it\u0026rsquo;s not so likely to kill the patient, but when it spreads around the body, that\u0026rsquo;s what really makes it deadly,\u0026rdquo; said lead researcher \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/faculty\/El-Sayed\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMostafa El-Sayed, Julius Brown Chair and Regents Professor\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe treatment can also easily kill cancer cells, but in this experiment, it was vital to specifically show that it greatly slowed cell migration. The method is not scheduled for human testing.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHalting cancer softly\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe experimental treatment also spared healthy cells, in these and in prior experiments, making the method potentially much less \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cancer.gov\/publications\/patient-education\/chemo-side-effects\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Etaxing on patients than commonly used chemotherapy\u003C\/a\u003E. In past tests in animal models, the researchers have uncovered no toxic side effects from the gold used in the treatment, and have found no observable damage to healthy tissue from the low-energy laser.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd they did not see recurrence of the treated cancer.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The method appears to be very effective as a locally administered treatment that also protects the body from cancer\u0026rsquo;s spread away from the treated tumors, and it is also very mild, so it can be applied many times over if needed,\u0026rdquo; El-Sayed said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEl-Sayed, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/wu\/ronghu\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eco-lead author Ronghu Wu\u003C\/a\u003E, and first authors Yue Wu and Moustafa Ali published the results of their current \u003Cem\u003Ein vitro\u003C\/em\u003E experiments, a new development in \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S030438350800325X\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ephotothermal gold nanorod therapy\u003C\/a\u003E, on June 26, 2017, in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.pnas.org\/cgi\/doi\/10.1073\/pnas.1703151114\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.\u003C\/a\u003E The research was funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow it works: Icky legs\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETo understand how the treatment works, let\u0026rsquo;s take a close-up look at a cell and some things that happen to it in malignant cancer.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMany people think of cells as watery balloons -- fluid encased in a membrane sheath with organelles floating around inside. But that picture is incomplete. Cells have support grids called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=4BAGI6LbHeo\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ecytoskeletons\u003C\/a\u003E that give them form and that have functions.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe cytoskeletons also form bristly \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.cellmigration.org\/topics\/protrusion.shtml\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eprotrusions called filopodia, which extend out from a weave of fibers called lamellipodia\u003C\/a\u003E that are on the cell\u0026rsquo;s fringes. The protrusions normally help healthy cells shift their location in the tissue that they are part of.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBut in malignant cancer, normally healthy cell functions often lunge into destructive overdrive. Lamellipodia and filopodia are wildly overproduced.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;All these lamellipodia and filopodia give the cancer cells legs,\u0026rdquo; said Yue Wu, a graduate student in bioanalytical chemistry. \u0026ldquo;The metastasis requires those protrusions, so the cells can travel.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow it works: Sticky rods\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/20967876\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Egold nanorods\u003C\/a\u003E thwart the protrusions in two ways. The rods are comprised of a small collection of gold atoms \u0026ndash; nano refers to something being just billionths of meters (or feet) in size.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFirst, El-Sayed\u0026rsquo;s nanorods are introduced locally, where they encumber the leggy protrusions on cancerous cells. The rods are coated with molecules (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Arginylglycylaspartic_acid\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERGD-peptide\u003C\/a\u003Es) that make them stick specifically to a type of cell protein called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mechanobio.info\/topics\/mechanosignaling\/cell-matrix-adhesion\/integrin-mediated-signalling-pathway\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eintegrin\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The targeted nanorods tied up the integrin and blocked its functions, so it could not keep guiding the cytoskeleton to overproduce lamellipodia and filopodia,\u0026rdquo; said Yan Tang, a postdoctoral assistant in computational biology who worked on the study. The binding of the integrin alone slowed down the migration of malignant cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBut healthy cells were not targeted. \u0026ldquo;There are certain, specific integrins that are overproduced in cancerous cells,\u0026rdquo; said Moustafa Ali, one of the study\u0026rsquo;s first authors. \u0026ldquo;And you don\u0026rsquo;t find them so much in healthy cells.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow it works: Gentle laser heating\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the second phase, researchers hit the gold nanoparticles with a low-energy laser of near-infrared (NIR) light. It brought the migration of the cancer cells to an observable halt.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The light was not absorbed by the cells, but the gold nanorods absorbed it, and as a result, they heated up and partially melted cancer cells they are connected with, mangling lamellipodia and filopodia,\u0026rdquo; Ali said. \u0026ldquo;It didn\u0026rsquo;t kill all the cells, not in this experiment. If we killed them, we would not have been able to observe whether we stopped them from migrating or not.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIf desired, the treatment can also be adjusted to kill the cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEarly experiments in animal models \u003Cem\u003Ein vivo\u003C\/em\u003E with hotter lasers didn\u0026rsquo;t work as well. \u0026nbsp;\u0026ldquo;That caused inflammation, which made it possible to heat one time only,\u0026rdquo; Ali said. \u0026ldquo;As a result, that high temperature would wipe out many cancer cells, but not all of them. Some hidden ones might have survived, and also still been able to migrate.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This gentle laser didn\u0026rsquo;t burn the skin or damage tissue, so it could be dosed multiple times and more thoroughly stop the cancer cells from being able to travel,\u0026rdquo; said researcher Ronghu Wu.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedical possibilities\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers presently envision treating head, neck, breast, and skin cancers with direct, local nanorod injections combined with the low-power near-infrared laser, which can hit the gold nanorods 2-3 centimeters (a bit under or over an inch) deep inside tissue. \u0026ldquo;But it could go as deep as 4-5 centimeters,\u0026rdquo; Ali said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDeeper tumors could conceivably be treated with deeper injections of nanorods. \u0026ldquo;Then you\u0026rsquo;d need to go in with a fiber optic or endoscopic laser,\u0026rdquo; El-Sayed said. Injecting the nanorods directly into the bloodstream as a broad treatment would not currently be a viable option.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEl-Sayed\u0026rsquo;s group has previously published \u003Cem\u003Ein vivo\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;experiments in mice \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.pnas.org\/content\/114\/15\/E3110\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ein the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences together with Emory University School of Medicine\u003C\/a\u003E. That study showed no observable toxicity from the gold in mice 15 months after treatment.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;A lot of it ended up in the liver and spleen,\u0026rdquo; El-Sayed said. \u0026ldquo;But the functions of these organs appeared intact upon examination, and treated mice were alive and healthy over a year later.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPresidential honors\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMostafa El-Sayed is one of the world\u0026rsquo;s most highly decorated and cited living chemists, and a pioneer of nanoscience and technology. Among his many recognitions are \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/news\/special_reports\/medalofscience50\/el-sayed.jsp\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ethe President\u0026rsquo;s National Medal of Science, awarded by President George W. Bush\u003C\/a\u003E, and the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.news.gatech.edu\/2015\/07\/06\/mostafa-el-sayed-wins-2016-priestley-medal\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EPriestley Medal\u003C\/a\u003E, the American Chemical Society\u0026rsquo;s highest honor. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cos.gatech.edu\/hg\/item\/584568\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EPresident Barack H. Obama appointed El-Sayed to the President\u0026rsquo;s National Medal of Science Committee\u003C\/a\u003E. El-Sayed also participated in the nomination of chemistry \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nobelprize.org\/nobel_prizes\/chemistry\/laureates\/1999\/zewail-facts.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENobel Laureate Ahmed Zewail. \u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEl-Sayed is known throughout physical chemistry for \u0026ldquo;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/pdf\/10.1021\/jp111892y\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EEl-Sayed\u0026rsquo;s Rule\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026rdquo; which handles complexities of electron spin orbits, and which has found a lasting place in photochemistry textbooks. After losing his wife to cancer in 2005, El-Sayed dedicated his knowledge and research to ending the scourge.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/news\/584146\/report-cancer-and-technology-highlights-georgia-tech-research\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAlso read: Cancer and Technology\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/news\/583569\/punching-cancer-rna-knuckles\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAlso read: Punching Cancer with RNA Knuckles\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe following authors also contributed to this research: Haopeng Xiao and Tiegang Han from Georgia Tech, and Kuangcai Chen and Ning Fang from Georgia State University. This research was funded by the National Science Foundation Division of Chemistry (grants 1608801, CAREER Award CHE-1454501), and the National Institutes of Health Nanotechnology Study Section (grant 1R01GM115763). Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funding agencies.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EYour cancer has metastasized. No one wants to ever hear that. Now researchers have found a way to virtually halt cell migration, a key component of cancer\u0026#39;s spread through the body, or metastasis, \u003Cem\u003Ein vitro\u003C\/em\u003E, in human cells. In past \u003Cem\u003Ein vivo\u003C\/em\u003E studies in mice, treated cancer did not appear to recur, nor did observable side effects.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Metastasis virtually halted in human in vitro cultures via gold nanorod photothermal therapy"}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2017-06-26 19:26:21","changed_gmt":"2017-08-07 14:57:57","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2017-06-26T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2017-06-26T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"593152":{"id":"593152","type":"image","title":"Migrating cancer cells artist rendering","body":null,"created":"1498832693","gmt_created":"2017-06-30 14:24:53","changed":"1498832693","gmt_changed":"2017-06-30 14:24:53","alt":"","file":{"fid":"226100","name":"cancer migr istock.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cancer%20migr%20istock.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cancer%20migr%20istock.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":309271,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/cancer%20migr%20istock.jpg?itok=8fdlvPfh"}},"592967":{"id":"592967","type":"image","title":"Dying cancer cell from NIH microscopy","body":null,"created":"1498501987","gmt_created":"2017-06-26 18:33:07","changed":"1509122813","gmt_changed":"2017-10-27 16:46:53","alt":"","file":{"fid":"226020","name":"breast cancer apop.NIH_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/breast%20cancer%20apop.NIH_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/breast%20cancer%20apop.NIH_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":210403,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/breast%20cancer%20apop.NIH_.jpg?itok=lzX5BiD7"}},"592972":{"id":"592972","type":"image","title":"Mostafa El-Sayed\u0027s cancer research team at EBB","body":null,"created":"1498503084","gmt_created":"2017-06-26 18:51:24","changed":"1498503084","gmt_changed":"2017-06-26 18:51:24","alt":"","file":{"fid":"226025","name":"researchers2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/researchers2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/researchers2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":477799,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/researchers2.jpg?itok=6zHG9PmJ"}},"592974":{"id":"592974","type":"image","title":"Lab culture cancer cell in gold nanorod NIR study","body":null,"created":"1498503344","gmt_created":"2017-06-26 18:55:44","changed":"1498503344","gmt_changed":"2017-06-26 18:55:44","alt":"","file":{"fid":"226027","name":"cancer and treatments.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cancer%20and%20treatments.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cancer%20and%20treatments.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":127855,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/cancer%20and%20treatments.jpg?itok=KUOARaqm"}},"592975":{"id":"592975","type":"image","title":"Gold nanorods","body":null,"created":"1498503909","gmt_created":"2017-06-26 19:05:09","changed":"1498503909","gmt_changed":"2017-06-26 19:05:09","alt":"","file":{"fid":"226028","name":"gold nanorods.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/gold%20nanorods.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/gold%20nanorods.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":112665,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/gold%20nanorods.jpg?itok=JkdDr-N1"}},"592970":{"id":"592970","type":"image","title":"Mostafa El-Sayed\u0027s cancer research team","body":null,"created":"1498502848","gmt_created":"2017-06-26 18:47:28","changed":"1498502848","gmt_changed":"2017-06-26 18:47:28","alt":"","file":{"fid":"226022","name":"goldresearchers.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/goldresearchers.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/goldresearchers.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":547924,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/goldresearchers.jpg?itok=QN_eOHm4"}}},"media_ids":["593152","592967","592972","592974","592975","592970"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"385","name":"cancer"},{"id":"10364","name":"Metastasis"},{"id":"9512","name":"Cell migration"},{"id":"174779","name":"gold nanorods"},{"id":"2973","name":"nanoparticles"},{"id":"247","name":"Emory"},{"id":"174780","name":"NIR"},{"id":"174781","name":"near-infrared laser"},{"id":"174782","name":"filopodia"},{"id":"174783","name":"lamellipodia"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia \u0026nbsp;30332-0181 \u0026nbsp;USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield (404-660-1408) (ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ben Brumfield\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"591366":{"#nid":"591366","#data":{"type":"news","title":"High Temperature Step-by-Step Process Makes Graphene from Ethene","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAn international team of scientists has developed a new way to produce single-layer graphene from a simple precursor: ethene \u0026ndash; also known as ethylene \u0026ndash; the smallest alkene molecule, which contains just two atoms of carbon.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBy heating the ethene in stages to a temperature of slightly more than 700 degrees Celsius -- hotter than had been attempted before \u0026ndash; the researchers produced pure layers of graphene on a rhodium catalyst substrate. The stepwise heating and higher temperature overcame challenges seen in earlier efforts to produce graphene directly from hydrocarbon precursors.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBecause of its lower cost and simplicity, the technique could open new potential applications for graphene, which has attractive physical and electronic properties. The work also provides a novel mechanism for the self-evolution of carbon cluster precursors whose diffusional coalescence results in the formation of the graphene layers.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research, reported as the cover article in the May 4 issue of the \u003Cem\u003EJournal of Physical Chemistry C\u003C\/em\u003E, was conducted by scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Technische Universit\u0026auml;t M\u0026uuml;nchen in Germany, and the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. In the United States, the research was supported by the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the U.S. Department of Energy\u0026rsquo;s Office of Basic Energy Sciences.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Since graphene is made from carbon, we decided to start with the simplest type of carbon molecules and see if we could assemble them into graphene,\u0026rdquo; explained Uzi Landman, a Regents\u0026rsquo; Professor and F.E. Callaway endowed chair in the Georgia Tech School of Physics who headed the theoretical component of the research. \u0026ldquo;From small molecules containing carbon, you end up with macroscopic pieces of graphene.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGraphene is now produced using a variety of methods including chemical vapor deposition, evaporation of silicon from silicon carbide \u0026ndash; and simple exfoliation of graphene sheets from graphite. A number of earlier efforts to produce graphene from simple hydrocarbon precursors had proven largely unsuccessful, creating disordered soot rather than structured graphene.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGuided by a theoretical approach, the researchers reasoned that the path from ethene to graphene would involve formation of a series of structures as hydrogen atoms leave the ethene molecules and carbon atoms self-assemble into the honeycomb pattern that characterizes graphene. To explore the nature of the thermally-induced rhodium surface-catalyzed transformations from ethene to graphene, experimental groups in Germany and Scotland raised the temperature of the material in steps under ultra-high vacuum. They used scanning-tunneling microscopy (STM), thermal programed desorption (TPD) and high-resolution electron energy loss (vibrational) spectroscopy (HREELS) to observe and characterize the structures that form at each step of the process.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUpon heating, ethene adsorbed onto the rhodium catalyst evolves via coupling reactions to form segmented one-dimensional polyaromatic hydrocarbons (1D-PAH). Further heating leads to dimensionality crossover \u0026ndash; one dimensional to two dimensional structures \u0026ndash; and dynamical restructuring processes at the PAH chain ends with a subsequent activated detachment of size-selective carbon clusters, following a mechanism revealed through first-principles quantum mechanical \u0026nbsp;simulations. \u0026nbsp;Finally, rate-limiting diffusional coalescence of these dynamically self-evolved cluster-precursors leads to condensation into graphene with high purity.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAt the final stage before the formation of graphene, the researchers observed nearly round disk-like clusters containing 24 carbon atoms, which spread out to form the graphene lattice. \u0026ldquo;The temperature must be raised within windows of temperature ranges to allow the requisite structures to form before the next stage of heating,\u0026rdquo; Landman explained. \u0026ldquo;If you stop at certain temperatures, you are likely to end up with coking.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAn important component is the dehydrogenation process which frees the carbon atoms to form intermediate shapes, but some of the hydrogen resides temporarily on, or near, the metal catalyst surface and it assists in subsequent bond-breaking process that lead to detachment of the 24-carbon cluster-precursors. \u0026nbsp;\u0026ldquo;All along the way, there is a loss of hydrogen from the clusters,\u0026rdquo; said Landman. \u0026ldquo;Bringing up the temperature essentially \u0026lsquo;boils\u0026rsquo; the hydrogen out of the evolving metal-supported carbon structure, culminating in graphene.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe resulting graphene structure is adsorbed onto the catalyst. It may be useful attached to the metal, but for other applications, a way to remove it will have to be developed. Added Landman: \u0026ldquo;This is a new route to graphene, and the possible technological application is yet to be explored.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond the theoretical research, carried out by Bokwon Yoon and Landman at the Georgia Tech Center for Computational Materials Science, the experimental work was done in the laboratory of Professor Renald Schaub at the University of St. Andrews and in the laboratory of Professor Ueli Heiz and Friedrich Esch at the Technische Universit\u0026auml;t M\u0026uuml;nchen. Other co-authors included Bo Wang, Michael K\u0026ouml;nig, Catherine J. Bromley, Michael-John Treanor, Jos\u0026eacute; A. Garrido Torres, Marco Caffio, Federico Grillo, Herbert Fr\u0026uuml;cht, and Neville V. Richardson.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe work at the Georgia Institute of Technology was supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research through Grant FA9550-14-1-0005 and by the Office of Basic Energy Sciences of the U.S. Department of Energy through Grant FG05-86ER45234. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsoring organizations.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Bo Wang, et al., \u0026ldquo;Ethene to Graphene: Surface Catalyzed Chemical Pathways, Intermediates, and Assembly,\u0026rdquo; (Journal of Physical Chemistry C). http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1021\/acs.jpcc.7b01999\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia \u0026nbsp;30332-0181 \u0026nbsp;USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu) or Ben Brumfield (404-385-1933) (ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAn international team of scientists has developed a new way to produce single-layer graphene from a simple precursor: ethene \u0026ndash; also known as ethylene \u0026ndash; the smallest alkene molecule, which contains just two atoms of carbon.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have developed a new way to produce single-layer graphene from a simple precursor: ethene."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2017-05-04 17:39:48","changed_gmt":"2017-05-04 18:12:52","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2017-05-04T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2017-05-04T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"591362":{"id":"591362","type":"image","title":"Ethene changing to graphene","body":null,"created":"1493918994","gmt_created":"2017-05-04 17:29:54","changed":"1493918994","gmt_changed":"2017-05-04 17:29:54","alt":"Sequence shows graphene formed from ethene","file":{"fid":"225354","name":"ethene-graphene-fig3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ethene-graphene-fig3.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ethene-graphene-fig3.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":297857,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ethene-graphene-fig3.jpg?itok=TldUwedz"}},"591365":{"id":"591365","type":"image","title":"Dehydrogenation process","body":null,"created":"1493919215","gmt_created":"2017-05-04 17:33:35","changed":"1493919215","gmt_changed":"2017-05-04 17:33:35","alt":"Dehydrogenation process for creating graphene","file":{"fid":"225356","name":"ethene-graphene-fig1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ethene-graphene-fig1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ethene-graphene-fig1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":809194,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ethene-graphene-fig1.jpg?itok=f5R5xTn5"}}},"media_ids":["591362","591365"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"429","name":"graphene"},{"id":"174348","name":"precursor"},{"id":"174347","name":"ethene"},{"id":"174350","name":"alkene"},{"id":"9180","name":"Uzi Landman"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"590379":{"#nid":"590379","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Researcher Honored with Alan T. Waterman Award","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe National Science Foundation (NSF) has recognized Baratunde \u0026quot;Bara\u0026quot; A. Cola of the Georgia Institute of Technology and John V. Pardon of Princeton University with the nation\u0026#39;s highest honor for early career scientists and engineers, the Alan T. Waterman Award. This marks only the second time in the award\u0026#39;s 42-year history that NSF selected two recipients in the same year.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBestowed annually, the Waterman Award recognizes outstanding researchers age 35 and under in NSF-supported fields of science and engineering. In addition to a medal, awardees each receive a $1 million, five-year grant for research in their chosen field of study.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026quot;We are seeing the significant impact of their research very early in the careers of these awardees,\u0026quot; said NSF Director France C\u0026oacute;rdova. \u0026quot;That is the most exciting aspect of the Waterman Award, which recognizes early career achievement. They have creatively tackled longstanding scientific challenges, and we look forward to what they will do next.\u0026quot;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/cola\u0022\u003ECola\u003C\/a\u003E pioneered new engineering methods and materials to control light and heat in electronics at the nanoscale. He serves as an associate professor at Georgia Tech\u0026#39;s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 2015, Cola and his team were the first to overcome more than 40 years of research challenges to create a device called an \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/news\/452781\/first-optical-rectenna-combined-rectifier-and-antenna-converts-light-dc-current\u0022\u003Eoptical rectenna\u003C\/a\u003E, which turns light into direct current more efficiently than today\u0026#39;s technology. The device could lead to highly efficient solar cells with the potential to power new generations of cell phones, laptops, satellites and drones.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe technology uses carbon nanotubes that act as tiny antennas to capture light. Light is then converted into direct current by miniature, nanotechnology-enabled mechanisms called rectifier diodes. The research has the potential to double solar cell efficiency at one-tenth the cost, according to Cola.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026quot;Ultimately, we see the Waterman as fueling the final leg of our long-term effort to be the first to truly bring transformational applications of carbon nanotubes to the market,\u0026quot; Cola said. \u0026quot;As of now, we know that there will be a substantial investment in engineering another breakthrough in carbon nanotube optical rectenna science.\u0026quot;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECola also works to commercialize other novel nanotechnology-based innovations. In 2015, he participated in the NSF Innovation Corps (I-Corps) at Georgia Tech, a program that immerses scientists and engineers in entrepreneurial training, teaching them to look beyond the lab and consider the commercial potential or broader impacts of their research. I-Corps participants interview prospective customers and identify market needs for federally funded innovations.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition, Cola and colleagues were responsible for engineering breakthroughs, including the first thermally conductive amorphous polymer, the first practical electrochemical cell for generating electricity from waste heat and the first evidence of thermal energy conduction by surface polaritons.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECola, 35, is the founder of Carbice Nanotechnologies, Inc., a company that uses a carbon nanotube-material to remove heat from computer chip testing stations, allowing for faster and cheaper testing of chips during production. The technology could eventually result in smaller, faster, more powerful computer chips for use in everything from smartphones to supercomputers. Carbice Nanotechnologies received support from NSF\u0026#39;s Small Business Innovation Research program.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHe also is co-founder of the NSF-funded Academic and Research Leadership Network, a group of more than 300 Ph.D. engineering researchers from minority groups underrepresented in academia, industry and government laboratories.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAt Princeton University, Pardon is a Clay Research Fellow and professor of mathematics. His research focuses on geometry and topology, the study of properties of shapes that are unaffected by deformations, such as stretching or twisting. He is known for solving problems that stumped other mathematicians for decades and generating solutions that provide new tools for geometric analysis.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. In fiscal year (FY) 2016, its budget is $7.5 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and other institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 48,000 competitive proposals for funding and makes about 12,000 new funding awards. NSF also awards about $626 million in professional and service contracts yearly.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E-\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EWritten by the National Science Foundation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia \u0026nbsp;30332-0181 \u0026nbsp;USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: NSF - Bobbie Mixon (703) 292-8485 or (bmixon@nsf.gov); Georgia Tech \u0026ndash; John Toon (404-894-6986) or (jtoon@gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Award recognizes innovation with carbon nanotube technologies"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe National Science Foundation (NSF) has recognized Baratunde \u0026quot;Bara\u0026quot; A. Cola of the Georgia Institute of Technology and John V. Pardon of Princeton University with the nation\u0026#39;s highest honor for early career scientists and engineers, the Alan T. Waterman Award.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researcher Baratunde Cola has been recognized by the National Science Foundation."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2017-04-14 00:48:20","changed_gmt":"2017-04-14 00:53:06","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2017-04-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2017-04-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"590375":{"id":"590375","type":"image","title":"Optical rectenna","body":null,"created":"1492130088","gmt_created":"2017-04-14 00:34:48","changed":"1492130154","gmt_changed":"2017-04-14 00:35:54","alt":"Optical rectenna under test","file":{"fid":"224928","name":"rectenna2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/rectenna2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/rectenna2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":481547,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/rectenna2.jpg?itok=ECjcbmSW"}},"590376":{"id":"590376","type":"image","title":"Optical rectenna2","body":null,"created":"1492130320","gmt_created":"2017-04-14 00:38:40","changed":"1492130320","gmt_changed":"2017-04-14 00:38:40","alt":"Optical rectenna schematic","file":{"fid":"224929","name":"rectenna1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/rectenna1_2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/rectenna1_2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":377954,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/rectenna1_2.jpg?itok=Es7qYWit"}},"590377":{"id":"590377","type":"image","title":"Optical rectenna testing","body":null,"created":"1492130426","gmt_created":"2017-04-14 00:40:26","changed":"1492130426","gmt_changed":"2017-04-14 00:40:26","alt":"Optical rectenna under test","file":{"fid":"224930","name":"rectenna6.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/rectenna6.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/rectenna6.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":659567,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/rectenna6.jpg?itok=HVYGoKtc"}}},"media_ids":["590375","590376","590377"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2768","name":"optics"},{"id":"142851","name":"optical rectenna"},{"id":"142841","name":"rectenna"},{"id":"7294","name":"diode"},{"id":"174048","name":"Waterman award"},{"id":"363","name":"NSF"},{"id":"8875","name":"Baratunde Cola"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"587954":{"#nid":"587954","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Triboelectric Nanogenerators Boost Mass Spectrometry Performance","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETriboelectric nanogenerators (TENG) convert mechanical energy harvested from the environment to electricity for powering small devices such as sensors or for recharging consumer electronics. Now, researchers have harnessed these devices to improve the charging of molecules in a way that dramatically boosts the sensitivity of a widely-used chemical analysis technique.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have shown that replacing conventional power supplies with \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/news\/452231\/proposed-standards-triboelectric-nanogenerators-could-facilitate-comparisons\u0022\u003ETENG devices\u003C\/a\u003E for charging the molecules being analyzed can boost the sensitivity of mass spectrometers to unprecedented levels. The improvement also allows identification to be done with smaller sample volumes, potentially conserving precious biomolecules or chemical mixtures that may be available only in minute quantities.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThough the mechanism by which the enhancement takes place requires more study, the researchers believe the unique aspects of the TENG output \u0026ndash; oscillating high voltage and controlled current \u0026ndash; allow improvements in the ionization process, increasing the voltage applied without damaging samples or the instrument. The research, which was supported by the National Science Foundation, NASA Astrobiology Program and the Department of Energy, is reported February 27 in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Nanotechnology\u003C\/em\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Our discovery is basically a new and very controlled way of putting charge onto molecules,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/Fernandez\/Facundo%20M.\u0022\u003EFacundo Fern\u0026aacute;ndez\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E who uses mass spectrometry to study everything from small drug molecules to large proteins. \u0026quot;We know exactly how much charge we produce using these nanogenerators, allowing us to reach sensitivity levels that are unheard-of \u0026ndash; at the zeptomole scale. We can measure down to literally hundreds of molecules without tagging.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFern\u0026aacute;ndez and his research team worked with \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/faculty\/wang\u0022\u003EZhong Lin Wang\u003C\/a\u003E, a pioneer in developing the TENG technology. Wang, a Regents professor in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, said the TENGs provide consistent charging levels that produce quantized ion pulses of adjustable duration, polarity and frequency.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The key here is that the total charge delivered in each cycle is entirely controlled and constant regardless of the speed at which the TENG is triggered,\u0026rdquo; said Wang, who holds the Hightower Chair in the School of Materials Science and Engineering. \u0026ldquo;This is a new direction for the triboelectric nanogenerators and opens a door for using the technology in the design of future instrumentation and equipment. This research demonstrates another practical impact of TENG technology.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMass spectrometry measures the mass-to-charge ratio of ions to identify and quantify molecules in both simple and complex mixtures. The technology is used across a broad range of scientific fields and applications, with molecules ranging from small drug compounds on up to large biomolecules. Mass spectrometry is used in biomedicine, food science, homeland security, systems biology, drug discovery and other areas.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBut in conventional electrospray mass spec techniques, as much as 99 percent of the sample can be wasted during ionization, said Fern\u0026aacute;ndez, who holds the Vasser Woolley Foundation Chair in Bioanalytical Chemistry. That\u0026rsquo;s largely because in conventional systems, the mass analysis process is pulsed or scanned, while the ionization of samples is continuous. The new TENG pulsed power source allows scientists to time the ionization to match what\u0026rsquo;s happening inside the mass spectrometer, specifically within a component known as the mass analyzer.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond improved sensitivity and the ability to analyze very small sample quantities, the new technique also allows ion deposition on surfaces, even non-conducting ones. That\u0026rsquo;s because the oscillating ionization produces a sequence of alternating positive and negative charges, producing a net neutral surface, Fern\u0026aacute;ndez said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMass spectrometers require large amounts of power for creating the vacuum essential to measuring the mass-to-charge ratio of each molecule. While it\u0026rsquo;s possible that future TENG devices could power an entire miniature mass spectrometer, the TENG devices are now used just to ionize samples.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The nanogenerators could eliminate a big chunk of the mass spectrometer system because they wouldn\u0026rsquo;t need a more powerful device for making the ions,\u0026rdquo; Fern\u0026aacute;ndez said. \u0026ldquo;This could be particularly applicable to conditions that are extreme and harsh, such as on a battlefield or in space, where you would need a very robust and self-contained unit.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETriboelectric nanogenerators, developed by Wang in 2012, use a combination of the triboelectric effect and electrostatic induction to generate small amounts of electrical power from mechanical motion such as rotation, sliding or vibration. The triboelectric effect takes advantage of the fact that certain materials become electrically charged after they come into moving contact with a surface made from a different material. Wang and his research team have developed TENGs with four different working modes, including a rotating disc that may be ideal for high throughput mass spectrometry experiments. This paper is the first publication about an application of TENG to an advanced instrument.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWang\u0026rsquo;s team has measured voltage levels at the mass spec ionizer of between 6,000 and 8,000 volts. Standard ionizers normally operate at less than 1,500 volts. The technology has been used with both electrospray ionization and plasma discharge ionization, with the flexibility of generating single polarity or alternating polarity ion pulses.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Because the voltage from these nanogenerators is high, we believe that the size of the sample droplets can be much smaller than with the conventional way of making ions,\u0026rdquo; Fern\u0026aacute;ndez said. \u0026ldquo;That increases the ion generation efficiency. We are operating in a completely different electrospray regime, and it could completely change the way this technology is used.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe TENG technology could be retrofitted to existing mass spectrometers, as Fern\u0026aacute;ndez has already done in his lab. With publication of the journal article, he hopes other labs will start exploring use of the TENG devices in mass spectrometry and other areas. \u0026ldquo;I see potential not only in analytical chemistry, but also in synthesis, electrochemistry and other areas that require a controlled way of producing electrical charges,\u0026rdquo; Fern\u0026aacute;ndez said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research was initiated by postdoctoral fellows in the two laboratory groups, Anyin Li and Yunlong Zi. \u0026ldquo;This project really shows how innovation can happen at the boundaries between different disciplines when scientists are free to pursue new ideas,\u0026rdquo; Fern\u0026aacute;ndez added.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis work was jointly supported by NSF and the NASA Astrobiology Program, under the NSF Center for Chemical Evolution, CHE-1504217. Research was also supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Sciences (Award DE-FG02-07ER46394), and the National Science Foundation (DMR-1505319). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsors.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Anyin Li, Yunlong Zi, Hengyu Guo, Zhong Lin Wang, Facundo M. Fern\u0026aacute;ndez, \u0026ldquo;Triboelectric Nanogenerators for Sensitive Nano-Coulomb Molecular Mass Spectrometry,\u0026rdquo; (Nature Nanotechnology, 2016). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/nnano.2017.17\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/nnano.2017.17\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia \u0026nbsp;30332-0181 \u0026nbsp;USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003Es: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu) or Ben Brumfield (404-385-1933) (ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETriboelectric nanogenerators (TENG) convert mechanical energy harvested from the environment to electricity for powering small devices such as sensors or for recharging consumer electronics. Now, researchers have harnessed these devices to improve the charging of molecules in a way that dramatically boosts the sensitivity of a widely-used chemical analysis technique.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have harnessed triboelectric nanogenerators to improve the sensitivity of mass spectrometers."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2017-02-25 21:02:50","changed_gmt":"2017-02-27 17:18:26","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2017-02-27T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2017-02-27T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"587947":{"id":"587947","type":"image","title":"Improving mass spectrometry","body":null,"created":"1488054759","gmt_created":"2017-02-25 20:32:39","changed":"1488054759","gmt_changed":"2017-02-25 20:32:39","alt":"TENG generator next to mass spec device","file":{"fid":"224065","name":"mass-spec-teng4304.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mass-spec-teng4304.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mass-spec-teng4304.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":329115,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/mass-spec-teng4304.jpg?itok=Vw6U_1_t"}},"587948":{"id":"587948","type":"image","title":"Contact-separation triboelectric nanogenerator","body":null,"created":"1488054933","gmt_created":"2017-02-25 20:35:33","changed":"1488054933","gmt_changed":"2017-02-25 20:35:33","alt":"Contact-separation triboelectric nanogenerator","file":{"fid":"224066","name":"mass-spec-teng4338.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mass-spec-teng4338.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mass-spec-teng4338.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":245536,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/mass-spec-teng4338.jpg?itok=yC7bkbD_"}},"587949":{"id":"587949","type":"image","title":"Harnessing TENG devices to improve mass spec","body":null,"created":"1488055078","gmt_created":"2017-02-25 20:37:58","changed":"1488055078","gmt_changed":"2017-02-25 20:37:58","alt":"Researchers who harnessed TENG for mass spectrometry","file":{"fid":"224067","name":"mass-spec-teng4291.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mass-spec-teng4291.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mass-spec-teng4291.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":389793,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/mass-spec-teng4291.jpg?itok=_A0_JAKc"}},"587950":{"id":"587950","type":"image","title":"Sliding triboelectric nanogenerator","body":null,"created":"1488055217","gmt_created":"2017-02-25 20:40:17","changed":"1488055217","gmt_changed":"2017-02-25 20:40:17","alt":"Sliding triboelectric nanogenerator","file":{"fid":"224068","name":"mass-spec-teng4306.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mass-spec-teng4306.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mass-spec-teng4306.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":248354,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/mass-spec-teng4306.jpg?itok=Ux4I5iqN"}},"587952":{"id":"587952","type":"image","title":"Applying electrical charge2","body":null,"created":"1488055496","gmt_created":"2017-02-25 20:44:56","changed":"1488055496","gmt_changed":"2017-02-25 20:44:56","alt":"Applying electrical charge to molecules","file":{"fid":"224070","name":"mass-spec-teng4355.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mass-spec-teng4355.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mass-spec-teng4355.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":745134,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/mass-spec-teng4355.jpg?itok=Mx7jJgr2"}},"587951":{"id":"587951","type":"image","title":"Applying electrical charge","body":null,"created":"1488055365","gmt_created":"2017-02-25 20:42:45","changed":"1488055365","gmt_changed":"2017-02-25 20:42:45","alt":"Applying charge to molecules","file":{"fid":"224069","name":"mass-spec-teng4317.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mass-spec-teng4317.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mass-spec-teng4317.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":236137,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/mass-spec-teng4317.jpg?itok=7JLaQ3l0"}},"587953":{"id":"587953","type":"image","title":"Actuating mass spec with TENG","body":null,"created":"1488055614","gmt_created":"2017-02-25 20:46:54","changed":"1488055614","gmt_changed":"2017-02-25 20:46:54","alt":"","file":{"fid":"224071","name":"mass-spec-teng4755.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mass-spec-teng4755.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mass-spec-teng4755.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":500048,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/mass-spec-teng4755.jpg?itok=BSLE8XMT"}}},"media_ids":["587947","587948","587949","587950","587952","587951","587953"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"3158","name":"Mass spectrometry"},{"id":"37991","name":"triboelectric"},{"id":"173582","name":"triboelectric nanogenerators"},{"id":"173583","name":"TENG"},{"id":"5819","name":"analytical chemistry"},{"id":"13751","name":"Zhong Lin Wang"},{"id":"17301","name":"Facundo Fernandez"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"586188":{"#nid":"586188","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Low-Cost Technique Converts Bulk Alloys to Oxide Nanowires","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA simple technique for producing oxide nanowires directly from bulk materials could dramatically lower the cost of producing the one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures. That could open the door for a broad range of uses in lightweight structural composites, advanced sensors, electronic devices \u0026ndash; and thermally-stable and strong battery membranes able to withstand temperatures of more than 1,000 degrees Celsius.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe technique uses a solvent reaction with a bimetallic alloy \u0026ndash; in which one of the metals is reactive \u0026ndash; to form bundles of nanowires (nanofibers) upon reactive metal dissolution. The process is conducted at ambient temperature and pressure without the use of catalysts, toxic chemicals or costly processes such as chemical vapor deposition. The produced nanowires can be used to improve the electrical, thermal and mechanical properties of functional materials and composites.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research, which was reported this week in the journal \u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E, was supported by the National Science Foundation and California-based Sila Nanotechnologies. The process is believed to be the first to convert bulk powders to nanowires at ambient conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This technique could open the door for a range of synthesis opportunities to produce low-cost 1D nanomaterials in large quantities,\u0026rdquo; said Gleb Yushin, a professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u0026ldquo;You can essentially put the bulk materials into a bucket, fill it with a suitable solvent and collect nanowires after a few hours, which is way simpler than how many of these structures are produced today.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EYushin\u0026rsquo;s research team, which included former graduate students Danni Lei and James Benson, has produced oxide nanowires from lithium-magnesium and lithium-aluminum alloys using a variety of solvents, including simple alcohols. Production of nanowires from other materials is part of ongoing research that was not reported in the paper.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe dimensions of the nanowire structures can be controlled by varying the solvent and the processing conditions. The structures can be produced in diameters ranging from tens of nanometers up to microns.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Minimization of the interfacial energy at the boundary of the chemical reaction front allows us to form small nuclei and then retain their diameter as the reaction proceeds, thus forming nanowires,\u0026rdquo; Yushin explained. \u0026ldquo;By controlling the volume changes, surface energy, reactivity and solubility of the reaction products, along with the temperature and pressure, we can tune conditions to produce nanowires of the dimensions we want.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOne of the attractive applications may be separator membranes for lithium-ion batteries, whose high power density has made them attractive for powering everything from consumer electronics to aircraft and motor vehicles. However, the polymer separation membranes used in these batteries cannot withstand the high temperatures generated by certain failure scenarios. As result, commercial batteries may induce fires and explosions, if not designed very carefully and it\u0026rsquo;s extremely hard to avoid defects and errors consistently in tens of millions of devices.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUsing low-cost paper-like membranes made of ceramic nanowires could help address those concerns because the structures are strong and thermally stable, while also being flexible \u0026ndash; unlike many bulk ceramics. The material is also polar, meaning it would more thoroughly wetted by various battery electrolyte solutions.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Overall, this is a better technology for batteries, but until now, ceramic nanowires have been too expensive to consider seriously,\u0026rdquo; Yushin said. \u0026ldquo;In the future, we can improve mechanical properties further and scale up synthesis, making the low-cost ceramic separator technology very attractive to battery designers.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFabrication of the nanowires begins with formation of alloys composed of one reactive and one non-reactive metal, such as lithium and aluminum (or magnesium and lithium). The alloy is then placed in a suitable solvent, which could include a range of alcohols, such as ethanol. The reactive metal (lithium) dissolves from the surface into the solvent, initially producing nuclei (nanoparticles) comprising aluminum.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThough bulk aluminum is not reactive with alcohol due to the formation of the passivation layer, the continuous dissolution of lithium prevents the passivation and allows gradual formation of aluminum alkoxide nanowires, which grow perpendicular to the surface of the particles starting from the nuclei until the particles are completely converted. The alkoxide nanowires can then be heated in open air to form aluminum oxide nanowires and may be formed into paper-like sheets.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe dissolved lithium can be recovered and reused. The dissolution process generates hydrogen gas, which could be captured and used to help fuel the heating step.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThough the process was studied first to make magnesium and aluminum oxide nanowires, Yushin believes it has a broad potential for making other materials. Future work will explore synthesis of new materials and their applications, and develop improved fundamental understanding of the process and predictive models to streamline experimental work.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers have so far produced laboratory amounts of the nanowires, but Yushin believes that the process could be scaled up to produce industrial quantities. Though the ultimate cost will depend on many variables, he expects to see fabrication costs cut by several orders of magnitude over existing techniques.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;With this technique, you could potentially produce nanowires for a cost not much more than that of the raw materials,\u0026rdquo; he said. Beyond battery membranes, the nanowires could be useful in energy harvesting, catalyst supports, sensors, flexible electronic devices, lightweight structural composites, building materials, electrical and thermal insulation and cutting tools.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new technique was discovered accidentally while Yushin\u0026rsquo;s students were attempting to create a new porous membrane material. Instead of the membrane they had hoped to fabricate, the process generated powders composed of elongated particles.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Though the experiment didn\u0026rsquo;t produce what we were looking for, I wanted to see if we could learn something from it anyway,\u0026rdquo; said Yushin. Efforts to understand what had happened ultimately led to the new synthesis technique.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to those already named, the research included Alexandre Magaskinski of Georgia Tech and Gene Berdichevsky of Sila Nanotechnologies.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDifferent aspects of this work were supported by National Science Foundation (grant 0954925) and Sila Nanotechnologies, Inc. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Gleb Yushin and Gene Berdichevsky are shareholders of Sila Nanotechnologies.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Danni Lei, Jim Benson, Alexandre Magasinski, Gene Berdichevsky, Gleb Yushin, \u0026ldquo;Transformation of bulk alloys to oxide nanowires,\u0026rdquo; (Science, 2017).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia \u0026nbsp;30332-0181 \u0026nbsp;USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu) or Ben Brumfield (404-385-1933) (ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA simple technique for producing oxide nanowires directly from bulk materials could dramatically lower the cost of producing the one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures. That could open the door for a broad range of uses in lightweight structural composites, advanced sensors, electronic devices \u0026ndash; and thermally-stable and strong battery membranes able to withstand temperatures of more than 1,000 degrees Celsius.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A technique for producing oxide nanowires directly from bulk materials could dramatically lower the cost of producing the nanostructures. "}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2017-01-19 19:08:21","changed_gmt":"2017-01-19 19:10:43","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2017-01-19T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2017-01-19T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"586183":{"id":"586183","type":"image","title":"Forming alloys","body":null,"created":"1484852279","gmt_created":"2017-01-19 18:57:59","changed":"1484853152","gmt_changed":"2017-01-19 19:12:32","alt":"Metals melting in a glowing crucible","file":{"fid":"223412","name":"fig 1 - small.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/fig%201%20-%20small.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/fig%201%20-%20small.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3434345,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/fig%201%20-%20small.jpg?itok=5DXVsTR8"}},"586184":{"id":"586184","type":"image","title":"Gleb Yushin and nanowires","body":null,"created":"1484852372","gmt_created":"2017-01-19 18:59:32","changed":"1484853135","gmt_changed":"2017-01-19 19:12:15","alt":"Professor Gleb Yushin in the lab","file":{"fid":"223413","name":"fig 3 - small_adj.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/fig%203%20-%20small_adj.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/fig%203%20-%20small_adj.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":472642,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/fig%203%20-%20small_adj.jpg?itok=-vOslj6h"}},"586185":{"id":"586185","type":"image","title":"Alloy in solvent","body":null,"created":"1484852451","gmt_created":"2017-01-19 19:00:51","changed":"1484853115","gmt_changed":"2017-01-19 19:11:55","alt":"","file":{"fid":"223414","name":"fig 2-small.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/fig%202-small.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/fig%202-small.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1847711,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/fig%202-small.jpg?itok=6iIUw1cd"}}},"media_ids":["586183","586184","586185"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"173268","name":"nanwires"},{"id":"173265","name":"oxide nanowires"},{"id":"107","name":"Nanotechnology"},{"id":"142571","name":"lithium"},{"id":"1292","name":"battery"},{"id":"7440","name":"membrane"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"584069":{"#nid":"584069","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Catching Molecular Dances in Slow Motion by Adding White Noise","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn extreme slow-motion, a molecule of medicine entering a cell receptor would look a little like a Soyuz space capsule docking at the International Space Station. It would brake here, boost there; rotate, translate and then, with a light jolt, lock into place.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn real time, large molecules interact in nanosecond speed, practically instantaneously, making them nearly impossible to watch. But scientists are a step closer to being able to observe their moves -- play-by-play -- thanks to novel fine-tuning of an atomic scale instrument by engineers at the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe advancement could someday help researchers figure out why some drugs work well and others less so, and measure details about the workings of life at their root.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtomic forces seen clearly\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe improvement works by carefully adding electronic white noise to a sensing probe inside an \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.nanoscience.gatech.edu\/zlwang\/research\/afm.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eatomic force microscope (AFM),\u003C\/a\u003E which is already sensitive enough to detect forces exerted by interacting molecules, such as protein receptors and vitamins. But even with those abilities at a nanometer scale, in a slight but significant way, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.nanoscience.com\/technology\/afm-technology\/how-afm-works\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAFM\u003C\/a\u003E can be a blunt instrument.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;There\u0026rsquo;s an inability of the probe to sample the deepest part of the interaction,\u0026rdquo; said researcher \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/sulchek\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ETodd Sulchek, an associate professor at Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;You either see how these molecules are bound together or unbound. It was either black or white, but now we\u0026rsquo;re succeeding at getting varying shades of gray.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESulchek and graduate researchers \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.sulchek2.gatech.edu\/people\/lab-alumni\/ahmad-haider\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAhmad Haider\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.sulchek2.gatech.edu\/people\/graduate\/daniel-potter\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EDaniel Potter\u003C\/a\u003E published the results of their engineering solution in\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.pnas.org\/content\/early\/2016\/11\/22\/1608792113.full?sid=048829c9-ad58-4500-940d-7454b1a1fa7b\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ethe journal the \u003Cem\u003EProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\u003C\/em\u003E Early Edition\u003C\/a\u003E the week of\u0026nbsp;November 21, 2016.\u0026nbsp;Their research was funded by the National Science Foundation.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECone wiggling a cantilever\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMolecules have tractor beams, albeit weak ones. They tug at each other with an\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/ww2.chemistry.gatech.edu\/~lw26\/structure\/molecular_interactions\/mol_int.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Earray\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;faint forces, such as van der Waals interactions\u003C\/a\u003E, mostly generated though negative\u0026nbsp;or\u0026nbsp;positive polarities spread around the molecules.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAtomic force microscopes measure those attracting energies by sticking a nanoscale cone-shaped probe close to the molecules to feel the forces out as they interact. The cone is attached to a \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/emweb.unl.edu\/Mechanics-Pages\/Scott-Whitney\/325hweb\/Beams.htm\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ecantilever\u003C\/a\u003E, a flexible tiny stick, and makes it wiggle, as the atomic forces tug the cone this way or that.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe cantilever transfers the quivering into the microscope, which turns it into a usable signal much the way the needle of a turntable transfers vibrations from a record to be converted into sound. The resulting signal illustrates what is called an energy well. The top of the well is the point where the adhesive forces are about to take hold, and the bottom is a point about where the molecules meet.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFalling into the energy well\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBut as the forces pull the cone and the molecules it\u0026rsquo;s observing closer to each other, at some point, they basically jerk together, preventing a detailed measurement of the gradient of energy. As a result, as the cone approaches the interacting molecules, researchers see the top of the energy well and the end of the interaction, but the details of the well\u0026rsquo;s walls, particularly deep down where the molecules most closely interact, invariably elude them.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The way we got around it was, we simply added some electronic noise in a well-defined manner, and that allowed the probe to feel the interaction when it was still relatively far away from the surface of the molecules,\u0026rdquo; Sulchek said. The electronic vibration, called enhanced \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/stochastic\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Estochastic\u003C\/a\u003E fluctuation, also diluted the effect of the adhesive forces that otherwise would have snatched the cantilever and molecules together.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;What I think is neat is that it\u0026rsquo;s counterintuitive, because you usually try to eliminate noise from your system to get more accurate measurements, but we\u0026rsquo;re adding noise,\u0026rdquo; Sulchek said. The improvement gets around potential bias produced by the addition of noise by allowing researchers to take more samples and longer ones, effectively cancelling the effects of the noise in the overall data.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAdding some noise may sound simple, but it took Haider and Potter a good two years to figure out how it could work and to make tedious adjustments to the instrumentation.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBacterial vise grip ballet\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers used interactions between the cantilever and a material called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.andrew.cmu.edu\/course\/39-801\/data\/micinfo.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Emica\u003C\/a\u003E to finish developing the improvement. Mica has a predictable shape and charge, good for benchmarking \u0026ndash; it\u0026rsquo;s very smooth. \u0026ldquo;Mica is atomically flat,\u0026rdquo; Sulchek said. \u0026ldquo;That and graphite are about the two flattest surfaces that you can construct.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENow, Sulchek\u0026rsquo;s team is testing the improved cantilever in a biological scenario -- a protein from \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/bacdive.dsmz.de\/index.php?search=15040\u0026amp;submit=Search\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EStreptomyces avidinii\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E bacteria, which eats up the vitamin \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.webmd.com\/vitamins-and-supplements\/supplement-guide-biotin\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ebiotin\u003C\/a\u003E with a vengeance. The protein, streptavidin, binds with biotin so tightly, that researchers commonly use it to study molecular adhesion.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s the strongest bio-interaction known to science,\u0026rdquo; Sulchek said. Streptavidin\u0026rsquo;s vise grip makes for a well standardized test case\u0026nbsp;for the newly fine-tuned device. \u0026nbsp;\u0026ldquo;A flap opens up and the biotin fits in it like a glove,\u0026rdquo; Sulchek said. \u0026ldquo;We want to see if we can watch how that happens and measure its energy well.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECancer, AIDS, autoimmune disease\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat puts Sulchek closer to his dream of an instrument to boost experimental biomolecular research, and potentially lead to insights useful to medicine. \u0026ldquo;I want to have a tool to visualize these intermediate steps,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;I want a tool to see those short-lived states.\u0026quot;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearchers could use such an improved tool to better understand autoimmune disorders, immunotherapy to treat cancer or the ability of HIV to thwart an antibody defense.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Many \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Antigen-antibody_interaction\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eantibodies have two binding\u003C\/a\u003E sites, and there\u0026rsquo;s a reason for that, but we don\u0026rsquo;t yet understand why,\u0026rdquo; Sulchek said. \u0026ldquo;We do know that you don\u0026rsquo;t want antibodies to interact too strongly.\u0026rdquo; When they do, it can result in autoimmune diseases.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;There\u0026rsquo;s a lot of therapeutics involving antibodies, and some work well; others don\u0026rsquo;t work well,\u0026rdquo; Sulchek said. Antibodies may not attach\u0026nbsp;optimally to\u0026nbsp;HIV, for example, because they\u0026rsquo;re having a hard time wrapping around the virus.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECapturing the clumsy action in extreme slow motion could someday help biomedical researchers design a more effective antibody to further foil the virus.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe research was funded by the National Science Foundation (grant CBET-CAREER-1055437). Findings and opinions in this article are those of the scientists and authors and not of the funding agency.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/news\/545551\/tiny-mirror-improves-microscope-resolution-studying-cells\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EREAD: Tiny mirror makes microscope see cells in 3D\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Science synopsis: Enhanced stochastic fluctuation via electronic white noise greatly improves atomic force microscopy capture of energy well details"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIf you could watch to protein molecules attaching to each other\u0026nbsp;in extreme slow motion, they\u0026nbsp;would look something like a space ship docking with a space station -- some twists, turns, sputters then locking together\u0026nbsp;tight. With a new improvement to atomic force microscopy by Georgia Tech engineers, seeing this kind of detail is more likely to become possible.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Counterintuitive addition of noise to AFM instrument requiring quiet boosts its performance"}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2016-11-21 15:12:01","changed_gmt":"2016-11-28 16:30:48","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2016-11-21T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2016-11-21T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"584065":{"id":"584065","type":"image","title":"AFM optic","body":null,"created":"1479740005","gmt_created":"2016-11-21 14:53:25","changed":"1479743706","gmt_changed":"2016-11-21 15:55:06","alt":"","file":{"fid":"222668","name":"AFM close up.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/AFM%20close%20up.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/AFM%20close%20up.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":525987,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/AFM%20close%20up.jpg?itok=FVXtY4F4"}},"584064":{"id":"584064","type":"image","title":"AFM cantilever white noise CGI","body":null,"created":"1479739138","gmt_created":"2016-11-21 14:38:58","changed":"1479739179","gmt_changed":"2016-11-21 14:39:39","alt":"","file":{"fid":"222667","name":"AFM cantilever.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/AFM%20cantilever.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/AFM%20cantilever.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":173797,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/AFM%20cantilever.jpg?itok=bXugk6lo"}},"159251":{"id":"159251","type":"image","title":"Todd Sulchek","body":null,"created":"1449178896","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:41:36","changed":"1475894794","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:34","alt":"Todd Sulchek","file":{"fid":"195384","name":"13p1000-p5-006.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/13p1000-p5-006_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/13p1000-p5-006_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2264455,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/13p1000-p5-006_0.jpg?itok=BEk2-Yz8"}},"584063":{"id":"584063","type":"image","title":"Potter and Haider AFM white noise 2","body":null,"created":"1479738814","gmt_created":"2016-11-21 14:33:34","changed":"1479739302","gmt_changed":"2016-11-21 14:41:42","alt":"","file":{"fid":"222666","name":"Potter.Haider.convo_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Potter.Haider.convo_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Potter.Haider.convo_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":963867,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Potter.Haider.convo_.jpg?itok=K1kEDLMH"}},"584067":{"id":"584067","type":"image","title":"AFM cantilever white noise","body":null,"created":"1479740245","gmt_created":"2016-11-21 14:57:25","changed":"1479740245","gmt_changed":"2016-11-21 14:57:25","alt":"","file":{"fid":"222669","name":"BL-TR400PB.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/BL-TR400PB.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/BL-TR400PB.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":26439,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/BL-TR400PB.jpg?itok=CnQxbqSz"}},"584068":{"id":"584068","type":"image","title":"AFM standard cantilever","body":null,"created":"1479740428","gmt_created":"2016-11-21 15:00:28","changed":"1479740428","gmt_changed":"2016-11-21 15:00:28","alt":"","file":{"fid":"222670","name":"fpN10Pt.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/fpN10Pt.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/fpN10Pt.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":68815,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/fpN10Pt.jpg?itok=Fld64bxD"}},"584062":{"id":"584062","type":"image","title":"Potter and Haider AFM white noise","body":null,"created":"1479738619","gmt_created":"2016-11-21 14:30:19","changed":"1479739279","gmt_changed":"2016-11-21 14:41:19","alt":"","file":{"fid":"222665","name":"Potter.Haider2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Potter.Haider2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Potter.Haider2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1065987,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Potter.Haider2.jpg?itok=-XFMnf6-"}}},"media_ids":["584065","584064","159251","584063","584067","584068","584062"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7442","name":"cantilever"},{"id":"3013","name":"atomic force microscopy"},{"id":"2779","name":"AFM"},{"id":"172766","name":"electronic white noise"},{"id":"13574","name":"Todd Sulchek"},{"id":"172437","name":"biomolecular interactions"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter and media contact: Ben Brumfield\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECell: 404-660-1408\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch communications\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"584273":{"#nid":"584273","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Hybrid Approach Predicts and Confirms Structure of Complex Metal Nanoparticles","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA combined theoretical and experimental approach has allowed researchers to predict and verify the full structure of a monolayer-coated molecular metal nanoparticle. The methodology was tested on silver-thiolate nanoparticles, expanding on earlier knowledge about gold nanoparticles, and is expected to be applicable to a broad range of sizes of nanoparticles made of different elements.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn a paper published Friday, November 25, 2016, in \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/advances.sciencemag.org\/content\/2\/11\/e1601609\u0022\u003Ethe journal \u003Cem\u003EScience Advances\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Toledo report on an X-ray-determined structure that authenticates the \u003Cem\u003Ea priori\u003C\/em\u003E prediction, and in conjunction with first-principles theoretical analysis, supports the underlying forecasting methodology.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Metal nanoparticles capped by organic ligands have fundamental and applied significance for understanding the physical and chemical principles controlling the assembly and atomic organization in nanocrystalline materials, and to their potential usage in fields as quantum dots, sensors, nanocatalysts, biomedical imaging, nanocrystalline superlattices and plasmonics,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/user\/uzi-landman\u0022\u003EUzi Landman, Regent\u0026rsquo;s Professor and F.E. Callaway Chair in the Georgia Tech School of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;We have been engaged in investigations of the principles underlying the structures of atomic and molecular nanoclusters, with some of our earlier predictions made over two decades ago, and thus, in some sense, the achievement demonstrated in this paper closes a circle for us, pointing the way toward future science governing atomically-precise structures at this scale.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research was supported by the National Science Foundation, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and the U.S. Department of Energy\u0026rsquo;s Office of Basic Energy Sciences. Computational research was carried out at the Georgia Tech Center for Computational Materials Science.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESince the 1990s, researchers have been investigating the unique properties of metallic nanoparticles whose surfaces have been passivated using, mainly, sulfur-based organic materials. These thiol-capped structures, composed of dozens to hundreds of atoms, have unique optical and electrical properties depending on the metals\u0026rsquo; chemical identities, the number of metal atoms in the nanoparticle core, and the type and number of capping organic ligands \u0026ndash; all of which determine the nanoparticle\u0026rsquo;s structure.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPredicting the structure of such nanoparticles is a formidable theoretical goal, and an experimental challenge. Nanoparticles made of different metals \u0026ndash; gold, silver, platinum, copper, and their alloys \u0026ndash; can be formed with sizes ranging from dozens up to hundreds of atoms, being characterized by metal-specific discrete sequences of numbers of atoms reflecting preferential stabilities and higher abundances of nanoparticles of specific sizes. The atomic constituents in such stable nanoparticles are organized in structures that differ from the corresponding bulk atomic arrangements of the constituent metals. The plethora of different structures thus formed accounts for the variability and diversity in the physical and chemical properties of such finite-size nanomaterials. Moreover, the metal nanoparticles are capped by sulfur-containing ligands, whose bonding to the metal constituents further complicates the structural predictions, Landman noted.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;There is often something that underlies the abundance and atomic organization in such particles that is subtle and unusual,\u0026rdquo; Landman said. \u0026ldquo;The interactions vary based on competing effects. We learned how complicated the effects of the ligand binding can be, and how to integrate this knowledge into a structure-forecasting strategy.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUsing concepts from nucleation theory and judiciously chosen trial structural motifs, taken in part from earlier studies, in conjunction with first-principles quantum-mechanical structure-optimization computational techniques, the researchers advanced in an earlier study (published in 2015 in the Journal of the American Chemical Society) a\u003Cem\u003E de novo \u003C\/em\u003Epredicted structure for the capped silver nanoparticle. This prediction was largely borne out by the subsequent experimentally determined structure accomplished by a group of researchers headed by \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.utoledo.edu\/nsm\/chemistry\/people\/Webpages\/Bigioni.html\u0022\u003EProfessor Terry Bigioni from the department of Chemistry at the University of Toledo\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the \u003Cem\u003EScience Advances\u003C\/em\u003E paper, the researchers present an experimental X-ray total structure determination and theoretical optimization and analysis of the atomic arrangement in the nanoparticle whose chemical formula is (TOA)\u003Csub\u003E3\u003C\/sub\u003EAuAg\u003Csub\u003E16\u003C\/sub\u003E (TBBT)\u003Csub\u003E12\u003C\/sub\u003E, where TBBT (4-tert-butylbenzenethiol) denotes the organic thiol ligand molecules, and TOA (tetraoctylammonium) serves as a counterion. The inner part of the nanoparticle consists of a central gold atom surrounded by twelve silver atoms, forming a 13-atom five-fold-symmetric icosahedral metal core. The organic ligands have been predicted, and experimentally confirmed, to be anchored to the metal core though bonding to additional four silver atoms, forming four-Ag (TBBT)\u003Csub\u003E3 \u003C\/sub\u003Ecapping mounts. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAlong with the emergence of the novel mount-motif family for silver-thiolate nanoparticles, the study compares in detail the observed and predicted structural, electronic and spectral properties of the monolayer-protected gold-atom-doped silver nanoparticle, largely confirms the \u003Cem\u003Ede novo\u003C\/em\u003E structure prediction as well as identifies accessible rotational isomeric ligand-shell conformations, validates the structure forecasting methodology, and provides impetus for further experimental and theoretical developments.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAmong the highlights of the reported research was the growing cognition concerning the possible role of the organic ligands in controlling the structure of the nanoparticle.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;If you modify the capping agent, you may modify structures, and that is a radical paradigm change,\u0026rdquo; Landman said. \u0026ldquo;Usually, you would expect the metal nanoparticles to arrange in ways dictated by their intermetallic interactions, with only mild influence from the capping organic molecules.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAnother highlight pertains to ordering within the ligand shell, which was theoretically predicted 20 years ago in the context of investigations of capped gold nanoparticles, known as \u0026ldquo;ligand bundling.\u0026rdquo; Subsequently, such ligand orderings have been confirmed in various instances. The identification of intermolecular ligand bundling in the present work, with the emergence of perennial noncovalent phenyl-ring assemblies in the form of a cyclic trimer and T-shape-like dimers, is of relevance to molecular recognition, self-assembled supramolecular architecture, crystal packing, biomolecule (DNA and protein) structures, and quantum-chemistry benchmark studies.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;These findings demonstrate key principles underlying ligand-shell anchoring to the metal core, as well as unique T-like benzene-dimer and cyclic-benzene-trimer ligand bundling configurations, opening vistas for rational design of metal and alloy nanoparticles,\u0026rdquo; the authors said in the paper. The study \u0026ldquo;provides an impetus and guidance for continued efforts toward formulation and implementation of structure prediction methodologies for such complex materials systems.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe principles underlying the ligand-shell structure also imply that the structure of bimetallic nanoparticles could be influenced by the coordination of the metal atoms in the ligand shell. For example, if the coordination of the heteroatoms is not compatible with the ligand shell structure, then those heteroatoms will be located in the metal core. Indeed, heteroatom substitution can be used in this sense as a structural probe. If the incompatible metal atoms are located in the ligand shell, however, then the structure of the nanoparticle will not be conserved, due to structural changes in the ligand shell necessitated by the different heteroatom bonding requirements.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAlong with those mentioned above, others who contributed to the research are graduate students Brian E. Conn and Aydar Atnagulov from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Toledo, Ohio, and Bokwon Yoon and Robert N. Barnett, senior research scientists in the Georgia Tech School of Physics.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported by NSF grant CBET-0955148, grant FA9550-14-1-0005 from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and by the Office of Basic Energy Sciences of the U.S. Department of Energy under contract FG05-86ER45234. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsors.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECITATION: Brian E. Conn, Aydar Atnagulov, Bokwon Yoon, Robert N. Barnett, Uzi Landman, Terry P. Bigioni\u0026nbsp; \u0026ldquo;Confirmation of a de novo Structure Prediction for an Atomically Precise Monolayer Coated Silver Nanoparticle,\u0026rdquo; (Sci. Adv. \u003Cstrong\u003E2\u003C\/strong\u003E, e1601609 (2016)). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1126\/sciadv.1601609\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1126\/sciadv.1601609\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Combining experimental and theoretical methods accurately describes complex nanoparticle"}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2016-11-28 16:00:31","changed_gmt":"2016-11-28 16:01:43","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2016-11-28T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2016-11-28T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"584272":{"id":"584272","type":"image","title":"Structure organic thiol-capped AuAg16(SR)12 cluster","body":null,"created":"1480347891","gmt_created":"2016-11-28 15:44:51","changed":"1480347891","gmt_changed":"2016-11-28 15:44:51","alt":"","file":{"fid":"222753","name":"figure2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/figure2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/figure2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":223682,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/figure2.jpg?itok=5-pthW5b"}},"584271":{"id":"584271","type":"image","title":"Structure evolution spiral of the AuAg16(SR)12 cluster","body":null,"created":"1480347717","gmt_created":"2016-11-28 15:41:57","changed":"1480347717","gmt_changed":"2016-11-28 15:41:57","alt":"","file":{"fid":"222752","name":"figure1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/figure1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/figure1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":438026,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/figure1.jpg?itok=zMf-O3zu"}}},"media_ids":["584272","584271"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7289","name":"thiol"},{"id":"172794","name":"ligand"},{"id":"172795","name":"counterion"},{"id":"2185","name":"gold"},{"id":"169009","name":"silver"},{"id":"172796","name":"monolayer-coated molecular metal nanoparticle"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30332-0181\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMedia Relations Assistance: John Toon (404-894-6986) (jtoon@gatech.edu).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["john.toon@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"582384":{"#nid":"582384","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Strength Test for Platelets","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBleeding disorders could one day be diagnosed by putting platelets through strength tests, researchers have proposed.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EBiomedical engineers from Emory University\u0026nbsp;and the Georgia Institute of Technology\u0026nbsp;have devised a microfluidic testing ground where platelets can demonstrate their strength by squeezing two protein dots together. Imagine rows and rows of strength testing machines from a carnival, but very tiny. A platelet is\u0026nbsp;capable of exerting forces that are several times larger, in relation to its\u0026nbsp;size, than a\u0026nbsp;muscle cells.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter a blood clot forms, it contracts, promoting wound closure and restoration of normal blood flow. This process can be deficient in a variety of blood clotting disorders. Previously, it was difficult to measure an individual platelet\u0026rsquo;s contributions to contraction, because clots\u0026rsquo; various components got in the way.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe prototype diagnostic tools were\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.nature.com\/nmat\/journal\/vaop\/ncurrent\/full\/nmat4772.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Edescribed in Nature Materials\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;in a\u0026nbsp;paper published on Monday, October 10, 2016. The research was supported with funding from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and the National Science Foundation.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026quot;We discovered that platelets from some patients with bleeding disorders are \u0026lsquo;wimpier\u0026rsquo; than platelets from healthy people,\u0026quot; says \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/lamlab.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWilbur Lam, an assistant professor\u003C\/a\u003E in the Department of \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.pediatrics.emory.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EPediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine\u003C\/a\u003E and in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026quot;Our device may function as a new physics-based method to test for bleeding disorders, complementary to current methods.\u0026quot;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe first author of the paper is\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.pediatrics.emory.edu\/information\/employee\/ourpeople.php?id=2356\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EDavid Myers, an instructor at Emory\u0026#39;s medical school\u003C\/a\u003E. Lam is also a physician in the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children\u0026rsquo;s Healthcare of Atlanta.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe scientists infer how strong or wimpy someone\u0026rsquo;s platelets are by measuring how far the protein dots move, taking a picture of the rows of dots, and then analyzing the picture on a computer.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe dots are made of fibrinogen, a sticky protein that is the precursor for fibrin, which forms a mesh of insoluble strands in a blood clot.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to detecting problems with platelet contraction in patients with known inherited disorders such as Wiskott Aldrich syndrome, Myers, Lam and colleagues could also see differences in some patients who had bleeding symptoms, but who performed normally on standard diagnostic tests.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers also used chemical tools to dissect the process of platelet contraction. They showed that inhibitors of Rho\/ROCK enzymes shut down platelet contraction, but inhibitors of a related pathway, MLCK (myosin light chain kinase), did not. Individual platelet contraction could become an assay for development or refinement of blood thinning drugs, Lam says.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EYongzhi Qiu, Meredith Fay, Yumiko Sakurai, Jong Baek, Reginald Tran, Jordan C. Ciciliano, Byungwook Ahn, Robert\u0026nbsp;Mannino of Georgia Tech and Emory; Alberto Fernandez-Nieves, Michael Tennenbaum, Jonas Cuadrado and\u0026nbsp;Todd Sulchek of Georgia Tech;\u0026nbsp;Carolyn Bennett, Silvia Bunting\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;Michael Briones of Emory coauthored the paper.\u0026nbsp;Daniel Chester and Ashley Brown from\u0026nbsp;North Carolina State University\u0026nbsp;contributed to testing the device.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cem\u003ET\u003C\/em\u003Ehe research was supported with funding from\u0026nbsp;the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (grants R01HL121264, U54HL112309) and a National Science Foundation CAREER award (grant 1150235).\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Testing platelet strength with microfluidic device could help diagnose bleeding disorders"}],"uid":"31759","created_gmt":"2016-10-11 14:54:13","changed_gmt":"2016-10-11 15:02:14","author":"Ben Brumfield","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2016-10-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2016-10-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"582378":{"id":"582378","type":"image","title":"Lam microfluidic device","body":null,"created":"1476194530","gmt_created":"2016-10-11 14:02:10","changed":"1476194702","gmt_changed":"2016-10-11 14:05:02","alt":"","file":{"fid":"222005","name":"lam-microfluidic-device.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/lam-microfluidic-device.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/lam-microfluidic-device.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":506677,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/lam-microfluidic-device.jpg?itok=30l2awtD"}},"582371":{"id":"582371","type":"image","title":"Wilbur Lam","body":null,"created":"1476132066","gmt_created":"2016-10-10 20:41:06","changed":"1522236112","gmt_changed":"2018-03-28 11:21:52","alt":"Wilbur Lam, M.D., Ph.D.","file":{"fid":"222003","name":"0062501-13BM-F044.jpg.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/0062501-13BM-F044.jpg.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/0062501-13BM-F044.jpg.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":189724,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/0062501-13BM-F044.jpg.jpeg?itok=EnuxCbM2"}},"582379":{"id":"582379","type":"image","title":"microfluidic chip tests platelet health","body":null,"created":"1476195459","gmt_created":"2016-10-11 14:17:39","changed":"1476195459","gmt_changed":"2016-10-11 14:17:39","alt":"","file":{"fid":"222006","name":"Lam.microdots.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Lam.microdots.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Lam.microdots.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":694104,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Lam.microdots.jpg?itok=omPwPjIt"}}},"media_ids":["582378","582371","582379"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1254","name":"Wallace H. Coulter Dept. of Biomedical Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"58521","name":"platelet"},{"id":"172397","name":"bleeding disorders"},{"id":"12427","name":"microfluidics"},{"id":"36871","name":"Coulter"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter and contact:\u0026nbsp;Quinn Eastman\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEmory University\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E404-727-7829\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["qeastma@emory.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"564841":{"#nid":"564841","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Carbon Molecular Sieve Membranes Cut Energy Use in Hydrocarbon Separations","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA research team from the Georgia Institute of Technology and ExxonMobil has demonstrated a new carbon-based molecular sieve membrane that could dramatically reduce the energy required to separate a class of hydrocarbon molecules known as alkyl aromatics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new material is based on polymer hollow fibers treated to retain their structure \u2013 and pore sizes \u2013 as they are converted to carbon through pyrolysis. The carbon membranes are then used in a new \u201corganic solvent reverse osmosis\u201d (OSRO) process in which pressure is applied to effect the separation without requiring a phase change in the chemical mixture.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe hollow carbon fibers, bundled together into modules, can separate molecules whose sizes differ by a fraction of a nanometer while providing processing rates superior to those of existing molecular sieve zeolites. Because it uses a commercial polymer precursor, the researchers believe the new membrane has potential for commercialization and integration into industrial chemical separation processes. The research was reported in the August 19 issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESeparation is currently achieved through refining processes such as crystallization and adsorption with distillation, which are energy-intensive. Globally, the amount of energy used in conventional separation processes for alkyl aromatics is equal to that produced by about 20 average-sized power plants.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe see this as a potentially disruptive technology in the way we separate xylenes and similar organic compounds,\u201d said Benjamin McCool, one of the paper\u2019s co-authors and an advanced research associate at ExxonMobil Corporate Strategic Research in Annandale, N.J. \u201cIf we can make this work on an industrial scale, it could dramatically reduce the energy required by these separation processes.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFabrication of the new membrane material begins with hollow polymer fibers approximately 200 microns in diameter, slightly thicker than the average human hair. The fibers have pore sizes of less than one nanometer, and are treated via cross-linking before they are converted to carbon through a pyrolysis process. The pore sizes of the fibers can be adjusted during the fabrication process.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe take a scalable platform based on polymeric membranes and then turn those materials into inorganic molecular sieves,\u201d explained Ryan Lively, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and the paper\u2019s corresponding author. \u201cOur membranes are mechanically robust and they can withstand the process conditions required by OSRO. They maintain advantageous mechanical properties and membrane performance as they are converted to carbon fiber.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELively and postdoctoral fellow Dong-Yeun Koh used the OSRO process in the laboratory to separate mixtures of para-xylene and ortho-xylene, molecules whose sizes differ by one-tenth of a nanometer. By applying pressure at room temperature, the membrane can convert the 50-50 mixture to an 85-15 mixture at a high flux relative to zeolite membranes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese molecules have incredibly similar sizes and properties, but the membranes can tell them apart,\u201d said Lively. \u201cThis bulk cut of the mixture greatly enhances the concentration with a very low energy input. This mixture could then be fed into a conventional thermal process for finishing, which would reduce the total energy input dramatically.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn industrial use, the membranes would be bundled together in modules that would be used in chemical facilities. \u201cIn practice, you would get as many modules as you needed for a particular application, and if the need increased, you could simply add more modules,\u201d Lively said. \u201cIt would be totally scalable.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EReverse osmosis membranes are already widely used in desalination to produce drinking water from saltwater, consuming a fraction of the energy required by thermally-driven process. Carbon fiber membranes are being used for gas separations, but the new OSRO process is believed to be the first use of reverse osmosis with carbon membranes to separate liquid hydrocarbons.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThough the membrane has demonstrated promising results, it still faces a number of challenges. The membranes will have to be tested with more difficult separations before they can be considered for commercialization and scale-up. Industrial mixtures normally contain multiple different organic compounds, and they may include materials that can foul membrane systems. The researchers will also have to learn to make the material consistently and demonstrate that it can withstand long-term industrial use.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBecause we are starting with commercially-available polymers and we are using commercial-type equipment, we can see a clear line-of-sight to commercialization with this technology,\u201d McCool said. \u201cIt\u2019s a big advantage that the membranes are being spun on a hollow-fiber line similar to that currently used in the industry. The time horizon to make this happen and the cost of production could be highly advantaged over other inorganic systems or more exotic materials like graphene.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDevelopment of the OSRO process resulted from a collaborative process in which Georgia Tech researchers worked closely with ExxonMobil scientists \u2013 including McCool and scientist Harry Deckman \u2013 to identify and overcome the challenges of industrial processing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cExxonMobil is a leader in its commitment to fundamental science,\u0022 said Mike Kerby, ExxonMobil Corporate Strategic Research manager. \u201cAs part of our commitment, we continue to widen our research aperture through collaborations with academic research institutions to better enable us to identify potential breakthrough technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase energy supplies and realize other environmental benefits.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Dong-Yeun Koh, et al., \u0022Reverse Osmosis Molecular Differentiation of Organic Liquids using Carbon Molecular Sieve Membranes,\u0022 (Science, 2016).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30332-0181 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Ben Brumfield (404-385-1933) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA research team from the Georgia Institute of Technology and ExxonMobil has demonstrated a new carbon-based molecular sieve membrane that could dramatically reduce the energy required to separate a class of hydrocarbon molecules known as alkyl aromatics.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A carbon-based molecular sieve membrane could dramatically reduce the energy required to separate a class of hydrocarbon molecules."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2016-08-17 22:18:54","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:22:23","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2016-08-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2016-08-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"564801":{"id":"564801","type":"image","title":"Hollow polymer fibers","body":null,"created":"1471485853","gmt_created":"2016-08-18 02:04:13","changed":"1475895369","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:56:09","alt":"Hollow polymer fibers","file":{"fid":"206878","name":"carbon-membrane3380.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/carbon-membrane3380.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/carbon-membrane3380.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1284670,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/carbon-membrane3380.jpg?itok=c2wun7TH"}},"564811":{"id":"564811","type":"image","title":"Fiber spinning","body":null,"created":"1471485966","gmt_created":"2016-08-18 02:06:06","changed":"1475895369","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:56:09","alt":"Fiber spinning","file":{"fid":"206879","name":"carbon-membrane4321.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/carbon-membrane4321.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/carbon-membrane4321.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1562556,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/carbon-membrane4321.jpg?itok=rpziW-_G"}},"564821":{"id":"564821","type":"image","title":"Hollow polymer fibers2","body":null,"created":"1471486055","gmt_created":"2016-08-18 02:07:35","changed":"1475895369","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:56:09","alt":"Hollow polymer fibers2","file":{"fid":"206880","name":"carbon-membrane3368.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/carbon-membrane3368.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/carbon-membrane3368.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1022160,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/carbon-membrane3368.jpg?itok=8yOEaxq3"}}},"media_ids":["564801","564811","564821"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"170595","name":"carbon membrane"},{"id":"213","name":"energy"},{"id":"172269","name":"hydrocarbon"},{"id":"170597","name":"molecular sieve"},{"id":"170596","name":"polymer fiber"},{"id":"169566","name":"separation"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"552541":{"#nid":"552541","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Engineered \u201cSand\u201d May Help Cool Electronic Devices","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBaratunde Cola would like to put sand into your computer. Not beach sand, but silicon dioxide nanoparticles coated with a high dielectric constant polymer to inexpensively provide improved cooling for increasingly power-hungry electronic devices.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe silicon dioxide doesn\u0027t do the cooling itself. Instead, the unique surface properties of the coated nanoscale material conduct the heat at potentially higher efficiency than existing heat sink materials. The theoretical physics behind the phenomenon is complicated, involving nanoscale electromagnetic effects created on the surface of the tiny silicon dioxide particles acting together.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe bottom line could be a potentially new class of high thermal conductivity materials useful for heat dissipation from power electronics, LEDs and other applications with high heat fluxes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We have shown for the first time that you can take a packed nanoparticle bed that would typically act as an insulator, and by causing light to couple strongly into the material by engineering a high dielectric constant medium like water or ethylene glycol at the surfaces, you can turn the nanoparticle bed into a conductor,\u0022 said Cola, an associate professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u0022Using the collective surface electromagnetic effect of the nanoparticles, the thermal conductivity can increase 20-fold, allowing it to dissipate heat.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research, which involved both theory and experiment, has been published online in the journal \u003Cem\u003EMaterials Horizons\u003C\/em\u003E, and was highlighted in the July 8 issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E. The work was supported by the Air Force Research Laboratory and the U.S. Air Force. Co-authors include Professor James Hammonds at Howard University, and graduate students Eric Tervo from Georgia Tech and Olalekan Adewuyi from Howard University.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the last several years, theoretical papers have predicted the ability of surface phonon polaritons to increase thermal conduction in nanomaterials made from polar materials like silicon dioxide. Polaritons are quantum quasiparticles produced by strong coupling of electromagnetic waves with an electric or magnetic dipole-carrying excitation. In the specific case of surface phonon polaritons, the electromagnetic waves are coupled to a certain frequency and polarization of vibrating atoms in the material known as optical phonons. When materials are reduced to sizes below 100 nanometers, the surface properties of the material dominate over bulk properties, allowing phonons of heat to flow from particle to particle in the closely packed bed with the assistance of the coupled electromagnetic waves.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlthough researchers could not previously measure heat flow from surface phonon polaritons due to experimental difficulties, they have observed their wave propagation when light hits the surface of a nanostructure material, suggesting a potential role in heat dissipation. In addition to the first measurement of heat flow, Cola and his collaborators also found that the effect can occur when thermal energy is added to a packed bed of nanoparticles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat we are also showing for the first time is that when you have nanoparticles of the right type in a packed bed, that you don\u2019t have to shine light on them,\u201d he explained. \u201cYou can just heat up the nanoparticles and the thermal self-emission activates the effect. You create an electrical field around the nanoparticles from this thermal radiation.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers decided to experiment with those special properties, first using water to coat the nanoparticles and turn the silicon dioxide nanoparticle bed into a conductor. But the water coating was not robust, so the researchers switched to ethylene glycol, a fluid commonly used in vehicle antifreeze. The new combination increased the heat transfer by a factor of 20 to approximately one watt per meter-kelvin, which is higher than the value ethylene glycol or silicon dioxide nanoparticles could produce alone, and competitive with expensive polymer composites used for heat dissipation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou could basically take an electronic device, pack these ethylene glycol-coated nanoparticles in the air space, and it would be useful as a heat dissipation material that at the same time, won\u2019t conduct electricity,\u201d said Cola. \u201cThe material has the potential to be very inexpensive and easy to work with.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESilicon dioxide was chosen because its crystalline lattice can generate resonant optical phonons \u2013 necessary for the effect \u2013 at approximately room temperature. Other materials could also be used, but the silicon dioxide nanoparticles provide a good compromise of properties and cost.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe resonance frequency, converted into the thermal radiation temperature for silicon dioxide, is around 50 degrees Celsius,\u201d said Cola. \u201cWith this material, we can turn on this effect at a temperature range that a microelectronic device is likely to see.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThough the ethylene glycol works well, it will eventually evaporate. For that reason, Cola plans to identify polymeric materials that could be adsorbed to the silicon dioxide nanoparticles to provide a more stable coating with a reasonable product lifetime.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe effect depends on the collective action of the silicon dioxide nanoparticles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are basically showing a macroscopic translation of a nanoscale effect,\u201d Cola said. \u201cEven though the nanoparticle bed is a bulk assembly, it is a bulk assembly that has a lot of internal surface area. The internal surface area is the gateway by which it interacts with the electromagnetic field \u2013 the light and the heat.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo far, the effect has been demonstrated in small amounts of silicon dioxide nanoparticles. Another step would be to scale up the study to demonstrate that heat can be transferred longer distances in larger volumes of the material, Cola said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe rate at which the thermal energy goes from one side of the particle to the other side of the particle is constant throughout the nanoparticle bed, so it shouldn\u2019t matter how thick the nanoparticle bed is,\u201d he explained. \u201cWhen these particles are close enough together, their modes are coupled, which allows the energy to transport.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFurther testing would be needed to ensure the long-term efficiency and to confirm that there are no impacts on the reliability of the electronic devices cooled with the technique, Cola said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis work was supported by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory Minority Leaders Program contract FA8650-11-D-5800 through a subcontract from United Technologies Corporation. Support is acknowledged from U.S. Air Force Summer Faculty Fellowships. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsoring agencies.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: E.J. Tervo, et al., \u201cHigh thermal conductivity in polaritonic SiO2 nanoparticle beds, (Materials Horizons, 2016). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1039\/c6mh00098c\u0022 title=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1039\/c6mh00098c\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1039\/c6mh00098c\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30221-0181 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Ben Brumfield (404-385-1933) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBaratunde Cola would like to put sand into your computer. Not beach sand, but silicon dioxide nanoparticles coated with a high dielectric constant polymer to inexpensively provide improved cooling for increasingly power-hungry electronic devices.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Engineered \u0022sand\u0022 may offer the potential for improved cooling of electronic devices."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2016-07-13 09:11:45","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:22:08","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2016-07-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2016-07-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"552491":{"id":"552491","type":"image","title":"Thermal probe testing silicon dioxide","body":null,"created":"1468415700","gmt_created":"2016-07-13 13:15:00","changed":"1475895350","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:50","alt":"Thermal probe testing silicon dioxide","file":{"fid":"95910","name":"silicon-dioxide-5764.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/silicon-dioxide-5764.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/silicon-dioxide-5764.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1357634,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/silicon-dioxide-5764.jpg?itok=wvTv1taS"}},"552511":{"id":"552511","type":"image","title":"Thermal probe testing silicon dioxide2","body":null,"created":"1468415700","gmt_created":"2016-07-13 13:15:00","changed":"1475895350","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:50","alt":"Thermal probe testing silicon dioxide2","file":{"fid":"95912","name":"silicon-dioxide-5767.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/silicon-dioxide-5767.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/silicon-dioxide-5767.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1381175,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/silicon-dioxide-5767.jpg?itok=mLAB13PO"}},"552521":{"id":"552521","type":"image","title":"Silicon dioxide nanoparticles","body":null,"created":"1468415700","gmt_created":"2016-07-13 13:15:00","changed":"1475895350","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:50","alt":"Silicon dioxide nanoparticles","file":{"fid":"95917","name":"silicon-dioxide-5739.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/silicon-dioxide-5739.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/silicon-dioxide-5739.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1034284,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/silicon-dioxide-5739.jpg?itok=MXXqP9Xz"}},"552531":{"id":"552531","type":"image","title":"Cooling electronic devices","body":null,"created":"1468415700","gmt_created":"2016-07-13 13:15:00","changed":"1475895350","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:50","alt":"Cooling electronic devices","file":{"fid":"95918","name":"silicon-dioxide-5712.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/silicon-dioxide-5712.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/silicon-dioxide-5712.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1471740,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/silicon-dioxide-5712.jpg?itok=m5PmRyKq"}}},"media_ids":["552491","552511","552521","552531"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"8875","name":"Baratunde Cola"},{"id":"611","name":"conduction"},{"id":"437","name":"cooling"},{"id":"609","name":"electronics"},{"id":"435","name":"heat"},{"id":"170466","name":"silicon dioxide"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"553481":{"#nid":"553481","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Light-Trapping 3-D Solar Cells Undergo Space Testing","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA novel three-dimensional solar cell design developed at Georgia Tech will soon get its first testing in space aboard the International Space Station. An experimental module containing 18 test cells was launched to the ISS on July 18, and will be installed on the exterior of the station to study the cells\u2019 performance and their ability to withstand the rigors of space.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to testing the three-dimensional format, the module will also study a low-cost copper-zinc-tin-sulfide (CZTS) solar cell formulation. In all, the module launched to the ISS contains four types of PV devices: 3-D cells based on conventional cadmium telluride, 3-D cells based on CZTS materials, traditional planar solar cells produced at Georgia Tech, and planar cells based on CZTS.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe experiment was aboard SpaceX\u0027s Falcon 9 rocket that blasted off\u0026nbsp;at 12:45 a.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe want to see both the light-trapping performance of our 3-D solar cells and how they are going to respond to the harshness of space,\u201d said Jud Ready, a principal research engineer at the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (GTRI) and an adjunct professor in the Georgia Tech \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cWe will also measure performance against temperature, because temperature has an influence on the performance of a solar cell.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBuilt by coating miniature carbon nanotube \u201ctowers\u201d with a photo-absorber that captures sunlight from all angles, the 3-D cells developed by Ready\u2019s lab could boost the amount of power obtained from the small surface areas many spacecraft have. The cells would absorb light from any direction, eliminating the need for mechanical devices to aim PV modules toward the sun.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe PV cell experiment will be installed on the NanoRacks External Platform (NREP), where robustness of the solar cells will be studied under harsh space conditions for six months. The project is sponsored by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), and the Space Station opportunity was provided by NanoRacks via its Space Act Agreement with NASA\u2019s U.S. National Labs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The CZTS photovoltaic arrays were built using the readily available elements copper, zinc, tin and sulfur to replace rarer CIGS \u2013 copper, indium, gallium and selenium \u2013 which are used in similar thin-film solar cells,\u0022 said Ready. \u0022The CZTS approach produces an efficient photo-absorber using earth-abundant materials that cost around a thousand times less than rare-earth elements like indium, gallium and selenium.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne virtue of CZTS photovoltaic material is its electron band structure, Ready explained. Like CIGS, CZTS is a direct band gap material. In semiconductor physics, this means incoming solar photons are able to emit current-producing electrons directly, rather than moving through power-robbing intermediate states as indirect band gap materials, like silicon, require.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMoreover, Ready said, direct band gap materials have good resistance to the powerful ionizing radiation encountered in space. That\u0027s because direct band gaps are larger than indirect band gaps; it\u0027s harder for radiation to damage these larger gaps so severely that functionality is seriously impaired.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe 3-D capability could prove especially valuable on the International Space Station, which is exposed daily to 15-16 sunrises and sunsets as it orbits Earth every 92 minutes at 17,150 m.p.h. The 3-D towers can exploit the sun\u0027s rays for longer periods than conventional 2-D planar \u2013 or flat \u2013 designs, which work most efficiently only when the sun is directly overhead.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022With our 3-D design, as the sun\u0027s angle increases more surface is exposed and there\u0027s a growing chance that photons will enter,\u0022 Ready said. \u0022Also, 3-D technology provides more opportunity for photons to bounce around between the towers, increasing the likelihood they will be converted to electron hole pairs and produce mobile charge carriers.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs the ISS orbits, the 3-D arrays\u0027 performance will be compared to a high quality commercial 2-D planar cell array installed nearby. If things go as expected, GTRI\u0027s cells will provide relatively better performance than the other cells as they move away from high noon. The new CZTS 3-D arrays will also be tested in space against an older 3-D design made by GTRI using cadmium telluride.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the GTRI development team\u2019s key achievements to date has been identifying the best ways to manufacture CZTS solar cells. The team has pinpointed techniques for successfully processing the four Earth-abundant elements into an efficient photo absorber.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022In manufacturing you have to heat these elements, and one major issue is that they evaporate at different rates,\u0022 Ready explained. \u0022Getting them to blend in the desired ratios, so that the stoichiometry is retained and electron levels of the constituent elements match up as they should, has been a challenge.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGTRI\u0027s photovoltaic arrays will be encased in Lexan containers aboard the ISS. Lexan, a clear yet strong polymer, produces minimal interference with incoming solar rays but can protect the delicate arrays from astronauts and space debris \u2013 and also protect the crew from any pieces of the arrays that might separate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter the six-month mission, the solar cells will be sent back to Earth via a cargo ship. The research team will assess the cells\u2019 post-mission performance and look for damage from radiation and other space hazards.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022If it can survive in space, which is the harshest of environments from the standpoint of wide temperature swings, radiation and numerous other factors, then we can be confident it will work well down on Earth,\u0022 Ready said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EReady\u2019s novel 3-D photovoltaic technology (U.S. Patent # 8,350,146) is licensed for commercial manufacture by Bloo Solar of El Dorado Hills, CA.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30332-0181 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) (404-894-6986) or Ben Brumfield (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) (404-385-1933)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Rick Robinson\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA novel three-dimensional solar cell design developed at Georgia Tech will soon get its first testing in space aboard the International Space Station. An experimental module containing 18 test cells was launched to the ISS on July 18, and will be installed on the exterior of the station to study the cells\u2019 performance and their ability to withstand the rigors of space.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A novel three-dimensional solar cell design will soon get its first testing in space aboard the International Space Station."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2016-07-16 12:26:21","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:22:08","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2016-07-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2016-07-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"553421":{"id":"553421","type":"image","title":"PV Cell Produced for Testing","body":null,"created":"1468685264","gmt_created":"2016-07-16 16:07:44","changed":"1475895350","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:50","alt":"PV Cell Produced for Testing","file":{"fid":"206525","name":"solar4.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/solar4.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/solar4.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":612137,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/solar4.jpg?itok=TlcqwesS"}},"553451":{"id":"553451","type":"image","title":"Microscope Image of PV","body":null,"created":"1468685698","gmt_created":"2016-07-16 16:14:58","changed":"1475895350","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:50","alt":"Microscope Image of PV","file":{"fid":"206528","name":"solar6.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/solar6.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/solar6.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":956082,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/solar6.jpg?itok=V3fJ1Rl_"}},"553431":{"id":"553431","type":"image","title":"Wire Bonding PV Cell","body":null,"created":"1468685452","gmt_created":"2016-07-16 16:10:52","changed":"1475895350","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:50","alt":"Wire Bonding PV Cell","file":{"fid":"206526","name":"solar7.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/solar7.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/solar7.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1140877,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/solar7.jpg?itok=24G6big-"}},"553461":{"id":"553461","type":"image","title":"GTRI 3-D PV Group","body":null,"created":"1468685832","gmt_created":"2016-07-16 16:17:12","changed":"1475895350","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:50","alt":"GTRI 3-D PV Group","file":{"fid":"206529","name":"solar1_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/solar1_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/solar1_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1194418,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/solar1_0.jpg?itok=S6HoqcxE"}},"553441":{"id":"553441","type":"image","title":"Jud Ready and PV Cell","body":null,"created":"1468685593","gmt_created":"2016-07-16 16:13:13","changed":"1475895350","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:50","alt":"Jud Ready and PV Cell","file":{"fid":"206527","name":"solar2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/solar2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/solar2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1233834,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/solar2.jpg?itok=gXhEAzMd"}},"553471":{"id":"553471","type":"image","title":"Wire Bonding PV Cell2","body":null,"created":"1468685995","gmt_created":"2016-07-16 16:19:55","changed":"1475895350","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:50","alt":"Wire Bonding PV Cell2","file":{"fid":"206530","name":"solar9_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/solar9_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/solar9_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":876766,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/solar9_0.jpg?itok=qjB0-gRD"}}},"media_ids":["553421","553451","553431","553461","553441","553471"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"170472","name":"CZTS"},{"id":"416","name":"GTRI"},{"id":"2798","name":"International Space Station"},{"id":"14209","name":"Jud Ready"},{"id":"1073","name":"photovoltaic"},{"id":"77201","name":"PV"},{"id":"170473","name":"PV cell"},{"id":"169729","name":"solar cell"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"540301":{"#nid":"540301","#data":{"type":"news","title":"VentureLab nanotechnology startup wins TechConnect Innovation Award","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFullScaleNANO, an early-stage company that automates nanomaterial imaging and measurement and a VentureLab portfolio startup, received the\u0026nbsp;TechConnect Innovation Award\u0026nbsp;at the TechConnect World Innovation Conference \u0026amp; Expo May 22-25 in Washington, D.C.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENanoMet\u2019s technology was developed at Georgia Tech by\u0026nbsp;Chin-Hui Lee, co-founder and a professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The company also joined VentureLab, the incubator at Georgia Tech for startups created by faculty, students, and staff. VentureLab works with those startups to help them commercialize research into viable companies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe created the algorithms that allow us to process thousands of images, faster and with better overall reliability,\u201d Lee said. \u201cThis is a new frontier in science that we hope will lead to faster and more cost-effective innovation for industry.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe company is headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida, but its software development team hub is in Atlanta.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe TechConnect Innovation Awards identify the top 15 percent of submitted technologies. Innovation rankings are based on the potential positive impact of the technology on a specific industry sector. Submissions come from global academic technology transfer offices, early-stage companies, small business innovative research awardees, and government and corporate research laboratories.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFullScaleNANO won for its NanoMet automated nanomaterials software that measures and characterizes thousands of nanomaterials in seconds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are honored to receive this award that recognizes our innovative approach to measuring and characterizing nanomaterials, essential particles that are used in today\u2019s product innovations, from medicine to manufacturing,\u201d said Jeffrey Whalen, CEO and co-founder.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENanomaterials are tiny particles that can\u2019t be seen with the naked eye. The only way they can be viewed is by taking pictures with an electron microscope that contains a built-in camera. Measuring and characterizing these images is a slow, manual process \u2014 done one by one using a ruler \u2014 that takes hours, Whalen said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENanoMet speeds up the task, using an automated system that processes images in seconds, takes thousands of measurements, and provides objective quality assurance, enabling a shorter time to market. NanoMet \u201csees\u201d every individual pixel in an electron microscope image to properly identify the exact edges of nanomaterials, providing a repeatable process that saves time and money.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENanomaterials are used or being evaluated in a variety of products from batteries to shampoos and in a number of industries from food and medicine to electronics and the environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.understandingnano.com\/nanomaterials.html\u0022\u003EIn medicine alone\u003C\/a\u003E, applications being developed for nanoparticles include delivery of chemotherapy drugs directly to cancer tumors, resetting the immune system to prevent autoimmune diseases, and delivering drugs to damaged regions of arteries to fight cardiovascular disease. Other industry uses include producing hydrogen from water, reducing the cost of producing fuel cells and solar cells, and cleaning up oil spills, water pollution, and air pollution.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Startup\u0027s technology was built on Georgia Tech research."}],"uid":"28137","created_gmt":"2016-05-26 10:38:13","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:21:46","author":"P\u00e9ralte Paul","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2016-05-26T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2016-05-26T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"540311":{"id":"540311","type":"image","title":"Chin-Hui Lee","body":null,"created":"1464706800","gmt_created":"2016-05-31 15:00:00","changed":"1475895329","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:29","alt":"Chin-Hui Lee","file":{"fid":"89585","name":"chl.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/chl.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/chl.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":21802,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/chl.jpg?itok=E5rUKwMF"}},"540321":{"id":"540321","type":"image","title":"Jeffrey Whalen","body":null,"created":"1464706800","gmt_created":"2016-05-31 15:00:00","changed":"1475895329","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:29","alt":"Jeffrey Whalen","file":{"fid":"89586","name":"jeffrey_whalen.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/jeffrey_whalen.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/jeffrey_whalen.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":128407,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/jeffrey_whalen.jpeg?itok=3lv1HZqR"}}},"media_ids":["540311","540321"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/fullscalenano.com\/","title":"FullScaleNANO"},{"url":"http:\/\/venturelab.gatech.edu\/","title":"GT VentureLab"},{"url":"http:\/\/users.ece.gatech.edu\/chl\/","title":"Chin-Hui Lee"},{"url":"http:\/\/techconnectworld.com\/World2016\/participate\/innovation\/awards.html","title":"TechConnect Innovation Award"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Electrical and Computer Engineering"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"172072","name":"Chin-Hui Lee"},{"id":"172073","name":"FullScaleNANO"},{"id":"107","name":"Nanotechnology"},{"id":"166994","name":"startups"},{"id":"4193","name":"venturelab"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp class=\u0022BasicParagraph\u0022\u003EFor media inquiries, contact:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELaura Diamond\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E404.894.6016\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.diamond@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elaura.diamond@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor inquiries about the\u0026nbsp;School of Electrical and\u0026nbsp;Computer Engineering, contact:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJackie Nemeth\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jackie.nemeth@ece.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejackie.nemeth@ece.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPhone: 404.894.2906\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["peralte.paul@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"535271":{"#nid":"535271","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Common Nanoparticle has Subtle Effects on Oxidative Stress Genes","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA nanoparticle commonly used in food, cosmetics, sunscreen and other products can have subtle effects on the activity of genes expressing enzymes that address oxidative stress inside two types of cells. While the titanium dioxide (TiO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E) nanoparticles are considered non-toxic because they don\u2019t kill cells at low concentrations, these cellular effects could add to concerns about long-term exposure to the nanomaterial.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology used high-throughput screening techniques to study the effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on the expression of 84 genes related to cellular oxidative stress. Their work found that six genes, four of them from a single gene family, were affected by a 24-hour exposure to the nanoparticles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe effect was seen in two different kinds of cells exposed to the nanoparticles: human HeLa cancer cells commonly used in research, and a line of monkey kidney cells. Polystyrene nanoparticles similar in size and surface electrical charge to the titanium dioxide nanoparticles did not produce a similar effect on gene expression.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is important because every standard measure of cell health shows that cells are not affected by these titanium dioxide nanoparticles,\u201d said Christine Payne, an associate professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. \u201cOur results show that there is a more subtle change in oxidative stress that could be damaging to cells or lead to long-term changes. This suggests that other nanoparticles should be screened for similar low-level effects.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research was reported online May 6 in the \u003Cem\u003EJournal of Physical Chemistry C\u003C\/em\u003E. The work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through the HERCULES Center at Emory University, and by a Vasser Woolley Fellowship.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETitanium dioxide nanoparticles help make powdered donuts white, protect skin from the sun\u2019s rays and reflect light in painted surfaces. In concentrations commonly used, they are considered non-toxic, though several other studies have raised concern about potential effects on gene expression that may not directly impact the short-term health of cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo determine whether the nanoparticles could affect genes involved in managing oxidative stress in cells, Payne and colleague Melissa Kemp \u2013 an associate professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University \u2013 designed a study to broadly evaluate the nanoparticle\u2019s impact on the two cell lines.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWorking with graduate students Sabiha Runa and Dipesh Khanal, they separately incubated HeLa cells and monkey kidney cells with titanium oxide at levels 100 times less than the minimum concentration known to initiate effects on cell health. After incubating the cells for 24 hours with the TiO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003E, the cells were lysed and their contents analyzed using both PCR and Western Blot techniques to study the expression of 84 genes associated with the cells\u2019 ability to address oxidative processes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPayne and Kemp were surprised to find changes in the expression of six genes, including four from the peroxiredoxin family of enzymes that helps cells degrade hydrogen peroxide, a byproduct of cellular oxidation processes. Too much hydrogen peroxide can create oxidative stress which can damage DNA and other molecules.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe effect measured was significant \u2013 changes of about 50 percent in enzyme expression compared to cells that had not been incubated with nanoparticles. The tests were conducted in triplicate and produced similar results each time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOne thing that was really surprising was that this whole family of proteins was affected, though some were up-regulated and some were down-regulated,\u201d Kemp said. \u201cThese were all related proteins, so the question is why they would respond differently to the presence of the nanoparticles.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers aren\u2019t sure how the nanoparticles bind with the cells, but they suspect it may involve the protein corona that surrounds the particles. The corona is made up of serum proteins that normally serve as food for the cells, but adsorb to the nanoparticles in the culture medium. The corona proteins have a protective effect on the cells, but may also serve as a way for the nanoparticles to bind to cell receptors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETitanium dioxide is well known for its photo-catalytic effects under ultraviolet light, but the researchers don\u2019t think that\u2019s in play here because their culturing was done in ambient light \u2013 or in the dark. The individual nanoparticles had diameters of about 21 nanometers, but in cell culture formed much larger aggregates.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn future work, Payne and Kemp hope to learn more about the interaction, including where the enzyme-producing proteins are located in the cells. For that, they may use HyPer-Tau, a reporter protein they developed to track the location of hydrogen peroxide within cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research suggests a re-evaluation may be necessary for other nanoparticles that could create subtle effects even though they\u2019ve been deemed safe.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEarlier work had suggested that nanoparticles can lead to oxidative stress, but nobody had really looked at this level and at so many different proteins at the same time,\u201d Payne said. \u201cOur research looked at such low concentrations that it does raise questions about what else might be affected. We looked specifically at oxidative stress, but there may be other genes that are affected, too.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose subtle differences may matter when they\u2019re added to other factors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOxidative stress is implicated in all kinds of inflammatory and immune responses,\u201d Kemp noted. \u201cWhile the titanium dioxide alone may just be modulating the expression levels of this family of proteins, if that is happening at the same time you have other types of oxidative stress for different reasons, then you may have a cumulative effect.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ESeed funding for the research came from the HERCULES: Exposome Research Center (NIEHS: P30 ES019776) at the Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, NIH grant DP2OD006483-01 and a Vasser Woolley Faculty Fellowship. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Sabiha Runa, Dipesh Khanal, Melissa L. Kemp, Christine K. Payne, \u201cTiO2 Nanoparticles Alter the Expression of Peroxiredoxin Anti-Oxidant Genes,\u201d (Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2016). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1021\/acs.jpcc.6b01939\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1021\/acs.jpcc.6b01939\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30332-0181 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) (404-894-6986) or Ben Brumfield (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eben.brumfield@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) (404-385-1933).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA nanoparticle commonly used in food, cosmetics, sunscreen and other products can have subtle effects on the activity of genes expressing enzymes that address oxidative stress inside two types of cells. While the titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles are considered non-toxic because they don\u2019t kill cells at low concentrations, these cellular effects could add to concerns about long-term exposure to the nanomaterial.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A nanoparticle commonly used in food and other products can have subtle effects on the activity of genes expressing enzymes that address oxidative stress inside two types of cells."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2016-05-10 14:38:59","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:21:39","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2016-05-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2016-05-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"535181":{"id":"535181","type":"image","title":"Culturing HeLa Cells","body":null,"created":"1462982400","gmt_created":"2016-05-11 16:00:00","changed":"1475895319","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:19"},"535211":{"id":"535211","type":"image","title":"HeLa cells incubated with nanoparticles","body":null,"created":"1462982400","gmt_created":"2016-05-11 16:00:00","changed":"1475895319","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:19"},"535221":{"id":"535221","type":"image","title":"Studying nanoparticle interactions with cells","body":null,"created":"1462982400","gmt_created":"2016-05-11 16:00:00","changed":"1475895319","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:19"},"535231":{"id":"535231","type":"image","title":"Studying nanoparticle interactions with cells2","body":null,"created":"1462982400","gmt_created":"2016-05-11 16:00:00","changed":"1475895319","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:19"}},"media_ids":["535181","535211","535221","535231"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"8669","name":"Christine Payne"},{"id":"1110","name":"gene"},{"id":"7092","name":"gene expression"},{"id":"5084","name":"Melissa Kemp"},{"id":"2973","name":"nanoparticles"},{"id":"170266","name":"oxidative stress"},{"id":"170267","name":"titanium dioxide"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"531741":{"#nid":"531741","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Carbice Nanotechnologies seeks to scale heat dissipation and management technology","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe demand for ever-powerful and faster electronic devices has led to the development of innovative smartphones, tablets, computers, and other products.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut those advancements have also brought focus to a constant challenge for device makers: heat and the need for electronics and their components to remain cool to meet durability and safety requirements.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s created an opportunity for\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/atdc.org\/companies\/carbice-nanotechnolgies\/\u0022\u003ECarbice Nanotechnologies\u003C\/a\u003E, a startup founded in 2012 by Baratunde Cola, an associate professor at Georgia Tech\u2019s George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECola, whose company is in the Advanced Technology Development Center\u2019s ATDC Accelerate portfolio of startups, said heat management remains one of the biggest technological challenges and opportunities for his company.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSome people are trying to figure out how to store it, some people are trying to figure out how to convert it to electricity,\u201d Cola said. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to figure out how to dissipate it. Carbice is at the center of all of that.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe company, which holds three patents \u2014 two of those based on Georgia Tech research \u2014 is making the rounds to potential investors as it seeks to scale to the next level.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECola recently spoke with ATDC to explain his vision:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EQ.\u0026nbsp;What are your plans in raising money? What are you looking for in an investor?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA.\u0026nbsp;\u201cWe\u2019re looking for investors who can help us calibrate where we are in the market. A seasoned person that brings a lot of value beyond the money in terms of connections and helping us scale up and deliver to these big customers. Carbice has all of the top 10 chip manufacturers in our customer pipeline and we have gotten to the point where were closing deals with some of those people and we really could have this exponential growth up to the 10s of millions of dollars in revenue very fast. We have a good team but we also understand that the right type of investor can bring so much value in helping us capitalize on that opportunity and accelerate further. So there\u2019s space for us to bring in someone strategic like that, someone who can help with getting us to that next level of capital expenditures. We also want someone to help us with the Series A raise. We\u2019re a materials company. We make a high-value product, but our core value pre-revenue is this IP that we have and carving out this market. And so we want someone who gets excited about that and who likes the idea of bringing nanotechnologies and nanomaterials to the market in a big way, to address one of the biggest technical challenges on the planet, which is managing heat.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EQ.\u0026nbsp;Why did you choose Georgia Tech and ATDC?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA.\u0026nbsp;\u201cWhen you think about building into the future, I\u2019m not interested in who is the Silicon Valley of today, but where are the opportunities for the future. To me, there\u2019s no better place than the Southeast. Part of nanotechnology\u2019s struggles have been the difficulty with translating a lot of the great science from the science labs into engineered products and there\u2019s no place that trains more engineers and better engineers at a bachelor\u2019s level than Georgia tech. That\u2019s an endless supply of talent. Georgia Tech also has one of the largest and most magnificent nanotechnology centers in the country and has resources that have allowed Carbice to \u2014 through agreements \u2014 use its facilities to bring the products to customers. We deliver product to customers on time, and often ahead of time, based on our ability to use Tech facilities at cost. That\u2019s a huge asset that I don\u2019t see anywhere else. You think about Atlanta, you think about Georgia Tech, you think about manufacturing history here \u2014 these are the things that attract us, and Atlanta is a great place to live.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EQ.\u0026nbsp;What led you to being an entrepreneur?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA.\u0026nbsp;\u201cI was a big time football guy and went to college to do engineering and play football, but I always knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I was introduced to nanotechnology as an undergrad and it blew me away. The possibilities were just amazing and I think it was validated by this massive global investment in nanomaterials and nanotechnology\u2026I wanted to become an expert in nanotechnology because I thought there would be really great opportunities for people who really understood the technology but also had the business fire and acumen to go out and do something in the marketplace. When I started my PhD studies at Purdue University I started working on what was the superstar of nanomaterials, the carbon nanotube. The carbon nanotube was this new form of carbon discovered in 1991 and it was like the Superman of nanomaterials. It\u2019s 10 times stronger than steel and 10 times smaller volume. It\u2019s the best conductor of heat, best conductor of electricity and so I wanted to do something with it that combined my background as a mechanical engineer with interest and expertise in heat transfer and nanotechnology.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EQ.\u0026nbsp;What brought you to Atlanta and a faculty\u0026nbsp;position at Georgia Tech?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA.\u0026nbsp;\u201cI decided that going into academia was a good opportunity for me. I learned about ATDC, I learned about VentureLab and the entire ecosystem here for entrepreneurship and it was a match made in heaven for who I am as a person and what my goals were. To be at a top university for research and one of the top incubators of new technology businesses I came to Georgia Tech, and when I got here, I started to work the plan to address some the barriers that I saw to commercialization of carbon nanotube interface materials because the thing I learned in my research is that even though some of these early false starts didn\u2019t work out like we planned, this problem of heat dissipation in electronics was never going away. It was really going to be the definitive problem for electronics in the 21st century and probably beyond. It\u2019s changed the game in so many ways on how people design chips so I was able to raise a lot of money as a faculty member because this problem is such a big problem to address and you have millions of dollars with a team of collaborators from DARPA, the National Science Foundation to continue working on these carbon nanotube thermal interface materials and it was at the end of our DARPA program \u2014after being one of the few teams that made it to phase three of that program \u2014 that we decided it was time to start a company. So I stepped out and founded Carbice Nanotechnologies and I began the hard work of building a business around the technologies that we had developed.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2014 P\u00e9ralte C. Paul\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A big challenge for device makers: heat and the need for electronics and their components to remain cool to meet durability and safety requirements."}],"uid":"28137","created_gmt":"2016-05-02 19:35:02","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:21:32","author":"P\u00e9ralte Paul","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2016-05-02T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2016-05-02T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"531751":{"id":"531751","type":"image","title":"Baratunde Cola","body":null,"created":"1462305600","gmt_created":"2016-05-03 20:00:00","changed":"1475895312","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:12","alt":"Baratunde Cola","file":{"fid":"89364","name":"cola_pic.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cola_pic_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cola_pic_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1449875,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/cola_pic_0.jpg?itok=xNgvuXqO"}}},"media_ids":["531751"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/atdc.org\/companies\/carbice-nanotechnolgies\/","title":"Carbice Nanotechnologies"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/cola","title":"Baratunde Cola"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4238","name":"atdc"},{"id":"8875","name":"Baratunde Cola"},{"id":"171993","name":"Carbice"},{"id":"8876","name":"carbon nanotubes; mechanical engineering; nanotechnology"},{"id":"166994","name":"startups"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELaura Diamond\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech Media Relations\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.diamond@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elaura.diamond@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["peralte.paul@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"527001":{"#nid":"527001","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech, Portman Announce Coda in Tech Square","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology and Portman gathered Atlanta\u2019s civic and business leaders Wednesday to announce Coda, an unprecedented collaborative building including Georgia Tech\u2019s high performance computing center located in Tech Square. The approximately 750,000-square-foot mixed-use project represents a $375 million investment into the budding innovation district.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWithin the development, 620,000 square feet will be office space designed to enable unparalleled collaboration between research and industry. Georgia Tech will occupy about half the office space. Nearly 40,000 square feet of retail space, including the adaptive reuse of the historic Crum \u0026amp; Forster building, will be accessed by a plaza, which will become a local gathering place and outdoor living room for Tech Square and Midtown Atlanta. The development also includes an approximately 80,000-square-foot data center, which Next Tier HD has been selected to operate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWith Georgia Tech as the anchor tenant, the high performance computing center\u2019s interdisciplinary, collaborative environment will enhance Tech Square\u2019s positive impact in Midtown Atlanta, bringing together people in a mixed-use community of innovation, education and intelligent exchange,\u201d said Georgia Tech President G.P. \u201cBud\u201d Peterson. \u201cIn 12 short years, Tech Square has become the Southeast\u2019s premier innovation neighborhood.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe Portman team is honored to bring to life the vision for this mixed-use property at Tech Square, unlike anything else in the southeastern United States,\u201d said Ambrish Baisiwala, CEO of Portman Holdings. \u201cWe\u2019re excited to develop Coda \u2013 encompassing collaborative office space, co-working and research facilities, a high performance computing center and interactive community space, collectively enhancing the innovation ecosystem created by Georgia Tech and Midtown.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECoda represents the next phase of Georgia Tech\u2019s Technology Square \u2013 Atlanta\u0027s most sought after neighborhood for technology- and science-based companies. The new complex will be programmed around high performance computing modeling, simulation and a sustainable innovation ecosystem that integrates the existing assets of Tech Square with new opportunities in interdisciplinary research, commercialization and sustainability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.portmanusa.com\/en\/\u0022\u003EJohn Portman \u0026amp; Associates\u003C\/a\u003E is designing the facility in order to achieve the primary goal of bringing research and commercialization together.\u0026nbsp; The design includes the creation of an outdoor urban plaza bordered by retail and a giant interactive media wall, a high performance data center, and two office towers connected by a central collaborative core. This collaborative core will be a gathering nexus uniquely connecting every floor from top to bottom. The design truly represents the next generation of office space and will be a unique landmark for the city of Atlanta.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe believe innovation is generated by looking at things in a different way,\u201d explains Pierluca Maffey, vice president of design for John Portman \u0026amp; Associates. \u201cSo we are creating spaces that allow brilliant thinkers, creative minds and smart business people to come together, share their points of view and start a process that leads to the next big idea.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETech Square connects the intellectual capital of Georgia Tech with the thriving business community in Midtown Atlanta. \u0026nbsp;It is a magnet for tech startups and university spinoffs. The area has attracted industry innovation centers that include AT\u0026amp;T Mobility, Panasonic Automotive, Southern Company, Delta Air Lines, The Home Depot, Coca-Cola Enterprises, NCR and ThyssenKrupp Elevator Americas. Along with the new NCR world headquarters under development and Tech Square Labs, the eight-block Tech Square campus will soon total 3 million square feet of commercial space and more than $1 billion invested. The mixed-use development will serve as an urban \u201cmain street\u201d for the campus and community.\u0026nbsp;Leasable office and retail space will be represented by Portman Holdings\u2019 Travis Garland, assisted by JLL.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInvest Atlanta has been very supportive of the project, which is anticipated to have an economic impact of $813.8 million as well as significant economic benefits \u2013 not only through the creation of 2,100 construction jobs and 2,400 jobs onsite after completion, but also through its impact on innovation in the region.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech will occupy about half the office space in the new building. The mixed-used building, which will include the high performance computing center, will enhance Tech Square, which has become the Southeast\u0027s premier innovation neighborhood.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The mixed-use building, which will include the high performance computing center, will enhance the innovation neighborhood."}],"uid":"27918","created_gmt":"2016-04-20 09:58:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:21:25","author":"Laura Diamond","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2016-04-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2016-04-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"527011":{"id":"527011","type":"image","title":"Coda in Tech Square","body":null,"created":"1461337200","gmt_created":"2016-04-22 15:00:00","changed":"1475895301","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:01","alt":"Coda in Tech Square","file":{"fid":"205546","name":"coda1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/coda1_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/coda1_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4269165,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/coda1_0.jpg?itok=p3ThWPB3"}},"527021":{"id":"527021","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech\u0027s Coda","body":null,"created":"1461337200","gmt_created":"2016-04-22 15:00:00","changed":"1475895301","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:01","alt":"Georgia Tech\u0027s Coda","file":{"fid":"205547","name":"coda2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/coda2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/coda2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5903110,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/coda2_0.jpg?itok=VJ8_4YFT"}},"527041":{"id":"527041","type":"image","title":"Coda -- Georgia Tech\u0027s new building in Tech Square","body":null,"created":"1461337200","gmt_created":"2016-04-22 15:00:00","changed":"1475895301","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:01","alt":"Coda -- Georgia Tech\u0027s new building in Tech Square","file":{"fid":"205548","name":"coda3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/coda3_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/coda3_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3470006,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/coda3_0.jpg?itok=lV4jDDvo"}}},"media_ids":["527011","527021","527041"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"815","name":"economic development"},{"id":"104951","name":"high performance computing center"},{"id":"114971","name":"HPCC"},{"id":"341","name":"innovation"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"},{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELaura Diamond\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003EMedia Relations\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-6016\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E@LauraRDiamond\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["laura.diamond@gatech.edua"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"496271":{"#nid":"496271","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Physics: It\u0027s What\u0027s Happening Inside Your Body Right Now","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESimple physics may play a larger role than previously thought in helping control key bodily processes \u2013 such as how the body fights infection.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing a model blood vessel system built on a polymer microchip, researchers have shown that the relative softness of white blood cells determines whether they remain in a dormant state along vessel walls or enter blood circulation to fight infection. Changes in these cell mechanical properties \u2013 from stiff to soft \u2013 can be triggered as a side effect of drugs commonly used to fight inflammation or boost blood pressure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOther researchers have found that blood flow affects the cells that line arteries and that particles within cells tend to congregate near cell walls. Better understanding the role of physics in fine-tuning such biological processes could give researchers new approaches for both diagnosing and treating disease.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe work, believed the first to show how biophysical effects can control where white blood cells are located within the blood circulation, was reported February 8 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\u003C\/em\u003E. The research was supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the American Heart Association.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are showing that white blood cells, also known as leukocytes, respond physically to these drugs and that there is a biological consequence to that response,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/bme\/faculty\/Wilbur-A.-Lam\u0022\u003EWilbur Lam\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech and Emory University. \u201cThis may suggest new ways to treat disease, and new places to look for diagnostic information. There may be physics-based disease biomarkers that we can use in addition to the common biological and biochemical markers we have been using.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELam\u2019s research group began studying the issue to better understand a common side effect of glucocorticoid drugs such as hydrocortisone used to treat inflammatory disorders such as asthma and allergic reactions. These hormonal drugs prompt an increase in white blood cell counts, a change that had been attributed to biological processes, including a reduced \u201cstickiness\u201d between the cells and blood vessel walls. The increase in white cell count is also seen with drugs that support blood pressure, such as epinephrine, also known as adrenaline.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe biological explanation for this seemed to fall short, so we thought maybe some of what was happening could be attributed to other factors \u2013 such as physical and mechanical issues,\u201d said Lam, who is also a physician in the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Children\u2019s Healthcare of Atlanta and the Department of Pediatrics at the Emory University School of Medicine.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo examine the theory, graduate student Meredith Fay and postdoctoral researcher David Myers fabricated model blood vessel systems that include artificial blood vessels with diameters as narrow as the smallest capillaries in the body. To isolate effects attributable only to physics, the systems \u2013 which were fabricated in Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ien.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EInstitute for Electronics and Nanotechnology\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 did not include the endothelial cells that normally line blood vessels in the body.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing blood samples taken from a healthy human volunteer, they studied the behavior of white blood cells in the presence \u2013 and absence \u2013 of the drugs dexamethasone \u2013 a glucocorticoid drug \u2013 and epinephrine. Working with Georgia Tech Professor of Mechanical Engineering Todd Sulchek, they also used atomic force microscopy to characterize the stiffness of individual white blood cells before and after they had been exposed to the drugs, and determined that the drugs cause the cells to become significantly softer than before exposure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen we fluorescently label the white blood cells and perfuse them into the artificial vessels, the white blood cells are always flowing along the edge, on the walls of these artificial blood vessels,\u201d said Lam. \u201cBut when they are exposed to the drugs, they go to the center of the channel and enter the main blood flow. Then, we discovered that the drugs cause the cells to remodel actin, which comprises the \u2018skeleton\u2019 of all mammalian cells.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe group\u2019s overall hypothesis is that the body uses the mechanical properties of these cells to help control their activity and where they are located within the circulation. The relative softness or stiffness of the cells, which collide constantly with billions of other cells in the bloodstream, including red and white blood cells, causes the cells to self-sort and determines where they end up physically within both the model blood vessels and in the human body.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe soft cells are always flowing in the middle of the bloodstream, while the stiff ones are sequestered on the edges,\u201d Lam said. \u201cWe believe this is how white blood cells traffic in the body and get to the site of an infection. This may be a way that the body very efficiently sorts and directs its white blood cells to get them where they\u2019re needed.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a next step, Lam hopes to study how physical properties affect the movement of hematopoietic stem cells used in bone marrow transplants. Once injected intravenously into the body, the cells quickly move from the circulation to bone marrow sites where they belong, and he believes mechanical properties may also play a role in this homing process.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhenever there is a change in some cellular activity or physiological activity, we tend to try to explain everything at the genetic level \u2013 which genes turn off and which genes turn on,\u201d he said. \u201cGene expression is a relatively complex process, and our hypothesis is that there are probably a lot of cellular processes that are much simpler and more efficient than the typical paradigm of DNA expression, then RNA translation, and then protein production. A little tweak of a white blood cell\u2019s actin will allow it to change from stiff to soft, and that small change, in and of itself, may have profound physiologic consequences and enable it to be transported from one part of the body to another.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to those already mentioned, the research also included Amit Kumar and Michael Graham from the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; Cory Turbyfield, Rebecca Byler and Kaci Crawford from the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University and the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech; Robert Mannino, Alvin Laohapant, Erika Tyburski, Yumiko Sakurai and Micahel Rosenbluth from the Coulter Department, the AflacCancer Center and Blood Disorders Service of Children\u0027s Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University School of Medicine, the Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University, the Parker E. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience at Georgia Tech, and the Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology at Georgia Tech; and Neil Switz of The Evergreen State College.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under grant 5R01HL121264-03, the National Science Foundation (NSF) under grant CBET-1436082 and the American Heart Association. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsors.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Meredith E. Fay, et al., \u201cCellular softening mediates leukocyte demargination and trafficking, thereby increasing clinical blood counts,\u201d (PNAS 2016). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1073\/pnas.1508920113\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1073\/pnas.1508920113\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30332-0181 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing a model blood vessel system built on a polymer microchip, researchers have shown that the relative softness of white blood cells determines whether they remain in a dormant state along vessel walls or enter blood circulation to fight infection.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have shown that the relative softness of white blood cells determines whether they remain in a dormant state."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2016-02-06 21:11:44","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:20:35","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2016-02-08T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2016-02-08T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"496251":{"id":"496251","type":"image","title":"Blood vessel on a chip2","body":null,"created":"1455120000","gmt_created":"2016-02-10 16:00:00","changed":"1475895253","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:54:13","alt":"Blood vessel on a chip2","file":{"fid":"204584","name":"microfluidic-device5.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/microfluidic-device5_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/microfluidic-device5_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":945783,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/microfluidic-device5_0.jpg?itok=o1oLX_1u"}},"496241":{"id":"496241","type":"image","title":"Blood vessel on a chip","body":null,"created":"1455120000","gmt_created":"2016-02-10 16:00:00","changed":"1475895253","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:54:13","alt":"Blood vessel on a chip","file":{"fid":"204583","name":"microfluidic-device6.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/microfluidic-device6_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/microfluidic-device6_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":738889,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/microfluidic-device6_0.jpg?itok=eDxM3jd2"}},"496261":{"id":"496261","type":"image","title":"Studying blood flow in microchip vessels","body":null,"created":"1455120000","gmt_created":"2016-02-10 16:00:00","changed":"1475895253","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:54:13","alt":"Studying blood flow in microchip vessels","file":{"fid":"204585","name":"microfluidic-device2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/microfluidic-device2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/microfluidic-device2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1547915,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/microfluidic-device2_0.jpg?itok=hiBi6n0Z"}}},"media_ids":["496251","496241","496261"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1440","name":"blood"},{"id":"37591","name":"blood flow"},{"id":"25301","name":"circulation"},{"id":"171634","name":"hematology"},{"id":"10660","name":"infection"},{"id":"11008","name":"leukocyte"},{"id":"7342","name":"microchip"},{"id":"960","name":"physics"},{"id":"171635","name":"white blood cell"},{"id":"14681","name":"Wilbur Lam"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"492001":{"#nid":"492001","#data":{"type":"news","title":"For this Nanocatalyst, One Atom Makes a Big Difference","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECombining experimental investigations and theoretical simulations, researchers have explained why platinum nanoclusters of a specific size range facilitate the hydrogenation reaction used to produce ethane from ethylene. The research offers new insights into the role of cluster shapes in catalyzing reactions at the nanoscale, and could help materials scientists optimize nanocatalysts for a broad class of other reactions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the macro-scale, the conversion of ethylene has long been considered among the reactions insensitive to the structure of the catalyst used. However, by examining reactions catalyzed by platinum clusters containing between 9 and 15 atoms, researchers in Germany and the United States found that at the nanoscale, that\u2019s no longer true. The shape of nanoscale clusters, they found, can dramatically affect reaction efficiency.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the study investigated only platinum nanoclusters and the ethylene reaction, the fundamental principles may apply to other catalysts and reactions, demonstrating how materials at the very smallest size scales can provide different properties than the same material in bulk quantities. Supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the Department of Energy, the research was reported January 28 in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Communications\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe have re-examined the validity of a very fundamental concept on a very fundamental reaction,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/user\/uzi-landman\u0022\u003EUzi Landman\u003C\/a\u003E, a Regents\u2019 Professor and F.E. Callaway Chair in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u201cWe found that in the ultra-small catalyst range, on the order of a nanometer in size, old concepts don\u2019t hold. New types of reactivity can occur because of changes in one or two atoms of a cluster at the nanoscale.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe widely-used conversion process actually involves two separate reactions: (1) dissociation of H2 molecules into single hydrogen atoms, and (2) their addition to the ethylene, which involves conversion of a double bond into a single bond. In addition to producing ethane, the reaction can also take an alternative route that leads to the production of ethylidyne, which poisons the catalyst and prevents further reaction.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project began with Professor Ueli Heiz and researchers in his group at the Technical University of Munich experimentally examining reaction rates for clusters containing 9, 10, 11, 12 or 13 platinum atoms that had been placed atop a magnesium oxide substrate. The 9-atom nanoclusters failed to produce a significant reaction, while larger clusters catalyzed the ethylene hydrogenation reaction with increasingly better efficiency. The best reaction occurred with 13-atom clusters.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBokwon Yoon, a research scientist in Georgia Tech\u2019s Center for Computational Materials Science, and Landman, the center\u2019s director, then used large-scale first-principles quantum mechanical simulations to understand how the size of the clusters \u2013 and their shape \u2013 affected the reactivity. Using their simulations, they discovered that the 9-atom cluster resembled a symmetrical \u201chut,\u201d while the larger clusters had bulges that served to concentrate electrical charges from the substrate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThat one atom changes the whole activity of the catalyst,\u201d Landman said. \u201cWe found that the extra atom operates like a lightning rod. The distribution of the excess charge from the substrate helps facilitate the reaction. Platinum 9 has a compact shape that doesn\u2019t facilitate the reaction, but adding just one atom changes everything.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENanoclusters with 13 atoms provided the maximum reactivity because the additional atoms shift the structure in a phenomena Landman calls \u201cfluxionality.\u201d This structural adjustment has also been noted in earlier work of these two research groups, in studies of clusters of gold which are used in other catalytic reactions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cDynamic fluxionality is the ability of the cluster to distort its structure to accommodate the reactants to actually enhance reactivity,\u201d he explained. \u201cOnly very small aggregates of metal can show such behavior, which mimics a biochemical enzyme.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe simulations showed that catalyst poisoning also varies with cluster size \u2013 and temperature. The 10-atom clusters can be poisoned at room temperature, while the 13-atom clusters are poisoned only at higher temperatures, helping to account for their improved reactivity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSmall really is different,\u201d said Landman. \u201cOnce you get into this size regime, the old rules of structure sensitivity and structure insensitivity must be assessed for their continued validity. It\u2019s not a question anymore of surface-to-volume ratio because everything is on the surface in these very small clusters.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the project examined only one reaction and one type of catalyst, the principles governing nanoscale catalysis \u2013 and the importance of re-examining traditional expectations \u2013 likely apply to a broad range of reactions catalyzed by nanoclusters at the smallest size scale. Such nanocatalysts are becoming more attractive as a means of conserving supplies of costly platinum.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s a much richer world at the nanoscale than at the macroscopic scale,\u201d added Landman. \u201cThese are very important messages for materials scientists and chemists who wish to design catalysts for new purposes, because the capabilities can be very different.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlong with the experimental surface characterization and reactivity measurements, the first-principles theoretical simulations provide a unique practical means for examining these structural and electronic issues because the clusters are too small to be seen with sufficient resolution using most electron microscopy techniques or traditional crystallography.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe have looked at how the number of atoms dictates the geometrical structure of the cluster catalysts on the surface and how this geometrical structure is associated with electronic properties that bring about chemical bonding characteristics that enhance the reactions,\u201d Landman added.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to those already named, the research team included first-author Andrew Crampton, Marian Rotzer, Claron Ridge and Florian Schweinberger from the Catalysis Research Center at the Technical University of Munich.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe experimental work has been supported by the European Research Council (ERC) through the advanced research grant (246645-ASC3), and by the DFG through project HE3454\/23-1. Support was also provided by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) and by grant FG05\u201386ER45234 from the Office of Basic Energy Sciences of the US Department of Energy (DOE). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsors.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Andrew S. Crampton, et al., \u201cStructure sensitivity in the nonscalable regime explored via catalyzed ethylene hydrogenation on supported platinum nanoclusters,\u201d (Nature Communications 2016). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/ncomms10389\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/ncomms10389\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30332-0181 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Assistance\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have explained why platinum nanoclusters of a specific size range facilitate the hydrogenation reaction used to produce ethane from ethylene. The research offers new insights into the role of cluster shapes in catalyzing reactions at the nanoscale, and could help materials scientists optimize nanocatalysts for a broad class of other reactions.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have explained why platinum nanoclusters of a specific size range facilitate the hydrogenation reaction used to produce ethane from ethylene."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2016-01-27 22:51:23","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:20:31","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2016-01-28T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2016-01-28T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"491971":{"id":"491971","type":"image","title":"Nanocatalyst platinum","body":null,"created":"1454083200","gmt_created":"2016-01-29 16:00:00","changed":"1475895248","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:54:08","alt":"Nanocatalyst platinum","file":{"fid":"204473","name":"nanocatalyst_platinum.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nanocatalyst_platinum_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nanocatalyst_platinum_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":974096,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/nanocatalyst_platinum_0.jpg?itok=OmbWZIaY"}},"491981":{"id":"491981","type":"image","title":"One-atom","body":null,"created":"1454083200","gmt_created":"2016-01-29 16:00:00","changed":"1475895248","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:54:08","alt":"One-atom","file":{"fid":"204474","name":"one-atom.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/one-atom_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/one-atom_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":412615,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/one-atom_0.jpg?itok=vgmch3DS"}},"491991":{"id":"491991","type":"image","title":"Cluster comparison","body":null,"created":"1454083200","gmt_created":"2016-01-29 16:00:00","changed":"1475895248","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:54:08","alt":"Cluster comparison","file":{"fid":"204475","name":"multiple-catalysts.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/multiple-catalysts_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/multiple-catalysts_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":619521,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/multiple-catalysts_0.jpg?itok=1Z_ioE5s"}}},"media_ids":["491971","491981","491991"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2506","name":"catalyst"},{"id":"2529","name":"cluster"},{"id":"63631","name":"nanocatalyst"},{"id":"2528","name":"nanocluster"},{"id":"7531","name":"platinum"},{"id":"9180","name":"Uzi Landman"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"484651":{"#nid":"484651","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Two-Stage Power Management System Boosts Energy-Harvesting Efficiency","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA two-stage power management and storage system could dramatically improve the efficiency of triboelectric generators that harvest energy from irregular human motion such as walking, running or finger tapping.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe system uses a small capacitor to capture alternating current generated by the biomechanical activity. When the first capacitor fills, a power management circuit then feeds the electricity into a battery or larger capacitor. This second storage device supplies DC current at voltages appropriate for powering wearable and mobile devices such as watches, heart monitors, calculators, thermometers \u2013 and even wireless remote entry devices for vehicles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy matching the impedance of the storage device to that of the triboelectric generators, the new system can boost energy efficiency from just one percent to as much as 60 percent. The research was reported December 11 in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Communications\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWith a high-output triboelectric generator and this power management circuit, we can power a range of applications from human motion,\u201d said Simiao Niu, a graduate research assistant in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u201cThe first stage of our system is matched to the triboelectric nanogenerator, and the second stage is matched to the application that it will be powering.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETriboelectric nanogenerators use a combination of the triboelectric effect and electrostatic induction to generate small amounts of electrical power from mechanical motions such as rotation, sliding or vibration. The triboelectric effect takes advantage of the fact that certain materials become electrically charged after they come into moving contact with a surface made from a different material. However, the output is alternating current, which can power applications such as LED lighting \u2013 but is not ideal for mobile devices.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOrdinary alternating current can be converted to direct current by using a transformer \u2013 but such a device requires consistency in the number of cycles per second. Because biomechanical energy sources such as walking or finger tapping produce fluctuating amplitude and variable frequencies, a standard transformer can\u2019t be used. In addition, the output from a triboelectric generator tends to have high voltage and low current \u2013 while applications for it require just the opposite: low voltage and higher current.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo address the problem, Niu and collaborators under the supervision of Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/faculty\/wang\u0022\u003EZhong Lin Wang\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech developed their power management system, which converts the fluctuating power amplitudes and variable frequencies to a continuous direct current.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe power management system can work with any triboelectric generator that produces a minimum of 100 microwatts. The system requires some power to operate, but compensates by increasing the overall output as much as 330 times to reach milliwatt levels.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter what kind of mechanical motion or what frequency of mechanical motion you have as long as the energy input is high,\u201d said Niu. \u201cThis is a critical step in the commercialization of triboelectric nanogenerators because it opens up a range of new applications.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith finger tapping as the only energy source, the power unit provides continuous direct current of 1.044 milliwatts. The unit can work continuously with the motion, allowing devices to be operated even as the device charges the battery or capacitor.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond portable electronics, Niu believes the system could be useful in powering networks of sensors, allowing long-term operation without the need for replacing batteries.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn a sensor network, you would have so many devices that you could not replace all of the batteries,\u201d he said. \u201cThis technology would allow you to power the sensors by harvesting energy from the environment and then directly providing energy for each component of the network.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith the energy management circuitry demonstrated in this proof-of-concept, the next step will be to miniaturize the circuitry to fit into an overall system, said Zhong Ling Wang, a Regents professor in the Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering who led development of the original triboelectric nanogenerators.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis new device provides a bridge between the triboelectric nanogenerator and many different types of applications,\u201d he said. \u201cThis work will allow us to build a package that can power wearable and mobile devices from the motion of humans. With constant output from a battery or large capacitor, you can drive just about any device that you want.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe power management system could also be applied to piezoelectric and pyroelectric generators, which also produce alternating current.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2012, Wang and his research team announced triboelectric nanogenerators that produce small amounts of electricity from motion in the world around us \u2013 by capturing the electrical charge produced when two different kinds of plastic materials rub against one another. Based on flexible polymer materials, the triboelectric generators provide alternating current (AC) from activities such as walking.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVariations in generator structures allow a variety of applications depending on the source of mechanical energy. Wang\u2019s team has reported four major groups of generators including those that operate by (1) vertical contact-separation mode, (2) lateral sliding mode, (3) single-electron mode, and (4) freestanding triboelectric-layer mode. There are also hybrid combinations of these major structural modes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Simiao Niu, Xiaofeng Wang, Fang Yi, Yu Sheng Zhou and Zhong Lin Wang, \u201cA universal self-charging system driven by random biomechanical energy for sustainable operation of mobile electronics,\u201d (Nature Communications, 2015). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/ncomms9975\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/ncomms9975\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30332-0181 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA two-stage power management and storage system could dramatically improve the efficiency of triboelectric generators that harvest energy from irregular human motion such as walking, running or finger tapping.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A power management and storage system could boost energy harvesting."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2016-01-11 17:47:42","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:20:24","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2016-01-11T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2016-01-11T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"484611":{"id":"484611","type":"image","title":"Triboelectric nanogenerator","body":null,"created":"1452898800","gmt_created":"2016-01-15 23:00:00","changed":"1475895236","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:56","alt":"Triboelectric nanogenerator","file":{"fid":"204284","name":"triboelectric_generator.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/triboelectric_generator.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/triboelectric_generator.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":502506,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/triboelectric_generator.jpg?itok=DzCiN2xm"}},"484621":{"id":"484621","type":"image","title":"Shoe with generator","body":null,"created":"1452898800","gmt_created":"2016-01-15 23:00:00","changed":"1475895236","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:56","alt":"Shoe with generator","file":{"fid":"204285","name":"shoe-w-generator.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/shoe-w-generator.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/shoe-w-generator.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1351459,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/shoe-w-generator.png?itok=Y5G3dqI_"}},"484631":{"id":"484631","type":"image","title":"Nanogenerator powering calculator","body":null,"created":"1452898800","gmt_created":"2016-01-15 23:00:00","changed":"1475895239","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:59","alt":"Nanogenerator powering calculator","file":{"fid":"204286","name":"calculator.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/calculator.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/calculator.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":554330,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/calculator.jpg?itok=yeu-gOJu"}}},"media_ids":["484611","484621","484631"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"13689","name":"energy harvesting"},{"id":"1334","name":"nanogenerator"},{"id":"37991","name":"triboelectric"},{"id":"13751","name":"Zhong Lin Wang"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"480171":{"#nid":"480171","#data":{"type":"news","title":"3D \u201cNanobridges\u201d Formed Using Electron Beam Writing with Tiny Jets of Liquid Precursor","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have demonstrated a new process for rapidly fabricating complex three-dimensional nanostructures from a variety of materials, including metals. The new technique uses nanoelectrospray to provide a continuous supply of liquid precursor, which can include metal ions that are converted to high-purity metal by a focused electron beam.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new process generates structures that would be impossible to make using gas-phase focused electron beam-induced deposition (FEBID) techniques, and allows fabrication at rates up to five orders of magnitude faster than the gas-phase technique. And because it uses standard liquid solvents, the new process could take advantage of a broad range of precursor materials. Multiple materials can also be deposited simultaneously.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBy allowing us to grow structures much faster with a broad range of precursors, this technique really opens up a whole new direction for making a hierarchy of complex three-dimensional structures with nanoscale resolution at the rate that is demanded for manufacturing scalability,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/fedorov\u0022\u003EAndrei Fedorov\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u201cThis could provide a fundamental shift in the way this field will go.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy\u2019s Office of Science and reported in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENano Letters\u003C\/em\u003E. Applications for the rapid electron beam writing of topologically complex 3D nanostructures could include new types of electrode topologies for batteries and fuel cells, vertically-stacked electronic memory, substrates for controlling cell differentiation and tiny electrochemical conversion devices.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the established FEBID process, an electron beam is used to write structures from molecules adsorbed onto a solid surface that provides support and nucleation sites for deposit growth. The precursors are introduced into the high-vacuum electron microscope chamber in gas phase. High-energy electrons in the beam interact with the substrate to produce the low-energy secondary electrons, which dissociate the adsorbed precursor molecules, resulting in deposition of solid material onto the substrate surface.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThough it enables precise atom-by-atom fabrication of nanostructures, the process is very slow because the low density of adsorbed gas molecules in the vacuum environment limits the amount of material available for fabrication. And structures must be fabricated from the substrate surface up at continually decreasing growth rate and from a limited number of precursor gases available.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFedorov and his collaborators have dramatically accelerated the process by introducing electrically-charged liquid-phase precursors directly into high vacuum of the electron microscope chamber. Liquid-phase precursors had been demonstrated before, but the materials had to be enclosed in a tiny capsule where the reaction took place, limiting fabrication flexibility, capacity and utility of the approach for 3D nanofabrication.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research team \u2013 including graduate student and first author Jeffrey Fisher, postdoctoral fellow Songkil Kim and senior research engineer Peter Kottke \u2013 used low volatility solvents such as ethylene glycol, dissolving a salt of silver in the liquid. In solution, the salt dissociates into silver cations, allowing production of silver metal deposits by electrochemical reduction reaction using solvated secondary electrons rather direct molecular decomposition.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe solvent containing the desired material ions is introduced into the chamber using a nanoelectrospray system composed of a tiny nozzle just a few microns in diameter. By applying the focused electric field to the nozzle, the fluid jet is drawn and delivers to the substrate forming a precisely controlled thin liquid film.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe electrospray produces nanometer-scale charged droplets from a Taylor cone jet just 100 nanometers in diameter, which coalesce upon impingement and form a thin film of the precursor on the solid substrate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research team used the electron beam itself to visualize the Taylor cone jet in the vacuum environment, the first time this has ever demonstrated, as well as to measure the thickness of the liquid film in situ by using a nanoscale \u201cruler\u201d prefabricated on the deposition substrate. The electron beam then scans over the liquid film following a desired pattern, producing suitable energy electrons which solvate and reduce the cations, writing structures in precise formation from the precursor delivered by the electrified jet. Though evaporation of the solvent does occur, the nanoelectrospray can maintain a stable film long enough for the structures to form.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe combination of a denser precursor, reduction in material surface transfer problems and elimination of the need to break chemical bonds with the electron beam allows fabrication up to five orders of magnitude \u2013 a factor of 5,000 \u2013 faster than the earlier gas-phase technique.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBy changing the energy of the beam and current, we can preferentially grow nanostructures in 3D at much faster rate,\u201d Fedorov said. \u201cAll of a sudden, there are a whole host of different applications that were not possible before.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVarying the precursor type, film thickness, concentration of ions and the energy and current of the electron beam controls the kinds of structures that can be made, Fedorov said. Structures such as bridges connecting posts become possible because material can be written atop the thin films.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers have fabricated carbon nanopillars five microns tall, wall-like nanostructures connecting two nanopillars, and suspended bridge-like arch nanostructures connecting nanopillars. The structures required growth times ranging from 2 to 40 seconds. Silver micropillars have also been fabricated.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new process allows considerable flexibility in fabrication, opening the possibility of depositing more than one material simultaneously. That could allow production of alloys and composites, such as combinations of silver and gold. Or, one material could be used as a template to be coated by another material with the simple substitution of precursor materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo far, the Georgia Tech team has produced structures of silver and carbon, but the process could be used to fabricate a wide range of metallic and non-metallic nanomaterials. Metals produced using the technique can be highly pure because a carbon-producing precursor dissociation step can be mitigated.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe next step will be to understand the physics and chemistry governing the fabrication process to allow more precise control and to guide others who may wish to use it for their own specific applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe expect that the role of the solvents is going to be very important in the kinds of kinetic pathways that we can control to produce many different kinds of structures with desired chemical make-up,\u201d said Fedorov. \u201cThis gives us an opportunity to explore a regime of chemistry and physics that had previously been outside what we could study. We want to establish an understanding of the basic physics and chemistry of the process.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFuture work will include a study of how the interaction of beams with different energies, vacuum environments, solvents and concentrations of ionic species affect the outcome.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe have demonstrated that we can electrospray liquid precursors inside a high vacuum environment of an electron microscope and then use electrons to facilitate useful chemical transformations,\u201d said Fedorov. \u201cWe think this will enable scientists and engineers to make structures they had only been able to dream of before.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, under award number DE-SC0010729. The comments contained in this article are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Department of Energy.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: \u003C\/em\u003EJeffrey S. Fischer, Peter A. Kottke, Songkil Kim and Andrei G. Fedorov, \u201cRapid Electron Beam Writing of Topologically Complex 3D Nanostructures Using Liquid Phase Precursor,\u201d (Nano Letters, 15 (12), 8385\u20138391, 2015).\u003Cem\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1021\/acs.nanolett.5b04225\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1021\/acs.nanolett.5b04225\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30332-0181 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) (404-894-6986).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have demonstrated a new process for rapidly fabricating complex three-dimensional nanostructures from a variety of materials, including metals. The new technique uses nanoelectrospray to provide a continuous supply of liquid precursor, which can include metal ions that are converted to high-purity metal by a focused electron beam.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have demonstrated a new process for rapidly fabricating complex three-dimensional nanostructures from a variety of materials, including metals."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2015-12-18 11:53:16","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:20:20","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2015-12-18T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2015-12-18T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"480121":{"id":"480121","type":"image","title":"Nanobridges schematic","body":null,"created":"1450468800","gmt_created":"2015-12-18 20:00:00","changed":"1475895232","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:52","alt":"Nanobridges schematic","file":{"fid":"204174","name":"schematic.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/schematic_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/schematic_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":137279,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/schematic_1.jpg?itok=qHsbe3qm"}},"480141":{"id":"480141","type":"image","title":"Nanobridges deposition","body":null,"created":"1450468800","gmt_created":"2015-12-18 20:00:00","changed":"1475895232","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:52","alt":"Nanobridges deposition","file":{"fid":"204176","name":"deposition.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/deposition_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/deposition_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":56821,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/deposition_0.jpg?itok=aqW6eBOG"}},"480161":{"id":"480161","type":"image","title":"Nanobridges researchers","body":null,"created":"1450468800","gmt_created":"2015-12-18 20:00:00","changed":"1475895232","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:52","alt":"Nanobridges researchers","file":{"fid":"204177","name":"nanobridges-2534.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nanobridges-2534_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nanobridges-2534_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1259379,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/nanobridges-2534_0.jpg?itok=Waq2Ie9r"}}},"media_ids":["480121","480141","480161"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2781","name":"Andrei Fedorov"},{"id":"7339","name":"deposition"},{"id":"143091","name":"electron beam"},{"id":"541","name":"Mechanical Engineering"},{"id":"169798","name":"nanobridges"},{"id":"1786","name":"nanostructures"},{"id":"107","name":"Nanotechnology"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"480521":{"#nid":"480521","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Acoustic Technique Reveals Structural Information in Nanoscale Materials","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUnderstanding where and how phase transitions occur is critical to developing new generations of the materials used in high-performance batteries, sensors, energy-harvesting devices, medical diagnostic equipment and other applications. But until now there was no good way to study and simultaneously map these phenomena at the relevant length scales.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed a new nondestructive technique for investigating these material changes by examining the acoustic response at the nanoscale. Information obtained from this technique \u2013 which uses electrically-conductive atomic force microscope (AFM) probes \u2013 could guide efforts to design materials with enhanced properties at small size scales.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe approach has been used in ferroelectric materials, but could also have applications in ferroelastics, solid protonic acids and materials known as relaxors. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy\u2019s Office of Science, the research was reported December 15 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EAdvanced Functional Materials\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe have developed a new characterization technique that allows us to study changes in the crystalline structure and changes in materials behavior at substantially smaller length scales with a relatively simple approach,\u201d said Nazanin Bassiri-Gharb, an associate professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. \u201cKnowing where these phase transitions happen and at which length scales can help us design next-generation materials.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn ferroelectric materials such as PZT (lead zirconate titanate), phase transitions can occur at the boundaries between one crystal type and another, under external stimuli. Properties such as the piezoelectric and dielectric effects can be amplified at the boundaries, which are caused by the multi-element \u201cconfused chemistry\u201d of the materials. Determining when these transitions occur can be done in bulk materials using various techniques, and at the smallest scales using an electron microscope.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers realized they could detect these phase transitions using acoustic techniques in samples at size scales between the bulk and tens of atoms. Using band-excitation piezoresponse force microscopy (BE-PFM) techniques developed at ORNL, they analyzed the resulting changes in resonant frequencies to detect phase changes in sample sizes relevant to the material applications. To do that, they applied an electric field to the samples using an AFM tip that had been coated with platinum to make it conductive, and through generation and detection of a band of frequencies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019ve had very good techniques for characterizing these phase changes at the large scale, and we\u2019ve been able to use electron microscopy to figure out almost atomistically where the phase transition occurs, but until this technique was developed, we had nothing in between,\u201d said Bassiri-Gharb. \u201cTo influence the structure of these materials through chemical or other means, we really needed to know where the transition breaks down, and at what length scale that occurs. This technique fills a gap in our knowledge.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe changes the researchers detect acoustically are due to the elastic properties of the materials, so virtually any material with similar changes in elastic properties could be studied in this way. Bassiri-Gharb is interested in ferroelectrics such as PZT, but materials used in fuel cells, batteries, transducers and energy-harvesting devices could also be examined this way.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis new method will allow for much greater insight into energy-harvesting and energy transduction materials at the relevant length sales,\u201d noted Rama Vasudeven, the first author of the paper and a materials scientist at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, a U.S. Department of Energy user facility at ORNL.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers also modeled the relaxor-ferroelectric materials using thermodynamic methods, which supported the existence of a phase transition and the evolution of a complex domain pattern, in agreement with the experimental results.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUse of the AFM-based technique offers a number of attractive features. Laboratories already using AFM equipment can easily modify it to analyze these materials by adding electronic components and a conductive probe tip, Bassiri-Gharb noted. The AFM equipment can be operated under a range of temperature, electric field and other environmental conditions that are not easily implemented for electron microscope analysis, allowing scientists to study these materials under realistic operating conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis technique can probe a range of different materials at small scales and under difficult environmental conditions that would be inaccessible otherwise,\u201d said Bassiri-Gharb. \u201cMaterials used in energy applications experience these kinds of conditions, and our technique can provide the information we need to engineer materials with enhanced responses.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThough widely used, relaxor-ferroelectrics and PZT are still not well understood. In relaxor-ferroelectrics, for example, it\u2019s believed that there are pockets of material in phases that differ from the bulk, a distortion that may help confer the material\u2019s attractive properties. Using their technique, the researchers confirmed that the phase transitions can be extremely localized.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey also learned that high responses of the materials occurred at those same locations.\u003Cbr \/\u003ENext steps would include varying the chemical composition of the material to see if those transitions \u2013 and enhanced properties \u2013 can be controlled. The researchers also plan to examine other materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt turns out that many energy-related materials have electrical transitions, so we think this is going to be very important for studying functional materials in general,\u201d Bassiri-Gharb added. \u201cThe potential for gaining new understanding of these materials and their applications are huge.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) through grant DMR-1255379. A portion of this research was conducted at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, which is a DOE Office of Science User Facility at ORNL. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NSF or DOE.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Rama K. Vasudevan, et al., \u201cAcoustic Detection of Phase Transitions at the Nanoscale,\u201d (Advanced Functional Materials, 2015). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1002\/adfm.201504407\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1002\/adfm.201504407\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30332-0181 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed a new nondestructive technique for investigating phase transitions in materials by examining the acoustic response at the nanoscale.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have developed a new technique for investigating phase transitions in materials by examining the acoustic response at the nanoscale."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2015-12-28 15:07:54","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:20:20","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2015-12-28T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2015-12-28T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"480491":{"id":"480491","type":"image","title":"AFM Cantilever Horizontal","body":null,"created":"1451937600","gmt_created":"2016-01-04 20:00:00","changed":"1475895234","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:54","alt":"AFM Cantilever Horizontal","file":{"fid":"204189","name":"cantilever-schematic-horizonal.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cantilever-schematic-horizonal_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cantilever-schematic-horizonal_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":384620,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/cantilever-schematic-horizonal_0.jpg?itok=5PBcmu0e"}},"480501":{"id":"480501","type":"image","title":"AFM Cantilever Vertical","body":null,"created":"1451937600","gmt_created":"2016-01-04 20:00:00","changed":"1475895234","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:54","alt":"AFM Cantilever Vertical","file":{"fid":"204190","name":"cantilever-schematic.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cantilever-schematic_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cantilever-schematic_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":704851,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/cantilever-schematic_0.jpg?itok=nsUkH-VA"}},"480511":{"id":"480511","type":"image","title":"Energy Levels","body":null,"created":"1451937600","gmt_created":"2016-01-04 20:00:00","changed":"1475895234","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:54","alt":"Energy Levels","file":{"fid":"204191","name":"energy_plots.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/energy_plots_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/energy_plots_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":137722,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/energy_plots_0.jpg?itok=LbXUfUmB"}}},"media_ids":["480491","480501","480511"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1501","name":"acoustic"},{"id":"2779","name":"AFM"},{"id":"171553","name":"AFM cantilever"},{"id":"7826","name":"Batteries"},{"id":"431","name":"nanoscale"},{"id":"13686","name":"Nazanin Bassiri-Gharb"},{"id":"169799","name":"phase transition"},{"id":"167066","name":"sensors"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"452781":{"#nid":"452781","#data":{"type":"news","title":"First Optical Rectenna \u2013 Combined Rectifier and Antenna \u2013 Converts Light to DC Current","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing nanometer-scale components, researchers have demonstrated the first optical rectenna, a device that combines the functions of an antenna and a rectifier diode to convert light directly into DC current.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBased on multiwall carbon nanotubes and tiny rectifiers fabricated onto them, the optical rectennas could provide a new technology for photodetectors that would operate without the need for cooling, energy harvesters that would convert waste heat to electricity \u2013 and ultimately for a new way to efficiently capture solar energy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the new devices, developed by engineers at the Georgia Institute of Technology, the carbon nanotubes act as antennas to capture light from the sun or other sources. As the waves of light hit the nanotube antennas, they create an oscillating charge that moves through rectifier devices attached to them. The rectifiers switch on and off at record high petahertz speeds, creating a small direct current.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBillions of rectennas in an array can produce significant current, though the efficiency of the devices demonstrated so far remains below one percent. The researchers hope to boost that output through optimization techniques, and believe that a rectenna with commercial potential may be available within a year.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe could ultimately make solar cells that are twice as efficient at a cost that is ten times lower, and that is to me an opportunity to change the world in a very big way\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/cola\u0022\u003EBaratunde Cola\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech. \u201cAs a robust, high-temperature detector, these rectennas could be a completely disruptive technology if we can get to one percent efficiency. If we can get to higher efficiencies, we could apply it to energy conversion technologies and solar energy capture.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research, supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Space and Naval Warfare (SPAWAR) Systems Center and the Army Research Office (ARO), was reported September 28 in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Nanotechnology\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDeveloped in the 1960s and 1970s, rectennas have operated at wavelengths as short as ten microns, but for more than 40 years researchers have been attempting to make devices at optical wavelengths. There were many challenges: making the antennas small enough to couple optical wavelengths, and fabricating a matching rectifier diode small enough and able to operate fast enough to capture the electromagnetic wave oscillations. But the potential of high efficiency and low cost kept scientists working on the technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe physics and the scientific concepts have been out there,\u201d said Cola. \u201cNow was the perfect time to try some new things and make a device work, thanks to advances in fabrication technology.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing metallic multiwall carbon nanotubes and nanoscale fabrication techniques, Cola and collaborators Asha Sharma, Virendra Singh and Thomas Bougher constructed devices that utilize the wave nature of light rather than its particle nature. They also used a long series of tests \u2013 and more than a thousand devices \u2013 to verify measurements of both current and voltage to confirm the existence of rectenna functions that had been predicted theoretically. The devices operated at a range of temperatures from 5 to 77 degrees Celsius.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFabricating the rectennas begins with growing forests of vertically-aligned carbon nanotubes on a conductive substrate. Using atomic layer chemical vapor deposition, the nanotubes are coated with an aluminum oxide material to insulate them. Finally, physical vapor deposition is used to deposit optically-transparent thin layers of calcium then aluminum metals atop the nanotube forest. The difference of work functions between the nanotubes and the calcium provides a potential of about two electron volts, enough to drive electrons out of the carbon nanotube antennas when they are excited by light.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn operation, oscillating waves of light pass through the transparent calcium-aluminum electrode and interact with the nanotubes. The metal-insulator-metal junctions at the nanotube tips serve as rectifiers switching on and off at femtosecond intervals, allowing electrons generated by the antenna to flow one way into the top electrode. Ultra-low capacitance, on the order of a few attofarads, enables the 10-nanometer diameter diode to operate at these exceptional frequencies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA rectenna is basically an antenna coupled to a diode, but when you move into the optical spectrum, that usually means a nanoscale antenna coupled to a metal-insulator-metal diode,\u201d Cola explained. \u201cThe closer you can get the antenna to the diode, the more efficient it is. So the ideal structure uses the antenna as one of the metals in the diode \u2013 which is the structure we made.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe rectennas fabricated by Cola\u2019s group are grown on rigid substrates, but the goal is to grow them on a foil or other material that would produce flexible solar cells or photodetectors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECola sees the rectennas built so far as simple proof of principle. He has ideas for how to improve the efficiency by changing the materials, opening the carbon nanotubes to allow multiple conduction channels, and reducing resistance in the structures.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe think we can reduce the resistance by several orders of magnitude just by improving the fabrication of our device structures,\u201d he said. \u201cBased on what others have done and what the theory is showing us, I believe that these devices could get to greater than 40 percent efficiency.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis work was supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Space and Naval Warfare (SPAWAR) Systems Center, Pacific under YFA grant N66001-09-1-2091, and by the Army Research Office (ARO), through the Young Investigator Program (YIP), under agreement W911NF-13-1-0491. The statements in this release are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official views of DARPA, SPAWAR or ARO. Georgia Tech has filed international patent applications related to this work under PCT\/US2013\/065918 in the United States (U.S.S.N. 14\/434,118), Europe (No. 13847632.0), Japan (No. 2015-538110) and China (No. 201380060639.2)\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Asha Sharma, Virendra Singh, Thomas L. Bougher and Baratunde A. Cola, \u201cA carbon nanotube optical rectenna,\u201d (Nature Nanotechnology, 2015). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/nnano.2015.220\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/nnano.2015.220\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30332-0181 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) (404-894-6986)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing nanometer-scale components, researchers have demonstrated the first optical rectenna, a device that combines the functions of an antenna and a rectifier diode to convert light directly into DC current.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have demonstrated the first optical rectenna, a device that converts light directly into DC current."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2015-09-28 10:40:23","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:19:40","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2015-09-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2015-09-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"452711":{"id":"452711","type":"image","title":"Optical rectenna schematic","body":null,"created":"1449256297","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:11:37","changed":"1475895194","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:14","alt":"Optical rectenna schematic","file":{"fid":"203384","name":"rectenna1_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/rectenna1_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/rectenna1_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":377954,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/rectenna1_0.jpg?itok=-ESG-ij_"}},"452731":{"id":"452731","type":"image","title":"Optical rectenna converts laser light","body":null,"created":"1449256297","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:11:37","changed":"1475895194","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:14","alt":"Optical rectenna converts laser light","file":{"fid":"203386","name":"rectenna2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/rectenna2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/rectenna2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2203971,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/rectenna2_0.jpg?itok=mdS-b85V"}},"452741":{"id":"452741","type":"image","title":"Measuring output from optical rectenna","body":null,"created":"1449256297","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:11:37","changed":"1475895194","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:14","alt":"Measuring output from optical rectenna","file":{"fid":"203387","name":"rectenna6.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/rectenna6_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/rectenna6_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2806905,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/rectenna6_0.jpg?itok=RYtr5xPg"}},"452751":{"id":"452751","type":"image","title":"Optical rectenna research team","body":null,"created":"1449256297","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:11:37","changed":"1475895194","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:14","alt":"Optical rectenna research team","file":{"fid":"203388","name":"rectenna7.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/rectenna7_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/rectenna7_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":6256441,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/rectenna7_0.jpg?itok=QZI6g3N9"}}},"media_ids":["452711","452731","452741","452751"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2616","name":"antenna"},{"id":"8875","name":"Baratunde Cola"},{"id":"5209","name":"carbon nanotubes"},{"id":"14545","name":"George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering"},{"id":"431","name":"nanoscale"},{"id":"107","name":"Nanotechnology"},{"id":"142851","name":"optical rectenna"},{"id":"142901","name":"rectifier"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"453401":{"#nid":"453401","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Disappearing Carbon Circuits on Graphene Could Have Security, Biomedical Uses","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn the television drama \u201cMission Impossible,\u201d instructions for the mission were delivered on an audio tape that destroyed itself immediately after being played. Should that series ever be revived, its producers might want to talk with Georgia Institute of Technology professor Andrei Fedorov about using his \u201cdisappearing circuits\u201d to deliver the instructions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing carbon atoms deposited on graphene with a focused electron beam process, Fedorov and collaborators have demonstrated a technique for creating dynamic patterns on graphene surfaces. The patterns could be used to make reconfigurable electronic circuits, which evolve over a period of hours before ultimately disappearing into a new electronic state of the graphene. Graphene is also made up of carbon atoms, but in a highly-ordered form.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EReported in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENanoscale\u003C\/em\u003E, the research was primarily supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science, and involved collaboration with researchers from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. Beyond allowing fabrication of disappearing circuits, the technology could be used as a form of timed release in which the dissipation of the carbon patterns could control other processes, such as the release of biomolecules.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe will now be able to draw electronic circuits that evolve over time,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/fedorov\u0022\u003EAndrei Fedorov\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech. \u201cYou could design a circuit that operates one way now, but after waiting a day for the carbon to diffuse over the graphene surface, you would no longer have an electronic device. Today the device would do one thing; tomorrow it would do something entirely different.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project began as a way to clean up hydrocarbons contaminating the surface of the graphene. But the researchers soon realized they could use it to create patterns, utilizing the amorphous carbon produced via electron beam \u201cwriting\u201d as a dopant to create negatively-charged sections of graphene.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers were initially perplexed to discover that their newly-formed patterns disappeared over time. They used electronic measurements and atomic force microscopy to confirm that the carbon patterns had moved on the graphene surface to ultimately form a uniform coverage over an entire graphene surface. The change usually occurs over tens of hours, and ultimately converts positively-charged (p-doped) surface regions to surfaces with a uniformly negative charge (n-doped) while forming an intermediate p-n junction domain in the course of this evolution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe electronic structures continuously change over time,\u201d Fedorov explained. \u201cThat gives you a reconfigurable device, especially since our carbon deposition is done not using bulk films, but rather an electron beam that is used to draw where you want a negatively-doped domain to exist.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGraphene consists of carbon atoms arranged in a tight lattice. The unique structure provides attractive electronic properties that have led to widespread study of graphene as a potential new material for advanced electronics applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut graphene still consists of carbon atoms, and when patterns are deposited on the surface with ordinary carbon atoms, they begin slowly migrating over the graphene surface. The speed at which the atoms move around can be adjusted by varying the temperature or by fabricating structures that direct the movement of the atoms. The carbon atoms can also be \u201cfrozen\u201d into a fixed pattern by using a laser to convert them to graphite \u2013 another form of carbon.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere are multiple ways to modulate the dynamic state, through changing the temperature because that controls the diffusion rate of carbon, by directing the atomic flow, or by changing the carbon phase,\u201d Fedorov said. \u201cThe carbon deposited through the focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID) process is linked to graphene very loosely through van der Waals interactions, so it is mobile.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond the potential security applications for disappearing circuits, Fedorov sees the possibility of simplified control mechanisms that would use the diffusing patterns to turn processes off at preset intervals. The technique might also be used to time the release of pharmaceuticals or other biomedical processes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou could write information in ones and zeroes with the electron beam, use the device to transfer information, and then two hours later the information will have disappeared,\u201d he said. \u201cInstead of relying on complex control algorithms that a microprocessor has to execute, by changing the dynamic state or the electronic system itself, your program could become very simple. Perhaps there could be certain activated, triggered processes that could benefit from this type of behavior in which the electronic state changes continuously over time.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFedorov and his collaborators have so far shown only the ability to create simple patterns of charged domains in the graphene. Their next step will be to use their p-n junctions to create devices that would operate for specific periods of time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFedorov admits that this dynamic carbon patterning could pose a challenge for electrical engineers accustomed to static devices that perform the same functions day after day. But he thinks that some will find useful applications for this new phenomena.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe have made a critical step in discovery and understanding,\u201d he said. \u201cThe next step will be to demonstrate a complicated and unique application which would otherwise be impossible to do with a conventional circuit. That would bring a whole new level of excitement to this.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESongkil Kim, a post-doctoral fellow in Fedorov group, was a lead researcher in this work assisted by Georgia Tech\u2019s graduate students M. Russell and M. Henry. Other collaborators on the project include S. S. Kim, R. R. Naik, and A. A. Voevodin from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory and S. S. Jang, and V. V. Tsukruk from the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences (BES), under Award DE-SC0010729 and by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) through BIONIC Center Award FA9550-09-1-0162. The comments and conclusions are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the DOE or AFOSR.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: S. Kim, et al., \u201cDynamic modulation of electronic properties of graphene by localized carbon doping using focused electron beam induced deposition,\u201d (Nanoscale 7, 14946-14952, 2015). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1039\/c5nr04063a\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1039\/c5nr04063a\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30332-0181 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing carbon atoms deposited on graphene with a focused electron beam process, researchers have demonstrated a technique for creating dynamic patterns on graphene surfaces. The patterns could be used to make reconfigurable electronic circuits.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have demonstrated a technique for creating dynamic patterns on graphene surfaces."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2015-09-29 10:50:53","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:19:40","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2015-09-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2015-09-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"453351":{"id":"453351","type":"image","title":"Electron beam writing","body":null,"created":"1449256297","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:11:37","changed":"1475895197","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:17","alt":"Electron beam writing","file":{"fid":"203411","name":"electron-beam-writing.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/electron-beam-writing.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/electron-beam-writing.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":87461,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/electron-beam-writing.jpg?itok=i1pB0n1E"}},"453361":{"id":"453361","type":"image","title":"Graphene surface","body":null,"created":"1449256297","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:11:37","changed":"1475895197","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:17","alt":"Graphene surface","file":{"fid":"203412","name":"graphene-surface2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/graphene-surface2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/graphene-surface2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":93659,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/graphene-surface2_0.jpg?itok=dzgVkvmT"}},"453371":{"id":"453371","type":"image","title":"Graphene doping with carbon","body":null,"created":"1449256297","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:11:37","changed":"1475895197","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:17","alt":"Graphene doping with carbon","file":{"fid":"203413","name":"graphene-doping.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/graphene-doping_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/graphene-doping_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":410756,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/graphene-doping_0.jpg?itok=qOU1K-Pg"}}},"media_ids":["453351","453361","453371"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2781","name":"Andrei Fedorov"},{"id":"610","name":"carbon"},{"id":"8458","name":"doping"},{"id":"143131","name":"focused electron beam"},{"id":"429","name":"graphene"},{"id":"52411","name":"p-n junction"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"449831":{"#nid":"449831","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Supports NSF National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETo advance nanoscale science, engineering and technology research, the National Science Foundation (NSF) will provide a total of $81 million over five years to support 16 user facility sites and a coordinating office as part of a new National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe NNCI sites will provide researchers from academia, small and large companies, and government with access to university user facilities with leading-edge fabrication and characterization tools, instrumentation, and expertise within all disciplines of nanoscale science, engineering and technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe NNCI framework builds on the National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN), which enabled major discoveries, innovations and contributions to education and commerce for more than 10 years. The NNCI awards are for up to five years and range from $500,000 to $1.6 million each per year. The 16 NNCI sites are located in 15 states and involve 27 universities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs part of the NNCI, the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering (JSNN) -- an academic collaboration between North Carolina A\u0026amp;T State University (NCA\u0026amp;T) and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) -- will receive $1.6 million per year to form the Southeastern Nanotechnology Infrastructure Corridor (SENIC) to provide nanotechnology shared user facilities, educational outreach, and social impact awareness. These efforts will be led by the Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology (IEN) at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThrough the NNCI, the Southeastern Nanotechnology Infrastructure Corridor combines the infrastructure strengths of both Georgia Tech and the JSNN to provide our users access to one of the largest and most modern nano-fabrication and nano-characterization tool sets in the country,\u201d said Oliver Brand, executive director of IEN and director of SENIC. \u201cThis partnership provides particular strength in the ability to connect nanomaterials and devices to full packaged systems. In providing users with access to more than 230 nanotechnology fabrication and characterization tools, SENIC offers both top-down and bottom-up approaches for nanofabrication through nanoscale patterning, as well as nanomaterials synthesis and additive processing.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond support for nanotechnology research and development, SENIC partners will support undergraduate and graduate students, in collaboration with two-year technical colleges. The goal is to produce science and technology professionals from diverse backgrounds to meet the workforce demands of the 21st century.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESENIC will also provide public outreach activities, with hands-on classroom activities and interactive facility tours designed to encourage K-12 students to join the STEM pipeline. With its educational program, SENIC will provide education on the social and ethical implications associated with the role that nanoscale science and engineering will contribute to solving societal, environmental and economic challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENanoscale science and engineering requires the use of complex and expensive tools, along with companion facilities and support from those with highly specialized training in the operation and application of such tools and laboratories. To meet these needs, Georgia Tech has emphasized the growth of shared-user facilities like SENIC.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022With this NSF support, we will be able to provide external users from academia and industry with the environment, tools, and the excellent staff support to get them familiar with nanotechnology capabilities and successfully apply nanotechnology to solve their challenges and enhance their products,\u201d said Stephen E. Cross, Georgia Tech\u2019s executive vice president for research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new NNCI is part of the NSF\u2019s commitment to providing infrastructure support for nanoscale research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cNSF\u2019s long-standing investments in nanotechnology infrastructure have helped the research community to make great progress by making research facilities available,\u201d said Pramod Khargonekar, NSF\u2019s assistant director for engineering. \u201cNNCI will serve as a nationwide backbone for nanoscale research, which will lead to continuing innovations and economic and societal benefits.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to Brand, who is also a professor in the Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, SENIC leadership will also be provided by Daniel Herr, professor and nanoscience department chair at JSNN, who will serve as co-director.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor more information about IEN and JSNN capabilities and how to access equipment and facilities, please see each of the following:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s IEN: \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/cleanroom.ien.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/cleanroom.ien.gatech.edu\/\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJSNN: \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/jsnn.ncat.uncg.edu\/facility\/\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/jsnn.ncat.uncg.edu\/facility\/\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech is part of the NSF\u0027s new National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI), which will\u0026nbsp;provide researchers from academia, small and large companies, and government with access to university user facilities with leading-edge fabrication and characterization tools, instrumentation, and expertise within all disciplines of nanoscale science, engineering and technology.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech is part of the NSF\u0027s new National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI)."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2015-09-18 16:09:14","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:19:36","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2015-09-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2015-09-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"449801":{"id":"449801","type":"image","title":"Marcus Building","body":null,"created":"1449256264","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:11:04","changed":"1475895192","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:12","alt":"Marcus Building","file":{"fid":"203304","name":"senic-006.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/senic-006_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/senic-006_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2668050,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/senic-006_0.jpg?itok=0c8OTdPz"}},"449811":{"id":"449811","type":"image","title":"Carbon nanotube growth","body":null,"created":"1449256264","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:11:04","changed":"1475895192","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:12","alt":"Carbon nanotube growth","file":{"fid":"203305","name":"senic-007.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/senic-007_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/senic-007_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2398246,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/senic-007_0.jpg?itok=BcdDbMvr"}},"449821":{"id":"449821","type":"image","title":"JSSN","body":null,"created":"1449256264","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:11:04","changed":"1475895192","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:12","alt":"JSSN","file":{"fid":"203306","name":"senic-jssn_bldg.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/senic-jssn_bldg_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/senic-jssn_bldg_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":824950,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/senic-jssn_bldg_0.jpg?itok=hroZldGM"}}},"media_ids":["449801","449811","449821"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4264","name":"fabrication"},{"id":"172","name":"infrastructure"},{"id":"107","name":"Nanotechnology"},{"id":"141971","name":"NNCI"},{"id":"363","name":"NSF"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"451631":{"#nid":"451631","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Nano-mechanical Study Offers New Assessment of Silicon for Next-gen Batteries","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA detailed nano-mechanical study of mechanical degradation processes in silicon structures containing varying levels of lithium ions offers good news for researchers attempting to develop reliable next-generation rechargeable batteries using silicon-based electrodes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnodes \u2013 the negative electrodes \u2013 based on silicon can theoretically store up to ten times more lithium ions than conventional graphite electrodes, making the material attractive for use in high-performance lithium-ion batteries. However, the brittleness of the material has discouraged efforts to use pure silicon in battery anodes, which must withstand dramatic volume changes during charge and discharge cycles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing a combination of experimental and simulation techniques, researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology and three other research organizations have reported surprisingly high damage tolerance in electrochemically-lithiated silicon materials. The work suggests that all-silicon anodes may be commercially viable if battery charge levels are kept high enough to maintain the material in its ductile state.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESupported by the National Science Foundation, the research was reported September 24 in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Communications\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSilicon has a very high theoretical capacity, but because of the perceived mechanical issues, people have been frustrated about using it in next-generation batteries,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/xia\u0022\u003EShuman Xia\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech. \u201cBut our research shows that lithiated silicon is not as brittle as we may have thought. If we work carefully with the operational window and depth of discharge, our results suggest we can potentially design very durable silicon-based batteries.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELithium ion batteries are used today in a wide range of applications from hand-held mobile devices up to laptop computers and electric vehicles. A new generation of high-capacity batteries could facilitate expanded transportation applications and large-scale storage of electricity produced by renewable sources.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe challenge is to get more lithium ions into the anodes and cathodes of the batteries. Today\u2019s lithium batteries use graphite anodes, but silicon has been identified as an alternative because it can store substantially more lithium ions per atom. However, storing those ions produces a volume change of up to 280 percent, causing stress that can crack anodes made from pure silicon, leading to significant performance degradation. One strategy is to use a composite of silicon particles and graphite, but that does not realize the full potential of silicon for boosting battery capacity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn an effort to understand what was happening with the materials, the research team used a series of systematic nano-mechanical tests, backed up by molecular dynamics simulations. To facilitate their study, they used silicon nanowires and electrochemical cells containing silicon films that were about 300 nanometers in thickness.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers studied the stress produced by lithiation of the silicon thin films, and used a nanoindenter \u2013 a tiny tip used to apply pressure on the film surface \u2013 to study crack propagation in these thin films, which contained varying amounts of lithium ions. Lithium-lean silicon cracked under the indentation stress, but the researchers were surprised to find that above a certain concentration of lithium, they could no longer crack the thin film samples.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing unique experimental equipment to assess the effects of mechanical bending on partially lithiated silcon nanotires, researchers led by Professor Scott Mao at the University of Pittsburgh studied the nanowire damage mechanisms in real-time using a transmission electron microscope (TEM). Their in-situ testing showed that the silicon cores of the nanowires remained brittle, while the outer portion of the wires became more ductile as they absorbed lithium.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur nanoindentation and TEM experiments were very consistent,\u201d said Xia. \u201cBoth suggest that lithiated silicon material becomes very tolerant of damage as the lithium concentration goes above a certain level \u2013 a lithium-to-silicon molar ratio of about 1.5. Beyond this level, we can\u2019t even induce cracking with very large indentation loads.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/t_zhu\u0022\u003ETing Zhu\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech, conducted detailed molecular dynamics simulations to understand what was happening in the electrochemically-lithiated silicon. As more lithium entered the silicon structures, he found, the ductile lithium-lithium and lithium-silicon bonds overcame the brittleness of the silicon-silicon bonds, giving the resulting lithium-silicon alloy more desirable fracture strength.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn our simulation of lithium-rich alloys, the lithium-lithium bonds dominate,\u201d Zhu said. \u201cThe formation of damage and propagation of cracking can be effectively suppressed due to the large fraction of lithium-lithium and lithium-silicon bonds. Our simulation revealed the underpinnings of the alloy\u2019s transition from a brittle state to a ductile state.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing the results of the studies, the researchers charted the changing mechanical properties of the silicon structures as a function of their lithium content. By suggesting a range of operating conditions under which the silicon remains ductile, Xia hopes the work will cause battery engineers to take a new look at all-silicon electrodes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur work has fundamental and immediate implications for the development of high-capacity lithium-based batteries, both from practical and fundamental points of view,\u201d he said. \u201cLithiated silicon can have a very high damage tolerance beyond a threshold value of lithium concentration. This tells us that silicon-based batteries could be made very durable if we carefully control the depth of discharge.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn future work, Xia and Zhu hope to study the mechanical properties of germanium, another potential anode material for high-rate rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. They will also look at all-solid batteries, which would operate without a liquid electrolyte to shuttle ions between the two electrodes. \u201cWe hope to find a solid electrolyte with both high lithium ion conductivity and good mechanical strength for replacing the current liquid electrolytes that are highly flammable,\u201d Zhu said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe research framework we have developed here is of general applicability to a very wide range of electrode materials,\u201d Xia noted. \u201cWe believe this work will stimulate a lot of new directions in battery research.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported by the National Science Foundation through grants CMMI-1300458, CMMI-1100205 and NSF-DMR-1410936. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Science Foundation.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Xueju Wang, et al., \u201c\u003Cem\u003EHigh Damage Tolerance of Electrochemically Lithiated Silicon\u003C\/em\u003E,\u201d (Nature Communications, 2015). (\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/ncomms9417\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/ncomms9417\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30332-0181 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA detailed nano-mechanical study of mechanical degradation processes in silicon structures containing varying levels of lithium ions offers good news for researchers attempting to develop reliable next-generation rechargeable batteries using silicon-based electrodes.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new nano-mechanical study of silicon structures offers good news for battery researchers."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2015-09-24 11:01:31","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:19:36","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2015-09-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2015-09-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"451571":{"id":"451571","type":"image","title":"Examining thin film silicon","body":null,"created":"1449256280","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:11:20","changed":"1475895194","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:14","alt":"Examining thin film silicon","file":{"fid":"203343","name":"silicon-anode003.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/silicon-anode003_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/silicon-anode003_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1692767,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/silicon-anode003_0.jpg?itok=IxqCKEYR"}},"451581":{"id":"451581","type":"image","title":"Testing lithiated silicon","body":null,"created":"1449256280","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:11:20","changed":"1475895194","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:14","alt":"Testing lithiated silicon","file":{"fid":"203344","name":"silicon-anode007.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/silicon-anode007_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/silicon-anode007_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1401521,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/silicon-anode007_0.jpg?itok=2MKmT7JJ"}},"451591":{"id":"451591","type":"image","title":"Nano-mechanical studies of silicon films","body":null,"created":"1449256280","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:11:20","changed":"1475895194","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:14","alt":"Nano-mechanical studies of silicon films","file":{"fid":"203345","name":"silicon-anode006.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/silicon-anode006_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/silicon-anode006_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1505174,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/silicon-anode006_0.jpg?itok=Z86P8CW7"}}},"media_ids":["451571","451581","451591"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"142581","name":"anode. Shuman Xia"},{"id":"7826","name":"Batteries"},{"id":"142541","name":"lithiated silicon"},{"id":"142571","name":"lithium"},{"id":"142531","name":"nano-mechanical"},{"id":"92451","name":"Ting Zhu"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"452231":{"#nid":"452231","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Proposed Standards for Triboelectric Nanogenerators Could Facilitate Comparisons","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMore than 60 research groups worldwide are now developing variations of the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), which converts ambient mechanical energy into electricity for powering wearable electronics, sensor networks, implantable medical devices and other small systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo provide a means for both comparing and selecting these energy-harvesting nanogenerators for specific applications, the Georgia Institute of Technology research group that pioneered the TENG technology has now proposed a set of standards for quantifying device performance. The proposal evaluates both the structural and materials performance of the four major types of TENG devices.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTriboelectric nanogenerators are a new energy technology that has shown phenomenal potential,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/faculty\/wang\u0022\u003EZhong Lin Wang\u003C\/a\u003E, a Regents professor in the Georgia Tech \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Materials Science and Engineering.\u003C\/a\u003E \u201cHere, we have proposed standards by which the performance of these devices can be quantified and compared. These standards will be useful for academic researchers developing the devices and for future industrial applications of the nanogenerators.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe proposed standards are described in an article published September 25 in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Communications\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETriboelectric nanogenerators use a combination of the triboelectric effect and electrostatic induction to generate small amount of electrical power from mechanical motion such as rotation, sliding or vibration. The triboelectric effect takes advantage of the fact that certain materials become electrically charged after they come into moving contact with a surface made from a different material. The electricity generated by TENG devices could replace or supplement batteries for a broad range of potential applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDeveloped over the past several years, the technology has advanced to the point where it can power small electronic devices, potentially enabling widespread sensing and infrastructure systems \u2013 as well as powering wearable consumer devices.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBecause of the large number of devices being developed, people need to have a standard for judging the performance of these nanogenerators,\u201d Wang said. He noted that standards have allowed technologies such as photovoltaics and thermoelectric devices to advance, though the performance of TENG devices is more difficult to quantify because of the different design and materials options available.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn their paper, Wang\u2019s team proposes a general figure of merit which can be used to quantify the potential energy output of the TENG devices. The general figure of merit is made up of information from two other sources: the capabilities of the specific TENG structure used, and the surface charge density provided by the specific materials chosen to construct the device. The output is compared to the mechanical energy inputs to provide an efficiency comparison.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese measurements are based on plots of the build-up of voltage and total transferred electrical charges from each device. The structural figures of merit are derived from theoretical calculations for each of the four major nanogenerator modes, plus experimental results produced by TENG devices placed into a circuit with a switch and an electrical load. The materials figure of merit depends on experimental measurements of the surface charge density done with an experimental set-up that uses liquid metal to collect the surface charge.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVariations in TENG structures allow a variety of applications depending on the source of mechanical energy. The four major groups include (1) vertical contact-separation mode, (2) lateral sliding mode, (3) single-electron mode, and (4) freestanding triboelectric-layer mode. There are also hybrid combinations of these major structural modes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe contact-separation mode, for example, is powered by a periodic driving force that causes repeated contact, and then separation, between two dissimilar materials that have coated electrodes on the top and bottom surfaces. The lateral sliding model uses two surfaces that briefly slide together, then separate, generating a charge.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe can calculate for the four modes what are the best sizes and shapes, and the best power output you can expect for a specific structural figure of merit,\u201d Wang explained.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMaterial choices tested include fluorinated ethylene propylene, Kapton, polarized polyvinylidene fluoride, polyethylene, natural rubber and cellulose.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe measurement and theoretical techniques were developed by postdoctoral fellow Yunlong Zi and graduate student Simiao Niu, both members of Wang\u2019s research team. In developing their proposed standards, the researchers considered what had already been done in setting standards for heat engines and other technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFor triboelectric generators, because the mechanical input is varied, you have different kinds of measurements to evaluate the performance,\u201d said Zi. \u201cThese figures of merit are considerably more complicated than would be needed for characterizing solar cell performance, for example.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPublishing the proposed standards is a first step in what Wang expects to be a long process of gaining acceptance. He plans to spend the next several months explaining the standards to other research groups developing TENG devices.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe estimates that there could be 60 research groups around the world working on TENG devices, and he expects that number to grow as the nanogenerators become more sophisticated and powerful.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs wearable electronics become more popular and fashionable, we will need a better way to power them,\u201d Wang said. \u201cTriboelectric nanogenerators can play a large role in that. We have spent a lot of time improving the power efficiency, and the field is quickly expanding.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, he said, the standards could also be modified for piezoelectric generators and other systems designed to produce electricity from mechanical motion.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Yunlong Zi, et al., \u201cStandards and Figures of Merit for Quantifying the Performance of Triboelectric Nanogenerators,\u201d (Nature Communications, 2015). (\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/NCOMMS9376\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/NCOMMS9376\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30332-0181 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) (404-894-6986)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETo provide a means for both comparing and selecting energy-harvesting nanogenerators for specific applications, the Georgia Tech research group that pioneered the TENG technology has now proposed a set of standards for quantifying device performance. The proposal evaluates both the structural and materials performance of the four major types of TENG devices.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have proposed standards for comparing and selecting triboelectric nanogenerators."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2015-09-25 10:06:44","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:19:36","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2015-09-25T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2015-09-25T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"452201":{"id":"452201","type":"image","title":"Developing TENG standards","body":null,"created":"1449256280","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:11:20","changed":"1475895194","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:14","alt":"Developing TENG standards","file":{"fid":"203367","name":"teng-standards001.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/teng-standards001_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/teng-standards001_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5504631,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/teng-standards001_0.jpg?itok=vmjKaAAv"}},"452211":{"id":"452211","type":"image","title":"Triboelectric nanogenerators","body":null,"created":"1449256280","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:11:20","changed":"1475895194","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:14","alt":"Triboelectric nanogenerators","file":{"fid":"203368","name":"teng-standards002.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/teng-standards002_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/teng-standards002_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1367081,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/teng-standards002_0.jpg?itok=VzWbZ1tH"}}},"media_ids":["452201","452211"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"213","name":"energy"},{"id":"13689","name":"energy harvesting"},{"id":"1334","name":"nanogenerator"},{"id":"107","name":"Nanotechnology"},{"id":"37991","name":"triboelectric"},{"id":"142711","name":"triboelectric nanogenerator"},{"id":"13751","name":"Zhong Lin Wang"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"441731":{"#nid":"441731","#data":{"type":"news","title":"NSF Sustainable Nanotechnology Center Includes Georgia Tech Researchers","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech is among a dozen institutions that are part of the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/susnano.chem.wisc.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Sustainable Nanotechnology\u003C\/a\u003E, a $20 million research center focusing on the molecular mechanisms by which nanoparticles interact with biological systems. Based at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the center has been awarded an additional five years of funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to expand its existing operations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENanotechnology involves the use of materials at the smallest scale, including the manipulation of individual atoms and molecules. Products that use nanoscale materials range from beer bottles and car wax to solar cells and electric and hybrid car batteries. If you read your books on a Kindle, quantum dots, a semiconducting material manufactured at the nanoscale, underpin the high-resolution screen.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd while there are already hundreds of products that use nanomaterials in various ways, there are still lots of unknowns about how these modern materials and the tiny particles they are composed of interact with the environment and living things.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe purpose of the center is to explore how we can make sure these nanotechnologies come to fruition with little or no environmental impact,\u201d explained Robert Hamers, director of the center and a professor of chemistry at the University of Wisconsin Madison. \u201cWe\u2019re looking at nanoparticles in emerging technologies.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to UW-Madison, scientists from UW-Milwaukee, the University of Minnesota, the University of Illinois, Northwestern University and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have been involved in the center\u2019s first phase of research. Joining the center for the next five-year phase are Tuskegee University, the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Iowa, Augsburg College, and the Georgia Institute of Technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s contributions will be in the areas of theoretical computational chemistry and assessment of the center\u2019s overall impact. \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/Hernandez\/Rigoberto\u0022\u003ERigoberto Hernandez\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the Georgia Tech \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E, will contribute expertise on how particles aggregate, assemble and interact with one another to create larger structures. \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ceismc.gatech.edu\/about\/staffdirectory\/dr-lizanne-destefano\u0022\u003ELizanne DeStefano\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the Georgia Tech School of Psychology and director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ceismc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing\u003C\/a\u003E (CEISMC) at Georgia Tech, will help assess the center\u2019s impacts, both internally and externally, for students and other key stakeholders.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOne of our mandates is to develop a systematic approach for using theoretical and computational tools to select different nanomaterials or modifications of nanomaterials to meet desired properties,\u201d said Hernandez. \u201cWe will help understand the multi-scale problem, which includes understanding the chemical properties at the size scale from a few Angstroms \u2013 where you can literally see atoms within molecules \u2013 all the way to the meter scale where you must address the behavior of an entire organism.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of three theoretical and computational chemists who will be part of the center\u2019s second phase, Hernandez is looking toward development of a computational framework for modifying nanomaterials and predicting the extent to which they would provide a targeted function or behavior. An example of such a function might be energy conversion and related transformations necessary in future generations of fuel cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhile the research impact of the center is important, its most long term impact will involve training the next generation of scientists and researchers who will take leadership roles in industry and academe,\u201d said DeStefano. \u201cWe want to create innovative educational programs at undergraduate and graduate levels that integrate theory and computation and produce students with broader technical skill sets and a deep understanding of nanoparticles. The goal is to impact education at Georgia Tech and all partner institutions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to Hernandez and DeStefano, center efforts at Georgia Tech will also involve at least two graduate students and one postdoctoral fellow.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt UW-Madison, Hamers leads efforts in synthesis and molecular characterization of nanomaterials. Much remains to be learned about how nanoparticles affect the environment and the multitude of organisms \u2013 from bacteria to plants, animals and people \u2013 that may be exposed to them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSome of the big questions we\u2019re asking,\u201d said Hamers, \u201care how is this going to impact bacteria and other organisms in the environment? What do these particles do? How do they interact with organisms?\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor instance, bacteria, the vast majority of which are beneficial or benign, tend to be \u201csticky\u201d and nanoparticles might cling to the microorganisms and have unintended biological effects.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere are many different mechanisms by which these particles can do things,\u201d Hamers added. \u201cThe challenge is we don\u2019t know what these nanoparticles do if they\u0027re released into the environment.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo get at the challenge, Hamers and his colleagues in the center are drilling down to investigate the molecular-level chemical and physical principles that dictate how nanoparticles interact with living things. Such studies, argues Hamers, promise a science-based understanding that can help ensure the technology leaves a minimal environmental footprint by identifying issues before they manifest themselves in the manufacturing, use or recycling of products that contain nanotechnology-inspired materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo help fulfill that part of the mission, the center has established working relationships with several companies to conduct research on materials in the very early stages of development.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re taking a look-ahead view. We\u2019re trying to get into the technological design cycle,\u201d Hamers said. \u201cThe idea is to use scientific understanding to develop a predictive ability to guide technology and guide people who are designing and using these materials.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHernandez believes that the 21st century may be known as the \u201cnanoparticle age\u201d in the same way that last century was the \u201cindustrial age.\u201d The challenge ahead, he says, is to avoid unexpected effects from these new materials and structures.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn this century, there is little doubt that nanoparticles comprise a class of chemical compounds that are revolutionizing nearly everything that we touch, see or smell,\u201d he said in a blog post at (\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/EveryWhereChemistry.blogspot.com\u0022\u003EEveryWhereChemistry.blogspot.com\u003C\/a\u003E). \u201cThe challenge to chemists (and material scientists) is not just designing nanoparticles to solve particular problems, but to do so with materials that have no unintended consequences. Anticipating such unknown unknowns is a grand challenge, and the solution requires a team of scientists with expertise in making, measuring and modeling the nanoparticles in the upstream design side and in biology and ecology on the downstream side.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30332-0181 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon Georgia Tech: (404-894-6986) or (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E); Terry Devitt, University of Wisconsin Madison: (608-262-8282) or (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:trdevitt@wisc.edu\u0022\u003Etrdevitt@wisc.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech is among a dozen institutions that are part of the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology, a $20 million research center focusing on the molecular mechanisms by which nanoparticles interact with biological systems. Based at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the center has been awarded an additional five years of funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to expand its existing operations.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech is among a dozen institutions that are part of the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology, a $20 million research center."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2015-08-30 09:22:30","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:19:26","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2015-08-31T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2015-08-31T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"441701":{"id":"441701","type":"image","title":"Sustainable nanotechnology researchers","body":null,"created":"1449256190","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:09:50","changed":"1475895179","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:52:59","alt":"Sustainable nanotechnology researchers","file":{"fid":"203091","name":"sustainable-nanotech-001.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sustainable-nanotech-001_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sustainable-nanotech-001_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2621460,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/sustainable-nanotech-001_0.jpg?itok=o2dVvMVX"}},"441711":{"id":"441711","type":"image","title":"Prof. Rigoberto Hernandez","body":null,"created":"1449256190","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:09:50","changed":"1475895179","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:52:59","alt":"Prof. Rigoberto Hernandez","file":{"fid":"203092","name":"sustainable-nanotech-013.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sustainable-nanotech-013_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sustainable-nanotech-013_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2004909,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/sustainable-nanotech-013_0.jpg?itok=7jtRMPua"}},"441721":{"id":"441721","type":"image","title":"Prof. Lizanne DeStefano","body":null,"created":"1449256190","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:09:50","changed":"1475895179","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:52:59","alt":"Prof. Lizanne DeStefano","file":{"fid":"203093","name":"destefano_0232.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/destefano_0232_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/destefano_0232_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":6104294,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/destefano_0232_0.jpg?itok=Cff02pFy"}}},"media_ids":["441701","441711","441721"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"411","name":"CEISMC"},{"id":"89","name":"chemistry"},{"id":"139801","name":"Lizanne DeStefano"},{"id":"107","name":"Nanotechnology"},{"id":"363","name":"NSF"},{"id":"15143","name":"Rigoberto Hernandez"},{"id":"166890","name":"sustainability"},{"id":"167052","name":"sustainable"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"429491":{"#nid":"429491","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Sol-gel Capacitor Dielectric Offers Record-high Energy Storage","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing a hybrid silica sol-gel material and self-assembled monolayers of a common fatty acid, researchers have developed a new capacitor dielectric material that provides an electrical energy storage capacity rivaling certain batteries, with both a high energy density and high power density.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf the material can be scaled up from laboratory samples, devices made from it could surpass traditional electrolytic capacitors for applications in electromagnetic propulsion, electric vehicles and defibrillators. Capacitors often complement batteries in these applications because they can provide large amounts of current quickly.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new material is composed of a silica sol-gel thin film containing polar groups linked to the silicon atoms and a nanoscale self-assembled monolayer of an octylphosphonic acid, which provides insulating properties. The bilayer structure blocks the injection of electrons into the sol-gel material, providing low leakage current, high breakdown strength and high energy extraction efficiency.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSol-gels with organic groups are well known and fatty acids such as phosphonic acids are well known,\u201d noted \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/Perry\/Joseph%20W.\u0022\u003EJoseph Perry\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u201cBut to the best of our knowledge, this is the first time these two types of materials have been combined into high-density energy storage devices.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research, supported by the Office of Naval Research and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, was reported July 14 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EAdvanced Energy Materials\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe need for efficient, high-performance materials for electrical energy storage has been growing along with the ever-increasing demand for electrical energy in mobile applications. Dielectric materials can provide fast charge and discharge response, high energy storage, and power conditioning for defense, medical and commercial applications. But it has been challenging to find a single dielectric material able to maximize permittivity, breakdown strength, energy density and energy extraction efficiency.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPerry and colleagues in Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.cope.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Organic Photonics and Electronics\u003C\/a\u003E (COPE) had been working on other capacitor materials to meet these demands, but were not satisfied with the progress. The hybrid sol-gel materials had shown potential for efficient dielectric energy storage because of their high orientational polarization under an electric field, so the group decided to pursue these materials for the new capacitor applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing an aluminized mylar film coated with the hybrid sol-gel capacitor material, they showed that the capacitor could be rolled and re-rolled several times while maintaining high energy density, demonstrating its flexibility. But they were still seeing high current leakage. To address that, they deposited a nanoscale self-assembled monolayer of n-octylphosphonic acid on top of the hybrid sol-gel. Less than a nanometer thick, the monolayer serves as an insulating layer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur silica sol-gel is a hybrid material because it has polar organic groups attached to the silica framework that gives the sol-gel a high dielectric constant, and in our bilayer dielectric, the n-octylphosphonic acid groups are inserted between the sol-gel layer and the top aluminum layer to block charge injection into the sol-gel,\u201d Perry explained. \u201cIt\u2019s really a bilayer hybrid material that takes the best of both reorientation polarization and approaches for reducing injection and improving energy extraction.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn their structures, the researchers demonstrated maximum extractable energy densities up to 40 joules per cubic centimeter, an energy extraction efficiency of 72 percent at a field strength of 830 volts per micron, and a power density of 520 watts per cubic centimeter. The performance exceeds that of conventional electrolytic capacitors and thin-film lithium ion batteries, though it doesn\u2019t match the lithium ion battery formats commonly used in electronic devices and vehicles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is the first time I\u2019ve seen a capacitor beat a battery on energy density,\u201d said Perry. \u201cThe combination of high energy density and high power density is uncommon in the capacitor world.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers in Perry\u2019s lab have been making arrays of small sol-gel capacitors in the lab to gather information about the material\u2019s performance. The devices are made on small substrates about an inch square.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat we see when we apply an electric field is that the polarization response \u2013 which measures how much the polar groups line up in a stable way with the field \u2013 behaves in a linear way,\u201d said Perry. \u201cThis is what you want to see in a capacitor dielectric material.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe next step will be to scale up the materials to see if the attractive properties transfer to larger devices. If that is successful, Perry expects to commercialize the material through a startup company or SBIR project.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe simplicity of fully solution-based processes for our dielectric material system provides potential for facile scale-up and fabrication on flexible platforms,\u201d the authors wrote in their paper. \u201cThis work emphasizes the importance of controlling the electrode-dielectric interface to maximize the performance of dielectric materials for energy storage application.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to Perry, the research team included Yunsang Kim, Mohanalingam Kathaperumal and Vincent Chen from the Georgia Tech School of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Yohan Park from the Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering; Canek Fuentes-Hernandez and Bernard Kippelen from the Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Ming-Hen Pan from the Naval Research Laboratory.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported by the Office of Naval Research Dielectric Films Program (Grant N000141110462) and U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research, BioPAINTS MURI Program (Grant FA9550-09-0669). The content of this article is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the sponsoring agencies.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Yunsang Kim, et al., \u201cBilayer Structure with Ultra-high Energy\/Power Density Using Hybrid Sol-Gel Dielectric and Charge Blocking Monolayer, (Advanced Energy Materials, 2015). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.dx.doi.org\/10.1002\/aenm.201500767\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/www.dx.doi.org\/10.1002\/aenm.201500767\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30332-0181 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) (404-894-6986)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing a hybrid silica sol-gel material and self-assembled monolayers of a common fatty acid, researchers have developed a new capacitor dielectric material that provides an electrical energy storage capacity rivaling certain batteries, with both a high energy density and high power density.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have developed a new capacitor dielectric material that provides an electrical energy storage capacity rivaling certain batteries."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2015-07-29 20:50:05","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:19:19","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2015-07-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2015-07-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"429461":{"id":"429461","type":"image","title":"Sol-gel solution","body":null,"created":"1449254358","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 18:39:18","changed":"1475895167","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:52:47"},"429441":{"id":"429441","type":"image","title":"Sol-gel materials","body":null,"created":"1449254358","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 18:39:18","changed":"1475895167","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:52:47"},"429421":{"id":"429421","type":"image","title":"Testing sol-gel materials","body":null,"created":"1449254358","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 18:39:18","changed":"1475895167","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:52:47"},"429451":{"id":"429451","type":"image","title":"Sol-gel samples","body":null,"created":"1449254358","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 18:39:18","changed":"1475895167","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:52:47"},"429481":{"id":"429481","type":"image","title":"Perry research group","body":null,"created":"1449254358","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 18:39:18","changed":"1475895169","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:52:49"}},"media_ids":["429461","429441","429421","429451","429481"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7564","name":"capacitor"},{"id":"136861","name":"dielectric"},{"id":"213","name":"energy"},{"id":"479","name":"Green Buzz"},{"id":"7435","name":"material"},{"id":"169747","name":"sol-gel"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"428191":{"#nid":"428191","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Ultra-thin Hollow Nanocages Could Reduce Platinum Use in Fuel Cell Electrodes","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new fabrication technique that produces platinum hollow nanocages with ultra-thin walls could dramatically reduce the amount of the costly metal needed to provide catalytic activity in such applications as fuel cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe technique uses a solution-based method for producing atomic-scale layers of platinum to create hollow, porous structures that can generate catalytic activity both inside and outside the nanocages. The layers are grown on palladium nanocrystal templates, and then the palladium is etched away to leave behind nanocages approximately 20 nanometers in diameter, with between three and six atom-thin layers of platinum.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUse of these nanocage structures in fuel cell electrodes could increase the utilization efficiency of the platinum by a factor of as much as seven, potentially changing the economic viability of the fuel cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe can get the catalytic activity we need by using only a small fraction of the platinum that had been required before,\u201d said Younan Xia, a professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. Xia also holds joint faculty appointments in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Georgia Tech. \u201cWe have made hollow nanocages of platinum with walls as thin as a few atomic layers because we don\u2019t want to waste any material in the bulk that does not contribute to the catalytic activity.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research \u2013 which also involved researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Arizona State University and Xiamen University in China \u2013 was reported in the July 24 issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPlatinum is in high demand as a catalyst for a wide range of industrial and consumer applications. The high cost of platinum needed for the catalysts deposited on electrodes has limited the ability to use low-temperature fuel cells in automobiles and home applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn catalytic applications, only the surface layers of platinum contribute to the chemical reaction, leading researchers to develop new structures designed to maximize the amount of platinum exposed to reactants. The hollowing out process reduces the amount of the precious metal not contributing to the reaction, and allows the use of larger nanocrystals that are less susceptible to sintering, an aggregation phenomenon which reduces catalyst surface area.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe can control the process so well that we have layer-by-layer deposition, creating one layer, two layers or three layers of platinum,\u201d said Xia, who is also a Georgia Research Alliance eminent scholar. \u201cWe can also control the arrangement of atoms on the surface so their catalytic activity can be engineered to fit different types of reactions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHollow platinum structures have been made before, but not with walls this thin, he added.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEarlier work produced shells with wall thicknesses of approximately five nanometers. The new process can produce shell walls less than one nanometer thick. With both the inner layer and outer layer of the porous nanocages contributing to the catalytic activity, the new structures can use up to two-thirds of the platinum atoms in an ultra-thin three-layer shell. Some palladium remains mixed with the platinum in the structures.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis approach creates the highest possible surface area from a given amount of platinum,\u201d said Xia.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe nanocages can be made in either cubic or octahedral shapes, depending on the palladium nanocrystals used as templates. The shape controls the surface structure, thus engineering the catalytic activity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe goal of this research was to reduce the cost of the cathodes in fuel cells designed to power automobiles and homes. The fuel cell\u2019s oxygen-reduction reaction takes place at the cathode, and that requires a substantial amount of platinum. By reducing the amount of platinum by up to a factor of seven, the hollow shells could make automotive and home fuel cells more economically feasible.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers measured the durability of the platinum nanocages for oxygen-reduction reaction, and found the catalytic activity dropped by a little more than one-third after 10,000 operating cycles. Earlier efforts to maximize surface area relied on making very small platinum nanoparticles just two or three nanometers in diameter. Particles of that size tended to clump together in a process known as sintering, reducing the surface area.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBy using hollow structures, we can use much larger particle sizes \u2013 about 20 nanometers \u2013 and we really don\u2019t lose any surface area because we can use both the inside and outside of the structure, and the shells are only a few atomic layers thick,\u201d Xia added. \u201cWe expect the durability of these larger particles to be much better.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOther applications, such as catalytic converters in automobiles, also use substantial amounts of platinum. The new hollow shells are unlikely to be used in automobile catalytic converters because they operate at a temperature beyond what the structures can tolerate. However, the platinum nanocages could find use in other industrial processes such as hydrogenation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EContributing to the experimental work done at Georgia Tech, researchers at Arizona State University and Oak Ridge National Laboratory used their specialized microscopy facilities to map the nanocage structures. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison modeled the system to help understand etching of palladium from the core while preserving the platinum shell.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have explored alternatives to platinum, but none of the alternatives so far has provided the equivalent amount of catalytic activity in such a small mass, Xia noted.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf you took all of the platinum that we have available today and made a cube, it would only be seven meters on each side,\u201d he added. \u201cThat\u2019s all the platinum we have now, so we need to find the most efficient way to use it.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOther authors in the paper include Professor Manos Mavrikakis and researchers Luke Roling and Jeffrey Herron from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Miaofang Chi from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Professor Jingyue Liu from Arizona State University, Professor Zhaoxiong Xie from Xiamen University, and Lei Zhang, Xue Wang, Sang-Il Choi, Madeleine Vara and Jinho Park, from Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Lei Zhang, et al., \u201cPlatinum-based nanocages with subnanometer-thick walls and well-defined, controllable facets,\u201d (Science, 2015).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30332-0181 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) (404-894-6986)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new fabrication technique that produces platinum hollow nanocages with ultra-thin walls could dramatically reduce the amount of the costly metal needed to provide catalytic activity in such applications as fuel cells.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new fabrication technique could reduce the amount of platinum needed for fuel cell electrodes."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2015-07-23 16:33:24","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:19:15","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2015-07-23T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2015-07-23T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"428131":{"id":"428131","type":"image","title":"Platinum hollow nanocages","body":null,"created":"1449254342","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 18:39:02","changed":"1475895167","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:52:47","alt":"Platinum hollow nanocages","file":{"fid":"202807","name":"platinum-nanocages.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/platinum-nanocages_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/platinum-nanocages_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":830396,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/platinum-nanocages_1.jpg?itok=L4UuuYrP"}},"428161":{"id":"428161","type":"image","title":"Platinum hollow nanocages2","body":null,"created":"1449254342","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 18:39:02","changed":"1475895167","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:52:47","alt":"Platinum hollow nanocages2","file":{"fid":"202809","name":"platinum-nanocages2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/platinum-nanocages2_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/platinum-nanocages2_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1153737,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/platinum-nanocages2_1.jpg?itok=ujt_9ZCk"}},"428171":{"id":"428171","type":"image","title":"Platinum hollow nanocages3","body":null,"created":"1449254342","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 18:39:02","changed":"1475895167","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:52:47","alt":"Platinum hollow nanocages3","file":{"fid":"202810","name":"platinum_nanocages1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/platinum_nanocages1_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/platinum_nanocages1_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1091708,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/platinum_nanocages1_0.jpg?itok=EjGn7thJ"}},"428181":{"id":"428181","type":"image","title":"Platinum hollow nanocages4","body":null,"created":"1449254342","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 18:39:02","changed":"1475895167","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:52:47","alt":"Platinum hollow nanocages4","file":{"fid":"202811","name":"platinum-nanocages3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/platinum-nanocages3_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/platinum-nanocages3_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":875879,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/platinum-nanocages3_0.jpg?itok=AyA-tvyb"}}},"media_ids":["428131","428161","428171","428181"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2506","name":"catalyst"},{"id":"2044","name":"Fuel Cell"},{"id":"136641","name":"nanocage"},{"id":"107","name":"Nanotechnology"},{"id":"7531","name":"platinum"},{"id":"24841","name":"Younan Xia"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"398751":{"#nid":"398751","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Unseen Machines","body":[{"value":"\u003Ch3\u003EMicro-electromechanical systems, or MEMS, may not be on your mind, but there could be some in your pocket.\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022intro-text\u0022\u003EYour smartphone likely uses a dozen or so tiny \u2014 yet powerful \u2014\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca class=\u0022tooltip\u0022 title=\u0022 handheld devices, environmental sensors, medical diagnostic systems, and strain sensors.\u0022 href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/features\/unseen-machines#\u0022\u003EMEMS\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;sensors to support its sophisticated functions. And that late-model car undoubtedly carries scores of devices based on MEMS and other sensing technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETypically sized at the micron scale \u2014 millionths of a meter \u2014 MEMS devices use minuscule moving parts to perform a broad range of sensing tasks. Small as they are, they can detect sound, motion, position, force, pressure, chemicals, bacteria, and numerous other things worth knowing about. Note that these miniaturized sensors don\u2019t always have moving parts, and a broader term \u2014 microsystems \u2014 is sometimes used rather than MEMS.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Georgia Tech, more than 20 research teams focus on MEMS-related research and development. Supporting them is the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ien.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EInstitute for Electronics and Nanotechnology\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(IEN), one of Georgia Tech\u2019s nine Interdisciplinary Research Institutes. IEN\u2019s extensive shared-user facilities, including advanced labs and cleanrooms, are used by as many as 200 Georgia Tech faculty, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers who work on MEMS and other microsystems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo read more about this research area, please visit this article in Georgia Tech\u0027s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.rh.gatech.edu\/features\/unseen-machines\u0022\u003EResearch Horizons\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;magazine.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EHidden inside your smartphone are micron-scale sensors that detect acceleration, rotation and more. Georgia Tech researchers are developing similar micro-electromechanical systems -- known as MEMS -- for applications ranging from health care to agriculture.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Micro-electromechanial systems offer new ways to detect sound, motion, position, force and other variables."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2015-04-23 12:46:56","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:18:03","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2015-04-23T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2015-04-23T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"398731":{"id":"398731","type":"image","title":"Diagnosing disease","body":null,"created":"1449246371","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:26:11","changed":"1475895115","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:51:55","alt":"Diagnosing disease","file":{"fid":"75743","name":"sensor-vogel-lg.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sensor-vogel-lg.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sensor-vogel-lg.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":955701,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/sensor-vogel-lg.jpg?itok=sTLHHaOr"}},"398721":{"id":"398721","type":"image","title":"Tiny gyroscopes aid first responders","body":null,"created":"1449246371","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:26:11","changed":"1475895115","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:51:55","alt":"Tiny gyroscopes aid first responders","file":{"fid":"75742","name":"ayazi-krog-lg.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ayazi-krog-lg.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ayazi-krog-lg.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3079908,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ayazi-krog-lg.jpg?itok=Nf4jJq2P"}}},"media_ids":["398731","398721"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2557","name":"mems"},{"id":"124671","name":"micro-electromechanical systems"},{"id":"167066","name":"sensors"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"315791":{"#nid":"315791","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Oliver Brand assumes top post at Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOliver Brand, a professor in the Georgia Institute of Technology\u0027s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, has been named executive director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ien.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EInstitute for Electronics and Nanotechnology\u003C\/a\u003E (IEN), one of nine \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.research.gatech.edu\/institutes\u0022\u003Einterdisciplinary research institutes\u003C\/a\u003E (IRIs) at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn his new post, Brand leads an IRI that unites a wide range of faculty, research centers and shared-user laboratories working in the complementary fields of electronics and nanotechnology. This combination of infrastructure and interdisciplinary research activity seeks to fortify Georgia Tech\u2019s expertise in microsystems, advanced semiconductors, photonics and photovoltaics, electronics design, microelectronics packaging, and systems integration, while stimulating new and emerging application areas in biomedicine, energy, and nanomaterials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022I view my most important task as that of enabling our faculty \u2013 maximizing their research involvement opportunities and prospects,\u0022 said Brand, who was awarded the executive position after a nationwide search. \u0022IEN\u0027s job is to help enhance interdisciplinary research at Georgia Tech, and at the same time promote industry-sponsored projects that offer opportunities to develop applications and products in electronics, nanotechnology and related fields, while accelerating new discoveries into the marketplace.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInterdisciplinary research institutes (IRIs) are inclusive units that help connect and support Georgia Tech\u0027s 200-plus research centers and laboratories. They extend across college, department and laboratory boundaries to help faculty and staff work with both industry and government on basic and applied research programs. IRIs provide critical research infrastructure, create and utilize novel research laboratories, interact with students, and collaborate with other research partners including corporations, universities and research institutes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEach IRI is dedicated to one of Georgia Tech\u2019s core research areas. Besides electronics and nanotechnology, Georgia Tech IRIs focus on bioengineering and bioscience; energy and sustainable infrastructure; manufacturing, trade and logistics; materials; national security; people and technology; renewable bioproducts; and robotics (see \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.research.gatech.edu\/institutes\u0022 title=\u0022www.research.gatech.edu\/institutes\u0022\u003Ewww.research.gatech.edu\/institutes\u003C\/a\u003E).\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022In addition to promoting collaboration and new research, I believe IEN should be forward-looking and help define future research grand challenges,\u0022 Brand said. \u0022On the one hand, we need to react quickly and effectively to requests for research proposals coming in to us, and on the other hand, we need to be proactive by seeding concepts that can be used to generate future calls for proposals.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrand received his Ph.D. from ETH Zurich in Switzerland in 1994. He did postdoctoral research at Georgia Tech from 1995-1997, and then returned to ETH Zurich as a lecturer and deputy director of its Physical Electronics Laboratory. He came back to Georgia Tech in 2003 as a faculty member in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, gaining tenure in 2007 and becoming a full professor in 2009.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Professor Brand is committed to seeding and growing new interdisciplinary and industry-sponsored research efforts and working closely with faculty and sponsors to define an electronics and nanotechnology roadmap for the future,\u0022 said Stephen E. Cross, Georgia Tech\u2019s executive vice president for research. \u0022In addition, he is wholeheartedly dedicated to positioning Georgia Tech as the home of the nation\u2019s leading electronics and nanotechnology thought leaders.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs IEN\u0027s executive director, Brand oversees some 60 staff members, and shared-user research facilities that include two major buildings and more than 200 micro\/nanoelectronic fabrication and characterization tools in multiple cleanrooms and laboratories (see \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ien.gatech.edu\u0022 title=\u0022www.ien.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ewww.ien.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E). The IEN and its associated research centers support the work of more than 200 faculty members from 10 academic schools, as well as the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrand\u0027s own area of research focuses on micro-electromechanical systems, or MEMS.\u0026nbsp; MEMS is a complex field that spans a number of traditional engineering disciplines including mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and chemical engineering, along with physics and chemistry. This interdisciplinary work, he said, helps him appreciate the broad spectrum of research performed under the IEN banner.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThough directing IEN will consume much of his time, Brand said, he will continue to direct a research group and expects to teach some courses as well.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The research enabled by IEN has the potential to revolutionize medicine, help protect the environment, enhance homeland security, and provide fresh approaches in energy creation and storage,\u0022 he said. \u0022It can also improve the size, performance and effectiveness of devices and systems used in many other traditional consumer and industrial applications worldwide.\u0022\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Brett Israel (404-385-1933) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Rick Robinson\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOliver Brand, a professor in the Georgia Institute of Technology\u0027s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has been named executive director of the Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology (IEN), one of nine interdisciplinary research institutes (IRIs) at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Oliver Brand has been named executive director of the Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology, one of nine interdisciplinary research institutes at Georgia Tech."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2014-08-14 19:05:30","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:16:56","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-08-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2014-08-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"315761":{"id":"315761","type":"image","title":"Oliver Brand - Nanotechnology Building","body":null,"created":"1449244947","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:02:27","changed":"1475895024","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:50:24","alt":"Oliver Brand - Nanotechnology Building","file":{"fid":"199934","name":"oliver-brand142.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/oliver-brand142_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/oliver-brand142_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1047348,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/oliver-brand142_0.jpg?itok=owf1Ut5m"}},"315731":{"id":"315731","type":"image","title":"Oliver Brand - Thin Film Transistors","body":null,"created":"1449244947","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:02:27","changed":"1475895024","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:50:24","alt":"Oliver Brand - Thin Film Transistors","file":{"fid":"199931","name":"oliver-brand11.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/oliver-brand11_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/oliver-brand11_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1125772,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/oliver-brand11_0.jpg?itok=dgS1jJaX"}},"315741":{"id":"315741","type":"image","title":"Oliver Brand with Ph.D. Students","body":null,"created":"1449244947","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:02:27","changed":"1475895024","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:50:24","alt":"Oliver Brand with Ph.D. Students","file":{"fid":"199932","name":"oliver-brand14.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/oliver-brand14_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/oliver-brand14_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1149579,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/oliver-brand14_0.jpg?itok=IFhuzEDA"}},"315771":{"id":"315771","type":"image","title":"Oliver Brand - Nanotechnology Building2","body":null,"created":"1449244947","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:02:27","changed":"1475895024","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:50:24","alt":"Oliver Brand - Nanotechnology Building2","file":{"fid":"199935","name":"oliver-brand190.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/oliver-brand190_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/oliver-brand190_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":954032,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/oliver-brand190_1.jpg?itok=0QFYAtra"}},"315751":{"id":"315751","type":"image","title":"Oliver Brand - Integrated Sensing","body":null,"created":"1449244947","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:02:27","changed":"1475895024","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:50:24","alt":"Oliver Brand - Integrated Sensing","file":{"fid":"199933","name":"oliver-brand102.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/oliver-brand102_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/oliver-brand102_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1435255,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/oliver-brand102_0.jpg?itok=pMSWKYXy"}}},"media_ids":["315761","315731","315741","315771","315751"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"609","name":"electronics"},{"id":"58041","name":"IEN"},{"id":"107","name":"Nanotechnology"},{"id":"24241","name":"Oliver Brand"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"302211":{"#nid":"302211","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech\u0027s Renewable Bioproducts Institute Receives $43.6 Million in Legacy Funding","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology has received a $43.6 million gift from the Institute of Paper Chemistry Foundation (IPCF). This major grant, one of the single largest gifts in Georgia Tech\u2019s history, affirms the Institute\u2019s position as a leading driver of the future of the forest bioproducts industry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003E\u201cWe are extremely grateful to the Institute of Paper Chemistry Foundation for entrusting us with this generous gift,\u201d said Georgia Tech President G.P. \u201cBud\u201d Peterson. \u201cThrough the Renewable Bioproducts Institute, we will maximize Georgia Tech\u2019s and the state of Georgia\u2019s strengths in sustainability and innovation to develop real-world applications as well as educate the next generation of leadership in the forest and bioproducts industry.\u201d \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003EThe Institute of Paper Chemistry Foundation represents the legacy of the Institute of Paper Chemistry (IPC), founded in Appleton, Wisconsin, in 1929 to provide scientific research and future leaders for the paper industry. IPC became the Institute of Paper Science and Technology (IPST) when it relocated to Atlanta in 1989. It subsequently merged with Georgia Tech in 2004.\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003ELast week, Georgia Tech announced that the Institute would be renamed the Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI) to reflect its expanding engagement with a broader range of biomaterials processing industries. Like the university\u2019s other nine interdisciplinary research institutes representing Georgia Tech\u2019s core research areas, RBI brings together a multidisciplinary capability to identify opportunities and address the complex challenges of its industry and government research partners.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003E\u201cWe believe the relaunching of the Institute as the Renewable Bioproducts Institute is a natural development in its evolution and an important advance in its progress,\u201d said IPCF board chair George Lanier. \u201cGeorgia Tech is demonstrating its commitment to this industry, which is so important to Georgia and the nation. The industry\u2019s emerging opportunities can be effectively developed there.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003EAll interdisciplinary research institutes at Georgia Tech are designed to facilitate research collaborations with industries and other partners to develop opportunities in strategic market areas, emphasizing economic development and applied technology.\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003E\u201cWe deeply appreciate the confidence IPCF has placed in us,\u201d said RBI executive director Norman Marsolan, \u201cand we will continue its legacy of growth in bioproducts research and industry leadership development. We are on the threshold of a new era of development of this renewable, sustainable natural resource, and we pledge our efforts to justify IPCF\u2019s faith in us by contributing to the full realization of its potential.\u201d\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003EThe Renewable Bioproducts Institute benefits from a significant endowment originating with the Institute of Paper Chemistry. That endowment has contributed to the support of more than 1,500 graduate alumni through the years and currently supports more than 50 paper science and engineering students who advance the research mission of IPST\/RBI through their faculty-directed research. RBI will continue to build on that legacy by working closely with industrial partners to foster an innovative, competitive and profitable bioproducts industry, while the endowment will continue to support graduate studies in paper science and engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003EFor more information on RBI, please visit \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.news.gatech.edu\/features\/renewable-bioproducts-institute\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/www.news.gatech.edu\/features\/renewable-bioproducts-institute\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Paper Chemistry Foundation Gift Supports Future of Forest Bioproducts Research and Education"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology has received a $43.6 million gift from the Institute of Paper Chemistry Foundation (IPCF).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Georgia Institute of Technology has received a $43.6 million gift from the Institute of Paper Chemistry Foundation (IPCF)."}],"uid":"27304","created_gmt":"2014-06-09 13:19:28","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:16:33","author":"Matthew Nagel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-06-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2014-06-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"299211":{"id":"299211","type":"image","title":"Renewable Bioproducts Institute","body":null,"created":"1449244552","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:55:52","changed":"1475895000","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:50:00","alt":"Renewable Bioproducts Institute","file":{"fid":"199489","name":"14c10769-p1-001.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/14c10769-p1-001_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/14c10769-p1-001_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3166611,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/14c10769-p1-001_0.jpg?itok=-gQQ2cGR"}}},"media_ids":["299211"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.news.gatech.edu\/features\/renewable-bioproducts-institute.","title":"Additional information:"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"42941","name":"Art Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"93791","name":"Renewable Bioproducts Institute"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Media Relations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaura Diamond\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elaura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-6016\u003Cbr \/\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-660-2926\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["Nagel@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"296491":{"#nid":"296491","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Part of Four Grants Intended to Strengthen U.S. Manufacturing","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETeams from the Georgia Institute of Technology are recipients of four grants recently announced by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The funding is designed to support research that will strengthen U.S. manufacturing and innovation performance across industries.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe NIST grants, which range from $378,900 to $540,000, were part of $9 million in advanced technology planning grants awarded to 19 universities and other nonprofit organizations and are the first conferred by NIST\u2019s inaugural Advanced Manufacturing Technology Consortia (AMTech).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETodd McDevitt, associate professor, Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering and director of the Stem Cell Engineering Center, will serve as the technical lead for the $499,636 AMTech grant awarded to the Georgia Research Alliance, in partnership with Georgia Tech. With cell therapy manufacturing projected to grow rapidly over the next decade, the funds will be used to establish a national road map and consortium in cell manufacturing to improve access to cutting-edge medical technology for patients.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBen Wang, executive director of the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute, will serve as the lead for a second AMTech grant totaling $385,112 that will help speed development and deployment of advanced composites.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s Institute of Paper Science and Technology, part of the Agenda 2020 Technology Alliance, is a collaborator on the $482,078 NIST funded project that will map pathways for developing advanced technologies for pulp and paper manufacturing. The Agenda 2020 Technology Alliance is an industry-led consortium that promotes development of advanced technologies for the pulp and paper industry.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETom Kurfess, professor, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and HUSCO\/Ramirez Distinguished Chair in Fluid Power and Motion Control, is part of a $434,577 award led by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing \u0026amp; Machining focused on developing a strategy and roadmap to identify current barriers to full adoption of MTConnect, an evolving interoperability standard for manufacturing. The funding will also determine the best path forward to achieve widespread implementation across manufacturing industries.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETechnology road mapping is a key component of all funded AMTech projects. Each consortium will engage manufacturers of all sizes, university researchers, trade associations and other stakeholders in an interactive process to identify and prioritize research projects that reduce shared barriers to the growth of advanced manufacturing in the United States.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech is a national leader in research, education, policy and industrial assistance related to manufacturing. President G.P. \u201cBud\u201d Peterson serves on the Steering Committee of the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership, and Georgia Tech\u2019s Enterprise Innovation Institute runs the Manufacturing Extension Partnership for the state of Georgia (\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/gamep.org\/\u0022 title=\u0022http:\/\/gamep.org\/\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/gamep.org\/\u003C\/a\u003E). \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"National Institute of Standards and Technology Awards Inaugural Funding"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETeams from the Georgia Institute of Technology are recipients of four grants recently announced by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The funding is designed to support research that will strengthen U.S. manufacturing and innovation performance across industries.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Teams from the Georgia Institute of Technology are recipients of four grants recently announced by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)."}],"uid":"27281","created_gmt":"2014-05-12 09:13:43","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:16:26","author":"Lisa Grovenstein","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-05-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2014-05-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"296611":{"id":"296611","type":"image","title":"Manufacturing","body":null,"created":"1449244530","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:55:30","changed":"1475894995","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:55","alt":"Manufacturing","file":{"fid":"199417","name":"13c3000-p1-125.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/13c3000-p1-125_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/13c3000-p1-125_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2256510,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/13c3000-p1-125_0.jpg?itok=5CnQAnJN"}}},"media_ids":["296611"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/gamep.org\/","title":"Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.nist.gov\/director\/amtech-050814.cfm","title":"NIST Awards 19 Advanced Manufacturing Technology Planning Grants"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.nist.gov\/","title":"National Institute of Standards and Technology"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"42941","name":"Art Research"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"215","name":"manufacturing"},{"id":"10619","name":"National Institute of Standards and Technology"},{"id":"10598","name":"NIST"},{"id":"167413","name":"Stem Cell"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"293851":{"#nid":"293851","#data":{"type":"news","title":"As Strong as its Weakest Link: Experiments Determine Real-world Limits of Graphene","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThere is no disputing graphene is strong. But new research by Rice University and the Georgia Institute of Technology should prompt manufacturers to look a little deeper as they consider the miracle material for applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe atom-thin sheet of carbon is touted not just for its electrical properties but also for its physical strength and flexibility. The bonds between carbon atoms are well known as the strongest in nature, so a perfect sheet of graphene should withstand just about anything. Reinforcing composite materials is among the material\u2019s potential applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut materials scientists know perfection is hard to achieve. Researchers Jun Lou at Rice and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/t_zhu\u0022\u003ETing Zhu\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech have measured the fracture toughness of imperfect graphene for the first time and found it to be somewhat brittle. While it\u0027s still very useful, graphene is really only as strong as its weakest link, which they determined to be \u0022substantially lower\u0022 than the intrinsic strength of graphene.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGraphene has exceptional physical properties, but to use it in real applications, we have to understand the useful strength of large-area graphene, which is controlled by the fracture toughness,\u201d said Zhu, who is an associate professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EWoodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers reported in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Communications\u003C\/em\u003E the results of tests in which they physically pulled graphene apart to see how much force it would take. Specifically, they wanted to see if graphene follows the century-old Griffith theory that quantifies the useful strength of brittle materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt does, said Lou. \u0022Remarkably, in this case, thermodynamic energy still rules,\u0022 he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EImperfections in graphene drastically lessen its strength \u2013 with an upper limit of about 100 gigapascals (GPa) for perfect graphene previously measured by nanoindentation \u2013 according to physical testing at Rice and molecular dynamics simulations at Georgia Tech. That\u0027s important for engineers to understand as they think about using graphene for flexible electronics, composite material and other applications in which stresses on microscopic flaws could lead to failure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Griffith criterion developed by a British engineer during World War I describes the relationship between the size of a crack in a material and the force required to make that crack grow. Ultimately, A.A. Griffith hoped to understand why brittle materials fail.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGraphene, it turns out, is no different from the glass fibers Griffith tested.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Everybody thinks the carbon-carbon bond is the strongest bond in nature, so the material must be very good,\u0022 Lou said. \u0022But that\u0027s not true anymore, once you have those defects. The larger the sheet, the higher the probability of defects. That\u0027s well known in the ceramic community.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA defect can be as small as an atom missing from the hexagonal lattice of graphene. But for a real-world test, the researchers had to make a defect of their own \u2013 a pre-crack \u2013 they could actually see. \u0022We know there will be pinholes and other defects in graphene,\u0022 he said. \u0022The pre-crack overshadows those defects to become the weakest spot \u2013 so I know exactly where the fracture will happen when we pull it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The material resistance to the crack growth \u2013 the fracture toughness \u2013 is what we\u0027re measuring here, and that\u0027s a very important engineering property,\u0022 he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJust setting up the experiment required several years of work to overcome technical difficulties, Lou said. To suspend it on a tiny cantilever spring stage similar to an atomic force microscopy (AFM) probe, a graphene sheet had to be clean and dry so it would adhere (via van der Waals force) to the stage without compromising the stage movement necessary for the testing. Once mounted, the researchers used a focused ion beam to cut a pre-crack less than 10 percent of the width into the microns-wide section of suspended graphene. Then they pulled the graphene in half, measuring the force required.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the Rice team was working on the experiment, Zhu and his team performed computer simulations to understand the entire fracture process.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe can directly simulate the whole deformation process by tracking the motion and displacement with atomic-scale resolution in fairly large samples so our results can be directly correlated with the experiment,\u201d said Zhu. \u201cThe modeling is tightly coupled with the experiments.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe combination of modeling and experiment provides a level of detail that allowed the researchers to better understand the fracture process \u2013 and the tradeoff between toughness and strength in the graphene. What the scientists have learned in the research points out the importance of fabricating high quality graphene sheets without defects \u2013 which could set the stage for fracture.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cUnderstanding the tradeoff between strength and toughness provides important insights for the future utilization of graphene in structural and functional applications,\u201d Zhu added. \u201cThis research provides a foundational framework for further study of the mechanical properties of graphene.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELou said the techniques they used should work for any two-dimensional material. \u0022It\u0027s important to understand how defects will affect the handling, processing and manufacture of these materials,\u0022 he said. \u0022Our work should open up new directions for testing the mechanical properties of 2-D materials.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECo-authors of the paper are graduate students Peng Zhang, Lulu Ma, Phillip Loya and Yongji Gong, and former graduate students Cheng Peng and Jiangnan Zhang, all at Rice; Feifei Fan and Zhi Zeng, graduate students at Georgia Tech; Zheng Liu, an assistant professor at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, with a complimentary appointment at Rice; Pulickel Ajayan, Rice\u0027s Benjamin M. and Mary Greenwood Anderson Professor in Materials Science and Nanoengineering and of Chemistry; and Xingxiang Zhang, a professor at Tianjin Polytechnic University, China.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELou is an associate professor of Materials Science and Nanoengineering and of Chemistry at Rice. The Welch Foundation, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Office of Naval Research and the Korean Institute of Machinery and Materials supported the research. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech Contacts: John Toon (404-894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Brett Israel (404-385-1933) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERice Contacts: David Ruth (713-348-6327) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:david@rice.edu\u0022\u003Edavid@rice.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Mike Williams (713-348-6728)\u003Cbr \/\u003E(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:mikewilliams@rice.edu\u0022\u003Emikewilliams@rice.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have measured the fracture toughness of imperfect graphene for the first time and found it to be somewhat brittle. While it\u0027s still very useful, graphene is really only as strong as its weakest link, which they determined to be \u0022substantially lower\u0022 than the intrinsic strength of graphene.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have measured the fracture toughness of imperfect graphene for the first time and found it to be somewhat brittle."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2014-04-29 09:37:53","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:16:18","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-04-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2014-04-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"293781":{"id":"293781","type":"image","title":"Graphene Fracture","body":null,"created":"1449244313","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:51:53","changed":"1475894991","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:51","alt":"Graphene Fracture","file":{"fid":"199314","name":"ting-zhu218.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ting-zhu218_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ting-zhu218_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1183429,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ting-zhu218_0.jpg?itok=RpT2OEVB"}},"293791":{"id":"293791","type":"image","title":"Fracture-graphene","body":null,"created":"1449244313","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:51:53","changed":"1475894991","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:51","alt":"Fracture-graphene","file":{"fid":"199315","name":"fractured-graphene.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/fractured-graphene_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/fractured-graphene_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":223579,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/fractured-graphene_0.jpg?itok=SQSQrPeD"}},"293801":{"id":"293801","type":"image","title":"Graphene Fracture2","body":null,"created":"1449244313","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:51:53","changed":"1475894991","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:51","alt":"Graphene Fracture2","file":{"fid":"199316","name":"ting-zhu83.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ting-zhu83_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ting-zhu83_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1169514,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ting-zhu83_0.jpg?itok=huLaVQw3"}},"293821":{"id":"293821","type":"image","title":"Fracture-graphene2","body":null,"created":"1449244313","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:51:53","changed":"1475894991","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:51","alt":"Fracture-graphene2","file":{"fid":"199318","name":"fractured-graphene2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/fractured-graphene2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/fractured-graphene2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":247133,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/fractured-graphene2_0.jpg?itok=O2uVrGVB"}},"293811":{"id":"293811","type":"image","title":"Graphene Fracture3","body":null,"created":"1449244313","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:51:53","changed":"1475894991","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:51","alt":"Graphene Fracture3","file":{"fid":"199317","name":"ting-zhu176.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ting-zhu176_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ting-zhu176_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1384313,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ting-zhu176_0.jpg?itok=O1XAkfV8"}},"293841":{"id":"293841","type":"image","title":"Rice-graphene","body":null,"created":"1449244331","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:52:11","changed":"1475894991","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:51","alt":"Rice-graphene","file":{"fid":"199319","name":"rice-graphene.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/rice-graphene_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/rice-graphene_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1215211,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/rice-graphene_0.jpg?itok=n05pIvTx"}}},"media_ids":["293781","293791","293801","293821","293811","293841"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"92431","name":"fracture"},{"id":"92441","name":"fracture toughness"},{"id":"429","name":"graphene"},{"id":"167377","name":"School of Mechanical Engineering"},{"id":"92451","name":"Ting Zhu"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"288631":{"#nid":"288631","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Self-Assembled Silver Superlattices Create Molecular Machines with Hydrogen-Bond \u201cHinges\u201d and Moving \u201cGears\u201d","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA combined computational and experimental study of self-assembled silver-based structures known as superlattices has revealed an unusual and unexpected behavior: arrays of gear-like molecular-scale machines that rotate in unison when pressure is applied to them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EComputational and experimental studies show that the superlattice structures, which are self-assembled from smaller clusters of silver nanoparticles and organic protecting molecules, form in layers with the hydrogen bonds between their components serving as \u201chinges\u201d to facilitate the rotation. Movement of the \u201cgears\u201d is related to another unusual property of the material: increased pressure on the superlattice softens it, allowing subsequent compression to be done with significantly less force.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMaterials containing the gear-like nanoparticles \u2013 each composed of nearly 500 atoms \u2013 might be useful for molecular-scale switching, sensing and even energy absorption. The complex superlattice structure is believed to be among the largest solids ever mapped in detail using a combined X-ray and computational techniques.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs we squeeze on this material, it gets softer and softer and suddenly experiences a dramatic change,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/user\/uzi-landman\u0022\u003EUzi Landman\u003C\/a\u003E, a Regents\u2019 and F.E. Callaway professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u201cWhen we look at the orientation of the microscopic structure of the crystal in the region of this transition, we see that something very unusual happens. The structures start to rotate with respect to one another, creating a molecular machine with some of the smallest moving elements ever observed.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe gears rotate as much as 23 degrees, and return to their original position when the pressure is released. Gears in alternating layers move in opposite directions, said Landman, who is director of the Center for Computational Materials Science at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESupported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the Office of Basic Energy Sciences in the Department of Energy, the research was reported April 6 in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Materials\u003C\/em\u003E. Researchers from Georgia Tech and the University of Toledo collaborated on the project.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research studied superlattice structures composed of clusters with cores of 44 silver atoms each. The silver clusters are protected by 30 ligand molecules of an organic material \u2013 mercaptobenzoic acid (p-MBA) \u2013 that includes an acid group. The organic molecules are attached to the silver by sulfur atoms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s not the individual atoms that form the superlattice,\u201d explained Landman. \u201cYou actually make the larger structure from clusters that are already crystallized. You can make an ordered array from those.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn solution, the clusters assemble themselves into the larger superlattice, guided by the hydrogen bonds, which can only form between the p-MBA molecules at certain angles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe self-assembly process is guided by the desire to form hydrogen bonds,\u201d Landman explained. \u201cThese bonds are directional and cannot vary significantly, which restricts the orientation that the molecules can have.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe superlattice was studied first using quantum-mechanical molecular dynamics simulations conducted in Landman\u2019s lab. The system was also studied experimentally by a research group headed by Terry Bigioni, an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Toledo.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe unusual behavior occurred as the superlattice was being compressed using hydrostatic techniques. After the structure had been compressed by about six percent of its volume, the pressure required for additional compression suddenly dropped significantly. The researchers discovered that the drop occurred when the nanocrystal components rotated, layer-by-layer, in opposite directions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJust as the hydrogen bonds direct how the superlattice structure is formed, so also do they guide how the structure moves under pressure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe hydrogen bond likes to have directionality in its orientation,\u201d Landman explained. \u201cWhen you press on the superlattice, it wants to maintain the hydrogen bonds. In the process of trying to maintain the hydrogen bonds, all the organic ligands bend the silver cores in one layer one way, and those in the next layer bend and rotate the other way.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen the nanoclusters move, the structure pivots about the hydrogen bonds, which act as \u201cmolecular hinges\u201d to allow the rotation. The compression is possible at all, Landman noted, because the crystalline structure has about half of its space open.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe movement of the silver nanocrystallites could allow the superlattice material to serve as an energy-absorbing structure, converting force to mechanical motion. By changing the conductive properties of the silver superlattice, compressing the material could also allow it be used as molecular-scale sensors and switches. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe combined experimental and computation study makes the silver superlattice one of the most thoroughly studied materials in the world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe now have complete control over a unique material that by its composition has a diversity of molecules,\u201d Landman said. \u201cIt has metal, it has organic materials and it has a stiff metallic core surrounded by a soft material.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the future, the researchers plan additional experiments to learn more about the unique properties of the superlattice system. The unique system shows how unusual properties can arise when nanometer-scale systems are combined with many other small-scale units.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe make the small particles, and they are different because small is different,\u201d said Landman. \u201cWhen you put them together, having more of them is different because that allows them to behave collectively, and that collective activity makes the difference.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to those already mentioned, Georgia Tech co-authors included research scientist Bokwon Yoon \u2013 the paper\u2019s first author \u2013 and senior research scientists W.David Luedtke, Robert Barnett and Jianping Gao. Co-authors from the University of Toledo include Anil Desireddy and Brian E. Conn.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), and by the Office of Basic Energy Sciences of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under Contract FG05-86ER45234. Any conclusions or opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the AFOSR or the DOE.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Bokwon Yoon, et al., \u201cHydrogen-bonded structure and mechanical chiral response of a silver nanoparticle superlattice.\u201d (Nature Materials, 2014). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/%2010.1038\/NMAT3923\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/ 10.1038\/NMAT3923\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) (404-894-6986) or Brett Israel (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) (404-385-1933).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA combined computational and experimental study of self-assembled silver-based structures known as superlattices has revealed an unusual and unexpected behavior: arrays of gear-like molecular-scale machines that rotate in unison when pressure is applied to them.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new study of self-assembled silver-based structures known as superlattices has revealed an unusual and unexpected behavior: arrays of gear-like molecular-scale machines that rotate in unison when pressure is applied."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2014-04-06 19:34:29","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:16:11","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-04-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2014-04-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"288621":{"id":"288621","type":"image","title":"Silver Superlattices","body":null,"created":"1449244254","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:50:54","changed":"1475894983","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:43","alt":"Silver Superlattices","file":{"fid":"199166","name":"picture4.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/picture4_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/picture4_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4969588,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/picture4_0.jpg?itok=tXhQlQKQ"}}},"media_ids":["288621"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"90971","name":"hydrogen bonding"},{"id":"90961","name":"molecular machines"},{"id":"107","name":"Nanotechnology"},{"id":"166937","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"171328","name":"self-assembled"},{"id":"169009","name":"silver"},{"id":"169420","name":"superlattice"},{"id":"9180","name":"Uzi Landman"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"289741":{"#nid":"289741","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Mechanical Forces Affect T-Cell Recognition and Signaling, Researchers Show","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ET-cells are the body\u2019s sentinels, patrolling every corner of the body in search of foreign threats such as bacteria and viruses. Receptor molecules on the T-cells identify invaders by recognizing their specific antigens, helping the T-cells discriminate attackers from the body\u2019s own cells. When they recognize a threat, the T-cells signal other parts of the immune system to confront the invader.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese T-cells use a complex process to recognize the foreign pathogens and diseased cells. In a paper published this week in the journal \u003Cem\u003ECell\u003C\/em\u003E, researchers add a new level of understanding to that process by describing how the T-cell receptors (TCR) use mechanical contact \u2013 the forces involved in their binding to the antigens \u2013 to make decisions about whether or not the cells they encounter are threats.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is the first systematic study of how T-cell recognition is affected by mechanical force, and it shows that forces play an important role in the functions of T-cells,\u201d said Cheng Zhu, a Regents\u2019 professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. \u201cWe think that mechanical force plays a role in almost every step of T-cell biology.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers, who were supported by the National Institutes of Health, made their discoveries using a tiny sensor based on a single red blood cell, and a new technique for detecting calcium ions emitted by the T-cells as part of the signaling process. They independently studied the binding of antigens to more than a hundred individual T-cells, measuring the forces involved in the binding and the lifetimes of the bonds. That information was then correlated to the calcium signaling they observed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmong the findings, the researchers learned that interactions between the TCRs and agonist peptide-major histocompatibility complexes (MHC) form catch bonds that become stronger with the application of additional force to initiate intracellular signaling. Less active MHC complexes form slip bonds that weaken with force and don\u2019t initiate signaling. Overall, they found that the signaling outcome of an interaction between an antigen and a TCR depends on the magnitude, duration, frequency and timing of the force application.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cForce adds another dimension to interactions with T-cells,\u201d Zhu explained. \u201cAntigens that have a bond lifetime that is prolonged by force would have a higher likelihood of triggering signaling. Repeat engagements and lifetime accumulations play a role, and the decision to signal is usually made based on the accumulation of actions, not a single action.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe compared the force component of T-cell activation to multiple steps needed to enter a person\u2019s office inside a secured building. A key card and a personal identification number may first be necessary to enter the building, while an ordinary key might then be needed to get into a specific office. Requiring both recognition of an antigen and specific level of mechanical force may help the T-cell avoid activating when it shouldn\u2019t, Zhu said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZhu compared the accumulation of bonds to the punches that a boxer sustains during a fight. A rare very hard single punch, or a series of lesser blows over a short period of time, can both lead to a knockout. But a series of light blows over a longer time may have no effect, Zhu said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers already have other examples of how mechanical force can affect the operation of cellular systems. For instance, mechanical stress created by blood flow acting on the endothelial cells that line blood vessel walls plays a role in the disease atherosclerosis. Force is also necessary for proper bone growth and healing. That mechanical forces would also play a role in the immune system therefore isn\u2019t surprising, Zhu said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe now have a broader recognition that the physical environment and mechanical environment regulate many of the biological phenomena in the body,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen you exert a force on the TCR bonds, some of them dissociate faster, while others come off more slowly. This has an effect on the response of the T-cell receptor.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn their experiments, Zhu and collaborators Baoyu Liu, Wei Chen and Brian Evavold used a biomembrane force probe to measure the strength and longevity of bonds between T cells and antigens. The probe consists, in part, of a red blood cell aspirated to a micropipette. Attached to the red blood cell is a bead on which researchers place the antigen under study. Using a delicate mechanism that precisely controls motion, the bead is then moved into contact with a T-cell receptor, allowing binding to take place.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo test the strength of bond formed between an antigen and the TCR, the researchers apply piconewton forces to separate the bead holding the antigen from the TCR. The red blood cell acts as a spring, stretching and allowing a measurement of the forces that must be applied to separate the TCR and antigen. The technique, which requires motion control at the nanometer scale, allows measurement of binding between the antigen and a single TCR.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo assess the impact of the binding on intracellular signaling, the researchers inject a dye into the cells that fluoresces when exposed to the calcium signaling ions. Detecting the fluorescence allowed the researchers to know when the mechanical force triggered T-cell signaling.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe can directly look at kinetics and signaling at the same time,\u201d explained Liu, a research scientist in the Coulter Department and co-first author of the paper. \u201cWe can observe the signaling directly induced by TCR interactions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a next step, Zhu\u2019s team would like to explore the effects of force on development of T-cells using the new experimental techniques. Evidence suggests that the forces to which the cells are exposed while they are in a juvenile stage may affect the fates of their development.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), both part of National Institutes of Health, through awards AI38282 and GM096187. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Baoyu Liu, Wei Chen, Brian D. Evavold and Cheng Zhu, \u201cAccumulation of Dynamic Catch Bonds between TCR and Agonist Peptide-MHC Triggers T-Cell Signaling, \u201c (Cell 2014). \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) (404-894-6986) or Brett Israel (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) (404-385-1933).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have developed a new understanding of the T-cell recognition process by describing how T-cell receptors use mechanical contact \u2013 the forces involved in their binding to antigens \u2013 to make decisions about whether or not the cells they encounter are threats.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have developed a new understanding of the T-cell recognition process that accounts for mechanical force."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2014-04-10 10:43:24","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:16:11","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-04-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2014-04-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"289671":{"id":"289671","type":"image","title":"T-Cell Force Research2","body":null,"created":"1449244274","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:51:14","changed":"1475894986","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:46","alt":"T-Cell Force Research2","file":{"fid":"199197","name":"t-cell-force2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/t-cell-force2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/t-cell-force2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":926469,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/t-cell-force2_0.jpg?itok=C9qwm5Z3"}},"289681":{"id":"289681","type":"image","title":"Biomembrane Force Probe","body":null,"created":"1449244274","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:51:14","changed":"1475894986","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:46","alt":"Biomembrane Force Probe","file":{"fid":"199198","name":"t-cell-force3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/t-cell-force3_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/t-cell-force3_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1834097,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/t-cell-force3_0.jpg?itok=e-OQpY7v"}},"289691":{"id":"289691","type":"image","title":"Biomembrane Force Probe2","body":null,"created":"1449244274","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:51:14","changed":"1475894986","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:46","alt":"Biomembrane Force Probe2","file":{"fid":"199199","name":"t-cell-force4.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/t-cell-force4_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/t-cell-force4_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":986687,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/t-cell-force4_0.jpg?itok=6tyuJZgT"}},"289701":{"id":"289701","type":"image","title":"Biomembrane Force Probe3","body":null,"created":"1449244274","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:51:14","changed":"1475894986","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:46","alt":"Biomembrane Force Probe3","file":{"fid":"199200","name":"t-cell-force5.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/t-cell-force5_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/t-cell-force5_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1254064,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/t-cell-force5_0.jpg?itok=VYhWzy_Q"}},"289711":{"id":"289711","type":"image","title":"Biomembrane Force Probe4","body":null,"created":"1449244274","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:51:14","changed":"1475894986","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:46","alt":"Biomembrane Force Probe4","file":{"fid":"199201","name":"t-cell-force6.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/t-cell-force6_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/t-cell-force6_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1318237,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/t-cell-force6_0.jpg?itok=IOO0me0N"}},"289721":{"id":"289721","type":"image","title":"T-Cell Force Research","body":null,"created":"1449244274","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:51:14","changed":"1475894986","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:46","alt":"T-Cell Force Research","file":{"fid":"199202","name":"t-cell-force1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/t-cell-force1_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/t-cell-force1_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1144212,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/t-cell-force1_0.jpg?itok=Qm1_Ccx4"}},"289731":{"id":"289731","type":"image","title":"Zhu Research Lab","body":null,"created":"1449244274","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:51:14","changed":"1475894986","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:46","alt":"Zhu Research Lab","file":{"fid":"199203","name":"t-cell-force7.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/t-cell-force7_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/t-cell-force7_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1416433,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/t-cell-force7_0.jpg?itok=gobd9KjX"}}},"media_ids":["289671","289681","289691","289701","289711","289721","289731"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"9893","name":"Cheng Zhu"},{"id":"14219","name":"Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"id":"9316","name":"immune system"},{"id":"62101","name":"mechanical force"},{"id":"91341","name":"T-cell"},{"id":"91351","name":"T-cell receptor"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"288211":{"#nid":"288211","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Tiny Wireless Sensing Device Alerts Users to Telltale Vapors Remotely","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA research team at the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (GTRI) has developed a small electronic sensing device that can alert users wirelessly to the presence of chemical vapors in the atmosphere. The technology, which could be manufactured using familiar aerosol-jet printing techniques, is aimed at myriad applications in military, commercial, environmental, healthcare and other areas.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe current design integrates nanotechnology and radio-frequency identification (RFID) capabilities into a small working prototype. An array of sensors uses carbon nanotubes and other nanomaterials to detect specific chemicals, while an RFID integrated circuit informs users about the presence and concentrations of those vapors at a safe distance wirelessly.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause it is based on programmable digital technology, the RFID component can provide greater security, reliability and range \u2013 and much smaller size \u2013 than earlier sensor designs based on non-programmable analog technology. The present GTRI prototype is 10 centimeters square, but further designs are expected to squeeze a multiple-sensor array and an RFID chip into a one-millimeter-square device printable on paper or on flexible, durable substrates such as liquid crystal polymer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cProduction of these devices promises to become so inexpensive that they could be used by the thousands in the field to look for telltale chemicals such as ammonia, which is associated with explosives,\u0022 said Xiaojuan (Judy) Song, a GTRI senior research scientist who is principal investigator on the project. \u0022This remote capability would inform soldiers or first responders about numerous hazards before they encountered them.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWireless sensors could also be valuable for identifying and understanding air pollution, she said. Inexpensive sensors that detect ammonia and nitrogen oxides (NOx) could be fielded in large numbers, giving scientists increased knowledge of the location and intensity of pollutants.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe availability of such chips might also help companies detect food spoilage. And healthcare facilities could benefit, as the presence of telltale chemicals informed caregivers of patient conditions and needs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe present prototype contains three sensors along with an RFID chip. Future devices for field use might contain a much larger number of sensors based on various nanomaterials \u2013 including carbon nanotubes, graphene and molybdenum disulfide \u2013 depending on the types of chemicals to be detected.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022In general, having an extensive sensing array is the best approach,\u0022 Song said. \u0022For real-world applications, a variety of sensors offers better functionality, because they can work together to produce a more detailed and reliable picture of the chemical environment.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe RFID component in the GTRI device makes use of the 5.8 gigahertz (GHz) radio frequency, one of several radio bands reserved for industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) purposes. The GTRI component is believed to be the first RFID system that exploits this frequency.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe advantage of 5.8 GHz technology is that it will let RFID tags be made extremely small \u2013 in the area of one centimeter square, said Christopher Valenta, a GTRI research engineer who is co-principal investigator on the project. He explained that the digital transmission of data from RFID-based sensors does a much better job than earlier analog techniques based on interpretation of radio-frequency waveforms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESpecifically, digital signaling with 5.8 GHz RFID offers:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EGreater security due to digital techniques that prevent unauthorized access to the wireless data stream;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIncreased resistance to interference from materials such as metals that can cause false readings;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDigital-logic readings of chemical concentrations that are more precise and easier to interpret than analog approaches;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ELonger-range communication capability.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe GTRI team is currently gearing up to design a very small, 5.8 GHz RFID component. After fabrication and testing, the chip could be manufactured in large numbers inexpensively.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022It might take $400,000 to design and fabricate that first RFID chip, but all the subsequent copies might cost only a few pennies,\u0022 said Valenta, who is a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe GTRI team successfully tested its prototype sensing system in a demonstration designed to resemble an airport checkpoint. The sensor array detected the targeted chemical despite emersion in a complex chemical environment, and the RFID component was able to transmit the sensors\u0027 readings.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe present GTRI prototype is semi-passive, so it requires power from an incoming signal beam in order to send data back to a remote reading device. However, future sensing devices might exploit ambient energy from solar or vibrational sources that would let them work at longer ranges with greater sensitivity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team is continuing to work on the important task of developing pattern recognition software that will support effective functioning of the sensor array.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The prototype 5.8 GHz wireless sensing system promises to be flexible and highly scalable,\u0022 Valenta said. \u0022An advanced design might include an array of 10 or more different sensors, with electronics that could utilize those sensors to perform 25 different jobs, and yet still be tiny, robust and inexpensive.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: Lance Wallace (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:lance.wallace@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elance.wallace@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) (404-407-7280) or John Toon (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) (404-894-6986).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Rick Robinson\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA research team at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) has developed a small electronic sensing device that can alert users wirelessly to the presence of chemical vapors in the atmosphere. The technology, which could be manufactured using familiar aerosol-jet printing techniques, is aimed at myriad applications in military, commercial, environmental, healthcare and other areas.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have developed a small electronic sensing device that can alert users wirelessly to the presence of chemical vapors in the atmosphere."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2014-04-03 11:18:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:16:11","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-04-03T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2014-04-03T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"288161":{"id":"288161","type":"image","title":"Chemical-Sensing1","body":null,"created":"1449244254","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:50:54","changed":"1475894983","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:43","alt":"Chemical-Sensing1","file":{"fid":"199149","name":"chem-sensing1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/chem-sensing1_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/chem-sensing1_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":978315,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/chem-sensing1_0.jpg?itok=sPL5mlKx"}},"288171":{"id":"288171","type":"image","title":"Chemical-Sensing2","body":null,"created":"1449244254","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:50:54","changed":"1475894983","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:43","alt":"Chemical-Sensing2","file":{"fid":"199150","name":"chem-sensing2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/chem-sensing2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/chem-sensing2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1545559,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/chem-sensing2_0.jpg?itok=D3i004NO"}},"288181":{"id":"288181","type":"image","title":"Chemical-Sensing3","body":null,"created":"1449244254","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:50:54","changed":"1475894983","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:43","alt":"Chemical-Sensing3","file":{"fid":"199151","name":"chem-sensing3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/chem-sensing3_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/chem-sensing3_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1347765,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/chem-sensing3_0.jpg?itok=eo5len0x"}},"288191":{"id":"288191","type":"image","title":"Chemical-Sensing4","body":null,"created":"1449244254","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:50:54","changed":"1475894983","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:43","alt":"Chemical-Sensing4","file":{"fid":"199152","name":"chem-sensing4.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/chem-sensing4_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/chem-sensing4_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":945405,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/chem-sensing4_0.jpg?itok=8IyVuAX2"}},"288201":{"id":"288201","type":"image","title":"Chemical-Sensing5","body":null,"created":"1449244254","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:50:54","changed":"1475894983","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:43","alt":"Chemical-Sensing5","file":{"fid":"199153","name":"chem-sensing5.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/chem-sensing5_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/chem-sensing5_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":997441,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/chem-sensing5_0.jpg?itok=v7mMQbIe"}}},"media_ids":["288161","288171","288181","288191","288201"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"5209","name":"carbon nanotubes"},{"id":"1364","name":"chemical"},{"id":"416","name":"GTRI"},{"id":"107","name":"Nanotechnology"},{"id":"169638","name":"sensing"},{"id":"167318","name":"sensor"},{"id":"7338","name":"vapor"},{"id":"1526","name":"wireless"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"39481","name":"National Security"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"286981":{"#nid":"286981","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Heat-Conducting Polymer Cools Hot Electronic Devices at 200 Degrees C","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPolymer materials are usually thermal insulators. But by harnessing an electropolymerization process to produce aligned arrays of polymer nanofibers, researchers have developed a thermal interface material able to conduct heat 20 times better than the original polymer. The modified material can reliably operate at temperatures of up to 200 degrees Celsius.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new thermal interface material could be used to draw heat away from electronic devices in servers, automobiles, high-brightness LEDs and certain mobile devices. The material is fabricated on heat sinks and heat spreaders and adheres well to devices, potentially avoiding the reliability challenges caused by differential expansion in other thermally-conducting materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThermal management schemes can get more complicated as devices get smaller,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/cola\u0022\u003EBaratunde Cola\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u201cA material like this, which could also offer higher reliability, could be attractive for addressing thermal management issues. This material could ultimately allow us to design electronic systems in different ways.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research, which was supported by the National Science Foundation, was reported March 30 in the advance online publication of the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Nanotechnology\u003C\/em\u003E. The project involved researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Texas at Austin, and the Raytheon Company. Virendra Singh, a research scientist in the Woodruff School, and Thomas Bougher, a Ph.D. student in the Woodruff School, are the paper\u2019s co-first authors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmorphous polymer materials are poor thermal conductors because their disordered state limits the transfer of heat-conducting phonons. That transfer can be improved by creating aligned crystalline structures in the polymers, but those structures \u2013 formed through a fiber drawing processes \u2013 can leave the material brittle and easily fractured as devices expand and contract during heating and cooling cycles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new interface material is produced from a conjugated polymer, polythiophene, in which aligned polymer chains in nanofibers facilitate the transfer of phonons \u2013 but without the brittleness associated with crystalline structures, Cola explained. Formation of the nanofibers produces an amorphous material with thermal conductivity of up to 4.4 watts per meter Kelvin at room temperature.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe material has been tested up to 200 degrees Celsius, a temperature that could make it useful for applications in vehicles. Solder materials have been used for thermal interfaces between chips and heat sinks, but may not be reliable when operated close to their reflow temperatures.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cPolymers aren\u2019t typically thought of for these applications because they normally degrade at such a low temperature,\u201d Cola explained. \u201cBut these conjugated polymers are already used in solar cells and electronic devices, and can also work as thermal materials. We are taking advantage of the fact that they have a higher thermal stability because the bonding is stronger than in typical polymers.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe structures are grown in a multi-step process that begins with an alumina template containing tiny pores covered by an electrolyte containing monomer precursors. When an electrical potential is applied to the template, electrodes at the base of each pore attract the monomers and begin forming hollow nanofibers. The amount of current applied and the growth time control the length of the fibers and the thickness of their walls, while the pore size controls the diameter. Fiber diameters range from 18 to 300 nanometers, depending on the pore template.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter formation of the monomer chains, the nanofibers are cross-linked with an electropolymerization process, and the template removed. The resulting structure can be attached to electronic devices through the application of a liquid such as water or a solvent, which spreads the fibers and creates adhesion through capillary action and van der Waals forces.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWith the electrochemical polymerization processing approach that we took, we were able to align the chains of the polymer, and the template appears to prevent the chains from folding into crystals so the material remained amorphous,\u201d Cola explained. \u201cEven though our material is amorphous from a crystalline standpoint, the polymer chains are highly aligned \u2013 about 40 percent in some of our samples.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThough the technique still requires further development and is not fully understood theoretically, Cola believes it could be scaled up for manufacturing and commercialization. The new material could allow reliable thermal interfaces as thin as three microns \u2013 compared to as much as 50 to 75 microns with conventional materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere are some challenges with our solution, but the process is inherently scalable in a fashion similar to electroplating,\u201d he said. \u201cThis material is well known for its other applications, but ours is a different use.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEngineers have been searching for an improved thermal interface material that could help remove heat from electronic devices. The problem of removing heat has worsened as devices have gotten both smaller and more powerful.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERather than pursue materials because of their high thermal conductivity, Cola and his collaborators investigated materials that could provide higher levels of contact in the interface. That\u2019s because in some of the best thermal interface materials, less than one percent of the material was actually making contact.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI stopped thinking so much about the thermal conductivity of the materials and started thinking about what kinds of materials make really good contact in an interface,\u201d Cola said. He decided to pursue polythiophene materials after reading a paper describing a \u201cgecko foot\u201d application in which the material provided an estimated 80 percent contact.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESamples of the material have been tested to 200 degrees Celsius through 80 thermal cycles without any detectable difference in performance. While further work will be necessary to understand the mechanism, Cola believes the robustness results from adhesion of the polymer rather than a bonding.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe can have contact without a permanent bond being formed,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not permanent, so it has a built-in stress accommodation. It slides along and lets the stress from thermal cycling relax out.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to those already mentioned, co-authors of the paper included Professor Kenneth Sandhage, Research Scientist Ye Cai, Assistant Professor Asegun Henry and graduate assistant Wei Lv of Georgia Tech; Prof. Li Shi, Annie Weathers, Kedong Bi, Micheal T. Pettes and Sally McMenamin in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin; and Daniel P. Resler, Todd Gattuso and David Altman of the Raytheon Company.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA patent application has been filed on the material. Cola has formed a startup company, Carbice Nanotechnologies, to commercialize thermal interface technologies. It is a member of Georgia Tech\u2019s VentureLab program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) through award CBET-113071, a seed grant from the Georgia Tech Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics and an NSF-IGERT graduate fellowship. Any conclusions or opinions are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NSF.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Virendra Singh, et al., \u201cHigh thermal conductivity of chain-oriented amorphous polythiophene,\u201d (Nature Nanotechnology, 2014). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/nnano.2014.44\u0022 title=\u0022http:\/\/www.dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/nnano.2014.44\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/www.dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/nnano.2014.44\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Brett Israel (404-385-1933) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBy harnessing an electropolymerization process to produce aligned arrays of polymer nanofibers, researchers have developed a thermal interface material able to conduct heat 20 times better than the original polymer. The modified material can reliably operate at temperatures of up to 200 degrees Celsius.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Using nanofibers, researchers have developed a thermal interface material able to conduct heat 20 times better than the original polymer."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2014-03-30 11:16:45","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:16:07","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-03-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2014-03-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"286881":{"id":"286881","type":"image","title":"Polymer Thermal Interface","body":null,"created":"1449244237","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:50:37","changed":"1475894981","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:41","alt":"Polymer Thermal Interface","file":{"fid":"199104","name":"img_0695.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/img_0695_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/img_0695_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":712111,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/img_0695_0.jpg?itok=lT_dgTJh"}},"286931":{"id":"286931","type":"image","title":"Testing Polymer Thermal Interface","body":null,"created":"1449244237","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:50:37","changed":"1475894981","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:41","alt":"Testing Polymer Thermal Interface","file":{"fid":"199106","name":"img_0728.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/img_0728_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/img_0728_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":494343,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/img_0728_0.jpg?itok=759SJ1As"}},"286941":{"id":"286941","type":"image","title":"Photoacoustic Testing","body":null,"created":"1449244237","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:50:37","changed":"1475894981","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:41","alt":"Photoacoustic Testing","file":{"fid":"199107","name":"qb6a0116.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/qb6a0116_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/qb6a0116_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1096193,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/qb6a0116_0.jpg?itok=KqyasDFQ"}},"286961":{"id":"286961","type":"image","title":"Polymer Nanofiber Array","body":null,"created":"1449244237","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:50:37","changed":"1475894981","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:41","alt":"Polymer Nanofiber Array","file":{"fid":"199109","name":"nanofiber_array.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nanofiber_array_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nanofiber_array_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":171659,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/nanofiber_array_0.jpg?itok=wdjmXHSZ"}},"286951":{"id":"286951","type":"image","title":"Hollow Polymer Nanofibers","body":null,"created":"1449244237","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:50:37","changed":"1475894981","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:41","alt":"Hollow Polymer Nanofibers","file":{"fid":"199108","name":"hollow-nanofibers.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/hollow-nanofibers_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/hollow-nanofibers_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":328012,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/hollow-nanofibers_0.jpg?itok=D4XgGIXV"}},"286971":{"id":"286971","type":"image","title":"SiC Nanofiber Array","body":null,"created":"1449244237","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:50:37","changed":"1475894981","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:41","alt":"SiC Nanofiber Array","file":{"fid":"199110","name":"sic-nanofiber-array.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sic-nanofiber-array_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/sic-nanofiber-array_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":302980,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/sic-nanofiber-array_0.jpg?itok=7zeizkIw"}}},"media_ids":["286881","286931","286941","286961","286951","286971"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"8875","name":"Baratunde Cola"},{"id":"63151","name":"chip cooling"},{"id":"437","name":"cooling"},{"id":"90351","name":"electropolymerization"},{"id":"1492","name":"Polymer"},{"id":"90331","name":"thermal interface"},{"id":"2378","name":"Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"276971":{"#nid":"276971","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Silicon-Germanium Chip Sets New Speed Record","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA research collaboration consisting of IHP-Innovations for High Performance Microelectronics in Germany and the Georgia Institute of Technology has demonstrated the world\u0027s fastest silicon-based device to date. The investigators operated a silicon-germanium (SiGe) transistor at 798 gigahertz (GHz) fMAX, exceeding the previous speed record for silicon-germanium chips by about 200 GHz.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlthough these operating speeds were achieved at extremely cold temperatures, the research suggests that record speeds at room temperature aren\u0027t far off, said professor \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff\/fac_profiles\/bio.php?id=123\u0022\u003EJohn D. Cressler\u003C\/a\u003E, who led the research for Georgia Tech. Information about the research was published in February 2014, by \u003Cem\u003EIEEE Electron Device Letters\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The transistor we tested was a conservative design, and the results indicate that there is significant potential to achieve similar speeds at room temperature \u2013 which would enable potentially world changing progress in high data rate wireless and wired communications, as well as signal processing, imaging, sensing and radar applications,\u0022 said Cressler, who hold the Schlumberger Chair in electronics in the Georgia Tech \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0022Moreover, I believe that these results also indicate that the goal of breaking the so called \u2018terahertz barrier\u2019 \u2013 meaning, achieving terahertz speeds in a robust and manufacturable silicon-germanium transistor \u2013 is within reach.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMeanwhile, Cressler added, the tested transistor itself could be practical as is for certain cold-temperature applications. In particular, it could be used in its present form for demanding electronics applications in outer space, where temperatures can be extremely low.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIHP, a research center funded by the German government, designed and fabricated the device, a heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) made from a nanoscale SiGe alloy embedded within a silicon transistor. Cressler and his Georgia Tech team, including graduate students Partha S. Chakraborty, Adilson S. Cardoso and Brian R. Wier, performed the exacting work of analyzing, testing and evaluating the novel transistor.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe record low temperature results show the potential for further increasing the transistor speed toward terahertz (THz) at room temperature. This could help enable applications of Si-based technologies in areas in which compound semiconductor technologies are dominant today. At IHP, B. Heinemann, H. R\u00fccker, and A. Fox supported by the whole technology team working to develop the next THz transistor generation,\u201d according to Bernd Tillack, who is leading the technology department at IHP in Frankfurt (Oder), Germany.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESilicon, a material used in the manufacture of most modern microchips, is not competitive with other materials when it comes to the extremely high performance levels needed for certain types of emerging wireless and wired communications, signal processing, radar and other applications. Certain highly specialized and costly materials \u2013 such as indium phosphide, gallium arsenide and gallium nitride \u2013 presently dominate these highly demanding application areas.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut silicon-germanium changes this situation. In SiGe technology, small amounts of germanium are introduced into silicon wafers at the atomic scale during the standard manufacturing process, boosting performance substantially.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe result is cutting-edge silicon germanium devices such as the IHP Microelectronics 800 GHz transistor. Such designs combine SiGe\u0027s extremely high performance with silicon\u0027s traditional advantages \u2013 low cost, high yield, smaller size and high levels of integration and manufacturability \u2013 making silicon with added germanium highly competitive with the other materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECressler and his team demonstrated the 800 GHz transistor speed at 4.3 Kelvins\u0026nbsp; (452 degrees below zero, Fahrenheit). This transistor has a breakdown voltage of 1.7 V, a value which is adequate for most intended applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe 800 GHz transistor was manufactured using IHP\u2019s 130-nanometer BiCMOS process, which has a cost advantage compared with today\u2019s highly-scaled CMOS technologies. This 130 nm SiGe BiCMOS process is offered by IHP in a multi-project wafer foundry service.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech team used liquid helium to achieve the extremely low cryogenic temperatures of 4.3 Kelvins in achieving the observed 798 GHz speeds. \u0022When we tested the IHP 800 GHz transistor at room temperature during our evaluation, it operated at 417 GHz,\u0022 Cressler said. \u0022At that speed, it\u0027s already faster than 98 percent of all the transistors available right now.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30332-0181 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech: John Toon (404894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Brett Israel (404-385-1933) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIHP: Dr. Wolfgang Kissinger (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kissinger@ihp-microelectronics.com\u0022\u003Ekissinger@ihp-microelectronics.com\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Rick Robinson\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA research collaboration consisting of IHP-Innovations for High Performance Microelectronics in Germany and the Georgia Institute of Technology has demonstrated the world\u0027s fastest silicon-based device to date. The investigators operated a silicon-germanium (SiGe) transistor at 798 gigahertz (GHz) fMAX, exceeding the previous speed record for silicon-germanium chips by about 200 GHz.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A research collaboration has demonstrated the world\u0027s fastest silicon-based device to date."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2014-02-17 23:26:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:55","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-02-18T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2014-02-18T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"276921":{"id":"276921","type":"image","title":"Silicon Germanium study","body":null,"created":"1449244151","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:49:11","changed":"1475894968","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:28","alt":"Silicon Germanium study","file":{"fid":"198801","name":"800g_2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/800g_2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/800g_2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1248232,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/800g_2_0.jpg?itok=jLzecEvM"}},"276911":{"id":"276911","type":"image","title":"Silicon Germanium probes","body":null,"created":"1449244151","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:49:11","changed":"1475894968","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:28","alt":"Silicon Germanium probes","file":{"fid":"198800","name":"800g_1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/800g_1_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/800g_1_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1814691,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/800g_1_0.jpg?itok=BTlNVrNL"}},"276961":{"id":"276961","type":"image","title":"Professor John Cressler","body":null,"created":"1449244151","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:49:11","changed":"1475894968","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:28","alt":"Professor John Cressler","file":{"fid":"198805","name":"800g_8.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/800g_8_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/800g_8_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1636615,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/800g_8_0.jpg?itok=dnR2LG2_"}},"276931":{"id":"276931","type":"image","title":"Silicon Germanium study2","body":null,"created":"1449244151","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:49:11","changed":"1475894968","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:28","alt":"Silicon Germanium study2","file":{"fid":"198802","name":"800g_4.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/800g_4_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/800g_4_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1407858,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/800g_4_1.jpg?itok=xfrAH3Nh"}},"276951":{"id":"276951","type":"image","title":"Silicon Germanium study3","body":null,"created":"1449244151","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:49:11","changed":"1475894968","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:28","alt":"Silicon Germanium study3","file":{"fid":"198804","name":"800g_6.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/800g_6_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/800g_6_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1423412,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/800g_6_0.jpg?itok=EHKrr6C4"}}},"media_ids":["276921","276911","276961","276931","276951"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"3251","name":"chip"},{"id":"609","name":"electronics"},{"id":"7763","name":"John Cressler"},{"id":"2832","name":"microelectronics"},{"id":"166855","name":"School of Electrical and Computer Engineering"},{"id":"167355","name":"silicon"},{"id":"169631","name":"silicon germanium"},{"id":"4261","name":"transistor"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"279181":{"#nid":"279181","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia ImmunoEngineering Consortium Aims to Improve Immune Response to Diseases","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EATLANTA\u2014A new research partnership between Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology will apply the principles of engineering to study the immune system and develop new therapies that can improve the immune response to diseases.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia ImmunoEngineering Consortium (GIEC) will bring together engineers, physicians, chemists, physicists, computational scientists, immunologists and clinical investigators to better understand how the immune system works and how to precisely modulate it to target challenging diseases.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research teams will focus on cancer, infectious diseases, autoimmune and inflammatory disorders (diabetes, lupus, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, fibrosis, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, etc.), and areas of regenerative medicine including transplantation, bone and cartilage repair, and treatments for spinal cord injuries.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe immune system and its multi-faceted role in human health and disease form the cornerstone of medical research, says Ignacio Sanz, MD, co-chair of the consortium steering committee. Sanz is Mason I. Lowance Chair of Allergy and Immunology and director of the Lowance Center of Human Immunology at Emory, director of rheumatology in the Department of Medicine in Emory School of Medicine, and a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis consortium not only combines the expertise of researchers throughout a variety of disciplines focused on the human immune response, but also reflects an increasing focus on engineering technologies and informatics in improving the diagnosis and treatment of challenging diseases.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBy joining our immense strengths in immunology and bioengineering, we aspire to become an international leader in immunoengineering science; develop new technologies for prevention, rapid diagnosis, and treatment of immune-related disorders and train the next generation of physicians and engineers in this cutting edge research,\u201d says Krishnendu Roy, PhD, co-chair of the consortium steering committee, director of the Center for ImmunoEngineering in the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience at Georgia Tech and Carol Ann and David D. Flanagan professor of biomedical engineering in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EImmunoengineering is the application of engineering tools and principles to better understand and monitor our immune system in health and in diseases. This knowledge is then used to develop more effective vaccines and therapies against a wide range of diseases like cancer, HIV, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, arthritis etc. and also to improve tissue regeneration, wound healing and transplantation, explain Sanz and Roy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGame-changing innovation and world-class scholarship occur at the boundaries of fields of study where collaborators bring different perspectives to challenging problems,\u201d says Stephen E. Cross, executive vice president for research at Georgia Tech. \u201cThis is the essence of the successful 17-year partnership between engineering and science at Georgia Tech, and medical science and clinical practice at Emory.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExisting centers and departments that will collaborate within the new consortium include the Center for ImmunoEngineering at Georgia Tech as well as the Emory Vaccine Center, Lowance Center for Human Immunology, Departments of Medicine, Microbiology and Immunology, Hematology and Oncology, and Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in Emory School of Medicine, the Emory-Children\u2019s Pediatric Research Center, and Winship Cancer Institute, among others.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe consortium has partnered with the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA), a nonprofit organization that expands research and commercialization capacity in Georgia\u2019s universities to launch new companies, create high-value jobs and transform lives.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe Georgia ImmunoEngineering Consortium is a unique academic collaboration that represents strong opportunities to align our state\u2019s extensive university research base with targeted life sciences industry development in Georgia,\u201d says C. Michael Cassidy, GRA president and CEO. \u201cGRA looks forward to seeing the new discoveries and commercial opportunities that result from this partnership.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe consortium will also collaborate with research partners at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and partners at various colleges and universities around Georgia, the United States, and around the world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cUsing engineering approaches to help unlock the biology of the immune system opens the door for exciting new discoveries that can alter human disease,\u201d says David S. Stephens MD, vice president for research in Emory\u2019s Woodruff Health Sciences Center, chair of the Department of Medicine in Emory University School of Medicine, and a member of the consortium steering committee.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdditional members of the steering committee from Georgia Tech include M.G. Finn and Susan Thomas, and from Emory include Rafi Ahmed and Edmund K. (Ned) Waller.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA symposium will celebrate the consortium launch:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia ImmunoEngineering Symposium: \u003Cbr \/\u003EFeb. 28, 2014, 7 a.m. \u2013 5 p.m.\u003Cbr \/\u003EEmory Conference Center\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFor more information about the consortium, please view the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.immunoengineering-georgia.org\/index.html\u0022\u003Ewebsite\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E- Holly Korschun, Emory University\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"New research partnership between Emory and Georgia Tech will apply engineering principles to study the immune system"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENew research partnership between Emory and Georgia Tech will apply engineering principles to study the immune system\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New research partnership between Emory and Georgia Tech will apply engineering principles to study the immune system"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2014-02-26 13:32:27","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:55","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-02-26T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2014-02-26T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"279191":{"id":"279191","type":"image","title":"Georgia ImmunoEngineering Consortium","body":null,"created":"1449244168","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:49:28","changed":"1475894971","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:31","alt":"Georgia ImmunoEngineering Consortium","file":{"fid":"198866","name":"gaimmunoengineering.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/gaimmunoengineering_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/gaimmunoengineering_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":6357578,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/gaimmunoengineering_0.jpg?itok=fTnSMnmg"}},"279201":{"id":"279201","type":"image","title":"Georgia ImmunoEngineering Consortium Image","body":null,"created":"1449244168","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:49:28","changed":"1475894971","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:31","alt":"Georgia ImmunoEngineering Consortium Image","file":{"fid":"198867","name":"gaimmunoengineering2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/gaimmunoengineering2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/gaimmunoengineering2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":494024,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/gaimmunoengineering2_0.jpg?itok=vu76e23A"}}},"media_ids":["279191","279201"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.immunoengineering-georgia.org\/index.html","title":"Georgia Immunoengineering website"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"87781","name":"autoimmune"},{"id":"2305","name":"Emory University"},{"id":"9316","name":"immune system"},{"id":"1895","name":"Immunology"},{"id":"7243","name":"inflammatory"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBrett Israel\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E404-385-1933\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"274031":{"#nid":"274031","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Ballistic Transport in Graphene Suggests New Type of Electronic Device","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing electrons more like photons could provide the foundation for a new type of electronic device that would capitalize on the ability of graphene to carry electrons with almost no resistance even at room temperature \u2013 a property known as ballistic transport.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch reported this week shows that electrical resistance in nanoribbons of epitaxial graphene changes in discrete steps following quantum mechanical principles. The research shows that the graphene nanoribbons act more like optical waveguides or quantum dots, allowing electrons to flow smoothly along the edges of the material. In ordinary conductors such as copper, resistance increases in proportion to the length as electrons encounter more and more impurities while moving through the conductor.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe ballistic transport properties, similar to those observed in cylindrical carbon nanotubes, exceed theoretical conductance predictions for graphene by a factor of 10. The properties were measured in graphene nanoribbons approximately 40 nanometers wide that had been grown on the edges of three-dimensional structures etched into silicon carbide wafers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis work shows that we can control graphene electrons in very different ways because the properties are really exceptional,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/user\/walter-de-heer\u0022\u003EWalt de Heer\u003C\/a\u003E, a Regent\u2019s professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u201cThis could result in a new class of coherent electronic devices based on room temperature ballistic transport in graphene. Such devices would be very different from what we make today in silicon.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research, which was supported by the National Science Foundation, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the W.M. Keck Foundation, was reported February 5 in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature\u003C\/em\u003E. The research was done through a collaboration of scientists from Georgia Tech in the United States, Leibniz Universit\u00e4t Hannover in Germany, the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in France and Oak Ridge National Laboratory \u2013 supported by the Department of Energy \u2013 in the United States.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor nearly a decade, researchers have been trying to use the unique properties of graphene to create electronic devices that operate much like existing silicon semiconductor chips. But those efforts have met with limited success because graphene \u2013 a lattice of carbon atoms that can be made as little as one layer thick \u2013 cannot be easily given the electronic bandgap that such devices need to operate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDe Heer argues that researchers should stop trying to use graphene like silicon, and instead use its unique electron transport properties to design new types of electronic devices that could allow ultra-fast computing \u2013 based on a new approach to switching. Electrons in the graphene nanoribbons can move tens or hundreds of microns without scattering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis constant resistance is related to one of the fundamental constants of physics, the conductance quantum,\u201d de Heer said. \u201cThe resistance of this channel does not depend on temperature, and it does not depend on the amount of current you are putting through it.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat does disrupt the flow of electrons, however, is measuring the resistance with an electrical probe. The measurements showed that touching the nanoribbons with a single probe doubles the resistance; touching it with two probes triples the resistance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe electrons hit the probe and scatter,\u201d explained de Heer. \u201cIt\u2019s a lot like a stream in which water is flowing nicely until you put rocks in the way. We have done systematic studies to show that when you touch the nanoribbons with a probe, you introduce a method for the electrons to scatter, and that changes the resistance.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe nanoribbons are grown epitaxially on silicon carbon wafers into which patterns have been etched using standard microelectronics fabrication techniques. When the wafers are heated to approximately 1,000 degrees Celsius, silicon is preferentially driven off along the edges, forming graphene nanoribbons whose structure is determined by the pattern of the three-dimensional surface. Once grown, the nanoribbons require no further processing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe advantage of fabricating graphene nanoribbons this way is that it produces edges that are perfectly smooth, annealed by the fabrication process. The smooth edges allow electrons to flow through the nanoribbons without disruption. If traditional etching techniques are used to cut nanoribbons from graphene sheets, the resulting edges are too rough to allow ballistic transport.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt seems that the current is primarily flowing on the edges,\u201d de Heer said. \u201cThere are other electrons in the bulk portion of the nanoribbons, but they do not interact with the electrons flowing at the edges.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe electrons on the edge flow more like photons in optical fiber, helping them avoid scattering. \u201cThese electrons are really behaving more like light,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is like light going through an optical fiber. Because of the way the fiber is made, the light transmits without scattering.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers measured ballistic conductance in the graphene nanoribbons for up to 16 microns. Electron mobility measurements surpassing one million correspond to a sheet resistance of one ohm per square that is two orders of magnitude lower than what is observed in two-dimensional graphene \u2013 and ten times smaller than the best theoretical predictions for graphene.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis should enable a new way of doing electronics,\u201d de Heer said. \u201cWe are already able to steer these electrons and we can switch them using rudimentary means. We can put a roadblock, and then open it up again. New kinds of switches for this material are now on the horizon.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheoretical explanations for what the researchers have measured are incomplete. De Heer speculates that the graphene nanoribbons may be producing a new type of electronic transport similar to what is observed in superconductors. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere is a lot of fundamental physics that needs to be done to understand what we are seeing,\u201d he added. \u201cWe believe this shows that there is a real possibility for a new type of graphene-based electronics.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers have pioneered graphene-based electronics since 2001, for which they hold a patent, filed in 2003. The technique involves etching patterns into electronics-grade silicon carbide wafers, then heating the wafers to drive off silicon, leaving patterns of graphene.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to de Heer, the paper\u2019s authors included Jens Baringhaus, Frederik Edler and Christoph Tegenkamp from the Institut f\u00fcr Festk\u00f6rperphysik, Leibniz Universit\u00e4t, Hannover in Germany; Edward Conrad, Ming Ruan and Zhigang Jiang from the School of Physics at Georgia Tech; Claire Berger from Georgia Tech and Institut N\u00e9el at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in France; Antonio Tejeda and Muriel Sicot from the Institut Jean Lamour, Universite de Nancy, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in France; An-Ping Li from the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Amina Taleb-Ibrahimi from the CNRS Synchotron SOLEIL in France.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis research was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) at Georgia Tech through award DMR-0820382; the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR); the Scientific User Facilities Division, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, U.S. Department of Energy, and the Partner University Fund from the Embassy of France. Any conclusions or recommendations are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NSF, DOE or AFOSR.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Jens Baringhaus, et al., \u201cExceptional ballistic transport in epitaxial graphene nanoribbons,\u201d (Nature 2013). (\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/nature12952\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/nature12952\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Brett Israel (404-385-1933) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing electrons more like photons could provide the foundation for a new type of electronic device that would capitalize on the ability of graphene to carry electrons with almost no resistance even at room temperature \u2013 a property known as ballistic transport.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Using electrons more like photons could provide the foundation for a new type of electronic device that would capitalize on the ability of graphene to carry electrons with almost no resistance."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2014-02-05 11:38:02","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:51","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-02-05T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2014-02-05T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"274011":{"id":"274011","type":"image","title":"Ballistic Transport in Graphene Nanoribbons","body":null,"created":"1449244112","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:48:32","changed":"1475894964","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:24","alt":"Ballistic Transport in Graphene Nanoribbons","file":{"fid":"198711","name":"graphene-nanoribbons.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/graphene-nanoribbons_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/graphene-nanoribbons_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1120437,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/graphene-nanoribbons_0.jpg?itok=a8dOwF1Y"}},"274001":{"id":"274001","type":"image","title":"Walt de Heer - Ballistic Transport","body":null,"created":"1449244112","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:48:32","changed":"1475894964","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:24","alt":"Walt de Heer - Ballistic Transport","file":{"fid":"198710","name":"walt-de-heer.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/walt-de-heer_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/walt-de-heer_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":947684,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/walt-de-heer_0.jpg?itok=gQQSlO1-"}}},"media_ids":["274011","274001"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"85841","name":"ballistic transport"},{"id":"9116","name":"epitaxial graphene"},{"id":"429","name":"graphene"},{"id":"12423","name":"nanoribbons"},{"id":"166937","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"12422","name":"Walt de Heer"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"276351":{"#nid":"276351","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Hijack Cancer Migration Mechanism to \u201cMove\u201d Brain Tumors","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOne factor that makes glioblastoma cancers so difficult to treat is that malignant cells from the tumors spread throughout the brain by following nerve fibers and blood vessels to invade new locations. Now, researchers have learned to hijack this migratory mechanism, turning it against the cancer by using a film of nanofibers thinner than human hair to lure tumor cells away.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstead of invading new areas, the migrating cells latch onto the specially-designed nanofibers and follow them to a location \u2013 potentially outside the brain \u2013 where they can be captured and killed. Using this technique, researchers can partially move tumors from inoperable locations to more accessible ones. Though it won\u2019t eliminate the cancer, the new technique reduced the size of brain tumors in animal models, suggesting that this form of brain cancer might one day be treated more like a chronic disease.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe have designed a polymer thin film nanofiber that mimics the structure of nerves and blood vessels that brain tumor cells normally use to invade other parts of the brain,\u201d explained \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=59\u0022\u003ERavi Bellamkonda\u003C\/a\u003E, lead investigator and chair of the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cThe cancer cells normally latch onto these natural structures and ride them like a monorail to other parts of the brain. By providing an attractive alternative fiber, we can efficiently move the tumors along a different path to a destination that we choose.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDetails of the technique were reported February 16 in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Materials\u003C\/em\u003E. The research was supported by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health; by Atlanta-based Ian\u2019s Friends Foundation, and by the Georgia Research Alliance. In addition to the Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, the research team included Children\u2019s Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETreating the Glioblastoma multiforme cancer, also known as GBM, is difficult because the aggressive and invasive cancer often develops in parts of the brain where surgeons are reluctant to operate. Even if the primary tumor can be removed, however, it has often spread to other locations before being diagnosed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENew drugs are being developed to attack GBM, but the Atlanta-based researchers decided to take a more engineering approach. Anjana Jain, who is the first author of this GBM study, is now an assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts. As a Georgia Tech graduate student, Jain worked on biomaterials for spinal cord regeneration. Then, as a postdoctoral fellow in the Bellamkonda lab, she saw the opportunity to apply her graduate work to develop potential new treatment modalities for GBM.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe signaling pathways we were trying to activate to repair the spinal cord were the same pathways researchers would like to inactivate for glioblastomas,\u201d said Jain. \u201cMoving into cancer applications was a natural progression, one that held great interest because of the human toll of the disease.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETumor cells typically invade healthy tissue by secreting enzymes that allow the invasion to take place, she explained. That activity requires a significant amount of energy from the cancer cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur idea was to give the tumor cells a path of least resistance, one that resembles the natural structures in the brain, but is attractive because it does not require the cancer cells to expend any more energy,\u201d she explained.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExperimentally, the researchers created fibers made from polycaprolactone (PCL) polymer surrounded by a polyurethane carrier. The fibers, whose surface simulates the contours of nerves and blood vessels that the cancer cells normally follow, were implanted into the brains of rats in which a human GBM tumor was growing. The fibers, just half the diameter of a human hair, served as tumor guides, leading the migrating cells to a \u201ctumor collector\u201d gel containing the drug cyclopamine, which is toxic to cancer cells. For comparison, the researchers also implanted fibers containing no PCL or an untextured PCL film in other rat brains, and left some rats untreated. The tumor collector gel was located physically outside the brain.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter 18 days, the researchers found that compared to other rats, tumor sizes were substantially reduced in animals that had received the PCL nanofiber implants near the tumors. Tumor cells had moved the entire length of all fibers into the collector gel outside the brain.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile eradicating a cancer would always be the ideal treatment, Bellamkonda said, the new technique might be able to control the growth of inoperable cancers, allowing patients to live normal lives despite the disease.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf we can provide cancer an escape valve of these fibers, that may provide a way of maintaining slow-growing tumors such that, while they may be inoperable, people could live with the cancers because they are not growing,\u201d he said. \u201cPerhaps with ideas like this, we may be able to live with cancer just as we live with diabetes or high blood pressure.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBefore the technique can be used in humans, however, it will have to undergo extensive testing and be approved by the FDA \u2013 a process that can take as much as ten years. Among the next steps are to evaluate the technique with other forms of brain cancer, and other types of cancer that can be difficult to remove.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETreating brain cancer with nanofibers could be preferable to existing drug and radiation techniques, Bellamkonda said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOne attraction about the approach is that it is purely a device,\u201d he explained. \u201cThere are no drugs entering the blood stream and circulating in the brain to harm healthy cells. Treating these cancers with minimally-invasive films could be a lot less dangerous than deploying pharmaceutical chemicals.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESeed funding for early research to verify the potential for the technique was sponsored by Ian\u2019s Friends Foundation, an Atlanta-based organization that supports research into childhood brain cancers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We couldn\u0027t be more thrilled with the progress that Georgia Tech and Professor Bellamkonda\u0027s lab have made in helping find a solution for children with both inoperable brain tumors and for those suffering with tumors in more invasive areas,\u201d said Phil Yagoda, one of the organization\u2019s founders. \u201cWith this research team\u2019s dedication and vision, this exciting and exceptional work is now closer to reality. By enabling the movement of an inoperable tumor to an operable spot, this work could give hope to all the children and parents of those children fighting their greatest fight, the battle for their lives.\u0022 \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to those already mentioned, the research team included Barunashish Brahma from the Department of Neurosurgery at Children\u2019s Healthcare of Atlanta; Tobey MacDonald from the Department of Pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine, and Martha Betancur, Gaurangkuma Patel, Chandra Valmikinathan, Vivek Mukhatyar, Ajit Vakharia and S. Balakrishna Pai from the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through EUREKA award number R01-CA153229. Any conclusions or opinions are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Anjana Jain, et al., \u201cGuiding intracortical brain tumour cells to an extracortical cytotoxic hydrogel using aligned polymeric nanofibres,\u201d (Nature Materials, 2014). (\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/nmat3878\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/nmat3878\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Brett Israel (404-385-1933) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOne factor that makes glioblastoma cancers so difficult to treat is that malignant cells from the tumors spread throughout the brain by following nerve fibers and blood vessels to invade new locations. Now, researchers have learned to hijack this migratory mechanism, turning it against the cancer by using a film of nanofibers thinner than human hair to lure tumor cells away.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers are fighting brain cancer by hijacking the mechanism the tumors normally use to spread."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2014-02-15 20:28:47","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:51","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-02-16T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2014-02-16T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"276291":{"id":"276291","type":"image","title":"Glioblastoma under microscope","body":null,"created":"1449244131","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:48:51","changed":"1475894966","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:26","alt":"Glioblastoma under microscope","file":{"fid":"198770","name":"gbm-microscope-rotator.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/gbm-microscope-rotator_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/gbm-microscope-rotator_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":154271,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/gbm-microscope-rotator_1.jpg?itok=6DhMhxbO"}},"276321":{"id":"276321","type":"image","title":"Glioblastoma sample2","body":null,"created":"1449244131","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:48:51","changed":"1475894966","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:26","alt":"Glioblastoma sample2","file":{"fid":"198773","name":"gbm-samples2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/gbm-samples2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/gbm-samples2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":958636,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/gbm-samples2_0.jpg?itok=9PqmP6pz"}},"276311":{"id":"276311","type":"image","title":"Glioblastoma sample","body":null,"created":"1449244131","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:48:51","changed":"1475894966","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:26","alt":"Glioblastoma sample","file":{"fid":"198772","name":"gbm-samples.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/gbm-samples_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/gbm-samples_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1367399,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/gbm-samples_0.jpg?itok=BnAoEBHU"}},"276301":{"id":"276301","type":"image","title":"Hijacking Cancer Cells - Ravi Bellamkonda","body":null,"created":"1449244131","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:48:51","changed":"1475894966","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:26","alt":"Hijacking Cancer Cells - Ravi Bellamkonda","file":{"fid":"198771","name":"gbm-research-bellamkonda.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/gbm-research-bellamkonda_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/gbm-research-bellamkonda_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1544256,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/gbm-research-bellamkonda_1.jpg?itok=_Zc8GMo_"}},"276331":{"id":"276331","type":"image","title":"Glioblastoma sample3","body":null,"created":"1449244131","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:48:51","changed":"1475894966","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:26","alt":"Glioblastoma sample3","file":{"fid":"198774","name":"gbm-samples3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/gbm-samples3_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/gbm-samples3_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1252222,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/gbm-samples3_0.jpg?itok=kIxGvXiT"}}},"media_ids":["276291","276321","276311","276301","276331"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1912","name":"brain"},{"id":"28521","name":"Brain Cancer"},{"id":"28561","name":"Glioblastoma"},{"id":"2471","name":"Ravi Bellamkonda"},{"id":"1442","name":"tumor"},{"id":"86551","name":"tumor migration"},{"id":"82671","name":"Wallace Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"273351":{"#nid":"273351","#data":{"type":"news","title":"In Vitro Innovation: Testing Nanomedicine With Blood Cells On A Microchip","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDesigning nanomedicine to combat diseases is a hot area of scientific research, primarily for treating cancer, but very little is known in the context of atherosclerotic disease. Scientists have engineered a microchip coated with blood vessel cells to learn more about the conditions under which nanoparticles accumulate in the plaque-filled arteries of patients with atherosclerosis, the underlying cause of myocardial infarction and stroke.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the research, microchips were coated with a thin layer of endothelial cells, which make up the interior surface of blood vessels. In healthy blood vessels, endothelial cells act as a barrier to keep foreign objects out of the bloodstream. But at sites prone to atherosclerosis, the endothelial barrier breaks down, allowing things to move in and out of arteries that shouldn\u2019t. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a new study, nanoparticles were able to cross the endothelial cell layer on the microchip under conditions that mimic the permeable layer in atherosclerosis. The results on the microfluidic device correlated well with nanoparticle accumulation in the arteries of an animal model with atherosclerosis, demonstrating the device\u2019s capability to help screen nanoparticles and optimize their design. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s a simple model \u2014 a microchip, not cell culture dish \u2014 which means that a simple endothelialized microchip with microelectrodes can show some yet important prediction of what\u2019s happening in a large animal model,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/kim\u0022\u003EYongTae (Tony) Kim\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in bioengineering in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research was published in January online in the journal \u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1073\/pnas.1322725111\u0022\u003EProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E. This work represents a multidisciplinary effort of researchers that are collaborating within the Program of Excellence in Nanotechnology funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The team includes researchers at the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam, Kyushu Institute of Technology in Japan, and the Boston University School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKim began the work as his post-doctoral fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the lab of Robert Langer. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is a wonderful example of developing a novel nanotechnology approach to address an important medical problem,\u201d said Robert Langer, the David H. Koch Institute Professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who is renowned for his work in tissue engineering and drug delivery.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKim and Langer teamed up with researchers from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. Mark Lobatto, co-lead author works in the laboratories of Willem Mulder, an expert in cardiovascular nanomedicine and Zahi Fayad, the director of Mount Sinai\u2019s Translational and Molecular Imaging Institute. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe work represents a unique integration of microfluidic technology, cardiovascular nanomedicine, vascular biology and in vivo imaging. We now better understand how nanoparticle targeting in atherosclerosis works.\u201d Lobatto says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers hope that their microchip can accelerate the nanomedicine development process by better predicting therapeutic nanoparticles\u2019 performance in larger animal models, such as rabbits. Such a complimentary \u003Cem\u003Ein vitro\u003C\/em\u003E model would save time and money and require fewer animals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFew nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems, compared to proposed studies, have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Kim said. The entire process developing one nanomedicine platform can take 15 years to go from idea to synthesis to testing \u003Cem\u003Ein vitro\u003C\/em\u003E to testing in vivo to approval. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThat\u2019s a frustrating process,\u201d Kim said. \u201cOften what works in cell culture dishes doesn\u2019t work in animal models.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo help speed up nanomedicine research by improving the predictive capabilities of \u003Cem\u003Ein vitro\u003C\/em\u003E testing, Kim and colleagues designed their microchip to mimic what\u2019s going on in the body better than what is currently possible through routine cell culture.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn the future, we can make microchips that are much more similar to what\u2019s going on in animal models, or even human beings, compared to the conventional cell culture dish studies,\u201d Kim said. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn their microchip, scientists can control the permeability of the endothelial cell layer by altering the rate of blood flow across the cells or by introducing a chemical that is released by the body during inflammation. The researchers discovered that the permeability of the cells on the microchip correlated well with the permeability of microvessels in a large animal model of atherosclerosis. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe microchips allows for precise control of the mechanical and chemical environment around the living cells. By using the microchip, the researchers can create physiologically relevant conditions to cells by altering the rate of blood flow across the cells or by introducing a chemical that is released by the body during inflammation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKim said that while this microchip-based system offers better predictability than current cell culture experiments, it won\u2019t replace the need for the animal studies, which provide a relatively more complete picture of how well a particular nanomedicine might work in humans. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is better than an \u003Cem\u003Ein vitro\u003C\/em\u003E dish experiment, but it\u2019s not going to perfectly replicate what\u2019s going on inside the body in near future,\u201d Kim said. \u201cIt will help make this whole process faster and save a number of animals.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research is supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute as a Program of Excellence in Nanotechnology Award (HHSN268201000045C), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) (CA151884); the David H. Koch Prostate Cancer Foundation Award in Nanotherapeutics, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (R01 EB009638 and R01CA155432). Any conclusions or opinions are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the sponsoring agencies.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: YongTae Kim, et al., \u201cProbing nanoparticle translocation across the permeable endothelium in experimental atherosclerosis,\u201d (PNAS, January 2014). (\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1073\/pnas.1322725111\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1073\/pnas.1322725111\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30332-0181 USA\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/GTResearchNews\u0022\u003E@GTResearchNews\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E Brett Israel (404-385-1933) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/btiatl\u0022\u003E@btiatl\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Brett Israel\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDesigning nanomedicine to combat diseases is a hot area of scientific research, primarily for treating cancer, but very little is known in the context of atherosclerotic disease. Scientists have engineered a microchip coated with blood vessel cells to learn more about the conditions under which nanoparticles accumulate in the plaque-filled arteries of patients with atherosclerosis, the underlying cause of myocardial infarction and stroke.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Scientists have engineered a microchip coated with blood vessel cells to learn more about the conditions under which nanoparticles accumulate in the plaque-filled arteries of patients with atherosclerosis, the underlying cause of myocardial infarctio"}],"uid":"27902","created_gmt":"2014-02-04 11:35:46","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:47","author":"Brett Israel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-02-04T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2014-02-04T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"273321":{"id":"273321","type":"image","title":"YongTae (Tony) Kim","body":null,"created":"1449244112","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:48:32","changed":"1475894964","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:24","alt":"YongTae (Tony) Kim","file":{"fid":"198699","name":"tonykim.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tonykim_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tonykim_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":24337,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tonykim_0.jpg?itok=Xm6CvwYX"}},"273311":{"id":"273311","type":"image","title":"Blood Cells On A Microchip","body":null,"created":"1449244112","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:48:32","changed":"1475894964","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:24","alt":"Blood Cells On A Microchip","file":{"fid":"198698","name":"bloodvesselcellmicrochip.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bloodvesselcellmicrochip_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bloodvesselcellmicrochip_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":121331,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/bloodvesselcellmicrochip_0.jpg?itok=ufvHZepr"}}},"media_ids":["273321","273311"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7270","name":"atherosclerosis"},{"id":"85641","name":"blood vessels"},{"id":"8949","name":"Heart Disease"},{"id":"2194","name":"nanomedicine"},{"id":"107","name":"Nanotechnology"},{"id":"82031","name":"Tony Kim"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBrett Israel\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E404-385-1933\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/btiatl\u0022\u003E@btiatl\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"260521":{"#nid":"260521","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Graphene-Based Nano-Antennas May Enable Networks of Tiny Machines","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENetworks of nanometer-scale machines offer exciting potential applications in medicine, industry, environmental protection and defense, but until now there\u2019s been one very small problem: the limited capability of nanoscale antennas fabricated from traditional metallic components.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith antennas made from conventional materials like copper, communication between low-power nanomachines would be virtually impossible. But by taking advantage of the unique electronic properties of the material known as graphene, researchers now believe they\u2019re on track to connect devices powered by small amounts of scavenged energy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBased on a honeycomb network of carbon atoms, graphene could generate a type of electronic surface wave that would allow antennas just one micron long and 10 to 100 nanometers wide to do the work of much larger antennas. While operating graphene nano-antennas have yet to be demonstrated, the researchers say their modeling and simulations show that nano-networks using the new approach are feasible with the alternative material.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are exploiting the peculiar propagation of electrons in graphene to make a very small antenna that can radiate at much lower frequencies than classical metallic antennas of the same size,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff\/fac_profiles\/bio.php?id=3\u0022\u003EIan Akyildiz\u003C\/a\u003E, a Ken Byers Chair professor in Telecommunications in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u201cWe believe that this is just the beginning of a new networking and communications paradigm based on the use of graphene.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESponsored by the National Science Foundation, the research is scheduled to be reported in the journal \u003Cem\u003EIEEE Journal of Selected Areas in Communications\u003C\/em\u003E (IEEE JSAC). In addition to the nanoscale antennas, the researchers are also working on graphene-based nanoscale transceivers and the transmission protocols that would be necessary for communication between nanomachines.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe communications challenge is that at the micron scale, metallic antennas would have to operate at frequencies of hundreds of terahertz. While those frequencies might offer advantages in communication speed, their range would be limited by propagation losses to just a few micrometers. And they\u2019d require lots of power \u2013 more power than nanomachines are likely to have.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAkyildiz has studied nanonetworks since the late 1990s, and had concluded that traditional electromagnetic communication between these machines might not be possible. But then he and his Ph.D. student, Josep Jornet \u2013 who graduated in August 2013 and is now an assistant professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo \u2013 began reading about the amazing properties of graphene. They were especially interested in how electrons behave in single-layer sheets of the material.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen electrons in graphene are excited by an incoming electromagnetic wave, for instance, they start moving back and forth,\u201d explained Akyildiz. \u201cBecause of the unique properties of the graphene, this global oscillation of electrical charge results in a confined electromagnetic wave on top of the graphene layer.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKnown technically as a surface plasmon polariton (SPP) wave, the effect will allow the nano-antennas to operate at the low end of the terahertz frequency range, between 0.1 and 10 terahertz \u2013 instead of at 150 terahertz required by traditional copper antennas at nanoscale sizes. For transmitting, the SPP waves can be created by injecting electrons into the dielectric layer beneath the graphene sheet.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMaterials such as gold, silver and other noble metals also can support the propagation of SPP waves, but only at much higher frequencies than graphene. Conventional materials such as copper don\u2019t support the waves.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy allowing electromagnetic propagation at lower terahertz frequencies, the SPP waves require less power \u2013 putting them within range of what might be feasible for nanomachines operated by energy harvesting technology pioneered by Zhong Lin Wang, a professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Materials Science and Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWith this antenna, we can cut the frequency by two orders of magnitude and cut the power needs by four orders of magnitude,\u201d said Jornet. \u201cUsing this antenna, we believe the energy-harvesting techniques developed by Dr. Wang would give us enough power to create a communications link between nanomachines.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe nanomachines in the network that Akyildiz and Jornet envision would include several integrated components. In addition to the energy-harvesting nanogenerators, there would be nanoscale sensing, processing and memory, technologies that are under development by other groups. The nanoscale antenna and transceiver work being done at Georgia Tech would allow the devices to communicate the information they sense and process to the outside world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEach one of these components would have a nanoscale measurement, but in total we would have a machine measuring a few micrometers,\u201d said Jornet. \u201cThere would be lots of tradeoffs in energy use and size.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond giving nanomachines the ability to communicate, hundreds or thousands of graphene antenna-transceiver sets might be combined to help full-size cellular phones and Internet-connected laptops communicate faster.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe terahertz band can boost current data rates in wireless networks by more than two orders of magnitude,\u201d Akyildiz noted. \u201cThe data rates in current cellular systems are up to one gigabit-per-second in LTE advanced networks or 10 gigabits-per-second in the so-called millimeter wave or 60 gigahertz systems. We expect data rates on the order of terabits-per-second in the terahertz band.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe unique properties of graphene, Akyildiz says, are critical to this antenna \u2013 and other future electronic devices. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGraphene is a very powerful nanomaterial that will dominate our lives in the next half-century,\u201d he said. \u201cThe European community will be supporting a very large consortium involving many universities and companies with an investment of one billion euros to conduct research into this material.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers have so far evaluated numerous nano-antenna designs using modeling and simulation techniques in their laboratory. The next step will be to actually fabricate a graphene nano-antenna and operate it using a transceiver also based on graphene.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur project shows that the concept of graphene-based nano-antennas is feasible, especially when taking into account very accurate models of electron transport in graphene,\u201d said Akyildiz. \u201cMany challenges remain open, but this is a first step toward creating advanced nanomachines with many applications in the biomedical, environmental, industrial and military fields.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe research described here was supported by the National Science Foundation under award number CCF-1349828. Any opinions or conclusions are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the NSF.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) (404-894-6986) or Brett Israel (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) (404-385-1933).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers are taking advantage of the unique properties of graphene to design tiny antennas that may open the possibility for networks of nanometer-scale machines.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Graphene antennas may open the possibility for networks of nanometer-scale machines."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2013-12-11 23:58:05","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:33","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-12-11T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2013-12-11T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"260501":{"id":"260501","type":"image","title":"Graphene antenna","body":null,"created":"1449243987","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:46:27","changed":"1475894945","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:05","alt":"Graphene antenna","file":{"fid":"198347","name":"graphene-antenna-akyildiz.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/graphene-antenna-akyildiz_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/graphene-antenna-akyildiz_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1017137,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/graphene-antenna-akyildiz_0.jpg?itok=DZgMsqxT"}},"260511":{"id":"260511","type":"image","title":"Graphene antenna schematic","body":null,"created":"1449243987","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:46:27","changed":"1475894945","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:05","alt":"Graphene antenna schematic","file":{"fid":"198348","name":"graphene-antenna-schematic.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/graphene-antenna-schematic_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/graphene-antenna-schematic_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":590277,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/graphene-antenna-schematic_0.jpg?itok=e1ftpBXN"}}},"media_ids":["260501","260511"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2616","name":"antenna"},{"id":"429","name":"graphene"},{"id":"12058","name":"Ian Akyildiz"},{"id":"82051","name":"nanomachine"},{"id":"168023","name":"School of Electrica and Computer Engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"39481","name":"National Security"},{"id":"39541","name":"Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"259571":{"#nid":"259571","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Harvesting Electricity: Triboelectric Generators Capture Wasted Power","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWith one stomp of his foot, Zhong Lin Wang illuminates a thousand LED bulbs \u2013 with no batteries or power cord. The current comes from essentially the same source as that tiny spark that jumps from a fingertip to a doorknob when you walk across carpet on a cold, dry day. Wang and his research team have learned to harvest this power and put it to work.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Wang is using what\u2019s technically known as the triboelectric effect to create surprising amounts of electric power by rubbing or touching two different materials together. He believes the discovery can provide a new way to power mobile devices such as sensors and smartphones by capturing the otherwise wasted mechanical energy from such sources as walking, the wind blowing, vibration, ocean waves or even cars driving by.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond generating power, the technology could also provide a new type of self-powered sensor, allowing detection of vibrations, motion, water leaks, explosions \u2013 or even rain falling. The research has been supported by a variety of sponsors, including the National Science Foundation; U.S. Department of Energy; MANA, part of the National Institute for Materials in Japan; Korean corporation Samsung and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The research has been reported in journals including \u003Cem\u003EACS Nano\u003C\/em\u003E, \u003Cem\u003EAdvanced Materials\u003C\/em\u003E, \u003Cem\u003EAngewandte Chemie\u003C\/em\u003E, \u003Cem\u003EEnergy and Environmental Sciences\u003C\/em\u003E, \u003Cem\u003ENano Energy\u003C\/em\u003E and \u003Cem\u003ENano Letters\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are able to deliver small amounts of portable power for today\u2019s mobile and sensor applications,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/faculty\/wang\u0022\u003EWang\u003C\/a\u003E, a Regents professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cThis opens up a source of energy by harvesting power from activities of all kinds.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn its simplest form, the triboelectric generator uses two sheets of dissimilar materials, one an electron donor, the other an electron acceptor. When the materials are in contact, electrons flow from one material to the other. If the sheets are then separated, one sheet holds an electrical charge isolated by the gap between them. If an electrical load is then connected to two electrodes placed at the outer edges of the two surfaces, a small current will flow to equalize the charges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy continuously repeating the process, an alternating current can be produced. In a variation of the technique, the materials \u2013 most commonly inexpensive flexible polymers \u2013 produce current if they are rubbed together before being separated. Generators producing DC current have also been built.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe fact that an electric charge can be produced through triboelectrification is well known,\u201d Wang explained. \u201cWhat we have introduced is a gap separation technique that produces a voltage drop, which leads to a current flow in the external load, allowing the charge to be used. This generator can convert random mechanical energy from our environment into electric energy.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince their first publication on the research, Wang and his research team have increased the power output density of their triboelectric generator by a factor of 100,000 \u2013 reporting that a square meter of single-layer material can now produce as much as 300 watts. They have found that the volume power density reaches more than 400 kilowatts per cubic meter at an efficiency of more than 50 percent. The researchers have expanded the range of energy-gathering techniques from \u201cpower shirts\u201d containing pockets of the generating material to shoe inserts, whistles, foot pedals, floor mats, backpacks and floats bobbing on ocean waves.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey have learned to increase the power output by applying micron-scale patterns to the polymer sheets. The patterning effectively increases the contact area and thereby increases the effectiveness of the charge transfer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWang and his team accidentally discovered the power generating potential of the triboelectric effect while working on piezoelectric generators, which use a different technology. The output from one piezoelectric device was much larger than expected, and the cause of the higher output was traced to incorrect assembly that allowed two polymer surfaces to rub together. Six months of development led to the first journal paper on the triboelectric generator in 2012.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen two materials are in physical contact, the triboelectrification occurs,\u201d said Wang, who holds the Hightower Chair in the Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering. \u201cWhen they are moved apart, there is a gap distance created. To equalize the local charge, electrons have to flow. We are getting surprisingly high voltage and current flow from this. As of now, we have discovered four basic modes of triboelectric generators.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince their initial realization of the possibilities for this effect, Wang\u2019s team has expanded applications. They can now produce current from contact between water \u2013 sea water, tap water and even distilled water \u2013 and a patterned polymer surface. Their latest paper, published in the journal \u003Cem\u003EACS Nano\u003C\/em\u003E in November, described harvesting energy from the touch pad of a laptop computer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey are now using a wide range of materials, including polymers, fabrics and even papers. The materials are inexpensive, and can include such sources as recycled drink bottles. The generators can be made from nearly-transparent polymers, allowing their use in touch pads and screens.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond its use as a power source, Wang is also using the triboelectric effect for sensing without an external power source. Because the generators produce current when they are perturbed, they could be used to measure changes in flow rates, sudden movement, or even falling raindrops.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf a mechanical force is applied to these generators, they will produce an electrical current and voltage,\u201d he said. \u201cWe can measure that current and voltage as electrical signals to determine the extent of the mechanical agitation. Such sensors could be used for monitoring in traffic, security, environmental science, health care and infrastructure applications.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the future, Wang and his research team plan to continue studying the generators and sensors to improve their output and sensitivity. The size of the material can be scaled up, and multiple layers can boost power output.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEverybody has seen this effect, but we have been able to find practical applications for it,\u201d said Wang. \u201cIt\u2019s very simple, and there is much more we can do with this.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences under award DE-FG02-07ER46394; by the National Science Foundation under award CMMI-0946418, by MANA, part of the National Institute for Materials Science in Japan; by Samsung, and by the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences under award KJCX2-YW-M13. Any conclusions or recommendations are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the sponsoring organizations.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)(404-894-6986) or Brett Israel (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)(404-385-1933).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers are developing a family of generators that provide power for portable electronic devices and sensors by harnessing the triboelectric effect to capture mechanical energy that would otherwise be wasted.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers are developing a family of generators that provide power by harnessing the triboelectric effect."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2013-12-07 16:01:11","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:29","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-12-09T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2013-12-09T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"259541":{"id":"259541","type":"image","title":"Triboelectric generation","body":null,"created":"1449243977","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:46:17","changed":"1475894943","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:03","alt":"Triboelectric generation","file":{"fid":"198320","name":"triboelectric-generator-sliding.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/triboelectric-generator-sliding_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/triboelectric-generator-sliding_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":577400,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/triboelectric-generator-sliding_0.jpg?itok=PEeuKUD0"}},"259551":{"id":"259551","type":"image","title":"Triboelectric generation Zhong Lin Wang","body":null,"created":"1449243977","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:46:17","changed":"1475894943","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:03","alt":"Triboelectric generation Zhong Lin Wang","file":{"fid":"198321","name":"triboelectric-generator-04.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/triboelectric-generator-04_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/triboelectric-generator-04_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1758249,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/triboelectric-generator-04_0.jpg?itok=veM4cFDT"}}},"media_ids":["259541","259551"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"436","name":"electricity"},{"id":"479","name":"Green Buzz"},{"id":"81661","name":"Materails Science and Engineering"},{"id":"3517","name":"power"},{"id":"58061","name":"power generation"},{"id":"37991","name":"triboelectric"},{"id":"81651","name":"triboelectrification"},{"id":"13751","name":"Zhong Lin Wang"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"256751":{"#nid":"256751","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Sticky Business: Magnetic Pollen Replicas Offer Multimodal Adhesion","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have created magnetic replicas of sunflower pollen grains using a wet chemical, layer-by-layer process that applies highly conformal iron oxide coatings. The replicas possess natural adhesion properties inherited from the spiky pollen particles while gaining magnetic behavior, allowing for tailored adhesion to surfaces.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy taking advantage of the native pollen grain shape and a non-natural oxide chemistry, this work provides a unique demonstration of tunable, bio-enabled multimodal adhesion. The spikes inherited from the sunflower pollen provide short range adhesion \u2013 over nanoscale distances \u2013 while the oxide chemistry provides an adhesion mode that operates over much longer distances \u2013 up to one millimeter.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe work was supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and has been accepted for publication in the journal \u003Cem\u003EChemistry of Materials\u003C\/em\u003E. A \u201cjust-accepted\u201d version of the manuscript has appeared online.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cPollen grains are inexpensive and sustainable templates that are readily available in large quantities,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/faculty\/sandhage\u0022\u003EKen Sandhage\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u201cBecause pollen grains are already designed by nature for adhesion, we thought that it would be interesting to try to augment such natural behavior with an additional, non-natural mode of adhesion.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESandhage and graduate student Brandon Goodwin began by examining the microscopic shapes of several types of pollen \u2013 including ragweed, pecan and dandelion \u2013 before choosing particles from the sunflower (\u003Cem\u003EHelianthus annuus\u003C\/em\u003E). The sunflower pollen grains are nearly spherical, but covered with spikes that can entangle with the hairs on bees\u2019 legs, or adhere to surfaces via van der Waals forces at nanometer-scale distances, Sandhage explained.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers washed the burr-like pollen particles with chloroform, methanol, hydrochloric acid and water to clean the surfaces and expose hydroxyl groups for chemically attaching their coating. They then applied iron oxide using an automated, layer-by-layer surface sol-gel process they had developed earlier for coating diatom shells made of silica. Reaction of the iron oxide precursor with the hydroxyl groups on the surface of the pollen particles resulted in a highly-conformal coatings.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe sol-gel process used alternating cycles of exposure to an iron (III) isopropoxide precursor solution and water to apply 30 thin layers of hematite (Fe\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003EO\u003Csub\u003E3\u003C\/sub\u003E) onto the pollen. Heating the particles to 600 degrees Celsius then burned out the organic material from the original pollen grains and crystallized the iron oxide, leaving hollow 3D particles. The shells were then heated again in a controlled oxygen atmosphere to convert the hematite into magnetite (Fe\u003Csub\u003E3\u003C\/sub\u003EO\u003Csub\u003E4\u003C\/sub\u003E), which is more strongly magnetic.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe examined individual pollen grains before and after firing, and we could see that the shape and surface features were well preserved,\u201d said Sandhage, who is the B. Mifflin Hood Professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering. \u201cThe conformal nature of the coating process allowed us to generate ceramic replicas that retained even tiny surface features on the starting pollen grains.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe adhesion properties of the magnetic pollen-shaped particles were then analyzed by graduate student Ismael Gomez and professor \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/faculty\/meredith\u0022\u003ECarson Meredith\u003C\/a\u003E, both from Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. Gomez and Meredith used an atomic force microscope (AFM) tip to press the replicas onto a variety of surfaces, then measured the force required to remove them from the surfaces. They studied replica pollen adhesion to polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, polystyrene, silicon, nickel and neodymium-iron-boron \u2013 and compared the adhesion properties to those of the original sunflower pollen grains.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe found that we achieved multimodal adhesion by retaining short-range van der Waals attraction, as exhibited by the native pollen, and gaining magnetic adhesion,\u201d Sandhage said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe layer-by-layer nature of the coating process allowed for control of the amount of magnetic material, and the magnetic properties of the pollen replicas. The researchers chose to apply 30 layers to achieve sufficient long-range magnetic behavior while retaining high-aspect-ratio, sharp spikes that provide for short-range van der Waals forces.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cReproducibly generating large quantities of such cheap microparticles possessing high-aspect surface features over their entire particle surfaces would be quite challenging using synthetic top-down methods,\u201d Sandhage said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Air Force Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) that funded the work is aimed at both understanding adhesion in natural systems and controllably tailoring such adhesion.\u0026nbsp; In future research supported by the MURI, Sandhage and Meredith plan to study other oxide materials and explore the variety of shapes available in pollen particles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cNow that we know how to generate such particle replicas, there is certainly more chemical tailoring that we can explore for adhesion,\u201d said Sandhage, who also holds an adjunct position in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Chemistry and Biochemistry.\u0026nbsp; \u201cThrough the proper combination of pollen shape, synthetic chemistry and thermal treatments, we can significantly expand the range of properties of these pollen replicas.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported by the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research through award number FA9550-10-1-0555. Any conclusions are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the U.S. Air Force.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: William Brandon Goodwin, Ismael J. Gomez, Carson Meredith and Kenneth H. Sandhage, \u201cConversion of Pollen Particles into Three-Dimensional Ceramic Replicas Tailored for Multimodal Adhesion.\u201d (Chemistry of Materials, 2013): \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/%20dx.doi.org\/10.1021\/cm402226w\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/ dx.doi.org\/10.1021\/cm402226w\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)(404-894-6986) or Brett Israel (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)(404-385-1933).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have created magnetic replicas of sunflower pollen grains using a wet chemical, layer-by-layer process that applies highly conformal iron oxide coatings. The replicas possess natural adhesion properties inherited from the spiky pollen particles while gaining magnetic behavior, allowing for tailored adhesion to surfaces.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have created magnetic replicas of pollen grains using a wet chemical process that preserves the particles\u0027 shape."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2013-11-22 10:49:22","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:25","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-11-22T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2013-11-22T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"256731":{"id":"256731","type":"image","title":"Magnetic Pollen Particles","body":null,"created":"1449243846","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:44:06","changed":"1475894936","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:56","alt":"Magnetic Pollen Particles","file":{"fid":"198233","name":"pollen_image.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/pollen_image_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/pollen_image_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":261770,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/pollen_image_0.jpg?itok=1HR4ZFjC"}}},"media_ids":["256731"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7437","name":"adhesion"},{"id":"9563","name":"Ken Sandhage"},{"id":"2053","name":"magnetic"},{"id":"7663","name":"magnetic particles"},{"id":"4497","name":"Materials Science and Engineering"},{"id":"80651","name":"pollen"},{"id":"169747","name":"sol-gel"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"39481","name":"National Security"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"254471":{"#nid":"254471","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Carbon Nanotube Field Electron Emitters Will Get Space Testing","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA pair of carbon nanotube arrays will be flying in space by the end of the year to test technology that could provide more efficient micro-propulsion for future generations of spacecraft. Part of a Cube Satellite (CubeSat) developed by the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), the arrays will support what is expected to be the first-ever space-based testing of carbon nanotubes as electron emitters.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) produced the arrays using unique technology that grows bundles of vertically-aligned nanotubes embedded in silicon chips. In future versions of electrically-powered ion thrusters, electrons emitted from the carbon nanotube tips may be used to ionize a gaseous propellant such as xenon. The ionized gas would then be ejected through a nozzle to provide thrust for moving a satellite in space.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe mission will characterize how well these field emission electron sources operate in the space environment relative to how well they work on the ground in vacuum chamber,\u201d said Jud Ready, a GTRI principal research engineer. \u201cLaunch vibrations and exposure to a space environment that includes atomic oxygen and micrometeorites could have some unusual effects on the arrays. This mission will help us evaluate whether these carbon nanotube electron emitters could be used in ion thrusters.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExisting ion thrusters rely on thermionic cathodes, which use high temperatures generated by electrical current to produce electrons. These devices require significant amounts of electricity to generate the heat, and must consume a portion of the propellant for their operation. \u003Cbr \/\u003EIf the carbon nanotube arrays can be used as electron emitters, they would operate at lower temperatures with less power \u2013 and without using the limited on-board propellant. That could allow longer mission times for satellites, or reduce the weight of the micro-propulsion systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe carbon nanotube arrays are part of ALICE, a CubeSat micro-satellite developed and built by the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. On a mission scheduled for Dec. 5 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, ALICE will ride into space on an Atlas V rocket being used to launch a separate and much larger payload. Just 10 by 10 by 30 centimeters in size, ALICE will be part of an array of eight CubeSats \u2013 so named because they fit into small modular launchers attached to the main satellite.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe work could lead to improved micro-propulsion systems useful to small spacecraft, said Jonathan Black, director of the Center for Space Research and Assurance at AFIT.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTechnology like the devices being tested on ALICE is essential to our future ability to maneuver micro satellites or change their orbits,\u201d he explained. \u201cBeing able to incorporate propulsion into microsatellites like CubeSats increases mission longevity and the types of missions they can perform. Successful demonstrations of advanced technologies like those being flown on ALICE will ultimately lead to smaller, lighter and more energy-efficient propulsion, resulting in decreased launch costs while increasing the performance of all satellites using electric propulsion.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUtilizing a multi-departmental team, AFIT engineers in the Electrical Engineering Department developed a payload to directly expose the carbon nanotube arrays to the space environment while protecting an identical control array within the satellite. The arrays, which are approximately one centimeter square, will be switched on and off and their behavior studied. The payload experiment utilizes a sensor device known as the Integrated Miniaturized Electromagnetic Analyzer (iMESA), designed by engineers at the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA). The data collected from the satellite will be downloaded and processed at AFIT by students and technicians in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe carbon nanotube arrays are excellent conductors and their geometry makes them ideal electron emitters.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe use carbon nanotubes because they have a high aspect ratio and provide a nanoscale point that emits the electrons,\u201d said Graham Sanborn, who worked on the project as part of his Ph.D. thesis in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Materials Science and Engineering. \u201cThe electric field focuses on the tip so we are able to get electron emission at lower voltages than might be required for other materials.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGTRI uses a series of deposition and etching steps to fabricate the arrays in clean rooms at Georgia Tech. Each one-centimeter square array contains as many as 50,000 nanotube bundles, and each bundle is grown from a five-micron pit etched into the silicon.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe design has specific geometry to prevent electrical shorting between electrodes that are very close together,\u201d explained Sanborn.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESpacecraft are launched using chemical rockets that provide large amounts of thrust. Once in orbit, however, the vehicles can use electrically-powered thrusters to change orbits or make other maneuvers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIon thrusters provide very low amounts of thrust,\u201d Sanborn said. \u201cThey are just pushing out gas molecules, but they operate very efficiently. Ion thrusters can operate for thousands of hours at a time. Cumulatively, you can achieve a significant velocity change.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe ALICE acronym is composed of several other acronyms. The \u201cA\u201d represents AFIT, while the \u201cL\u201d is for LEO \u2013 the low Earth orbit where the satellite will operate. The \u201cI\u201d represents the iMESA system; the \u201cC\u201d is for the carbon nanotubes, while the \u201cE\u201d represents \u201cExperiment.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe satellite, the first for AFIT, was designed, tested and integrated by a multi-departmental team of professors, students and technicians. The partnership with GTRI and USAFA provided students in each institution an opportunity to participate in ground-breaking research with the potential to impact numerous future satellites employing electric propulsion.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOther potential applications for Georgia Tech\u2019s CNT-based electron emitters include displays, electrodynamic tethers, vacuum electronics and traveling wave tubes.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Lance Wallace (404-407-7280)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:lance.wallace@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elance.wallace@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA pair of carbon nanotube arrays will be flying in space by the end of the year to test technology that could provide more efficient micro-propulsion for future spacecraft. The arrays will support what is expected to be the first-ever space-based testing of carbon nanotubes as electron emitters.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A pair of carbon nanotube arrays will be flying in space by the end of the year to test technology that could provide more efficient micro-propulsion for future spacecraft."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2013-11-13 22:04:08","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:22","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-11-13T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2013-11-13T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"254421":{"id":"254421","type":"image","title":"Growing Carbon Nanotubes for Space","body":null,"created":"1449243828","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:43:48","changed":"1475894934","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:54","alt":"Growing Carbon Nanotubes for Space","file":{"fid":"198176","name":"cnt-in-space2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cnt-in-space2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cnt-in-space2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1644319,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/cnt-in-space2_0.jpg?itok=WZvoHe0G"}},"254431":{"id":"254431","type":"image","title":"Growing Carbon Nanotubes for Space2","body":null,"created":"1449243828","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:43:48","changed":"1475894934","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:54","alt":"Growing Carbon Nanotubes for Space2","file":{"fid":"198177","name":"cnt-in-space3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cnt-in-space3_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cnt-in-space3_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1014444,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/cnt-in-space3_0.jpg?itok=fjAPEwSL"}},"254441":{"id":"254441","type":"image","title":"ALICE CubeSat","body":null,"created":"1449243828","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:43:48","changed":"1475894934","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:54","alt":"ALICE CubeSat","file":{"fid":"198178","name":"alice_cubesat.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/alice_cubesat_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/alice_cubesat_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":173415,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/alice_cubesat_0.jpg?itok=k0KMG9wF"}},"254451":{"id":"254451","type":"image","title":"ALICE CubeSat Payload","body":null,"created":"1449243828","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:43:48","changed":"1475894934","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:54","alt":"ALICE CubeSat Payload","file":{"fid":"198179","name":"alice_payload.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/alice_payload_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/alice_payload_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":179321,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/alice_payload_0.jpg?itok=m5HracHo"}},"254461":{"id":"254461","type":"image","title":"ALICE CubeSat Emitter","body":null,"created":"1449243828","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:43:48","changed":"1475894934","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:54","alt":"ALICE CubeSat Emitter","file":{"fid":"198180","name":"cnts-for-alice.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cnts-for-alice_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cnts-for-alice_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":166414,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/cnts-for-alice_0.jpg?itok=l8LxbcDj"}}},"media_ids":["254421","254431","254441","254451","254461"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"147","name":"Military Technology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"5209","name":"carbon nanotubes"},{"id":"80051","name":"electron emitter"},{"id":"416","name":"GTRI"},{"id":"80031","name":"micro-propulsion"},{"id":"169609","name":"satellite"},{"id":"167146","name":"space"},{"id":"171312","name":"spacecraft"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"39481","name":"National Security"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"247451":{"#nid":"247451","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Grant Funds Development of Improved Nanoscale Additive Manufacturing","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new Department of Energy grant will fund research to advance an additive manufacturing technique for fabricating three-dimensional (3D) nanoscale structures from a variety of materials. Using high-speed, thermally-energized jets to deliver both precursor materials and inert gas, the research will focus on dramatically accelerating growth, improving the purity and increasing the aspect ratio of the 3D structures.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKnown as focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID), the technique delivers a tightly-focused beam of high energy electrons and an energetic jet of thermally excited precursor gases \u2013 both confined to the same spot on a substrate. Secondary electrons generated when the electron beam strikes the substrate cause decomposition of the precursor molecules, forming nanoscale 3D structures whose size, shape and location can be precisely controlled. This gas-jet assisted FEBID technique allows fabrication of high-purity nanoscale structures using a wide range of materials and combination of materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy allowing the rapid atom-by-atom \u201cdirect writing\u201d of materials with controlled shape and topology, the work could lead to a nanoscale version of the 3D printing processes now revolutionizing fabrication of structures at the macro scale. The technique could be used to produce nano-electromechanical sensors and actuators, to modify the morphology and composition of nanostructured optical and magnetic materials to yield unique properties, and to engineer high performance interconnect interfaces for graphene and carbon nanotube-based electronic devices.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This unique nanofabrication approach opens up new opportunities for on-demand growth of structures with high aspect ratios made from high-purity materials,\u0022 said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/fedorov\u0022\u003EAndrei Fedorov\u003C\/a\u003E, the project\u2019s leader and a professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u0022By providing truly nanoscale control of geometries, it will impact a broad range of applications in nanoelectronics and biosensing.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have demonstrated the feasibility of the technique, and expect the three-year $660,000 grant to help them develop a fundamental understanding of how the process works, accelerate the rate of materials growth and provide improved control over the process. The research will include both theoretical modeling and experimental evaluation. Proof of principle for using thermally-energized gas jets as part of the FEBID technique was reported by Fedorov\u2019s group in the journal \u003Cem\u003EApplied Physics Letters\u003C\/em\u003E in 2011.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Wherever electrons strike the surface, you can grow the deposit,\u0022 explained Fedorov. \u0022That provides a tool for growing complex three-dimensional structures from a variety of materials with resolution at the tens of nanometers. Electron beam induced deposition is much like inkjet printing, except that it uses electrons and precursor molecules in a vacuum chamber.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETwo major challenges lie ahead for using the technique to manufacture 3D nanostructures: increasing the rate of deposition and eliminating the unwanted deposits of carbon that are formed as part of the process. To address these challenges, Fedorov and his team are using energetic jets of inert argon gas to clean substrate surfaces and carefully tune the energy of the desired molecules delivered in another jet to enhance the rate at which the precursor sticks to the substrate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022If the energy of the jet is sufficiently high, the inert gas molecules striking the surface can knock away the adsorbed hydrocarbon contamination so that there is no parasitic carbon co-deposition,\u0022 he said. \u0022We can also tune the properties of the precursor molecules so they stick more effectively to the surface. We have shown that we can increase the rate of growth by an order of magnitude or more while maintaining a high aspect ratio of deposited nanostructures.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOverall, about two dozen materials have been successfully deposited using FEBID on different substrates, including semiconductors, dielectrics, metals and even plastics. The researchers also plan to create nanostructures containing more than one material, allowing them to create unique properties not available in each individual material. Examples might include new types of ferromagnetic materials and photonic bandgap structures with unique properties.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFedorov\u2019s group has used FEBID to fabricate low-resistance contacts to carbon nanotubes and graphene, a unique carbon-based material with attractive electronic properties.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMajor technical challenges for the project include making tightly focused jets of thermally-energized precursor molecules to provide precise control of the fabrication. In operation, precursor molecules enter the reaction chamber from the micron-scale nozzle at sonic speeds, and accelerate in the vacuum environment to even greater speed, forming a molecular beam that impinges on the substrate. To make structures of the desired morphology, researchers will have to control the spreading of the generated molecular beam and its energy state at the point of contract with the substrate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We will be growing structures ranging in size from tens to hundreds of nanometers,\u0022 Fedorov noted. \u0022This means we will not only have to confine electrons to very small regions, but we will also need to confine the precursor molecules to these same domains.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe FEBID technique will likely not be used for high-volume fabrication because the process is difficult to scale up, Fedorov said. Accelerating the deposition rate will allow more rapid fabrication, but the 3D structures will still need to be produced one at a time. A partial solution to the scale-up challenge lies in the use of multiple electron beams and precursor jets operating in parallel.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new technique will allow researchers to take better advantage of the unique properties of materials at the nanometer scale. Researchers will also have to account for those differences in developing the new manufacturing technique, as the interactions between electrons, precursor materials in the jet and substrate continually change with growth of the deposit.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This research will open up the potential for some new discoveries in areas we may not be able to predict now,\u0022 said Fedorov. \u0022We need to understand the basic physics of what is happening. That basic understanding could lead us to some truly unique applied capabilities, and the possibilities are almost limitless.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis material is based upon work supported by the Department of Energy under Award Number DE-SC0010729. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States government or any agency thereof.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Brett Israel (404-385-1933)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new Department of Energy grant will fund research to advance an additive manufacturing technique for fabricating three-dimensional (3D) nanoscale structures from a variety of materials. Using high-speed, thermally-energized jets to deliver both precursor materials and inert gas, the research will focus on dramatically accelerating growth, improving the purity and increasing the aspect ratio of the 3D structures.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new grant will fund research to advance an additive manufacturing technique for fabricating three-dimensional nanoscale structures."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2013-10-21 10:24:47","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:09","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-10-21T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-10-21T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"247441":{"id":"247441","type":"image","title":"Nanoscale additive manufacturing3","body":null,"created":"1449243772","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:42:52","changed":"1475894926","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:46","alt":"Nanoscale additive manufacturing3","file":{"fid":"197972","name":"nanoscale-additive4.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nanoscale-additive4_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nanoscale-additive4_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1122414,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/nanoscale-additive4_0.jpg?itok=_jF3dNfM"}},"247431":{"id":"247431","type":"image","title":"Nanoscale additive manufacturing2","body":null,"created":"1449243772","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:42:52","changed":"1475894926","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:46","alt":"Nanoscale additive manufacturing2","file":{"fid":"197971","name":"nanoscale-additive3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nanoscale-additive3_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nanoscale-additive3_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":909730,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/nanoscale-additive3_0.jpg?itok=7rs1riG-"}},"247421":{"id":"247421","type":"image","title":"Nanoscale additive manufacturing","body":null,"created":"1449243772","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:42:52","changed":"1475894926","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:46","alt":"Nanoscale additive manufacturing","file":{"fid":"197970","name":"nanoscale-additive2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nanoscale-additive2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nanoscale-additive2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1071215,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/nanoscale-additive2_0.jpg?itok=dwP4D9Iq"}}},"media_ids":["247441","247431","247421"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"77571","name":"3D"},{"id":"57171","name":"additive manufacturing"},{"id":"2781","name":"Andrei Fedorov"},{"id":"663","name":"Department of Energy"},{"id":"77561","name":"FEBID"},{"id":"7635","name":"nanofabrication"},{"id":"382","name":"nanoscience"},{"id":"2378","name":"Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"243181":{"#nid":"243181","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Cells Prefer Nanodiscs Over Nanorods","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor years scientists have been working to fundamentally understand how nanoparticles move throughout the human body. One big unanswered question is how the shape of nanoparticles affects their entry into cells. Now researchers have discovered that under typical culture conditions, mammalian cells prefer disc-shaped nanoparticles over those shaped like rods.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnderstanding how the shape of nanoparticles affects their transport into cells could be a major boost for the field of nanomedicine by helping scientists to design better therapies for various diseases, such as improving the efficacy and reducing side effects of cancer drugs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to nanoparticle geometry, the researchers also discovered that different types of cells have different mechanisms to pull in nanoparticles of different sizes, which was previously unknown. The research team also used theoretical models to identify the physical parameters that cells use when taking in nanoparticles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis research identified some very novel yet fundamental aspects in which cells interact with the shape of nanoparticles,\u201d said Krishnendu Roy, who recently joined the Wallace H. Coulter\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDepartment of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. Roy conducted this research at The University of Texas at Austin in collaboration with Profs. S. V. Sreenivasan and Li Shi, but is continuing the work at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study was scheduled to be published the week of Oct. 7 in the early online edition of the journal \u003Cem\u003EProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\u003C\/em\u003E. The work was sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERoy\u2019s team used a unique approach to making the differently shaped nanoparticles. The researchers adapted an imprinting technology used in the semiconductor industry and rigged it to work with biological molecules, Roy said. This imprinting technique, which they developed at UT-Austin, works like a cookie cutter but on the nanoscale. Drugs are mixed with a polymer solution and dispensed on a silicon wafer. Then a shape is imprinted onto the polymer-drug mixture using a quartz template. The material is then solidified using UV light. Whatever the cookie cutter\u2019s template \u2013 triangle, rod, disc \u2013 a nanoparticle with that shape is produced.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother key feature of the nanoparticles is that they are negatively charged and are hydrophilic, attributes that make them relevant for clinical use in drug delivery.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe have exquisite control over the shapes and sizes,\u201d said Roy, who is a Wallace H. Coulter Distinguished Faculty Fellow.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis team then used particles of various shapes and sizes to see how different kinds of cultured mammalian cells would respond to them. The materials and surface charges of the particles were all the same, only the shapes differed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERoy\u2019s team was not expecting cells to prefer discs over rods. They found that in cell culture, unlike spherical nanoparticles, larger sized discs and rods are taken up more efficiently, a finding that was also unexpected. When they ran theoretical calculations they found that the energy required by a cell membrane to deform and wrap around a nanoparticle is lower for discs than rods and that gravitational forces and surface properties play a significant role in nanoparticle uptake in cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe reason this has been unexplored is that we did not have the tools to make these precisely-shaped nanoparticles,\u201d Roy said. \u201cOnly in the past seven or eight years have there been a few groups that have come up with these tools to make polymer particles of various sizes and shapes, especially in the nanoscale.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECells take in nanoparticles through a process called endocytosis, but depending on the shape and cell-type, specific uptake pathways are triggered, the team discovered. Some cells rely on proteins in their membranes called caveolin; others use a different membrane protein, known as clathrin.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnderstanding how cells respond to the shapes of nanoparticles is important not just for drug delivery, but also for understanding the toxicity of nanomaterials used in consumer products. Roy\u2019s new work provides another piece to solving this puzzle.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cPeople are making different nanoscale stuff with various materials without fundamentally understanding their interactions with cells,\u201d Roy said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn future work at Georgia Tech, Roy\u2019s lab would like to investigate how the shapes of nanomaterials affect their transport and function in animal models. This will give researchers a better idea how the particles move into tumors, pass across mucosal surfaces and distribute into organs, and ultimately aid in clinical therapies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201c99.9 percent of our work is still to be done, which we want to continue to do here at Tech in collaboration with researchers at UT,\u201d Roy said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOther researchers on the study include Rachit Agarwal, the lead author who is now a post-doctoral fellow at Georgia Tech, as well as Vikramjit Singh, Patrick Jurney, Li Shi and S.V. Sreenivasan, all of whom were at The University of Texas at Austin\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research is supported by the National Science Foundation under award CMMI0900715, and by the National Institutes of Health under award EB008835. Any conclusions or opinions are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the sponsoring agencies.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: R. Agarwal, et al., \u201cMammalian Cells Preferentially Internalize Hydrogel Nanodiscs over Nanorods and Use Shape-Specific Uptake Mechanisms,\u201d (\u003Cem\u003EProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\u003C\/em\u003E, 2013). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.pnas.org\/cgi\/doi\/10.1073\/pnas.1305000110\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/www.pnas.org\/cgi\/doi\/10.1073\/pnas.1305000110\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30332-0181 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: Brett Israel (404-385-1933) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Brett Israel\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor years scientists have been working to fundamentally understand how nanoparticles move throughout the human body. One big unanswered question is how the shape of nanoparticles affects their entry into cells. Now researchers have discovered that under typical culture conditions, mammalian cells prefer disc-shaped nanoparticles over those shaped like rods.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have discovered that under typical culture conditions, mammalian cells prefer disc-shaped nanoparticles over those shaped like rods."}],"uid":"27902","created_gmt":"2013-10-07 16:34:29","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:05","author":"Brett Israel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-10-07T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-10-07T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"243221":{"id":"243221","type":"image","title":"Dr. Krishnendu Roy","body":null,"created":"1449243704","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:41:44","changed":"1475894919","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:39","alt":"Dr. Krishnendu Roy","file":{"fid":"197851","name":"roy-agarwal_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/roy-agarwal_0_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/roy-agarwal_0_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":88915,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/roy-agarwal_0_0.jpg?itok=eiMOER6G"}},"243211":{"id":"243211","type":"image","title":"Silicon wafer","body":null,"created":"1449243704","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:41:44","changed":"1475894919","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:39","alt":"Silicon wafer","file":{"fid":"197850","name":"silicon-wafer.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/silicon-wafer_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/silicon-wafer_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":103261,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/silicon-wafer_0.jpg?itok=Z7P_8k6r"}}},"media_ids":["243221","243211"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1588","name":"bionanotechnology"},{"id":"1503","name":"Biotechnology"},{"id":"12786","name":"Krishnendu Roy"},{"id":"76011","name":"nanodiscs"},{"id":"2971","name":"nanorods"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBrett Israel\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E404-384-1933\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"241261":{"#nid":"241261","#data":{"type":"news","title":"\u201cWaviness\u201d Explains Why Carbon Nanotube Forests Have Low Stiffness","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new study has found that \u201cwaviness\u201d in forests of vertically-aligned carbon nanotubes dramatically reduces their stiffness, answering a long-standing question surrounding the tiny structures.\u0026nbsp; Instead of being a detriment, the waviness may make the nanotube arrays more compliant and therefore useful as thermal interface material for conducting heat away from future high-powered integrated circuits.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMeasurements of nanotube stiffness, which is influenced by a property known as modulus, had suggested that forests of vertically-aligned nanotubes should have a much higher stiffness than what scientists were actually measuring. The reduced effective modulus had been blamed on uneven growth density, and on buckling of the nanotubes under compression.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, based on experiments, scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging and mathematical modeling, the new study found that kinked sections of nanotubes may be the primary mechanism reducing the modulus.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe believe that the mechanism making these nanotubes more compliant is a tiny kinkiness in their structure,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/sitaraman\u0022\u003ESuresh Sitaraman\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EWoodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u201cAlthough they appear to be perfectly straight, under high magnification we found waviness in the carbon nanotubes that we believe accounts for the difference in what is measured versus what would be expected.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research, which was supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), was published online August 31, 2013, in the journal \u003Cem\u003ECarbon\u003C\/em\u003E. It will appear later in the journal\u2019s print issue.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECarbon nanotubes provide many attractive properties, including high electrical and thermal conductivity, and high strength. Individual carbon nanotubes have a modulus ranging from 100 gigapascals to 1.5 terapascals. Arrays of vertically-aligned carbon nanotubes with a low density would be expected to a have an effective modulus of at least five to 150 gigapascals, Sitaraman said, but scientists have typically measured values that are four orders or magnitude less \u2013 between one and 10 megapascals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo understand what might be causing this variation, Sitaraman and Ph.D. students Nicholas Ginga and Wei Chen studied forests of carbon nanotubes grown atop a silicon substrate, then covered the tips of the structures with another layer of silicon. They then used sensitive test apparatus \u2013 a nanoindenter \u2013 to compress samples of the nanotubes and measure their stiffness. Alternately, they also placed samples of the silicon-nanotube sandwiches under tensile stress \u2013 pulling them apart instead of compressing them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat they found was that the effective modulus remained low \u2013 as much as 10,000 times less than expected \u2013 regardless of whether the nanotube sandwiches were compressed or pulled apart. That suggests growth issues, or buckling, could not fully account for the differences observed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo look for potential explanations, the researchers examined the carbon nanotubes using scanning electron microscopes located in Georgia Tech\u2019s Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology facilities. At magnification of 10,000 times, they saw the waviness in sections of the nanotubes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe found very tiny kinks in the carbon nanotubes,\u201d said Sitaraman. \u201cAlthough they appeared to be perfectly straight, there was waviness in them. The more waviness we saw, the lower their stiffness was.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey also noted that under compression, the nanotubes contact one another, influencing nanotube behavior. These observations were modeled mathematically to help explain what was being seen across the different conditions studied.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe took into account the contact between the carbon nanotubes,\u201d said Chen. \u201cThis allowed us to investigate the extreme conditions under which the deformation of nanotubes is constrained by the presence of neighboring nanotubes in the forest.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThough the loss of modulus might seem like a problem, it actually may be helpful in thermal management applications, Sitaraman said. The compliance of the nanotubes allows them to connect to a silicon integrated circuit on one side, and be bonded to a copper heat spreader on the other side. The flexibility of the nanotubes allows them to move as the top and bottom structures expand and contract at different rates due to temperature changes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe beauty of the carbon nanotubes is that they act like springs between the silicon chip and the copper heat spreader,\u201d said Sitaraman. \u201cThey can conduct lots of heat because of good thermal properties, and at the same time, they are supple and compliant.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECarbon nanotubes have extraordinarily high thermal conductivity, as much as ten times that of copper, making them ideal for drawing heat away from the chips.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe demand for heat removal from chips is continuing to increase,\u201d said Ginga. \u201cIndustry has been looking for new materials and new techniques to add to their toolbox for heat transfer. Different approaches will be needed for different devices, and this provides the industry with a new way to address the challenge.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Nicholas J. Ginga, Wei Chen and Suresh K. Sitaraman, \u201cWaviness Reduces Effective Modulus of Carbon Nanotube Forests by Several Orders of Magnitude,\u201d (Carbon 2013). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1016\/j.carbon.2013.08.042\u0022 title=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1016\/j.carbon.2013.08.042\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1016\/j.carbon.2013.08.042\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA-MTO) under contract N66001-09-C-2012. The opinions and conclusions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily represent the official views of DARPA.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Assistance\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)(404-894-6986) or Brett Israel (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)(404-385-1933)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new study has found that \u201cwaviness\u201d in forests of vertically-aligned carbon nanotubes dramatically reduces their stiffness, answering a long-standing question surrounding the tiny structures. Instead of being a detriment, the waviness may make the nanotube arrays more compliant and therefore useful as thermal interface material for conducting heat away from future high-powered integrated circuits.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new study helps explain why forests of carbon nanotubes aren\u0027t as stiff as scientists expected."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2013-09-30 17:10:14","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:00","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-10-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-10-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"241241":{"id":"241241","type":"image","title":"nanotube forests","body":null,"created":"1449243688","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:41:28","changed":"1475894916","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:36","alt":"nanotube forests","file":{"fid":"197785","name":"wavy-nanotubes.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/wavy-nanotubes_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/wavy-nanotubes_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":507000,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/wavy-nanotubes_0.jpg?itok=p8BmrkIg"}},"241251":{"id":"241251","type":"image","title":"Studying nanotube forests","body":null,"created":"1449243688","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:41:28","changed":"1475894916","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:36","alt":"Studying nanotube forests","file":{"fid":"197786","name":"wavy-nanotube3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/wavy-nanotube3_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/wavy-nanotube3_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1555952,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/wavy-nanotube3_0.jpg?itok=4H_GfSCR"}}},"media_ids":["241241","241251"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"5116","name":"carbon nanotube"},{"id":"437","name":"cooling"},{"id":"75221","name":"modulus"},{"id":"3173","name":"nanotube"},{"id":"167377","name":"School of Mechanical Engineering"},{"id":"169475","name":"Suresh Sitaraman"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"238821":{"#nid":"238821","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Glass or Plastic? Container\u2019s Properties Affect the Viscosity of Nanoscale Water","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWater pours into a cup at about the same rate regardless of whether the water bottle is made of glass or plastic.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut at nanometer-size scales for water and potentially other fluids, whether the container is made of glass or plastic does make a significant difference. A new study shows that in nanoscopic channels, the effective viscosity of water in channels made of glass can be twice as high as water in plastic channels. Nanoscopic glass channels can make water flow more like ketchup than ordinary H\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C\/sub\u003EO.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe effect of container properties on the fluids they hold offers yet another example of surprising phenomena at the nanoscale. And it also provides a new factor that the designers of tiny mechanical systems must take into account.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAt the nanoscale, viscosity is no longer constant, so these results help redefine our understanding of fluid flow at this scale,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/user\/elisa-riedo\u0022\u003EElisa Riedo\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u201cAnyone performing an experiment, developing a technology or attempting to understand a biological process that involves water or another liquid at this size scale will now have to take the properties of surfaces into account.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose effects could be important to designers of devices such as high resolution 3D printers that use nanoscale nozzles, nanofluidic systems and even certain biomedical devices.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EConsidering that nano-confined water is ubiquitous in animal bodies, in rocks, and in nanotechnology, this new understanding could have a broad impact.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch into the properties of liquids confined by different materials was sponsored by the Department of Energy\u2019s Office of Basic Sciences and the National Science Foundation. The results were reported September 19 in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Communications\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe viscosity differences created by container materials are directly affected by the degree to which the materials are either hydrophilic \u2013 which means they attract water \u2013 or hydrophobic \u2013 which means they repel it. The researchers believe that in hydrophilic materials, the attraction for water \u2013 a property known as \u201cwettability\u201d \u2013 makes water molecules more difficult to move, contributing to an increase in the fluid\u2019s effective viscosity. On the other hand, water isn\u2019t as attracted to hydrophobic materials, making the molecules easier to move and producing lower viscosity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn research reported in the journal, this water behavior appeared only when water was confined to spaces of a few nanometers or less \u2013 the equivalent of just a few layers of water molecules.\u0026nbsp; The viscosity continued to increase as the surfaces were moved closer together.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research team studied water confined by five different surfaces: mica, graphene oxide, silicon, diamond-like carbon, and graphite. Mica, used in the drilling industry, was the most hydrophilic of the materials, while graphite was the most hydrophobic. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe saw a clear one-to-one relationship between the degree to which the confining material was hydrophilic and the viscosity that we measured,\u201d Riedo said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExperimentally, the researchers began by preparing atomically-smooth surfaces of the materials, then placing highly-purified water onto them. Next, an AFM tip made of silicon was moved across the surfaces at varying heights until it made contact. The tip \u2013 about 40 nanometers in diameter \u2013 was then lifted up and the measurements continued.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs the viscosity of the water increased, the force needed to move the AFM tip also increased, causing it to twist slightly on the cantilever beam used to raise and lower the tip. Changes in this torsion angle were measured by a laser bounced off the reflective cantilever, providing an indication of changes in the force exerted on the tip, the viscous resistance exerted \u2013 and therefore the water\u2019s effective viscosity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen the AFM tip was about one nanometer away from the surface, we began to see an increase of the viscous force acting on the tip for the hydrophilic surfaces,\u201d Riedo said. \u201cWe had to use larger forces to move the tip at this point, and the closer we got to the surface, the more dramatic this became.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose differences can be explained by understanding how water behaves differently on different surfaces.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAt the nanoscale, liquid-surface interaction forces become important, particularly when the liquid molecules are confined in tiny spaces,\u201d Riedo explained. \u201cWhen the surfaces are hydrophilic, the water sticks to the surface and does not want to move. On hydrophobic surfaces, the water is slipping on the surfaces. With this study, not only have we observed this nanoscale wetting-dependent viscosity, but we have also been able to explain quantitatively the origin of the observed changes and relate them to boundary slip. This new understanding was able to explain previous unclear results of energy dissipation during dynamic AFM studies in water.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the researchers have so far only studied the effect of the material properties in water channels, Riedo expects to perform similar experiments on other fluids, including oils. Beyond simple fluids, she hopes to study complex fluids composed of nanoparticles in suspension to determine how the phenomenon changes with particle size and chemistry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere is no reason why this should not be true for other liquids, which means that this could redefine the way that fluid dynamics is understood at the nanoscale,\u201d she said. \u201cEvery technology and natural process that uses liquids confined at the nanoscale will be affected.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to Riedo, co-authors of the paper included Deborah Ortiz-Young, Hsiang-Chih Chiu and Suenne Kim, who were at Georgia Tech when the research was done, and Kislon Voitchovsky of the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Deborah Ortiz-Young, Hsiang-Chih Chiu, Suenne Kim, Kislon Voitchovsky and Elisa Riedo, \u201cThe interplay between apparent viscosity and wettability in nanoconfined water,\u0022 (Nature Communications, 2013).\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.nature.com\/ncomms\/2013\/130919\/ncomms3482\/full\/ncomms3482.html\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/www.nature.com\/ncomms\/2013\/130919\/ncomms3482\/full\/ncomms3482.html\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported by the Office of Basic Energy Sciences of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under grant DE-FG02-06ER46293 and by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under grants DMR-0120967, DMR-0706031 and CMMI-1100290. Any opinions or conclusions are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the DOE or NSF.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Assistance\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)(404-894-6986) or Brett Israel (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)(404-385-1933)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWater pours into a cup at about the same rate regardless of whether the water bottle is made of glass or plastic. But at nanometer-size scales for water and potentially other fluids, whether the container is made of glass or plastic does make a significant difference.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"At the nanoscale, the properties of containers holding liquids can affect their viscosity."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2013-09-18 20:23:09","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:56","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-09-19T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-09-19T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"238791":{"id":"238791","type":"image","title":"Container-material1","body":null,"created":"1449243670","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:41:10","changed":"1475894914","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:34","alt":"Container-material1","file":{"fid":"197736","name":"container-material2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/container-material2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/container-material2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":899685,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/container-material2_0.jpg?itok=L6IDiYsz"}},"238801":{"id":"238801","type":"image","title":"Container-material2","body":null,"created":"1449243670","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:41:10","changed":"1475894914","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:34","alt":"Container-material2","file":{"fid":"197737","name":"container-material3610.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/container-material3610_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/container-material3610_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1356766,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/container-material3610_0.jpg?itok=Q9BzXDoz"}},"238811":{"id":"238811","type":"image","title":"Container-material-illustration","body":null,"created":"1449243670","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:41:10","changed":"1475894914","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:34","alt":"Container-material-illustration","file":{"fid":"197738","name":"container-material-illustration.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/container-material-illustration_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/container-material-illustration_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":632853,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/container-material-illustration_0.jpg?itok=j4GrtsEy"}}},"media_ids":["238791","238801","238811"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"13687","name":"Elisa Riedo"},{"id":"7425","name":"nanometer"},{"id":"431","name":"nanoscale"},{"id":"166937","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"7424","name":"viscosity"},{"id":"5493","name":"wettability"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"228141":{"#nid":"228141","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Device Captures Signatures with Tiny Piezo-Phototronic LEDs","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology want to put your signature up in lights \u2013 tiny lights, that is. Using thousands of nanometer-scale wires, the researchers have developed a sensor device that converts mechanical pressure \u2013 from a signature or a fingerprint \u2013 directly into light signals that can be captured and processed optically.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe sensor device could provide an artificial sense of touch, offering sensitivity comparable to that of the human skin. Beyond collecting signatures and fingerprints, the technique could also be used in biological imaging and micro-electromechanical (MEMS) systems. Ultimately, it could provide a new approach for human-machine interfaces.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou can write with your pen and the sensor will optically detect what you write at high resolution and with a very fast response rate,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff\/faculty\/zhong-lin-wang\u0022\u003EZhong Lin Wang\u003C\/a\u003E, Regents\u2019 professor and Hightower Chair in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech. \u201cThis is a new principle for imaging force that uses parallel detection and avoids many of the complications of existing pressure sensors.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIndividual zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires that are part of the device operate as tiny light emitting diodes (LEDs) when placed under strain from the mechanical pressure, allowing the device to provide detailed information about the amount of pressure being applied. Known as piezo-phototronics, the technology \u2013 first described by Wang in 2009 \u2013 provides a new way to capture information about pressure applied at very high resolution: up to 6,300 dots per inch. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research was reported August 11, 2013, in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Photonics\u003C\/em\u003E. It was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy\u2019s Office of Basic Energy Sciences, the National Science Foundation, and the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPiezoelectric materials generate a charge polarization when they are placed under strain. The piezo-phototronic devices rely on that physical principle to tune and control the charge transport and recombination by the polarization charges present at the ends of individual nanowires. Grown atop a gallium nitride (GaN) film, the nanowires create pixeled light emitters whose output varies with the pressure, creating an electroluminescent signal that can be integrated with on-chip photonics for data transmission, processing and recording.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen you have a zinc oxide nanowire under strain, you create a piezoelectric charge at both ends which forms a piezoelectric potential,\u201d Wang explained. \u201cThe presence of the potential distorts the band structure in the wire, causing electrons to remain in the p-n junction longer and enhancing the efficiency of the LED.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe efficiency increase in the LED is proportional to the strain created. Differences in the amount of strain applied translate to differences in light emitted from the root where the nanowires contact the gallium nitride film.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo fabricate the devices, a low-temperature chemical growth technique is used to create a patterned array of zinc oxide nanowires on a gallium nitride thin film substrate with the c-axis pointing upward. The interfaces between the nanowires and the gallium nitride film form the bottom surfaces of the nanowires. After infiltrating the space between nanowires with a PMMA thermoplastic, oxygen plasma is used to etch away the PMMA enough to expose the tops of the zinc oxide nanowires.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA nickel-gold electrode is then used to form ohmic contact with the bottom gallium-nitride film, and a transparent indium-tin oxide (ITO) film is deposited on the top of the array to serve as a common electrode.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen pressure is applied to the device through handwriting or other source of pressure, nanowires are compressed along their axial directions, creating a negative piezo-potential, while uncompressed nanowires have no potential.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers have pressed letters into the top of the device, which produces a corresponding light output from the bottom of the device. This output \u2013 which can all be read at the same time \u2013 can be processed and transmitted.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe ability to see all of the emitters simultaneously allows the device to provide a quick response. \u201cThe response time is fast, and you can read a million pixels in a microsecond,\u201d said Wang. \u201cWhen the light emission is created, it can be detected immediately with the optical fiber.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe nanowires stop emitting light when the pressure is relieved. Switching from one mode to the other takes 90 milliseconds or less, Wang said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers studied the stability and reproducibility of the sensor array by examining the light emitting intensity of the individual pixels under strain for 25 repetitive on-off cycles. They found that the output fluctuation was approximately five percent, much smaller than the overall level of the signal. The robustness of more than 20,000 pixels was studied.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA spatial resolution of 2.7 microns was recorded from the device samples tested so far. Wang believes the resolution could be improved by reducing the diameter of the nanowires \u2013 allowing more nanowires to be grown in a given space \u2013 and by using a high-temperature fabrication process.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to Wang, the research team also included Caofeng Pan, Lin Dong, Guang Zhu, Simiao Niu, Ruomeng Yo, Qing Yang and Ying Liu, all associated with Georgia Tech. In addition, Pan is associated with the Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems in the Chinese Academy of Sciences.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering under Award DE-FG02-07ER46394; the National Science Foundation (NSF) under award CMMI-040367; and by the Knowledge Innovation program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences under KJCX2-YW-M13. The opinions and conclusions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the DOE or NSF.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Caofeng Pan, et al., \u0022High resolution electroluminescent imaging of pressure distribution using a piezoelectric nanowire-LED array,\u0022 (Nature Photonics 2013). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/nphoton.2013.191\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/nphoton.2013.191\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers want to put your signature up in lights. Using thousands of nanometer-scale wires, the researchers have developed a sensor device that converts mechanical pressure \u2013 from a signature or a fingerprint \u2013 directly into light signals that can be captured and processed optically.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have developed a sensor device that converts mechanical pressure directly into light signals."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2013-08-10 13:07:04","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:42","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-08-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-08-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"228121":{"id":"228121","type":"image","title":"Piezo-phototronic LEDs2","body":null,"created":"1449243566","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:39:26","changed":"1475894899","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:19","alt":"Piezo-phototronic LEDs2","file":{"fid":"197463","name":"piezo-phototronic137.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/piezo-phototronic137_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/piezo-phototronic137_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1053938,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/piezo-phototronic137_0.jpg?itok=PiHW9wgi"}},"228111":{"id":"228111","type":"image","title":"Piezo-phototronic LEDs","body":null,"created":"1449243566","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:39:26","changed":"1475894899","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:19","alt":"Piezo-phototronic LEDs","file":{"fid":"197462","name":"piezo-phototronic105.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/piezo-phototronic105_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/piezo-phototronic105_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1305079,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/piezo-phototronic105_0.jpg?itok=nqtHxB6V"}},"228131":{"id":"228131","type":"image","title":"Piezo-phototronic LED schematic","body":null,"created":"1449243582","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:39:42","changed":"1475894774","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:14","alt":"Piezo-phototronic LED schematic","file":{"fid":"197464","name":"piezo-phototronic_device.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/piezo-phototronic_device_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/piezo-phototronic_device_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":295059,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/piezo-phototronic_device_0.jpg?itok=p8EoCzZn"}}},"media_ids":["228121","228111","228131"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"14922","name":"LED"},{"id":"4497","name":"Materials Science and Engineering"},{"id":"2502","name":"nanowire"},{"id":"71221","name":"piezo-phototronics"},{"id":"365","name":"Research"},{"id":"13751","name":"Zhong Lin Wang"},{"id":"7649","name":"zinc oxide"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"223571":{"#nid":"223571","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Magnets Steer Stem Cells to Specific Locations","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMagnets could be a tool for directing stem cells\u2019 healing powers to treat conditions such as heart disease or vascular disease.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy feeding stem cells tiny particles made of magnetized iron oxide, scientists at Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology can then use magnets to attract the cells to a particular location in the body after intravenous injection.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe results are published online in the journal \u003Cem\u003ESmall\u003C\/em\u003E and will appear in an upcoming issue.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe paper was a result of collaboration between the laboratories of W. Robert Taylor of Emory, and \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=2\u0022\u003EGang Bao\u003C\/a\u003E of Georgia Tech. Taylor is professor of medicine and biomedical engineering and director of the Division of Cardiology at Emory University School of Medicine. Bao is professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech and Emory University. Co-first authors of the paper are postdoctoral fellows Natalia Landazuri and Sheng Tong. Landazuri is now at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe type of cells used in the study, mesenchymal stem cells, are not embryonic stem cells. Mesenchymal stem cells can be readily obtained from adult tissues such as bone marrow or fat. They are capable of becoming bone, fat and cartilage cells, but not other types of cell such as muscle or brain. They secrete a variety of nourishing and anti-inflammatory factors, which could make them valuable tools for treating conditions such as cardiovascular disease or autoimmune disorders.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMagnetized iron oxide nanoparticles are already FDA-approved for diagnostic purposes with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Other scientists have tried to load stem cells with similar particles, but found that the coating on the particles was toxic or changed the cells\u2019 properties. The nanoparticles used in this study have a polyethylene glycol coating that protects the cell from damage. Another unique feature is that the Emory\/Georgia Tech team used a magnetic field to push the particles into the cells, rather than chemical agents used previously.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe were able to load the cells with a lot of these nanoparticles and we showed clearly that the cells were not harmed,\u201d Taylor said. \u201cThe coating is unique and thus there was no change in viability and perhaps even more importantly, we didn\u2019t see any change in the characteristics of the stem cells, such as their capacity to differentiate. This was essentially a proof of principle experiment. Ultimately, we would target these to a particular limb, an abnormal blood vessel or even the heart.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe particles are coated with the nontoxic polymer polyethylene glycol, and have an iron oxide core that is about 15 nanometers across. For comparison, a DNA molecule is two nanometers wide and a single influenza virus is at least 100 nanometers wide.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe particles appear to become stuck in cells\u2019 lysosomes, which are parts of the cell that break down waste. The particles stay put for at least a week and leakage cannot be detected. The scientists measured the iron content in the cells once they were loaded up and determined that each cell absorbed roughly 1.5 million particles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce cells were loaded with iron oxide particles, the Emory\/Georgia Tech team tested the ability of magnets to nudge the cells both in cell culture and in living animals. In mice, a bar-shaped rare earth magnet could attract injected stem cells to the tail. The magnet was applied to the part of the tail close to the body while the cells were being injected. Normally most of the mesenchymal stem cells would become deposited in the lungs or the liver.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo track where the cells went inside the mice, the scientists labeled the cells with a fluorescent dye. They calculated that the bar magnet made the stem cells six times more abundant in the tail. In addition, the iron oxide particles themselves could potentially be used to follow cells\u2019 progress through the body.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cNext, we plan to focus on therapeutic applications in animal models where we will use magnets to direct these cells to the precise site need to affect repair and regeneration of new blood vessels,\u201d Taylor said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe research was supported by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute\u2019s Program of Excellence in Nanotechnology (HHSN268201000043C).\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReference\u003C\/strong\u003E: N. Landazuri, S. Tong, J. Suo, G. Joseph, D. Weiss, D.J. Sutcliffe, D.P. Giddens, G. Bao and W.R. Taylor. Magnetic targeting of human mesenchymal stem cells with internalized superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. Small, early view (2013)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: Emory University \u2013 Quinn Eastman (404-727-7829) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:qeastma@emory.edu\u0022\u003Eqeastma@emory.edu\u003C\/a\u003E); Georgia Tech \u2013 John Toon (404-894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Quinn Eastman\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMagnets could be a tool for directing stem cells\u2019 healing powers to treat conditions such as heart disease or vascular disease, a new study by Emory University and Georgia Tech researchers shows.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers are using magnetic nanoparticles to help guide stem cells to desired locations."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2013-07-18 20:50:59","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:34","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-07-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-07-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"223561":{"id":"223561","type":"image","title":"Iron oxide nanoparticles in cell","body":null,"created":"1449243535","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:38:55","changed":"1475894894","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:14","alt":"Iron oxide nanoparticles in cell","file":{"fid":"197360","name":"magnetic_particles_in_stem_cells.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/magnetic_particles_in_stem_cells_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/magnetic_particles_in_stem_cells_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":258936,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/magnetic_particles_in_stem_cells_0.jpg?itok=M90lsQoV"}}},"media_ids":["223561"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"14219","name":"Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"id":"2639","name":"Gang Bao"},{"id":"10845","name":"magnetic nanoparticles"},{"id":"2973","name":"nanoparticles"},{"id":"167130","name":"Stem Cells"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"217271":{"#nid":"217271","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Polymer Structures Serve as \u201cNanoreactors\u201d for Nanocrystals with Uniform Sizes and Shapes","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing star-shaped block co-polymer structures as tiny reaction vessels, researchers have developed an improved technique for producing nanocrystals with consistent sizes, compositions and architectures \u2013 including metallic, ferroelectric, magnetic, semiconductor and luminescent nanocrystals. The technique relies on the length of polymer molecules and the ratio of two solvents to control the size and uniformity of colloidal nanocrystals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe technique could facilitate the use of nanoparticles for optical, electrical, optoelectronic, magnetic, catalysis and other applications in which tight control over size and structure is essential to obtaining desirable properties. The technique produces plain, core-shell and hollow nanoparticles that can be made soluble either in water or in organic solvents.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe have developed a general strategy for making a large variety of nanoparticles in different size ranges, compositions and architectures,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff\/faculty\/zhiqun-lin\u0022\u003EZhiqun Lin\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u201cThis very robust technique allows us to craft a wide range of nanoparticles that cannot be easily produced with any other approaches.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe technique was described in the June issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Nanotechnology\u003C\/em\u003E. The research was supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe star-shaped block co-polymer structures consist of a central beta-cyclodextrin core to which multiple \u201carms\u201d \u2013 as many as 21 linear block co-polymers \u2013 are covalently bonded. The star-shaped block co-polymers form the unimolecular micelles that serve as a reaction vessel and template for the formation of the nanocrystals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe inner blocks of unimolecular micelles are poly(acrylic) acid (PAA), which is hydrophilic, which allows metal ions to enter them. Once inside the tiny reaction vessels made of PAA, the ions react with the PAA to form nanocrystals, which range in size from a few nanometers up to a few tens of nanometers. The size of the nanoparticles is determined by the length of the PAA chain.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe block co-polymer structures can be made with hydrophilic inner blocks and hydrophobic outer blocks \u2013 amphiphilic block co-polymers, with which the resulting nanoparticles can be dissolved in organic solvents. However, if both inner and outer blocks are hydrophilic \u2013 all hydrophilic block co-polymers \u2013 the resulting nanoparticles will be water-soluble, making them suitable for biomedical applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELin and collaborators Xinchang Pang, Lei Zhao, Wei Han and Xukai Xin found that they could control the uniformity of the nanoparticles by varying the volume ratio of two solvents \u2013 dimethlformamide and benzyl alcohol \u2013 in which the nanoparticles are formed. For ferroelectric lead titanate (PbTiO\u003Csub\u003E3\u003C\/sub\u003E) nanoparticles, for instance, a 9-to-1 solvent ratio produces the most uniform nanoparticles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers have also made iron oxide, zinc oxide, titanium oxide, cuprous oxide, cadmium selenide, barium titanate, gold, platinum and silver nanocrystals. The technique could be applicable to nearly all transition or main-group metal ions and organometallic ions, Lin said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe crystallinity of the nanoparticles we are able to create is the key to a lot of applications,\u201d he added. \u201cWe need to make them with good crystalline structures so they will exhibit good physical properties.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEarlier techniques for producing polymeric micelles with linear block co-polymers have been limited by the stability of the structures and by the consistency of the nanocrystals they produce, Lin said. Current fabrication techniques include organic solution-phase synthesis, thermolysis of organometallic precursors, sol-gel processes, hydrothermal reactions and biomimetic or dendrimer templating. These existing techniques often require stringent conditions, are difficult to generalize, include a complex series of steps, and can\u2019t withstand changes in the environment around them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy contrast, nanoparticle production technique developed by the Georgia Tech researchers is general and robust. The nanoparticles remain stable and homogeneous for long periods of time \u2013 as much as two years so far \u2013 with no precipitation. Such flexibility and stability could allow a range of practical applications, Lin said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur star-like block co-polymers can overcome the thermodynamic instabilities of conventional linear block co-polymers,\u201d he said. \u201cThe chain length of the inner PAA blocks dictates the size of the nanoparticles, and the uniformity of the nanoparticles is influenced by the solvents used in the system.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers have used a variety of star-like di-block and tri-block co-polymers as nanoreactors. Among them are poly(acrylic acid)-block-polystyrene (PAA-b-PS) and poly(acrylic acid)-blockpoly(ethylene oxide) (PAA-b-PEO) diblock co-polymers, and poly(4-vinylpyridine)-block-poly(tert-butyl acrylate)-block-polystyrene (P4VP-b-PtBA-b-PS), poly(4-vinylpyridine)-block-poly (tert-butyl acrylate)-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (P4VP-b-PtBA-b-PEO), polystyrene-block-poly(acrylic acid)-block-polystyrene (PS-b-PAA-b-PS) and polystyrene-block-poly(acrylic acid)-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-b-PAA-b-PEO) tri-block co-polymers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the future, Lin envisions more complex nanocrystals with multifunctional shells and additional shapes, including nanorods and so-called \u201cJanus\u201d nanoparticles that are composed of biphasic geometry of two dissimilar materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) under awards FA9550-09-1-0388 and FA9550-13-1-0101. The conclusions expressed in this news releases are those of the principal investigator and do not necessarily represent the official views of the AFOSR.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Xinchang Pang, Lei Zhao, Wei Han, Xukai Xin and Zhiqun Lin, \u201cA general and robust strategy for the synthesis of nearly monodisperse colloidal nanocrystals,\u201d (Nature Nanotechnology, 8, 426, 2013). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/nnano.2013.85\u0022 title=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/nnano.2013.85\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/nnano.2013.85\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)(404-894-6986).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing star-shaped block co-polymer structures as tiny reaction vessels, researchers have developed an improved technique for producing nanocrystals with consistent sizes, compositions and architectures \u2013 including metallic, ferroelectric, magnetic, semiconductor and luminescent nanocrystals. The technique relies on the length of polymer molecules and the ratio of two solvents to control the size and uniformity of colloidal nanocrystals.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers are using star-shaped block co-polymer structures as tiny reaction vessels."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2013-06-11 13:35:24","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:23","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-06-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-06-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"217231":{"id":"217231","type":"image","title":"Nanocrystal nanoreactors2","body":null,"created":"1449180130","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:02:10","changed":"1475894882","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:02","alt":"Nanocrystal nanoreactors2","file":{"fid":"197151","name":"nanocrystals182.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nanocrystals182_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nanocrystals182_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1029446,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/nanocrystals182_0.jpg?itok=fVpAZnY0"}},"217221":{"id":"217221","type":"image","title":"Nanocrystal nanoreactors","body":null,"created":"1449180130","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:02:10","changed":"1475894882","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:02","alt":"Nanocrystal nanoreactors","file":{"fid":"197150","name":"nanocrystals96.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nanocrystals96_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nanocrystals96_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":926631,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/nanocrystals96_0.jpg?itok=p5GT8GTj"}},"217261":{"id":"217261","type":"image","title":"Nanocrystal nanoreactors5","body":null,"created":"1449180130","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:02:10","changed":"1475894882","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:02","alt":"Nanocrystal nanoreactors5","file":{"fid":"197154","name":"nanocrystals328.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nanocrystals328_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nanocrystals328_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1058749,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/nanocrystals328_0.jpg?itok=BJD29qHI"}},"217241":{"id":"217241","type":"image","title":"Nanocrystal nanoreactors3","body":null,"created":"1449180130","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:02:10","changed":"1475894882","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:02","alt":"Nanocrystal nanoreactors3","file":{"fid":"197152","name":"nanocrystals251.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nanocrystals251_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nanocrystals251_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":883481,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/nanocrystals251_0.jpg?itok=rabz3_ki"}},"217251":{"id":"217251","type":"image","title":"Nanocrystal nanoreactors4","body":null,"created":"1449180130","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:02:10","changed":"1475894882","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:02","alt":"Nanocrystal nanoreactors4","file":{"fid":"197153","name":"nanocrystals275.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nanocrystals275_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/nanocrystals275_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1189843,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/nanocrystals275_0.jpg?itok=itiggfNi"}}},"media_ids":["217231","217221","217261","217241","217251"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7562","name":"nanocrystal"},{"id":"2054","name":"nanoparticle"},{"id":"107","name":"Nanotechnology"},{"id":"167535","name":"School of Materials Science and Engineering"},{"id":"67921","name":"Zhiqun Lin"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"209461":{"#nid":"209461","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Piezoelectric \u201cTaxels\u201d Convert Motion to Electronic Signals for Tactile Imaging","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing bundles of vertical zinc oxide nanowires, researchers have fabricated arrays of piezotronic transistors capable of converting mechanical motion directly into electronic controlling signals. The arrays could help give robots a more adaptive sense of touch, provide better security in handwritten signatures and offer new ways for humans to interact with electronic devices.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe arrays include more than 8,000 functioning piezotronic transistors, each of which can independently produce an electronic controlling signal when placed under mechanical strain. These touch-sensitive transistors \u2013 dubbed \u201ctaxels\u201d \u2013 could provide significant improvements in resolution, sensitivity and active\/adaptive operations compared to existing techniques for tactile sensing. Their sensitivity is comparable to that of a human fingertip.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe vertically-aligned taxels operate with two-terminal transistors. Instead of a third gate terminal used by conventional transistors to control the flow of current passing through them, taxels control the current with a technique called \u201cstrain-gating.\u201d Strain-gating based on the piezotronic effect uses the electrical charges generated at the Schottky contact interface by the piezoelectric effect when the nanowires are placed under strain by the application of mechanical force.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research was reported April 25 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E online, at the Science Express website, and will be published in a later version of the print journal. The research has been sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. Air Force (USAF), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAny mechanical motion, such as the movement of arms or the fingers of a robot, could be translated to control signals,\u201d explained \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff\/faculty\/zhong-lin-wang\u0022\u003EZhong Lin Wang\u003C\/a\u003E, a Regents\u2019 professor and Hightower Chair in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u201cThis could make artificial skin smarter and more like the human skin. It would allow the skin to feel activity on the surface.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMimicking the sense of touch electronically has been challenging, and is now done by measuring changes in resistance prompted by mechanical touch. The devices developed by the Georgia Tech researchers rely on a different physical phenomenon \u2013 tiny polarization charges formed when piezoelectric materials such as zinc oxide are moved or placed under strain. In the piezotronic transistors, the piezoelectric charges control the flow of current through the wires just as gate voltages do in conventional three-terminal transistors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe technique only works in materials that have both piezoelectric and semiconducting properties. These properties are seen in nanowires and thin films created from the wurtzite and zinc blend families of materials, which includes zinc oxide, gallium nitride and cadmium sulfide.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn their laboratory, Wang and his co-authors \u2013 postdoctoral fellow Wenzhuo Wu and graduate research assistant Xiaonan Wen \u2013 fabricated arrays of 92 by 92 transistors. The researchers used a chemical growth technique at approximately 85 to 90 degrees Celsius, which allowed them to fabricate arrays of strain-gated vertical piezotronic transistors on substrates that are suitable for microelectronics applications. The transistors are made up of bundles of approximately 1,500 individual nanowires, each nanowire between 500 and 600 nanometers in diameter.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the array devices, the active strain-gated vertical piezotronic transistors are sandwiched between top and bottom electrodes made of indium tin oxide aligned in orthogonal cross-bar configurations. A thin layer of gold is deposited between the top and bottom surfaces of the zinc oxide nanowires and the top and bottom electrodes, forming Schottky contacts. A thin layer of the polymer Parylene is then coated onto the device as a moisture and corrosion barrier.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe array density is 234 pixels per inch, the resolution is better than 100 microns, and the sensors are capable of detecting pressure changes as low as 10 kilopascals \u2013 resolution comparable to that of the human skin, Wang said. The Georgia Tech researchers fabricated several hundred of the arrays during a research project that lasted nearly three years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe arrays are transparent, which could allow them to be used on touch-pads or other devices for fingerprinting. They are also flexible and foldable, expanding the range of potential uses.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmong the potential applications:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMultidimensional signature recording, in which not only the graphics of the signature would be included, but also the pressure exerted at each location during the creation of the signature, and the speed at which the signature is created.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EShape-adaptive sensing in which a change in the shape of the device is measured. This would be useful in applications such as artificial\/prosthetic skin, smart biomedical treatments and intelligent robotics in which the arrays would sense what was in contact with them.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EActive tactile sensing in which the physiological operations of mechanoreceptors of biological entities such as hair follicles or the hairs in the cochlea are emulated.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause the arrays would be used in real-world applications, the researchers evaluated their durability. The devices still operated after 24 hours immersed in both saline and distilled water.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFuture work will include producing the taxel arrays from single nanowires instead of bundles, and integrating the arrays onto CMOS silicon devices. Using single wires could improve the sensitivity of the arrays by at least three orders of magnitude, Wang said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is a fundamentally new technology that allows us to control electronic devices directly using mechanical agitation,\u201d Wang added. \u201cThis could be used in a broad range of areas, including robotics, MEMS, human-computer interfaces and other areas that involve mechanical deformation.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the National Science Foundation (NSF) under grant CMMI-0946418, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) under grant FA2386-10-1-4070, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Basic Energy Sciences under award DE-FG02-07ER46394 and the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences under grant KJCX2-YW-M13. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of DARPA, the NSF, the USAF or the DOE.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Wenzhuo Wu, Xiaonan Wen, Zhong Lin Wang, \u201cTaxel-addressable matrix of vertical-nanowire piezotronic transistors for active\/adaptive tactile imaging,\u201d (Science 2013).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing bundles of vertical zinc oxide nanowires, researchers have fabricated arrays of piezotronic transistors capable of converting mechanical motion directly into electronic controlling signals. The arrays could help give robots a more adaptive sense of touch, provide better security in handwritten signatures and offer new ways for humans to interact with electronic devices.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have fabricated arrays of piezotronic transistors capable of converting mechanical motion directly into electronic controlling signals."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2013-04-25 17:43:49","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:08","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-04-25T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-04-25T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"209431":{"id":"209431","type":"image","title":"Piezotronic transistor array","body":null,"created":"1449180001","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:00:01","changed":"1475894869","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:49","alt":"Piezotronic transistor array","file":{"fid":"196842","name":"piezotronic-arrays31.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/piezotronic-arrays31_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/piezotronic-arrays31_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1444417,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/piezotronic-arrays31_0.jpg?itok=mGvyfVRv"}},"209441":{"id":"209441","type":"image","title":"Piezotronic transistor array2","body":null,"created":"1449180001","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:00:01","changed":"1475894869","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:49","alt":"Piezotronic transistor array2","file":{"fid":"196843","name":"peizotronic-arrays148.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/peizotronic-arrays148_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/peizotronic-arrays148_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1829750,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/peizotronic-arrays148_0.jpg?itok=cfOKdn_F"}},"209451":{"id":"209451","type":"image","title":"Piezotronic transistor array","body":null,"created":"1449180001","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:00:01","changed":"1475894869","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:49","alt":"Piezotronic transistor array","file":{"fid":"196844","name":"figure2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/figure2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/figure2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":167686,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/figure2_0.jpg?itok=oI8Yjp3N"}}},"media_ids":["209431","209441","209451"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7576","name":"Piezotronic"},{"id":"65011","name":"piezotronic array"},{"id":"167535","name":"School of Materials Science and Engineering"},{"id":"64991","name":"taxel"},{"id":"13751","name":"Zhong Lin Wang"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-8986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"205461":{"#nid":"205461","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Surface Diffusion Plays a Key Role in Defining the Shapes of Catalytic Nanoparticles","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EControlling the shapes of nanometer-sized catalytic and electrocatalytic particles made from noble metals such as platinum and palladium may be more complicated than previously thought.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing systematic experiments, researchers have investigated how surface diffusion \u2013 a process in which atoms move from one site to another on nanoscale surfaces \u2013 affects the final shape of the particles. The issue is important for a wide range of applications that use specific shapes to optimize the activity and selectivity of nanoparticles, including catalytic converters, fuel cell technology, chemical catalysis and plasmonics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResults of the research could lead to a better understanding of how to manage the diffusion process by controlling the reaction temperature and deposition rate, or by introducing structural barriers designed to hinder the surface movement of atoms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe want to be able to design the synthesis to produce nanoparticles with the exact shape we want for each specific application,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=158\u0022\u003EYounan Xia\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cFundamentally, it is important to understand how these shapes are formed, to visualize how this happens on structures over a length scale of about 100 atoms.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research was reported April 8 in the early online edition of the journal \u003Cem\u003EProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\u003C\/em\u003E (PNAS). The research was sponsored by the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/\u0022\u003ENational Science Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E (NSF).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EControlling the shape of nanoparticles is important in catalysis and other applications that require the use of expensive noble metals such as platinum and palladium. For example, optimizing the shape of platinum nanoparticles can substantially enhance their catalytic activity, reducing demand for the precious material, noted Xia, who is a \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gra.org\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Research Alliance\u003C\/a\u003E (GRA) eminent scholar in nanomedicine. Xia also holds joint appointments in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cControlling the shape is very important to tuning the activity of catalysts and in minimizing the loading of the catalysts,\u201d he said. \u201cShape control is also very important in plasmonic applications, where the shape controls where optical absorption and scattering peaks are positioned. Shape is also important to determining where the electrical charges will be concentrated on nanoparticles.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThough the importance of particle shape at the nanoscale has been well known, researchers hadn\u2019t before understood the importance of surface diffusion in creating the final particle shape.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdding atoms to the corners of platinum cubes, for instance, can create particles with protruding \u201carms\u201d that increase the catalytic activity. Convex surfaces on cubic particles may also provide better performance. But those advantageous shapes must be created and maintained.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENatural energetic preferences related to the arrangement of atoms on the tiny structures favor a spherical shape that is not ideal for most catalysts, fuel cells and other applications. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn their research, Xia and his collaborators varied the temperature of the process used to deposit atoms onto metallic nanocrystals that acted as seeds for the nanoparticles. They also varied the rates at which atoms were deposited onto the surfaces, which were determined by the injection rate at which a chemical precursor material was introduced. The diffusion rate is determined by the temperature, with higher temperatures allowing the atoms to move around faster on the nanoparticle surfaces. In the research, bromide ions were used to limit the movement of the added atoms from one portion of the particle to another.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing transmission electron microscopy, the researchers observed the structures that were formed under different conditions. Ultimately, they found that the ratio of the deposition rate to the diffusion rate determines the final shape. When the ratio is greater than one, the adsorbed atoms tend to stay where they are placed. If the ratio is less than one, they tend to move.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cUnless the atomic reaction is at absolute zero, you will always have some diffusion,\u201d said Xia, who holds the Brock Family Chair in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. \u201cBut if you can add atoms to the surface in the places that you want them faster than they can diffuse, you can control the final destination for the atoms.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EXia believes the research may also lead to improved techniques for preserving the unique shapes of nanoparticles even at high operating temperatures.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFundamentally, it is very useful for people to know how these shapes are formed,\u201d he said. \u201cMost of these structures had been observed before, but people did not understand why they formed under certain conditions. To do that, we need to be able to visualize what happens on these tiny structures.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EXia\u2019s research team also studied the impact of diffusion on bi-metallic particles composed of both palladium and platinum. The combination can enhance certain properties, and because palladium is currently less expensive than platinum, using a core of palladium covered by a thin layer of platinum provides the catalytic activity of platinum while reducing cost.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn that instance, surface diffusion can be helpful in covering the palladium surface with a single monolayer of the platinum. Only the surface platinum atoms will be able to provide the catalytic properties, while the palladium core only serves as a support.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research is part of a long-term study of catalytic nanoparticles being conducted by Xia\u2019s research group. Other aspects of the team\u2019s work addresses biomedical uses of nanoparticles in such areas as cancer therapy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are very excited by this result because it is generic and can apply to understand and control diffusion on the surfaces of many systems,\u201d Xia added. \u201cUltimately we want to see how we can take advantage of this diffusion to improve the catalytic and optical properties of these nanoparticles.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research team also included Xiaohu Xia, Shuifen Xie, Maochang Liu and Hsin-Chieh Peng at Georgia Tech; and Ning Lu, Jinguo Wang and Professor Moon J. Kim at the University of Texas at Dallas.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under grant DMR-1215034 and by startup funds from Georgia Tech. Any conclusions expressed are those of the principal investigator and may not necessarily represent the official views of the NSF.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Xia, Xiaohu, et al., \u201cOn the role of surface diffusion in determining the shape or morphology of noble-metal nanocrystals,\u201d (Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, 2013). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.pnas.org\/content\/early\/2013\/04\/05\/1222109110\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/www.pnas.org\/content\/early\/2013\/04\/05\/1222109110\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E:\u0026nbsp; John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EControlling the shapes of nanometer-sized catalytic and electrocatalytic particles made from noble metals such as platinum and palladium may be more complicated than previously thought.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new study shows the importance of surface diffusion in forming catalytic nanoparticles."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2013-04-09 10:40:14","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:13:59","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-04-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-04-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"205451":{"id":"205451","type":"image","title":"Surface diffusion in nanocatalysts","body":null,"created":"1449179977","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:59:37","changed":"1475894861","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:41","alt":"Surface diffusion in nanocatalysts","file":{"fid":"196714","name":"catalyst-shapes.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/catalyst-shapes_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/catalyst-shapes_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":461612,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/catalyst-shapes_0.jpg?itok=0OFWBHh8"}}},"media_ids":["205451"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2506","name":"catalyst"},{"id":"14219","name":"Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"id":"2044","name":"Fuel Cell"},{"id":"63631","name":"nanocatalyst"},{"id":"2054","name":"nanoparticle"},{"id":"107","name":"Nanotechnology"},{"id":"169567","name":"surface diffusion"},{"id":"24841","name":"Younan Xia"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"195931":{"#nid":"195931","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Neutron Scattering Technique Provides New Data on Adsorption of Ions in Microporous Materials","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe adsorption of ions in microporous materials governs the operation of technologies as diverse as water desalination, energy storage, sensing and mechanical actuation. Until now, however, researchers attempting to improve the performance of these technologies haven\u2019t been able to directly and unambiguously identify how factors such as pore size, pore surface chemistry and electrolyte properties affect the concentration of ions in these materials as a function of the applied potential.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo provide the needed information, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory have demonstrated that a technique known as small angle neutron scattering (SANS) can be used to study the effects of ions moving into nanoscale pores. Believed to be the first application of the SANS technique for studying ion surface adsorption in-situ, details of the research were reported recently in the journal \u003Cem\u003EAngewandte Chemie International Edition\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing conductive nanoporous carbon, the researchers conducted proof-of-concept experiments to measure changes in the adsorption of hydrogen ions in pores of different sizes within the same material due to variations in solvent properties and applied electrical potential. Systematic studies performed with such a technique could ultimately help identify the optimal pore size, surface chemistry and electrolyte solvent properties necessary for either maximizing or minimizing the adsorption of ions under varying conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe need to understand this system better so we can predict the kind of surface chemistry required and the kinds of solvents needed to control the levels of ion penetration and adsorption in pores of different sizes,\u201d said Gleb Yushin, an associate professor in the Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering. \u201cUnderstanding these processes better could lead to the development of improved energy storage, water purification and desalination systems. This new experimental methodology may also give us paths to better understand ion transport in biological systems and contribute to the development of improved drugs and artificial organs.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research was supported partially by the U.S. Army Research Office, the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe advantage of neutron scattering is that it can be used to study real systems,\u201d said Yushin. \u201cYou can study most electrode materials and electrolyte combinations as long as they have a high sensitivity for neutron scattering.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYushin and his collaborators \u2013 Georgia Tech graduate research assistant Sofiane Boukhalfa, and Oak Ridge scientists Yuri Melnichenko and Lilin He \u2013 conducted the research using ORNL\u2019s High Flux Isotope Reactor, which produces a beam of high-energy neutrons. Their experimental setup allowed them to immerse activated carbon fabric samples \u2013 each sample containing pores of different sizes \u2013 in different electrolyte materials while varying the applied electrical potential.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy measuring how the neutron beam was scattered when it passed through the carbon fabric and electrolytes, the researchers could determine how the solvent, pore size and electrical potential affected the average ion concentration in the carbon material samples.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou can learn whether the ions get adsorbed into small pores or large pores by simply comparing the changes in the neutron scattering,\u201d Yushin explained. \u201cThis experimental technique allows us to independently change the surface chemistry to see how that affects the ion concentrations, and we can use different solvents to observe how the interaction between electrolyte and pore walls affects the ion adsorption in pores of different sizes. We can further identify exactly where the ion adsorption takes place even when no potential is applied to an electrode.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEarlier work in this area had not provided clear results.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere have been multiple prior studies on the pore size effect, but different research groups worldwide have obtained contradictory results depending on the material selection and the model used to determine the specific surface area and pore size distribution in carbon electrodes,\u201d Yushin said. \u201cNeutron scattering should help us clarify existing controversies. We have already observed that depending on the solvent-pore wall interactions, either enhanced or reduced ion electro-adsorption may take place in sub-nanometer pores.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn their experiments, the researchers used two different electrolytes: water containing sulfuric acid and deuterium oxide \u2013 also known as heavy water \u2013 which also contained sulfuric acid. The two were chosen for the proof-of-concept experiments, though a wide range of other hydrogen-containing electrolytes could also be used.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow that the technique has been shown to work, Yushin would like to expand the experimentation to develop better fundamental understanding about the complex interactions of solvent, ions and pore walls under applied potential. That could allow development of a model that could guide the design of future systems that depend on ion transport and adsorption.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOnce you gain the fundamental knowledge from SANS experiments, predictive theoretical models could be developed that would guide the synthesis of the optimal structures for these applications,\u201d he said. \u201cOnce you clearly understand the structure-property relationships, you can use materials science approaches to design and synthesize the optimal material with the desired properties.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInformation developed through the research could lead to improvements in supercapacitors and hybrid battery-capacitor devices for rapidly growing applications in hybrid electrical vehicles, energy efficient industrial equipment, smart grid-distributed energy storage, hybrid-electric and electrical ships, high-power energy storage for wind power and uninterruptible power supplies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was partially supported by the Georgia Institute of Technology and the U.S. Army Research Office under contract number W911NF-12-1-0259. The research at ORNL\u2019s High Flux Isotope Reactor was sponsored by the Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program and the Scientific User Facilities Division, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, U.S. Department of Energy. The conclusions are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official positions of the U.S. Army Research Office or the Department of Energy.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Boukhalfa, S., et al., \u201cSmall-Angle Neutron Scattering for In Situ Probing of Ion Adsorption Inside Micropores.\u201d Angew. Chem. Int. Ed (2013). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.dx.doi.org\/10.1002\/anie.21209141\u0022 title=\u0022http:\/\/www.dx.doi.org\/10.1002\/anie.21209141\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/www.dx.doi.org\/10.1002\/anie.21209141\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have demonstrated the use of a technique known as small angle neutron scattering (SANS) to study the effects of ions moving into nanoscale pores. The study is believed to be the first application of the SANS technique for studying ion surface adsorption in-situ.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have demonstrated the use of small angle neutron scattering (SANS) to study the effects of ions moving into nanoscale pores."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2013-02-27 18:31:51","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:13:44","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-02-27T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2013-02-27T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"195891":{"id":"195891","type":"image","title":"Studying ion adsorption","body":null,"created":"1449179906","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:58:26","changed":"1475894846","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:26","alt":"Studying ion adsorption","file":{"fid":"196416","name":"ion-adsorption3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ion-adsorption3_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ion-adsorption3_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1648791,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ion-adsorption3_0.jpg?itok=du25itk8"}},"195901":{"id":"195901","type":"image","title":"Studying ion adsorption2","body":null,"created":"1449179906","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:58:26","changed":"1475894846","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:26","alt":"Studying ion adsorption2","file":{"fid":"196417","name":"ion-adsorption42a.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ion-adsorption42a_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ion-adsorption42a_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":645453,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ion-adsorption42a_0.jpg?itok=7vJFcLLq"}},"195911":{"id":"195911","type":"image","title":"Neutron scattering schematic","body":null,"created":"1449179906","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:58:26","changed":"1475894846","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:26","alt":"Neutron scattering schematic","file":{"fid":"196418","name":"ion-adsorption-schematic.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ion-adsorption-schematic_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ion-adsorption-schematic_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":478414,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ion-adsorption-schematic_0.jpg?itok=plN-Agn0"}}},"media_ids":["195891","195901","195911"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"14251","name":"Gleb Yushin"},{"id":"7019","name":"ion"},{"id":"60001","name":"ion adsorption"},{"id":"60021","name":"microporous materials"},{"id":"60011","name":"neutron scattering"},{"id":"167535","name":"School of Materials Science and Engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"176051":{"#nid":"176051","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Self-Assembled Monolayers Create P-N Junctions in Graphene Films","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe electronic properties of graphene films are directly affected by the characteristics of the substrates on which they are grown or to which they are transferred. Researchers are taking advantage of this to create graphene p-n junctions by transferring films of the promising electronic material to substrates that have been patterned by compounds that are either strong electron donors or electron acceptors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA low temperature, controllable and stable method has been developed to dope graphene films using self-assembled monolayers (SAM) that modify the interface of graphene and its support substrate. Using this concept, a team of researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology has created graphene p-n junctions \u2013 which are essential to fabricating devices \u2013 without damaging the material\u2019s lattice structure or significantly reducing electron\/hole mobility.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe graphene was grown on a copper film using chemical vapor deposition (CVD), a process that allows synthesis of large-scale films and their transfer to desired substrates for device applications. The graphene films were transferred to silicon dioxide substrates that were functionalized with the self-assembled monolayers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInformation about creating graphene p-n junctions using self-assembled monolayers was presented on November 28, 2012 at the Fall Meeting of the Materials Research Society. Papers describing aspects of the work were also published in September 2012 in the journals \u003Cem\u003EACS Applied Materials \u0026amp; Interfaces\u003C\/em\u003E and the \u003Cem\u003EJournal of Physical Chemistry C\u003C\/em\u003E. Funding for the research came from the National Science Foundation, through the Georgia Tech Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) and through separate research grants.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe have been successful at showing that you can make fairly well doped p-type and n-type graphene controllably by patterning the underlying monolayer instead of modifying the graphene directly,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/faculty\/henderson\u0022\u003EClifford Henderson\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the Georgia Tech \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cPutting graphene on top of self-assembled monolayers uses the effect of electron donation or electron withdrawal from underneath the graphene to modify the material\u2019s electronic properties.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech research team working on the project includes faculty members, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students from three different schools. In addition to Henderson, professors who are part of the team include Laren Tolbert from the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Samuel Graham from the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering.\u0026nbsp; The project team also includes Hossein Sojoudi, a postdoctoral fellow, and Jose Baltazar, a graduate research assistant.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECreating n-type and p-type doping in graphene \u2013 which has no natural bandgap \u2013 has led to development of several approaches. Scientists have substituted nitrogen atoms for some of the carbon atoms in the graphene lattice, compounds have been applied to the surface of the graphene, and the edges of graphene nanoribbons have been modified. However, most of these techniques have disadvantages, including disruption of the lattice \u2013 which reduces electron mobility \u2013 and long-term stability issues.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAny time you put graphene into contact with a substrate of any kind, the material has an inherent tendency to change its electrical properties,\u201d Henderson said. \u201cWe wondered if we could do that in a controlled way and use it to our advantage to make the material predominately n-type or p-type. This could create a doping effect without introducing defects that would disrupt the material\u2019s attractive electron mobility.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing conventional lithography techniques, the researchers created patterns from different silane materials on a dielectric substrate, usually silicon oxide. The materials were chosen because they are either strong electron donors or electron acceptors. When a thin film of graphene is placed over the patterns, the underlying materials create charged sections in the graphene that correspond to the patterning.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe were able to dope the graphene into both n-type and p-type materials through an electron donation or withdrawal effect from the monolayer,\u201d Henderson explained. \u201cThat doesn\u2019t lead to the substitutional defects that are seen with many of the other doping processes. The graphene structure itself is still pristine as it comes to us in the transfer process.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe monolayers are bonded to the dielectric substrate and are thermally stable up to 200 degrees Celsius with the graphene film over them, Sojoudi noted. The Georgia Tech team has used 3-Aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) and perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane (PFES) for patterning. In principle, however, there are many other commercially-available materials that could also create the patterns.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou can build as many n-type and p-type regions as you want,\u201d Sojoudi said. \u201cYou can even step the doping controllably up and down. This technique gives you control over the doping level and what the dominant carrier is in each region.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers used their technique to fabricate graphene p-n junctions, which was verified by the creation of field-effect transistors (FET). Characteristic I-V curves indicated the presence of two separate Dirac points, which indicated an energy separation of neutrality points between the p and n regions in the graphene, Sojoudi said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe group uses chemical vapor deposition to create thin films of graphene on copper foil. A thick film of PMMA was spin-coated atop the graphene, and the underlying copper was then removed. The polymer serves as a carrier for the graphene until it can be placed onto the monolayer-coated substrate, after which it is removed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond developing the doping techniques, the team is also exploring new precursor materials that could allow CVD production of graphene at temperatures low enough to permit fabrication directly on other devices. That could eliminate the need for transferring the graphene from one substrate to another.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA low-cost, low-temperature means of producing graphene could also allow the films to find broader applications in displays, solar cells and organic light-emitting diodes, where large sheets of graphene would be needed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe real goal is to find ways to make graphene at lower temperatures and in ways that allow us to integrate it with other devices, either silicon CMOS or other materials that couldn\u2019t tolerate the high temperatures required for the initial growth,\u201d Henderson said. \u201cWe are looking at ways to make graphene into a useful electronic or opto-electronic material at low temperatures and in patterned forms.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis material is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Grants CHE-0822697, CHE-0848833 and CMMI-0927736 and the Georgia Tech Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC). The content of this article is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NSF.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATIONS\u003C\/strong\u003E: Sojoudi, Hossein, Creating Graphene p-n Junctions Using Self-Assembled Monolayers, \u003Cem\u003EACS Applied Materials \u0026amp; Interfaces\u003C\/em\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.dx.doi.org\/10.1021\/am301138v\u0022\u003Edx.doi.org\/10.1021\/am301138v\u003C\/a\u003E and Baltazar, Jose, Facile Formation of Graphene P-N Junctions Using Self-Assembled Monolayers, \u003Cem\u003EThe Journal of Physical Chemistry C\u003C\/em\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.dx.doi.org\/10.1021\/jp3045737\u0022\u003Edx.doi.org\/10.1021\/jp3045737\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers are creating graphene p-n junctions by transferring films of the electronic material to substrates that have been patterned by compounds that are either strong electron donors or electron acceptors.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have developed a new way to create graphene p-n junctions."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2012-12-09 17:14:19","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:13:22","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-12-10T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2012-12-10T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"176011":{"id":"176011","type":"image","title":"Self Assembled Monolayers","body":null,"created":"1449179022","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:43:42","changed":"1475894819","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:59","alt":"Self Assembled Monolayers","file":{"fid":"195861","name":"graphene-monolayer147.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/graphene-monolayer147_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/graphene-monolayer147_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1937468,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/graphene-monolayer147_0.jpg?itok=-RNEo4cp"}},"176021":{"id":"176021","type":"image","title":"Self Assembled Monolayers2","body":null,"created":"1449179022","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:43:42","changed":"1475894819","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:59","alt":"Self Assembled Monolayers2","file":{"fid":"195862","name":"graphene-monolayer212.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/graphene-monolayer212_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/graphene-monolayer212_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1682738,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/graphene-monolayer212_0.jpg?itok=4pF_8e2h"}},"176031":{"id":"176031","type":"image","title":"Self Assembled Monolayers3","body":null,"created":"1449179022","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:43:42","changed":"1475894819","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:59","alt":"Self Assembled Monolayers3","file":{"fid":"195863","name":"graphene-monolayer184.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/graphene-monolayer184_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/graphene-monolayer184_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1920980,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/graphene-monolayer184_0.jpg?itok=pWkHJ69z"}},"176041":{"id":"176041","type":"image","title":"Self Assembled Monolayers4","body":null,"created":"1449179022","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:43:42","changed":"1475894819","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:59","alt":"Self Assembled Monolayers4","file":{"fid":"195864","name":"graphene-monolayers25.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/graphene-monolayers25_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/graphene-monolayers25_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2457955,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/graphene-monolayers25_0.jpg?itok=lxhF8wYW"}}},"media_ids":["176011","176021","176031","176041"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"52431","name":"Clifford Henderson"},{"id":"429","name":"graphene"},{"id":"52411","name":"p-n junction"},{"id":"167750","name":"School of Chemical \u0026 Biomolecular Engineering"},{"id":"166928","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"169538","name":"self assembled monolayer"},{"id":"7528","name":"transistors"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"139511":{"#nid":"139511","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Triboelectric Generator Produces Electricity by Harnessing Frictional Forces","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have discovered yet another way to harvest small amounts of electricity from motion in the world around us \u2013 this time by capturing the electrical charge produced when two different kinds of plastic materials rub against one another. Based on flexible polymer materials, this \u201ctriboelectric\u201d generator could provide alternating current (AC) from activities such as walking.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe triboelectric generator could supplement power produced by nanogenerators that use the piezoelectric effect to create current from the flexing of zinc oxide nanowires. And because these triboelectric generators can be made nearly transparent, they could offer a new way to produce active sensors that might replace technology now used for touch-sensitive device displays.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe fact that an electric charge can be produced through this principle is well known,\u201d said Zhong Lin Wang, a Regents professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Materials Science \u0026amp; Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u201cWhat we have introduced is a gap separation technique that produces a voltage drop, which leads to a current flow, allowing the charge to be used. This generator can convert random mechanical energy from our environment into electric energy.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research was funded by the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy and the U.S. Air Force.\u0026nbsp; Details were reported in the June issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003ENano Letters\u003C\/em\u003E. In addition to Wang, authors of the paper included Feng-Ru Fan, Long Lin, Guang Zhu, Wenzhuo Wu and Rui Zhang from Georgia Tech. Fan is also affiliated with the State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces at Xiamen University in China.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe triboelectric generator operates when a sheet of polyester rubs against a sheet made of polydimethysiloxane (PDMS). The polyester tends to donate electrons, while the PDMS accepts electrons. Immediately after the polymer surfaces rub together, they are mechanically separated, creating an air gap that isolates the charge on the PDMS surface and forms a dipole moment. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf an electrical load is then connected between the two surfaces, a small current will flow to equalize the charge potential. By continuously rubbing the surfaces together and then quickly separating them, the generator can provide a small alternating current. An external deformation is used to press the surfaces together and slide them to create the rubbing motion.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFor this to work, you have to use to two different kinds of materials to create the different electrodes,\u201d Wang explained. \u201cIf you rub together surfaces made from the same material, you don\u2019t get the charge differential.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe technique could also be used to create a very sensitive self-powered active pressure sensor for potential use with organic electronic or opto-electronic systems. The force from a feather or water droplet touching the surface of the triboelectric generator produces a small current that can be detected to indicate the contact. The sensors can detect pressure as low as about 13 millipascals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause the devices can be made approximately 75 percent transparent, they could potentially be used in touch screens to replace existing sensors. \u201cTransparent generators can be fabricated on virtually any surface,\u201d said Wang. \u201cThis technique could be used to create very sensitive transparent sensors that would not require power from a device\u2019s battery.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile smooth surfaces rubbing together do generate charge, Wang and his research team have increased the current production by using micro-patterned surfaces. They studied three different types of surface patterning \u2013 lines, cubes and pyramids \u2013 and found that placing pyramid shapes on one of the rubbing surfaces generated the most electrical current: as much as 18 volts at about 0.13 microamps per square centimeter.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWang said the patterning enhanced the generating capacity by boosting the amount of charge formed, improving capacitance change due to the air voids created between the patterns, and by facilitating charge separation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo fabricate the triboelectric generators, the researchers began by creating a mold from a silicon wafer on which the friction-enhancing patterns are formed using traditional photolithography and either a dry or wet etching process. The molds, in which the features of the patterns are formed in recess, were then treated with a chemical to prevent the PDMS from sticking.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe liquid PDMS elastomer and cross-linker were then mixed and spin-coated onto the mold, and after thermal curing, peeled off as a thin film. The PDMS film with patterning was then fixed onto an electrode surface made of indium tin oxide (ITO) coated with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) by a thin PDMS bonding layer. The entire structure was then covered with another ITO-coated PET film to form a sandwich structure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe entire preparation process is simple and low cost, making it possible to be scaled up for large scale production and practical applications,\u201d Wang said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe generators are robust, continuing to produce current even after days of use \u2013 and more than 100,000 cycles of operation, Wang said. The next step in the research will be to create systems that include storage mechanisms for the current generated.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFriction is everywhere, so this principle could be used in a lot of applications,\u201d Wang added. \u201cWe are combining our earlier nanogenerator and this new triboelectric generator for complementary purposes. The triboelectric generator won\u2019t replace the zinc oxide nanogenerator, but it has its own unique advantages that will allow us to use them in parallel.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 309\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30308\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)\u0026nbsp; (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have discovered yet another way to harvest small amounts of electricity from motion in the world around us \u2013 this time by capturing the electrical charge produced when two different kinds of plastic materials rub against one another. Based on flexible polymer materials, this \u201ctriboelectric\u201d generator could provide alternating current (AC) from activities such as walking.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new \u0022triboelectric\u0022 generator harnesses energy from friction betweeen two surfaces."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2012-07-10 08:20:23","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:12:29","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-07-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2012-07-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"139491":{"id":"139491","type":"image","title":"Triboelectric generator schematic","body":null,"created":"1449178710","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:38:30","changed":"1475894771","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:11","alt":"Triboelectric generator schematic","file":{"fid":"194899","name":"triboelectric-schematic.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/triboelectric-schematic_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/triboelectric-schematic_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":48481,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/triboelectric-schematic_0.jpg?itok=AJjGBlUW"}},"139481":{"id":"139481","type":"image","title":"Triboelectric fabrication process","body":null,"created":"1449178710","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:38:30","changed":"1475894771","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:11","alt":"Triboelectric fabrication process","file":{"fid":"194898","name":"triboelectric-fabrication.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/triboelectric-fabrication_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/triboelectric-fabrication_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":157263,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/triboelectric-fabrication_0.jpg?itok=J3CA_Y-p"}},"139501":{"id":"139501","type":"image","title":"Triboelectric generator patterning","body":null,"created":"1449178710","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:38:30","changed":"1475894771","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:11","alt":"Triboelectric generator patterning","file":{"fid":"194900","name":"patterning.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/patterning_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/patterning_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":112812,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/patterning_0.jpg?itok=BHZuVWj0"}}},"media_ids":["139491","139481","139501"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"436","name":"electricity"},{"id":"379","name":"friction"},{"id":"6300","name":"generator"},{"id":"479","name":"Green Buzz"},{"id":"1492","name":"Polymer"},{"id":"167735","name":"School of Materials Science \u0026 Engineering"},{"id":"37991","name":"triboelectric"},{"id":"13751","name":"Zhong Lin Wang"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"39541","name":"Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"132171":{"#nid":"132171","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Study Shows Availability of Hydrogen Controls Chemical Structure of Graphene Oxide","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new study shows that the availability of hydrogen plays a significant role in determining the chemical and structural makeup of graphene oxide, a material that has potential uses in nano-electronics, nano-electromechanical systems, sensing, composites, optics, catalysis and energy storage.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study also found that after the material is produced, its structural and chemical properties continue to evolve for more than a month as a result of continuing chemical reactions with hydrogen.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnderstanding the properties of graphene oxide \u2013 and how to control them \u2013 is important to realizing potential applications for the material. To make it useful for nano-electronics, for instance, researchers must induce both an electronic band gap and structural order in the material. Controlling the amount of hydrogen in graphene oxide may be the key to manipulating the material properties.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGraphene oxide is a very interesting material because its mechanical, optical and electronic properties can be controlled using thermal or chemical treatments to alter its structure,\u201d said Elisa Riedo, an associate professor in the School of Physics at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u201cBut before we can get the properties we want, we need to understand the factors that control the material\u2019s structure. This study provides information about the role of hydrogen in the reduction of graphene oxide at room temperature.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research, which studied graphene oxide produced from epitaxial graphene, was reported on May 6 in the journal Nature Materials. The research was sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) at Georgia Tech, and by the U.S. Department of Energy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGraphene oxide is formed through the use of chemical and thermal processes that mainly add two oxygen-containing functional groups to the lattice of carbon atoms that make up graphene: epoxide and hydroxyl species. The Georgia Tech researchers began their studies with multilayer expitaxial graphene grown atop a silicon carbide wafer, a technique pioneered by Walt de Heer and his research group at Georgia Tech. Their samples included an average of ten layers of graphene.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter oxidizing the thin films of graphene using the established Hummers method, the researchers examined their samples using X-ray photo-emission spectroscopy (XPS). Over about 35 days, they noticed the number of epoxide functional groups declining while the number of hydroxyl groups increased slightly. After about three months, the ratio of the two groups finally reached equilibrium.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe found that the material changed by itself at room temperature without any external stimulation,\u201d said Suenne Kim, a postdoctoral fellow in Riedo\u2019s laboratory. \u201cThe degree to which it was unstable at room temperature was surprising.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECurious about what might be causing the changes, Riedo and Kim took their measurements to Angelo Bongiorno, an assistant professor who studies computational materials chemistry in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Bongiorno and graduate student Si Zhou studied the changes using density functional theory, which suggested that hydrogen could be combining with oxygen in the functional groups to form water. That would favor a reduction in the epoxide groups, which is what Riedo and Kim were seeing experimentally.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cElisa\u2019s group was doing experimental measurements, while we were doing theoretical calculations,\u201d Bongiorno said. \u201cWe combined our information to come up with the idea that maybe there was hydrogen involved.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe suspicions were confirmed experimentally, both by the Georgia Tech group and by a research team at the University of Texas at Dallas. This information about the role of hydrogen in determining the structure of graphene oxide suggests a new way to control its properties, Bongiorno noted.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cDuring synthesis of the material, we could potentially use this as a tool to change the structure,\u201d he said. \u201cBy understanding how to use hydrogen, we could add it or take it out, allowing us to adjust the relative distribution and concentration of the epoxide and hydroxyl species which control the properties of the material.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERiedo and Bongiorno acknowledge that their material \u2013 based on epitaxial graphene \u2013 may be different from the oxide produced from exfoliated graphene. Producing graphene oxide from flakes of the material involves additional processing, including dissolving in an aqueous solution and then filtering and depositing the material onto a substrate. But they believe hydrogen plays a similar role in determining the properties of exfoliated graphene oxide.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe probably have a new new form of graphene oxide, one that may be more useful commercially, although the same processes should also be happening within the other form of graphene oxide,\u201d said Bongiorno.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe next steps are to understand how to control the amount of hydrogen in epitaxial graphene oxide, and what conditions may be necessary to affect reactions with the two functional groups. Ultimately, that may provide a way to open an electronic band gap and simultaneously obtain a graphene-based material with electron transport characteristics comparable to those of pristine graphene.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBy controlling the properties of graphene oxide through this chemical and thermal reduction, we may arrive at a material that remains close enough to graphene in structure to maintain the order necessary for the excellent electronic properties, while having the band gap needed to create transistors,\u201d Riedo said. \u201cIt could be that graphene oxide is the way to arrive at that type of material.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond those already mentioned, the paper\u2019s authors included Yike Hu, Claire Berger and Walt de Heer from the School of Physics at Georgia Tech, and Muge Acik and Yves Chabal from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Texas at Dallas.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported by the National Science Foundation under grants CMMI-1100290, DMR-0820382 and DMR-0706031, and by the U.S. Department of Energy\u2019s Office of Basic Energy Sciences under grants DE-FG02-06ER46293 and DE-SC001951. The content is solely the responsibility of the principal investigators and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Science Foundation or the Department of Energy.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30308\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Robinson (404-385-3364)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Metastable material continues to evolve for three months after fabrication"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new study shows that the availability of hydrogen plays a significant role in determining the chemical and structural makeup of graphene oxide, a material that has potential uses in nano-electronics, nano-electromechanical systems, sensing, composites, optics, catalysis and energy storage.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have found that the availability of hydrogen controls the structure of graphene oxide."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2012-05-22 16:01:43","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:12:18","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-05-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2012-05-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"132081":{"id":"132081","type":"image","title":"Studying Graphene Oxide","body":null,"created":"1449178659","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:37:39","changed":"1475894759","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:59","alt":"Studying Graphene Oxide","file":{"fid":"194701","name":"graphene-hydrogen119.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/graphene-hydrogen119_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/graphene-hydrogen119_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1513223,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/graphene-hydrogen119_0.jpg?itok=MQ7aOlde"}},"132091":{"id":"132091","type":"image","title":"Studying Graphene Oxide2","body":null,"created":"1449178659","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:37:39","changed":"1475894759","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:59","alt":"Studying Graphene Oxide2","file":{"fid":"194702","name":"graphene-hydrogen62.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/graphene-hydrogen62_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/graphene-hydrogen62_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1537759,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/graphene-hydrogen62_0.jpg?itok=MMVy22V-"}},"132101":{"id":"132101","type":"image","title":"Graphene Oxide Sample","body":null,"created":"1449178659","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:37:39","changed":"1475894759","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:59","alt":"Graphene Oxide Sample","file":{"fid":"194703","name":"graphene-hydrogen95.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/graphene-hydrogen95_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/graphene-hydrogen95_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":556983,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/graphene-hydrogen95_0.jpg?itok=iMWzq25W"}}},"media_ids":["132081","132091","132101"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"9116","name":"epitaxial graphene"},{"id":"429","name":"graphene"},{"id":"34221","name":"graphene oxide"},{"id":"7435","name":"material"},{"id":"34271","name":"mestastable"},{"id":"166928","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"166937","name":"School of Physics"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"133271":{"#nid":"133271","#data":{"type":"news","title":"NIH Renews $16M Center Focused on Developing a Clinically Viable Technology to Treat Single-Gene Disorders","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech-led\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.nucleoproteinmachines.org\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENanomedicine Center for Nucleoprotein Machines\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;has received an award of $16.1 million for five years as part of its renewal by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.nih.gov\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENational Institutes of Health\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(NIH).\u0026nbsp; The eight-institution research team plans to pursue development of a clinically viable gene correction technology for single-gene disorders and demonstrate the technology\u2019s efficacy with sickle cell disease.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESickle cell disease is a genetic condition present at birth that affects more than 70,000 Americans. It involves a single altered gene that produces abnormal hemoglobin \u2014 the protein that carries oxygen in the blood. In sickle cell disease, red blood cells become hard, sticky and \u201cC\u201d shaped. Sickle cells die early, which causes a constant shortage of red blood cells. The abnormal cells also clog the flow in small blood vessels, causing chronic pain and other serious problems such as infections and acute chest syndrome.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEven though researchers know sickle cell disease is caused by a single A to T mutation in the beta-globin gene, there is no widely available cure,\u201d said center director\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=2\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGang Bao\u003C\/a\u003E, the Robert A. Milton Chair in Biomedical Engineering in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cBy directly and precisely fixing the single mutation, we hope to reduce or eliminate the sickle cell population in an individual\u2019s blood stream and replace the sickle cells with healthy red blood cells.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe center is one of eight NIH Nanomedicine Development Centers established in 2005 and 2006, a key initiative of the NIH\u2019s long-term nanomedicine research goals. The centers have highly multidisciplinary scientific teams that include biologists, physicians, mathematicians, engineers and computer scientists. Through an intense competition, the NIH selected four centers for second phase funding, including the one led by Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to experts in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECoulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;at Georgia Tech, researchers from Medical College of Georgia, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York University Medical Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University and Harvard University are also members of the center.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe gene correction approach proposed by the research team to treat sickle cell disease involves delivering engineered zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) \u2014 genetic scissors that cut DNA at a specific site \u2014 and DNA correction templates into the nuclei of hematopoietic stem cells isolated from the bone marrow of individuals with sickle cell disease. The researchers chose hematopoietic stem cells because they are the precursors of all blood cells, including the cells rendered dysfunctional in sickle cell patients. Hematopoietic stem cells possess such potent regenerative potential that transplantation of even a single hematopoietic stem cell is sufficient to rebuild the entire blood system of an organism.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers plan to engineer and optimize the ZFN proteins so they will induce a double-strand break in the DNA near the sickle cell disease mutation, thereby activating the gene for correction. The broken DNA ends will enter the homologous recombination repair pathway, which will use the genetic information provided by the donor template \u2014 rather than the original flawed information \u2014 to correct the mutation. When the gene-corrected hematopoietic stem cells are injected back in the body, they will produce healthy red blood cells to replace the sickle cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis approach represents a significant paradigm shift in current gene targeting and gene therapy technology in that no viral-based vector or foreign DNA is used,\u201d explained Bao, who is also a Georgia Tech College of Engineering Distinguished Professor. \u201cWe think it\u2019s a promising approach because we do not need to fix all of the mutations in all cells; we only need to greatly reduce the sickle cell population by replacing those cells with healthy red blood cells.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere are significant challenges in achieving the goals of the center, including the need to dramatically increase the rate of homologous recombination-mediated gene correction, improve the activity and specificity of ZFNs to maximize gene correction efficiency and minimize potentially harmful off-target effects, deliver the components necessary for gene correction to hematopoietic stem cells with high efficiency and throughput, avoid unwanted genomic rearrangements and optimize the engraftment of ZFN-modified hematopoietic stem cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo increase the efficiency of gene correction in the hematopoietic stem cells, the proposed gene correction approach will require a shift in repair pathway choice from non-homologous end joining toward homologous recombination. To accomplish this, the researchers plan to use methods they developed in the last four years to visualize the assembly of repair complexes at double-strand break sites and develop interventions to shift pathway choice toward homologous recombination.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo control ZFN activity so that unwanted off-target effects or gene rearrangements can be minimized or avoided, the researchers plan to refine and optimize the design and production of the proteins and develop photoactivatable proteins for better temporal control of ZFN activity. In addition, by investigating the fate and dynamics of the engineered proteins and donor template in living cells, and the incidence and biological effects of undesired mutations and gene rearrangements, the research team will further improve the process.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith novel imaging probes and methods already developed in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.nucleoproteinmachines.org\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENanomedicine Center for Nucleoprotein Machines\u003C\/a\u003E, the researchers will be able to observe and systematically optimize each step in the gene correction process. Once that is accomplished, the research team will demonstrate the gene correction approach in a mouse model of sickle cell disease. Their goal is to demonstrate that gene-corrected cells can reconstitute the mouse hematopoietic system and reverse the sickle cell disease phenotype, according to Bao.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe want to focus on sickle cell disease to demonstrate this approach, but if we are successful, the same approach can be adopted to treat some of the other 6,000 estimated single gene disorders in the world today, such as cystic fibrosis and Tay-Sachs,\u201d noted Bao.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E Georgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E 75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E Atlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Robinson (abby@innovate.gatech.edu; 404-385-3364) or John Toon (jtoon@gatech.edu; 404-894-6986)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter: \u003C\/strong\u003EAbby Robinson\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech-led\u0026nbsp;Nanomedicine Center for Nucleoprotein Machines\u0026nbsp;has received an award of $16.1 million for five years as part of its renewal by the\u0026nbsp;National Institutes of Health.\u0026nbsp; The eight-institution research team plans to pursue development of a clinically viable gene correction technology for single-gene disorders and demonstrate the technology\u2019s efficacy with sickle cell disease.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Georgia Tech-led Nanomedicine Center for Nucleoprotein Machines has received an award of $16.1 million for five years as part of its renewal by the National Institutes of Health."}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2012-05-30 20:51:59","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:12:18","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-10-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2010-10-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"594","name":"college of engineering"},{"id":"11533","name":"Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"id":"2639","name":"Gang Bao"},{"id":"34751","name":"Nanomedicine Center for Nucleoprotein Machines"},{"id":"169317","name":"Sickle Cell"},{"id":"171208","name":"single-gene disorder"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAbby Robinson\u003Cbr \/\u003E Research News and Publications\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E 404-385-3364\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"127931":{"#nid":"127931","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Novel Radiation Surveillance Technology Could Help Thwart Nuclear Terrorism","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAmong terrorism scenarios that raise the most concern are attacks involving nuclear devices or materials. For that reason, technology that can effectively detect smuggled radioactive materials is considered vital to U.S. security.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo support the nation\u2019s nuclear-surveillance capabilities, researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) are developing ways to enhance the radiation-detection devices used at ports, border crossings, airports and elsewhere. The aim is to create technologies that will increase the effectiveness and reliability of detectors in the field, while also reducing cost. The work is co-sponsored by the Domestic Nuclear Defense Office of the Department of Homeland Security and by the National Science Foundation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cU.S. security personnel have to be on guard against two types of nuclear attack \u2013 true nuclear bombs, and devices that seek to harm people by dispersing radioactive material,\u201d said Bernd Kahn, a researcher who is principal investigator on the project. \u201cBoth of these threats can be successfully detected by the right technology.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe GTRI team, led by co-principal investigator Brent Wagner, is utilizing novel materials and nanotechnology techniques to produce improved radiation detection. The researchers have developed the Nano-photonic Composite Scintillation Detector, a prototype that combines rare-earth elements and other materials at the nanoscale for improved sensitivity, accuracy and robustness.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDetails of the research were presented April 23, 2012 at the SPIE Defense, Security, and Sensing Conference held in Baltimore, MD.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EScintillation detectors and solid-state detectors are two common types of radiation detectors, Wagner explained. A scintillation detector commonly employs a single crystal of sodium iodide or a similar material, while a solid-state detector is based on semiconducting materials such as germanium.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBoth technologies are able to detect gamma rays and subatomic particles emitted by nuclear material. When gamma rays or particles strike a scintillation detector, they create light flashes that are converted to electrical pulses to help identify the radiation at hand. In a solid-state detector, incoming gamma rays or particles register directly as electrical pulses.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEach reaction to a gamma ray takes a very short time \u2013 a fraction of a microsecond,\u201d Wagner said. \u201cBy looking at the number and the intensity of the pulses, along with other factors, we can make informed judgments about the type of radioactive material we\u0027re dealing with.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut both approaches have drawbacks. A scintillation detector requires a large crystal grown from sodium iodide or other materials. Such crystals are typically fragile, cumbersome, difficult to produce and extremely vulnerable to humidity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA germanium-based solid-state detector offers better identification of different kinds of nuclear materials. But high-purity single-crystal germanium is difficult to make in a large volume; the result is less-sensitive devices with reduced ability to detect radiation at a distance. Moreover, germanium must be kept extremely cold \u2013 200 degrees below zero Celsius -- to function properly, which poses problems for use in the field.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Nanoscale Advantage\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo address these problems, the GTRI team has been investigating a wide variety of alternative materials and methodologies. After selecting the scintillation approach over solid-state, the researchers developed a composite material -- composed of nanoparticles of rare-earth elements, halides and oxides -- capable of creating light.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA nanopowder can be much easier to make, because you don\u2019t have to worry about producing a single large crystal that has zero imperfections,\u201d Wagner said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA scintillator crystal must be transparent to light, he explained, a quality that\u2019s key to its ability to detect radiation. A perfect crystal uniformly converts incoming energy from gamma rays to flashes of light. A photo-multiplier then amplifies these flashes of light so they can be accurately measured to provide information about radioactivity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, when a transparent material \u2013 such as crystal or glass -- is ground into smaller pieces, its transparency disappears. As a result, a mixture of particles in a transparent glass would scatter the luminescence created by incoming gamma rays. That scattered light can\u2019t reach the photo-multiplier in a uniform manner, and the resulting readings are badly skewed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo overcome this issue, the GTRI team reduced the particles to the nanoscale. When a nanopowder reaches particle sizes of 20 nanometers or less, scattering effects fade because the particles are now significantly smaller than the wavelength of incoming gamma rays.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThink of it as a big ocean wave coming in,\u201d Wagner said. \u201cThat wave would definitely interact with a large boat, but something the size of a beach ball doesn\u2019t affect it.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERare Earths and Silica\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt first the team worked on dispersing radiation-sensitive crystalline nanoparticles in a plastic matrix. But they encountered problems with distributing the nanopowder uniformly enough in the matrix to achieve sufficiently accurate radiation readings. \u003Cbr \/\u003EMore recently, the researchers have investigated a parallel path using glass rather than plastic as a matrix material, combining gadolinium and cerium bromide with silica and alumina.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKahn explained that gadolinium or a similar material is essential to scintillation-type particle detection because of its role as an absorber. But in this case, when an incoming gamma ray is absorbed in gadolinium, the energy is not efficiently emitted in the form of luminescence.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstead, the light emission role here falls to a second component \u2013 cerium. The gadolinium absorbs energy from an incoming gamma ray and transfers that energy to the cerium atom, which then acts as an efficient light emitter.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers found that by heating gadolinium, cerium, silica and alumina and then cooling them from a molten mix to a solid monolith, they could successfully distribute the gadolinium and cerium in silica-based glasses. As the material cools, gadolinium and cerium precipitate out of the aluminosilicate solution and are distributed throughout the glass in a uniform manner. The resulting composite gives dependable readings when exposed to incoming gamma rays.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u0027re optimistic that we\u0027ve identified a productive methodology for creating a material that could be effective in the field,\u201d Wagner said. \u201cWe\u2019re continuing to work on issues involving purity, uniformity and scaling, with the aim of producing a material that can be successfully tested and deployed.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under Grant Award Number 2008-DN-077-ARI001-02. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Kirk Englehardt (404-894-6015)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kirk.englehardt@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ekirk.englehardt@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Rick Robinson\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Prototype uses uses rare-earth elements and other materials at the nanoscale"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers have developed a prototype radiation-detection system that uses rare-earth elements and other materials at the nanoscale. The system could be used to enhance radiation-detection devices used at ports, border crossings, airports and elsewhere.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have developed a prototype radiation-detection system that uses rare-earth elements and other materials at the nanoscale."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2012-05-02 15:01:22","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:12:09","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-05-02T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2012-05-02T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"127891":{"id":"127891","type":"image","title":"Radiation Detection Research","body":null,"created":"1449178622","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:37:02","changed":"1475894751","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:51","alt":"Radiation Detection Research","file":{"fid":"194554","name":"radiation-detector10.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/radiation-detector10_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/radiation-detector10_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1335425,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/radiation-detector10_0.jpg?itok=74XBAq_E"}},"127901":{"id":"127901","type":"image","title":"Radiation Detection Research2","body":null,"created":"1449178622","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:37:02","changed":"1475894751","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:51","alt":"Radiation Detection Research2","file":{"fid":"194555","name":"radiation-detector91.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/radiation-detector91_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/radiation-detector91_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1315080,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/radiation-detector91_0.jpg?itok=BlQnPT3y"}},"127911":{"id":"127911","type":"image","title":"Radiation Detection Research3","body":null,"created":"1449178622","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:37:02","changed":"1475894751","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:51","alt":"Radiation Detection Research3","file":{"fid":"194556","name":"radiation-detector114.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/radiation-detector114_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/radiation-detector114_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1519288,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/radiation-detector114_1.jpg?itok=YXyHOaOL"}}},"media_ids":["127891","127901","127911"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"147","name":"Military Technology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"415","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"945","name":"homeland security"},{"id":"544","name":"Nuclear"},{"id":"32481","name":"nuclear device"},{"id":"7617","name":"radiation"},{"id":"32451","name":"radiation detection"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"39481","name":"National Security"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"119771":{"#nid":"119771","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Help Assess Economic Impact of Nanotechnology on Green \u0026 Sustainable Growth","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn the United States alone, government and private industry together invest more than $3 billion per year in nanotechnology research and development, and globally the total is much higher. What will be the long-run economic returns from these investments, not only in new jobs and product sales, but also from improvements in sustainability?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology researchers Philip Shapira and Jan Youtie helped answer that question through research presented March 27th at the International Symposium on Assessing the Economic Impact of Nanotechnology held in Washington, D.C. \u0026nbsp;The researchers highlighted the importance of full lifecycle assessments to understand the impacts of nanotechnologies on green economic development in such areas as energy, the environment and safe drinking water.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cNanotechnology promises to foster green and sustainable growth in many product and process areas,\u201d said Shapira, a professor with Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Public Policy and the Manchester Institute of Innovation Research at the Manchester Business School in the United Kingdom. \u201cAlthough nanotechnology commercialization is still in its early phases, we need now to get a better sense of what markets will grow and how new nanotechnology products will impact sustainability. This includes balancing gains in efficiency and performance against the net energy, environmental, carbon and other costs associated with the production, use and end-of-life disposal or recycling of nanotechnology products.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut because nanotechnology underlies many different industries, assessing and forecasting its impact won\u2019t be easy. \u201cCompared to information technology and biotechnology, for example, nanotechnology has more of the characteristics of a general technology such as the development of electric power,\u201d said Youtie, director of policy research services at Georgia Tech\u2019s Enterprise Innovation Institute. \u201cThat makes it difficult to analyze the value of products and processes that are enabled by the technology. We hope that our paper will provide background information and help frame the discussion about making those assessments.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe symposium is sponsored by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and by the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative. Support for Georgia Tech research into the societal impacts of nanotechnology has come from the National Science Foundation through the Center for Nanotechnology in Society based at Arizona State University.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor their paper, co-authors Shapira and Youtie examined a subset of green nanotechnologies that aim to enable sustainable energy, improve environmental quality, and provide healthy drinking water for areas of the world that now lack it. They argue that the lifecycle of nanotechnology products must be included in the assessment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn examining the economic impact of these green nanotechnologies, we have to consider the lifecycle, which includes such issues as environmental health and safety, as well as the amount of energy required to produce materials such as carbon nanotubes,\u201d said Shapira.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEnvironmental concerns have been raised about what happens to nanomaterials when they get into water supplies, he noted. In addition, some nanostructures use toxic elements such as cadmium. Energy required for producing nano-enabled products is also an important consideration, though it may be balanced against the energy saved \u2013 and pollution reduced \u2013 through the use of such products, Shapira said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch into these societal issues, which is being conducted in parallel with the research and development of nanotechnology \u2013 may allow the resulting nano-enabled products to avoid the kinds of the controversies that have hindered earlier technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cScientists, policy-makers and other observers have found that some of the promise of prior rounds of technology was limited by not anticipating and considering societal concerns prior to the introduction of new products,\u201d Youtie said. \u201cFor nanotechnology, it is vital that these issues are being considered even during the research and development stage, before products hit the market in significant quantities.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe nanotechnology industry began with large companies that had the resources to invest in research and development. But that is now changing, Youtie said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022A lot of small companies are involved in novel nanomaterials development,\u201d she said. \u201cLarge companies often focus on integrating those nanomaterials into existing products or processes.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmong the goals of the OECD symposium are development of methodologies and approaches for estimating the impacts of green nanotechnology on jobs and new product sales. Existing forecasts have come largely from proprietary models used by private-sector firms.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhile these private forecasts have high visibility, their information and methods are often proprietary,\u201d Shapira noted. \u201cWe also need to develop open and peer-reviewed models in which approaches are transparent and everyone can see the methods and assumptions used.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn their paper, Youtie and Shapira cite several examples of green nanotechnology, discuss the potential impacts of the technology, and review forecasts that have been made. Examples of green nanotechnology they cite include:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENano-enabled solar cells that use lower-cost organic materials, as opposed to current photovoltaic technologies that require rare materials such as platinum;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENanogenerators that use piezoelectric materials such as zinc oxide nanowires to convert human movement into energy;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EEnergy storage applications in which nanotechnology materials improve existing batteries and nano-enabled fuel cells;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThermal energy applications, such as nano-enabled insulation;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFuel catalysis in which nanoparticles improve the production and refining of fuels and reduce emissions from automobiles;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ETechnologies used to provide safe drinking water through improved water treatment, desalination and reuse.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia \u0026nbsp;30308 \u0026nbsp;USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts: \u003C\/strong\u003EJohn Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Robinson (404-385-3364)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Understanding Lifecycle Issues is Important to Assessing Impact"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers are helping assess the economic impact of nanotechnology on green and sustainable growth. Their work will help evaluate the multi-billion-dollar public and private investment being made each year in research and development on nanotechnology.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers are helping assess the impact of nanotechnology on green and sustainable growth."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2012-03-27 13:07:55","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:11:56","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-03-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2012-03-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"119731":{"id":"119731","type":"image","title":"Piezoelectric Nanogenerators","body":null,"created":"1449178268","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:31:08","changed":"1475894741","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:41","alt":"Piezoelectric Nanogenerators","file":{"fid":"194340","name":"self-powered128.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/self-powered128_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/self-powered128_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1504275,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/self-powered128_0.jpg?itok=KMAvEmbM"}},"119761":{"id":"119761","type":"image","title":"Philip Shapira","body":null,"created":"1449178268","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:31:08","changed":"1475894741","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:41","alt":"Philip Shapira","file":{"fid":"194343","name":"0514601-p18-4.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/0514601-p18-4_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/0514601-p18-4_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":372964,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/0514601-p18-4_0.jpg?itok=DofN3yHX"}},"119751":{"id":"119751","type":"image","title":"Jan Youtie","body":null,"created":"1449178268","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:31:08","changed":"1475894741","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:41","alt":"Jan Youtie","file":{"fid":"194342","name":"0752009-p1-003.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/0752009-p1-003_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/0752009-p1-003_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1027212,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/0752009-p1-003_0.jpg?itok=E2ccEvP0"}}},"media_ids":["119731","119761","119751"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"213","name":"energy"},{"id":"479","name":"Green Buzz"},{"id":"11149","name":"Jan Youtie"},{"id":"1334","name":"nanogenerator"},{"id":"107","name":"Nanotechnology"},{"id":"3687","name":"Philip Shapira"},{"id":"365","name":"Research"},{"id":"166890","name":"sustainability"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"111171":{"#nid":"111171","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Technique Produces Free-standing Piezoelectric Ferroelectric Nanostructures from PZT Material","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have developed a \u201csoft template infiltration\u201d technique for fabricating free-standing piezoelectrically active ferroelectric nanotubes and other nanostructures from PZT \u2013 a material that is attractive because of its large piezoelectric response. Developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology, the technique allows fabrication of ferroelectric nanostructures with user-defined shapes, location and pattern variation across the same substrate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe resulting structures, which are 100 to 200 nanometers in outer diameter with thickness ranging from 5 to 25 nanometers, show a piezoelectric response comparable to that of PZT thin films of much larger dimensions. The technique could ultimately lead to production of actively-tunable photonic and phononic crystals, terahertz emitters, energy harvesters, micromotors, micropumps and nanoelectromechanical sensors, actuators and transducers \u2013 all made from the PZT material.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing a novel characterization technique developed at \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ornl.gov\/\u0022\u003EOak Ridge National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E, the researchers for the first time made high-accuracy in-situ measurements of the nanoscale piezoelectric properties of the structures.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are using a new nano-manufacturing method for creating three-dimensional nanostructures with high aspect ratios in ferroelectric materials that have attractive piezoelectric properties,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/bassiri_gharb.shtml\u0022\u003ENazanin Bassiri-Gharb\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EWoodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cWe also leveraged a new characterization method available through Oak Ridge to study the piezoelectric response of these nanostructures on the substrate where they were produced.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research was published online on Jan. 26, 2012, and is scheduled for publication in the print edition (Vol. 24, Issue 9) of the journal \u003Cem\u003EAdvanced Materials\u003C\/em\u003E. The research was supported by Georgia Tech new faculty startup funds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFerroelectric materials at the nanometer scale are promising for a wide range of applications, but processing them into useful devices has proven challenging \u2013 despite success at producing such devices at the micrometer scale. Top-down manufacturing techniques, such as focused ion beam milling, allow accurate definition of devices at the nanometer scale, but the process can induce surface damage that degrades the ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties that make the material interesting.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUntil now, bottom-up fabrication techniques have been unable to produce structures with both high aspect ratios and precise control over location. The technique reported by the Georgia Tech researchers allows production of nanotubes made from PZT (PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3) with aspect ratios of up to 5 to 1.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis technique gives us a degree of control over the three-dimensional process that we\u2019ve not had before,\u201d said Bassiri-Gharb. \u201cWhen we did the characterization, we saw a size effect that until now had been observed only in thin films of this material at much larger size scales.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe ferroelectric nanotubes are especially interesting because their properties \u2013 including size, shape, optical responses and dielectric characteristics \u2013 can be controlled by external forces even after they are fabricated.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese are truly smart materials, which means they respond to external stimuli such as applied electric fields, thermal fields or stress fields,\u201d said Bassiri-Gharb. \u201cYou can tune them to behave differently. Devices made from these materials could be fine tuned to respond to a different wavelength or to emit at a different wavelength during operation.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, the piezoelectric effect could permit fabrication of \u201cnano-muscle\u201d tubes that would act as tiny pumps when an electric field is applied to them. The fields could also be used to tune the properties of photonic crystals, or to create structures whose size can be altered slightly to absorb electromagnetic energy of different wavelengths.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn fabricating the nanotubes, Bassiri-Gharb and graduate student Ashley Bernal (currently an assistant professor at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology) began with a silicon substrate and spin-coated a negative electron-beam resist material onto it. A template was created using electron-beam lithography, and a thin layer of aluminum oxide was added on top of that using atomic layer deposition.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENext, the template was immersed under vacuum into an ultrasound bath containing a chemical precursor solution for PZT. The structures were pyrolyzed at 300 degrees Celsius, then annealed in a two-step heat treating process at 600 and 800 degrees Celsius to crystallize the material and decompose the polymer substrate. The process produced free-standing PZT nanotubes connected by a thin layer of the original aluminum oxide. Increasing the amount of chemical infiltration allows production of solid nanorods or nanowires instead of hollow nanotubes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThough the researchers used electron beam lithography to create the template on which the structures were grown, in principle, many other chemical, optical or mechanical patterning techniques could be used for create the templates, Bassiri-Gharb noted.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn studies done in collaboration with researchers Sergei Kalinin and Alexander Tselev of the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.cnms.ornl.gov\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Nanophase Materials Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the devices produced by the soft template process were analyzed with band-excitation piezoresponse force microscopy (BPFM). The technique allowed researchers to isolate properties of the AFM tip from those of the PZT sample, allowing analysis in sufficient detail to detect the size-scale piezoelectric effects.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOne of our most important observations is that these piezoelectric nanomaterials allow us to generate a factor of four to six increase in the extrinsic piezoelectric response compared to the use of thin films,\u201d said Baassiri-Gharb. \u201cThis would be a huge advantage in terms of manufacturing because it means we could get the same response from much smaller structures than we would have had to otherwise use.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences is one of the five Department of Energy (DOE) Nanoscale Science Research Centers, premier national user facilities for interdisciplinary research at the nanoscale that are supported by the DOE Office of Science. Together, the NSRCs comprise a suite of complementary facilities that provide researchers with state-of-the-art capabilities to fabricate, process, characterize and model nanoscale materials, and constitute the largest infrastructure investment of the National Nanotechnology Initiative. The NSRCs are located at DOE\u2019s Argonne, Brookhaven, Lawrence Berkeley, Oak Ridge, Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories. For more information about the DOE NSRCs, please visit http:\/\/science.energy.gov\/bes\/suf\/user-facilities\/nanoscale-science-research-centers\/.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30308\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Robinson (404-385-3364)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Technique Allows User-defined Shapes, Location and Pattern Variation"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have developed a \u201csoft template infiltration\u201d technique for fabricating free-standing piezoelectrically active ferroelectric nanotubes and other nanostructures from PZT \u2013 a material that is attractive because of its large piezoelectric response. Developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology, the technique allows fabrication of ferroelectric nanostructures with user-defined shapes, location and pattern variation across the same substrate.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new technique enables fabrication of free-standing piezoelectrically-active ferroelectric nanostructures from PZT."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2012-02-21 12:07:19","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:11:44","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-02-21T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2012-02-21T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"111141":{"id":"111141","type":"image","title":"Ferroelectric-structures","body":null,"created":"1449178213","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:30:13","changed":"1475894728","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:28","alt":"Ferroelectric-structures","file":{"fid":"194090","name":"ferroelectric-structures.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ferroelectric-structures_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ferroelectric-structures_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":294766,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ferroelectric-structures_0.jpg?itok=t2dDxxtV"}},"111151":{"id":"111151","type":"image","title":"Ferroelectric-structures2","body":null,"created":"1449178213","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:30:13","changed":"1475894728","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:28","alt":"Ferroelectric-structures2","file":{"fid":"194091","name":"ferroelectric-structures2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ferroelectric-structures2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ferroelectric-structures2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":180780,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ferroelectric-structures2_0.jpg?itok=7zIulmrh"}},"111161":{"id":"111161","type":"image","title":"Ferroelectric-structures3","body":null,"created":"1449178213","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:30:13","changed":"1475894728","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:28","alt":"Ferroelectric-structures3","file":{"fid":"194092","name":"ferroelectric-structures3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ferroelectric-structures3_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ferroelectric-structures3_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":246260,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ferroelectric-structures3_0.jpg?itok=5HtWmbnz"}}},"media_ids":["111141","111151","111161"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"13685","name":"ferroelectric"},{"id":"7577","name":"nanostructure"},{"id":"3173","name":"nanotube"},{"id":"13686","name":"Nazanin Bassiri-Gharb"},{"id":"7699","name":"piezoelectric"},{"id":"24651","name":"PZT"},{"id":"167377","name":"School of Mechanical Engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"108701":{"#nid":"108701","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Research: Good for the Heart","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EValentine\u2019s Day evokes images of a stylized heart shape, but for a group of Georgia Institute of Technology researchers, the heart is a complex organ that interests them throughout the year.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers are developing new ways to diagnose and treat heart problems -- from advanced imaging techniques and guidance for drug therapies to sophisticated surgical procedures. Georgia Tech\u2019s emphasis on translational research accelerates the pace at which new heart-related discoveries are put to use in patient care.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EImproving Heart Surgery\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo advance the goal of minimally invasive cardiac surgery, researchers have developed a technology that simplifies and standardizes the technique for opening and closing the beating heart during surgery.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EApica Cardiovascular, a Georgia Tech and Emory University medical device startup, licensed the technology from the two institutions. The firm recently received a $5.5 million investment to further develop the system, which will make the transapical access and closure procedure required for delivering therapeutic devices to the heart more routine for cardiac surgeons. The goal is to expand the use of surgery techniques that are less invasive and do not require stopping the heart.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith research and development support from the Coulter Foundation Translational Research Program and the Georgia Research Alliance, the company has already completed a series of pre-clinical studies to test the functionality of the device and its biocompatibility. James Greene currently serves as the CEO of the company, which has offices in Galway, Ireland, and in Atlanta.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor more information on this work, visit \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/apica-cardiovascular\/\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/apica-cardiovascular\/\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDiagnosing Heart Disease\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/degertekin.shtml\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ELevent Degertekin\u003C\/a\u003E is designing tiny devices micromachined from silicon that may make diagnosing and treating coronary artery diseases easier.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDegertekin, the George W. Woodruff Chair in Mechanical Systems, and \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/about\/personnel\/bio.php?id=45\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EPaul Hasler\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech, micromachined intravascular ultrasound imaging arrays with integrated electronics. Placed on catheters inserted into the body, the devices image the arteries of the heart in three dimensions at high resolution using high-frequency ultrasound waves.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe system boasts a more compact design and three-dimensional imaging capability for guiding cardiologists during interventions, such as those for completely blocked arteries. The technology also offers higher resolution than current intravascular ultrasound systems, which help diagnose vulnerable plaque, a leading cause of heart attacks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFunding for this research currently is provided by the National Institutes of Health. To commercialize the technology, the researchers have formed a startup company called SIBUS Medical, which is receiving assistance from \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/venturelab.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EVentureLab\u003C\/a\u003E, a unit of Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/innovate.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EEnterprise Innovation Institute\u003C\/a\u003E that nurtures faculty startup companies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDetecting and Treating Atherosclerosis\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith a five-year $14.6 million contract from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Georgia Tech and Emory University researchers are developing nanotechnology and biomolecular engineering tools and methodologies for detecting and treating atherosclerosis. The award supports the interdisciplinary Center for Translational Cardiovascular Nanomedicine, which is led by \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=2\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGang Bao\u003C\/a\u003E, the Robert A. Milton Chair in Biomedical Engineering in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAtherosclerosis typically occurs in branched or curved regions of arteries where plaques form because of cholesterol build-up. Inflammation can alter the structure of plaques so they become more likely to rupture, potentially causing a blood vessel blockage and leading to heart attack or stroke.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers are working to accomplish four goals:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EUsing nanoparticle probes to image and characterize atherosclerotic plaques\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDiagnosing cardiovascular disease from a blood sample\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDesigning new methods for delivering anti-atherosclerosis drugs and genes into the body\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDeveloping stem cell based therapies to repair damaged heart tissue\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdditional researchers from the Coulter Department and from Emory University are also contributing to the project. For more information on this work, visit \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/cardiovascular-nanomedicine-center\/\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/cardiovascular-nanomedicine-center\/\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EImproving Drug Dosing Following a Heart Attack\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA research team led by \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech mechanical engineering\u003C\/a\u003E assistant professor \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/forest.shtml\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECraig Forest\u003C\/a\u003E is designing a device to quickly and accurately personalize a patient\u2019s drug dosage to prevent blood clots that can cause heart attacks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen someone experiencing heart attack symptoms arrives at an emergency room, he or she typically receives a standard dose of aspirin and\/or clopidogrel to prevent further blood clotting. But that standard dose may not be the best dose for a given individual.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith Forest\u2019s device, a small blood sample is sent through a microchip containing a network of microfabricated capillaries that mimic the branching coronary arteries around the human heart. Because the branches contain flow restrictions of different sizes, the failure of blood to flow through the branches with smaller restrictions indicates that a higher drug dose may be required.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDetermining the necessary dose of anti-clotting drugs can be difficult. Too much of the drug may cause the patient to experience gastrointestinal bleeding. Too little drug may allow additional clot formation and set the stage for another heart attack. Forest\u2019s device should help determine the right dosage for each patient.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEmory University Department of Emergency Medicine assistant professor Jeremy Ackerman and Georgia Tech Regents\u2019 professor of mechanical engineering \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/ku.shtml\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EDavid Ku\u003C\/a\u003E are working with Forest on this project, which is supported by the American Heart Association.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExamining Heart Valve Leakage\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAn estimated 1.6 million Americans suffer moderate to severe leakage through their tricuspid valve, a complex structure that closes off the heart\u2019s right ventricle from the right atrium. If left untreated, severe leakage can affect an individual\u2019s quality of life and can even lead to death.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch teams led by \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=5\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAjit Yoganathan\u003C\/a\u003E, Georgia Tech Regents\u2019 professor and Wallace H. Coulter Distinguished Faculty Chair in Biomedical Engineering, have discovered causes for the tricuspid valve\u2019s leakage and ways to predict the severity of leakage in the valve. These study results could lead to improved diagnosis and treatment of the condition.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA study published in the journal \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1161\/CIRCULATIONAHA.110.003897\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECirculation\u003C\/em\u003E \u003C\/a\u003Efound that either dilating the tricuspid valve opening or displacing the papillary muscles that control its operation can cause the valve to leak. A combination of the two actions can increase the severity of the leakage, which is called tricuspid regurgitation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStandard clinical procedures that detail when and how tricuspid valve repairs should be performed need to be developed and this study suggests several items that should be considered in developing those protocols, according to the researchers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn another study published in the journal \u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1161\/CIRCIMAGING.111.965707\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECirculation: Cardiovascular Imaging\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E, researchers found that the anatomy of the heart\u2019s tricuspid valve can be used to predict the severity of leakage in the valve. Using 3-D echocardiograms from 64 individuals who exhibited assorted grades of tricuspid leakage, the researchers found that pulmonary arterial pressure, the size of the valve opening and papillary muscle position measurements could be used to predict the severity of an individual\u2019s tricuspid regurgitation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study will change the focus and direction of future surgical therapies for tricuspid regurgitation to make them better and more durable, the researchers said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers from the Coulter Department, Emory University, Children\u2019s Hospital Boston and Mount Sinai Medical Center contributed to these two studies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor more information on this work, visit \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/tricuspid-valve-leakage\/\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/tricuspid-valve-leakage\/\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/tricuspid-regurgitation\/\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/tricuspid-regurgitation\/\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E Georgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E 75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E Atlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Robinson (abby@innovate.gatech.edu; 404-385-3364) or John Toon (jtoon@gatech.edu; 404-894-6986)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter: \u003C\/strong\u003EAbby Robinson\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers are developing new ways to diagnose and treat heart problems -- from advanced imaging techniques and guidance for drug therapies to sophisticated surgical procedures.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers are developing new ways to diagnose and treat heart problems -- from advanced imaging techniques and guidance for drug therapies to sophisticated surgical procedures."}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2012-02-13 09:55:44","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:11:40","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-02-13T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2012-02-13T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"64187":{"id":"64187","type":"image","title":"Apica Cardiovascular co-founders","body":null,"created":"1449176735","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:05:35","changed":"1475894564","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:44","alt":"Apica Cardiovascular co-founders","file":{"fid":"191965","name":"tzf68716.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tzf68716_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tzf68716_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1161006,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tzf68716_0.jpg?itok=UleGrtyg"}},"61422":{"id":"61422","type":"image","title":"Gang Bao Biomedical Engineering","body":null,"created":"1449176337","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:58:57","changed":"1475894536","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:16","alt":"Gang Bao Biomedical Engineering","file":{"fid":"191354","name":"txa10075.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/txa10075_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/txa10075_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":597562,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/txa10075_0.jpg?itok=-qvEhmL_"}},"108721":{"id":"108721","type":"image","title":"Tricuspid valve - heart research","body":null,"created":"1449178188","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:29:48","changed":"1475894725","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:25","alt":"Tricuspid valve - heart research","file":{"fid":"194024","name":"tricuspid_valve_hires_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tricuspid_valve_hires_0_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tricuspid_valve_hires_0_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":308309,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tricuspid_valve_hires_0_0.jpg?itok=eVGOoypl"}}},"media_ids":["64187","61422","108721"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2582","name":"Ajit Yoganathan"},{"id":"7270","name":"atherosclerosis"},{"id":"23731","name":"blood clotting"},{"id":"7104","name":"cardiovascular"},{"id":"594","name":"college of engineering"},{"id":"12333","name":"Craig Forest"},{"id":"11881","name":"David Ku"},{"id":"11533","name":"Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"id":"2639","name":"Gang Bao"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAbby Robinson\u003Cbr \/\u003E Research News and Publications\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E 404-385-3364\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"72427":{"#nid":"72427","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Study Compares Fundamental Techniques for Doping Graphene Sheets","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENanotechnology researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have conducted the first direct comparison of two fundamental techniques that could be used for chemically doping sheets of two-dimensional graphene for the fabrication of devices and interconnects.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EChemical doping is routinely used in conventional three-dimensional semiconductors to control the density of electron carriers that are essential to the operation of devices such as transistors.  But graphene, a semi-metal available in sheets just one atom thick, has properties very different from traditional materials such as silicon -- though researchers say doping will still be needed for producing electronic devices.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe bad news is that electronic designers working with graphene won\u0027t be able to simply apply what they\u0027ve been doing with three-dimensional semiconductors -- which would translate to vastly degraded material quality for graphene.  The good news, according to the study, is that graphene doping can be combined with other processes -- and need be applied only to the edges of nanoscale structures being fabricated.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We are learning how to manipulate these two-dimensional sheets of carbon atoms to get some very unusual results that aren\u0027t available with any other material,\u0022 said James Meindl, director of Georgia Tech\u0027s Nanotechnology Research Center, where the research was conducted.  \u0022Doping graphene to try to influence its properties is important to being able to use it effectively.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDetails of the research were published online in the journal \u003Cem\u003ECarbon\u003C\/em\u003E on October 29th. The research was supported by the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) through the Interconnect Focus Center, and the National Science Foundation (NSF).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBecause graphene sheets contain so few atoms by area, the substitution of elements such as oxygen or nitrogen for carbon atoms in the lattice -- as in conventional doping -- detracts from the high electron mobility and other properties that make the material interesting.  So the researchers are rethinking the doping process to take advantage of graphene\u0027s unique properties.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022When we work with a three-dimensional semiconductor, we embed the dopant species in the bulk material and then fabricate it into a device,\u0022 said Kevin Brenner, a graduate research assistant in the Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.  \u0022With graphene, we will dope the material as we process it and fabricate it into devices or interconnects. Doping may be done as part of other fabrication steps such as plasma etching, and that will require us to reinvent the whole process.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUsing sheets of exfoliated graphene, Brenner and collaborators Raghu Murali and Yinxiao Yang evaluated the effectiveness of two different techniques: edge passivation by coupling electron-beam lithography with a common resist material, and adsorption from coating the surface of the material.  They found that the edge treatment, which chemically reacts with defects created when the material is cut, was a thousand times more efficient at producing carriers in the graphene sheets than the surface treatment.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We will only be working with the edges of the material,\u0022 Brenner explained.  \u0022That will allow us to leave the center pristine and free of defects.  Using this approach, we can maintain very high mobilities and the special properties of graphene while creating very high carrier densities.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBecause of the two-dimensional nature of the graphene, controlling the edge chemistry can provide control over the bulk properties of the sheet.  \u0022At nanoscale dimensions, the edge atoms tend to dominate over surface adsorption techniques,\u0022 he added.   \u0022With a seven nanometer by seven nanometer graphene device, passivating just one edge C-atom provides the doping equivalent of covering the entire surface.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor doping the edge of a graphene structure, the team applied a thin film of hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ), a chemical normally used as a resist for etching, then used electron beam lithography to cross-link the material, which added oxygen atoms to the edges to create p-type doping.  The resist and electron beam system combined to provide nanometer-scale control over where the chemical changes took place.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDoping treatment could also be applied using plasma etching, Brenner said.  Controlling the specific atoms used in the plasma, or conducting the etching process in an environment containing specific atoms, could drive those atoms into the edges where they would serve as dopants.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Anytime you create an edge, you have created a location where you can passivate using a dopant,\u0022 he added.  \u0022Instead of needing to embed it in the surface, you can just take the edge that is already there and passivate it with oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen or other dopant.  It could be almost an effortless process because the doping can be done as part of another step.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond fabricating electronic devices, Nanotechnology Research Center scientists are interested in using graphene for interconnects, potentially as a replacement for copper.  As interconnect structures become smaller and smaller, the resistivity of copper increases.  Edge-doped graphene sheets exhibit a trend of increasing doping with reduced dimensions, possibly becoming more conductive as their size shrinks below 50 nanometers, making them attractive for nanoscale interconnects.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EArmed with basic information about graphene doping, the researchers hope to now begin producing devices to study how graphene actually performs.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Now that we have made a start at understanding how to dope the material, the next step is to begin putting this into nanoscale devices,\u0022 Brenner said.  \u0022We want to see what kind of performance we can get.  That may tell us where graphene\u0027s niche could be as an electronic material.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMeindl, who has worked with silicon since the dawn of integrated circuits, says it\u0027s too early to predict where graphene will ultimately find commercial applications.  But he says the material\u0027s properties are too interesting not to explore.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The chances are that something very interesting and unique will develop from the use of graphene,\u0022 he said.  \u0022But we don\u0027t yet have the ability to predict what we will be able to do with this new material.\u0022  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Robinson (404-385-3364)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENanotechnology researchers have conducted the first direct comparison of two fundamental techniques that could be used for chemically doping sheets of two-dimensional graphene for the fabrication of devices and interconnects.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Study examines key process for graphene devices \u0026 interconnects."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2011-11-05 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:10:38","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-11-07T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2011-11-07T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"72428":{"id":"72428","type":"image","title":"Studying graphene doping","body":null,"created":"1449177930","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:25:30","changed":"1475894656","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:16"},"72429":{"id":"72429","type":"image","title":"SEM image of doping study","body":null,"created":"1449177930","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:25:30","changed":"1475894656","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:16"},"72430":{"id":"72430","type":"image","title":"Studying graphene doping","body":null,"created":"1449177930","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:25:30","changed":"1475894656","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:16"}},"media_ids":["72428","72429","72430"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.nrc.gatech.edu\/","title":"Nanotechnology Research Center"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Electrical and Computer Engineering"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1928","name":"devices"},{"id":"8458","name":"doping"},{"id":"429","name":"graphene"},{"id":"430","name":"interconnects"},{"id":"2783","name":"James Meindl"},{"id":"107","name":"Nanotechnology"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"72022":{"#nid":"72022","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Paper-based Wireless Sensor Could Help Detect Explosive Devices","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a prototype wireless sensor capable of detecting trace amounts of a key ingredient found in many explosives. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe device, which employs carbon nanotubes and is printed on paper or paper-like material using standard inkjet technology, could be deployed in large numbers to alert authorities to the presence of explosives, such as improvised explosive devices (IEDs). \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This prototype represents a significant step toward producing an integrated wireless system for explosives detection,\u0022 said Krishna Naishadham, a principal research scientist who is leading the work at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI). \u0022It incorporates a sensor and a communications device in a small, low-cost package that could operate almost anywhere.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOther types of hazardous gas sensors are based on expensive semiconductor fabrication and gas chromatography, Naishadham said, and they consume more power, require human intervention, and typically do not operate at ambient temperatures. Furthermore, those sensors have not been integrated with communication devices such as antennas.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe wireless component for communicating the sensor information -- a resonant lightweight antenna -- was printed on photographic paper using inkjet techniques devised by Professor Manos Tentzeris of Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.  Tentzeris is collaborating with Naishadham on development of the sensing device.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe sensing component, based on functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs), has been fabricated and tested for detection sensitivity by Xiaojuan (Judy) Song, a GTRI research scientist. The device relies on carbon-nanotube materials optimized by Song.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA presentation on this sensing technology was given in July at the IEEE Antennas and Propagation Symposium (IEEE APS) in Spokane, Wash., by Hoseon Lee, a Ph.D. student in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering co-advised by Tentzeris and Naishadham.  The paper received the Honorable Mention Award in the Best Student Paper competition at the symposium. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is not the first inkjet-printed ammonia sensor that has been integrated with an antenna on paper, said Tentzeris.  His group produced a similar integrated sensor last year in collaboration with the research group of C.P. Wong, who is Regents professor and Smithgall Institute Endowed Chair in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Georgia Tech.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The fundamental difference is that this newest CNT sensor possesses dramatically improved sensitivity to miniscule ammonia concentrations,\u0022 Tentzeris said. \u0022That should enable the first practical applications to detect trace amounts of hazardous gases in challenging operational environments using inkjet-printed devices.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETentzeris explained that the key to printing components, circuits and antennas lies in novel \u0022inks\u0022 that contain silver nanoparticles in an emulsion that can be deposited by the printer at low temperatures -- around 100 degrees Celsius.  A process called sonication helps to achieve optimal ink viscosity and homogeneity, enabling uniform material deposition and permitting maximum operating effectiveness for paper-based components. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Ink-jet printing is low-cost and convenient compared to other technologies such as wet etching,\u0022 Tentzeris said. \u0022Using the proper inks, a printer can be used almost anywhere to produce custom circuits and components, replacing traditional clean-room approaches.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELow-cost materials -- such as heavy photographic paper or plastics like polyethylene terephthalate -- can be made water resistant to ensure greater reliability, he added. Inkjet component printing can also use flexible organic materials, such as liquid crystal polymer (LCP), which are known for their robustness and weather resistance.  The resulting components are similar in size to conventional components but can conform and adhere to almost any surface.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENaishadham explained that the same inkjet techniques used to produce RF components, circuits and antennas can also be used to deposit the functionalized carbon nanotubes used for sensing.  These nanoscale cylindrical structures -- about one-billionth of a meter in diameter, or 1\/50,000th the width of a human hair -- are functionalized by coating them with a conductive polymer that attracts ammonia, a major ingredient found in many IEDs. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESonication of the functionalized carbon nanotubes produces a uniform water-based ink that can be printed side-by-side with RF components and antennas to produce a compact wireless sensor node.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The optimized carbon nanotubes are applied as a sensing film, with specific functionalization designed for a particular gas or analyte,\u0022 Song said. \u0022The GTRI sensor detects trace amounts of ammonia usually found near explosive devices, and it can also be designed to detect similar gases in household, healthcare and industrial environments at very low concentration levels.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe sensor has been designed to detect ammonia in trace amounts -- as low as five parts per million, Naishadham said.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe resulting integrated sensing package can potentially detect the presence of trace explosive materials at a distance, without endangering human lives. This approach, called standoff detection, involves the use of RF technology to identify explosive materials at a relatively safe distance. The GTRI team has designed the device to send an alert to nearby personnel when it detects ammonia.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe wireless sensor nodes require relatively low power, which could come from a number of technologies including thin-film batteries, solar cells or power-scavenging and energy-harvesting techniques.  In collaboration with Tentzeris\u0027s and Wong\u0027s groups, GTRI is investigating ways to make the sensor operate passively, without any power consumption.    \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We are focusing on providing standoff detection for those engaged in military or humanitarian missions and other hazardous situations,\u0022 Naishadham said.  \u0022We believe that it will be possible, and cost-effective, to deploy large numbers of these detectors on vehicles or robots throughout a military engagement zone.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: Kirk Englehardt (404-407-7280)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kirk.englehardt@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ekirk.englehardt@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Rick Robinson\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers have developed a prototype wireless sensor capable of detecting trace amounts of a key ingredient found in many explosives. The low-cost sensors include carbon nanotubes and can be printed on paper.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Inexpensive paper-based sensors can detect explosive compounds."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2011-10-26 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:10:34","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-10-26T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2011-10-26T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"72023":{"id":"72023","type":"image","title":"Ammonia sensor","body":null,"created":"1449177425","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:17:05","changed":"1475894649","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:09"},"72024":{"id":"72024","type":"image","title":"Ammonia sensors","body":null,"created":"1449177425","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:17:05","changed":"1475894649","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:09"},"72025":{"id":"72025","type":"image","title":"Producing ammonia sensors","body":null,"created":"1449177425","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:17:05","changed":"1475894649","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:09"}},"media_ids":["72023","72024","72025"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Electrical and Computer Engineering"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"147","name":"Military Technology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"14900","name":"ammonia"},{"id":"3094","name":"explosive"},{"id":"416","name":"GTRI"},{"id":"14901","name":"Krishna Naishadham"},{"id":"413","name":"Manos Tentzeris"},{"id":"3173","name":"nanotube"},{"id":"167318","name":"sensor"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"72103":{"#nid":"72103","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Zinc Oxide Microwires Improve Performance of  Light-Emitting Diodes","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have used zinc oxide microwires to significantly improve the efficiency at which gallium nitride light-emitting diodes (LED) convert electricity to ultraviolet light. The devices are believed to be the first LEDs whose performance has been enhanced by the creation of an electrical charge in a piezoelectric material using the piezo-phototronic effect.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBy applying mechanical strain to the microwires, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology created a piezoelectric potential in the wires, and that potential was used to tune the charge transport and enhance carrier injection in the LEDs. This control of an optoelectronic device with piezoelectric potential, known as piezo-phototronics, represents another example of how materials that have both piezoelectric and semiconducting properties can be controlled mechanically.   \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022By utilizing this effect, we can enhance the external efficiency of these devices by a factor of more than four times, up to eight percent,\u0022 said Zhong Lin Wang, a Regents professor in the Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering.  \u0022From a practical standpoint, this new effect could have many impacts for electro-optical processes -- including improvements in the energy efficiency of lighting devices.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDetails of the research were reported in the Sept. 14 issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003ENano Letters\u003C\/em\u003E.  The research was sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).  In addition to Wang, the research team mainly included Qing Yang, a visiting scientist at Georgia Tech from the Department of Optical Engineering at Zhejiang University in China.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBecause of the polarization of ions in the crystals of piezoelectric materials such as zinc oxide, mechanically compressing or otherwise straining structures made from the materials creates a piezoelectric potential -- an electrical charge.  In the gallium nitride LEDs, the researchers used the local piezoelectric potential to tune the charge transport at the p-n junction. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe effect was to increase the rate at which electrons and holes recombined to generate photons, enhancing the external efficiency of the device through improved light emission and higher injection current. \u0022The effect of the piezo potential on the transport behavior of charge carriers is significant due to its modification of the band structure at the junction,\u0022 Wang explained.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe zinc oxide wires form the \u0022n\u0022 component of a p-n junction, with the gallium nitride thin film providing the \u0022p\u0022 component.  Free carriers were trapped at this interface region in a channel created by the piezoelectric charge formed by compressing the wires.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETraditional LED designs use structures such as quantum wells to trap electrons and holes, which must remain close together long enough to recombine.  The longer that electrons and holes can be retained in proximity to one another, the higher the efficiency of the LED device will ultimately be.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe devices produced by the Georgia Tech team increased their emission intensity by a factor of 17 and boosted injection current by a factor of four when compressive strain of 0.093 percent was applied to the zinc oxide wire.  That improved conversion efficiency by as much as a factor of 4.25.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe LEDs fabricated by the research team produced emissions at ultraviolet wavelengths (about 390 nanometers), but Wang believes the wavelengths can be extended into the visible light range for a variety of optoelectronic devices.  \u0022These devices are important for today\u0027s focus on green and renewable energy technology,\u0022 he said.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the experimental devices, a single zinc oxide micro\/nanowire LED was fabricated by manipulating a wire on a trenched substrate.  A magnesium-doped gallium nitride film was grown epitaxially on a sapphire substrate by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition, and was used to form a p-n junction with the zinc oxide wire.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA sapphire substrate was used as the cathode that was placed side-by-side with the gallium nitride substrate with a well-controlled gap.  The wire was placed across the gap in close contact with the gallium nitride.  Transparent polystyrene tape was used to cover the nanowire.  A force was then applied to the tape by an alumina rod connected to a piezo nanopositioning stage, creating the strain in the wire.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers then studied the change in light emission produced by varying the amount of strain in 20 different devices.  Half of the devices showed enhanced efficiency, while the others -- fabricated with the opposite orientation of the microwires -- showed a decrease. This difference was due to the reversal in the sign of the piezopotential because of the switch of the microwire orientation from +c to -c.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHigh-efficiency ultraviolet emitters are needed for applications in chemical, biological, aerospace, military and medical technologies.  Although the internal quantum efficiencies of these LEDs can be as high as 80 percent, the external efficiency for a conventional single p-n junction thin-film LED is currently only about three percent.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond LEDs, Wang believes the approach pioneered in this study can be applied to other optical devices that are controlled by electrical fields.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This opens up a new field of using the piezoelectric effect to tune opto-electronic devices,\u0022 Wang said.  \u0022Improving the efficiency of LED lighting could ultimately be very important, bringing about significant energy savings because so much of the world\u0027s energy is used for lighting.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Robinson (404-385-3364)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: Zhong Lin Wang (404-894-8008)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:zhong.wang@mse.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ezhong.wang@mse.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have used zinc oxide microwires to significantly improve the efficiency at which gallium nitride light-emitting diodes (LED) convert electricity to ultraviolet light.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers use piezo-phototronics to improve LED operation."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2011-10-31 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:10:34","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-10-31T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2011-10-31T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"72104":{"id":"72104","type":"image","title":"Studying LEDs","body":null,"created":"1449177434","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:17:14","changed":"1475894651","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:11"},"72105":{"id":"72105","type":"image","title":"LED improved","body":null,"created":"1449177434","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:17:14","changed":"1475894651","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:11"},"72106":{"id":"72106","type":"image","title":"Studying LEDs","body":null,"created":"1449177434","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:17:14","changed":"1475894651","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:11"}},"media_ids":["72104","72105","72106"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff\/faculty\/zhong-lin-wang","title":"Zhong Lin Wang"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"14922","name":"LED"},{"id":"14921","name":"light-emitting diodes"},{"id":"14923","name":"microwire"},{"id":"14925","name":"piezo-phototronic"},{"id":"7699","name":"piezoelectric"},{"id":"14924","name":"Zhong Wang"},{"id":"7649","name":"zinc oxide"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"70182":{"#nid":"70182","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Controlling Silicon Evaporation Improves Quality of Graphene","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EScientists from the Georgia Institute of Technology have for the first time provided details of their \u0022confinement controlled sublimation\u0022 technique for growing high-quality layers of epitaxial graphene on silicon carbide wafers.  The technique relies on controlling the vapor pressure of gas-phase silicon in the high-temperature furnace used for fabricating the material.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe basic principle for growing thin layers of graphene on silicon carbide requires heating the material to about 1,500 degrees Celsius under high vacuum.  The heat drives off the silicon, leaving behind one or more layers of graphene.  But uncontrolled evaporation of silicon can produce poor quality material useless to designers of electronic devices.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022For growing high-quality graphene on silicon carbide, controlling the evaporation of silicon at just the right temperature is essential,\u0022 said Walt de Heer, a professor who pioneered the technique in the Georgia Tech School of Physics.  \u0022By precisely controlling the rate at which silicon comes off the wafer, we can control the rate at which graphene is produced.  That allows us to produce very nice layers of epitaxial graphene.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDe Heer and his team begin by placing a silicon carbide wafer into an enclosure made of graphite.  A small hole in the container controls the escape of silicon atoms as the one-square-centimeter wafer is heated, maintaining the rate of silicon evaporation and condensation near its thermal equilibrium.  The growth of epitaxial graphene can be done in a vacuum or in the presence of an inert gas such as argon, and can be used to produce both single layers and multiple layers of the material.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This technique seems to be completely in line with what people might one day do in fabrication facilities,\u0022 de Heer said. \u0022We believe this is quite significant in allowing us to rationally and reproducibly grow graphene on silicon carbide. We feel we now understand the process, and believe it could be scaled up for electronics manufacturing.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe technique for growing large-area layers of epitaxial graphene was described this week in the Early Edition of the journal \u003Cem\u003EProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\u003C\/em\u003E.  The research has been supported by the National Science Foundation through the Georgia Tech Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC), the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and the W.M. Keck Foundation.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe paper also describes a technique for growing narrow graphene ribbons, a process de Heer\u0027s group has called \u0022templated growth.\u0022  That technique, which could be useful for making graphene interconnects, was first described in October 2010 in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Nanotechnology\u003C\/em\u003E.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe templated growth technique involves etching patterns into silicon carbide surfaces using conventional nanolithography processes.  The patterns serve as templates directing the growth of graphene structures on portions of the patterned surfaces.  The technique forms nanoribbons of specific widths without the use of electron beams or other destructive cutting techniques.  Graphene nanoribbons produced with these templates have smooth edges that avoid problems with electron scattering.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETogether, the two techniques provide researchers with the flexibility to produce graphene in forms appropriate to different needs, de Heer noted.  Large-area sheets of graphene may be grown on both the carbon-terminated and silicon-terminated sides of a silicon carbide wafer, while the narrow ribbons may be grown on the silicon-terminated side.  Because of different processing techniques, only one side of a particular wafer can be used.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech research team -- which includes Claire Berger, Ming Ruan, Mike Sprinkle, Xuebin Li, Yike Hu, Baiqian Zhang, John Hankinson and Edward Conrad -- has so far fabricated structures as narrow as 10 nanometers using the templated growth technique.  These nanowires exhibit interesting quantum transport properties.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We can make very good quantum wires using the templated growth technique,\u0022 de Heer said. \u0022We can make large structures and devices that demonstrate the Quantum Hall Effect, which is important for many applications.  We have demonstrated that templated growth can go all the way down to the nanoscale, and that the properties get even better there.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDevelopment of the sublimation technique arose from efforts to protect the growing graphene from oxygen and other contaminants in the furnace.  To address the quality concerns, the research team tried enclosing the wafer in a graphite container from which some silicon gas was permitted to leak out.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We soon realized that graphene grown in the container was much better than what we had been producing,\u0022 de Heer recalled. \u0022Originally, we thought it was because we were protecting it from contaminants.  Later, we realized it was because we were controlling the evaporation of silicon.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEpitaxial graphene may be the basis for a new generation of high-performance devices that will take advantage of the material\u0027s unique properties in applications where higher costs can be justified.  Silicon, today\u0027s electronic material of choice, will continue to be used in applications where high-performance is not required, de Heer said.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThough researchers are still struggling to design nanometer-scale epitaxial graphene devices that take advantage of the material\u0027s unique properties, de Heer is confident that will ultimately be done.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022These techniques allow us to make accurate nanostructures and seem to be very promising for making the nanoscale devices that we need,\u0022 he said. \u0022While there are serious challenges ahead for using graphene in electronics, we have overcome roadblocks before.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Robinson (404-385-3364)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech scientists have for the first time provided details of their \u0022confinement controlled sublimation\u0022 technique for growing high-quality layers of epitaxial graphene on silicon carbide wafers.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Scientists reveal details of their graphene fabrication process."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2011-09-22 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:10:14","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-09-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2011-09-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"70183":{"id":"70183","type":"image","title":"Researchers with graphene furnace","body":null,"created":"1449177304","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:15:04","changed":"1475894616","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:36"},"70184":{"id":"70184","type":"image","title":"Graphene furnace","body":null,"created":"1449177304","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:15:04","changed":"1475894616","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:36"}},"media_ids":["70183","70184"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Physics"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.mrsec.gatech.edu\/","title":"Materials Research Science and Engineering Center"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.graphene.gatech.edu\/","title":"Epitaxial Graphene Lab"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/user\/walter-de-heer","title":"Walt de Heer"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"10880","name":"epitaxial"},{"id":"14402","name":"furnace"},{"id":"429","name":"graphene"},{"id":"960","name":"physics"},{"id":"169534","name":"silicon carbide"},{"id":"12422","name":"Walt de Heer"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"68940":{"#nid":"68940","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Devices Based on Piezoelectric Nanowires Create New Form of Memory","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETaking advantage of the unique properties of zinc oxide nanowires, researchers have demonstrated a new type of piezoelectric resistive switching device in which the write-read access of memory cells is controlled by electromechanical modulation.  Operating on flexible substrates, arrays of these devices could provide a new way to interface the mechanical actions of the biological world to conventional electronic circuitry.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe piezoelectrically modulated resistive memory (PRM) devices take advantage of the fact that the resistance of piezoelectric semiconducting materials such as zinc oxide (ZnO) can be controlled through the application of strain from a mechanical action.  The change in resistance can be detected electronically, providing a simple way to obtain an electronic signal from a mechanical action.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We can provide the interface between biology and electronics,\u0022 said Zhong Lin Wang, Regents professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology.  \u0022This technology, which is based on zinc oxide nanowires, allows communication between a mechanical action in the biological world and conventional devices in the electronic world.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research was reported online June 22 in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENano Letters\u003C\/em\u003E.  The work was sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Department of Energy.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn conventional transistors, the flow of current between a source and a drain is controlled by a gate voltage applied to the device.  That gate voltage determines whether the device is on or off.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe piezotronic memory devices developed by Wang and graduate student Wenzhuo Wu take advantage of the fact that piezoelectric materials like zinc oxide produce a charge potential when they are mechanically deformed or otherwise put under strain.  These PRM devices use the piezoelectric charge created by the deformation to control the current flowing through the zinc oxide nanowires that are at the heart of the devices -- the basic principle of piezotronics.  The charge creates polarity in the nanowires -- and increases the electrical resistance much like gate voltage in a conventional transistor.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We are replacing the application of an external voltage with the production of an internal voltage,\u0022 Wang explained.  \u0022Because zinc oxide is both piezoelectric and semiconducting, when you strain the material with a mechanical action, you create a piezopotential.  This piezopotential tunes the charge transport across the interface -- instead of controlling channel width as in conventional field effect transistors.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe mechanical strain could come from mechanical activities as diverse as signing a name with a pen, the motion of an actuator on a nanorobot, or biological activities of the human body such as a heart beating.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We control the charge flow across the interface using strain,\u0022 Wang explained.  \u0022If you have no strain, the charge flows normally.  But if you apply a strain, the resulting voltage builds a barrier that controls the flow.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe piezotronic switching affects current flowing in just one direction, depending on whether the strain is tensile or compressive.  That means the memory stored in the piezotronic devices has both a sign and a magnitude.  The information in this memory can be read, processed and stored through conventional electronic means.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETaking advantage of large-scale fabrication techniques for zinc oxide nanowire arrays, the Georgia Tech researchers have built non-volatile resistive switching memories for use as a storage medium.  They have shown that these piezotronic devices can be written, that information can be read from them, and that they can be erased for re-use.  About 20 of the arrays have been built so far for testing.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe zinc oxide nanowires, which are about 500 nanometers in diameter and about 50 microns long, are produced with a physical vapor deposition process that uses a high-temperature furnace.  The resulting structures are then treated with oxygen plasma to reduce the number of crystalline defects -- which helps to control their conductivity.  The arrays are then transferred to a flexible substrate.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The switching voltage is tunable, depending on the number of oxygen vacancies in the structure,\u0022 Wang said.  \u0022The more defects you quench away with the oxygen plasma, the larger the voltage that will be required to drive current flow.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe piezotronic memory cells operate at low frequencies, which are appropriate for the kind of biologically-generated signals they will record, Wang said.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese piezotronic memory elements provide another component needed for fabricating complete self-powered nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) on a single chip.  Wang\u0027s research team has already demonstrated other key elements such as nanogenerators, sensors and wireless transmitters.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We are taking another step toward the goal of self-powered complete systems,\u0022 Wang said. \u0022The challenge now is to make them small enough to be integrated onto a single chip.  We believe these systems will solve important problems in people\u0027s lives.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWang believes this new memory will become increasingly important as devices become more closely connected to individual human activities.  The ability to build these devices on flexible substrates means they can be used in the body -- and with other electronic devices now being built on materials that are not traditional silicon.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022As computers and other electronic devices become more personalized and human-like, we will need to develop new types of signals, interfacing mechanical actions to electronics,\u0022 he said.  \u0022Piezoelectric materials provide the most sensitive way to translate these gentle mechanical actions into electronic signals that can be used by electronic devices.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Robinson (404-385-3364)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETaking advantage of the unique properties of zinc oxide nanowires, researchers have demonstrated a new type of piezoelectric resistive switching device in which the write-read access of memory cells is controlled by electromechanical modulation.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New devices interface the biological world with electronics."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2011-07-26 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:09:48","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-07-26T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2011-07-26T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"68941":{"id":"68941","type":"image","title":"Z.L. Wang and device array","body":null,"created":"1449177214","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:13:34","changed":"1475894602","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:22"},"68942":{"id":"68942","type":"image","title":"Device arrays under study","body":null,"created":"1449177214","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:13:34","changed":"1475894602","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:22"},"68943":{"id":"68943","type":"image","title":"Device arrays","body":null,"created":"1449177214","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:13:34","changed":"1475894602","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:22"}},"media_ids":["68941","68942","68943"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff\/faculty\/zhong-lin-wang","title":"Zhong Lin Wang"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"13752","name":"Materials Science \u0026 Engineering"},{"id":"2502","name":"nanowire"},{"id":"7699","name":"piezoelectric"},{"id":"13750","name":"piezotronics"},{"id":"170836","name":"switching"},{"id":"13751","name":"Zhong Lin Wang"},{"id":"7649","name":"zinc oxide"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"68848":{"#nid":"68848","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Heated AFM Tip Draws Ferroelectric Nanostructures Directly on Plastic","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing a technique known as thermochemical nanolithography (TCNL), researchers have developed a new way to fabricate nanometer-scale ferroelectric structures directly on flexible plastic substrates that would be unable to withstand the processing temperatures normally required to create such nanostructures.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe technique, which uses a heated atomic force microscope (AFM) tip to produce patterns, could facilitate high-density, low-cost production of complex ferroelectric structures for energy harvesting arrays, sensors and actuators in nano-electromechanical systems (NEMS) and micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS).   The research was reported July 15 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EAdvanced Materials\u003C\/em\u003E.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We can directly create piezoelectric materials of the shape we want, where we want them, on flexible substrates for use in energy harvesting and other applications,\u0022 said Nazanin Bassiri-Gharb, co-author of the paper and an assistant professor in the School of Mechanical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology.  \u0022This is the first time that structures like these have been directly grown with a CMOS-compatible process at such a small resolution.  Not only have we been able to grow these ferroelectric structures at low substrate temperatures, but we have also been able to pattern them at very small scales.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research was sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy.  In addition to the Georgia Tech researchers, the work also involved scientists from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the University of Nebraska Lincoln.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers have produced wires approximately 30 nanometers wide and spheres with diameters of approximately 10 nanometers using the patterning technique.  Spheres with potential application as ferroelectric memory were fabricated at densities exceeding 200 gigabytes per square inch -- currently the record for this perovskite-type ferroelectric material, said Suenne Kim, the paper\u0027s first author and a postdoctoral fellow in laboratory of Professor Elisa Riedo in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Physics.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFerroelectric materials are attractive because they exhibit charge-generating piezoelectric responses an order of magnitude larger than those of materials such as aluminum nitride or zinc oxide.  The polarization of the materials can be easily and rapidly changed, giving them potential application as random access memory elements.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut the materials can be difficult to fabricate, requiring temperatures greater than 600 degrees Celsius for crystallization.  Chemical etching techniques produce grain sizes as large as the nanoscale features researchers would like to produce, while physical etching processes damage the structures and reduce their attractive properties.  Until now, these challenges required that ferroelectric structures be grown on a single-crystal substrate compatible with high temperatures, then transferred to a flexible substrate for use in energy-harvesting.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe thermochemical nanolithography process, which was developed at Georgia Tech in 2007, addresses those challenges by using extremely localized heating to form structures only where the resistively-heated AFM tip contacts a precursor material.  A computer controls the AFM writing, allowing the researchers to create patterns of crystallized material where desired.  To create energy-harvesting structures, for example, lines corresponding to ferroelectric nanowires can be drawn along the direction in which strain would be applied.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The heat from the AFM tip crystallizes the amorphous precursor to make the structure,\u0022 Bassiri-Gharb explained.  \u0022The patterns are formed only where the crystallization occurs.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo begin the fabrication, the sol-gel precursor material is first applied to a substrate with a standard spin-coating method, then briefly heated to approximately 250 degrees Celsius to drive off the organic solvents.  The researchers have used polyimide, glass and silicon substrates, but in principle, any material able to withstand the 250-degree heating step could be used.  Structures have been made from Pb(ZrTi)O3 -- known as PZT, and PbTiO3 -- known as PTO.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We still heat the precursor at the temperatures required to crystallize the structure, but the heating is so localized that it does not affect the substrate,\u0022 explained Riedo, a co-author of the paper and an associate professor in the Georgia Tech School of Physics.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe heated AFM tips were provided by William King, a professor in the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs a next step, the researchers plan to use arrays of AFM tips to produce larger patterned areas, and improve the heated AFM tips to operate for longer periods of time.  The researchers also hope to understand the basic science behind ferroelectric materials, including properties at the nanoscale.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We need to look at the growth thermodynamics of these ferroelectric materials,\u0022 said Bassiri-Gharb.  \u0022We also need to see how the properties change when you move from the bulk to the micron scale and then to the nanometer scale.  We need to understand what really happens to the extrinsic and intrinsic responses of the materials at these small scales.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, arrays of AFM tips under computer control could produce complete devices, providing an alternative to current fabrication techniques.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Thermochemical nanolithography is a very powerful nanofabrication technique that, through heating, is like a nanoscale pen that can create nanostructures useful in a variety of applications, including protein arrays, DNA arrays, and graphene-like nanowires,\u0022 Riedo explained.  \u0022We are really addressing the problem caused by the existing limitations of photolithography at these size scales. We can envision creating a full device based on the same fabrication technique without the requirements of costly clean rooms and vacuum-based equipment. We are moving toward a process in which multiple steps are done using the same tool to pattern at the small scale.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to those already mentioned, the research team included Yaser Bastani from the G.W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech, Seth Marder and Kenneth Sandhage, both from Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Chemistry and Biochemistry and School of Materials Science and Engineering, and Alexei Gruverman and Haidong Lu from the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Robinson (404-385-3364)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing a technique known as thermochemical nanolithography (TCNL), researchers are fabricating nanometer-scale ferroelectric structures directly on flexible plastic substrates that would be unable to withstand the processing temperatures normally required to create such structures.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new technique produces ferroelectric nanostructures on plastic."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2011-07-18 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:09:44","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-07-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2011-07-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"68850":{"id":"68850","type":"image","title":"Ferroelectric nanostructures","body":null,"created":"1449177214","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:13:34","changed":"1475894599","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:19"},"68849":{"id":"68849","type":"image","title":"Studying ferroelectric nanostructures","body":null,"created":"1449177214","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:13:34","changed":"1475894599","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:19"},"68851":{"id":"68851","type":"image","title":"SEM of ferroelectric nanostructures","body":null,"created":"1449177214","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:13:34","changed":"1475894599","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:19"}},"media_ids":["68850","68849","68851"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/bassiri_gharb.shtml","title":"Nazanin Bassiri-Gharb"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/user\/elisa-riedo","title":"Elisa Riedo"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/","title":"George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Physics"},{"url":"http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1002\/adma.201101991\/abstract;jsessionid=B754ACAEB7280F72A2B5E20079DF2385.d01t01","title":"Advanced Materials paper"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"13687","name":"Elisa Riedo"},{"id":"13689","name":"energy harvesting"},{"id":"13685","name":"ferroelectric"},{"id":"1786","name":"nanostructures"},{"id":"13686","name":"Nazanin Bassiri-Gharb"},{"id":"13688","name":"thermochemical nanolithography"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"68418":{"#nid":"68418","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Self Cleaning Electrode Allows Fuel Cells to Operate on Coal Gas","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing barium oxide nanoparticles, researchers have developed a self-cleaning technique that could allow solid oxide fuel cells to be powered directly by coal gas at operating temperatures as low as 750 degrees Celsius. The technique could provide a cleaner and more efficient alternative to conventional power plants for generating electricity from the nation\u0027s vast coal reserves.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESolid oxide fuel cells can operate on a wide variety of fuels, and use hydrocarbons gases directly -- without a separate reformer. The fuel cells rely on anodes made from nickel and a ceramic material known as yttria-stabilized zirconia. Until now, however, carbon-containing fuels such as coal gas or propane could quickly deactivate these Ni-YSZ anodes, clogging them with carbon deposits in a process known as \u0022coking\u0022 -- especially at lower operating temperatures.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo counter this problem, researchers have developed a technique for growing barium oxide nanostructures on the anodes. The structures adsorb moisture to initiate a water-based chemical reaction that oxidizes the carbon as it forms, keeping the nickel electrode surfaces clean even when carbon-containing fuels are used at low temperatures.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This could ultimately be the cleanest, most efficient and cost-effective way of converting coal into electricity,\u0022 said Meilin Liu, a Regents professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u0022And by providing an exhaust stream of pure carbon dioxide, this technique could also facilitate carbon sequestration without the separation and purification steps now required for conventional coal-burning power plants.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe water-mediated carbon removal technique was reported June 21 in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Communications\u003C\/em\u003E. The research was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy\u0027s Office of Basic Energy Sciences, through the HeteroFoaM Center, an Energy Frontier Research Center. The work also involved researchers from Brookhaven National Laboratory, the New Jersey Institute of Technology and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EConventional coal-fired electric generating facilities capture just a third of the energy available in the fuel they burn. Fuel cells can convert significantly more of the energy, approximately 50 percent. If gas turbines and fuel cells could be combined into hybrid systems, researchers believe they could capture as much as 80 percent of the energy, reducing the amount of coal needed to produce a given amount of energy, potentially cutting carbon emissions.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut that would only be possible if the fuel cells could run for long periods of time on coal gas, which now deactivates the anodes after as little as 30 minutes of operation.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe carbon removal system developed by the Georgia Tech-led team uses a vapor deposition process to apply barium oxide nanoparticles to the nickel-YSZ electrode. The particles, which range in size from 10 to 100 nanometers, form \u0022islands\u0022 on the nickel that do not block the flow of electrons across the electrode surface.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen water vapor introduced into the coal gas stream contacts the barium oxide, it is adsorbed and dissociates into protons and hydroxide (OH) ions. The hydroxide ions move to the nickel surface, where they combine with the carbon atoms being deposited there, forming the intermediate COH. The COH then dissociates into carbon monoxide and hydrogen, which are oxidized to power the fuel cell, ultimately producing carbon dioxide and water. About half of the carbon dioxide is then recirculated back to gasify the coal to coal gas to continue the process.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We can continuously operate the fuel cell without the problem of carbon deposition,\u0022 said Liu, who is also co-director of Georgia Tech\u0027s Center for Innovative Fuel Cell and Battery Technologies.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers also evaluated the use of propane to power solid oxide fuel cells using the new anode system. Because oxidation of the hydrogen in the propane produces water, no additional water vapor had to be added, and the system operated successfully for a period of time similar to the coal gas system.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESolid oxide fuel cells operate most efficiently at temperatures above 850 degrees Celsius, and much less carbon is deposited at higher temperatures. However, those operating temperatures require fabrication from special materials that are expensive -- and prevent solid oxide fuel cells from being cost-effective for many applications.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EReducing the operating temperatures is a research goal, because dropping temperatures to 700 or 750 degrees Celsius would allow the use of much less expensive components for interconnects and other important components. However, until development of the self-cleaning process, reducing the operating temperature meant worsening the coking problem.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Reducing the operating temperature significantly by eliminating the problem of carbon deposition could make these solid oxide fuel cells economically competitive,\u0022 Liu said.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFuel cells powered by coal gas still produce carbon dioxide, but in a much purer form than the stack gases leaving traditional coal-fired power plants. That would make capturing the carbon dioxide for sequestration less expensive by eliminating large-scale separation and purification steps, Liu noted.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers have so far tested their process for a hundred hours, and saw no evidence of carbon build-up. A major challenge ahead is to test the long-term durability of the system for fuel cells that are designed to operate for as long as five years. Researchers must also study the potential impact of possible fuel contaminants on the new electrode.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EForming the barium oxide structures can be done as part of conventional anode fabrication processes, and would not require additional steps. The anodes produced in the technique are compatible with standard solid oxide fuel cell systems that are already being developed for commercial electricity generation, home power generation and automotive applications.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We have started with state-of-the-art technology, and simply modified the surface of the electrode,\u0022 said Mingfei Liu, a postdoctoral researcher in the Center. \u0022Because our electrode would be built on existing technology, there is a lower barrier for implementing it in conventional fuel cell systems.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to those already mentioned, the research team included Lei Yang, Wentao Qin and Kevin Blinn from Georgia Tech; YongMan Choi and Ping Liu from Brookhaven National Laboratory; Haiyan Chen and Trevor Tyson from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Jianming Bai from Oak Ridge National Laboratory.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Gerogia 30308 USA\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Robinson (404-385-3364)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: Meilin Liu (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:meilin.liu@mse.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emeilin.liu@mse.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing barium oxide nanoparticles, researchers have developed a self-cleaning technique that could allow solid oxide fuel cells to be powered directly by coal gas at operating temperatures as low as 750 degrees Celsius.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new cleaning technique allows fuel cells to be powered by coal."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2011-06-21 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:09:37","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-06-21T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2011-06-21T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"68421":{"id":"68421","type":"image","title":"Meilin Liu with fuel cell","body":null,"created":"1449177176","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:12:56","changed":"1475894594","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:14"},"68420":{"id":"68420","type":"image","title":"Meilin Liu with fuel cell","body":null,"created":"1449177176","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:12:56","changed":"1475894594","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:14"},"68419":{"id":"68419","type":"image","title":"Researchers with fuel cell","body":null,"created":"1449177176","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:12:56","changed":"1475894594","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:14"}},"media_ids":["68421","68420","68419"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff\/faculty\/meilin-liu","title":"Meilin Liu"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7070","name":"anode"},{"id":"4198","name":"coal"},{"id":"436","name":"electricity"},{"id":"213","name":"energy"},{"id":"2044","name":"Fuel Cell"},{"id":"13460","name":"Meilin Liu"},{"id":"2054","name":"nanoparticle"},{"id":"171091","name":"solid oxide fuel cell"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"66351":{"#nid":"66351","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Flower-Like Defects May Help Graphene Respond to Stress","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBeyond its ability to conduct electrons almost without resistance, the nanomaterial graphene also has amazing mechanical properties, including high strength that could one day make it useful in lightweight, robust structures.  But this material is not without flaws -- including a family of flower-like defects that could detract from its electronic and mechanical properties. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn a paper published in the journal \u003Cem\u003EPhysical Review B\u003C\/em\u003E, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have described a family of seven potential defect structures that may appear in sheets of graphene and imaged examples of the lowest-energy defect in the family. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe defects may arise to help relieve mechanical stress in graphene\u0027s carbon-atom honeycomb structure by allowing atoms to spread out and occupy slightly more space.  Such stress may arise during the growth of graphene or by stretching the graphene sheet.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022For an engineer interested in the mechanical properties of graphene to create atom-thick membranes, for instance, it would be very important to understand these kinds of properties, which could give rise to plastic deformation of the material,\u0022 said Phillip First, one of the paper\u0027s co-authors and a professor in the Georgia Tech School of Physics.  \u0022For instance, it may be that these defects are just one part of the kinetic pathway to failure for a strained sheet of graphene.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor electronic applications, the defects could deflect electrons and cause backscattering that would increase the resistance of the material -- like a rock in a stream slows the flow of water.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nHowever, First says improved growth techniques developed since the defect study began may eliminate that concern.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022With the growth techniques that have now been developed using silicon carbide, we typically do not see these defects,\u0022 he noted.  \u0022The defects occur on material that we know to be of a lower quality because of the growth conditions or substrate preparation.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDefects can appear due to the movement of carbon atoms at high temperatures, explained NIST Fellow Joseph Stroscio.  Rearrangements of graphene that require the least amount of energy involve switching from the standard six-member carbon rings to structures containing either five or seven atoms.  The NIST researchers have discovered that stringing five- and seven-member rings together in closed loops creates a new type of defect or grain boundary loop in the honeycomb lattice.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to NIST researcher Eric Cockayne, the fabrication process plays a big role in creating the defects.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022As the graphene forms under high heat, sections of the lattice can come loose and rotate,\u0022 he said.  \u0022As the graphene cools, these rotated sections link back up with the lattice, but in an irregular way.  It\u0027s almost as if patches of the graphene were cut out with scissors, turned clockwise, and made to fit back into the same place.  Only it really doesn\u0027t fit, which is why we get these flowers.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo far, only the flower defect, which is composed of six pairs of five- and seven-atom rings, has been observed.  Modeling of graphene\u0027s atomic structure by the NIST team suggests there might be a veritable bouquet of flower-like configurations.  These configurations -- seven in all -- would each possess its own unique mechanical and electrical properties, Cockayne said.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFirst hopes the team can continue studying the defects, both to learn whether their formation can be controlled and to clarify the role of defects in the material\u0027s mechanical properties.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Graphene is strong and light, so the mechanical properties are of great interest,\u0022 he noted.  \u0022Understanding just how it rips apart is an interesting question that has important implications.  But even with these defects, graphene is still spectacularly strong.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech contributions to this work were funded by the Semiconductor Research Corporation (NRI-INDEX) and by the National Science Foundation through the Georgia Tech Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) under grants DMR-0804908 and DMR-0820382.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMark Esser of NIST also contributed to this article.\u003C\/em\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Robinson (404-385-3364)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn a new study, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have described a family of seven potential defect structures that may appear in sheets of graphene.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers describe family of defects in graphene."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2011-06-01 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:08:49","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-06-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2011-06-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"66352":{"id":"66352","type":"image","title":"Graphene defect structures","body":null,"created":"1449176931","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:08:51","changed":"1475894589","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:09"}},"media_ids":["66352"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2504","name":"conductance"},{"id":"531","name":"defect"},{"id":"429","name":"graphene"},{"id":"9115","name":"MRSEC"},{"id":"13305","name":"Phillip First"},{"id":"960","name":"physics"},{"id":"167229","name":"stress"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"65044":{"#nid":"65044","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Technique Produces Graphene Nanoribbons with Metallic Properties","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new \u0022templated growth\u0022 technique for fabricating nanoribbons of epitaxial graphene has produced structures just 15 to 40 nanometers wide that conduct current with almost no resistance.  These structures could address the challenge of connecting graphene devices made with conventional architectures -- and set the stage for a new generation of devices that take advantage of the quantum properties of electrons.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We can now make very narrow, conductive nanoribbons that have quantum ballistic properties,\u0022 said Walt de Heer, a professor in the School of Physics at the Georgia Institute of Technology.  \u0022These narrow ribbons become almost like a perfect metal.  Electrons can move through them without scattering, just like they do in carbon nanotubes.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDe Heer discussed recent results of this graphene growth process March 21st at the American Physical Society\u2019s March 2011 Meeting in Dallas.  The research was sponsored by the National Science Foundation-supported Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFirst reported Oct. 3 in the advance online edition of the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Nanotechnology\u003C\/em\u003E, the new fabrication technique allows production of epitaxial graphene structures with smooth edges.  Earlier fabrication techniques that used electron beams to cut graphene sheets produced nanoribbon structures with rough edges that scattered electrons, causing interference.  The resulting nanoribbons had properties more like insulators than conductors.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022In our templated growth approach, we have essentially eliminated the edges that take away from the desirable properties of graphene,\u0022 de Heer explained.  \u0022The edges of the epitaxial graphene merge into the silicon carbide, producing properties that are really quite interesting.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe templated growth technique begins with etching patterns into the silicon carbide surfaces on which epitaxial graphene is grown.  The patterns serve as templates directing the growth of graphene structures, allowing the formation of nanoribbons and other structures of specific widths and shapes without the use of cutting techniques that produce the rough edges.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn creating these graphene nanostructures, de Heer and his research team first use conventional microelectronics techniques to etch tiny \u0022steps\u0022  -- or contours -- into a silicon carbide wafer whose surface has been made extremely flat.  They then heat the contoured wafer to approximately 1,500 degrees Celsius, which initiates melting that polishes any rough edges left by the etching process.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEstablished techniques are then used for growing graphene from silicon carbide by driving the silicon atoms from the surface.  Instead of producing a consistent layer of graphene across the entire surface of the wafer, however, the researchers limit the heating time so that graphene grows only on portions of the contours.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe width of the resulting nanoribbons is proportional to the depth of the contours, providing a mechanism for precisely controlling the nanoribbon structures.  To form complex structures, multiple etching steps can be carried out to create complex templates.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This technique allows us to avoid the complicated e-beam lithography steps that people have been using to create structures in epitaxial graphene,\u0022 de Heer noted.  \u0022We are seeing very good properties that show these structures can be used for real electronic applications.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESince publication of the \u003Cem\u003ENature Nanotechnology\u003C\/em\u003E paper, de Heer\u0027s team has been refining its technique.  \u0022We have taken this to an extreme -- the cleanest and narrowest ribbons we can make,\u0022 he said.  \u0022We expect to be able to do everything we need with the size ribbons that we are able to make right now, though we probably could reduce the width to 10 nanometers or less.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile the Georgia Tech team is continuing to develop high-frequency transistors -- perhaps even at the terahertz range -- its primary effort now focuses on developing quantum devices, de Heer said.  Such devices were envisioned in the patents Georgia Tech holds on various epitaxial graphene processes.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This means that the way we will be doing graphene electronics will be different,\u0022 he explained.  \u0022We will not be following the model of using standard field-effect transistors (FETs), but will pursue devices that use ballistic conductors and quantum interference. We are headed straight into using the electron wave effects in graphene.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETaking advantage of the wave properties will allow electrons to be manipulated with techniques similar to those used by optical engineers.  For instance, switching may be carried out using interference effects -- separating beams of electrons and then recombining them in opposite phases to extinguish the signals.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EQuantum devices would be smaller than conventional transistors and operate at lower power.  Because of its ability to transport electrons with virtually no resistance, epitaxial graphene may be the ideal material for such devices, de Heer said.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Using the quantum properties of electrons rather than the standard charged-particle properties means opening up new ways of looking at electronics,\u0022 he predicted.  \u0022This is probably the way that electronics will evolve, and it appears that graphene is the ideal material for making this transition.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDe Heer\u0027s research team hopes to demonstrate a rudimentary switch operating on the quantum interference principle within a year.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEpitaxial graphene may be the basis for a new generation of high-performance devices that will take advantage of the material\u0027s unique properties in applications where higher costs can be justified.  Silicon, today\u0027s electronic material of choice, will continue to be used in applications where high-performance is not required, de Heer said.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This is an important step in the process,\u0022 he added.  \u0022There are going to be a lot of surprises as we move into these quantum devices and find out how they work.  We have good reason to believe that this can be the basis for a new generation of transistors based on quantum interference.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Robinson (404-385-3364)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new \u0022templated growth\u0022 technique for fabricating nanoribbons of epitaxial graphene has produced structures just 15 to 40 nanometers wide that conduct current with almost no resistance.  These structures could address the challenge of connecting graphene devices.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have made graphene nanoribbons with metallic properties."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2011-03-21 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:08:26","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-03-21T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2011-03-21T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"65045":{"id":"65045","type":"image","title":"Growing epitaxial graphene","body":null,"created":"1449176783","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:06:23","changed":"1475894574","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:54","alt":"Growing epitaxial graphene","file":{"fid":"192147","name":"tis35461.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tis35461_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tis35461_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1731501,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tis35461_0.jpg?itok=4ovtoPBr"}},"65046":{"id":"65046","type":"image","title":"Prof. Walt de Heer","body":null,"created":"1449176783","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:06:23","changed":"1475894574","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:54","alt":"Prof. Walt de Heer","file":{"fid":"192148","name":"toh35777.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/toh35777_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/toh35777_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1603740,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/toh35777_0.jpg?itok=EjjVveF_"}},"65047":{"id":"65047","type":"image","title":"Growing expitaxial graphene","body":null,"created":"1449176783","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:06:23","changed":"1475894574","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:54","alt":"Growing expitaxial graphene","file":{"fid":"192149","name":"tfu35461.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tfu35461_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tfu35461_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":65166,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tfu35461_0.jpg?itok=uQ54-4ih"}}},"media_ids":["65045","65046","65047"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Physics"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.mrsec.gatech.edu\/","title":"Materials Research Science and Engineering Center"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/user\/walter-de-heer","title":"Walt de Heer"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"10890","name":"conductor"},{"id":"9116","name":"epitaxial graphene"},{"id":"429","name":"graphene"},{"id":"12423","name":"nanoribbons"},{"id":"4827","name":"resistance"},{"id":"12422","name":"Walt de Heer"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"64679":{"#nid":"64679","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Silver-Diamond Composite Offers Cooling Capabilities for Electronics","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) are developing a solid composite material to help cool small, powerful microelectronics used in defense systems. The material, composed of silver and diamond, promises an exceptional degree of thermal conductivity compared to materials currently used for this application.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research is focused on producing a silver-diamond thermal shim of unprecedented thinness \u2013 250 microns or less.  The ratio of silver to diamond in the material can be tailored to allow the shim to be bonded with low thermal-expansion stress to the high-power wide-bandgap semiconductors planned for next generation phased-array radars.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThermal shims are needed to pull heat from these high-power semiconductors and transfer it to heat-dissipating devices such as fins, fans or heat pipes. Since the semiconductors work in very confined operating spaces, it is necessary that the shims be made from a material that packs high thermal conductivity into a tiny structure.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDiamonds provide the bulk of thermal conductivity, while silver suspends the diamond particles within the composite and contributes to high thermal conductivity that is 25 percent better than copper.  To date, tests indicate that the silver-diamond composite performs extremely well in two key areas -- thermal conductivity and thermal expansion.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0027We have already observed clear performance benefits -- an estimated temperature decrease from 285 degrees Celsius to 181 degrees Celsius -- using a material of 50 percent diamond in a 250-micron shim,\u0027 said Jason Nadler, a GTRI research engineer who is leading the project. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers are approaching diamond percentages that can be as high as 85 percent, in a shim less than 250 microns in thickness. These increased percentages of diamond are yielding even better performance results in prototype testing.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENadler added that this novel approach to silver-diamond composites holds definite technology-transfer promise.  No material currently available offers this combination of performance and thinness. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENatural Thermal Conductors\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDiamond is the most thermally conductive natural material, with a rating of approximately 2,000 watts per meter Kelvin, which is a measure of thermal efficiency.  Silver, which is among the most thermally conductive metals, has a significantly lower rating -- 400 watts per meter K. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENadler explained that adding silver is necessary to:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n-  bond the loose diamond particles into a stable matrix;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n-  allow precise cutting of the material to form components of exact sizes;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n-  match thermal expansion to that of the semiconductor device being cooled;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n-  create a more thermally effective interface between the diamonds.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENadler and his team use diamond particles, resembling grains of sand, that can be molded into a planar form.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe problem is, a sand-like material doesn\u0027t hold together well.  A matrix of silver -- soft, ductile and sticky -- is needed to keep the diamond particles together and achieve a robust composite material.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition, because the malleable silver matrix completely surrounds the diamond particles, it supports cutting the composite to the precise dimensions needed to form components like thermal shims. And silver allows those components to bond readily to other surfaces, such as semiconductors.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETailoring Thermal Expansion\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs any material heats up, it expands at its own individual rate, a behavior known as its coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE).  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen structures made from different materials -- such as a wide-bandgap semiconductor and a thermal shim -- are joined, it is vital that their thermal-expansion coefficients be identical.  Bonded materials that expand at different rates separate readily.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDiamond has a very low coefficient of thermal expansion of about two parts per million\/Kelvin (ppm\/K).  But the materials used to make wide-bandgap semiconductors -- such as silicon carbide or gallium nitride \u2013 have higher CTEs, generally in the range of three to five ppm\/K.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBy adding in just the right percentage of silver, which has a CTE of about 20 ppm\/K, the GTRI team can tailor the silver-diamond composite to expand at the same rate as the semiconductor material. By matching thermal-expansion rates during heating and cooling, the researchers have enabled the two materials to maintain a strong bond. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUnlike metals, which conduct heat by moving electrons, diamond conducts heat by means of phonons, which are vibrational wave packets that travel through crystalline and other materials.  Introducing silver between the diamond-particle interfaces helps phonons move from particle to particle and supports thermal efficiency. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022It\u0027s a challenge to use diamond particles to fill space in a plane with high efficiency and stability,\u0022 Nadler said. \u0022In recent years we\u0027ve built image-analysis and other tools that let us perform structural morphological analyses on the material we\u0027ve created. That data helps us understand what\u0027s actually happening within the composite -- including how the diamond-particle sizes are distributed and how the silver actually surrounds the diamonds.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA remaining hurdle involves the need to move beyond performance testing to an in-depth analysis of the silver-diamond material\u0027s functionality. Nadler\u0027s aim is to explain the thermal conductivity of the composite from a fundamental materials standpoint, rather than relying solely on performance results.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe extremely small size of the thermal shims makes such in-depth testing difficult, because existing testing methods require larger amounts of material. However, Nadler and his team are evaluating several testbed technologies that hold promise for detailed thermal-conductivity analysis.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: Kirk Englehardt (404-407-7280)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kirk.englehardt@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ekirk.englehardt@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Rick Robinson\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) are developing a solid composite material to help cool small, powerful microelectronics used in defense systems. The new material is composed of silver and diamond.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new composite material could help cool high-power electronics."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2011-02-28 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:08:18","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-02-28T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2011-02-28T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"64680":{"id":"64680","type":"image","title":"Silver-diamond composite materials","body":null,"created":"1449176765","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:06:05","changed":"1475894569","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:49","alt":"Silver-diamond composite materials","file":{"fid":"192067","name":"tlk30065.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tlk30065_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tlk30065_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1566428,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tlk30065_0.jpg?itok=PMiuuSFa"}},"64681":{"id":"64681","type":"image","title":"Diamond materials","body":null,"created":"1449176765","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:06:05","changed":"1475894569","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:49","alt":"Diamond materials","file":{"fid":"192068","name":"tis30065.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tis30065_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tis30065_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1387493,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tis30065_0.jpg?itok=-u42j99T"}},"64682":{"id":"64682","type":"image","title":"Diamond material","body":null,"created":"1449176765","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:06:05","changed":"1475894569","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:49","alt":"Diamond material","file":{"fid":"192069","name":"thg30065.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/thg30065_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/thg30065_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":662179,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/thg30065_0.jpg?itok=OLIYy5Dr"}}},"media_ids":["64680","64681","64682"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"147","name":"Military Technology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"12178","name":"composite"},{"id":"437","name":"cooling"},{"id":"1366","name":"defense"},{"id":"416","name":"GTRI"},{"id":"12176","name":"Jason Nadler"},{"id":"2832","name":"microelectronics"},{"id":"171070","name":"silver-diamond"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"63907":{"#nid":"63907","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Study Suggests New Treatment Option for Ovarian Cancer","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA paper published in the January issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003ENanomedicine\u003C\/em\u003E could provide the foundation for a new ovarian cancer treatment option -- one that would use an outside-the-body filtration device to remove a large portion of the free-floating cancer cells that often create secondary tumors.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have formed a startup company and are working with a medical device firm to design a prototype treatment system that would use magnetic nanoparticles engineered to capture cancer cells.  Added to fluids removed from a patient\u0027s abdomen, the magnetic nanoparticles would latch onto the free-floating cancer cells, allowing both the nanoparticles and cancer cells to be removed by magnetic filters before the fluids are returned to the patient\u0027s body.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn mice with free-floating ovarian cancer cells, a single treatment with an early prototype of the nanoparticle-magnetic filtration system captured enough of the cancer cells that the treated mice lived nearly a third longer than untreated ones.  The researchers expect multiple treatments to extend the longevity benefit, though additional research will be needed to document that -- and determine the best treatment options.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Almost no one dies from primary ovarian cancer,\u0022 said John McDonald, a professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Biology and chief research scientist of Atlanta\u0027s Ovarian Cancer Institute.  \u0022You can remove the primary cancer, but the problem is metastasis.  A good deal of the metastasis in ovarian cancer comes from cancer cells sloughing off into the abdominal cavity and spreading the disease that way.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe removal system being developed by McDonald and postdoctoral fellow Ken Scarberry -- who is also CEO of startup company Sub-Micro -- should slow tumor progression in humans.  It may reduce the number of free-floating cancer cells enough that other treatments, and the body\u0027s own immune system, could keep the disease under control.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022If you can reduce metastasis, you can improve the lifespan of the person with the disease and get a better chance of treating it effectively,\u0022 said McDonald.  \u0022One goal is to make cancer a chronic disease that can be effectively treated over an extended period of time.  If we can\u0027t cure it, perhaps we can help people to live with it.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEarlier \u003Cem\u003Ein vitro\u003C\/em\u003E studies published by the authors of the \u003Cem\u003ENanomedicine\u003C\/em\u003E paper showed that the magnetic nanoparticles could selectively remove human ovarian cancer cells from ascites fluid, which builds up in the peritoneal cavities of ovarian cancer patients.  The nanoparticles are engineered with ligands that allow them to selectively attach to cancer cells.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers believe that treating fluid removed from the body avoids potential toxicity problems that could result from introducing the nanoparticles into the body, though further studies are needed to confirm that the treatment would have no adverse effects.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe recently reported study in \u003Cem\u003ENanomedicine\u003C\/em\u003E used three sets of female mice to study the benefit of the nanoparticle-magnetic filtration system. Each mouse was injected with approximately 500,000 murine ovarian cancer cells, which multiply rapidly -- each cell doubling within approximately 15 hours.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the experimental group, the researchers -- who included research scientist Roman Mezencev -- removed fluid from the abdomens of the mice immediately after injection of the cancer cells.  They then added the magnetic nanoparticles to the fluid, allowed them to mix, then magnetically removed the nanoparticles along with the attached cancer cells before returning the fluid. The steps were repeated six times for each mouse.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne control group received no treatment at all, while a second control group underwent the same treatment as the experimental group -- but without the magnetic nanoparticles.  Mice in the two control groups survived a median of 37 days, while the treated mice lived 12 days longer -- a 32 percent increase in longevity.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThough much more research must be done before the technique can be tested in humans, McDonald and Scarberry envision a system very similar to what kidney dialysis patients now use, but with a buffer solution circulated through the peritoneal cavity to pick up the cancer cells.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022What we are developing is akin to hemofiltration or peritoneal dialysis in which the patient could come into a clinic and be hooked up to the device a couple of times a week,\u0022 said Scarberry.  \u0022The treatment is not heavily invasive, so it could be repeated often.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new treatment could be used in conjunction with existing chemotherapy and radiation.  Reducing the number of free-floating cancer cells could allow a reduction in chemotherapy, which often has debilitating side effects, Scarberry said.  The new treatment system could be used to capture spilled cancer cells immediately after surgery on a primary tumor.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers hope to have a prototype circulation and filtration device ready for testing within three years.  After that will come studies into the best treatment regimen, examining such issues as the number of magnetic nanoparticles to use, the number of treatments and treatment spacing.  If those are successful, the company will work with the FDA to design human clinical trials.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers also studying how their magnetic nanoparticles could be engineered to capture ovarian cancer stem cells, which are not affected by existing chemotherapy.  Removing those cells could help eliminate a potent source of new cancer cells.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research has been supported by the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA), the Ovarian Cancer Institute, the Robinson Family Foundation and the Deborah Nash Harris Endowment.  A member of Georgia Tech\u2019s ATDC startup accelerator program and a GRA VentureLab company, Sub-Micro has also raised private funding to support its prototype development.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EChallenges ahead include ensuring that nanoparticles cannot bypass the filtration system to enter the body, and controlling the risk of infection caused by opening the peritoneal cavity.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond cancer, the researchers believe their approach could be useful for treating other diseases in which a reduction in circulating cancer cells or virus particles could be useful.  Using magnetic nanoparticles engineered to capture HIV could help reduce viral content in the bloodstream, for instance.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022A technology like this has many different possibilities,\u0022 said Scarberry.  \u0022We are currently developing the technology to control the metastatic spread of ovarian cancer, but once we have a device that can efficiently and effectively isolate cancer cells from circulating fluids, including blood, we would have other opportunities.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Robinson (404-385-3364)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA paper published in the January issue of the journal Nanomedicine could provide the foundation for a new ovarian cancer treatment option -- using an outside-the-body filtration device to remove a large portion of free-floating cancer cells.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Nanoparticle-based device could offer new ovarian cancer treatment."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2011-01-26 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:08:06","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-01-26T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2011-01-26T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"63908":{"id":"63908","type":"image","title":"Schematic of magnetic nanoparticle treatment","body":null,"created":"1449176708","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:05:08","changed":"1475894561","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:41","alt":"Schematic of magnetic nanoparticle treatment","file":{"fid":"191891","name":"tfv95918.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tfv95918_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tfv95918_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":696018,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tfv95918_1.jpg?itok=QZ5IKYZ1"}},"63909":{"id":"63909","type":"image","title":"Examining data from cancer study","body":null,"created":"1449176708","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:05:08","changed":"1475894561","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:41","alt":"Examining data from cancer study","file":{"fid":"191892","name":"tmv95918.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tmv95918_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tmv95918_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1314685,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tmv95918_1.jpg?itok=6VcGysZp"}},"63910":{"id":"63910","type":"image","title":"Nanoparticles attracted to magnet","body":null,"created":"1449176708","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:05:08","changed":"1475894561","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:41","alt":"Nanoparticles attracted to magnet","file":{"fid":"191893","name":"tdo95918.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tdo95918_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tdo95918_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":767635,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tdo95918_1.jpg?itok=HYtj3O4c"}}},"media_ids":["63908","63909","63910"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/ovariancancerinstitute.org\/","title":"Ovarian Cancer Institute"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.biology.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Biology"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.biology.gatech.edu\/people\/index.php?id=john-mcdonald","title":"John McDonald"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.gra.org\/","title":"Georgia Research Alliance"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"277","name":"Biology"},{"id":"11764","name":"filtration"},{"id":"2371","name":"John McDonald"},{"id":"10845","name":"magnetic nanoparticles"},{"id":"10364","name":"Metastasis"},{"id":"2372","name":"ovarian cancer"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"63409":{"#nid":"63409","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Expitaxial Graphene Shows Promise for Replacing Silicon in Electronics","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMove over silicon.  There\u0027s a new electronic material in town, and it goes fast.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat material, the focus of the 2010 Nobel Prize in physics, is graphene -- a fancy name for extremely thin layers of ordinary carbon atoms arranged in a \u0022chicken-wire\u0022 lattice. These layers, sometimes just a single atom thick, conduct electricity with virtually no resistance, very little heat generation -- and less power consumption than silicon.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith silicon device fabrication approaching its physical limits, many researchers believe graphene can provide a new platform material that would allow the semiconductor industry to continue its march toward ever-smaller and faster electronic devices -- progress described in Moore\u0027s Law. Though graphene will likely never replace silicon for everyday electronic applications, it could take over as the material of choice for high-performance devices. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd graphene could ultimately spawn a new generation of devices designed to take advantage of its unique properties. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESince 2001, Georgia Tech has become a world leader in developing epitaxial graphene, a specific type of graphene that can be grown on large wafers and patterned for use in electronics manufacturing. In a recent paper published in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Nanotechnology\u003C\/em\u003E, Georgia Tech researchers reported fabricating an array of 10,000 top-gated transistors on a 0.24 square centimeter chip, an achievement believed to be the highest density reported so far in graphene devices. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn creating that array, they also demonstrated a clever new approach for growing complex graphene patterns on templates etched into silicon carbide. The new technique offered the solution to one of the most difficult issues that had been facing graphene electronics. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This is a significant step toward electronics manufacturing with graphene,\u0022 said Walt de Heer, a professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Physics who pioneered the development of graphene for high-performance electronics. \u0022This is another step showing that our method of working with epitaxial graphene grown on silicon carbide is the right approach and the one that will probably be used for making graphene electronics.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUnrolled Carbon Nanotubes\u003C\/strong\u003E \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor de Heer, the story of graphene begins with carbon nanotubes, tiny cylindrical structures considered miraculous when they first began to be studied by scientists in 1991. De Heer was among the researchers excited about the properties of nanotubes, whose unique arrangement of carbon atoms gave them physical and electronic properties that scientists believed could be the foundation for a new generation of electronic devices. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECarbon nanotubes still have attractive properties, but the ability to grow them consistently -- and to incorporate them in high-volume electronics applications -- has so far eluded researchers. De Heer realized before others that carbon nanotubes would probably never be used for high-volume electronic devices. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut he also realized that the key to the attractive electronic properties of the nanotubes was the lattice created by the carbon atoms. Why not simply grow that lattice on a flat surface, and use fabrication techniques proven in the microelectronics industry to create devices in much the same way as silicon integrated circuits? \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBy heating silicon carbide -- a widely-used electronic material -- de Heer and his colleagues were able to drive silicon atoms from the surface, leaving just the carbon lattice in thin layers of graphene large enough to grow the kinds of electronic devices familiar to a generation of electronics designers.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat process was the basis for a patent filed in 2003, and for initial research support from chip-maker Intel. Since then, de Heer\u0027s group has published dozens of papers and helped spawn other research groups also using epitaxial graphene for electronic devices. Though scientists are still learning about the material, companies such as IBM have launched research programs based on epitaxial graphene, and agencies such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) have invested in developing the material for future electronics applications. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u0027s work on developing epitaxial graphene for manufacturing electronic devices was recognized in the background paper produced by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences as part of the Nobel Prize documentation. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe race to find commercial applications for graphene is intense, with researchers from the United States, Europe, Japan and Singapore engaged in well-funded efforts. Since awarding of the Nobel to a group from the United Kingdom, the flood of news releases about graphene developments has grown. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Our epitaxial graphene is now used around the world by many research laboratories,\u0022 de Heer noted. \u0022We are probably at the stage where silicon was in the 1950s. This is the beginning of something that is going to be very large and important.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESilicon \u0022Running Out of Gas\u0022\u003C\/strong\u003E \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA new electronics material is needed because silicon is running out of miniaturization room. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Primarily, we\u0027ve gotten the speed increases from silicon by continually shrinking feature sizes and improving interconnect technology,\u0022 said Dennis Hess, director of the National Science Foundation-sponsored Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) established at Georgia Tech to study future electronic materials, starting with epitaxial graphene. \u0022We are at the point where in less than 10 years, we won\u0027t be able to shrink feature sizes any farther because of the physics of the device operation. That means we will either have to change the type of device we make, or change the electronic material we use.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0027s a matter of physics. At the very small size scales needed to create ever more dense device arrays, silicon generates too much resistance to electron flow, creating more heat than can be dissipated and consuming too much power. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGraphene has no such restrictions, and in fact, can provide electron mobility as much as 100 times better than silicon. De Heer believes his group has developed the roadmap for the future of high-performance electronics -- and that it is paved with epitaxial graphene. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We have basically developed a whole scheme for making electronics out of graphene,\u0022 he said. \u0022We have set down what we believe will be the ground rules for how that will work, and we have the key patents in place.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESilicon, of course, has matured over many generations through constant research and improvement. De Heer and Hess agree that silicon will always be around, useful for low-cost consumer products such as iPods, toasters, personal computers and the like. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDe Heer expects graphene to find its niche doing things that couldn\u0027t otherwise be done. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We\u0027re not trying to do something cheaper or better; we\u0027re going to do things that can\u0027t be done at all with silicon,\u0022 he said. \u0022Making electronic devices as small as a molecule, for instance, cannot be done with silicon, but in principle could be done with graphene. The key question is how to extend Moore\u0027s Law in a post-CMOS world.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUnlike the carbon nanotubes he studied in the 1990s, de Heer sees no major problems ahead for the development of epitaxial graphene. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022That graphene is going to be a major player in the electronics of the future is no longer in doubt,\u0022 he said. \u0022We don\u0027t see any real roadblocks ahead. There are no flashing red lights or other signs that seem to say that this won\u0027t work. All of the issues we see relate to improving technical issues, and we know how to do that.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMaking the Best Graphene\u003C\/strong\u003E \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESince beginning the exploration of graphene in 2001, de Heer and his research team have made continuous improvements in the quality of the material they produce, and those improvements have allowed them to demonstrate a number of physical properties -- such as the Quantum Hall Effect -- that verify the unique properties of the material.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The properties that we see in our epitaxial graphene are similar to what we have calculated for an ideal theoretical sheet of graphene suspended in the air,\u0022 said Claire Berger, a research scientist in the Georgia Tech School of Physics who also has a faculty appointment at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique in France. \u0022We see these properties in the electron transport and we see these properties in all kinds of spectroscopy. Everything that is supposed to be occurring in a single sheet of graphene we are seeing in our systems.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EKey to the material\u0027s future, of course, is the ability to make electronic devices that work consistently. The researchers believe they have almost reached that point. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022All of the properties that epitaxial graphene needs to make it viable for electronic devices have been proven in this material,\u0022 said Ed Conrad, a professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Physics who is also a MRSEC member. \u0022We have shown that we can make macroscopic amounts of this material, and with the devices that are scalable, we have the groundwork that could really make graphene take off.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EReaching higher and higher device density is also important, along with the ability to control the number of layers of graphene produced. The group has demonstrated that in their multilayer graphene, each layer retains the desired properties. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Multilayer graphene has different stacking than graphite, the material found in pencils,\u0022 Conrad noted. \u0022In graphite, every layer is rotated 60 degrees and that\u0027s the only way that nature can do it. When we grow graphene on silicon carbide, the layers are rotated 30 degrees. When that happens, the symmetry of the system changes to make the material behave the way we want it to.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEpitaxial Versus Exfoliated\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMuch of the world\u0027s graphene research -- including work leading to the Nobel -- involved the study of exfoliated graphene: layers of the material removed from a block of graphite, originally with tape. While that technique produces high-quality graphene, it\u0027s not clear how that could be scaled up for industrial production. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile agreeing that the exfoliated material has produced useful information about graphene properties, de Heer dismisses it as \u0022a science project\u0022 unlikely to have industrial electronics application. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Electronics companies are not interested in graphene flakes,\u0022 he said. \u0022They need industrial graphene, a material that can be scaled up for high-volume manufacturing. Industry is now getting more and more interested in what we are doing.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDe Heer says Georgia Tech\u0027s place in the new graphene world is to focus on electronic applications. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We are not really trying to compete with these other groups,\u0022 he said. \u0022We are really trying to create a practical electronic material. To do that, we will have to do many things right, including fabricating a scalable material that can be made as large as a wafer. It will have to be uniform and able to be processed using industrial methods.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResolving Technical Issues\u003C\/strong\u003E \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAmong the significant technical issues facing graphene devices has been electron scattering that occurs at the boundaries of nanoribbons. If the edges aren\u0027t perfectly smooth -- as usually happens when the material is cut with electron beams -- the roughness bounces electrons around, creating resistance and interference. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo address that problem, de Heer and his team recently developed a new \u0022templated growth\u0022 technique for fabricating nanometer-scale graphene devices. The technique involves etching patterns into the silicon carbide surfaces on which epitaxial graphene is grown. The patterns serve as templates directing the growth of graphene structures, allowing the formation of nanoribbons of specific widths without the use of e-beams or other destructive cutting techniques. Graphene nanoribbons produced with these templates have smooth edges that avoid electron-scattering problems. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Using this approach, we can make very narrow ribbons of interconnected graphene without the rough edges,\u0022 said de Heer. \u0022Anything that can be done to make small structures without having to cut them is going to be useful to the development of graphene electronics because if the edges are too rough, electrons passing through the ribbons scatter against the edges and reduce the desirable properties of graphene.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn nanometer-scale graphene ribbons, quantum confinement makes the material behave as a semiconductor suitable for creation of electronic devices. But in ribbons a micron or so wide, the material acts as a conductor. Controlling the depth of the silicon carbide template allows the researchers to create these different structures simultaneously, using the same growth process. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The same material can be either a conductor or a semiconductor depending on its shape,\u0022 noted de Heer. \u0022One of the major advantages of graphene electronics is to make the device leads and the semiconducting ribbons from the same material. That\u0027s important to avoid electrical resistance that builds up at junctions between different materials.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter formation of the nanoribbons, the researchers apply a dielectric material and metal gate to construct field-effect transistors. While successful fabrication of high-quality transistors demonstrates graphene\u0027s viability as an electronic material, de Heer sees them as only the first step in what could be done with the material. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022When we manage to make devices well on the nanoscale, we can then move on to make much smaller and finer structures that will go beyond conventional transistors to open up the possibility for more sophisticated devices that use electrons more like light than particles,\u0022 he said. \u0022If we can factor quantum mechanical features into electronics, that is going to open up a lot of new possibilities.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECollaborations with Other Groups\u003C\/strong\u003E \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBefore engineers can use epitaxial graphene for the next generation of electronic devices, they will have to understand its unique properties. As part of that process, Georgia Tech researchers are collaborating with scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The collaboration has produced new insights into how electrons behave in graphene. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn a recent paper published in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Physics\u003C\/em\u003E, the Georgia Tech-NIST team described for the first time how the orbits of electrons are distributed spatially by magnetic fields applied to layers of epitaxial graphene. They also found that these electron orbits can interact with the substrate on which the graphene is grown, creating energy gaps that affect how electron waves move through the multilayer material. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The regular pattern of magnetically-induced energy gaps in the graphene surface creates regions where electron transport is not allowed,\u0022 said Phillip N. First, a professor in the Georgia Tech School of Physics and MRSEC member. \u0022Electron waves would have to go around these regions, requiring new patterns of electron wave interference. Understanding this interference would be important for some bi-layer graphene devices that have been proposed.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEarlier NIST collaborations led to improved understanding of graphene electron states, and the way in which low temperature and high magnetic fields can affect energy levels. The researchers also demonstrated that atomic-scale moir\u00e9 patterns, an interference pattern that appears when two or more graphene layers are overlaid, can be used to measure how sheets of graphene are stacked. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn a collaboration with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a group of Georgia Tech professors developed a simple and quick one-step process for creating nanowires on graphene oxide. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We\u0027ve shown that by locally heating insulating graphene oxide, both the flakes and the epitaxial varieties, with an atomic force microscope tip, we can write nanowires with dimensions down to 12 nanometers,\u0022 said Elisa Riedo, an associate professor in the Georgia Tech School of Physics and a MRSEC member. \u0022And we can tune their electronic properties to be up to four orders of magnitude more conductive.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA New Industrial Revolution?\u003C\/strong\u003E \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThough graphene can be grown and fabricated using processes similar to those of silicon, it is not easily compatible with silicon. That means companies adopting it will also have to build new fabrication facilities -- an expensive investment. Consequently, de Heer believes industry will be cautious about moving into a new graphene world. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Silicon technology is completely entrenched and well developed,\u0022 he admitted. \u0022We can adopt many of the processes of silicon, but we can\u0027t easily integrate ourselves into silicon. Because of that, we really need a major paradigm shift. But for the massive electronics industry, that will not happen easily or gently.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe draws an analogy to steamships and passenger trains at the dawn of the aviation age. At some point, it became apparent that airliners were going to replace both ocean liners and trains in providing first-class passenger service. Though the cost of air travel was higher, passengers were willing to pay a premium for greater speed. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We are going to see a coexistence of technologies for a while, and how the hybridization of graphene and silicon electronics is going to happen remains up in the air,\u0022 de Heer predicted. \u0022That is going to take decades, though in the next ten years we are probably going to see real commercial devices that involve graphene.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThis article originally appeared in Research Horizons, Georgia Tech\u0027s research magazine.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Vogel Robinson (404-385-3364)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech has become a leader in developing epitaxial graphene, a material that can be grown on large wafers and patterned for use in electronics manufacturing. In a recent paper, Georgia Tech researchers reported fabricating an array of 10,000 top-gated transistors on a 0.24 square centimeter chip.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech has become a world leader in epitaxial graphene."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2011-01-06 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:07:57","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-01-06T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2011-01-06T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"63410":{"id":"63410","type":"image","title":"Producing epitaxial graphene","body":null,"created":"1449176690","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:04:50","changed":"1475894557","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:37","alt":"Producing epitaxial graphene","file":{"fid":"191816","name":"tbs48688.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tbs48688_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tbs48688_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1202030,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tbs48688_0.jpg?itok=5_iaVtsW"}},"63411":{"id":"63411","type":"image","title":"Professor Walt de Heer","body":null,"created":"1449176690","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:04:50","changed":"1475894557","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:37","alt":"Professor Walt de Heer","file":{"fid":"191817","name":"tic48688.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tic48688_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tic48688_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1245665,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tic48688_0.jpg?itok=hK_wZ3VX"}},"63412":{"id":"63412","type":"image","title":"Researcher Claire Berger","body":null,"created":"1449176690","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:04:50","changed":"1475894557","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:37","alt":"Researcher Claire Berger","file":{"fid":"191818","name":"tcs48688.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tcs48688_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tcs48688_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1118539,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tcs48688_0.jpg?itok=BxyQ7Jyx"}}},"media_ids":["63410","63411","63412"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.mrsec.gatech.edu\/","title":"Materials Research Science and Engineering Center"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Physics"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/user\/walter-de-heer","title":"Walt de Heer"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"9826","name":"de Heer"},{"id":"9116","name":"epitaxial graphene"},{"id":"429","name":"graphene"},{"id":"9115","name":"MRSEC"},{"id":"960","name":"physics"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"63125":{"#nid":"63125","#data":{"type":"news","title":"International Collaboration Boosts Nanotechnology Research","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDespite their initial focus on national economic competitiveness, the nanotechnology research initiatives now funded by more than 60 countries have become increasingly collaborative, with nearly a quarter of all papers co-authored by researchers across borders.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EResearchers from the two leading producers of nanotechnology papers -- China and the United States -- have become each nation\u0027s most frequent international co-authors.  Though Chinese and U.S. researchers now publish roughly the same number of nanotechnology papers, the U.S. retains a lead in the quality of publications -- as measured by the number of early citations.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Despite ten years of emphasis by governments on national nanotechnology initiatives, we find that patterns of nanotechnology research collaboration and funding transcend country boundaries,\u0022 said Phillip Shapira, study co-author and a professor in the School of Public Policy at the Georgia Institute of Technology.  \u0022For example, we found that U.S. and Chinese researchers have developed a relatively high level of collaboration in nanotechnology research.  Each country is the other\u0027s leading collaborator in nanotechnology R\u0026amp;D.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe findings were part of a new study of nanotechnology publishing reported Dec. 2 in the online edition of the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature\u003C\/em\u003E.  The research was sponsored by the National Science Foundation-supported Center for Nanotechnology in Society at Arizona State University (CNS-ASU).  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESparked by programs such as the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) in the United States, leading industrial nations have launched nanotechnology research programs that invested more than $8 billion in public funds in 2008 alone.  China, Germany, Japan and Korea are among the many countries that have launched major governmental programs to develop their national nanotechnology capabilities as part of efforts to boost future economic growth.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022There is widespread anticipation that nanotechnology will be a critical component in addressing global challenges in such areas as energy, environment, health care, security and sustainability,\u0022 explained Shapira, who is also a professor of innovation at the University of Manchester.  \u0022At the same time, nanotechnology may be a key driver in the next wave of technology-led economic growth and investment.  Governments around the world are hoping that their often massive investments in nanotechnology R\u0026amp;D will lead not only to economic, but also to significant societal returns.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThough the revolutionary advances that nanotechnology promises are still off into the future, Shapira noted that the investments made so far have led to \u0022a noticeable shift toward innovation in the past few years as companies are beginning to market a wide range of products and devices whose performance has been enhanced by nanoscale science and engineering.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study was conducted by Shapira and collaborator Jue Wang, an assistant professor at Florida International University.  It used data mining techniques to study funding acknowledgements that have been available since 2008 in the Web of Science -- one of the leading international databases of scientific publications.  Shapira and Wang analyzed more than 91,000 papers published worldwide between August 2008 and July 2009.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey found that although researchers from 152 nations were represented in the survey, just 15 countries represented 90 percent of the papers.  The top four countries by author affiliation were the United States (23 percent), China (22 percent), Germany (8 percent) and Japan (8 percent).  Papers authored by researchers from more than one nation \u2013 which constituted 23 percent of those examined \u2013 were assigned to more than one country.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThough the United States and China now produce approximately the same number of papers, the U.S. maintains significant advantages.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Compared with Chinese counterparts, papers authored by U.S. researchers still have a substantial lead in terms of citation quality and U.S. corporate activity in nanotechnology innovation remains rather larger,\u0022 Shapira said.  \u0022However, Chinese quality is improving and an increasing number of Chinese companies are becoming engaged in developing and commercializing nano-enabled products.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study analyzed the funding sources cited in a sub-set of 61,300 papers that were supported by grants.  The National Natural Science Foundation of China was the top funder, with more than 10,200 publications representing 16.7 percent of all sponsored papers.  Second was the U.S. National Science Foundation with 6,700 publications.  Rounding out the top five were the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, the European Union\u2019s R\u0026amp;D programs, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services -- which includes the National Institutes of Health.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEight sponsors saw at least 10 percent of the papers they funded garner five or more citations within a year of publication -- the study\u0027s definition of an \u0022early-citation\u0022 paper.  This group is led by four U.S. agencies: the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAbout three percent of U.S. papers reported co-funding from the Chinese National Natural Science Foundation, while a similar proportion of Chinese papers report co-funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Although these numbers are still low relative to purely nationally-funded papers, they signal a significant trend as China has taken over from European countries as America\u0027s leading international collaborator by volume in nanotechnology research,\u0022 Shapira explained. \u0022China\u0027s scientific relationships do, of course, extend beyond the United States, and China has emerged as the hub for nanotechnology research collaboration in Asia.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study also found that sponsors concentrating their funding in fewer institutions had lower research impact as measured by early citation counts.  \u0022Our starting hypothesis is that when groups from multiple institutions vie for funding, there is increased competition, review processes are less partial, and there are more opportunities to select the most improving projects,\u0022 Shapira explained.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith increasing budget pressures, growth in nanotechnology funding appears unlikely.  How should countries invest their limited funding for greatest benefit?\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022One way would be to foster more high-quality international collaborations, perhaps by opening funding competitions to international researchers and by offering travel and mobility awards for domestic researchers to increase alliances with colleagues in other countries,\u0022 the researchers suggested in their paper.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Assistance\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Vogel Robinson (404-385-3364)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDespite their initial focus on national competitiveness, the nanotechnology research initiatives now funded by more than 60 countries have become increasingly collaborative, with nearly a quarter of papers co-authored across borders.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Nanotechnology initiatives have become increasingly collaborative."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2010-12-10 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:07:54","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-12-10T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2010-12-10T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"63126":{"id":"63126","type":"image","title":"Map showing web of international collaboration","body":null,"created":"1449176649","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:04:09","changed":"1475894552","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:32","alt":"Map showing web of international collaboration","file":{"fid":"191743","name":"tzl89611.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tzl89611_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tzl89611_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":662423,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tzl89611_0.jpg?itok=7gVBdBcD"}},"63127":{"id":"63127","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech\u0027s Marcus Nanotechnology Building","body":null,"created":"1449176649","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:04:09","changed":"1475894552","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:32","alt":"Georgia Tech\u0027s Marcus Nanotechnology Building","file":{"fid":"191744","name":"tae89747.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tae89747_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tae89747_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1986733,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tae89747_0.jpg?itok=IjZQhrWe"}},"63128":{"id":"63128","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech\u0027s Marcus Nanotechnology Building","body":null,"created":"1449176649","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:04:09","changed":"1475894552","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:32","alt":"Georgia Tech\u0027s Marcus Nanotechnology Building","file":{"fid":"191745","name":"thx89611.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/thx89611_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/thx89611_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1570424,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/thx89611_0.jpg?itok=9ZrKME0d"}}},"media_ids":["63126","63127","63128"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.spp.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Public Policy"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.spp.gatech.edu\/aboutus\/faculty\/PhilipShapira","title":"Phillip Shapira"},{"url":"http:\/\/casgroup.fiu.edu\/pa\/pages.php?id=1888","title":"Jue Wang"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"340","name":"collaboration"},{"id":"2675","name":"economic"},{"id":"107","name":"Nanotechnology"},{"id":"365","name":"Research"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"62994":{"#nid":"62994","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Project Pioneers Silicon-Germanium for Space Electronics","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA five-year project led by the Georgia Institute of Technology has developed a novel approach to space electronics that could change how space vehicles and instruments are designed. The new capabilities are based on silicon-germanium (SiGe) technology, which can produce electronics that are highly resistant to both wide temperature variations and space radiation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETitled \u0022SiGe Integrated Electronics for Extreme Environments,\u0022 the $12 million, 63-month project was funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). In addition to Georgia Tech, the 11-member team included academic researchers from the University of Arkansas, Auburn University, University of Maryland, University of Tennessee and Vanderbilt University. Also involved in the project were BAE Systems, Boeing Co., IBM Corp., Lynguent Inc. and NASA\u0027s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The team\u0027s overall task was to develop an end-to-end solution for NASA -- a tested infrastructure that includes everything needed to design and build extreme-environment electronics for space missions,\u0022 said John Cressler, who is a Ken Byers Professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Cressler served as principal investigator and overall team leader for the project. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA paper on the project findings will appear in December in \u003Cem\u003EIEEE Transactions on Device and Materials Reliability, 2010\u003C\/em\u003E. During the past five years, work done under the project has resulted in some 125 peer-reviewed publications. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUnique Capabilities\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESiGe alloys combine silicon, the most common microchip material, with germanium at nanoscale dimensions. The result is a robust material that offers important gains in toughness, speed and flexibility. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat robustness is crucial to silicon-germanium\u0027s ability to function in space without bulky radiation shields or large, power-hungry temperature control devices. Compared to conventional approaches, SiGe electronics can provide major reductions in weight, size, complexity, power and cost, as well as increased reliability and adaptability. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Our team used a mature silicon-germanium technology -- IBM\u0027s 0.5 micron SiGe technology -- that was not intended to withstand deep-space conditions,\u0022 Cressler said. \u0022Without changing the composition of the underlying silicon-germanium transistors, we leveraged SiGe\u0027s natural merits to develop new circuit designs -- as well as new approaches to packaging the final circuits -- to produce an electronic system that could reliably withstand the extreme conditions of space.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the end of the project, the researchers supplied NASA with a suite of modeling tools, circuit designs, packaging technologies and system\/subsystem designs, along with guidelines for qualifying those parts for use in space. In addition, the team furnished NASA with a functional prototype -- called a silicon-germanium remote electronics unit (REU) 16-channel general purpose sensor interface. The device was fabricated using silicon-germanium microchips and has been tested successfully in simulated space environments. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA New Paradigm \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAndrew S. Keys, center chief technologist at the Marshall Space Flight Center and NASA program manager, said the now-completed project has moved the task of understanding and modeling silicon-germanium technology to a point where NASA engineers can start using it on actual vehicle designs. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The silicon-germanium extreme environments team was very successful in doing what it set out to do,\u0022 Keys said. \u0022They advanced the state-of-the-art in analog silicon-germanium technology for space use -- a crucial step in developing a new paradigm leading to lighter weight and more capable space vehicle designs.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKeys explained that, at best, most electronics conform to military specifications, meaning they function across a temperature range of minus-55 degrees Celsius to plus-125 degrees Celsius. But electronics in deep space are typically exposed to far greater temperature ranges, as well as to damaging radiation. The Moon\u0027s surface cycles between plus-120 Celsius during the lunar day to minus-180 Celsius at night. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe silicon-germanium electronics developed by the extreme environments team has been shown to function reliably throughout that entire plus-120 to minus-180 Celsius range. It is also highly resistant or immune to various types of radiation. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe conventional approach to protecting space electronics, developed in the 1960s, involves bulky metal boxes that shield devices from radiation and temperature extremes, Keys explained. Designers must place most electronics in a protected, temperature controlled central location and then connect them via long and heavy cables to sensors or other external devices. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy eliminating the need for most shielding and special cables, silicon-germanium technology helps reduce the single biggest problem in space launches -- weight. Moreover, robust SiGe circuits can be placed wherever designers want, which helps eliminate data errors caused by impedance variations in lengthy wiring schemes. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022For instance, the Mars Exploration Rovers, which are no bigger than a golf cart, use several kilometers of cable that lead into a warm box,\u0022 Keys said. \u0022If we can move most of those electronics out to where the sensors are on the robot\u0027s extremities, that will reduce cabling, weight, complexity and energy use significantly.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Collaborative Effort\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENASA currently rates the new SiGe electronics at a technology readiness level of six, which means the circuits have been integrated into a subsystem and tested in a relevant environment. The next step, level seven, involves integrating the SiGe circuits into a vehicle for space flight testing. At level eight, a new technology is mature enough to be integrated into a full mission vehicle, and at level nine the technology is used by missions on a regular basis. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESuccessful collaboration was an important part of the silicon-germanium team\u0027s effectiveness, Keys said. He remarked that he had \u0022never seen such a diverse team work together so well.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProfessor Alan Mantooth, who led a large University of Arkansas contingent involved in modeling and circuit-design tasks, agreed. He called the project \u0022the most successful collaboration that I\u0027ve been a part of.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMantooth termed the extreme-electronics project highly useful in the education mission of the participating universities. He noted that a total of 82 students from six universities worked on the project over five years. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERichard W. Berger, a BAE Systems senior systems architect who collaborated on the project, also praised the student contributions. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0027\u0022To be working both in analog and digital, miniaturizing, and developing extreme-temperature and radiation tolerance all at the same time -- that\u0027s not what you\u0027d call the average student design project,\u0022 Berger said. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMiniaturizing an Architecture\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBAE Systems\u0027 contribution to the project included providing the basic architecture for the remote electronics unit (REU) sensor interface prototype developed by the team. That architecture came from a previous electronics generation: the now cancelled Lockheed Martin X-33 Spaceplane initially designed in the 1990s. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the original X-33 design, Berger explained, each sensor interface used an assortment of sizeable analog parts for the front end signal receiving section. That section was supported by a digital microprocessor, memory chips and an optical bus interface -- all housed in a protective five-pound box. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe extreme environments team transformed the bulky X-33 design into a miniaturized sensor interface, utilizing silicon germanium. The resulting SiGe device weighs about 200 grams and requires no temperature or radiation shielding. Large numbers of these robust, lightweight REU units could be mounted on spacecraft or data-gathering devices close to sensors, reducing size, weight, power and reliability issues. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBerger said that BAE Systems is interested in manufacturing a sensor interface device based on the extreme environment team\u0027s discoveries. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOther space-oriented companies are also pursuing the new silicon-germanium technology, Cressler said. NASA, he explained, wants the intellectual-property barriers to the technology to be low so that it can be used widely. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The idea is to make this infrastructure available to all interested parties,\u0022 he said. \u0022That way it could be used for any electronics assembly -- an instrument, a spacecraft, an orbital platform, lunar-surface applications, Titan missions \u2013 wherever it can be helpful. In fact, the process of defining such an NASA mission-insertion roadmap is currently in progress.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Assistance\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Vogel Robinson (404-385-3364)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E). \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Cressler (404-894-5161)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:cressler@ece.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ecressler@ece.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E). \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Rick Robinson \u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA five-year project led by the Georgia Institute of Technology has developed a novel approach to space electronics that could change how space vehicles and instruments are designed. The new capabilities are based on silicon-germanium technology.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Silicon-germanium could change electronics for space vehicles."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2010-11-30 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:07:50","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-11-30T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2010-11-30T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"62995":{"id":"62995","type":"image","title":"Testing silicon-germanium devices","body":null,"created":"1449176409","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:00:09","changed":"1475894549","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:29","alt":"Testing silicon-germanium devices","file":{"fid":"191695","name":"tgw42582.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tgw42582_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tgw42582_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1286570,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tgw42582_0.jpg?itok=I5LHHCtL"}},"62996":{"id":"62996","type":"image","title":"Prototype device developed for NASA","body":null,"created":"1449176409","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:00:09","changed":"1475894549","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:29","alt":"Prototype device developed for NASA","file":{"fid":"191696","name":"tux42582.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tux42582_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tux42582_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1909829,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tux42582_0.jpg?itok=1O08E-zA"}},"62997":{"id":"62997","type":"image","title":"Testing silicon-germanium devices","body":null,"created":"1449176409","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:00:09","changed":"1475894549","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:29","alt":"Testing silicon-germanium devices","file":{"fid":"191697","name":"tny42582.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tny42582_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tny42582_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1323499,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tny42582_0.jpg?itok=eVdWiAF7"}}},"media_ids":["62995","62996","62997"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Electrical and Computer Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff\/fac_profiles\/bio.php?id=123","title":"John Cressler"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"147","name":"Military Technology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"609","name":"electronics"},{"id":"408","name":"NASA"},{"id":"7617","name":"radiation"},{"id":"170841","name":"silicon-germanium"},{"id":"167146","name":"space"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"62640":{"#nid":"62640","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Nanogenerators Grow Powerful Enough to Drive Conventional Electronics","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBlinking numbers on a liquid-crystal display (LCD) often indicate that a device\u0027s clock needs resetting.  But in the laboratory of Zhong Lin Wang at the Georgia Institute of Technology, the blinking number on a small LCD signals the success of a five-year effort to power conventional electronic devices with nanoscale generators that harvest mechanical energy from the environment using an array of tiny nanowires.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn this case, the mechanical energy comes from compressing a nanogenerator between two fingers, but it could also come from a heartbeat, the pounding of a hiker\u0027s shoe on a trail, the rustling of a shirt, or the vibration of a heavy machine.  While these nanogenerators will never produce large amounts of electricity for conventional purposes, they could be used to power nanoscale and microscale devices -- and even to recharge pacemakers or iPods. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWang\u0027s nanogenerators rely on the piezoelectric effect seen in crystalline materials such as zinc oxide, in which an electric charge potential is created when structures made from the material are flexed or compressed.  By capturing and combining the charges from millions of these nanoscale zinc oxide wires, Wang and his research team can produce as much as three volts -- and up to 300 nanoamps.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022By simplifying our design, making it more robust and integrating the contributions from many more nanowires, we have successfully boosted the output of our nanogenerator enough to drive devices such as commercial liquid-crystal displays, light-emitting diodes and laser diodes,\u0022 said Wang, a Regents\u0027 professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Materials Science and Engineering.  \u0022If we can sustain this rate of improvement, we will reach some true applications in healthcare devices, personal electronics, or environmental monitoring.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERecent improvements in the nanogenerators, including a simpler fabrication technique, were reported online last week in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENano Letters\u003C\/em\u003E.  Earlier papers in the same journal and in \u003Cem\u003ENature Communications\u003C\/em\u003E reported other advances for the work, which has been supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Air Force, and the National Science Foundation (NSF).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We are interested in very small devices that can be used in applications such as health care, environmental monitoring and personal electronics,\u0022 said Wang.  \u0022How to power these devices is a critical issue.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe earliest zinc oxide nanogenerators used arrays of nanowires grown on a rigid substrate and topped with a metal electrode.  Later versions embedded both ends of the nanowires in polymer and produced power by simple flexing.  Regardless of the configuration, the devices required careful growth of the nanowire arrays and painstaking assembly.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the latest paper, Wang and his group members Youfan Hu, Yan Zhang, Chen Xu, Guang Zhu and Zetang Li reported on much simpler fabrication techniques.  First, they grew arrays of a new type of nanowire that has a conical shape.  These wires were cut from their growth substrate and placed into an alcohol solution.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe solution containing the nanowires was then dripped onto a thin metal electrode and a sheet of flexible polymer film.  After the alcohol was allowed to dry, another layer was created.  Multiple nanowire\/polymer layers were built up into a kind of composite, using a process that Wang believes could be scaled up to industrial production.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen flexed, these nanowire sandwiches -- which are about two centimeters by 1.5 centimeters -- generated enough power to drive a commercial display borrowed from a pocket calculator.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWang says the nanogenerators are now close to producing enough current for a self-powered system that might monitor the environment for a toxic gas, for instance, then broadcast a warning.  The system would include capacitors able to store up the small charges until enough power was available to send out a burst of data.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile even the current nanogenerator output remains below the level required for such devices as iPods or cardiac pacemakers, Wang believes those levels will be reached within three to five years.  The current nanogenerator, he notes, is nearly 100 times more powerful than what his group had developed just a year ago.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWriting in a separate paper published in October in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Communications\u003C\/em\u003E, group members Sheng Xu, Benjamin J. Hansen and Wang reported on a new technique for fabricating piezoelectric nanowires from lead zirconate titanate -- also known as PZT.  The material is already used industrially, but is difficult to grow because it requires temperatures of 650 degrees Celsius.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the paper, Wang\u0027s team reported the first chemical epitaxial growth of vertically-aligned single-crystal nanowire arrays of PZT on a variety of conductive and non-conductive substrates.  They used a process known as hydrothermal decomposition, which took place at just 230 degrees Celsius.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith a rectifying circuit to convert alternating current to direct current, the researchers used the PZT nanogenerators to power a commercial laser diode, demonstrating an alternative materials system for Wang\u0027s nanogenerator family.  \u0022This allows us the flexibility of choosing the best material and process for the given need, although the performance of PZT is not as good as zinc oxide for power generation,\u0022 he explained.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd in another paper published in \u003Cem\u003ENano Letters\u003C\/em\u003E, Wang and group members Guang Zhu, Rusen Yang and Sihong Wang reported on yet another advance boosting nanogenerator output.  Their approach, called \u0022scalable sweeping printing,\u0022 includes a two-step process of (1) transferring vertically-aligned zinc oxide nanowires to a polymer receiving substrate to form horizontal arrays and (2) applying parallel strip electrodes to connect all of the nanowires together.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUsing a single layer of this structure, the researchers produced an open-circuit voltage of 2.03 volts and a peak output power density of approximately 11 milliwatts per cubic centimeter.   \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022From when we got started in 2005 until today, we have dramatically improved the output of our nanogenerators,\u0022 Wang noted.  \u0022We are within the range of what\u0027s needed.  If we can drive these small components, I believe we will be able to power small systems in the near future.  In the next five years, I hope to see this move into application.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia   30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Assistance\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Vogel Robinson (404-385-3364)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have reached a significant milestone in their development of nanometer-scale generators that harvest mechanical energy from the environment -- the ability to power conventional electronic devices such as liquid-crystal displays.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New nanogenerators can drive conventional electronic devices."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2010-11-09 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:07:42","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-11-09T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2010-11-09T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"62641":{"id":"62641","type":"image","title":"Zhong Lin Wang and nanogenerators","body":null,"created":"1449176382","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:59:42","changed":"1475894544","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:24","alt":"Zhong Lin Wang and nanogenerators","file":{"fid":"191529","name":"tad20593.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tad20593_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tad20593_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":909903,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tad20593_0.jpg?itok=i3m9Rdbf"}},"62642":{"id":"62642","type":"image","title":"Transferring nanowires","body":null,"created":"1449176382","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:59:42","changed":"1475894544","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:24","alt":"Transferring nanowires","file":{"fid":"191530","name":"twv20593.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/twv20593_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/twv20593_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":37713,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/twv20593_0.jpg?itok=4HkAYGjj"}},"62643":{"id":"62643","type":"image","title":"Nanogenerator powering an LCD","body":null,"created":"1449176382","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:59:42","changed":"1475894544","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:24","alt":"Nanogenerator powering an LCD","file":{"fid":"191531","name":"tiq20593.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tiq20593_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tiq20593_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":23931,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tiq20593_0.jpg?itok=wKlrHNJV"}}},"media_ids":["62641","62642","62643"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff\/faculty\/zhong-lin-wang","title":"Zhong Lin Wang"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"609","name":"electronics"},{"id":"213","name":"energy"},{"id":"6300","name":"generator"},{"id":"1334","name":"nanogenerator"},{"id":"2502","name":"nanowire"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"62398":{"#nid":"62398","#data":{"type":"news","title":"NIH Renews Georgia Tech-led Nanomedicine Center for $16.1 Million","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech-led Nanomedicine Center for Nucleoprotein Machines has received an award of $16.1 million for five years as part of its renewal by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  The eight-institution research team plans to pursue development of a clinically viable gene correction technology for single-gene disorders and demonstrate the technology\u0027s efficacy with sickle cell disease.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESickle cell disease is a genetic condition present at birth that affects more than 70,000 Americans. It involves a single altered gene that produces abnormal hemoglobin -- the protein that carries oxygen in the blood. In sickle cell disease, red blood cells become hard, sticky and \u0022C\u0022 shaped. Sickle cells die early, which causes a constant shortage of red blood cells. The abnormal cells also clog the flow in small blood vessels, causing chronic pain and other serious problems such as infections and acute chest syndrome.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Even though researchers know sickle cell disease is caused by a single A to T mutation in the beta-globin gene, there is no widely available cure,\u0022 said center director Gang Bao, the Robert A. Milton Chair in Biomedical Engineering in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. \u0022By directly and precisely fixing the single mutation, we hope to reduce or eliminate the sickle cell population in an individual\u0027s blood stream and replace the sickle cells with healthy red blood cells.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe center is one of eight NIH Nanomedicine Development Centers established in 2005 and 2006, a key initiative of the NIH\u0027s long-term nanomedicine research goals. The centers have highly multidisciplinary scientific teams that include biologists, physicians, mathematicians, engineers and computer scientists. Through an intense competition, the NIH selected four centers for second phase funding, including the one led by Georgia Tech. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to experts in the Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University and the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Georgia Tech, researchers from Medical College of Georgia, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York University Medical Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University and Harvard University are also members of the center.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe gene correction approach proposed by the research team to treat sickle cell disease involves delivering engineered zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) -- genetic scissors that cut DNA at a specific site -- and DNA correction templates into the nuclei of hematopoietic stem cells isolated from the bone marrow of individuals with sickle cell disease. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers chose hematopoietic stem cells because they are the precursors of all blood cells, including the cells rendered dysfunctional in sickle cell patients. Hematopoietic stem cells possess such potent regenerative potential that transplantation of even a single hematopoietic stem cell is sufficient to rebuild the entire blood system of an organism.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers plan to engineer and optimize the ZFN proteins so they will induce a double-strand break in the DNA near the sickle cell disease mutation, thereby activating the gene for correction. The broken DNA ends will enter the homologous recombination repair pathway, which will use the genetic information provided by the donor template -- rather than the original flawed information -- to correct the mutation. When the gene-corrected hematopoietic stem cells are injected back in the body, they will produce healthy red blood cells to replace the sickle cells. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This approach represents a significant paradigm shift in current gene targeting and gene therapy technology in that no viral-based vector or foreign DNA is used,\u0022 explained Bao, who is also a Georgia Tech College of Engineering Distinguished Professor. \u0022We think it\u0027s a promising approach because we do not need to fix all of the mutations in all cells; we only need to greatly reduce the sickle cell population by replacing those cells with healthy red blood cells.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are significant challenges in achieving the goals of the center, including the need to dramatically increase the rate of homologous recombination-mediated gene correction, improve the activity and specificity of ZFNs to maximize gene correction efficiency and minimize potentially harmful off-target effects, deliver the components necessary for gene correction to hematopoietic stem cells with high efficiency and throughput, avoid unwanted genomic rearrangements and optimize the engraftment of ZFN-modified hematopoietic stem cells. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo increase the efficiency of gene correction in the hematopoietic stem cells, the proposed gene correction approach will require a shift in repair pathway choice from non-homologous end joining toward homologous recombination. To accomplish this, the researchers plan to use methods they developed in the last four years to visualize the assembly of repair complexes at double-strand break sites and develop interventions to shift pathway choice toward homologous recombination.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo control ZFN activity so that unwanted off-target effects or gene rearrangements can be minimized or avoided, the researchers plan to refine and optimize the design and production of the proteins and develop photoactivatable proteins for better temporal control of ZFN activity. In addition, by investigating the fate and dynamics of the engineered proteins and donor template in living cells, and the incidence and biological effects of undesired mutations and gene rearrangements, the research team will further improve the process.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith novel imaging probes and methods already developed in the Nanomedicine Center for Nucleoprotein Machines, the researchers will be able to observe and systematically optimize each step in the gene correction process. Once that is accomplished, the research team will demonstrate the gene correction approach in a mouse model of sickle cell disease. Their goal is to demonstrate that gene-corrected cells can reconstitute the mouse hematopoietic system and reverse the sickle cell disease phenotype, according to Bao.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We want to focus on sickle cell disease to demonstrate this approach, but if we are successful, the same approach can be adopted to treat some of the other 6,000 estimated single gene disorders in the world today, such as cystic fibrosis and Tay-Sachs,\u0022 noted Bao.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Vogel Robinson (abby@innovate.gatech.edu; 404-385-3364) or John Toon (jtoon@gatech.edu; 404-894-6986)\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Vogel Robinson\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Nanomedicine Center for Nucleoprotein Machines has received $16.1 million as part of its renewal by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The center will pursue development of a clinically viable gene correction technology for single-gene disorders.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Nanomedicine Center for Nucleoprotein Machines renewed by NIH."}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2010-10-28 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:07:38","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-10-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2010-10-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"62399":{"id":"62399","type":"image","title":"Gang Bao","body":null,"created":"1449176369","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:59:29","changed":"1475894541","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:21","alt":"Gang Bao","file":{"fid":"191461","name":"tpt75586.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tpt75586_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tpt75586_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1274756,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tpt75586_0.jpg?itok=1lvBRiWs"}}},"media_ids":["62399"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.nucleoproteinmachines.org\/","title":"Nanomedicine Center for Nucleoprotein Machines"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=2","title":"Gang Bao"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/","title":"Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Chemical \u0026 Biomolecular Engineering"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7478","name":"cystic fibrosis"},{"id":"1041","name":"dna"},{"id":"11089","name":"dna correction"},{"id":"11090","name":"double-strand break"},{"id":"11092","name":"Hematopoietic Stem Cells"},{"id":"11088","name":"Homologous Recombination"},{"id":"2194","name":"nanomedicine"},{"id":"11093","name":"non-homologous end joining"},{"id":"11084","name":"nucleoprotein"},{"id":"11083","name":"nucleoprotein machine"},{"id":"171038","name":"Sickle Cell Anemia"},{"id":"171026","name":"Sickle Cell Disease"},{"id":"171027","name":"Sickle Cell Treatment"},{"id":"171039","name":"single gene disorder"},{"id":"11091","name":"tay-sachs"},{"id":"11085","name":"zinc finger nuclease"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbby Vogel Robinson\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News and Publications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=avogel6\u0022\u003EContact Abby Vogel Robinson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-385-3364\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["abby@innovate.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"61435":{"#nid":"61435","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Graphene Fabrication Method Uses Silicon Carbide Template","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a new \u201ctemplated growth\u201d technique for fabricating nanometer-scale graphene devices.  The method addresses what had been a significant obstacle to the use of this promising material in future generations of high-performance electronic devices.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe technique involves etching patterns into the silicon carbide surfaces on which epitaxial graphene is grown.  The patterns serve as templates directing the growth of graphene structures, allowing the formation of nanoribbons of specific widths without the use of e-beams or other destructive cutting techniques.  Graphene nanoribbons produced with these templates have smooth edges that avoid electron-scattering problems.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Using this approach, we can make very narrow ribbons of interconnected graphene without the rough edges,\u0022 said Walt de Heer, a professor in the Georgia Tech School of Physics.  \u0022Anything that can be done to make small structures without having to cut them is going to be useful to the development of graphene electronics because if the edges are too rough, electrons passing through the ribbons scatter against the edges and reduce the desirable properties of graphene.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new technique has been used to fabricate an array of 10,000 top-gated graphene transistors on a 0.24 square centimeter chip \u2013 believed to be the largest density of graphene devices reported so far.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research was reported Oct. 3 in the advance online edition of the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Nanotechnology\u003C\/em\u003E.  The work was supported by the National Science Foundation, the W.M. Keck Foundation and the Nanoelectronics Research Initiative Institute for Nanoelectronics Discovery and Exploration (INDEX).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn creating their graphene nanostructures, De Heer and his research team first use conventional microelectronics techniques to etch tiny \u0022steps\u0022 \u2013 or contours \u2013 into a silicon carbide wafer.  They then heat the contoured wafer to approximately 1,500 degrees Celsius, which initiates melting that polishes any rough edges left by the etching process.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey then use established techniques for growing graphene from silicon carbide by driving off the silicon atoms from the surface.  Instead of producing a consistent layer of graphene one atom thick across the surface of the wafer, however, the researchers limit the heating time so that graphene grows only on the edges of the contours.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo do this, they take advantage of the fact that graphene grows more rapidly on certain facets of the silicon carbide crystal than on others.  The width of the resulting nanoribbons is proportional to the depth of the contour, providing a mechanism for precisely controlling the nanoribbons.  To form complex graphene structures, multiple etching steps can be carried out to create a complex template, de Heer explained.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022By using the silicon carbide to provide the template, we can grow graphene in exactly the sizes and shapes that we want,\u0022 he said. \u0022Cutting steps of various depths allows us to create graphene structures that are interconnected in the way we want them to be.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn nanometer-scale graphene ribbons, quantum confinement makes the material behave as a semiconductor suitable for creation of electronic devices.  But in ribbons a micron or more wide, the material acts as a conductor.  Controlling the depth of the silicon carbide template allows the researchers to create these different structures simultaneously, using the same growth process.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The same material can be either a conductor or a semiconductor depending on its shape,\u0022 noted de Heer, who is also a faculty member in Georgia Tech\u2019s National Science Foundation-supported Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC).  \u0022One of the major advantages of graphene electronics is to make the device leads and the semiconducting ribbons from the same material.  That\u0027s important to avoid electrical resistance that builds up at junctions between different materials.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter formation of the nanoribbons \u2013 which can be as narrow as 40 nanometers \u2013 the researchers apply a dielectric material and metal gate to construct field-effect transistors.  While successful fabrication of high-quality transistors demonstrates graphene\u0027s viability as an electronic material, de Heer sees them as only the first step in what could be done with the material.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022When we manage to make devices well on the nanoscale, we can then move on to make much smaller and finer structures that will go beyond conventional transistors to open up the possibility for more sophisticated devices that use electrons more like light than particles,\u0022 he said.  \u0022If we can factor quantum mechanical features into electronics, that is going to open up a lot of new possibilities.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDe Heer and his research team are now working to create smaller structures, and to integrate the graphene devices with silicon.  The researchers are also working to improve the field-effect transistors with thinner dielectric materials.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, graphene may be the basis for a generation of high-performance devices that will take advantage of the material\u0027s unique properties in applications where the higher cost can be justified.  Silicon will continue to be used in applications that don\u0027t require such high performance, de Heer said.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This is another step showing that our method of working with epitaxial graphene on silicon carbide is the right approach and the one that will probably be used for making graphene electronics,\u0022 he added.  \u0022This is a significant new step toward electronics manufacturing with graphene.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to those already mentioned, the research has involved M. Sprinkle, M. Ruan, Y Hu, J. Hankinson, M. Rubio-Roy, B. Zhang, X. Wu and C. Berger.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Vogel Robinson (404-385-3364)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers have developed a new \u0022templated growth\u0022 technique for fabricating nanometer-scale graphene devices.  The method addresses what had been a significant obstacle to the use of this promising material in future generations of high-performance electronic devices.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new template approach is being used to fabricate graphene devi"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2010-10-05 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:07:34","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-10-05T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2010-10-05T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"61436":{"id":"61436","type":"image","title":"Graphene transistors","body":null,"created":"1449176337","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:58:57","changed":"1475894536","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:16","alt":"Graphene transistors","file":{"fid":"191358","name":"tcv90049.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tcv90049_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tcv90049_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":535060,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tcv90049_0.jpg?itok=Mqij29hT"}},"61437":{"id":"61437","type":"image","title":"Graphene nanoribbon","body":null,"created":"1449176337","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:58:57","changed":"1475894536","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:16","alt":"Graphene nanoribbon","file":{"fid":"191359","name":"trf90049.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/trf90049_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/trf90049_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":609209,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/trf90049_0.jpg?itok=zo3GXBe4"}}},"media_ids":["61436","61437"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Physics"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/people\/faculty\/wdeheer.html","title":"Walt de Heer"},{"url":"http:\/\/mrsec.gatech.edu\/","title":"Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC)"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1928","name":"devices"},{"id":"4264","name":"fabrication"},{"id":"429","name":"graphene"},{"id":"10851","name":"template"},{"id":"7528","name":"transistors"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"61514":{"#nid":"61514","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Develop Techniques for Using Material Recognized in Nobel Prize","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology researchers have pioneered the fabrication techniques expected to be used for manufacturing high-performance electronic devices from the material that has been recognized in this year\u0027s Nobel Prize in physics. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe 2010 physics prize was awarded for producing, isolating, identifying and characterizing graphene, a single atomic layer of carbon whose unique properties make the material attractive for electronic applications. Scientists at the University of Manchester were recognized for their work on graphene sheets peeled from blocks of graphite. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe work of the Georgia Tech group, headed by Professor Walt de Heer in the Georgia Tech School of Physics, was recognized by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in its scientific background document on the physics prize. De Heer\u0027s group pioneered epitaxial techniques for growing large-scale graphene sheets by heating wafers of silicon carbide to drive off the silicon, leaving a thin layer of graphene. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe technique, which is now being used by research groups at companies such as IBM, has practical applications in large-scale production of electronic devices. On Oct. 3, the group published a paper in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Nanotechnology\u003C\/em\u003E describing a new technique used to produce an array of 10,000 graphene transistors. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We believe that our technique, or one very much like it, will ultimately be used to manufacture future generations of graphene-based electronic devices,\u0022 said de Heer. \u0022Using techniques that are suitable for scaling up for mass production, we can grow graphene in the patterns that we need for electronic devices.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech group holds a patent, filed in 2003, on fabricating electronic devices from these graphene layers. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech is home to a Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC), funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and including collaborators from the University of California-Berkeley, University of California-Riverside and University of Michigan. The foundation focus of the center is research and development of epitaxial graphene. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The unique properties of graphene portend considerable promise for future electronic and optical devices,\u0022 said Dennis Hess, the center\u0027s director. \u0022If graphene is to serve as a viable successor to silicon-based microelectronic devices and circuits, large scale production on a suitable substrate is required. Proof of concept of this approach has already been demonstrated by the fabrication of a 10,000 epitaxial graphene transistor array by Walt de Heer and his collaborators. This achievement is a significant advance toward realizing carbon-based electronics for the 21st century.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech team also collaborates with researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) on characterizing the unique properties of graphene. That work has led to several recent important papers, in journals such as \u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E and \u003Cem\u003ENature Physics\u003C\/em\u003E. The latter described for the first time how the orbits of electrons are distributed spatially by magnetic fields applied to layers of epitaxial graphene. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn Oct. 3 in the advance online publication of the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Nanotechnology\u003C\/em\u003E, de Heer and collaborators described the development of a new \u0022templated growth\u0022 technique for fabricating nanometer-scale graphene devices. The method addresses what had been a significant obstacle to the use of this promising material in future generations of high-performance electronic devices. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe technique involves etching patterns into the silicon carbide surfaces on which epitaxial graphene is grown. The patterns serve as templates directing the growth of graphene structures, allowing the formation of nanoribbons of specific widths without the use of e-beams or other destructive cutting techniques. Templated nanoribbon growth addresses the edge roughness that causes electron scattering. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Vogel Robinson (404-385-3364)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E). \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon \u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology researchers have pioneered the fabrication techniques expected to be used for manufacturing high-performance electronic devices from the material that has been recognized in this year\u0027s Nobel Prize in physics.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers were cited by Nobel Prize committee."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2010-10-07 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:07:34","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-10-07T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2010-10-07T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"61515":{"id":"61515","type":"image","title":"Walt de Heer in laboratory","body":null,"created":"1449176337","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:58:57","changed":"1475894536","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:16","alt":"Walt de Heer in laboratory","file":{"fid":"191374","name":"tty62482.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tty62482_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tty62482_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1471812,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tty62482_0.jpg?itok=nRakTLIf"}}},"media_ids":["61515"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Physics"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/people\/faculty\/wdeheer.html","title":"Walt de Heer"},{"url":"http:\/\/mrsec.gatech.edu\/","title":"Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC)"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1928","name":"devices"},{"id":"609","name":"electronics"},{"id":"10880","name":"epitaxial"},{"id":"429","name":"graphene"},{"id":"7435","name":"material"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"62034":{"#nid":"62034","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Oral Delivery System Developed to Treat Inflammatory Bowel Diseases","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University have developed a novel approach for delivering small bits of genetic material into the body to improve the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDelivering short strands of RNA into cells has become a popular research area because of its potential therapeutic applications, but how to deliver them into targeted cells in a living organism has been an obstacle.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the Oct. 10 advance online edition of the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Materials\u003C\/em\u003E, researchers describe how they encapsulated short pieces of RNA into engineered particles called thioketal nanoparticles and orally delivered the genetic material directly to the inflamed intestines of animals. The research was sponsored by the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The thioketal nanoparticles we designed are stable in both acids and bases and only break open to release the pieces of RNA in the presence of reactive oxygen species, which are found in and around inflamed tissue in the gastrointestinal tract of individuals with inflammatory bowel diseases,\u0022 said Niren Murthy, an associate professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis work was done in collaboration with Emory University Division of Digestive Diseases professor Shanthi Sitaraman, associate professor Didier Merlin and postdoctoral fellow Guillaume Dalmasso.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe thioketal nanoparticles protect the small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) from the harsh environment of the gastrointestinal tract and target them directly to the inflamed intestinal tissues. This localized approach is necessary because siRNAs can cause major side effects if injected systemically. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the paper, the thioketal nanoparticles were formulated from a new polymer -- poly-(1,4-phenyleneacetone dimethylene thioketal) (PPADT) -- and engineered to have a diameter of approximately 600 nanometers for optimal oral delivery.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor their experiments, the researchers used a mouse model of ulcerative colitis -- a debilitating inflammatory bowel disease in which the digestive tract becomes inflamed, causing severe diarrhea and abdominal pain that can lead to life-threatening complications. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers orally administered thioketal nanoparticles loaded with siRNA that inhibits an inflammation-promoting cytokine called tumor necrosis factor - alpha (TNF-\u03b1). The nanoparticles traveled directly to the mouse colons where reactive oxygen species were being produced in excess and decreased the cytokine production levels there. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETissue samples from the colons treated with siRNA delivered by these thioketal nanoparticles exhibited intact epitheliums, well-defined fingerlike \u0022crypt\u0022 structures and lower levels of inflammation -- signs that the colon was protected against ulcerative colitis.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Since ulcerative colitis is restricted to the colon, these results confirm that the siRNA-loaded thioketal nanoparticles remain stable in non-inflamed regions of the gastrointestinal tract while targeting siRNA to inflamed intestinal tissues,\u0022 explained the paper\u0027s lead author Scott Wilson, a graduate student in the Georgia Tech School of Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe paper showed that thioketal nanoparticles have the chemical and physical properties needed to overcome the obstacles of gastrointestinal fluids, intestinal mucosa and cellular barriers to provide therapy to inflamed intestinal tissues, he added.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers are currently working on increasing the degradation rate of the nanoparticles and enhancing their reactivity with reactive oxygen species. The team also plans to conduct a biodistribution study to detail how the nanoparticles travel through the body.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Polymer toxicity is something we\u0027ll have to investigate further, but during this study we discovered that thioketal nanoparticles loaded with siRNA have a cell toxicity profile similar to nanoparticles formulated from the FDA-approved material poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA),\u0022 added Murthy.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the future, thioketal nanoparticles may become a significant player in the treatment of numerous gastrointestinal diseases linked to intestinal inflammation, including gastrointestinal cancers, inflammatory bowel diseases and viral infections, according to Murthy.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis project is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) (Award Nos. EEC-9731643 and NSF Career BES-0546962) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (Award Nos. UO1 HL80711-01, R21 EB006418, RO1 HL096796-01, RO1 DK071594, R01 DK064711 and T32 GM08433). The content is solely the responsibility of the principal investigator and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NSF or NIH.\u003C\/em\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Vogel Robinson (abby@innovate.gatech.edu; 404-385-3364) or John Toon (jtoon@gatech.edu; 404-894-6986)\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Vogel Robinson\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"Researchers have developed a novel approach for delivering genetic material into the body to improve the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers report treatment for inflammatory diseases."}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2010-10-10 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:07:34","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-10-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2010-10-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"62035":{"id":"62035","type":"image","title":"Thioketal nanparticle illustration","body":null,"created":"1449176337","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:58:57","changed":"1475894539","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:19","alt":"Thioketal nanparticle illustration","file":{"fid":"191380","name":"tdb42616.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tdb42616_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tdb42616_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":51157,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tdb42616_0.jpg?itok=DM3mAj2o"}},"62036":{"id":"62036","type":"image","title":"Colon tissue samples","body":null,"created":"1449176337","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:58:57","changed":"1475894539","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:19","alt":"Colon tissue samples","file":{"fid":"191381","name":"tho42616.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tho42616_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tho42616_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":53323,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tho42616_0.jpg?itok=5Tmqtegs"}},"62037":{"id":"62037","type":"image","title":"Scott Wilson award","body":null,"created":"1449176337","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:58:57","changed":"1475894539","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:19","alt":"Scott Wilson award","file":{"fid":"191382","name":"tlv42616.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tlv42616_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tlv42616_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1210986,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tlv42616_0.jpg?itok=yE-NNM25"}}},"media_ids":["62035","62036","62037"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/nmat2859","title":"Nature Materials paper"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=58","title":"Niren Murthy"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/","title":"Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Chemical \u0026 Biomolecular Engineering"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"10897","name":"Chron\u0027s"},{"id":"10896","name":"Colitis"},{"id":"10902","name":"Gastroenterology"},{"id":"10901","name":"Gastroinestinal"},{"id":"3201","name":"inflammation"},{"id":"10895","name":"Inflammatory Bowel Disease"},{"id":"10900","name":"oral delivery system"},{"id":"7446","name":"PLGA"},{"id":"10903","name":"PPADT"},{"id":"171032","name":"siRNA"},{"id":"10899","name":"thioketal nanoparticles"},{"id":"10898","name":"thioketals"},{"id":"10906","name":"TNF"},{"id":"10904","name":"Tumor Necrosis Factor"},{"id":"10905","name":"Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EAbby Vogel Robinson\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News and Publications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=avogel6\u0022\u003EContact Abby Vogel Robinson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-385-3364\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["abby@innovate.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"62095":{"#nid":"62095","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Factors Beyond Crowding Affect Molecular Motion in Cells","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing large-scale computer simulations, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have identified the most important factors affecting how molecules move through the crowded environment inside living cells. The findings suggest that perturbations caused by hydrodynamic interactions -- similar to what happens when the wake from a large boat affects smaller boats on a lake -- may be the most important factor in this intracellular diffusion. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA detailed understanding of the interactions inside cells -- where macromolecules can occupy as much as 40 percent of the available space -- could provide important information to the developers of therapeutic drugs and lead to a better understanding of how disease states develop. Ultimately, researchers hope to have a complete simulation of these cellular processes to help them understand a range of biological issues, from metabolism to cell division. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESponsored by the National Institutes of Health, the research was reported Oct. 11 in the early online edition of the journal \u003Cem\u003EProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\u003C\/em\u003E. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We found that hydrodynamics -- perturbation of the solvent with eddies and wakes created by molecules in this crowded environment -- may be the dominant effect in intermolecular dynamics within cells,\u0022 said Jeffrey Skolnick, director of the Center for the Study of Systems Biology at Georgia Tech. \u0022The correlations created between molecules through this process have a lot of functional consequences for how collections of these molecules interact.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe motion of macromolecules within cells is normally random, occurring through Brownian motion that causes the molecules to diffuse through the cellular cytoplasm, which has viscosity similar to that of water. Researchers have studied the movement of fluorescent protein molecules injected into \u003Cem\u003EE. coli \u003C\/em\u003Ecells, but don\u2019t yet understand the forces affecting that motion. However, the measurements show that the fluorescent molecules move about 15 times more slowly inside the cell than they do in a test tube. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing simulations that allowed them to adjust the impacts of natural forces, Skolnick and collaborator Tadashi Ando analyzed the activity of 15 different molecules in a portion -- just one one-thousandth -- of an E. coli cell. By altering those simulated forces in the computer, they attempted to determine what may cause the reduction in diffusion speed. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe most logical reason for that slowed movement is the crowded nature of cells, but Skolnick and Ando found that bumping into other molecules accounted for only a portion of the reduced molecular diffusion. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022If you are in a crowded room and want to walk to the bar, the other people slow you down,\u0022 explained Skolnick, who is Georgia Research Alliance eminent scholar in computational systems biology. \u0022In biological processes, if there are a lot of large molecules in the way, these protein molecules can\u0027t move as quickly. But our model showed that this crowding accounted for only about a third of the reduction measured experimentally.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers also studied the hydrodynamic forces exerted by molecules on one another. These forces are comparable to the way in which the wake of a large boat on a lake affects smaller boats, or how a swimming whale might effect a school of small fish. The interaction causes correlated motion, which was known to be important in the movement of polymers and colloids studied earlier by chemists. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy turning off the other forces at work in their silicon world, the Georgia Tech researchers found that this correlated motion accounted for much more of the diffusion reduction than did the crowding. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The hydrodynamic interactions create cooperative motion between the molecules,\u0022 Skolnick explained. \u0022We see long-lived correlations between the molecules, independent of size, in space and time. This suggests that these correlated motions may be extremely important in the dynamics of molecules.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers also studied other possible causes for the slow-down but found that repulsion between molecules, variations in molecular shape and \u0022stickiness\u0022 between molecules could not account for the dramatic reduction in diffusion rate. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThough the findings are interesting in themselves, their real importance may be in setting the stage for larger studies that would include the thousands of molecules known to be important to cellular operations. Researchers ultimately hope to model everything happening in the cell, including interactions with the cell membrane. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This is the beginning of what will be a very complicated effort to develop the tools and approaches that will allow us to simulate a sufficiently useful caricature of a cell,\u0022 Skolnick said. \u0022From that, we will be able to learn the biological principles at work, and then study some \u0027what if\u0027 scenarios.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose \u0022what if\u0022 questions might one day help drug designers better understand how therapeutic compounds work within cells, for instance, or allow cancer researchers to see how cells change from a healthy state to a disease state. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022It would be great if we could study new drugs in a model set of cells to very quickly see what might be the side-effects and cross interactions to understand how we might minimize these problems,\u0022 Skolnick noted. \u0022The nice thing about a computer simulation is that if it is a reasonably faithful caricature, you can ask a lot of questions -- and get answers that help you understand what\u2019s going on.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Assistance\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Vogel Robinson (404-385-3364)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E). \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: Jeffrey Skolnick (404-407-8975)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:skolnick@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eskolnick@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E). \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon \u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing large-scale computer simulations, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have identified the most important factors affecting how molecules move through the crowded environment inside living cells.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new study shows how molecules diffuse through cells."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2010-10-12 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:07:31","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-10-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2010-10-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"62096":{"id":"62096","type":"image","title":"Movement of molecules in cells","body":null,"created":"1449176337","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:58:57","changed":"1475894536","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:16","alt":"Movement of molecules in cells","file":{"fid":"191391","name":"thl04388.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/thl04388_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/thl04388_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":419089,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/thl04388_0.jpg?itok=voPcPLBS"}},"62097":{"id":"62097","type":"image","title":"Prof. Jeffrey Skolnick","body":null,"created":"1449176337","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:58:57","changed":"1475894536","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:16","alt":"Prof. Jeffrey Skolnick","file":{"fid":"191392","name":"tvw04388.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tvw04388_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tvw04388_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":774484,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tvw04388_0.jpg?itok=B4tQrDCT"}}},"media_ids":["62096","62097"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/cssb.biology.gatech.edu\/","title":"Center for the Study of Sytems Biology"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.biology.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Biology"},{"url":"http:\/\/cssb.biology.gatech.edu\/skolnick\/people\/jeff.html","title":"Jeffrey Skolnick"},{"url":"http:\/\/cssb.biology.gatech.edu\/cell_simulation","title":"Videos of simulations"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.gra.org\/","title":"Georgia Research Alliance"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"532","name":"cell"},{"id":"10931","name":"diffusion"},{"id":"5926","name":"Molecules"},{"id":"1107","name":"motion"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"61421":{"#nid":"61421","#data":{"type":"news","title":"NIH Awards $14.6M Translational Cardiovascular Nanomedicine Center","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech and Emory University have received a five-year $14.6 million contract from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue the development of nanotechnology and biomolecular engineering tools and methodologies for detecting and treating atherosclerosis. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAtherosclerosis typically occurs in branched or curved regions of arteries where plaques form because of cholesterol build-up. Inflammation can alter the structure of plaques so they become more likely to rupture, potentially causing a blood vessel blockage and leading to heart attack or stroke.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe award will support the interdisciplinary Center for Translational Cardiovascular Nanomedicine as the second phase of the Program of Excellence in Nanotechnology (PEN), originally established in 2005 with funding from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the NIH. This Center integrates the biomedical engineering expertise of Georgia Tech and the cardiology strengths of Emory University\u0027s School of Medicine. The broad and long-term goal of the PEN is to improve the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022In the last five years, we developed a suite of nanotechnology approaches for diagnosing and treating cardiovascular disease and we have demonstrated their efficacy in terms of potential clinical application,\u0022 said Gang Bao, the program\u0027s director and the Robert A. Milton Chair in Biomedical Engineering in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. \u0022For the next five years, we will focus on translating these technologies into clinical utility and we would like to have some of these nanotechnologies ready for human clinical trials by the end of this five-year period.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDuring the first five years of the PEN, the Georgia Tech and Emory University researchers have made contributions in nanotechnology development, basic cardiology research and inflammatory biomarker detection. The research team has published or submitted more than 80 peer-reviewed papers, filed nine patents and established three startup companies to commercialize the nanotechnologies. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0027There is a great unmet need to develop innovative diagnostic modalities that inform the activity of the inflammatory disease and to guide evaluation of therapy,\u0022 explained Bao, who is also a Georgia Tech College of Engineering Distinguished Professor. \u0022Our nanotechnology toolbox will allow us to translate more mature nanotechnologies to clinical utility and evaluate new nanotechnologies that will provide unique functionalities and novel applications.\u0022   \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe second phase of the PEN will build on the foundation developed and progress made during the last five years to accomplish four goals:\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2022 Using nanoparticle probes to image and characterize atherosclerotic plaques\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u2022 Diagnosing cardiovascular disease from a blood sample\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u2022 Designing new methods for delivering anti-atherosclerosis drugs and genes into the body\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u2022 Developing stem cell based therapies to repair damaged heart tissue\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers will use the suite of nanotechnologies they developed in the last five years -- including molecular beacons, magnetic nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles, quantum dots, polyketals and hydrocyanine dyes -- to accomplish these goals. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe first goal focuses on determining if an individual\u0027s atherosclerotic plaque will grow and rupture. Having this information would allow physicians to treat atherosclerosis more effectively.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022By using nanoparticle probes \u003Cem\u003Ein vitro\u003C\/em\u003E and \u003Cem\u003Ein vivo\u003C\/em\u003E, we hope to be able to detect early-stage cardiovascular disease,\u0022 noted Bao, \u0022but many important issues such as detection specificity, toxicity and safety still need to be addressed.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to \u003Cem\u003Ein vivo\u003C\/em\u003E imaging of plaques using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET), the research team is developing a laboratory diagnostic test for detecting cardiovascular disease from a blood sample. The presence or levels of specific micro-RNAs, reactive oxygen species or protein markers in the blood will be tested as an indication of the presence and stage of atherosclerosis. This diagnostic approach has the advantages of being fast, inexpensive and nontoxic. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOnce atherosclerosis is detected in an individual, it needs to be treated. Several small molecule drugs have been identified as potent therapeutic agents for cardiovascular diseases, but their clinical utility is limited due to their water-repellant nature and short circulation half-life. A novel approach for targeted drug or gene delivery is to use nanoparticles to carry the small molecules into the body. This type of delivery system has the advantage of combining targeting, imaging and controlled release, and can be tailored to optimize circulation time and reduce toxicity. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Delivering these small molecules in a specific, sufficient and sustained manner to localized vascular lesions may significantly improve the clinical outcomes of cardiovascular diseases,\u0022 said Bao.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor the final goal, the research team will use stem cells to create a personalized treatment strategy for repairing damage caused by atherosclerosis. The researchers plan to use nanotechnologies to generate and deliver patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells to the injured vasculature and heart to repair the damage.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Our goals are ambitious as we plan to further develop our nanoscale tools and nanocardiology knowledge base, to translate the new tools and nanotechnologies to clinical applications in diagnosing and treating cardiovascular disease, and to train the next generation of leaders in cardiovascular nanomedicine,\u0022 added Bao.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlso contributing from the Coulter Department are professors Don Giddens, Xiaoping Hu, Hanjoong Jo, Shuming Nie, and W. Robert Taylor; associate professors Niren Murthy and May Dongmei Wang; and assistant professor Michael Davis. Giddens is also dean of Georgia Tech\u0027s College of Engineering. Taylor is also the director of Emory\u2019s Division of Cardiology and a member of the Atlanta VA Medical Center\u2019s Division of Cardiology.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EContributors from Emory University include Department of Medicine chair Wayne Alexander; Division of Cardiology professors David Harrison and Kathy Griendling, associate professor Young-sup Yoon and assistant professor Charles Searles Jr.; and Department of Radiology professor Mark Goodman. Katherine Ferrara, a biomedical engineering professor at the University of California, Davis, is also collaborating on the project.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Vogel Robinson (abby@innovate.gatech.edu; 404-385-3364) or John Toon (jtoon@gatech.edu; 404-894-6986)\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Vogel Robinson\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Center aimed at detecting and treating atherosclerosis using nanoscale tools"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech and Emory University have received a five-year $14.6 million contract from NIH to continue the development of nanotechnology and biomolecular engineering tools and methodologies for detecting and treating atherosclerosis.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech \u0026 Emory received 5-year $14.6M contract from NIH."}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2010-10-04 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:07:31","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-10-04T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2010-10-04T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"61422":{"id":"61422","type":"image","title":"Gang Bao Biomedical Engineering","body":null,"created":"1449176337","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:58:57","changed":"1475894536","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:16","alt":"Gang Bao Biomedical Engineering","file":{"fid":"191354","name":"txa10075.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/txa10075_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/txa10075_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":597562,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/txa10075_0.jpg?itok=-qvEhmL_"}}},"media_ids":["61422"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=2","title":"Gang Bao"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/","title":"Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/pen.bme.gatech.edu\/","title":"Program of Excellence in Nanotechnology"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7270","name":"atherosclerosis"},{"id":"10841","name":"atherosclerosis detection"},{"id":"10842","name":"atherosclerosis treatment"},{"id":"3184","name":"cardiovascular disease"},{"id":"10843","name":"cardiovascular disease diagnosis"},{"id":"3346","name":"drug delivery"},{"id":"10846","name":"gold nanoparticles"},{"id":"250","name":"hydrocyanines"},{"id":"10845","name":"magnetic nanoparticles"},{"id":"3183","name":"molecular beacons"},{"id":"10844","name":"Molecular Biomarkers"},{"id":"10847","name":"nanocardiology"},{"id":"2054","name":"nanoparticle"},{"id":"1449","name":"nanoprobe"},{"id":"107","name":"Nanotechnology"},{"id":"7240","name":"polyketal"},{"id":"2363","name":"quantum dots"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbby Vogel Robinson\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News and Publications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=avogel6\u0022\u003EContact Abby Vogel Robinson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-385-3364\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["abby@innovate.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"61055":{"#nid":"61055","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Biosensing Technology Could Facilitate Personalized Medicine","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe multi-welled microplate, long a standard tool in biomedical research and diagnostic laboratories, could become a thing of the past thanks to new electronic biosensing technology developed by a team of microelectronics engineers and biomedical scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEssentially arrays of tiny test tubes, microplates have been used for decades to simultaneously test multiple samples for their responses to chemicals, living organisms or antibodies. Fluorescence or color changes in labels associated with compounds on the plates can signal the presence of particular proteins or gene sequences. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers hope to replace these microplates with modern microelectronics technology, including disposable arrays containing thousands of electronic sensors connected to powerful signal processing circuitry. If they\u0027re successful, this new electronic biosensing platform could help realize the dream of personalized medicine by making possible real-time disease diagnosis -- potentially in a physician\u2019s office -- and by helping select individualized therapeutic approaches. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This technology could help facilitate a new era of personalized medicine,\u0022 said John McDonald, chief research scientist at the Ovarian Cancer Institute in Atlanta and a professor in the Georgia Tech School of Biology. \u0022A device like this could quickly detect in individuals the gene mutations that are indicative of cancer and then determine what would be the optimal treatment. There are a lot of potential applications for this that cannot be done with current analytical and diagnostic technology.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFundamental to the new biosensing system is the ability to electronically detect markers that differentiate between healthy and diseased cells. These markers could be differences in proteins, mutations in DNA or even specific levels of ions that exist at different amounts in cancer cells. Researchers are finding more and more differences like these that could be exploited to create fast and inexpensive electronic detection techniques that don\u0027t rely on conventional labels. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We have put together several novel pieces of nanoelectronics technology to create a method for doing things in a very different way than what we have been doing,\u0022 said Muhannad Bakir, an associate professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. \u0022What we are creating is a new general-purpose sensing platform that takes advantage of the best of nanoelectronics and three-dimensional electronic system integration to modernize and add new applications to the old microplate application. This is a marriage of electronics and molecular biology.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe three-dimensional sensor arrays are fabricated using conventional low-cost, top-down microelectronics technology. Though existing sample preparation and loading systems may have to be modified, the new biosensor arrays should be compatible with existing work flows in research and diagnostic labs. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe want to make these devices simple to manufacture by taking advantage of all the advances made in microelectronics, while at the same time not significantly changing usability for the clinician or researcher,\u201d said Ramasamy Ravindran, a graduate research assistant in Georgia Tech\u2019s Nanotechnology Research Center and the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA key advantage of the platform is that sensing will be done using low-cost, disposable components, while information processing will be done by reusable conventional integrated circuits connected temporarily to the array. Ultra-high density spring-like mechanically compliant connectors and advanced \u0022through-silicon vias\u0022 will make the electrical connections while allowing technicians to replace the biosensor arrays without damaging the underlying circuitry. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESeparating the sensing and processing portions allows fabrication to be optimized for each type of device, notes Hyung Suk Yang, a graduate research assistant also working in the Nanotechnology Research Center. Without the separation, the types of materials and processes that can be used to fabricate the sensors are severely limited. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe sensitivity of the tiny electronic sensors can often be greater than current systems, potentially allowing diseases to be detected earlier. Because the sample wells will be substantially smaller than those of current microplates -- allowing a smaller form factor -- they could permit more testing to be done with a given sample volume. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe technology could also facilitate use of ligand-based sensing that recognizes specific genetic sequences in DNA or messenger RNA. \u0022This would very quickly give us an indication of the proteins that are being expressed by that patient, which gives us knowledge of the disease state at the point-of-care,\u0022 explained Ken Scarberry, a postdoctoral fellow in McDonald\u0027s lab. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo far, the researchers have demonstrated a biosensing system with silicon nanowire sensors in a 16-well device built on a one-centimeter by one-centimeter chip. The nanowires, just 50 by 70 nanometers, differentiated between ovarian cancer cells and healthy ovarian epithelial cells at a variety of cell densities. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESilicon nanowire sensor technology can be used to simultaneously detect large numbers of different cells and biomaterials without labels. Beyond that versatile technology, the biosensing platform could accommodate a broad range of other sensors \u2013 including technologies that may not exist yet. Ultimately, hundreds of thousands of different sensors could be included on each chip, enough to rapidly detect markers for a broad range of diseases. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Our platform idea is really sensor agnostic,\u0022 said Ravindran. \u0022It could be used with a lot of different sensors that people are developing. It would give us an opportunity to bring together a lot of different kinds of sensors in a single chip.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGenetic mutations can lead to a large number of different disease states that can affect a patient\u0027s response to disease or medication, but current labeled sensing methods are limited in their ability to detect large numbers of different markers simultaneously. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMapping single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), variations that account for approximately 90 percent of human genetic variation, could be used to determine a patient\u0027s propensity for a disease, or their likelihood of benefitting from a particular intervention. The new biosensing technology could enable caregivers to produce and analyze SNP maps at the point-of-care. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThough many technical challenges remain, the ability to screen for thousands of disease markers in real-time has biomedical scientists like McDonald excited. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022With enough sensors in there, you could theoretically put all possible combinations on the array,\u0022 he said. \u0022This has not been considered possible until now because making an array large enough to detect them all with current technology is probably not feasible. But with microelectronics technology, you can easily include all the possible combinations, and that changes things.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPapers describing the biosensing device were presented at the Electronic Components and Technology Conference and the International Interconnect Technology conference in June 2010. The research has been supported in part by the National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN), Georgia Tech\u0027s Integrative BioSystems Institute (IBSI) and the Semiconductor Research Corporation. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Vogel Robinson (404-385-3364)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E). \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon \u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe microplate, a standard tool in biomedical research and diagnostic laboratories, could become a thing of the past thanks to new electronic biosensing technology developed by a team of microelectronics engineers and biomedical scientists.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new electronic microplate offers new biosensing options."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2010-09-20 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:07:27","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-09-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2010-09-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"61056":{"id":"61056","type":"image","title":"Comparing old and new microplates","body":null,"created":"1449176308","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:58:28","changed":"1475894531","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:11","alt":"Comparing old and new microplates","file":{"fid":"191268","name":"teb94763.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/teb94763_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/teb94763_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1422856,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/teb94763_0.jpg?itok=lElAkJEF"}},"61057":{"id":"61057","type":"image","title":"Comparing old and new microplates","body":null,"created":"1449176308","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:58:28","changed":"1475894531","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:11","alt":"Comparing old and new microplates","file":{"fid":"191269","name":"tqo94763.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tqo94763_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tqo94763_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":867486,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tqo94763_0.jpg?itok=YfAtTCjh"}},"61058":{"id":"61058","type":"image","title":"Binding ligands to silicon nanowires","body":null,"created":"1449176308","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:58:28","changed":"1475894531","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:11","alt":"Binding ligands to silicon nanowires","file":{"fid":"191270","name":"tmm94763.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tmm94763_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tmm94763_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1082245,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tmm94763_0.jpg?itok=Uosgbeat"}}},"media_ids":["61056","61057","61058"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Electrical and Computer Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.biology.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Biology"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.mirc.gatech.edu\/","title":"Microelectronics Research Center"},{"url":"http:\/\/ovariancancerinstitute.org\/","title":"Ovarian Cancer Institute"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"10677","name":"biosensing"},{"id":"10678","name":"diagnostic"},{"id":"10676","name":"microplate"},{"id":"10679","name":"personalized medicine"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"60777":{"#nid":"60777","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Create New Logic Device Based on Piezoelectric Effect","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a new class of electronic logic device in which current is switched by an electric field generated by the application of mechanical strain to zinc oxide nanowires.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe devices, which include transistors and diodes, could be used in nanometer-scale robotics, nano-electromechanical systems (NEMS), micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) and microfluidic devices. The mechanical action used to initiate the strain could be as simple as pushing a button, or be created by the flow of a liquid, stretching of muscles or the movement of a robotic component. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn traditional field-effect transistors, an electrical field switches -- or \u0022gates\u0022 -- the flow of electrical current through a semiconductor. Instead of using an electrical signal, the new logic devices create the switching field by mechanically deforming zinc oxide nanowires. The deformation creates strain in the nanowires, generating an electric field through the piezoelectric effect -- which creates electrical charge in certain crystalline materials when they are subjected to mechanical strain. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022When we apply a strain to a nanowire placed across two metal electrodes, we create a field, which is strong enough to serve as the gating voltage,\u0022 said Zhong Lin Wang, a Regents professor in the Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering. \u0022This type of device would allow mechanical action to be interfaced with electronics, and could be the basis for a new form of logic device that uses the piezoelectric potential in place of a gate voltage.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWang, who has published a series of articles on the devices in such journals as \u003Cem\u003ENano Letters\u003C\/em\u003E, \u003Cem\u003EAdvanced Materials \u003C\/em\u003Eand \u003Cem\u003EApplied Physics Letters\u003C\/em\u003E, calls this new class of nanometer-scale device \u0022piezotronics\u0022 because they use piezoelectric potential to tune and gate the charge transport process in semiconductors. The devices rely on the unique properties of zinc oxide nanostructures, which are both semiconducting and piezoelectric. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe transistors and diodes add to the family of nanodevices developed by Wang and his research team, and could be combined into systems in which all components are based on the same zinc oxide material. The researchers have previously announced development of nanometer-scale generators that produce a voltage by converting mechanical motion from the environment, and nanowire sensors for measuring pH and detecting ultraviolet light. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The family of devices we have developed can be joined together to create self-powered, autonomous and intelligent nanoscale systems,\u0022 Wang said. \u0022We can create complex systems totally based on zinc oxide nanowires that have memory, processing, and sensing capabilities powered by electrical energy scavenged from the environment.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing strain-gated transistors fabricated on a flexible polymer substrate, the researchers have demonstrated basic logic operations -- including NOR, XOR and NAND gates and multiplexer\/demultiplexer functions -- by simply applying different types of strain to the zinc oxide nanowires. They have also created an inverter by placing strain-gated transistors on both sides of a flexible substrate. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Using the strain-gated transistor as a building block, we can build complicated logic,\u0022 Wang added. \u0022This is the first time that a mechanical action has been used to create a logic operation.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA strain-gated transistor is made of a single zinc oxide nanowire with its two ends -- the source and drain electrodes -- fixed to a polymer substrate by metal contacts. Flexing the devices reverses their polarity as the strain changes from compressive to tensile on opposite sides. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe devices operate at low frequencies -- the kind created by human interaction and the ambient environment -- and would not challenge traditional CMOS transistors for speed in conventional applications. The devices respond to very small mechanical forces, Wang noted. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech group has also learned to control conductivity in zinc oxide nanodevices using laser emissions that take advantage of the unique photo-excitation properties of the material. When ultraviolet light from a laser strikes a metal contact attached to a zinc oxide structure, it creates electron-hole pairs which change the height of the Schottky barrier at the zinc oxide-metal contact. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese conductivity-changing characteristics of the laser emissions can be used in tandem with alterations in mechanical strain to provide more precise control over the conducting capabilities of a device. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The laser improves the conductivity of the structure,\u0022 Wang noted. \u0022The laser effect is in contrast to the piezoelectric effect. The laser effect reduces the barrier height, while the piezoelectric effect increases the barrier height.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWang has called these new devices fabricated by coupling piezoelectric, photon excitation and semiconductor properties \u0022piezo-phototronic\u0022 devices. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research group has also created hybrid logic devices that use zinc oxide nanowires to control current moving through single-walled carbon nanotubes. The nanotubes, which were produced by researchers at Duke University, can be either p-type or n-type. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research has been supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). In addition to Wang, the research team includes Wenzhuo Wu, Yaguang Wei, Youfan Hu, Weihua Liu, Minbaek Lee, Yan Zhang, Yanling Chang, Shu Xiang, Lei Ding, Jie Liu and Robert Snyder. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Our work with strain-gated devices provides a new approach to logic operations that performs mechanical-electrical actions in one structural unit using a single material,\u0022 Wang noted. \u0022These transistors could provide new processing and memory capabilities in very small and portable devices.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Assistance\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Vogel Robinson (404-385-3364)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E). \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon \u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a new class of electronic logic device in which current is switched by an electric field generated by the application of mechanical strain to zinc oxide nanowires.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new class of electronic logic uses piezoelectric switching."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2010-09-02 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:07:23","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-09-02T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2010-09-02T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"60778":{"id":"60778","type":"image","title":"Testing piezo phototronic devices","body":null,"created":"1449176296","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:58:16","changed":"1475894528","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:08","alt":"Testing piezo phototronic devices","file":{"fid":"191210","name":"ttd62450.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ttd62450_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ttd62450_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":934793,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ttd62450_0.jpg?itok=ECXiG4T-"}},"60779":{"id":"60779","type":"image","title":"Testing an array of zinc oxide devices","body":null,"created":"1449176296","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:58:16","changed":"1475894528","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:08","alt":"Testing an array of zinc oxide devices","file":{"fid":"191211","name":"tbf62450.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tbf62450_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tbf62450_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1491684,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tbf62450_0.jpg?itok=ycvSgQtw"}},"60780":{"id":"60780","type":"image","title":"Studying zinc oxide devices on flexible substrate","body":null,"created":"1449176296","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:58:16","changed":"1475894528","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:08","alt":"Studying zinc oxide devices on flexible substrate","file":{"fid":"191212","name":"tvq62450.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tvq62450_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tvq62450_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1402106,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tvq62450_0.jpg?itok=GZFv6yOV"}}},"media_ids":["60778","60779","60780"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/FacultyStaff\/MSE_Faculty_researchbios\/Wang\/wang.html","title":"Zhong Lin Wang"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"10564","name":"logic"},{"id":"7699","name":"piezoelectric"},{"id":"167609","name":"semiconductor"},{"id":"7649","name":"zinc oxide"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"60861":{"#nid":"60861","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Instrument Reveals Quartet of Graphene Electron States","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing a one-of-a-kind instrument designed and built at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), researchers have \u0022unveiled\u0022 a quartet of graphene\u0027s electron states and discovered that electrons in graphene can split up into an unexpected and tantalizing set of energy levels when exposed to extremely low temperatures and extremely high magnetic fields. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EReported Sept. 9 in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature\u003C\/em\u003E, the new research raises several intriguing questions about the fundamental physics of this exciting material and reveals new effects that may make graphene even more powerful than previously expected for practical applications. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELed by NIST Fellow Joseph Stroscio, the research team included scientists from the Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of Maryland, Seoul National University, and the University of Texas at Austin. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGraphene is one of the simplest materials -- a single-atom-thick sheet of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb-like lattice -- yet it has many remarkable and surprisingly complex properties. Measuring and understanding how electrons carry current through the sheet is a key to achieving its technological promise in wide-ranging applications, including high speed electronics and sensors. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, the electrons in graphene act as if they have no mass and are almost 100 times more mobile than in silicon. Moreover, the speed with which electrons move through graphene is not related to their energy, unlike materials such as silicon where more voltage must be applied to increase their speed, which creates heat that is detrimental to most applications. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo fully understand the behavior of graphene\u0027s electrons, scientists must study the material under an extreme environment of ultra-high vacuum, ultra-low temperatures, and large magnetic fields. Under these conditions, the graphene sheet remains pristine for weeks. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENIST has recently constructed the world\u2019s most powerful and stable scanning-probe microscope, with an unprecedented combination of low temperature (as low as 10 millikelvin, or 10 thousandths of a degree above absolute zero), ultra-high vacuum, and high magnetic field. In the first measurements made with this instrument, the international team has used its power to resolve the finest differences in the electron energies in graphene, atom-by-atom. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Going to this resolution allows you to see new physics,\u0022 said Young Jae Song, a postdoctoral researcher who helped develop the instrument at NIST and make these first measurements. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd the new physics the team saw raises a few more questions about how the electrons behave in graphene than it answers. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause of the geometry and electromagnetic properties of graphene\u0027s structure, an electron in any given energy level populates four possible sublevels, called a \u0022quartet.\u0022 Theorists have predicted that this quartet of levels would split into different energies when immersed in a magnetic field, but until recently there had not been an instrument sensitive enough to resolve these differences. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022When we increased the magnetic field at extreme low temperatures, we observed unexpectedly complex quantum behavior of the electrons,\u0022 said NIST Fellow Joseph Stroscio. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat is happening, according to Stroscio, appears to be a \u0022many-body effect\u0022 in which electrons interact strongly with one another in ways that affect their energy levels. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne possible explanation for this behavior is that the electrons have formed a \u0022condensate\u0022 in which they cease moving independently of one another and act as a single coordinated unit. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new experiments also showed surprising stability in the quartet states, an issue that warrants further study, said Phillip First, a professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Physics and one of the study\u0027s co-authors. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The experiment shows that these magnetic configurations become especially stable when any one of the quartet states is completely filled with electrons, which indicates the importance of many-body correlations,\u0022 he said. \u0022However, the most surprising thing is the observation of new stable states that occur when a quartet state is exactly half filled. That\u0027s pretty remarkable, and we still need an explanation.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGraphene has attracted strong interest as a potential material for future electronic devices, and this new work reinforces that expectation. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022If our hypothesis proves to be correct, it could point the way to the creation of smaller, very-low-heat producing, highly energy efficient electronic devices based upon graphene,\u0022 said Shaffique Adam, a postdoctoral researcher who assisted with theoretical analysis of the measurements. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to First, Georgia Tech researchers contributing to the paper included Walt de Heer, Yike Hu and David Torrance. The research was supported in part by the Korea Research Foundation Grant funded by the Korean Government (MOEHRD)(KRF-2006-214-C00022), the National Science Foundation (DMR-0820382 [MRSEC], DMR-0804908, DMR-0606489), the Welch Foundation and the Semiconductor Research Corporation (NRI-INDEX program). \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: Mark Esser, NIST, (301-975-8735)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:mark.esser@nist.gov\u0022\u003Emark.esser@nist.gov\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon, Georgia Tech, (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E). \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Mark Esser \u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing a one-of-a-kind instrument designed and built at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), researchers have \u0022unveiled\u0022 a quartet of graphene\u0027s electron states and discovered that electrons in graphene can split up into an unexpected and tantalizing set of energy levels when exposed to extremely low temperatures and extremely high magnetic fields.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Research yields new information on graphene\u0027s electron states."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2010-09-07 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:07:23","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-09-07T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2010-09-07T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"60862":{"id":"60862","type":"image","title":"NIST scanning probe microscope","body":null,"created":"1449176296","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:58:16","changed":"1475894528","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:08","alt":"NIST scanning probe microscope","file":{"fid":"191227","name":"trm09953.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/trm09953_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/trm09953_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1261222,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/trm09953_0.jpg?itok=VW-6aAFz"}}},"media_ids":["60862"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.mrsec.gatech.edu\/","title":"Materials Research Science and Engineering Center"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Physics"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"10597","name":"electron state"},{"id":"10599","name":"energy level"},{"id":"429","name":"graphene"},{"id":"10598","name":"NIST"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"60372":{"#nid":"60372","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Study of Electron Orbits in Multilayer Graphene Finds Energy Gaps","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have taken one more step toward understanding the unique and often unexpected properties of graphene, a two-dimensional carbon material that has attracted interest because of its potential applications in future generations of electronic devices.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the Aug. 8 advance online edition of the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Physics\u003C\/em\u003E, researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) describe for the first time how the orbits of electrons are distributed spatially by magnetic fields applied to layers of epitaxial graphene. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research team also found that these electron orbits can interact with the substrate on which the graphene is grown, creating energy gaps that affect how electron waves move through the multilayer material. These energy gaps could have implications for the designers of certain graphene-based electronic devices. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The regular pattern of energy gaps in the graphene surface creates regions where electron transport is not allowed,\u0022 said Phillip N. First, a professor in the Georgia Tech School of Physics and one of the paper\u2019s co-authors. \u0022Electron waves would have to go around these regions, requiring new patterns of electron wave interference. Understanding such interference will be important for bi-layer graphene devices that have been proposed, and may be important for other lattice-matched substrates used to support graphene and graphene devices.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a magnetic field, an electron moves in a circular trajectory -- known as a cyclotron orbit -- whose radius depends on the size of the magnetic field and the energy of electron. For a constant magnetic field, that\u0027s a little like rolling a marble around in a large bowl, First said. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022At high energy, the marble orbits high in the bowl, while for lower energies, the orbit size is smaller and lower in the bowl,\u0022 he explained. \u0022The cyclotron orbits in graphene also depend on the electron energy and the local electron potential -- corresponding to the bowl -- but until now, the orbits hadn\u2019t been imaged directly.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPlaced in a magnetic field, these orbits normally drift along lines of nearly constant electric potential. But when a graphene sample has small fluctuations in the potential, these \u0022drift states\u0022 can become trapped at a hill or valley in the material that has closed constant potential contours. Such trapping of charge carriers is important for the quantum Hall effect, in which precisely quantized resistance results from charge conduction solely through the orbits that skip along the edges of the material. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study focused on one particular electron orbit: a zero-energy orbit that is unique to graphene. Because electrons are matter waves, interference within a material affects how their energy relates to the velocity of the wave -- and reflected waves added to an incoming wave can combine to produce a slower composite wave. Electrons moving through the unique \u0022chicken-wire\u0022 arrangement of carbon-carbon bonds in the graphene interfere in a way that leaves the wave velocity the same for all energy levels. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to finding that energy states follow contours of constant electric potential, the researchers discovered specific areas on the graphene surface where the orbital energy of the electrons changes from one atom to the next. That creates an energy gap within isolated patches on the surface. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022By examining their distribution over the surface for different magnetic fields, we determined that the energy gap is due to a subtle interaction with the substrate, which consists of multilayer graphene grown on a silicon carbide wafer,\u0022 First explained. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn multilayer epitaxial graphene, each layer\u0027s symmetrical sublattice is rotated slightly with respect to the next. In prior studies, researchers found that the rotations served to decouple the electronic properties of each graphene layer. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Our findings hold the first indications of a small position-dependent interaction between the layers,\u0022 said David L. Miller, the paper\u0027s first author and a graduate student in First\u0027s laboratory. \u0022This interaction occurs only when the size of a cyclotron orbit -- which shrinks as the magnetic field is increased -- becomes smaller than the size of the observed patches.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe origin of the position dependent interaction is believed to be the \u0022moir\u00e9 pattern\u0022 of atomic alignments between two adjacent layers of graphene. In some regions, atoms of one layer lie atop atoms of the layer below, while in other regions, none of the atoms align with the atoms in the layer below. In still other regions, half of the atoms have neighbors in the underlayer, an instance in which the symmetry of the carbon atoms is broken and the Landau level -- discrete energy level of the electrons -- splits into two different energies. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExperimentally, the researchers examined a sample of epitaxial graphene grown at Georgia Tech in the laboratory of Professor Walt de Heer, using techniques developed by his research team over the past several years. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey used the tip of a custom-built scanning-tunneling microscope (STM) to probe the atomic-scale electronic structure of the graphene in a technique known as scanning tunneling spectroscopy. The tip was moved across the surface of a 100-square nanometer section of graphene, and spectroscopic data was acquired every 0.4 nanometers. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe measurements were done at 4.3 degrees Kelvin to take advantage of the fact that energy resolution is proportional to the temperature. The scanning-tunneling microscope, designed and built by Joseph Stroscio at NIST\u0027s Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, used a superconducting magnet to provide the magnetic fields needed to study the orbits. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to First, the study raises a number of questions for future research, including how the energy gaps will affect electron transport properties, how the observed effects may impact proposed bi-layer graphene coherent devices -- and whether the new phenomenon can be controlled. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This study is really a stepping stone in long path to understanding the subtleties of graphene\u0027s interesting properties,\u0022 he said. \u0022This material is different from anything we have worked with before in electronics.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to those already mentioned, the study also included Walt de Heer, Kevin D. Kubista, Ming Ruan, and Markus Kinderman from Georgia Tech and Gregory M. Rutter from NIST. The research was supported by the National Science Foundation, the Semiconductor Research Corporation and the W.M. Keck Foundation. Additional assistance was provided by Georgia Tech\u0027s Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC). \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Vogel Robinson (404-385-3364)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E). \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon \u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Findings May Have Implications for Device Designers"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have taken one more step toward understanding the unique and often unexpected properties of graphene, a two-dimensional carbon material that has attracted interest because of its potential applications in future generations of electronic devices.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers take a new step to understanding graphene properties."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2010-08-09 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:07:15","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-08-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2010-08-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"60373":{"id":"60373","type":"image","title":"Moire alignment of graphene","body":null,"created":"1449176267","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:57:47","changed":"1475894523","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:03","alt":"Moire alignment of graphene","file":{"fid":"191110","name":"tpx85581.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tpx85581_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tpx85581_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":953599,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tpx85581_0.jpg?itok=Lh0tFHXH"}},"60374":{"id":"60374","type":"image","title":"Graphene Electron Motion","body":null,"created":"1449176267","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:57:47","changed":"1475894523","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:03","alt":"Graphene Electron Motion","file":{"fid":"191111","name":"tdc85581.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tdc85581_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tdc85581_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":192342,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tdc85581_0.jpg?itok=D4zykZHq"}}},"media_ids":["60373","60374"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Physics"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.mrsec.gatech.edu\/","title":"Materials Research Science and Engineering Center"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/people\/faculty\/pfirst.html","title":"Phillip First"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"6884","name":"electron"},{"id":"609","name":"electronics"},{"id":"429","name":"graphene"},{"id":"10361","name":"orbits"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"60385":{"#nid":"60385","#data":{"type":"news","title":"NIH EUREKA Award Will Enable Design of New Brain Tumor Treatment","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology has received a EUREKA grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to design a new way to treat invasive brain tumors by capturing the migrating cells that spread the disease. The EUREKA -- Exceptional, Unconventional Research Enabling Knowledge Acceleration -- program helps scientists test new, unconventional ideas or tackle major methodological or technical challenges. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research team plans to develop a system that will excavate brain tumor cells by directing them away from their location in the interior of the brain to a more external location where they can be removed or killed. Nanofiber-based polymer thin films coated with biochemical cues will be aligned in the brain to provide a corridor for tumor cells to follow to a gel-based \u2018sink\u2019 where they will be captured and safely removed or encouraged to die through chemical signaling. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe believe this is the first attempt to exploit the invasive, migrating properties of brain tumors by engineering a path for the tumors to move away from the primary site to a location where treatment can occur,\u201d said lead investigator Ravi Bellamkonda, a professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECollaborating with Bellamkonda on this project are Tobey MacDonald, director of the pediatric neuro-oncology program at the Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service of Children\u2019s Healthcare of Atlanta and an associate professor of pediatrics at the Emory University School of Medicine; and Barun Brahma, a pediatric neurosurgeon at Children\u2019s Healthcare of Atlanta. The initial partnership between the researchers began with seed funding from the Georgia Cancer Coalition and Ian\u2019s Friends Foundation. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe National Cancer Institute is providing more than $1 million for the EUREKA grant. For the project, Bellamkonda, MacDonald and Brahma are focusing on treating medulloblastomas -- highly malignant brain tumors that account for more than 20 percent of pediatric brain tumors. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMedulloblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor we see in children, but unfortunately the five-year survival rates for children with this cancer only range from 50 to 70 percent and the majority of survivors have a significantly reduced quality of life as a result of treatment-related toxicities,\u201d said MacDonald, who is also a Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Scholar. \u201cAn increasing number of survivors are also at risk for developing secondary malignancies as a result of the treatment we now administer. Clearly we have to do a much better job at treating these tumors; however, improving survival while reducing the toxic effects of treatment will require a highly innovative approach.\u201d\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMedulloblastoma treatment currently involves surgery followed by radiation therapy to the entire brain and spine and up to one year of intensive intravenous chemotherapy. However, radiation is often delayed or omitted altogether in young children due to its debilitating long-term side effects on the developing central nervous system. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese changes to the timing of radiation administration can adversely impact survival. And while surgery is a mainstay of treatment, it too can cause a significant loss of cognitive and neurological function due to the critical areas of the brain that may be involved by the tumor\u2019s spread but require an extensive surgical area to remove as much of the tumor as possible.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis EUREKA grant aims to address the urgent need to develop therapies to safely treat invasive medulloblastomas in children.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur plan is to deliver the tumor to the drug -- by directing tumor cells to a specially engineered gel that can be removed or designed to kill the cells -- rather than the current strategy of delivering the drug to the tumor, which is problematic due to the irregular vasculature and poor diffusivity of the tumor tissue,\u201d explained Bellamkonda, who is also a Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Scholar.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers plan to design a polymer thin film system that will include topographical and biochemical cues similar to those that guide the initial brain tumor invasion. The thin films will be rolled up and deployed with minimally invasive catheters. Because neural tissue will not be suctioned and the films are very thin, there should be minimal tissue and tumor disruption.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe films will also be non-toxic to the patient because they will be engineered with biocompatible, stable polymers. In previous studies, the polymers have been implanted in the nervous systems of small animals for more than 16 weeks with no adverse tissue reactions. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis research represents a radical approach to treating invasive tumors that is based on the universal properties and mechanics of cell motility and the migration characteristic of metastasis, regardless of the molecular and genetic origins of the tumor,\u201d added Bellamkonda. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf successful, this approach would identify a new and innovative way to treat pediatric medulloblastomas and has the potential to open a new avenue for the treatment of other invasive solid tumors, such as brain stem tumors. These cancers are incurable because they are located in an inoperable region and\/or they are resistant or inaccessible to the delivery of chemotherapy agents.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Vogel Robinson (404-385-3364; \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986; \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Vogel Robinson\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"$1M grant awarded to Coulter Department professor Ravi Bellamkonda"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology has received a EUREKA grant from the National Cancer Institute to design a new way to treat invasive brain tumors by capturing the migrating cells that spread the disease.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"NIH grant awarded to Coulter Department professor Ravi Bellamkonda."}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2010-08-10 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:07:15","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-08-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2010-08-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"60386":{"id":"60386","type":"image","title":"Ravi Bellamkonda","body":null,"created":"1449176267","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:57:47","changed":"1475894523","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:03","alt":"Ravi Bellamkonda","file":{"fid":"191114","name":"tej47110.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tej47110_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tej47110_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":969293,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tej47110_0.jpg?itok=lDBLGm6V"}},"60387":{"id":"60387","type":"image","title":"Ravi Bellamkonda","body":null,"created":"1449176267","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:57:47","changed":"1475894523","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:03","alt":"Ravi Bellamkonda","file":{"fid":"191115","name":"tft47110.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tft47110_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tft47110_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":939228,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tft47110_0.jpg?itok=2sdKFNeV"}},"60388":{"id":"60388","type":"image","title":"Ravi Bellamkonda","body":null,"created":"1449176267","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:57:47","changed":"1475894523","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:03","alt":"Ravi Bellamkonda","file":{"fid":"191116","name":"tbc47110.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tbc47110_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tbc47110_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1538338,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tbc47110_0.jpg?itok=Hd_1iQEv"}}},"media_ids":["60386","60387","60388"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=59","title":"Ravi Bellamkonda"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/","title":"Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"10365","name":"Brain Tumor"},{"id":"385","name":"cancer"},{"id":"8084","name":"Cancer treatment"},{"id":"10366","name":"Medulloblastoma"},{"id":"10364","name":"Metastasis"},{"id":"10367","name":"Pediatric Brain Tumor"},{"id":"10368","name":"polymer films"},{"id":"1442","name":"tumor"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbby Vogel Robinson\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News and Publications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=avogel6\u0022\u003EContact Abby Vogel Robinson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-385-3364\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["abby@innovate.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"60479":{"#nid":"60479","#data":{"type":"news","title":"ARPA-E Supports Development of Carbon Capture Technology","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology are using funding from the Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy -- also known as ARPA-E -- to pursue two different, but related, approaches for removing carbon dioxide from the flue gases of coal-burning power plants. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPower plants produce approximately one-third of all carbon dioxide emitted in the United States each year. The researchers will attempt to use the unique high-density properties of hollow fibers to develop cost-effective techniques for removing large volumes of the greenhouse gas from the emissions. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn one project, awarded directly to Georgia Tech, researchers are developing hollow-fiber composite membranes that will use nanoporous metal-organic framework materials to separate carbon dioxide from the flue gases. In the other project, Georgia Tech researchers are assisting colleagues at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in developing hollow-fiber sorbents that will soak up carbon dioxide like a sponge -- then release it when heated. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBoth will take advantage of the very high surface-to-volume properties of hollow fibers spun from polymers. For the membrane project, researchers envision providing a million square meters of membrane area within a moderately-sized building using the compact footprint allowed by the fibers. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The challenge with this is to have a technology that not only physically works, but that can be built on a large scale and operated inexpensively,\u0022 said David Sholl, who leads the membrane project as a professor in the Georgia Tech School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. \u0022If we are successful, this technology could have a very significant impact on trying to reduce carbon emissions from the combustion of coal.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECapturing carbon dioxide emissions at power plants makes sense because the emissions are concentrated there, Sholl says. But current technology, which involves bubbling stack gases through an aqueous solution and then removing the carbon dioxide, would consume at least a third of the energy produced by each power plant. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMembranes could theoretically separate the carbon dioxide from other gases with less energy input. But no existing membrane materials can do the job while being robust enough to operate in the hostile flue-gas environment -- and inexpensive enough for the large areas needed. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The volume is truly incredible any way you look at it \u2013 how much coal is burned or how much gas is produced per second,\u0022 said Sholl, who is a Georgia Research Alliance eminent scholar in energy sustainability. \u0022With a really good membrane, we would need something like a million square meters of area per power plant. That amount sounds impossible, but it\u0027s something already being done in water desalination facilities.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHollow fibers no thicker than a hair are the key to providing sufficient membrane surface area, said William Koros, who is working on both projects as a professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Depending on the details of the design, the contact area that can be packaged into a cubic meter of membrane or sorbent volume can be hundreds or thousands of times higher than could be achieved through competitive approaches,\u0022 said Koros, who is a Georgia Research Alliance eminent scholar in membrane science and technology. \u0022This would allow us to fit the new carbon capture materials into already-cramped power plants.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESholl and his colleagues are using computational techniques to screen the nearly 5,000 compounds that could be used in the metal-organic framework materials, which are sub-micron-scale crystals that will be added to the fibers to separate the carbon dioxide from other gases. Using the computational techniques, they hope to cut the number of candidate materials to as few as 50 that would be synthesized and tested. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We are trying to connect the computational screening and prediction to a material that can actually be used in a membrane,\u0022 said Carson Meredith, also a professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. \u0022We will study these compounds in a rapid way, measuring just the key properties of interest.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose properties include permeance -- the ability to allow carbon dioxide through -- and selectivity, which will allow it to exclude other gases. That screening should cut the number of candidates to a handful that would actually be used to make membranes for more detailed testing, Sholl said. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the end of the two-year grant period, the researchers expect to have produced and tested hollow-fiber membranes at the laboratory scale. They would then partner with a manufacturer to produce bundles of the fibers for a pilot-scale test. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPower plant flue gases contain nitrogen oxide and sulfur oxides, as well as moisture, which can combine to cause corrosion. Moisture alone can also cause problems for some membranes. In addition, flue gases contain trace amounts of compounds such as chlorine and mercury that could also harm the membranes. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We won\u0027t really know what the contaminants will do until we put the membrane into the flue-gas stream,\u0022 Sholl said. \u0022A key issue will be to show that these materials will work today and tomorrow, and for a long time afterward. The robustness of the materials in a real environment is something that we have to understand.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA carbon capture system based on the hollow-fiber membranes could potentially remove as much as 90 percent of the carbon dioxide from plant emissions. But that would come at a cost: even in the best-case calculations, removal would require at least 10 percent of the plant\u0027s energy. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The reality is that all countries around the world are going to burn coal for the foreseeable future,\u0022 Sholl added. \u0022We really don\u0027t have a choice because we don\u2019t have other good sources of baseline load at the level we get from coal. Any technology to economically capture carbon from these facilities could have a big impact.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to those already mentioned, the membrane project includes Krista Walton, Christopher Jones and Sankar Nair, all professors in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. The projects are funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Vogel Robinson (404-385-3364)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E). \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: David Sholl (404-894-2822)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:david.sholl@chbe.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Edavid.sholl@chbe.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E). \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon \u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"New Research Investigates Hollow Fiber Membranes and Sorbents"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology are using funding from the Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy -- also known as ARPA-E -- to pursue two different, but related, approaches for removing carbon dioxide from the flue gases of coal-burning power plants.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Hollow fibers may facilitate carbon capture from power plants."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2010-08-17 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:07:15","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-08-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2010-08-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"60480":{"id":"60480","type":"image","title":"Carson Meredith and screening equipment","body":null,"created":"1449176267","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:57:47","changed":"1475894525","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:05","alt":"Carson Meredith and screening equipment","file":{"fid":"191133","name":"tjy73080.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tjy73080_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tjy73080_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1210469,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tjy73080_0.jpg?itok=d6MVhuK2"}},"60481":{"id":"60481","type":"image","title":"Carson Meredith and screening equipment","body":null,"created":"1449176267","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:57:47","changed":"1475894525","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:05","alt":"Carson Meredith and screening equipment","file":{"fid":"191134","name":"twq73080.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/twq73080_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/twq73080_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1220506,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/twq73080_0.jpg?itok=Kdn_G_FX"}},"60482":{"id":"60482","type":"image","title":"Professor David Sholl","body":null,"created":"1449176267","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:57:47","changed":"1475894525","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:05","alt":"Professor David Sholl","file":{"fid":"191135","name":"tdz73080.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tdz73080_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tdz73080_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":898142,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tdz73080_0.jpg?itok=txPxRqCT"}}},"media_ids":["60480","60481","60482"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/fac_staff\/faculty\/sholl.php","title":"David Sholl"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/fac_staff\/faculty\/meredith.php","title":"Carson Meredith"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/fac_staff\/faculty\/koros.php","title":"Dr. William Koros"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Chemical \u0026 Biomolecular Engineering"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1702","name":"carbon capture"},{"id":"7508","name":"carbon dioxide"},{"id":"7440","name":"membrane"},{"id":"9136","name":"power plant"},{"id":"171014","name":"sorbent"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"60497":{"#nid":"60497","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Nanocluster Protein Coating on Titanium Strengthens Implant Attachment","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have developed an improved coating technique that could strengthen the connection between titanium joint-replacement implants and a patient\u0027s own bone. The stronger connection -- created by manipulating signals the body\u0027s own cells use to encourage growth -- could allow the implants to last longer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EImplants coated with \u0022flower bouquet\u0022 clusters of an engineered protein that mimics the body\u0027s own cell-adhesion material fibronectin made 50 percent more contact with the surrounding bone than implants coated with protein pairs or individual strands. The cluster-coated implants were fixed in place more than twice as securely as plugs made from bare titanium -- which is how joints are currently attached. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers believe the biologically-inspired material improves bone growth around the implant and strengthens the attachment and integration of the implant to the bone. This work also shows for the first time that biomaterials presenting biological sequences clustered together at the nanoscale enhance cell adhesion signals. These enhanced signals result in higher levels of bone cell differentiation in human stem cells and promote better integration of biomaterial implants into bone. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022By clustering the engineered fibronectin pieces together, we were able to create an amplified signal for attracting integrins, receptors that attached to the fibronectin and directed and enhanced bone formation around the implant,\u0022 said Andres Garcia, professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and the Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDetails of the new coating were reported in the August 18 issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003EScience Translational Medicine\u003C\/em\u003E. The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Arthritis Foundation, and the Atlanta Clinical and Translational Science Institute through the Georgia Tech\/Emory Center for the Engineering of Living Tissues.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETotal knee and hip replacements typically last about 15 years until the components wear down or loosen. For many younger patients, this means a second surgery to replace the first artificial joint. With approximately 40 percent of the 712,000 total hip and knee replacements in the United States in 2004 performed on younger patients 45-64 years old, improving the lifetime of the titanium joints and creating a better connection with the bone becomes extremely important. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn this study, Georgia Tech School of Chemistry and Biochemistry professor David Collard and his students coated clinical-grade titanium with a high density of polymer strands -- akin to the bristles on a toothbrush. Then, Garc\u00eda and Tim Petrie -- formerly a graduate student at Georgia Tech and currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Washington -- modified the polymer to create three or five self-assembled tethered clusters of the engineered fibronectin, which contained the arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) sequence to which integrins binds. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo evaluate the in vivo performance of the coated titanium in bone healing, the researchers drilled two-millimeter circular holes into a rat\u0027s tibia bone and pressed tiny clinical-grade titanium cylinders into the holes. The research team tested coatings that included individual strands, pairs, three-strand clusters and five-strand clusters of the engineered fibronectin protein. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022To investigate the function of these surfaces in promoting bone growth, we quantified osseointegration, or the growth of bone around the implant and strength of the attachment of the implant to the bone,\u0022 explained Garc\u00eda, who is also a Woodruff Faculty Fellow at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnalysis of the bone-implant interface four weeks later revealed a 50 percent enhancement in the amount of contact between the bone and implants coated with three- or five-strand tethered clusters compared to implants coated with single strands. The experiments also revealed a 75 percent increase in the contact of the three- and five-strand clusters compared to the current clinical standard for replacement-joint implants, which is uncoated titanium. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers also tested the fixation of the implants by measuring the amount of force required to pull the implants out of the bone. Implants coated with three- and five-strand tethered clusters of the engineered fibronectin fragment displayed 250 percent higher mechanical fixation over the individual strand and pairs coatings and a 400 percent improvement compared to the unmodified polymer coating. The three- and five-cluster coatings also exhibited a twofold enhancement in pullout strength compared to uncoated titanium. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech bioengineering graduate students Ted Lee and David Dumbauld, chemistry graduate students Subodh Jagtap and Jenny Raynor, and research technician Kellie Templeman also contributed to this study. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis work was partly funded by Grant No. R01 EB004496-01 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and PHS Grant UL1 RR025008 from the Clinical and Translational Science Award program, NIH, National Center for Research Resources. The content is solely the responsibility of the principal investigator and does not necessarily represent the official view of the NIH.\u003C\/em\u003E \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Vogel Robinson (abby@innovate.gatech.edu; 404-385-3364) or John Toon (jtoon@gatech.edu; 404-894-6986) \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Vogel Robinson\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have developed a coating technique that could strengthen the connection between titanium joint-replacement implants and a patient\u0027s own bone. The coated implants were fixed in place more than twice as securely as standard uncoated materials.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A protein coating could strengthen titanium implant attachment"}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2010-08-18 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:07:15","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-08-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2010-08-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"60498":{"id":"60498","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech titanium implants","body":null,"created":"1449176267","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:57:47","changed":"1475894525","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:05","alt":"Georgia Tech titanium implants","file":{"fid":"191141","name":"tyr55311.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tyr55311_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tyr55311_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":963681,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tyr55311_0.jpg?itok=UWAAzbgE"}},"60499":{"id":"60499","type":"image","title":"Andres Garcia and David Collard","body":null,"created":"1449176267","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:57:47","changed":"1475894525","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:05","alt":"Andres Garcia and David Collard","file":{"fid":"191142","name":"tkh55311.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tkh55311_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tkh55311_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1102811,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tkh55311_0.jpg?itok=ZsiJbM02"}},"60500":{"id":"60500","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech titanium implant coating","body":null,"created":"1449176267","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:57:47","changed":"1475894525","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:05","alt":"Georgia Tech titanium implant coating","file":{"fid":"191143","name":"tgm55311.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tgm55311_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tgm55311_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":929912,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tgm55311_0.jpg?itok=gJJKYhmH"}}},"media_ids":["60498","60499","60500"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/garcia.shtml","title":"Andres Garcia"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/faculty\/Collard\/","title":"David Collard"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/","title":"George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"10431","name":"Cell Signaling"},{"id":"10430","name":"dental implant"},{"id":"7320","name":"fibronectin"},{"id":"10428","name":"Hip Replacement"},{"id":"3307","name":"implant"},{"id":"10425","name":"Implant Design"},{"id":"10426","name":"implant materials"},{"id":"10427","name":"Joint Replacement"},{"id":"10429","name":"Knee Replacement"},{"id":"3003","name":"protein"},{"id":"7312","name":"titanium"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbby Vogel Robinson\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News and Publications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=avogel6\u0022\u003EContact Abby Vogel Robinson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-385-3364\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["abby@innovate.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"60130":{"#nid":"60130","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Replacing Hydrogen in Fluorescent Dyes Improves Detection \u0026 Shelf Life","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBy swapping out one specific hydrogen atom for an isotope twice as heavy, researchers have increased the shelf life and detection ability of fluorescent probes that are essential to studying a variety of inflammatory diseases, including cancer and atherosclerosis.  The probes detect and measure reactive oxygen species, which play an important role in disease processes. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022By replacing a hydrogen atom with a deuterium atom during the synthesis of several fluorescent probes, we increased the stability and shelf life of the dyes, and also improved their ability to detect smaller concentrations of reactive oxygen species,\u0022 said Niren Murthy, associate professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDeuterium is an isotope of hydrogen that has a single proton and single neutron in its nucleus.  Its atomic weight is therefore twice that of the much more common hydrogen atom, which lacks a neutron.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen Murthy and Coulter Department postdoctoral fellow Kousik Kundu designed and synthesized various fluorescent probes with deuterium instead of hydrogen, the dyes were not as susceptible to spontaneous degradation by air and light as their hydrogen counterparts, which made them significantly more accurate at detecting reactive oxygen species in cells and animals. The researchers studied probes that included dihydroethidium (DHE) -- the current \u0022gold standard\u0022 for imaging reactive oxygen species -- and hydrocyanines. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDetails of the research were published in the early view of the journal \u003Cem\u003EAngewandte Chemie International\u003C\/em\u003E on July 20.  The work was sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study showed that while the standard fluorescent probe DHE was 60 percent oxidized by air and light after 10 days in storage, its deuterium counterpart was only 20 percent oxidized during that same time. These findings could have significant implications for companies that produce fluorescent probes and other compounds, according to Murthy, because commercializing and shipping the modified probes will be easier.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnother advantage for scientists using deuterium-containing fluorescent probes is that after reacting with reactive oxygen species, the probes produce the same fluorescent dye that their hydrogen counterparts produce.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This is important from a practical standpoint because scientists have developed protocols with DHE and other fluorescent probes that they will be able to continue using by simply substituting the more stable and accurate deuterated version into the assay,\u0022 explained Murthy. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFluorescent probes detect reactive oxygen species by undergoing a chemical process called amine oxidation. The mechanism of amine oxidation for reactions involving reactive oxygen species differs significantly from reactions involving air and light. In addition, reactions with deuterium-containing probes occur at a much slower rate because deuterium is a heavier atom.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMurthy and Kundu decided to use these mechanistic and kinetic differences to selectively slow the oxidation of the fluorescent probes by air and light while maintaining their reactivity with cellular reactive oxygen species. To test the selective suppression of oxidation, the researchers examined the kinetic isotope effect -- a value that measures the ratio of the rate of a chemical reaction with hydrogen compared to the same reaction with deuterium to air and radical oxidation. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey investigated the ability of the deuterium-containing probes to compete with a common enzyme for superoxide -- a reactive oxygen species that is a form of molecular oxygen with one extra electron. The researchers found that the probes\u0027 oxidation mechanism with superoxide was different than for spontaneous oxidation because the two reactions exhibited different values for the kinetic isotope effect. Kinetic isotope effect values for spontaneous oxidation ranged from 3.7-4.7, whereas values for superoxide oxidation were between 2.5-2.8 for many different types of deuterium-containing fluorescent dyes, including DHE.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This was the key experiment that demonstrated that there was a much larger difference in the way the hydrogen and deuterium compounds reacted to spontaneous oxidation than how they dealt with oxidation by a reactive oxygen species,\u0022 explained Murthy. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMurthy\u0027s collaborators W. Robert Taylor and Sarah Knight tested the ability of both types of dyes to detect reactive oxygen species inside cells. Since the deuterium-containing probes were less affected by air and light and background fluorescence was suppressed, the researchers found that the dyes more accurately detected small amounts of reactive oxygen species. Knight is an Emory University postdoctoral fellow and Taylor is a professor in the Coulter Department, the director of Emory\u0027s Division of Cardiology, and a member of the Atlanta VA Medical Center\u0027s Division of Cardiology.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFollowing the cellular experiments, Knight and Coulter Department postdoctoral fellow Seungjun Lee investigated whether the kinetic isotope effect would similarly improve the ability of H-Cy7 -- a hydrocyanine dye developed by Murthy -- to detect radical oxidants in vivo. In experiments, the deuterium-containing version of Cy7 generated a 10-fold difference in fluorescence intensity versus control probes compared to only a five-fold difference for the hydrogen probe.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This new process of replacing hydrogen with deuterium is potentially valuable because the positive results are universal among many different types and classes of probes,\u0022 explained Murthy. \u0022All of the modified probes generated less background fluorescence, while maintaining high reactivity with reactive oxygen species and generating similar levels of fluorescence in cells and animals stimulated to produce them.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMurthy indicated that although the kinetic isotope effect had been used to improve drug stability, it has never been used to improve probe development.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Based on our results, we anticipate numerous applications of deuterated radical oxidant probes in biology and an increased application of the kinetic isotope effect in biological probe development,\u0022 added Murthy.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis project is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) (Award Nos. EEC-9731643 and NSF Career BES-0546962) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (Award Nos. UO1 HL80711-01, R21 EB006418, RO1 HL096796-01 and RO1 HL090584). The content is solely the responsibility of the principal investigator and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NSF or NIH.\u003C\/em\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMedia Relations Contacts: Abby Vogel Robinson (abby@innovate.gatech.edu; 404-385-3364) or John Toon (jtoon@gatech.edu; 404-894-6986)\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Vogel Robinson\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"By swapping out a hydrogen atom for an isotope twice as heavy, researchers have increased the shelf life and detection ability of fluorescent probes that are essential to studying a variety of inflammatory diseases, including cancer and atherosclerosis.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Fluorescent dye hydrogen swap improves detection, shelf life"}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2010-07-20 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:07:11","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-07-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2010-07-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"60131":{"id":"60131","type":"image","title":"Murthy \u0026 Kundu","body":null,"created":"1449176253","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:57:33","changed":"1475894520","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:00","alt":"Murthy \u0026 Kundu","file":{"fid":"191064","name":"tfy38536.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tfy38536_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tfy38536_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1358753,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tfy38536_0.jpg?itok=GHyCwNLJ"}},"60132":{"id":"60132","type":"image","title":"Confocal fluorescence images","body":null,"created":"1449176253","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:57:33","changed":"1475894520","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:00","alt":"Confocal fluorescence images","file":{"fid":"191065","name":"trc38536.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/trc38536_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/trc38536_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1400960,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/trc38536_0.jpg?itok=Lb_cVq-j"}},"60133":{"id":"60133","type":"image","title":"Murthy Lee Kundu","body":null,"created":"1449176253","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:57:33","changed":"1475894520","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:00","alt":"Murthy Lee Kundu","file":{"fid":"191066","name":"tut38536.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tut38536_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tut38536_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1475941,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tut38536_0.jpg?itok=GB3On1GR"}}},"media_ids":["60131","60132","60133"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1002\/anie.201002228","title":"Angewandte Chemie International paper"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=58","title":"Niren Murthy"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=46","title":"W. Robert Taylor"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/","title":"Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"10300","name":"Deuterium"},{"id":"10304","name":"DHE"},{"id":"1662","name":"dihydroethidium"},{"id":"10301","name":"Fluorescent Dyes"},{"id":"10302","name":"fluorescent probes"},{"id":"250","name":"hydrocyanines"},{"id":"7619","name":"hydrogen"},{"id":"10305","name":"kinetic isotope effect"},{"id":"10303","name":"reactive oxygen species"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EAbby Vogel Robinson\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News and Publications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=avogel6\u0022\u003EContact Abby Vogel Robinson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-385-3364\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["abby@innovate.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"55147":{"#nid":"55147","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Improved Nanogenerators Power Sensors Based on Nanowires","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBy combining a new generation of piezoelectric nanogenerators with two types of nanowire sensors, researchers have created what are believed to be the first self-powered nanometer-scale sensing devices that draw power from the conversion of mechanical energy. The new devices can measure the pH of liquids or detect the presence of ultraviolet light using electrical current produced from mechanical energy in the environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBased on arrays containing as many as 20,000 zinc oxide nanowires in each nanogenerator, the devices can produce up to 1.2 volts of output voltage, and are fabricated with a chemical process designed to facilitate low-cost manufacture on flexible substrates. Tests done with nearly one thousand nanogenerators \u2013 which have no mechanical moving parts \u2013 showed that they can be operated over time without loss of generating capacity. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDetails of the improved nanogenerator and self-powered nanosensors were reported March 28 in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Nanotechnology\u003C\/em\u003E. The research was supported by the National Science Foundation, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and the U.S. Department of Energy. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe have demonstrated a robust way to harvest energy and use it for powering nanometer-scale sensors,\u201d said Zhong Lin Wang, a Regents professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u201cWe now have a technology roadmap for scaling these nanogenerators up to make truly practical applications.\u201d \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the past five years, Wang\u2019s research team has been developing nanoscale generators that use the piezoelectric effect \u2013 which produces electrical charges when wires made from zinc oxide are subjected to strain. The strain can be produced by simply flexing the wires, and current from many wires can be constructively combined to power small devices. The research effort has recently focused on increasing the amount of current and voltage generated and on making the devices more robust. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the paper, Wang and collaborators report on a new configuration for the nanowires that embeds both ends of the tiny structures in a polymer substrate. The wires can then generate current as they are compressed in a flexible nanogenerator enclosure, eliminating the contact with a metallic electrode that was required in earlier devices. Because the generators are completely enclosed, they can be used in a variety of environments. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe can now grow the wires chemically on substrates that are foldable and flexible and the processing can now be done at substrate temperatures of less than 100 degrees Celsius \u2013 about the temperature of coffee,\u201d explained Wang. \u201cThat will allow lower cost fabrication and growth on just about any substrate.\u201d \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe nanogenerators are produced using a multi-step process that includes fabrication of electrodes that provide both Ohmic and Shottky contacts for the nanowires. The arrays can be grown both vertically and laterally. To maximize current and voltage, the growth and assembly requires alignment of crystalline growth, as well as the synchronization of charging and discharging cycles. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProduction of vertical nanogenerators begins with growing zinc oxide nanowires on a gold-coated surface using a wet chemical method. A layer of polymethyl-methacrylate is then spun-coated onto the nanowires, covering them from top to bottom. Oxygen plasma etching is then performed, leaving clean tips on which a piece of silicon wafer coated with platinum is placed. The coated silicon provides a Shottky barrier, which is essential for maintaining electrical current flow. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe alternating current output of the nanogenerators depends on the amount of strain applied. \u201cAt a strain rate of less than two percent per second, we can produce output voltage of 1.2 volts,\u201d said Wang. \u201cThe power output is matched with the external load.\u201d \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELateral nanogenerators integrating 700 rows of zinc oxide nanowires produced a peak voltage of 1.26 volts at a strain of 0.19 percent. In a separate nanogenerator, vertical integration of three layers of zinc oxide nanowire arrays produced a peak power density of 2.7 milliwatts per cubic centimeter. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWang\u2019s team has so far produced two tiny sensors that are based on zinc oxide nanowires and powered by the nanogenerators. By measuring the amplitude of voltage changes across the device when exposed to different liquids, the pH sensor can measure the acidity of liquids. An ultraviolet nanosensor depends on similar voltage changes to detect when it is struck by ultraviolet light. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to Wang, the team authoring the paper included Sheng Xu, Yong Qin, Chen Xu, Yaguang Wei, and Rusen Wang, all from Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Materials Science and Engineering. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new generator and nanoscale sensors open new possibilities for very small sensing devices that can operate without batteries, powered by mechanical energy harvested from the environment. Energy sources could include the motion of tides, sonic waves, mechanical vibration, the flapping of a flag in the wind, pressure from shoes of a hiker or the movement of clothing. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBuilding devices that are small isn\u2019t sufficient,\u201d Wang noted. \u201cWe must also be able to power them in a sustainable way that allows them to be mobile. Using our new nanogenerator, we can put these devices into the environment where they can work independently and sustainably without requiring a battery.\u201d \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Vogel (404-385-3364). \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon \u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBy combining a new generation of piezoelectric nanogenerators with two types of nanowire sensors, researchers have created what are believed to be the first self-powered nanometer-scale sensing devices that draw power from the conversion of mechanical energy.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers build first first self-powered nanoscale sensing devices"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2010-03-29 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:05:45","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-03-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2010-03-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"55148":{"id":"55148","type":"image","title":"Zhong Lin Wang with nanosensors","body":null,"created":"1449175507","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:45:07","changed":"1475894486","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:26","alt":"Zhong Lin Wang with nanosensors","file":{"fid":"190239","name":"tba76743.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tba76743_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tba76743_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":909903,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tba76743_0.jpg?itok=8hBmxj1J"}},"55149":{"id":"55149","type":"image","title":"Schematic of nanogenerator","body":null,"created":"1449175507","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:45:07","changed":"1475894486","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:26","alt":"Schematic of nanogenerator","file":{"fid":"190240","name":"twi76743.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/twi76743_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/twi76743_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":634386,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/twi76743_0.jpg?itok=YcQwVRhz"}},"55150":{"id":"55150","type":"image","title":"Close-up of nanogenerators","body":null,"created":"1449175507","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:45:07","changed":"1475894489","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:29","alt":"Close-up of nanogenerators","file":{"fid":"190241","name":"tey76743.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tey76743_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tey76743_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1504275,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tey76743_0.jpg?itok=JPdCpL_V"}}},"media_ids":["55148","55149","55150"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/FacultyStaff\/MSE_Faculty_researchbios\/Wang\/wang.html","title":"Zhong Lin Wang"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1334","name":"nanogenerator"},{"id":"9030","name":"nanosensor"},{"id":"7699","name":"piezoelectric"},{"id":"7649","name":"zinc oxide"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"54682":{"#nid":"54682","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Study Quantifies the Effects of Placing Metal Contacts on Graphene","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing large-scale supercomputer calculations, researchers have analyzed how the placement of metallic contacts on graphene changes the electron transport properties of the material as a factor of junction length, width and orientation. The work is believed to be the first quantitative study of electron transport through metal-graphene junctions to examine earlier models in significant detail. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInformation on the ways in which attaching metal contacts affects electron transport in graphene will be important to scientists studying the material -- and to designers who may one day fabricate electronic devices from the carbon-lattice material. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Graphene devices will have to communicate with the external world, and that means we will have to fabricate contacts to transport current and data,\u0022 said Mei-Yin Chou, a professor and department chair in the School of Physics at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u0022When they put metal contacts onto graphene to measure transport properties, researchers and device designers need to know that they may not be measuring the instrinsic properties of pristine graphene. Coupling between the contacts and the material must be taken into account.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInformation on the effects of metal contacts on graphene was reported in the journal \u003Cem\u003EPhysical Review Letters\u003C\/em\u003E on February 19th. The research was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, and involved interactions with researchers at the National Science Foundation (NSF)-supported Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) at Georgia Tech. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing large-scale, first-principles calculations done at two different NSF-supported supercomputer centers, the Georgia Tech research team -- which included postdoctoral fellows Salvador Barraza-Lopez and Mihajlo Vanevic, and assistant professor Markus Kindermann -- conducted detailed atomic-level calculations of aluminum contacts grown on graphene. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe calculations studied two contacts up to 14 nanometers apart, with graphene suspended between them. In their calculations, the researchers allowed the aluminum to grow as it would in the real world, then studied how electron transfer was induced in the area surrounding the contacts. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022People have been able to come up with phenomenological models that they use to find out what the effects are with metallic contacts,\u0022 Chou explained. \u0022Our calculations went a few steps farther because we built contacts atom-by-atom. We built atomistically-resolved contacts, and by doing that, we solved this problem at the atomic level and tried to do everything consistent with quantum mechanics.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause metals typically have excess electrons, physically attaching the contacts to graphene causes a charge transfer from the metal. Charge begins to be transferred as soon as the contracts are constructed, but ultimately the two materials reach equilibrium, Chou said. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study showed that charge transfer at the leads and into the freestanding section of the material creates an electron-hole asymmetry in the conductance. For leads that are sufficiently long, the effect creates two conductance minima at the energies of the Dirac points for the suspended and clamped regions of the graphene, according to Barraza-Lopez. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022These results could be important to the design of future graphene devices,\u0022 he said. \u0022Edge effects and the impact of nanoribbon width have been studied in significant detail, but the effects of charge transfer at the contacts may potentially be just as important.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers modeled aluminum, but believe their results will apply to other metals such as copper and gold that do not form chemical bonds with graphene. However, other metals such as chromium and titanium do chemically alter the material, so the effects they have on electron transport may be different. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond the new information provided by the calculations, the research further proposes quantitative models that can be used under certain circumstances to describe the impact of the contacts. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Earlier models had been based on physical insights, but nobody really knew how faithfully they described the material,\u0022 Kindermann said. \u0022This is the first calculation to show that these earlier models apply under certain circumstances for the systems that we studied.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EData from the study may one day help device designers engineer graphene circuits by helping them understand the effects they are seeing. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022When we modify graphene, we need to understand what changes occur as a result of adding materials,\u0022 added Chou. \u0022This is really fundamental research to understand these effects and to have a numerical prediction for what is going on. We are helping to understand the basic physics of graphene.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported by Department of Energy grant DE-FG02-97ER45632. Comments and conclusions in this article are those of the researchers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Energy.\u003C\/em\u003E \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Vogel (404-385-3364)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E). \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing large-scale supercomputer calculations, researchers have analyzed how the placement of metallic contacts on graphene changes the electron transport properties of the material as a factor of junction length, width and orientation.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Placing contacts onto graphene changes the material\u0027s properties."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2010-02-25 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:05:38","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-02-25T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2010-02-25T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"54683":{"id":"54683","type":"image","title":"Research team and findings","body":null,"created":"1449175459","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:44:19","changed":"1475894481","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:21","alt":"Research team and findings","file":{"fid":"172616","name":"tlq13442.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tlq13442_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tlq13442_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":702218,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tlq13442_0.jpg?itok=JiKva6IA"}},"54684":{"id":"54684","type":"image","title":"Graphic showing metal contacts","body":null,"created":"1449175459","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:44:19","changed":"1475894481","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:21","alt":"Graphic showing metal contacts","file":{"fid":"172617","name":"tjy13058.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tjy13058_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tjy13058_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":199182,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tjy13058_0.jpg?itok=Q_AzOIzf"}}},"media_ids":["54683","54684"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Physics"},{"url":"http:\/\/prl.aps.org\/abstract\/PRL\/v104\/i7\/e076807","title":"Physical Review Letters paper"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"8858","name":"contacts"},{"id":"429","name":"graphene"},{"id":"7435","name":"material"},{"id":"7415","name":"transport"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"52890":{"#nid":"52890","#data":{"type":"news","title":"One-step Process Produces Both P-type and N-type Doping in Graphene","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA simple one-step process that produces both n-type and p-type doping of large-area graphene surfaces could facilitate use of the promising material for future electronic devices. The doping technique can also be used to increase conductivity in graphene nanoribbons used for interconnects.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy applying a commercially-available spin-on-glass (SOG) material to graphene and then exposing it to electron-beam radiation, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology created both types of doping by simply varying the exposure time. Higher levels of e-beam energy produced p-type areas, while lower levels produced n-type areas. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe technique was used to fabricate high-resolution p-n junctions. When properly passivated, the doping created by the SOG is expected to remain indefinitely in the graphene sheets studied by the researchers. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This is an enabling step toward making possible complementary metal oxide graphene transistors,\u0022 said Raghunath Murali, a senior research engineer in Georgia Tech\u0027s Nanotechnology Research Center. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA paper describing the technique appeared February 10, 2010 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EApplied Physics Letters\u003C\/em\u003E. The research was supported by the Semiconductor Research Corporation and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) through the Interconnect Focus Center. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the new doping process, Murali and graduate student Kevin Brenner begin by removing flakes of graphene one to four layers thick from a block of graphite. They place the material onto a surface of oxidized silicon, then fabricate a four-point contact device. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENext, they spin on films of hydrogen silsesquoxane (HSQ), then cure certain portions of the resulting thin film using electron beam radiation. The technique provides precise control over the amount of radiation and where it is applied to the graphene, with higher levels of energy corresponding to more cross-linking of the HSQ. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We gave varying doses of electron-beam radiation and then studied how it influenced the properties of carriers in the graphene lattice,\u0022 Murali said. \u0022The e-beam gave us a fine range of control that could be valuable for fabricating nanoscale devices. We can use an electron beam with a diameter of four or five nanometers that allows very precise doping patterns.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EElectronic measurements showed that a graphene p-n junction created by the new technique had large energy separations, indicating strong doping effects, he added. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers elsewhere have demonstrated graphene doping using a variety of processes including soaking the material in various solutions and exposing it to a variety of gases. The Georgia Tech process is believed to be the first to provide both electron and hole doping from a single dopant material. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDoping processes used for graphene are likely to be significantly different from those established for silicon use, Murali said. In silicon, the doping step substitutes atoms of a different material for silicon atoms in the material\u2019s lattice. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the new single-step process for graphene, the doping is believed to introduce atoms of hydrogen and oxygen in the vicinity of the carbon lattice. The oxygen and hydrogen don\u0027t replace carbon atoms, but instead occupy locations atop the lattice structure. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Energy applied to the SOG breaks chemical bonds and releases hydrogen and oxygen which bond with the carbon lattice,\u0022 Murali said. \u0022A high e-beam energy converts the whole SOG structure to more of a network, and then you have more oxygen than hydrogen, resulting in a p-type doping.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn volume manufacturing, the electron beam radiation would likely be replaced by a conventional lithography process, Murali said. Varying the reflectance or transmission of the mask set would control the amount of radiation reaching the SOG, and that would determine whether n-type or p-type areas are created. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Making everything in a single step would avoid some of the expensive lithography steps,\u0022 he said. \u0022Gray-scale lithography would allow fine control of doping across the entire surface of the wafer.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor doping bulk areas such as interconnects that do not require patterning, the researchers simply coat the area with HSQ and expose it to a plasma source. The technique can make the nanoribbons up to 10 times more conductive than untreated graphene. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause HSQ is already familiar to the microelectronics industry, the one-step approach to doping could help integrate graphene into existing processes, avoiding a disruption of the massive semiconductor design and fabrication system, Murali noted. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the past two years, researchers in the Nanotechnology Research Center had observed changes caused by application of HSQ during electrical testing. Only recently did they take a closer look at what was happening to understand how to take advantage of the phenomenon. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the future, they\u0027d like to better understand how the process works and whether other polymers might provide better results. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We need to have a better understanding of how to control this process because variability is one of the issues that must be controlled to make manufacturing feasible,\u0022 Murali explained. \u0022We are trying to identify other polymers that may provide better control or stronger doping levels.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Vogel (404-385-3364)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E). \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon \u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"A simple one-step process that produces both n-type and p-type doping of large-area graphene surfaces could facilitate use of the promising material for future electronic devices.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A simple doping technique could facilitate graphene devices"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2010-02-11 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:05:33","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-02-11T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2010-02-11T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"52891":{"id":"52891","type":"image","title":"Electrical measurements of graphene","body":null,"created":"1449175459","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:44:19","changed":"1475894476","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:16","alt":"Electrical measurements of graphene","file":{"fid":"146095","name":"toj27664.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/toj27664_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/toj27664_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1326151,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/toj27664_0.jpg?itok=v2ebkpzr"}},"52892":{"id":"52892","type":"image","title":"Graduate student Kevin Brenner","body":null,"created":"1449175459","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:44:19","changed":"1475894476","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:16","alt":"Graduate student Kevin Brenner","file":{"fid":"146096","name":"the27664.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/the27664_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/the27664_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1386708,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/the27664_0.jpg?itok=qvSfFJpV"}},"52893":{"id":"52893","type":"image","title":"Graduate student Kevin Brenner","body":null,"created":"1449175459","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:44:19","changed":"1475894476","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:16","alt":"Graduate student Kevin Brenner","file":{"fid":"146097","name":"tpa27664.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tpa27664_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tpa27664_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":735708,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tpa27664_0.jpg?itok=R11agR_W"}}},"media_ids":["52891","52892","52893"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.nrc.gatech.edu\/","title":"Nanotechnology Research Center"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.mirc.gatech.edu\/raghu\/","title":"Raghunath Murali"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"8458","name":"doping"},{"id":"609","name":"electronics"},{"id":"429","name":"graphene"},{"id":"7435","name":"material"},{"id":"4261","name":"transistor"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"54920":{"#nid":"54920","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Self-Assembled Nanocomposites Boost Lithium-Ion Battery Anodes","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new high-performance anode structure based on silicon-carbon nanocomposite materials could significantly improve the performance of lithium-ion batteries used in a wide range of applications from hybrid vehicles to portable electronics. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProduced with a \u0022bottom-up\u0022 self-assembly technique, the new structure takes advantage of nanotechnology to fine-tune its materials properties, addressing the shortcomings of earlier silicon-based battery anodes. The simple, low-cost fabrication technique was designed to be easily scaled up and compatible with existing battery manufacturing. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDetails of the new self-assembly approach were published online in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Materials \u003C\/em\u003Eon March 14. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Development of a novel approach to producing hierarchical anode or cathode particles with controlled properties opens the door to many new directions for lithium-ion battery technology,\u0022 said Gleb Yushin, an assistant professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u0022This is a significant step toward commercial production of silicon-based anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe popular and lightweight batteries work by transferring lithium ions between two electrodes -- a cathode and an anode -- through a liquid electrolyte. The more efficiently the lithium ions can enter the two electrodes during charge and discharge cycles, the larger the battery\u0027s capacity will be. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExisting lithium-ion batteries rely on anodes made from graphite, a form of carbon. Silicon-based anodes theoretically offer as much as a ten-fold capacity improvement over graphite, but silicon-based anodes have so far not been stable enough for practical use. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGraphite anodes use particles ranging in size from 15 to 20 microns. If silicon particles of that size are simply substituted for the graphite, expansion and contraction as the lithium ions enter and leave the silicon creates cracks that quickly cause the anode to fail. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new nanocomposite material solves that degradation problem, potentially allowing battery designers to tap the capacity advantages of silicon. That could facilitate higher power output from a given battery size -- or allow a smaller battery to produce a required amount of power. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022At the nanoscale, we can tune materials properties with much better precision than we can at traditional size scales,\u0022 said Yushin. \u0022This is an example of where having nanoscale fabrication techniques leads to better materials.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EElectrical measurements of the new composite anodes in small coin cells showed they had a capacity more than five times greater than the theoretical capacity of graphite. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFabrication of the composite anode begins with formation of highly conductive branching structures -- similar to the branches of a tree -- made from carbon black nanoparticles annealed in a high-temperature tube furnace. Silicon nanospheres with diameters of less than 30 nanometers are then formed within the carbon structures using a chemical vapor deposition process. The silicon-carbon composite structures resemble \u0022apples hanging on a tree.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing graphitic carbon as an electrically-conductive binder, the silicon-carbon composites are then self-assembled into rigid spheres that have open, interconnected internal pore channels. The spheres, formed in sizes ranging from 10 to 30 microns, are used to form battery anodes. The relatively large composite powder size -- a thousand times larger than individual silicon nanoparticles -- allows easy powder processing for anode fabrication. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe internal channels in the silicon-carbon spheres serve two purposes. They admit liquid electrolyte to allow rapid entry of lithium ions for quick battery charging, and they provide space to accommodate expansion and contraction of the silicon without cracking the anode. The internal channels and nanometer-scale particles also provide short lithium diffusion paths into the anode, boosting battery power characteristics. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe size of the silicon particles is controlled by the duration of the chemical vapor deposition process and the pressure applied to the deposition system. The size of the carbon nanostructure branches and the size of the silicon spheres determine the pore size in the composite. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProduction of the silicon-carbon composites could be scaled up as a continuous process amenable to ultra high-volume powder manufacturing, Yushin said. Because the final composite spheres are relatively large when they are fabricated into anodes, the self-assembly technique avoids the potential health risks of handling nanoscale powders, he added. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce fabricated, the nanocomposite anodes would be used in batteries just like conventional graphite structures. That would allow battery manufacturers to adopt the new anode material without making dramatic changes in production processes. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo far, the researchers have tested the new anode through more than a hundred charge-discharge cycles. Yushin believes the material would remain stable for thousands of cycles because no degradation mechanisms have become apparent. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022If this technology can offer a lower cost on a capacity basis, or lighter weight compared to current techniques, this will help advance the market for lithium batteries,\u0022 he said. \u0022If we are able to produce less expensive batteries that last for a long time, this could also facilitate the adoption of many \u0027green\u0027 technologies, such as electric vehicles or solar cells.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to Yushin, the paper\u0027s authors included Alexandre Magasinki, Patrick Dixon and Benjamin Hertzberg -- all from Georgia Tech -- and Alexander Kvit from the Materials Science Center and Materials Science Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Jorge Ayala from Superior Graphite. The paper also acknowledges the contributions of Alexander Alexeev at Georgia Tech and Igor Luzinov from Clemson University. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research was partially supported by a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to Chicago-based Superior Graphite and Atlanta-based Streamline Nanotechnologies, Inc. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThis research was partially supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) through SBIR grant NNX09CD29P 2008-1. The statements and opinions expressed in the article are those of the researcher and do not necessarily represent the official position of NASA.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Vogel (404-385-3364)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E). \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new high-performance anode structure based on silicon-carbon nanocomposite materials could significantly improve the performance of lithium-ion batteries used in a wide range of applications from hybrid vehicles to portable electronics.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"High-capacity anode could boost lithium-ion battery performance"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2010-03-15 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:04:08","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-03-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2010-03-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"54921":{"id":"54921","type":"image","title":"Schematic of nanocomposite","body":null,"created":"1449175379","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:42:59","changed":"1475894455","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:55"},"54922":{"id":"54922","type":"image","title":"Nanocomposite microscope image","body":null,"created":"1449175408","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:43:28","changed":"1475894463","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:03"}},"media_ids":["54921","54922"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/FacultyStaff\/MSE_Faculty_researchbios\/Yushin\/yushin.html","title":"Gleb Yushin"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1292","name":"battery"},{"id":"8948","name":"lithium-ion"},{"id":"1692","name":"materials"},{"id":"7563","name":"nanocomposite"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"47445":{"#nid":"47445","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Air Force Center of Excellence Awarded to Georgia Tech","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology has been awarded a U.S. Air Force Center of Excellence to design nanostructures for energy harvesting and adaptive materials, and to develop tools to optimize critical cognitive processes of the modern warfighter. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe $10.5 million Center, known as the Bio-nano-enabled Inorganic\/Organic Nanostructures and Improved Cognition (BIONIC) center, is being led by Vladimir Tsukruk and Kenneth Sandhage, professors in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Materials Science and Engineering. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Advanced materials is an area of importance for the Air Force since the landscape of materials science is rapidly changing and bio-nano-materials are classes of pervasive materials that exhibit unique capabilities and have the potential to address Air Force needs,\u0022 explained Rajesh Naik, a scientist in the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Materials and Manufacturing Directorate. \u0022In addition, improved cognition tools are required for assessing the cognitive ability of the warfighter as we ask for more from our human operators in the most demanding environments.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe BIONIC center includes a group of core members from six departments within the Georgia Tech Colleges of Sciences and Engineering, a researcher at The Ohio State University, and scientists and engineers at AFRL. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company is also an industrial collaborator.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFunding for the Center of Excellence is provided by the Materials and Manufacturing Directorate and Human Effectiveness Directorate of AFRL, the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research and Georgia Tech. The initial award is for three years, with the possibility of an additional two-year extension.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Georgia Tech was chosen to lead this Center of Excellence because of its investment in infrastructure development, including new facilities and instrumentation; its recruitment of high-caliber faculty members and students; and its emphasis in bio-nanotechnology and cognitive sciences,\u0022 said Morley Stone, chief scientist of the Human Performance Wing of AFRL\u0027s Human Effectiveness Directorate.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are three major research thrusts, called interdisciplinary research groups, within the BIONIC center. Each group contains several collaborators from AFRL\u0027s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate or Human Effectiveness Directorate.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor the first thrust, which is led by Sandhage, researchers are designing, fabricating, characterizing and modeling the performance of inorganic\/organic nanocomposites for efficient, remote energy-harvesting devices, such as photovoltaics and batteries. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The U.S. Air Force utilizes autonomous drones that they would like to operate for longer periods of time,\u0022 explained co-director Sandhage, who holds the B. Mifflin Hood Professorship in the School of Materials Science and Engineering and an adjunct position in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. \u0022To do that, they need a cost-effective energy source that can perform efficiently for extended periods of time, while also providing high pulses of power when needed.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETsukruk is leading the second interdisciplinary research group, which is focused on designing, fabricating, characterizing and simulating the performance of inorganic\/organic nanocomposites for tunable, adaptive materials.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022When these adaptive materials are exposed to heat or light or both, they will change their properties in ways that will be useful for sensing or morphing surfaces,\u0022 said co-director Tsukruk, who also holds a joint appointment in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Polymer, Textile and Fiber Engineering.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe third thrust is being led by Michelle LaPlaca, an associate professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. LaPlaca and her team plan to develop tools and assessment methods to optimize critical cognitive processes of the modern warfighter.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022U.S. Air Force analysts must remain attentive to computers and controls for hours at a time, so we aim to find a molecular signature of cognition that is sensitive to changes in stress levels and correlate these molecules with functional brain maps using magnetic resonance imaging techniques,\u0022 said LaPlaca. \u0022We want to learn about a warfighter\u0027s physiological response to different situations and use this information to optimize training and work effectiveness.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to its research objectives, another goal for the Center of Excellence is to conduct stimulating collaborative research that will motivate students to consider working at AFRL.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022At Georgia Tech, we\u0027ve had a history of sending outstanding alumni to work at AFRL, including three of our recent Ph.D. graduates. As students, they were able to collaborate with researchers at AFRL and spend extended periods of time at the AFRL facilities, which opened their eyes to AFRL\u0027s exciting opportunities and dynamic research atmosphere,\u0022 said Sandhage.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOther core members of the Center include Regents\u0027 Professor Mostafa El-Sayed, professor Seth Marder and assistant professor Nils Kroger from the Georgia Tech School of Chemistry and Biochemistry; professor Bernard Kippelen from the Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Shella Keilholz, an assistant professor in the Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering; Eric Schumacher, an assistant professor in the Georgia Tech School of Psychology; and Hamish Fraser, a professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at The Ohio State University.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EResearchers will be added to this core group as early as next year, when the Center begins awarding seed grants to Georgia Tech faculty members.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The goal of this seed grant program is to establish new connections to talented Georgia Tech faculty members that can result in long-term relationships and fruitful collaborations with the U.S. Air Force,\u0022 added Sandhage.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Air Force under Award No. FA9550-09-1-0162. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the principal investigators and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Air Force.\u003C\/em\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Vogel (404-385-3364); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Vogel\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"BIONIC Center Will Focus on Nanostructures and Improved Cognition"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Georgia Tech was awarded a $10.5 million U.S. Air Force Center of Excellence to design nanostructures for energy harvesting and adaptive materials, and to develop tools to optimize critical cognitive processes of the modern warfighter.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Air Force Center of Excellence awarded to Georgia Tech"}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2009-12-01 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:49","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-12-01T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2009-12-01T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"47450":{"id":"47450","type":"image","title":"Ken Sandhage Thumbnail","body":null,"created":"1449175107","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:38:27","changed":"1475894442","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:42","alt":"Ken Sandhage Thumbnail","file":{"fid":"101216","name":"Ken.Sandhage.100_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Ken.Sandhage.100_0_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Ken.Sandhage.100_0_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":32939,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Ken.Sandhage.100_0_0.jpg?itok=mzHrjVY6"}},"47446":{"id":"47446","type":"image","title":"Ken Sandhage","body":null,"created":"1449175107","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:38:27","changed":"1475894442","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:42","alt":"Ken Sandhage","file":{"fid":"101212","name":"tme79646.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tme79646_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tme79646_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1240835,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tme79646_0.jpg?itok=xYbgRky1"}},"47447":{"id":"47447","type":"image","title":"Vladimir Tsukruk","body":null,"created":"1449175107","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:38:27","changed":"1475894442","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:42","alt":"Vladimir Tsukruk","file":{"fid":"101213","name":"tfj79646.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tfj79646_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tfj79646_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1603065,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tfj79646_0.jpg?itok=CicXM5o5"}},"47448":{"id":"47448","type":"image","title":"Michelle LaPlaca","body":null,"created":"1449175107","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:38:27","changed":"1475894442","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:42","alt":"Michelle LaPlaca","file":{"fid":"101214","name":"tix79646.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tix79646_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tix79646_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":989237,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tix79646_0.jpg?itok=b-P-1A2n"}}},"media_ids":["47450","47446","47447","47448"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.bionicafcoe.gatech.edu\/","title":"BIONIC Center of Excellence"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/FacultyStaff\/MSE_Faculty_researchbios\/Tsukruk\/tsukruk.html","title":"Vladimir Tsukruk"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/FacultyStaff\/MSE_Faculty_researchbios\/Sandhage\/sandhage.html","title":"Prof. Ken Sandhage"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=20","title":"Michelle LaPlaca"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"147","name":"Military Technology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7826","name":"Batteries"},{"id":"7828","name":"Bionanomaterials"},{"id":"2014","name":"Cognition"},{"id":"7827","name":"Cognitive Processes"},{"id":"436","name":"electricity"},{"id":"213","name":"energy"},{"id":"4249","name":"inorganic"},{"id":"1692","name":"materials"},{"id":"525","name":"military"},{"id":"6189","name":"Nanocomposites"},{"id":"1785","name":"nanomaterials"},{"id":"2289","name":"organic"},{"id":"953","name":"photovoltaics"},{"id":"3517","name":"power"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbby Vogel\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News and Publications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=avogel6\u0022\u003EContact Abby Vogel\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-385-3364\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["avogel@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"72574":{"#nid":"72574","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Mimicking Nature Creates Self-Cleaning Coatings","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology are mimicking one of Nature\u0027s best non-stick surfaces to help create more reliable electric transmission systems, photovoltaic arrays that retain their efficiency, MEMS structures unaffected by water and improved biocompatible surfaces able to prevent cells from adhering to implanted medical devices.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBased on a collaboration of materials scientists and chemical engineers, the research aims to duplicate the self-cleaning surfaces of the lotus plant, which grows in waterways of Asia.  Despite growing in muddy conditions, the leaves and flowers remain clean because their surfaces are composed of micron- and nano-scale structures that - along with a waxy coating - prevent dirt and water from adhering.  Despite their unusual surface properties, the rough surfaces allow photosynthesis to continue in the leaves.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022When rain hits the leaves of the lotus plant, it simply beads up,\u0022 noted C.P. Wong, a Regents Professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Materials Science and Engineering.  \u0022When the leaves are also tilted at a small angle, the beads of water run off instantaneously.  While the water is rolling off, it carries away any dirt on the surface.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe self-cleaning action of the lotus plant has intrigued researchers for decades, and recent studies done by researchers in several different groups have demonstrated the reasons behind the plant\u0027s unique abilities.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe plant\u0027s ability to repel water and dirt results from an unusual combination of a superhydrophobic (water-repelling) surface and a combination of micron-scale hills and valleys and nanometer-scale waxy bumps that create rough surfaces that don\u0027t give water or dirt a chance to adhere.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Because of the combination of nano-scale and micron-scale structures, water droplets can only contact about three percent of the surface,\u0022 Wong said.  \u0022They\u0027re just not touching very much of the lotus surface as compared to a smooth surface.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo address several unique applications, Georgia Tech researchers have attempted to duplicate the two-tier lotus surface using a variety of materials, including polybutadiene.  But that organic compound isn\u0027t suitable for coatings that are exposed to sunlight because ultraviolet radiation breaks down its carbon bonds.  So to address their first lotus application - self-cleaning insulators used on high-voltage power lines - the researchers had to develop another material.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESupported by the National Electric Energy Testing Research and Applications Center (NEETRAC), that project would solve a problem that plagues electric utilities.  The build-up of dirt and dust on ceramic or silicone insulators used by high-voltage power lines can eventually create a short circuit that can damage the electric distribution network.  It\u0027s impractical to manually clean the insulators.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWong and collaborators Yonghao Xiu, Lingbo Zhu and Dennis Hess have developed a lotus surface able to withstand ultraviolet radiation using a combination of silicone, fluorocarbons, and inorganics such as titanium dioxide and silicon dioxide.  Their prototype coating has shown excellent durability in long-term testing.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESupported by the National Science Foundation, NASA and other agencies, Georgia Tech is also pursuing other work based on lotus applications:\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E- Use of carbon nanotube bundles to create the surface bumps needed to prevent dust from accumulating on the surfaces of photovoltaic (PV) cells, space suits and other equipment intended for use on the moon or Mars - where there\u0027s no rain.  Arranging patterns of nanotube bundles a few microns apart and applying a weak electrical charge should help keep dust away and maintain maximum efficiency in the PV cells that power space missions.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E- Application of lotus coatings to prevent \u0027stiction,\u0027 which is the strong adhesive force that can form between the structures of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) and substrates.  The magnitude of these forces can be enough to deform the structures, resulting in device failure.  With its superhydrophobicity and surface roughness, a lotus surface coating can prevent stiction, Wong said.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E- A two-tier surface system composed of hexagonally-packed silica spheres on which gold nanoparticles were deposited.  The resulting chemical and physical structures were studied to establish the impact of surface hydrophobicity and roughness on the measured contact angles on the rough surfaces.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E- Lotus surfaces for use in implantable medical devices to prevent cells from attaching to form blood clots.  If successful, this application could replace anti-clotting materials that are coated onto implantable devices such as stents used to hold blood vessels open.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe lotus plant is yet another example of how researchers can learn surprising lessons from what Nature has provided, Wong noted.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022It\u0027s not easy to get dust and dirt off a smooth surface,\u0022 he said.  \u0022Though it seems counterintuitive, the roughness actually helps the cleaning process.  We believe this lotus surface will have many potential applications.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Jane Sanders (404-894-2214) or (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jsanders@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejsanders@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: C.P. Wong (404-894-8391); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:cp.wong@mse.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ecp.wong@mse.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Researchers imitate surface features of lotus plant leaves"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Researchers are mimicking one of Nature\u0027s best non-stick surfaces to help create more reliable electric transmission systems, photovoltaic arrays that retain their efficiency, MEMS structures unaffected by water and improved biocompatible surfaces.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New study yields improved self-cleaning surfaces"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2006-10-13 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:29","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2006-10-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2006-10-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"72575":{"id":"72575","type":"image","title":"Professor C.P. Wong","body":null,"created":"1449177942","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:25:42","changed":"1475894661","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:21"},"72576":{"id":"72576","type":"image","title":"Coating surface","body":null,"created":"1449177942","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:25:42","changed":"1475894661","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:21"},"72577":{"id":"72577","type":"image","title":"Research team","body":null,"created":"1449177942","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:25:42","changed":"1475894661","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:21"}},"media_ids":["72575","72576","72577"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/FacultyStaff\/MSE_Faculty_researchbios\/Wong\/wong.html","title":"C.P. Wong"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7311","name":"coating"},{"id":"6950","name":"Lotus"},{"id":"1073","name":"photovoltaic"},{"id":"170895","name":"self-cleaning"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"72179":{"#nid":"72179","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Platinum Nanocrystals Boost Catalytic Activity","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA research team composed of electrochemists and materials scientists from two continents has produced a new form of the industrially-important metal platinum: 24-facet nanocrystals whose catalytic activity per unit area can be as much as four times higher than existing commercial platinum catalysts.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new platinum nanocrystals, whose \u0022tetrahexahedral\u0022 structure had not previously been reported in the metal, could improve the efficiency of chemical processes such as those used to catalyze fuel oxidation and produce hydrogen for fuel cells.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022If we are going to have a hydrogen economy, we will need better catalysts,\u0022 said Zhong Lin Wang, a Regents Professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology.  \u0022This new shape for platinum catalyst nanoparticles greatly improves their activity.  This work also demonstrates a new method for producing metallic nanocrystals with high-energy surfaces.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new nanocrystals, produced electrochemically from platinum nanospheres on a carbon substrate, remain stable at high temperatures.  Their sizes can be controlled by varying the number of cycles of \u0022square wave\u0022 electrical potential applied to them.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This electrochemical technique is vital to producing such tetrahexahedral platinum nanocrystals,\u0022 said Shi-Gang Sun, an Eminent Professor in the College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at the Xiamen University in China.  \u0022The technique used to produce the new platinum nanostructures may also have applications to other catalytic metals.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China, Special Funds for Major State Basic Research Project of China and the U.S. National Science Foundation.  Details were reported in the May 4 issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPlatinum plays a vital role as a catalyst for many important reactions, used in industrial chemical processing, in motor vehicle catalytic converters that reduce exhaust pollution, in fuel cells and in sensors.  Commercially available platinum nanocrystals - which exist as cubes, tetrahedra and octahedra - have what are termed \u0022low-index\u0022 facets, characterized by the numbers {100} or {111}.  Because of their higher catalytic activity, \u0022high-index\u0022 surfaces would be preferable - but until now, platinum nanocrystals with such surfaces have never been synthesized - and therefore have not been available for industrial use.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe nanocrystals produced by the U.S.-Chinese team have high energy surfaces that include numerous \u0022dangling bonds\u0022 and \u0022atomic steps\u0022 that facilitate chemical reactions.  These structures, characterized by {210}, {730} or {520} facets, remain stable at high temperatures - up to 800 degrees Celsius in testing done so far.  That stability will allow them to be recycled and re-used in catalytic reactions, Wang said.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThough the process must still be fine-tuned, the researchers have learned to control the size of the particles by varying the processing conditions.  They are able to control the size such that only 4.5 percent of the nanocrystals produced are larger or smaller than the target size.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022In nanoparticle research, two things are important: size control and shape control,\u0022 said Wang.  \u0022From a purity point of view, we have been able to obtain a high yield of nanocrystals whose shape was a real surprise.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDepending on conditions, the new nanocrystals can be as much as four times more catalytically active per unit area than existing commercial catalysts. But since the new structures tested are more than 20 times larger than existing platinum catalysts, they require more of the metal - and hence are less active per unit weight. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We need to find a way to make these nanocrystals smaller while preserving the shape,\u0022 Wang noted.  \u0022If we can reduce the size through better control of processing conditions, we will have a catalytic system that would allow production of hydrogen with greater efficiency.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EProduction of the new crystals begins with polycrystalline platinum spheres about 750 nanometers in diameter that are electrodeposited onto a substrate of amorphous - also known as \u0022glassy\u0022 - carbon.  Placed in an electrochemical cell with ascorbic acid and sulfuric acid, the spheres are then subjected to \u0022square wave\u0022 potential that alternates between positive and negative potentials at a rate of 10 to 20 Hertz.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe electrochemical oxidation-reduction reaction converts the spheres to smaller nanocrystals over a period of time ranging from 10 to 60 minutes.  The role of the carbon substrate isn\u0027t fully understood, but it somehow enhances the uniformity of the nanocrystals.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The key to producing this shape is to tune the voltage and the time period under which it is applied,\u0022 Sun noted.  \u0022By changing the experimental conditions, we can control the size with a high level of uniformity.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EScanning electron microscopy shows that the sizes average 81 nanometers in diameter, with the smallest just 20 nanometers.  The microscopy also found that the structures were composed of single crystals with no dislocations.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Not only do we have a beautiful shape - which was observed for the first time in this research - but we also have a very valuable catalyst,\u0022 Sun added.  \u0022And because these nanocrystals are stable, the shape is preserved after the catalytic reaction, which will allow us to use the same nanocrystals over and over again.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to Sun and Wang, the research team included Na Tian and Zhi-You Zhou from the College of Chemistry and Engineering at Xiamen University in China and Yong Ding from the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Georgia Tech in the United States. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: Zhong Lin Wang (404-894-8008); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:zhong.wang@mse.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ezhong.wang@mse.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Shi-Gang Sun; E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sgsun@xmu.edu.cn\u0022\u003Esgsun@xmu.edu.cn\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"New form of catalytic metal could improve hydrogen production"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"A research team composed of electrochemists and materials scientists has produced a new form of the industrially-important metal platinum: 24-facet nanocrystals whose catalytic activity per unit area can be as much as four times higher than existing commercial platinum catalysts.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new platinum structure could improve catalysis"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2007-05-04 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:29","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2007-05-04T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2007-05-04T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"72180":{"id":"72180","type":"image","title":"Platinum nanocrystal close-up","body":null,"created":"1449177434","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:17:14","changed":"1475894651","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:11"},"72181":{"id":"72181","type":"image","title":"Platinum nanocrystal","body":null,"created":"1449177434","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:17:14","changed":"1475894651","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:11"}},"media_ids":["72180","72181"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/FacultyStaff\/MSE_Faculty_researchbios\/Wang\/wang.html","title":"Zhong Lin Wang"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2506","name":"catalyst"},{"id":"7287","name":"electrochemical"},{"id":"7562","name":"nanocrystal"},{"id":"7531","name":"platinum"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"72234":{"#nid":"72234","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Nanogenerator Provides Continuous Electrical Power","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have demonstrated a prototype nanometer-scale generator that produces continuous direct-current electricity by harvesting mechanical energy from such environmental sources as ultrasonic waves, mechanical vibration or blood flow.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBased on arrays of vertically-aligned zinc oxide nanowires that move inside a novel \u0027zig-zag\u0027 plate electrode, the nanogenerators could provide a new way to power nanoscale devices without batteries or other external power sources.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This is a major step toward a portable, adaptable and cost-effective technology for powering nanoscale devices,\u0022 said Zhong Lin Wang, Regents\u0027 Professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology.  \u0022There has been a lot of interest in making nanodevices, but we have tended not to think about how to power them.  Our nanogenerator allows us to harvest or recycle energy from many sources to power these devices.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDetails of the nanogenerator are reported in the April 6 issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E.  The research was sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Emory-Georgia Tech Center of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe nanogenerators take advantage of the unique coupled piezoelectric and semiconducting properties of zinc oxide nanostructures, which produce small electrical charges when they are flexed.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFabrication begins with growing an array of vertically-aligned nanowires approximately a half-micron apart on gallium arsenide, sapphire or a flexible polymer substrate.  A layer of zinc oxide is grown on top of substrate to collect the current.  The researchers also fabricate silicon \u0027zig-zag\u0027 electrodes, which contain thousands of nanometer-scale tips made conductive by a platinum coating.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe electrode is then lowered on top of the nanowire array, leaving just enough space so that a significant number of the nanowires are free to flex within the gaps created by the tips. Moved by mechanical energy such as waves or vibration, the nanowires periodically contact the tips, transferring their electrical charges.  By capturing the tiny amounts of current produced by hundreds of nanowires kept in motion, the generators produce a direct current output in the nano-Ampere range.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWang and his group members Xudong Wang, Jinhui Song and Jin Liu expect that with optimization, their nanogenerator could produce as much as 4 watts per cubic centimeter - based on a calculation for a single nanowire.  That would be enough to power a broad range of nanometer-scale defense, environmental and biomedical applications, including biosensors implanted in the body, environmental monitors - and even nanoscale robots.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENearly a year ago, in the April 14, 2006 issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E, Wang\u0027s research team announced the concept behind the nanogenerators.  At that time, the nanogenerator could harvest power from just one nanowire at a time by dragging the tip of an atomic force microscope (AFM) over it.  Made of platinum-coated silicon, the tip served as a Schottky barrier, helping accumulate and preserve the electrical charge as the nanowire flexed - and ensuring that the current flowed in one direction.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith its multiple conducting tips similar to those of an AFM, the new zig-zag electrode serves as a Schottky barrier to hundreds or thousands of wires simultaneously, harvesting energy from the nanowire arrays.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Producing the top electrode as a single assembly sets the stage for scaling up this technology,\u0022 Wang said.  \u0022We can now see the steps involved in moving forward to a device that can power real nanometer-scale applications.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBefore that happens, additional development will be needed to optimize current production.  For instance, though nanowires in the arrays can be grown to approximately the same length - about one micron - there is some variation.  Wires that are too short cannot touch the electrode to produce current, while wires that are too long cannot flex to produce electrical charge.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We need to be able to better control the growth, density and uniformity of the wires,\u0022 Wang said.  \u0022We believe we can make as many as millions or even billions of nanowires produce current simultaneously.  That will allow us to optimize operation of the nanogenerator.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn their lab, the researchers aimed an ultrasound source at their nanogenerator to measure current output over slightly more than an hour.  Though there is some fluctuation in output, the current flow was continuous as long as the ultrasonic generator was operating, Wang said.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo rule out other sources of the current measured, the researchers substituted carbon nanotubes - which are not piezoelectric - for the zinc oxide nanowires, and used a top electrode that was flat.  In both cases, the resulting devices did not produce current.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EProviding power for nanometer-scale devices has long been a challenge.  Batteries and other traditional sources are too large, and tend to negate the size advantages of nanodevices.  And since batteries contain toxic materials such as lithium and cadmium, they cannot be implanted into the body as part of biomedical applications.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBecause zinc oxide is non-toxic and compatible with the body, the new nanogenerators could be integrated into implantable biomedical devices to wirelessly measure blood flow and blood pressure within the body.  And they could also find more ordinary applications.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022If you had a device like this in your shoes when you walked, you would be able to generate your own small current to power small electronics,\u0022 Wang noted. \u0022Anything that makes the nanowires move within the generator can be used for generating power.  Very little force is required to move them.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: Zhong Lin Wang (404-894-8008); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:zhong.wang@mse.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ezhong.wang@mse.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Device harvests energy from the environment to provide direct current"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Researchers have demonstrated a prototype nanometer-scale generator that produces continuous direct-current electricity by harvesting mechanical energy from such environmental sources as ultrasonic waves, mechanical vibration or blood flow.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New device harvests energy for electric power"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2007-04-05 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:29","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2007-04-05T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2007-04-05T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"72235":{"id":"72235","type":"image","title":"Zhong Lin Wang","body":null,"created":"1449177446","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:17:26","changed":"1475894653","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:13"},"72236":{"id":"72236","type":"image","title":"Close-up of nanogenerator","body":null,"created":"1449177446","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:17:26","changed":"1475894653","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:13"},"72237":{"id":"72237","type":"image","title":"Schematic of nanogenerator","body":null,"created":"1449177446","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:17:26","changed":"1475894653","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:13"}},"media_ids":["72235","72236","72237"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/FacultyStaff\/MSE_Faculty_researchbios\/Wang\/wang.html","title":"Zhong Lin Wang"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7567","name":"direct-current"},{"id":"436","name":"electricity"},{"id":"7568","name":"harvest"},{"id":"1334","name":"nanogenerator"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"72242":{"#nid":"72242","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Win $3.5 Million to Improve Wireless","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Institute of Technology research team has received a $3.5 million grant to use tiny, power-saving analog chips to develop portable communications technology capable of scanning a broad range of radio-frequency (RF) bands for open channels.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe resulting analog spectral processors (ASP), to be developed at the Georgia Electronic Design Center (GEDC), would have a range of uses, from aiding battlefield communication to enabling cellular phones to find less-crowded frequencies. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EASP technology is related to the \u0027cognitive radio\u0027 (CR) concept, which involves utilizing less-busy frequencies for optimal cell-phone and radio performance. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFarrokh Ayazi, a GEDC researcher who is co-director of the Center for MEMS and Microsystems Technology (CMMT), is principal investigator on the project.  The project, led by BAE Systems Inc, has received $11 million from DARPA, of which $3.5 million will go to Georgia Tech over three years.  Purdue University is also on the BAE Systems team.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The project\u0027s goal is basically to create a small, low-power handheld device that combines a spectrum analyzer and a truly powerful communication device,\u0022 said Ayazi, who is an associate professor in the Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE).  \u0022The spectrum analyzer would scan the frequency spectrum all the way from 20 MHz to 6 GHz to find empty spots -- channels that are receiving less use.\u0022\t\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis extensive range would allow ASPs to be useful in a range of applications, Ayazi said.  Such a wide-band spectral processor would help soldiers switch channels quickly to avoid enemy jamming measures at military-use frequencies, while also enhancing military and civilian communications at other frequencies.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Prof. Ayazi\u0027s award continues to establish the GEDC as a world leader in the development of technologies for cognitive radio applications,\u0022 said Joy Laskar, GEDC\u0027s director and the Schlumberger Chair in Microelectronics in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.  \u0022The GEDC is a major player in the IEEE 802.22 CR standard, and this award will look to provide critical enabling analog-technology blocks that should impact both the DoD and commercial markets.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETwo other DARPA-funded teams are also working on spectral processors. A Rockwell-led team includes the University of San Diego, Stanford and Cornell University, while Honeywell is leading a team includes the University of California Berkeley and the University of Pennsylvania.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECentral to the BAE Systems\/Georgia Tech\/Purdue effort will be extensive use of analog micro- and nano-mechanical circuits, rather than digital circuits, in designing spectral processors.  In the analog domain, chips and other devices work by moving between signal levels in a continuous fashion, while digital chips and devices move between separate and discontinuous levels and do not recognize the transition between levels. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMicromechanical circuits have a number of advantages over electronic digital chips. They typically use far less power and run cooler than digital circuits, and are also smaller, offer much better communications quality, and are relatively inexpensive to manufacture.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022What we\u0027re proposing is to solve the cognitive-radio problem in the analog domain rather than the digital domain, with virtually no added power,\u0022 Ayazi said.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo develop analog spectral processors, the Georgia Tech team will use micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), which are tiny analog machines that operate at the microscale - one millionth of a meter.   \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo scan and move swiftly between far-flung frequencies, the researchers will use MEMS technology in constructing arrays of micro-mechanical resonators, also known as bulk acoustic-wave (BAW) resonators.  These devices play a role in finding and holding a radio-frequency signal.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn constructing extensive arrays of signal-seeking BAW resonators, researchers must choose between two approaches.  One is to use resonators to create an array of many fixed filters -- each tuned to a specific frequency -- that will cover the entire spectrum.  The other approach involves tunable filters that can move back and forth to some degree between frequencies. Ayazi said that further research will determine the optimal approach.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe structural material of choice for acoustic-wave resonators will be nano-crystalline diamond, micro-machined to reach frequencies of up to 10 GHz. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EResearchers will also use silver, the highest-conductivity metal, in micro-machining the analog arrays. Silver will aid in achieving high-quality inductors and capacitors, the components that aid tuning to a specific frequency.   \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This is a very exciting challenge, and it also involves a lot of advancement in the packaging technology for MEMS,\u0022 Ayazi said.  \u0022These ultra-small micro-mechanical components must be free to move, so the packaging is totally different than the traditional integrated circuit.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe explained that the packaging material - \u0027the substance that holds and protects the ASPs\u0027 - cannot come into contact with the vibrating structures of the micro-mechanical resonators.  Working at microscale, researchers must create a small cavity on top of the electronics to achieve a hermetic environment that will seal out damaging moisture.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA key to ASP packaging will be advanced organic materials that possess low signal-loss properties and are strong and semi-hermetic.  Working with Prof. Paul Kohl of Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Ayazi will use specially-tailored polymers to develop an effective package for the filter arrays.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The combination of all these elements will eventually produce an array of highly improved tunable filters,\u0022 Ayazi said. \u0022We are basically looking for orders of magnitude improvement in performance, size and cost. The ultimate goal is to integrate ASP\u0027s with high-speed electronics on a single chip and bring unprecedented capabilities to the wireless world.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: Rick Robinson (404-694-2284); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:rick.robinson@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Erick.robinson@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: Farrokh Ayazi (404-894-9496); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:farrokh.ayazi@ece.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Efarrokh.ayazi@ece.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Rick Robinson\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Georgia Tech will develop analog frequency-scanning devices"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"A Georgia Institute of Technology research team has received a $3.5 million grant to use tiny, power-saving analog chips to develop portable communications technology capable of scanning a broad range of radio-frequency (RF) bands for open channels.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New devices will search for open frequencies"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2007-04-02 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:29","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2007-04-02T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2007-04-02T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"72243":{"id":"72243","type":"image","title":"Ayazi with chips","body":null,"created":"1449177446","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:17:26","changed":"1475894653","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:13"},"72244":{"id":"72244","type":"image","title":"Ayazi with chips","body":null,"created":"1449177446","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:17:26","changed":"1475894653","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:13"}},"media_ids":["72243","72244"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff\/fac_profiles\/bio.php?id=8","title":"Farrokh Ayazi"},{"url":"http:\/\/cmmt.gatech.edu\/","title":"Center for MEMS and Microsystems Technology"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.gedcenter.org\/","title":"Georgia Electronic Design Center"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Electrical and Computer Engineering"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"147","name":"Military Technology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7569","name":"analog"},{"id":"2183","name":"communications"},{"id":"7570","name":"radio-frequency"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003ERick Robinson\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:rick.robinson@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EContact Rick Robinson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-694-2284\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["rick.robinson@innovate.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"72253":{"#nid":"72253","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Absorbing Molecules Produce 65-Nanometer Patterns","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EProducing three-dimensional polymer line structures as small as 65 nanometers wide just became easier with new two-photon absorbing molecules that are sensitive to laser light at short wavelengths, allowing researchers to create them without highly sophisticated fabrication methods.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFabricating such small features normally requires expensive electron beam or extreme ultraviolet lithography equipment. However, using a technique called 3D multi-photon lithography simplifies the process and reduces the cost. The technique could compete with existing processes for fabricating nanoscale electronic, photonic and microfluidic devices.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Being able to obtain line widths down to 65 nanometers, which is substantially below prior published work of 100 nanometers, opens up new applications for multi-photon lithography,\u0022 said Joseph Perry, a professor in the Georgia Tech School of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe technique scans a laser beam across a substrate coated with a polymer resin containing a unique dye to create a desired hardened polymer structure. The laser writing process takes advantage of the fact that the chemical reaction of cross-linking occurs only where molecules have absorbed two photons of light. Since the rate of two-photon absorption drops off rapidly with distance from the laser\u0027s focal point, only molecules at the focal point receive enough light to absorb two photons. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe fabrication method and dye were described in the March 19 issue of Optics Express. The research was supported by the Office of Naval Research APEX Consortium and the National Science Foundation, through the Science and Technology Center for Materials and Devices for Information Technology Research.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESeth Marder and Stephen Barlow, also researchers in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics, synthesized the unique molecule called DAPB, 4,4\u0027-bis(di-n-butylamino)biphenyl, to initiate the chemical reaction leading to the hardening of the polymers when exposed to laser light.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We needed a dye with good two-photon absorption at a wavelength of 520 nanometers, so we tried DAPB,\u0022 explained Perry. \u0022DAPB proved to be very effective in this kind of lithography.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe molecule developed by Marder and Barlow is about ten times more efficient at absorbing light by two photon absorption than commercial ultraviolet photoactive materials. That efficiency allowed Perry and graduate students Wojciech Haske and Vincent Chen, research scientist Joel Hales and postdoctoral associate Wenting Dong to create 3D patterns with nanoscale lines at light intensities low enough to avoid damaging the polymers. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor the experiments, a film of the polymer resin containing DAPB was formed. When the film was exposed to the focused laser, DAPB was excited and triggered cross-linking, leaving the insoluble scanned structure on the surface of a substrate when placed in a developer solution.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESince Perry controls where the Ti: Sapphire pulsed laser scans with a computer program, the polymers can be cross-linked in any pattern including 3D stacks of straight lines that are connected and sturdy. The laser beam is turned on to expose lines of polymer and off when no line should be drawn. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EConventional lithography involves creating a specific pattern on a mask for each new layer and exposing each layer to light and developing it. With this new technique, three-dimensional layered nanostructures can be created simply by having a computer program scan a different pattern for each layer. Mask templates become unnecessary and the coating, exposing and developing processes only have to be conducted once. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We can create essentially any pattern we want. For this work, some of the patterns look like walls or lines suspended across walls and some are like a tall stack of crisscrossed lines,\u0022 noted Perry.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPerry and Marder co-founded a company in 2003 called Focal Point Microsystems that is working to commercialize this fabrication technology.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We can write very small lines and create stacked-up grids of lines called photonic crystals,\u0022 explained Perry. \u0022This work shows that we can fabricate functional photonic micro-devices with tailored transmission capabilities.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt takes only 10 minutes to create a 20 micron by 20 micron structure with 30 layers, Perry added. Perry envisions using this technology to create compact micro-spectrometers on a chip for use in telecommunications and sensors. It may also be used as a compact way to separate the multiple wavelengths traveling through a fiber optic cable.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis type of simple, table-top technology may also be useful to fabricate customized types of circuits with many layers, which would be extremely expensive with standard methods because each layer would require a special mask. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022With the combination of the right molecule and short wavelength light, we\u0027ve demonstrated that we can obtain nanoscale features. We\u0027re at 65 nanometers now and we\u0027re still trying to go smaller,\u0022 said Perry.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: Joe Perry (404-385-6046); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:joe.perry@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejoe.perry@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Abby Vogel\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Two-photon asborbing molecules fabricate 3D polymer line structures"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Producing three-dimensional polymer line structures as small as 65 nanometers wide just became easier with new two-photon absorbing molecules that are sensitive to laser light at short wavelengths, allowing researchers to create them without highly sophisticated fabrication methods.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New technique produces 3D polymer line structures"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2007-03-26 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:29","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2007-03-26T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2007-03-26T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"72254":{"id":"72254","type":"image","title":"Researcher Joe Perry","body":null,"created":"1449177446","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:17:26","changed":"1475894653","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:13"},"72255":{"id":"72255","type":"image","title":"Joe Perry \u0026 Vincent Chen","body":null,"created":"1449177446","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:17:26","changed":"1475894653","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:13"},"72256":{"id":"72256","type":"image","title":"Close-up of structures","body":null,"created":"1449177446","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:17:26","changed":"1475894653","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:13"}},"media_ids":["72254","72255","72256"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.cope.gatech.edu\/","title":"COPE"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/faculty\/Perry\/","title":"Joseph Perry\\\u0027s home page"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7574","name":"lithography"},{"id":"1143","name":"optical"},{"id":"7573","name":"two-photon"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"72270":{"#nid":"72270","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Ocean Creatures Provide Foundation for Electronics","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe three-dimensional shells of tiny ocean creatures could provide the foundation for novel electronic devices, including gas sensors able to detect pollution faster and more efficiently than conventional devices.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUsing a chemical process that converts the shells\u0027 original silica (silicon dioxide, SiO2) into the semiconductor material silicon, researchers have created a new class of gas sensors based on the unique and intricate three-dimensional (3-D) shells produced by microscopic creatures known as diatoms.  The converted shells, which retain the 3-D shape and nanoscale detail of the originals, could also be useful as battery electrodes, chemical purifiers - and in other applications requiring complex shapes that nature can produce better than humans.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022When we conducted measurements for the detection of nitric oxide, a common pollutant, our single diatom-derived silicon sensor possessed a combination of speed, sensitivity, and low voltage operation that exceeded conventional sensors,\u0022 said Kenneth H. Sandhage, a professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology.  \u0022The unique diatom-derived shape, high surface area and nanoporous, nanocrystalline silicon material all contributed towards such attractive gas sensing characteristics.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe unique devices, part of a broader long-term research program by Sandhage and his research team, were described in the March 8 issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature\u003C\/em\u003E.  The research was sponsored by the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the U.S. Office of Naval Research. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EScientists estimate that roughly 100,000 species of diatoms exist in nature, and each forms a microshell with a unique and often complex 3-D shape that includes cylinders, wheels, fans, donuts, circles and stars.  Sandhage and his research team have worked for several years to take advantage of those complex shapes by converting the original silica into materials that are more useful.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, they would like to conduct such conversion reactions on genetically-modified diatoms that generate microshells with tailored shapes. However, to precisely alter and control the structures produced, further research is needed to learn how to manipulate the genome of the diatom. Since scientists already know how to culture diatoms in large volumes, harnessing the diatom genetic code could allow mass-production of complex and tailored microscopic structures. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESandhage\u0027s colleagues, Prof. Nils Kr\u00c3\u00b6ger (School of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Georgia Tech) and Dr. Mark Hildebrand (Scripps Institution of Oceanography) are currently conducting research that could ultimately allow for genetic engineering of diatom microshell shapes.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Diatoms are fabulous for making very precise shapes, and making the same shape over and over again by a reproduction process that, under the proper growth conditions, yields microshells at a geometrically-increasing rate,\u0022 Sandhage noted.  \u0022Diatoms can produce three-dimensional structures that are not easy to produce using conventional silicon-based processes.  The potential here is for making enormous numbers of complicated 3-D shapes and tailoring the shapes genetically, followed by chemical modification as we have conducted to convert the shells into functional materials such as silicon.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESilicon is normally produced from silica at temperatures well above the silicon melting point (1,414 degrees Celsius), so that solid silicon replicas cannot be directly produced from silica structures with such conventional processing.  So the Georgia Tech researchers used a reaction based on magnesium gas that converted the silica of the shells into a composite containing silicon (Si) and magnesium oxide (MgO).  The conversion took place at only 650 degrees Celsius, which allowed preservation of the complex channels and hollow cylindrical shape of the diatom. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe magnesium oxide, which makes up about two-thirds of the composite, was then dissolved out by a hydrochloric acid solution, which left a highly porous silicon structure that retained the original shape.  The structure was then treated with hydrofluoric acid (HF) to remove traces of silica created by reaction with the water in the hydrochloric acid solution.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers then connected individual diatom-derived silicon structures to electrodes, applied current and used them to detect nitric oxide.  The highly porous silicon shells, which are about 10 micrometers in length, could also be used to immobilize enzymes for purifying drugs in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and as improved electrodes in lithium-ion batteries.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Silicon can form compounds that have a high lithium content,\u0022 Sandhage said.  \u0022Because diatom-derived silicon structures have a high surface area and are thin walled and highly porous, the rate at which you can get lithium ions into and out of such silicon structures can be high.  For a given battery size, you could store more power, use it more rapidly or recharge the battery faster by using such structures as electrodes.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn testing, the researchers showed that the silicon they produced was photoluminescent - meaning it glows when illuminated by certain wavelengths of light.  That shows the fabrication process produced a nanoporous, nanocrystalline structure - and may have interesting photonic applications in addition to the electronic ones.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThough Sandhage and his collaborators have demonstrated the potential of their technique, significant challenges must be overcome before they can produce useful sensors, battery electrodes and other structures.  The sensors will have to be packaged into useful devices, for example, connected into arrays of devices able to detect different gases and scaled up for volume manufacture.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Cem\u003EAulacoseira\u003C\/em\u003E diatoms used in the research reported by \u003Cem\u003ENature\u003C\/em\u003E were millions of years old, obtained from samples mined and distributed as diatomaceous earth.  To provide samples with other geometries, Sandhage\u0027s group has set up a cell culturing lab, with the assistance of Georgia Tech colleagues Nils Kr\u00c3\u00b6ger and Nicole Poulson, to grow the brownish-colored diatoms.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESandhage, who is a ceramist by training, would now like to work directly with electronics engineers and others who have specific interests in silicon-based devices.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We can target diatoms of a certain shape, generate the right chemistry, and then work with applications engineers to get these unique structures into practice,\u0022 he said.  \u0022We are now at the point where we have a good idea of the chemical palette that is accessible with the conversion approaches we have taken.  The next step is really to start making packaged devices.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to Sandhage, other researchers who contributed to the paper included Zhihao Bao, Michael R. Weatherspoon, Samual Shian, Ye, Cia, Phillip D. Graham, Shawn M. Allan, Gul Ahmad, Matthew B. Dickerson, Benjamin C. Church, Zhitao Kang, Harry W. Abernathy III, Christopher J. Summers and Meilin Liu.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ken Sandhage (404-894-6882); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ken.sandhage@mse.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eken.sandhage@mse.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Researchers convert shells of diatoms to silicon for sensors, electrodes"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"The three-dimensional shells of tiny ocean creatures could provide the foundation for novel electronic devices, including gas sensors able to detect pollution faster and more efficiently than conventional devices.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Microshells of diatoms are converted to silicon"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2007-03-08 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:29","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2007-03-08T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2007-03-08T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"72271":{"id":"72271","type":"image","title":"Diatom sensor","body":null,"created":"1449177454","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:17:34","changed":"1475894653","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:13"},"72272":{"id":"72272","type":"image","title":"Glowing diatom","body":null,"created":"1449177454","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:17:34","changed":"1475894653","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:13"}},"media_ids":["72271","72272"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.gems.gatech.edu\/","title":"Ken Sandhage Lab"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7575","name":"conversion"},{"id":"2110","name":"diatom"},{"id":"7309","name":"electrode"},{"id":"167318","name":"sensor"},{"id":"167355","name":"silicon"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"72310":{"#nid":"72310","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Electronic Devices Created from Bent Nanowires","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have taken advantage of the unique coupled semiconducting and piezoelectric properties of zinc oxide nanowires to create a new class of electronic components and devices that could provide the foundation for a broad range of new applications.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo far, the researchers have demonstrated field-effect transistors, diodes, sensors - and current-producing nanogenerators - that operate by bending zinc oxide nanowires and nanobelts.  The new components take advantage of the relationship between the mechanical and electronic coupled behavior of piezoelectric nanomaterials, a mechanism the researchers call \u0027nano-piezotronics.\u0027  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Nano-piezotronics utilizes the coupling of piezoelectric and semiconducting properties to fabricate novel electronic components,\u0022 said Zhong Lin Wang, a Regents Professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology.  \u0022These devices could provide the fundamental building blocks that would allow us to create a new area of electronics.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor example, in a nano-piezotronic transistor, bending a one-dimensional zinc oxide nanostructure alters the distribution of electrical charges, providing control over the current flowing through it.  By measuring changes in current flow through them, piezotronic sensors can detect forces in the nano- or even pico-Newton range.  Other piezotronic sensors can determine blood pressure within the body by measuring the current flowing through the nanostructures.  And, an electrical connection made to one side of a bent zinc oxide nanostructure creates a piezotronic diode that limits current flow to one direction.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe nano-piezotronic mechanism takes advantage of the fundamental property of nanowires or nanobelts made from piezoelectric materials: bending the structures creates a charge separation - positive on one side and negative on the other.  The connection between bending and charge creation has also been used to create nanogenerators that produce measurable electrical currents when an array of zinc oxide nanowires is bent and then released\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDevelopment of a piezotronic gated diode based on zinc oxide nanowires was reported February 13 in the online advance issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003EAdvanced Materials\u003C\/em\u003E.  Other nano-piezotronic components have been reported in the journals \u003Cem\u003ENano Letters \u003C\/em\u003Eand \u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E.  The research has been sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF), Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the National Institutes of Health (NHI) and NASA.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The future of nanotechnology research is in building integrated nanosystems from individual components,\u0022 said Wang.  \u0022Piezotronic components based on zinc oxide nanowires and nanobelts have several important advantages that will help make such integrated nanosystems possible.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese advantages include:\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E-\tZinc oxide nanostructures can tolerate large amounts of deformation without damage, allowing their use in flexible electronics such folding power sources.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E-\tThe large amount or deformation permits a large volume density of power output.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E-\tZinc oxide materials are biocompatible, allowing their use in the body without toxic effects.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E-\tThe flexible polymer substrate used in nanogenerators would allow implanted devices to conform to internal structures in the body.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E-\tNanogenerators based on the structures could directly produce power for use in implantable systems.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn comparison to conventional electronic components, the nano-piezotronic devices operate much differently and exhibit unique characteristics.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn conventional field-effect transistors, for instance, an electrical potential - called the gate voltage - is applied to create an electrical field that controls the flow of current between the device\u0027s source and its drain.  In the piezotronic transistors developed by Wang and his research team, the current flow is controlled by changing the conductance of the nanostructure by bending it between the source and drain electrodes.  The bending produces a \u0027gate\u0027 potential across the nanowire, and the resulting conductance is directly related to the degree of bending applied.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The effect is to reduce the width of the channel to carry the current, so you can have a 10-fold difference in the conductivity before and after the bending,\u0022 Wang explained.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDiodes, which restrict the flow of current to one direction, have also been created through nano-piezotronic mechanisms to take advantage of a potential barrier created at the interface between the electrode and the tensile (stretched) side of the nanowire by mechanical bending.  The potential barrier created by the piezoelectric effect limits the follow of current to one direction. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENanogenerators, which were announced in the April 14, 2006 issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E, harvest energy from the environment around them, converting mechanical energy from body movement, muscle stretching, fluid flow or other sources into electricity.  By producing current from the bending and releasing of zinc oxide nanowires, these devices could eliminate the need for batteries or other bulky sources for powering nanometer-scale systems.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPiezotronic nanosensors can measure nano-Newton (10 -9) forces by examining the shape of the structure under pressure.  Implantable sensors based on the principle could continuously measure blood pressure inside the body and relay the information wirelessly to an external device similar to a watch, Wang said.  The device could be powered by a nanogenerator harvesting energy from blood flow.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOther nanosensors can detect very low levels of specific compounds by measuring the current change created when molecules of the target are adsorbed to the nanostructure\u0027s surface.  \u0022Utilizing this kind of device, you could potentially sense a single molecule because the surface area-to-volume ratio is so high,\u0022 Wang said.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to Wang, the research team included J.H. Song, X.D. Wang, P.X. Gao, J.H. He, J. Zhou, N.S. Xu, L.J. Chen and J. Liu from Georgia Tech, the National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan and Sun Yat-Sen University in China.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: Zhong Lin Wang (404-894-8008); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:zhong.wang@mse.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ezhong.wang@mse.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Zinc oxide nanostructures provide foundation for nano-piezotronics"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Researchers have taken advantage of the unique coupled semiconducting and piezoelectric properties of zinc oxide nanowires to create a new class of electronic components and devices that could provide the foundation for a broad range of new applications.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Zinc oxide nanostructures could have broad uses"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2007-02-28 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:29","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2007-02-28T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2007-02-28T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"72311":{"id":"72311","type":"image","title":"Nano-piezotronic device","body":null,"created":"1449177454","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:17:34","changed":"1475894653","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:13"},"72312":{"id":"72312","type":"image","title":"Nano-piezotronic diode","body":null,"created":"1449177454","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:17:34","changed":"1475894656","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:16"}},"media_ids":["72311","72312"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/FacultyStaff\/MSE_Faculty_researchbios\/Wang\/wang.html","title":"Zhong Lin Wang"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4186","name":"electronic"},{"id":"7577","name":"nanostructure"},{"id":"2502","name":"nanowire"},{"id":"7576","name":"Piezotronic"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"72331":{"#nid":"72331","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Create Dual-modality Microbeads","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAnalyzing human blood for a very low virus concentration or a sample of water for a bioterrorism agent has always been a time-consuming and difficult process. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University have developed an easier and faster method to detect these types of target molecules in liquid samples using highly porous, micron-sized, silica beads. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers developed a technique to simultaneously or sequentially add optical and magnetic nanoparticles into the beads. Adding magnetic nanoparticles allows the use of a magnetic field to attract and easily remove the beads from a liquid sample.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022These nanoparticles enter the pores of the microbeads so quickly and so completely -- essentially more than 99 percent of the nanoparticles go into the pores of the beads,\u0022 explained Shuming Nie, the head researcher on the project and the Wallace H. Coulter Distinguished Chair in Biomedical Engineering and director of Emory-Georgia Tech Nanotechnology Center.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe beads are mixed in a liquid such as urine.  Viruses, proteins or other biomarkers are captured on the bead surface. After the beads are removed from the liquid, optical imaging is used to determine the concentration of a specific protein or virus in the liquid sample based on the number of proteins or viruses attached to the surface of the beads. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETushar Sathe, a graduate student in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University, described the process of creating these novel beads and their clinical applications on Jan. 20 at SPIE Photonics West in San Jose, California. The work was also published in the Aug. 15 issue of \u003Cem\u003EAnalytical Chemistry\u003C\/em\u003E.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe technology involves embedding fluorescent quantum dots and magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles inside the beads to create dual-modality magneto-optical beads. Nie and Sathe synthesize the quantum dots in different colors by varying their size, giving the beads a unique optical signature. Having different color beads allows the researchers to detect several target molecules at the same time in the same liquid sample.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We use the quantum dots to create a set of beads that are unique and can be distinguished from each other. It\u0027s similar to bar-coding -- once you barcode the beads and put them in the urine or blood sample, you can remove them and decode what proteins or viruses have attached to individual beads based on their spectral signature,\u0022 explained Sathe.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe process of creating these beads is quite simple, according to Sathe. The surface of the beads contains a long-chain carbon molecule that makes the beads hydrophobic, meaning they repel water. The beads are dissolved in butanol and washed several times. Then the beads are counted and optical and magnetic nanocrystals are added to the suspension either simultaneously or sequentially. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter 15-20 minutes, the butanol is removed to get rid of any remaining nanoparticles that didn\u0027t get incorporated into the beads and the beads are washed with ethanol. Then the beads are coated with a polymer that creates a hydrophilic surface on the beads. This allows the beads to be functionalized by adding antibodies or DNA molecules to the surface that will capture the target molecules.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese beads are dual-function -- both optical and magnetic -- but according to Sathe, more functions can be added to the beads. \u0022Adding them is as easy as adding the nanoparticles into the solution. You just have to make sure the nanoparticle surface is hydrophobic so that it interacts with the beads,\u0022 said Sathe.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe primary biomedical applications for this new technology will be to detect cancer and neurological diseases by identifying certain molecules present in human blood or urine that indicate specific diseases, according to Nie, who is also professor of biomedical engineering, chemistry, materials science \u0026amp; engineering, and hematology and oncology at Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Some of the biomarkers for Alzheimer\u0027s disease have very low concentrations in the blood so you need highly sensitive techniques that can find a specific molecule to diagnose this disease,\u0022 explained Nie. \u0022Our technique could also be used to monitor therapeutic response. For example, if the viral level decreases in samples taken at later dates, then we know the drug is probably working.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis new technology allows the researchers to analyze very low concentrations of target molecules. \u0022Instead of analyzing a liter of sample where the concentration could be very dilute and you might not see the target molecule you\u0027re looking for, you can let the beads capture the molecules on their surface, remove them from the liquid, and then just measure the number of molecules attached to the beads,\u0022 said Nie. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis ongoing research is funded by the National Cancer Institute, the Department of Energy\u0027s Genomes to Life (GTL) Program, the Department of Defense and the Georgia Cancer Coalition, a public-private partnership established by the Georgia General Assembly in 2001.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon, Georgia Tech (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Holly Korschun, Emory University (404-727-3990); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:hkorschun@emory.edu\u0022\u003Ehkorschun@emory.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Abby Vogel\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Tiny structures will improve identification of disease biomarkers"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University have developed an easier and faster method to detect disease biomarkers in liquid samples using highly porous, micron-sized, silica beads that contain optical and magnetic nanoparticles.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New microbeads may improve detection of disease"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2007-02-14 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:29","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2007-02-14T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2007-02-14T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"72332":{"id":"72332","type":"image","title":"Examining vial of microbeads","body":null,"created":"1449177454","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:17:34","changed":"1475894656","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:16"},"72333":{"id":"72333","type":"image","title":"Examining images","body":null,"created":"1449177454","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:17:34","changed":"1475894656","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:16"},"72334":{"id":"72334","type":"image","title":"Imaging microbeads","body":null,"created":"1449177454","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:17:34","changed":"1475894656","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:16"}},"media_ids":["72332","72333","72334"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/","title":"Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.wcigtccne.com\/","title":"Emory-Georgia Tech Nanotechnology Center"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=40","title":"Shuming Nie"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7579","name":"biomarkers"},{"id":"7578","name":"microbeads"},{"id":"2973","name":"nanoparticles"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"72364":{"#nid":"72364","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Study Ranks Georgia Tech Highly in Nanotechnology","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology ranks third in the nation for the number of nanotechnology researchers that are \u0027highly cited\u0027 in peer-reviewed publications, and in the top ten for the number of first authors publishing in such journals.  Overall, Georgia Tech is among the nation\u0027s top 25 institutions for National Science Foundation (NSF) nanotechnology research support, and leads the South in such key indicators as the number of nanotechnology doctoral dissertations and nanotechnology prize winners.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe statistics are contained in \u0027Connecting the Dots: Creating a Southern Nanotechnology Network,\u0027 a study done through the Program in Science, Technology and Innovation Policy - a joint initiative of the Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute and the Georgia Tech School of Public Policy - for the Southern Growth Policies Board.  Published in April 2006, the study evaluated the South\u0027s competitive position in the budding nanotechnology industry.  The study\u0027s research team evaluated five factors in nanotechnology - human capital, knowledge generation, research and development funding, patents and commercialization - for the period 1995-2004.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Traditionally, the South hasn\u0027t been viewed as having strengths in nanotechnology research, but in this study we show that there is a substantial amount going on here,\u0022 said Jan Youtie, one of the study\u0027s co-authors and a principal research associate in the Enterprise Innovation Institute  \u0022The big strengths are that 20 percent of all nanotechnology research publications in the United States come from the Southern region, and that four of the top 25 institutions in nanotechnology funding support are in this region.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to Georgia Tech, the other three top-25 institutions from the region are Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University.  Though the collaboration between Georgia Tech and Emory University has won large federal grants for studying nanotechnology in the life sciences, those awards came after the report\u0027s study period, noted Youtie, who is also an adjunct associate professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Public Policy.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESponsored by the Technology Transfer and Economic Development Directorate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the study examined nanotechnology activity in 13 states - plus Puerto Rico - served by the Southern Grown Policies Board, a public policy think-tank.  Texas and Florida, two significant players in nanotechnology, are not part of the Board\u0027s regional focus and so were not included in the study.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWithin the South, the study reported that the state of Georgia ranks:\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E- First in the number of nanotechnology prize winners;\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E- Second in the number of nanotechnology publications;\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E- Second in the number of highly cited primary researchers;\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E- Second in the number of doctoral dissertations;\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E- Third in the dollar value of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) awards in nanotechnology areas;\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E- Third in the number of nanotechnology patents;\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E- Fourth in the dollar amount of nanotechnology-related grants from the National Science Foundation.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne of Georgia Tech\u0027s strengths is its connections to other national and international nanotechnology research institutions.  \u0022Part of the reason that Georgia Tech has a leading position in the South is that we have a lot of researchers who are networked outside their departments to researchers elsewhere,\u0022 she explained.  \u0022This is a strength because many research advances occur by cross-fertilization with other departments and disciplines.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThough Georgia has strengths in nanotechnology research and development, it faces significant weakness in patents and the commercialization of technology, both key elements needed for a robust nanotechnology industrial community.  That\u0027s also true for other Southern states - and in other technologies, notes Philip Shapira, another co-author and a professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Public Policy.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We have growing research capabilities, but the real issue is whether we have the commercialization capabilities,\u0022 he noted.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThough Georgia has invested in developing startup companies, it\u0027s not yet clear what role early-stage companies will play in turning nanotechnology innovations into commercial products. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Nanotechnology is very pervasive across industry because it facilitates improvement in a broad range of products and processes,\u0022 Shapira said.  \u0022For example, we are seeing nanoparticles and nanofibers being introduced as parts of tires, microelectronics, clothing and biomedicine.  These industries are dominated by big companies, so this may be an area where big companies have a more important role to play than startups.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBecause the nanotechnology industry is young and will likely advance through several distinct growth phases, state efforts to gain leadership still have time to pay off, Shapira says.  To take advantage of the nanotechnology revolution, he adds, Georgia will not only have to attract more venture capital for startups, but also develop linkages with well-funded companies that have the resources to bring new products to market.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022None of these are easy or automatic, but they are areas that we have to push,\u0022 he said.  \u0022I think there is a window during which Georgia could emerge as a bigger player in nanotechnology commercialization if we can develop strategic policy action, as well as leadership on the business side.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article appears in the Fall 2006 issue of Research Horizons, the Georgia Tech Research Magazine.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:john.toon@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejohn.toon@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: Jan Youtie (404-894-6111); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jan.youtie@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejan.youtie@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Phil Shapira (404-894-7735): E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:philip.shapira@pubpolicy.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ephilip.shapira@pubpolicy.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Strengths include cited authors, prize winners and dissertations"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"The Georgia Institute of Technology ranks third in the nation for the number of nanotechnology researchers that are \u0027highly cited\u0027 in peer-reviewed publications, and in the top ten for the number of first authors publishing in such journals.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Strengths include cited authors and prize winners"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2007-01-16 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:29","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2007-01-16T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2007-01-16T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"72365":{"id":"72365","type":"image","title":"Professor Uzi Landman","body":null,"created":"1449177454","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:17:34","changed":"1475894656","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:16"},"72366":{"id":"72366","type":"image","title":"Professor Zhong Lin Wang","body":null,"created":"1449177462","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:17:42","changed":"1475894656","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:16"}},"media_ids":["72365","72366"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www\/pubpolicy.gatech.edu","title":"School of Public Policy"},{"url":"http:\/\/innovate.gatech.edu\/","title":"Enterprise Innovation Institute"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7582","name":"authors"},{"id":"7581","name":"citation"},{"id":"107","name":"Nanotechnology"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"72495":{"#nid":"72495","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Nanomaterials Could Disperse in Natural Environment","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELaboratory experiments with a type of nanomaterial that has great promise for industrial use show significant potential for dispersal in aquatic environments -- especially when natural organic materials are present. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen mixed with natural organic matter in water from the Suwannee River -- a relatively unpolluted waterway that originates in southern Georgia -- multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) remain suspended for more than a month, making them more likely to be transported in the environment, according to research led by the Georgia Institute of Technology. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECarbon nanotubes, which can be single- or multiwalled, are cylindrical carbon structures with novel properties that make them potentially useful in a wide variety of applications including electronics, composites, optics and pharmaceuticals.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We found that natural organic matter, or NOM as we call it, was efficient at suspending the nanotubes in water,\u0022 said Jaehong Kim, an assistant professor in the Georgia Tech School of Civil and Environmental Engineering.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research will be published in the January issue of the American Chemical Society journal \u003Cem\u003EEnvironmental Science \u0026amp; Technology\u003C\/em\u003E. Kim is the senior author and conducted the research with Professor Joseph Hughes, graduate student Hoon Hyung, both at Georgia Tech, and postdoctoral researcher John Fortner from Georgia Tech and Rice University. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency funded the research.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We don\u0027t know for certain why NOM is so efficient at suspending these nanotubes in the laboratory,\u0022 Kim said. \u0022We think NOM has some chemical characteristics that promote adhesion to the nanotubes more than to some surfactants. We are now studying this further.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the lab, Kim and his colleagues compared the interactions of various concentrations of MWNTs with different aqueous environments - organic-free water, water containing a 1 percent solution of the surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), water containing a commercially available sample of Suwannee River NOM and an actual sample of Suwannee River water from the same location as the commercially available preparation. They agitated each sample for one hour and then let it sit for up to one month.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers then used transmission electron microscopy (TEM), measurements of opacity and turbidity, and other analyses to determine the behavior of MWNTs in these environments. The results were:\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E* MWNTs added to organic-free water settled quickly, and the water became completely transparent in less than an hour. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E* When added to the SDS solution, the nanotubes immediately made the water dark and cloudy. After one day of settling, some nanotubes remained suspended, and the water was a light gray color.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E* Water containing the commercially available sample of Suwannee River NOM originally appeared dark and cloudy, then gradually lightened after four days of settling. Some MWNTs remained suspended for more than a month.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E* The results with an actual Suwannee River sample were similar to those with the commercially available preparation.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition, Kim and his colleagues used TEM to find that most MWNTs in both samples of NOM were suspended as individually dispersed nanotubes, rather than being clustered together as some other nanomaterials do in water. \u0022This individual dispersion might make them more likely to be transported in a natural environment,\u0022 Kim explained.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn light of these findings, Kim and his colleagues have expanded their research to other nanomaterials, including single-walled carbon nanotubes and C60, the so-called \u0027buckyball\u0027 molecules in the same family as carbon nanotubes. They are also experimenting with other NOM sources and studying different mixing conditions. \u0022We are getting some interesting results, though our findings are still preliminary,\u0022 Kim noted.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile researchers explore applications of nanomaterials and industry nears commercial manufacture of these novel products, it\u0027s essential for scientists and engineers to study the materials\u0027 potential environmental impact, Kim added.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Natural organic matter is heterogeneous,\u0022 he explained. \u0022It\u0027s a complex mixture made from plants and microorganisms, and it\u0027s largely undefined and variable depending on the source. So we have to continue to study nanomaterial transport in the lab using various NOM sources to try to better understand their potential interaction in the natural environment.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn related research, Kim\u0027s research team is studying various other aspects of the fate of nanomaterials in water -- including photochemical and chemical reactions of C60 colloidal aggregates -- with the ultimate goal of understanding the environmental implications of nanotechnology. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact:\u003C\/strong\u003E John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E Jaehong Kim (404-894-2216); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jaehong.kim@ce.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejaehong.kim@ce.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Joseph Hughes (404-894-2201); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:joseph.hughes@ce.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejoseph.hughes@ce.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E). \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Jane Sanders\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Carbon nanotubes in natural organic matter are vulnerable"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Laboratory experiments with a type of nanomaterial that has great promise for industrial use show significant potential for dispersal in aquatic environments -- especially when natural organic materials are present.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Nanomaterials could pollute natural environment."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2006-12-18 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:29","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2006-12-18T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2006-12-18T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"72496":{"id":"72496","type":"image","title":"Researchers in lab","body":null,"created":"1449177934","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:25:34","changed":"1475894653","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:13"},"72497":{"id":"72497","type":"image","title":"Beakers containing nanomaterials","body":null,"created":"1449177934","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:25:34","changed":"1475894658","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:18"}},"media_ids":["72496","72497"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.ce.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Civil and Environmental Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/hugheslab.ce.gatech.edu\/","title":"Joseph Hughes"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.ce.gatech.edu\/~jkim\/","title":"Jaehong Kim"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"5209","name":"carbon nanotubes"},{"id":"807","name":"environment"},{"id":"1785","name":"nanomaterials"},{"id":"746","name":"pollution"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"72507":{"#nid":"72507","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Butterfly Wing is Template for Photonic Structures","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBy replicating the complex micron- and nanometer-scale photonic structures that help give butterfly wings their color, researchers have demonstrated a new technique that uses biotemplates for fabricating nanoscale structures that could serve as optical waveguides, optical splitters and other building blocks of photonic integrated circuits.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUsing a low-temperature atomic layer deposition (ALD) process, materials scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology produced aluminum oxide (alumina) replicas of wing scales from a \u003Cem\u003EMorpho peleides \u003C\/em\u003Ebutterfly, a bright blue insect native to the rain forests of Central and South America.  The artificial wing scales faithfully replicated the physical features and optical properties of the natural wing scales that served as templates.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We can never come close to the richness of the structures that nature can make,\u0022 said Zhong Lin Wang, Regents\u0027 Professor in the Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering.  \u0022We want to utilize biology as a template for making new materials and new structures.  This process gives us a new way to fabricate photonic structures such as waveguides.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe work has been reported in the American Chemical Society journal \u003Cem\u003ENano Letters\u003C\/em\u003E.  The research was supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH).  The Day Butterfly Center at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Ga., provided the \u003Cem\u003EMorpho peleides \u003C\/em\u003Ebutterfly specimen.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo create their artificial structures, Wang and colleagues Xudong Wang and Jingyun Huang deposited uniform layers of alumina onto butterfly wing scales one Angstrom at a time using the ALD process.  (Huang was a visiting scientist from Zhejiang University, China).  They were able to precisely control the thickness of the coating with the number of deposition cycles to which each wing scale template was subjected.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter the deposition, the coated scales were heated to 800 degrees Celsius to crystallize the alumina - and burn off the original butterfly wing scale.  The resulting polycrystalline alumina was stronger than the original amorphous material deposited with the ALD process.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe artificial butterfly wing scale is a three-dimensional structure that retains the features of the original.  That includes hollow tubular structures that split off at regular intervals, providing the potential for use as optical waveguides and optical splitters - and even as microfluidic or microreactor devices.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Owing to the excellent uniformity of the alumina film, both the large-scale arrangement of the wing scales and the nanometer-scale periodic structures are perfectly preserved after this vigorous template removal process,\u0022 the authors wrote.  \u0022The alumina replicas of the wing scales exhibit the same shape, orientation, and distribution as their \u0027parent\u0027 scales.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EButterfly wing colors are produced by a combination of pigments and reflection from photonic structures.  \u0022If you examine the wing scale, you see all of the intricate micron-scale and nanometer-scale features that determine the optical properties,\u0022 Wang noted.  \u0022From a physical point of view, this is a very regular photonic structure with regular gaps that produce the bluish color.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe artificial wing scales produced by the researchers also reflect bluish light, though the color is of slightly longer wavelength than that of the original butterfly.  That\u0027s because the chemical pigments that contribute to the original butterfly color are no longer present, and - Wang surmises - because the researchers had to dry the wing scales prior to deposition, which likely altered the size of their photonic structures.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWang and his colleagues discovered that because the thickness of the alumina coating controlled the size and periodicity of the photonic structures, increasing the thickness shifted the reflected light toward the red portion of the spectrum.  For instance, by increasing the coating thickness from 10 to 40 nanometers, the color reflected by the alumina wing scales shifted from the original blue to green, yellow, orange and eventually pink, Wang noted.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe complex nature of the structures would be impossible to create with any other process, he said.  \u0022This could provide a new way to make nanostructures that are replicated from biology,\u0022 he said.  \u0022It allows us to fabricate truly tubular, three-dimensional interconnected nanostructures in a one-step process.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe atomic layer deposition process could potentially be used with other materials such as titanium oxide, and to replicate other biologically-inspired structures.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022As long as there is a void that the vapor phase can penetrate, an entire structure can be replicated using the ALD process,\u0022 Wang said.  \u0022Regardless of what the substrate is and what the three-dimensional shape is, you can control it to the Angstrom level.\u0022  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENext on the agenda may be the water strider, an insect that uses unique hydrophobic feet to skim gracefully across the surface of water.  Wang would like to study the possibility of replicating the micron-scale structures of the insect\u0027s feet, but he has found that obtaining samples may be difficult.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022I was trying to catch one of them, but they are very quick,\u0022 he admitted.  \u0022I almost fell into the water.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Jane Sanders (404-894-2214); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jsanders@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejsanders@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: Zhong Lin Wang (404-894-8008); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:zhong.wang@mse.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ezhong.wang@mse.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Replicating complex wing scale structures offers new fabrication technique"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"By replicating the complex micron- and nanometer-scale photonic structures that help give butterfly wings their color, researchers have demonstrated a new technique that uses biotemplates for fabricating nanoscale optical structures.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Butterfly wing structure serves as biotemplate"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2006-12-10 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:29","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2006-12-10T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2006-12-10T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"72508":{"id":"72508","type":"image","title":"Colors from artificial wing scales","body":null,"created":"1449177934","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:25:34","changed":"1475894658","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:18"},"72509":{"id":"72509","type":"image","title":"Photonic structures on wing scales","body":null,"created":"1449177934","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:25:34","changed":"1475894658","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:18"}},"media_ids":["72508","72509"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/FacultyStaff\/MSE_Faculty_researchbios\/Wang\/wang.html","title":"Zhong Lin Wang"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7587","name":"biotemplate"},{"id":"7586","name":"butterfly"},{"id":"7425","name":"nanometer"},{"id":"7585","name":"photonic"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"72518":{"#nid":"72518","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Nanomaterials Based on Micro-Algae Patterns","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a technique to study how unicellular micro-algae, known as diatoms, create their complex cell walls. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EResearchers hope to learn how diatoms assemble these nanometer-patterned, intricate micro-architectures to find better methods for creating nanomaterials in the laboratory.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Diatoms are nature\u0027s most gifted nanotechnologists,\u0022 said Nils Kr\u00c3\u00b6ger, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the School of Materials Science and Engineering. \u0022We want to learn how diatom cell walls are produced because human technology can\u0027t make something that intricate by self-assembly processes and under ambient conditions.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDiatoms are single-celled organisms that frequently appear as a brown, slippery coating on submerged stones and as phytoplankton in the open ocean. Tiny pores in the cell wall allow diatoms to exchange nutrients with the environment and remain at the surface of the water to absorb sunlight for photosynthesis. Diatom photosynthesis is responsible for 20 percent of the world\u0027s organic carbon. The pores allow diatoms to be lightweight, but their cell wall gives them a strong mechanical structure. The strength of the cell wall comes from amorphous silica, or silicon dioxide (SiO2) -- virtually the same material as glass. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDiatom cell walls show an enormous diversity in form, most of them amazingly beautiful and ornate, depending on specific biomolecules produced by the diatom, Kr\u00c3\u00b6ger explained. Previous research has shown that uniquely modified proteins called silaffins and extremely long polyamine chains play a role in the structural design of the cell wall. Kr\u00c3\u00b6ger hypothesizes that the structure of the diatom silica critically depends on the type of silaffin present within the diatoms\u0027 silica-producing organic matrix. Therefore, he expects that changing the \u0027silaffin equipment\u0027 of a diatom cell should result in novel silica nanostructures.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EKr\u00c3\u00b6ger and collaborator Nicole Poulsen, a postdoctoral researcher in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, have developed a technique to genetically engineer diatoms. The process allows insertion of mutated or foreign genes into the genome of the diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana. Kr\u00c3\u00b6ger believes this technique will enable the creation of diatoms with novel silica structures. He will describe the technique in an invited presentation on Dec. 12 at the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGenetic manipulation of diatoms will increase the understanding of their cellular biochemistry and potentially enable the use of these organisms for the production of commercially valuable compounds and materials, Kr\u00c3\u00b6ger said. But inserting a gene through the strong silica cell wall is difficult. The wall must be penetrated, but not broken, and the foreign gene must be accepted into the diatom\u0027s genome, he explained. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo insert the genes, such as those that encode different silaffins, through the diatom cell wall, Kr\u00c3\u00b6ger and Poulsen use a technique called microparticle bombardment. DNA-coated tungsten particles are \u0027shot\u0027 on the diatoms under high heliumpressure, thus enabling them to penetrate the strong diatom cell wall. The diatom incorporates the introduced DNA into its genome, and selection of the transfected cells is achieved using the antibiotic nourseothricin. When new genes are introduced with the technique developed by Kr\u00c3\u00b6ger and Poulsen, they can be expressed constantly or be turned on and off when necessary. Specific details of the technique were published in the October 2006 issue of the Journal of Phycology.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EKr\u00c3\u00b6ger and Poulsen established this technique for the diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana because it is currently the only diatom species with a completely sequenced genome. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Knowing the genome sequence and having established a method for genetic modification of this organism means we can, in principle, analyze the function of every gene and the protein that it encodes,\u0022 Kr\u00c3\u00b6ger said. \u0022This will eventually enable us to identify the key cellular biomolecules involved in creating the strong, intricately patterned diatom cell walls.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research has been supported by a grant from the Office of Naval Research and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact:\u003C\/strong\u003E John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contact:\u003C\/strong\u003E Nils Kr\u00c3\u00b6ger (404-894-4228); E-mail:  (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:nils.kroger@chemistry.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Enils.kroger@chemistry.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E  Abby Vogel\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Scientists hope to copy diatom assembly process to improve nanomaterials"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers have developed a technique to study how unicellular micro-algae, known as diatoms, create their complex cell walls. They hope to learn how diatoms assemble intricate micro-architectures to find better ways to create nanomaterials.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Micro-algae lends insight for nanomaterials"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2006-12-07 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:29","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2006-12-07T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2006-12-07T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"72519":{"id":"72519","type":"image","title":"Diatom image","body":null,"created":"1449177934","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:25:34","changed":"1475894658","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:18"}},"media_ids":["72519"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/faculty\/Kroger\/","title":"Nils Kr"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"89","name":"chemistry"},{"id":"7590","name":"diatoms"},{"id":"5718","name":"Genetics"},{"id":"1785","name":"nanomaterials"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"71429":{"#nid":"71429","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Fiber-based Nanotechnology Could Power Electronic Devices","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENanotechnology researchers are developing the perfect complement to the power tie: a \u0022power shirt\u0022 able to generate electricity to power small electronic devices for soldiers in the field, hikers and others whose physical motion could be harnessed and converted to electrical energy.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe February 14 issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature\u003C\/em\u003E details how pairs of textile fibers covered with zinc oxide nanowires can generate electrical current using the piezoelectric effect.  Combining current flow from many fiber pairs woven into a shirt or jacket could allow the wearer\u0027s body movement to power a range of portable electronic devices.  The fibers could also be woven into curtains, tents or other structures to capture energy from wind motion, sound vibration or other mechanical energy.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The fiber-based nanogenerator would be a simple and economical way to harvest energy from physical movement,\u0022 said Zhong Lin Wang, a Regents professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology.  \u0022If we can combine many of these fibers in double or triple layers in clothing, we could provide a flexible, foldable and wearable power source that, for example, would allow people to generate their own electrical current while walking.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research was sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy and the Emory-Georgia Tech Nanotechnology Center for Personalized and Predictive Oncology.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe microfiber-nanowire hybrid system builds on the nanowire nanogenerator that Wang\u0027s research team announced in the journal \u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E in April 2007.  That system generates current from arrays of vertically-aligned zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires that flex beneath an electrode containing conductive platinum tips.  The nanowire nanogenerator was designed to harness energy from environmental sources such as ultrasonic waves, mechanical vibrations or blood flow.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe nanogenerators developed by Wang\u0027s research group take advantage of the unique coupled piezoelectric and semiconducting properties of zinc oxide nanostructures, which produce small electrical charges when they are flexed.  After a year of development, the original nanogenerators - which are two by three millimeters square - can produce up to 800 nanoamperes and 20 millivolts.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe microfiber generators rely on the same principles, but are made from soft materials and designed to capture energy from low-frequency mechanical energy.  They consist of DuPont Kevlar fibers on which zinc oxide nanowires have been grown radially and embedded in a polymer at their roots, creating what appear to be microscopic baby-bottle brushes with billions of bristles.  One of the fibers in each pair is also coated with gold to serve as the electrode and to deflect the nanowire tips.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The two fibers scrub together just like two bottle brushes with their bristles touching, and the piezoelectric-semiconductor process converts the mechanical motion into electrical energy,\u0022 Wang explained.  \u0022Many of these devices could be put together to produce higher power output.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWang and collaborators Xudong Wang and Yong Qin have made more than 200 of the fiber nanogenerators.  Each is tested on an apparatus that uses a spring and wheel to move one fiber against the other.  The fibers are rubbed together for up to 30 minutes to test their durability and power production.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo far, the researchers have measured current of about four nanoamperes and output voltage of about four millivolts from a nanogenerator that included two fibers that were each one centimeter long. With a much improved design, Wang estimates that a square meter of fabric made from the special fibers could theoretically generate as much as 80 milliwatts of power.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFabrication of the microfiber nanogenerator begins with coating a 100-nanometer seed layer of zinc oxide onto the Kevlar using magnetron sputtering.  The fibers are then immersed in a reactant solution for approximately 12 hours, which causes nanowires to grow from the seed layer at a temperature of 80 degrees Celsius.  The growth produces uniform coverage of the fibers, with typical lengths of about 3.5 microns and several hundred nanometers between each fiber.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo help maintain the nanowires\u0027 connection to the Kevlar, the researchers apply two layers of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) to the fiber.  \u0022First we coat the fiber with the polymer, then with a zinc oxide layer,\u0022 Wang explained.  \u0022Then we grow the nanowires and re-infiltrate the fiber with the polymer.  This helps to avoid scrubbing off the nanowires when the fibers rub together.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFinally, the researchers apply a 300 nanometer layer of gold to some of the nanowire-covered Kevlar.  The two different fibers are then paired up and entangled to ensure that a gold-coated fiber contacts a fiber covered only with zinc oxide nanowires.  The gold fibers serve as a Shottky barrier with the zinc oxide, substituting for the platinum-tipped electrode used in the original nanogenerator.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo ensure that the current they measured was produced by the piezoelectric-semiconductor effect and not just static electricity, the researchers conducted several tests.  They tried rubbing gold fibers together, and zinc oxide fibers together, neither of which produced current.  They also reversed the polarity of the connections, which changed the output current and voltage.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBy allowing nanowire growth to take place at temperatures as low as 80 degrees Celsius, the new fabrication technique would allow the nanostructures to be grown on virtually any shape or substrate.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs a next step, the researchers want to combine multiple fiber pairs to increase the current and voltage levels.  They also plan to improve conductance of their fibers.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, one significant challenge lies head for the power shirt - washing it.  Zinc oxide is sensitive to moisture, so in real shirts or jackets, the nanowires would have to be protected from the effects of the washing machine, Wang noted.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research is supported by the NSF\u0027s Division of Materials Research through grant 0706436.  \u0022This multi-disciplinary research grant enables materials scientists and engineers from varied backgrounds to work together toward translating basic and applied research into viable technologies,\u0022 noted Harsh Deep Chopra, NSF\u0027s program manager.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Vogel (404-385-3364); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: Zhong Lin Wang (404-894-8008); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:zhong.wang@mse.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ezhong.wang@mse.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"\u0022Power shirt\u0022 would harvest energy from physical movement"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Nanotechnology researchers are developing the perfect complement to the power tie: a \u0022power shirt\u0022 able to generate electricity to power small electronic devices for soldiers in the field, hikers and others whose physical motion could be harnessed and converted to electrical energy.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Nanogenerators could power electronics from physical movement"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2008-02-13 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:24","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2008-02-13T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2008-02-13T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"71430":{"id":"71430","type":"image","title":"Z.L. Wang and microfiber nanogenerator","body":null,"created":"1449177376","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:16:16","changed":"1475894637","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:57"},"71431":{"id":"71431","type":"image","title":"Microscope image","body":null,"created":"1449177376","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:16:16","changed":"1475894637","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:57"},"71432":{"id":"71432","type":"image","title":"Fiber nanogenerator schematic","body":null,"created":"1449177376","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:16:16","changed":"1475894637","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:57"}},"media_ids":["71430","71431","71432"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.nanoscience.gatech.edu\/zlwang\/","title":"Team Web site"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2123","name":"current"},{"id":"436","name":"electricity"},{"id":"1493","name":"Fiber"},{"id":"1334","name":"nanogenerator"},{"id":"3517","name":"power"},{"id":"7487","name":"zinc-oxide"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"71597":{"#nid":"71597","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Equipment Purchased in 1957 Still Going Strong","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA 1957 classic sits in the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) clean room. It\u0027s not a Chevy, but a Veeco vacuum evaporator more than six feet tall and five feet wide.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe evaporator, still in use today, deposits thin films necessary for microfabrication processes.  Applications include creating the reflective or anti-reflective coatings on optics and building up layers of insulators, semiconductors and conductors to form integrated electronic circuits.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022It\u0027s a very rugged machine and it\u0027s gotten better with age,\u0022 said Mike Harris, a principal research engineer in GTRI\u0027s Electro-Optical Systems Laboratory.  Harris first used the Model 775 evaporator in 1972 as a student.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe system operates by evaporating a source material, such as a metal, in a high vacuum, allowing vapor particles to travel directly to a target object, such as a semiconductor, where they condense back to a solid state and form a thin film of the source material.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHarris attributes the machine\u0027s longevity to its design and documentation - and to the skills of GTRI technicians and engineers. \u0022The operator and maintenance manuals are excellent, with exploded views of the various piece parts, making it very easy for our technicians and engineers to repair it when we have problems,\u0022 he explained.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to repairing the system, GTRI engineers have upgraded and modified the evaporator several times since it was purchased.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFirst, they changed the high vacuum pump from a diffusion pump to a more modern cryogenic pump in 2002. The diffusion pump generated a high speed jet of vapor by boiling fluid and directing the vapor in the pump throat down into the bottom of the pump and out the exhaust. The newer cryogenic pump traps gases and vapors by condensing them on a cold surface.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo increase the uniformity of results, GTRI researchers added a planetary substrate fixture that rotates inside the evaporation chamber.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition, the original system was designed with a tungsten filament that was heated to a high enough temperature so that the source material placed in a crucible on the filament evaporated. GTRI engineers changed this to an electron beam evaporator that fires a high-energy beam from an electron gun to boil a small spot of material, allowing lower vapor pressure materials to be deposited.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESince the 1957 system still runs and remains optimal for numerous applications, Harris sees no reason to buy a new one. \u0022New systems like this probably cost between $700,000 and $1 million,\u0022 he added. \u0022And the new systems are designed primarily for throughput and that\u0027s not necessarily best for a research environment.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Vogel (404-385-3364); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: Mike Harris (404-407-6015); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:mike.harris@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emike.harris@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Abby Vogel\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"50-year-old vacuum evaporator is a \u0022clean room classic\u0022"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"A 1957 classic sits in the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) clean room. It\u0027s not a Chevy, but a Veeco vacuum evaporator more than six feet tall and five feet wide.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Clean room equipment still in use after 50 years"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2007-11-20 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:24","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2007-11-20T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2007-11-20T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"71598":{"id":"71598","type":"image","title":"1957 vacuum evaporator","body":null,"created":"1449177386","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:16:26","changed":"1475894639","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:59"},"71599":{"id":"71599","type":"image","title":"1957 Vacuum evaporator","body":null,"created":"1449177386","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:16:26","changed":"1475894639","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:59"}},"media_ids":["71598","71599"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7533","name":"clean-room"},{"id":"7532","name":"evaporator"},{"id":"167609","name":"semiconductor"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"71971":{"#nid":"71971","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Learn to Control Nanotube Dimensions","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMoving beyond carbon nanotubes, researchers are developing insights into a remarkable class of tubular nanomaterials that can be produced in water with a high degree of control over their diameter and length.  Based on metal oxides in combination with silicon and germanium, such single-walled inorganic nanotubes could be useful in a range of nanotechnology applications that require precise control over nanotube dimensions.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt the Georgia Institute of Technology, researchers are studying the formation of these metal oxide nanotubes to understand the key factors that drive the emergence of nanotubes with specific diameters and lengths from a \u0027soup\u0027 of precursor chemicals dissolved in water.  Their goal is to develop general guidelines for controlling nanotube diameter with sub-nanometer precision and nanotube length with precision of a few nanometers.   \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo far, the researchers have obtained encouraging results with a model system that produces aluminosilicogermanate (AlSiGeO) nanotubes.  The research, which was presented August 23rd at the 234th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, could open the door for developing a more general set of chemical \u0027rules\u0027 for dimensional control of nanotubes that could lead to a range of new applications for inorganic nanotubes and other nanometer-scale materials.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research has been sponsored by the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We have shown that there is a clearly quantifiable molecular-level structural and thermodynamic basis for tuning the diameter of these nanotubes,\u0022 said Sankar Nair, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.  \u0022We\u0027re interested in developing the science of these materials to the point that we can manipulate their curvature, length and internal structure in a sophisticated way through inexpensive water-based chemistry under mild conditions.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUsing chemical reactions carried out in water at less than 100 degrees Celsius, Nair\u0027s research team - which included graduate students Suchitra Konduri and Sanjoy Mukherjee - varied the germanium and silicon content during the nanotube synthesis and then quantitatively characterized the resulting nanotubes with a variety of analytical techniques to show a clear link between the nanotube composition and diameter.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESimultaneously, the group\u0027s molecular dynamics calculations showed a strong correlation between the composition, diameter and internal energy of the material.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022There appear to be energy minima that favor or stabilize certain nanotube diameters because they have the lowest energy, and those stable diameters change with the composition of the material,\u0022 said Nair.  \u0022This shows that the nanotube dimensions are not just a fortuitous coincidence of the many synthesis parameters, but that there is an underlying thermodynamic basis arising from the subtle balance of interatomic forces within the material.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESpecifically, the molecular dynamics simulations - which are corroborated by the experiments - show that the variation of germanium and silicon content causes sheets of aluminum hydroxide to form nanotubes with diameters ranging from 1.5 to 4.8 nanometers and lengths of less than 100 nanometers.  If that turns out to be a general principle applicable to other metal oxides, it could be used to dramatically expand the catalog of nanotube structures available. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOnce the researchers fully understand the factors affecting the formation of nanotubes from aluminosilicogermanate materials, they hope to apply similar principles to other metal oxides.  The ultimate goal will be an ability to predictably vary the dimensions of nanotubes - and potentially other useful nanostructures - employing different chemical process conditions across a broader range of metal oxide materials.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022One can get a large range of useful properties with metal oxide materials,\u0022 Nair noted.  \u0022Almost all metals form oxides and many of them form layered sheet-like oxides, so if one can coax them into nanotube form with dimensions comparable to single-walled carbon nanotubes, the range of useful properties would be great.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EControlling the dimensions of nanostructures is critical because properties such as electronic band-gap depend strongly upon the dimensions.  Dimension control has proven to be difficult in carbon nanotube fabrication processes, leading to an entire area of research focused on purifying nanotubes of specific dimensions from an initial mixture of different sizes.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022If we are able to produce single-walled nanotubes of specific and controllable diameter with inexpensive water-based chemistry, devices based on them would perform in a consistent and predictable manner,\u0022 Nair explained.  \u0022If we could synthesize the same nanotube structure with predictably different diameters and lengths, we could tune the properties like the band-gap across a wide range.  We could even get a limited toolbox of materials to do many different things.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThough the chemical reactions that produce the metal oxide nanotubes are complicated, they occur over a period of days at low temperatures and can be carried out with simple laboratory apparatus.  That facilitates control over processing conditions and allows the researchers to track many different aspects of the reaction with a variety of characterization tools.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022There is a lot of complex chemistry that can be done in the aqueous phase, which motivated us to understand the processes by which metal ions dissolved in water organize themselves together with oxygen into specific nanotubular arrangements, perhaps aided by water and other species present in the solution,\u0022 Nair added.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe metal oxide nanotubes have properties very different from those of carbon nanotubes, which have been studied heavily since they were discovered in the 1990s.  \u0022For example, the materials that we are working with are much more hydrophilic than carbon and can load nearly 50 percent of their weight with water,\u0022 Nair explained.  \u0022There is a whole range of behavior in oxide nanotubes that we cannot explore with carbon-based materials.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOther recent results of the group\u0027s research were published May 5 in the \u003Cem\u003EJournal of the American Chemical Society\u003C\/em\u003E, and have also been reported in the journals \u003Cem\u003EPhysical Review B\u003C\/em\u003E and \u003Cem\u003EChemistry of Materials\u003C\/em\u003E.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: Sankar Nair (404-894-4826); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sankar.nair@chbe.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Esankar.nair@chbe.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Inorganic metal oxide nanostructures form in water-based solution"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Moving beyond carbon nanotubes, researchers are developing insights into a remarkable class of tubular metal-oxide nanomaterials that can be produced in water with a high degree of control over their diameter and length.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Metal oxide nanotubes offer new materials catalog"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2007-08-23 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:24","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2007-08-23T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2007-08-23T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"71972":{"id":"71972","type":"image","title":"Molecular model of nanotubes","body":null,"created":"1449177425","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:17:05","changed":"1475894647","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:07"},"71973":{"id":"71973","type":"image","title":"Researchers with model of nanotubes","body":null,"created":"1449177425","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:17:05","changed":"1475894647","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:07"},"71974":{"id":"71974","type":"image","title":"Researchers with model of nanotubes","body":null,"created":"1449177425","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:17:05","changed":"1475894647","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:07"}},"media_ids":["71972","71973","71974"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Chemical \u0026 Biomolecular Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/fac_staff\/faculty\/nair.php","title":"Sankar Nair"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7552","name":"dimension"},{"id":"4249","name":"inorganic"},{"id":"7551","name":"metal-oxide"},{"id":"3246","name":"nanotubes"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"71990":{"#nid":"71990","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Grant Boosts Work on Small-scale Systems","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have received a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) award to participate in a multi-university research center that will develop a computer-aided design (CAD) environment for micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) and nano-electromechanical systems (NEMS). \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new research center - to be called the Investigate Multi-physics Modeling and Performance Assessment-driven Characterization and Computation Technology (IMPACT) Center for Advancement of MEMS\/NEMS VLSI -- will be led by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and will include teams from Purdue University and Lehigh University as well as Georgia Tech.  A consortium of companies - including BAE Systems, Inc., Innovative Design \u0026amp; Technology, MEMtronics Corp., Raytheon Co., Rockwell Collins Inc. and the Rogers Corp. - will also participate financially with DARPA in the center.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u0027s share of the research will be conducted by a team associated with the Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research will seek to develop CAD systems that are based on physical models and therefore can conclusively predict the behavior of MEMS devices.  Eventually engineers developing systems with MEMS devices could use a simple drag-and-drop interface to simulate not only the electrical effects of MEMS usage, but also thermal, mechanical and reliability aspects as well.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This kind of predictive capability could greatly increase the speed with which MEMS-enabled microsystems can be developed,\u0022 said John Papapolymerou, an associate professor in ECE.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EInitially, Papapolymerou said, Georgia Tech will receive about $1.25 million for a six-year effort.  However, as more companies join the center, that amount is likely to increase, he added.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the first year Georgia Tech\u0027s efforts will focus on the fundamental physics of MEMS devices - particularly with respect to dielectric charging of MEMS switches, Papapolymerou said. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlthough MEMS-enabled microsystems have the potential to revolutionize communications, sensors and signal-processing, he said, their capabilities have been limited by a lack of understanding of how physical phenomena govern MEMS-device functionality.  It\u0027s particularly unclear how much performance is degraded when MEMS devices are exposed to the operating conditions of a integrated circuit. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022When we have a better understanding of the fundamental physics of MEMS devices, we can then proceed to the higher-order models and levels that are required to develop a CAD program,\u0022 Papapolymerou said.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe ultimate goal of the IMPACT center, he said, will be to promote the availability of MEMS\/NEMS-based micro- and nanosystems in military and commercial applications. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This is meant to be a dynamic center,\u0022 Papapolymerou said. \u0022The idea is going to be to expand this in the future, so we can also expand the number of research problems that we undertake.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research is sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).  The content of this article does not necessarily reflect the position or the policy of the U.S. Government, and no official endorsement should be inferred.\u003C\/em\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: Rick Robinson (404-694-2284); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:rick.robinson@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Erick.robinson@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Jackie Nemeth (404-894-2906); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jackie.nemeth@ece.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejackie.nemeth@ece.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Rick Robinson\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Georgia Tech part of multi-university center developing computer-aided design environment"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers have received a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) award to participate in a multi-university center that will develop a computer-aided design environment for micro-electromechanical systems and nano-electromechanical systems.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"DARPA funds research on CAD for small systems"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2007-08-12 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:24","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2007-08-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2007-08-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"71991":{"id":"71991","type":"image","title":"Research team","body":null,"created":"1449177425","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:17:05","changed":"1475894647","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:07"},"71992":{"id":"71992","type":"image","title":"Prof. Papapolymerou","body":null,"created":"1449177425","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:17:05","changed":"1475894647","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:07"},"71993":{"id":"71993","type":"image","title":"MEMS on wafer","body":null,"created":"1449177425","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:17:05","changed":"1475894647","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:07"}},"media_ids":["71991","71992","71993"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Electrical and Computer Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff\/fac_profiles\/bio.php?id=78","title":"John Papapolymerou"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7553","name":"CAD"},{"id":"690","name":"darpa"},{"id":"2557","name":"mems"},{"id":"7425","name":"nanometer"},{"id":"107","name":"Nanotechnology"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003ERick Robinson\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=rr190\u0022\u003EContact Rick Robinson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-694-2284\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["rick.robinson@innovate.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"71222":{"#nid":"71222","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Technique Measures Ultrashort Laser Pulses at Focus","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELasers that emit ultrashort pulses of light are used for numerous applications including micromachining, microscopy, laser eye surgery, spectroscopy and controlling chemical reactions. But the quality of the results is limited by distortions caused by lenses and other optical components that are part of the experimental instrumentation.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo better understand the distortions, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology developed the first device to directly measure complex ultrashort light pulses in space and time at and near the focus. Measuring the pulse at the focus is important because that\u0027s where the beam is most intense and where researchers typically utilize it. Knowing how the light is distorted allows researchers to correct for the aberrations by changing a lens or using a pulse shaper or compressor to manipulate the pulse into the desired form. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Researchers have always measured the pulse immediately as it exited the laser, so they didn\u0027t realize the extent to which the pulse became distorted by the time it reached the focus after traveling through the optics and lenses in the system,\u0022 said Rick Trebino, a professor in the Georgia Institute of Technology\u0027s School of Physics and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Ultrafast Optical Physics.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe device was described in a presentation at the Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics on May 8. This research was funded by the National Science Foundation and published in the August 2007 issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003EOptics Express\u003C\/em\u003E. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt is difficult to measure ultrashort pulses because they typically last between a few femtoseconds and a picosecond, which are 10(-15) and 10(-12) of a second, and faster than the response time of the fastest electronics.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The light comes out as a train of extremely short bursts. The laser crams all of the energy of a continuous laser into a few femtoseconds, which creates really intense laser pulses,\u0022 said Pam Bowlan, a graduate student supported by the Technological Innovation: Generating Economic Results (TI:GER) program. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo achieve the highest possible intensity of the laser, the pulse must be as small as possible in space and as short as possible in time. However, focused pulses nearly always have distortions in time that vary significantly from point to point in space due to lens aberrations in focusing optics.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo address those issues, the new device, called SEA TADPOLE (Spatial Encoded Arrangement for Temporal Analysis by Dispersing a Pair of Light E-fields), allows researchers to measure complicated ultrashort pulses simultaneously in space and time as they go through the focus. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022A lot of chemists and biologists use ultrafast lasers, so it was important that our device be easy to use because non-laser scientists don\u0027t want to spend all day measuring their laser pulses,\u0022 noted Bowlan.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research team - which also included former graduate students Pablo Gabolde and Selcuk Akturk - used the concept of interferometry to measure a pulse in space and time. Two pulses, one reference and one unknown, were sent through optical fibers. The fibers were mounted on a scanning stage so that the pulses could be measured at many locations around the focus. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe pulses were crossed and an interference pattern was recorded for each color of the pulse at each location with a digital camera. The patterns were used to determine the shape of the unknown pulse in space and time and to create movies showing how the intensity and color of the pulse changed in space and time as it focused. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Because the laser pulses enter SEA TADPOLE through optical fibers, which only collect a very small portion of the light, the device naturally measures pulses with high spatial resolution and can measure them at a focus spot size smaller than a micron,\u0022 explained Bowlan. To further improve the spatial resolution of the device, the research team began to use specialized fibers, called near-field scanning optical microscopy fibers, which can resolve features smaller than the wavelength of the light.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers tested the device by measuring ultrashort pulses focused by various lenses, since each lens can cause different complex distortions. To validate the measurements, Bowlan performed simulations of pulses propagating through the experimental lenses. Results showed that a common plano-convex lens displayed chromatic and spherical aberrations, whereas more expensive aspheric and doublet lenses exhibited mostly chromatic aberrations.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESpherical aberrations occur when the light that strikes the edges of the lens gets focused to a different point than the light that strikes the center, creating a larger, inhomogeneous focused spot size. Chromatic aberrations occur because the many colors in the laser travel at different speeds and do not stay together in space and time as the pulse passes through glass components in the experimental setup, such as lenses. As a result, each color arrives at the focus at a different time, creating a rainbow of colors in the electric field images. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAberrations can drastically increase the pulse length, which decreases the laser intensity. A lower intensity forces researchers to increase the power of the laser, increasing the possibility of damaging the sample. Aberrations can also yield odd pulse and beam shapes at the focus, which complicate the interpretation of the experiment or application.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Our system tells researchers what types of aberrations are present in instrumentation, which then allows them to test different lenses in the instrumentation setup or use a pulse shaper to create the desired pulse at the focus that\u0027s free of distortions,\u0022 added Bowlan.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMedia Relations Contacts: Abby Vogel (404-385-3364); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Vogel\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"SEA TADPOLE allows researchers to create distortion-free pulses"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Researchers have developed a system that measures aberrations caused by ultrashort laser pulses passing through lenses or other instrumentation. Knowing how the light is distorted allows researchers to correct for the aberrations.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New device measures complex ultrashort pulses in space and time"}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2008-05-08 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:24","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2008-05-08T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2008-05-08T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"71223":{"id":"71223","type":"image","title":"SEA TADPOLE","body":null,"created":"1449177358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:15:58","changed":"1475894632","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:52"}},"media_ids":["71223"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1364\/OE.15.010219","title":"Optics Express article"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Physics"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/people\/faculty\/rtrebino.html","title":"Rick Trebino"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7388","name":"aberration"},{"id":"7393","name":"aspheric"},{"id":"7395","name":"chromatic"},{"id":"7384","name":"distortion"},{"id":"7394","name":"doublet"},{"id":"7397","name":"electric field"},{"id":"7382","name":"femptosecond"},{"id":"6574","name":"fibers"},{"id":"2336","name":"FOCUS"},{"id":"7389","name":"interferometry"},{"id":"4260","name":"laser"},{"id":"2945","name":"lens"},{"id":"7392","name":"microscopy"},{"id":"7390","name":"near-field"},{"id":"1143","name":"optical"},{"id":"7383","name":"picosecond"},{"id":"7386","name":"pulse"},{"id":"170872","name":"scanning"},{"id":"170873","name":"SEA TADPOLE"},{"id":"168013","name":"spatial"},{"id":"169576","name":"spherical"},{"id":"7385","name":"temporal"},{"id":"7381","name":"ultrashort"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EAbby Robinson\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News and Publications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=avogel6\u0022\u003EContact Abby Robinson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-385-3364\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["abby@innovate.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"71238":{"#nid":"71238","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Environmental Fate of Nanoparticles Depends on Water Carrying Them","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe fate of carbon-based nanoparticles spilled into groundwater - and the ability of municipal filtration systems to remove the nanoparticles from drinking water - depend on subtle differences in the solution properties of the water carrying the particles, a new study has found.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn slightly salty water, for example, clusters of Carbon 60 (C60) would tend to adhere tightly to soil or filtration system particles.  But where natural organic compounds or chemical surfactants serve as stabilizers in water, the C60 fullerene particles would tend to flow as easily as the water carrying them.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022In some cases, the nanoparticles move very little and you would get complete retention in the soil,\u0022 said Kurt Pennell, a professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology.  \u0022But in different solution conditions or in the presence of a stabilizing agent, they can travel just like water.  The movement of these nanoparticles is very sensitive to the solution conditions.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch into the transport and retention of C60 nanoparticles was reported April 11 in the online version of the American Chemical Society journal \u003Cem\u003EEnvironmental Science and Technology \u003C\/em\u003Eand will be published later in the print edition.  The research was funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EComparatively little research has been done on what happens to nanoparticles when they are released through accidental spills - or when products containing them are discarded.  Researchers want to know more about the environmental fate of nanoparticles to avoid creating problems like those of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), in which the harmful effects of the compounds were discovered only after their use became widespread.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022It will be difficult to control the waste stream, so these nanoparticles are likely to get everywhere,\u0022 said Pennell.  \u0022We want to figure out now what will happen to them and how toxic they will be in the environment.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo study the flow and retention of the nanoparticles in simulated soil and filtration systems, Pennell\u0027s research team filled glass columns with either glass microbeads or sand, and saturated the columns with water.  They then sent a \u0027pulse\u0027 of water containing C60 nanoparticles through the columns, followed by additional water containing no nanoparticles.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey measured the quantity of nanoparticles emerging from the columns and analyzed the sand and glass beads to observe the quantity of C60 retained there.  They also extracted the contents of the columns to measure the distribution of retained nanoparticles.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022In sand, we saw a uniform distribution of the nanoparticles throughout the column, which suggests that under the circumstances we examined, there is a limited retention capability due to filtration,\u0022 Pennell explained.  \u0022Once that capacity is reached, the particles will pass through until they are retained by other grains of soil or sand.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETraditional theories regarding the activity of such packed-bed filters suggest that particles would build up near the column entrance, with concentrations falling off thereafter.  The study findings suggest that the predictions of \u0027filter theory\u0027 will have to be modified to explain the transport of nanoparticles in soil, Pennell said.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe nanoparticles retained were tightly bound to the sand or beads and could only be removed by changing the pH of the water.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022That would be a good thing if you were trying to filter these particles from a water system and were worried about them moving into the environment,\u0022 Pennell said.  \u0022Once they go onto the soil system, it\u0027s unlikely that they will come off as long as the conditions don\u0027t change.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers observed that up to 77 percent of the nanoparticle mass was retained by the sand, while the glass beads retained between 8 and 49 percent.  Preparation of the solutions containing C60 dramatically affected the retention; when no salt was added, the particles flowed through the columns like water.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We want to make a mechanistic assessment of why the particles are attaching,\u0022 Pennell said.  \u0022When we look at real soils with finer particles, we will expect to see more retention.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor municipal drinking water filtration, the sensitivity to solution characteristics means local conditions may play a key role. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Under most conditions, you should be able to remove nanoparticles from the water,\u0022 Pennell explained. \u0022But you will have to be careful if the nanoparticles are stabilized by a natural surfactant or humic acid.  If those are present in the water, the nanoparticles could go right through.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn a continuation of the work, Pennell and his Georgia Tech collaborators - Joseph Hughes, John Fortner and Younggang Wang - are now studying more complicated transport issues in real soils and with other types of nanoparticles.  In field conditions, the nanoparticles are likely to be found with other types of carbon - and potentially with other nanostructures.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022When we study systems with real soil, we will have background interference with humics and other materials,\u0022 Pennell noted.  \u0022Ramping up the complexity will make this research a real challenge.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, Pennell hopes to develop information about a broad range of nanoparticles to predict how they\u0027ll be retained and transported under a variety of conditions.  Facilitating that is mathematical modeling being done by collaborators Linda Abriola and Yusong Li at Tufts University in Medford, Mass.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We want to build up to the point that we can systematically vary properties and parameters,\u0022 Pennell explained.  \u0022Over time, we should be able to classify nanoparticles based on their properties and have a good idea of how they will behave in the environment.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Gerogia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Vogel (404-385-3364); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: Kurt Pennell (404-894-9365); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kpennell@ce.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ekpennell@ce.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"The fate of carbon-based nanoparticles spilled into groundwater - and the ability of municipal filtration systems to remove the nanoparticles from drinking water - depend on subtle differences in the solution properties of the water carrying the particles, a new study has found.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Subtle changes in solution properties can affect transport"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2008-05-01 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:24","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2008-05-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2008-05-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"71239":{"id":"71239","type":"image","title":"Studying media","body":null,"created":"1449177358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:15:58","changed":"1475894632","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:52"},"71240":{"id":"71240","type":"image","title":"Glass columns","body":null,"created":"1449177358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:15:58","changed":"1475894632","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:52"},"71241":{"id":"71241","type":"image","title":"Equipment used in study","body":null,"created":"1449177358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:15:58","changed":"1475894632","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:52"}},"media_ids":["71239","71240","71241"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.ce.gatech.edu\/fac_staff\/faculty-listing\/research-interests\/?active_id=kp48","title":"Kurt Pennell"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.ce.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Civil and Environmental Engineering"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7417","name":"c60"},{"id":"7418","name":"fullerene"},{"id":"7416","name":"groundwater"},{"id":"2054","name":"nanoparticle"},{"id":"7415","name":"transport"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"71328":{"#nid":"71328","#data":{"type":"news","title":"AFM Shows Liquids Adjust Viscosity When Confined, Shaken","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGetting ketchup out of the bottle isn\u0027t always easy. However, shaking the bottle before trying to pour allows the thick, gooey ketchup to flow more freely because it becomes more fluid when agitated. The opposite is not typically true - a liquid such as water does not become a gel when shaken.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, new research published in the March 14 issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003EPhysical Review Letters \u003C\/em\u003E shows that when fluids like water and silicon oil are confined to a nanometer-sized space, they behave more like ketchup or toothpaste. Then, if these confined liquids are shaken, they become fluidic and exhibit the same structural and mechanical properties as those in thicker layers.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study - the first to use an atomic force microscope to measure the viscosity of confined fluids - revealed that these liquids can respond and modify their viscosity based on environmental changes. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Knowing this could be very important,\u0022 said Elisa Riedo, an assistant professor in the Georgia Tech School of Physics. \u0022If a lubricant used in a piece of machinery becomes thick and gelatinous when squeezed between two solid surfaces, serious problems could occur. However, if the machine vibrated, the liquid could become fluidized.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith funding from the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy, Riedo and graduate student Tai-De Li used atomic force microscopy (AFM) to measure the behavior of thin and thick layers of liquids while they were vibrated. A nanometer-size spherical silicon tip was used to approach a mica surface immersed in water or silicon oil, while small lateral oscillations were applied to the cantilever support.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Some researchers have measured the force it takes to squeeze out a fluid, but we took a different approach,\u0022 explained Riedo. \u0022We are the first group to use AFM to study the viscosity of confined fluids from direct high-resolution lateral force measurements.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe normal and lateral forces acting on the tip were measured directly and simultaneously as a function of the liquid film thickness. The ratio of stress to strain under vibratory conditions, called the viscoelastic modulus, was also measured at different frequencies and strains.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERiedo and Li measured the relaxation times of two wetting liquids: water and silicone oil (octamethylcylotetrasiloxane), which is primarily used as a lubricant or hydraulic fluid, and is the main ingredient in Silly Putty.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The relaxation time describes how active the molecules are. A longer relaxation time means it takes longer for the molecules to rearrange themselves back into their original shape after shaking them,\u0022 said Li. \u0022Liquids have very short relaxation times - as soon as one stops shaking a bottle of water, it reverts to its original configuration.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EExperimental results showed that the relaxation time became orders of magnitude longer in water and silicone oil when they were confined, meaning they behaved more like gels or glass. The researchers also showed that the relaxation times depended on the shaking speed when the liquids were confined. However, in thick layers that were not confined, the molecules showed no dependence on the shaking speed and always relaxed very quickly, meaning they behaved like a \u0027normal\u0027 liquid.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELonger relaxation times were observed when the water film was less than one nanometer thick, composed of about three molecules of water stacked on top of each other. Otherwise, its properties were the same as in a bottle of water. For silicone oil, a thickness of four nanometers was required before the properties were like those of a glassy material.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We observed a nonlinear viscoelastic behavior remarkably similar to that widely observed in metastable complex fluids, such as gels or supercooled liquids,\u0022 noted Riedo. \u0022Because we observed these phenomena in both water and silicone oil, we believe they are very general phenomena and may apply to all wetting liquids.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESince the behavior of confined water observed in these experiments is similar to the behavior of supercooled water at -98.15 degrees Celsius, the researchers are currently examining whether confinement defines a lower effective temperature in the confined liquid.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMedia Relations Contacts: Abby Vogel (404-385-3364); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Vogel\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"A new study - the first to use an atomic force microscope to measure the viscosity of confined fluids - shows that liquids can respond and modify their viscosity based on environmental changes.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Liquids can modify their viscosity based on environmental"}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2008-04-29 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:24","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2008-04-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2008-04-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"71329":{"id":"71329","type":"image","title":"Elisa Riedo 1","body":null,"created":"1449177367","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:16:07","changed":"1475894634","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:54"},"71330":{"id":"71330","type":"image","title":"Tai-De AFM scanner","body":null,"created":"1449177367","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:16:07","changed":"1475894634","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:54"},"71331":{"id":"71331","type":"image","title":"AFM liquid cell","body":null,"created":"1449177367","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:16:07","changed":"1475894634","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:54"}},"media_ids":["71329","71330","71331"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1103\/PhysRevLett.100.106102","title":"Physical Review Letters article"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Physics"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/people\/faculty\/eriedo.html","title":"Elisa Riedo"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"3105","name":"atomic"},{"id":"7420","name":"confined"},{"id":"2402","name":"film"},{"id":"2473","name":"fluid"},{"id":"7419","name":"force"},{"id":"3132","name":"liquid"},{"id":"2834","name":"mechanical"},{"id":"7392","name":"microscopy"},{"id":"5926","name":"Molecules"},{"id":"7425","name":"nanometer"},{"id":"7427","name":"oscillate"},{"id":"6773","name":"relaxation"},{"id":"170875","name":"shake"},{"id":"170876","name":"silicon oil"},{"id":"170877","name":"structural"},{"id":"170878","name":"supercool"},{"id":"7423","name":"vibrate"},{"id":"7424","name":"viscosity"},{"id":"788","name":"Water"},{"id":"7428","name":"wetting"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EAbby Robinson\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News and Publications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=avogel6\u0022\u003EContact Abby Robinson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-385-3364\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["abby@innovate.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"71334":{"#nid":"71334","#data":{"type":"news","title":"OLED Sealing Process Reduces Water Intrusion and Increases Lifetime","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have developed an improved organic light emitting diode (OLED) sealing process to reduce moisture intrusion and improve device lifetime.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOLEDs are promising for the next generation of displays and solid state lighting because they use less power and can be more efficiently manufactured than current technology. However, the intrusion of moisture into the displays can damage or destroy an OLED\u0027s organic material.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022OLEDs have better color and flexibility and the capability of larger displays, but companies still need an inexpensive encapsulation method that can be used to mass produce organic electronics that don\u0027t allow moisture in,\u0022 said Wusheng Tong, a senior research scientist at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EManufacturers now seal displays in an inert atmosphere or in a vacuum environment. They glue a glass lid on top of the display substrate with a powder inside the display to absorb moisture that diffuses through the glue. These seals are expensive and labor-intensive to assemble.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith funding from GTRI\u0027s independent research and development program, Tong and his GTRI collaborators - senior research scientist Hisham Menkara and principal research scientist Brent Wagner - have replaced the glass enclosure with a thin-film barrier formed by a less expensive conventional deposition method. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We chose a passivation coating process that could be performed at room temperature so that the organic material remained intact,\u0022 said Tong.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers selected advanced ion assisted deposition, which utilizes reactive ions to deposit a high-density, pinhole-free thin silicon oxynitride (SiON) film on the OLED surface. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Ideally, the film should be as thin as possible, but if it\u0027s too thin, a pinhole or other defect could appear and cause a problem,\u0022 explained Tong. \u0022We found that a film of 50-200 nanometer thickness was perfect.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDuring testing, the SiON-encapsulated OLEDs showed no sign of degradation after seven months in an open-air environment, while the OLEDs without the coating degraded completely in less than two weeks under the same conditions.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen Tong conducted accelerating aging tests in an environmental chamber that maintained a temperature of 50 degrees Celsius and 50 percent relative humidity, the OLEDs encapsulated with SiON films showed little degradation for at least two weeks. The OLEDs without encapsulation, however, decomposed immediately.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We\u0027ve demonstrated that this deposition process improves the lifetime of the OLEDs by blocking the intrusion of moisture, so now we\u0027re hoping to work with industry partners to develop a mass production process for our encapsulation technique,\u0022 added Tong.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMedia Relations Contacts: Abby Vogel (404-385-3364); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Kirk Englehardt (404-407-7280); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kirk.englehardt@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ekirk.englehardt@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Vogel\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"Researchers have developed an improved organic light emitting diode (OLED) sealing process to reduce moisture intrusion and improve device lifetime. They are using advanced ion assisted deposition to deposit a high-density, pinhole-free thin silicon oxynitride film on the OLED surface. The process can be completed at room temperature, which keeps the organic material intact.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Depositing silicon oxynitride film on OLED surface improves life"}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2008-04-22 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:24","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2008-04-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2008-04-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"71335":{"id":"71335","type":"image","title":"OLED encapsulation1","body":null,"created":"1449177367","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:16:07","changed":"1475894634","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:54"},"71336":{"id":"71336","type":"image","title":"OLED encapsulation 2","body":null,"created":"1449177367","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:16:07","changed":"1475894634","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:54"},"71337":{"id":"71337","type":"image","title":"OLED encapsulation 3","body":null,"created":"1449177367","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:16:07","changed":"1475894634","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:54"}},"media_ids":["71335","71336","71337"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1326","name":"advanced"},{"id":"7208","name":"assisted"},{"id":"7310","name":"coat"},{"id":"7311","name":"coating"},{"id":"7339","name":"deposition"},{"id":"7431","name":"encapsulate"},{"id":"2402","name":"film"},{"id":"7019","name":"ion"},{"id":"7430","name":"light emitting diode"},{"id":"7433","name":"moisture"},{"id":"2387","name":"oled"},{"id":"2289","name":"organic"},{"id":"7434","name":"oxynitride"},{"id":"170879","name":"seal"},{"id":"167355","name":"silicon"},{"id":"788","name":"Water"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EAbby Robinson\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News and Publications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=avogel6\u0022\u003EContact Abby Robinson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-385-3364\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["abby@innovate.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"71341":{"#nid":"71341","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Fast AFM Probes Measure Many Biomolecule or Material Properties","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENew research demonstrates that novel probe technology based on flexible membranes can replace conventional atomic force microscopy (AFM) cantilevers for applications such as fast topographic imaging, quantitative material characterization and single molecule mechanics measurements.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to the standard AFM topography scan, these novel probes simultaneously measure material properties including adhesion, stiffness, elasticity and viscosity. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Our probes attach directly to AFM systems currently on the market and can collect topography measurements at least 50 times faster than traditional cantilevers because they use electrostatic forces between the membrane and an electrode to move the tip,\u0022 said Levent Degertekin, a professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech. The research team also includes Guclu Onaran and Hamdi Torun, graduate students in the Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDetails of the novel force sensing integrated readout and active tip (FIRAT) probe and its biological applications were presented at the American Physical Society meeting in March. This research was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn current AFM systems, the sample surface is scanned by a cantilever with a sharp tip just a few nanometers in diameter at the end. An optical beam is bounced off the cantilever tip to measure the deflection of the cantilever as the sharp tip moves over the surface and interacts with the material being analyzed to determine the topography of the surface.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new probe replaces the cantilever with a drum-like membrane from which a tip extends to scan the material sample. In one scanning mode, as the tip moves above a surface, it lightly taps the material. With each tap, the instrument gathers precise information about both the tip\u0027s position and the forces acting on it, sensing the shape of the material and how stiff and sticky it is.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAn output signal is generated only when there is an interaction force on the probe. In other words, transient interaction forces can be measured during each \u0027tap\u0027 of the tip with high resolution and without any background signal. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the February 27, 2008 issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003ENanotechnology\u003C\/em\u003E, the researchers described using the FIRAT probe to characterize the elasticity, surface energy and adhesion hysteresis of three polymers and a silicon sample. The quantitative results were mapped in addition to topography.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFIRAT probes made of dielectric materials with embedded actuation electrodes have also been designed for operation in liquids. The design of these membrane-based probes also makes them relatively easy to arrange in arrays in which each probe can move independently. One application of such an array is fast parallel measurements of forces between biological molecules.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn collaboration with Cheng Zhu, Regents\u0027 Professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Degertekin is using the probe to measure the force between two interacting biological molecules and unbinding forces between two molecules. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBy testing different molecules and buffer solutions, researchers can determine the probability of molecule adhesion, a process that requires many repetitive measurements. This has implications in drug discovery, where determining how frequently certain soft biological molecules adhere to each other is important. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Rather than moving a single cantilever up and down a thousand times, we have developed a membrane that would allow parallel measurements of molecules to get thousands of measurements at one time,\u0022 said Degertekin. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis new technique was described in the February 2007 issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003ENanotechnology\u003C\/em\u003E.  For different applications, Degertekin can adjust the stiffness of the membranes.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The best mechanical measurements of surfaces or biomolecules are obtained when the probe stiffness matches the sample stiffness,\u0022 explained Degertekin. \u0022If you use a piezoelectric or any other linear actuator, you don\u0027t have that phenomenon - you cannot soften things.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBy electrically changing the spring constant of the FIRAT probe, Degertekin can adjust the stiffness of the membranes, providing the ability to use the same probe to identify the mechanical properties of different samples - some soft and some stiff. This research was published in the December 2007 issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003EApplied Physics Letters\u003C\/em\u003E.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We know these probes improve the speed of AFM scans and provide increased information about a sample,\u0022 said Degertekin. \u0022The next step is to batch fabricate them so that all researchers using AFM systems can benefit from these probes.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMedia Relations Contacts: Abby Vogel (404-385-3364); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Vogel\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Probes simultaneously measure topography, adhesion, stiffness, elasticity and viscosity"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Researchers have developed novel atomic force microscopy (AFM) probes that can quickly and simultaneously measure biomolecule or material properties including adhesion, stiffness, elasticity and viscosity, in addition to the standard AFM topography scan.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Fast AFM probes prove valuable for biological applications"}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2008-04-15 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:24","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2008-04-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2008-04-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"71342":{"id":"71342","type":"image","title":"Levent Degertekin AFM holder","body":null,"created":"1449177367","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:16:07","changed":"1475894634","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:54"},"71343":{"id":"71343","type":"image","title":"AFM topography scan","body":null,"created":"1449177367","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:16:07","changed":"1475894634","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:54"},"71344":{"id":"71344","type":"image","title":"AFM holder","body":null,"created":"1449177367","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:16:07","changed":"1475894634","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:54"}},"media_ids":["71342","71343","71344"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1088\/0957-4484\/18\/16\/165303","title":"2007 Nanotechnology article"},{"url":"http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1063\/1.2827190","title":"Applied Physics Letters article"},{"url":"http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1088\/0957-4484\/19\/8\/085704","title":"2008 Nanotechnology article"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/","title":"George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/degertekin.shtml","title":"Levent Degertekin"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7437","name":"adhesion"},{"id":"3013","name":"atomic force microscopy"},{"id":"7442","name":"cantilever"},{"id":"3175","name":"elasticity"},{"id":"7441","name":"FIRAT"},{"id":"4185","name":"interaction"},{"id":"7435","name":"material"},{"id":"7440","name":"membrane"},{"id":"2557","name":"mems"},{"id":"2071","name":"molecule"},{"id":"989","name":"probe"},{"id":"7436","name":"properties"},{"id":"170880","name":"stiffness"},{"id":"7439","name":"topography"},{"id":"7424","name":"viscosity"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EAbby Robinson\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News and Publications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=avogel6\u0022\u003EContact Abby Robinson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-385-3364\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["abby@innovate.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"46381":{"#nid":"46381","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Nanogenerators Produce Electricity from Running Rodents","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECould hamsters help solve the world\u2019s energy crisis? Probably not, but a hamster wearing a power-generating jacket is doing its own small part to provide a new and renewable source of electricity.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd using the same nanotechnology, Georgia Institute of Technology researchers have also generated electrical current from a tapping finger \u2013 moving the users of BlackBerry devices, cell phones and other handhelds one step closer to powering them with their own typing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cUsing nanotechnology, we have demonstrated ways to convert even irregular biomechanical energy into electricity,\u201d said Zhong Lin Wang, a Regent\u2019s professor in the Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering. \u201cThis technology can convert any mechanical disturbance into electrical energy.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe demonstrations of harnessing biomechanical energy to produce electricity were reported February 9 in the online version of the American Chemical Society journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ENano Letters\u003C\/em\u003E. The research was supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Air Force, and the Emory-Georgia Tech Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study demonstrates that nanogenerators \u2013 which Wang\u2019s team has been developing since 2005 \u2013 can be driven by irregular mechanical motion, such as the vibration of vocal cords, flapping of a flag in the breeze, tapping of fingers or hamsters running on exercise wheels. Scavenging such low-frequency energy from irregular motion is significant because much biomechanical energy is variable, unlike the regular mechanical motion used to generate most large-scale electricity today.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe nanogenerator power is produced by the piezoelectric effect, a phenomenon in which certain materials \u2013 such as zinc oxide wires \u2013 produce electrical charges when they are bent and then relaxed. The wires are between 100 and 800 nanometers in diameter, and between 100 and 500 microns in length.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo make their generators, Wang\u2019s research team encapsulated single zinc oxide wires in a flexible polymer substrate, the wires anchored at each end with an electrical contact, and with a Shottky Barrier at one end to control current flow. They then attached one of these single-wire generators to the joint area of an index finger, or combined four of the single-wire devices on a \u201cyellow jacket\u201d worn by the hamster.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe running and scratching of the hamster \u2013 and the tapping of the finger \u2013 flexed the substrate in which the nanowires were encapsulated, producing tiny amounts of alternating electrical current. Integrating four nanogenerators on the hamster\u2019s jacket generated up to 0.5 nanoamps; less current was produced by the single generator on the finger.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWang estimates that powering a handheld device such as a Bluetooth headset would require at least thousands of these single-wire generators, which could be built up in three-dimensional modules.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond the finger-tapping and hamster-running, Wang believe his modules could be implanted into the body to harvest energy from such sources as muscle movements or pulsating blood vessels. In the body, they could be used to power nanodevices to measure blood pressure or other vital signs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause the devices produce alternating current, synchronizing the four generators on the hamster\u2019s back was vital to maximizing current production. Without the synchronization, current flow from one generator could cancel out the flow from another.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research team \u2013 which also included Rusen Yang, Yong Qin, Cheng Li and Guang Zhu \u2013 solved that problem by using a substrate that was flexible in only one direction, forcing the generators to flex together. Still, there was substantial variation in the output from each generator. The differences result from variations in the amount of flexing and from inconsistencies in the hand-built devices.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe nanogenerators have to be synchronized, with the output of all of them coordinated so the current adds up constructively,\u201d Wang noted. \u201cThrough engineering, we would expect this can be resolved in the future through improved design and more consistent manufacturing.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo ensure that the current measured was actually produced by the generators, the researchers took several precautions. For instance, they substituted carbon fibers \u2013 which are not piezoelectric \u2013 for the zinc oxide nanowires and measured no output electrical signal.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research team encountered a number of obstacles related to its four-legged subjects. Wang\u2019s team first tried to outfit a rat with the power-generating jacket, but found that the creature wasn\u2019t very interested in running.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the suggestion of Wang\u2019s daughter, Melissa, the researchers found that hamsters are more active creatures \u2013 but only after 11 p.m. They had to experiment with a jacket configuration that was tight enough to stay on and to wrinkle the nanogenerator substrate \u2013 but not so tight as to make the hamster uncomfortable.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe believe this is the first demonstration of using a live animal to produce current with nanogenerators,\u201d Wang added. \u201cThis study shows that we really can harness human or animal motion to generate current.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E177 North Avenue\u003Cbr \/\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30332-0181 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;John Toon (404-894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Brett Israel (404-385-1933) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: Zhong Lin Wang (404-894-8008) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:zhong.wang@mse.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ezhong.wang@mse.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Tapping Finger Also Helps Generate Electricity"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECould hamsters help solve the world\u2019s energy crisis? Probably not, but a hamster wearing a power-generating jacket is doing its own small part to provide a new and renewable source of electricity.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Biomechanical energy from humans and animals produces electricit"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2009-02-13 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:19","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-02-13T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2009-02-13T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"46382":{"id":"46382","type":"image","title":"Hamster with generator","body":null,"created":"1449174401","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:26:41","changed":"1475894419","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:19","alt":"Hamster with generator","file":{"fid":"101139","name":"tbm29278.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tbm29278_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tbm29278_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":505490,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tbm29278_0.jpg?itok=DmeUkdXT"}},"46383":{"id":"46383","type":"image","title":"Hamster in wheel","body":null,"created":"1449174428","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:27:08","changed":"1475894419","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:19","alt":"Hamster in wheel","file":{"fid":"101140","name":"tur28844.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tur28844_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tur28844_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1800055,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tur28844_0.jpg?itok=l8B3TcOa"}}},"media_ids":["46382","46383"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/movies\/hamster-power.mpg","title":"Video of hamster generating current"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/FacultyStaff\/MSE_Faculty_researchbios\/Wang\/wang.html","title":"Zhong Lin Wang"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.nanoscience.gatech.edu\/zlwang\/","title":"Team Web site"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1335","name":"biomechanical"},{"id":"436","name":"electricity"},{"id":"1334","name":"nanogenerator"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"70836":{"#nid":"70836","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Generator Produces AC Current by Stretching Zinc Oxide Wires","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have developed a new type of small-scale electric power generator able to produce alternating current through the cyclical stretching and releasing of zinc oxide wires encapsulated in a flexible plastic substrate with two ends bonded.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new \u0027flexible charge pump\u0027 generator is the fourth generation of devices designed to produce electrical current by using the piezoelectric properties of zinc oxide structures to harvest mechanical energy from the environment.  Its development was reported November 9, 2008 in the advance online publication of the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Nanotechnology\u003C\/em\u003E.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The flexible charge pump offers yet another option for converting mechanical energy into electrical energy,\u0022 said Zhong Lin Wang, Regent\u0027s professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering and director of the Center for Nanostructure Characterization at the Georgia Institute of Technology.  \u0022This adds to our family of very small-scale generators able to power devices used in medical sensing, environmental monitoring, defense technology and personal electronics.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new generator can produce an oscillating output voltage of up to 45 millivolts, converting nearly seven percent of the mechanical energy applied directly to the zinc oxide wires into electricity.  The research has been supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the Emory-Georgia Tech Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEarlier nanowire nanogenerators and microfiber nanogenerators developed by Wang and his research team depended on intermittent contact between vertically-grown zinc oxide nanowires and an electrode, or the mechanical scrubbing of nanowire-covered fibers.  These devices were difficult to construct, and the mechanical contact required caused wear that limited how long they could operate.  And because zinc oxide is soluble in water, they had to be protected from moisture.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Our new flexible charge pump resolves several key issues with our previous generators,\u0022 Wang said.  \u0022The new design would be more robust, eliminating the problem of moisture infiltration and the wearing of the structures.  From a practical standpoint, this would be a major advantage.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo boost the current produced, arrays of the flexible charge pumps could be constructed and connected in series.  Multiple layers of the generators could also be built up, forming modules that could then be embedded into clothing, flags, building decorations, shoes - or even implanted in the body to power blood pressure or other sensors.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen the modules are mechanically stretched and then released, because of the piezoelectric properties, the zinc oxide material generates a piezoelectric potential that alternately builds up and then is released.  A Schottky barrier controls the alternating flow of electrons, and the piezoelectric potential is the driving force of the charge pump.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The electrons flow in and out, just like AC current,\u0022 Wang explained.  \u0022The alternating flow of electrons is the power output process.\u0022  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EConstructed with zinc oxide piezoelectric fine wires with diameters of three to five microns and lengths of 200 to 300 microns, the new generator no longer depends on nanometer-scale structures. The larger size was chosen for easier fabrication, but Wang said the principles could be scaled down to the nanometer scale. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Nanoscale materials are not required for this to work,\u0022 he said.  \u0022Larger fibers work better and are easier to work with to fabricate devices.  But the same principle would apply at the nanometer scale.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe wires are grown using a physical vapor deposition method at approximately 600 degrees Celsius.  Using an optical microscope, the wires are then bonded onto a polyimide film and silver paste applied at both ends to serve as electrodes.  The wires and electrodes were then encased in polyimide to protect them from wear and environmental degradation.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo measure the electric energy generated, the researchers subjected the substrate and attached zinc oxide wires to periodic mechanical bending created by a motor-driven mechanical arm.  The bending induced tensile strain which created a piezoelectric potential field along the laterally-packaged wires.  That, in turn, drove a flow of electrons into an external circuit, creating the alternating charge and discharge cycle - and corresponding current flow.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIncreasing the strain rate increased the magnitude of the output electricity, both in voltage and current.  Wang believes the frequency of the current is limited only by the mechanical properties of the polyimide substrate.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers conducted a number of tests to verify that the current measured was produced by the generator - and not an external measurement artifact.  Using the same experimental setup, they stretched carbon fibers and Kevlar fibers coated with polycrystalline zinc oxide, and did not observe current flow.  The research team also developed two criteria and eight tests for ruling out experimental artifacts, Wang noted.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to Wang, the research team included Rusen Yang and Yong Qin from Georgia Tech and Liming Dai of the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering at the University of Dayton.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor the future, Wang sees the family of small-scale generators enabling development of a new class self-powered wireless sensing systems.  The devices could gather information, store it and transmit the data - all without an external power source.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Self-powered nanotechnology could be the basis for a new industry,\u0022 he said.  \u0022That\u0027s really the only way to build independent systems.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Vogel (404-385-3364); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: Zhong Lin Wang (404-894-8008); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:zhong.wang@mse.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ezhong.wang@mse.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Flexible charge pump offers another means of producing electricity"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Researchers have developed a new type of small-scale electric power generator able to produce alternating current through the cyclical stretching and releasing of zinc oxide wires encapsulated in a flexible plastic substrate with two ends bonded.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new small-scale generator produces current by stretching wires"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2008-11-09 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:19","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2008-11-09T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2008-11-09T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"70837":{"id":"70837","type":"image","title":"Zhong Lin Wang","body":null,"created":"1449177314","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:15:14","changed":"1475894623","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:43"},"70838":{"id":"70838","type":"image","title":"Flexible Charge Pump","body":null,"created":"1449177314","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:15:14","changed":"1475894623","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:43"},"70839":{"id":"70839","type":"image","title":"Flexible charge pump","body":null,"created":"1449177314","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:15:14","changed":"1475894623","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:43"}},"media_ids":["70837","70838","70839"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/FacultyStaff\/MSE_Faculty_researchbios\/Wang\/wang.html","title":"Zhong Lin Wang"},{"url":"http:\/\/cncf.nanoscience.gatech.edu\/","title":"Center for Nanostructure Characterization"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"3265","name":"charge"},{"id":"436","name":"electricity"},{"id":"6300","name":"generator"},{"id":"3520","name":"pump"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"46401":{"#nid":"46401","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Technique Predicts Breast Cancer Chemotherapy Effectiveness","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EChemotherapy is an integral part of modern cancer treatment, but it\u0027s not always effective. Successful chemotherapy depends on the ability of anticancer drugs to escape from the bloodstream through the leaky blood vessels that often surround tumors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPredicting chemotherapy\u0027s efficacy could save thousands of individuals from unnecessary toxicity and the often difficult side effects of the treatments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a study published in the February issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003ERadiology\u003C\/em\u003E, researchers describe a technique for determining the \u0022leakiness\u0022 of tumor blood vessels using a simple digital mammography unit. The researchers designed nanometer-sized capsules containing a contrast agent that could only leak into tumors with blood vessels that were growing and therefore leaky. The digital mammography-based quantification of \u0022leakiness\u0022 is closely correlated to the ability of a clinically approved chemotherapy agent to enter the tumor, allowing the researchers to predict the agent\u0027s therapeutic efficacy. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We developed a quantitative way to measure the leakiness of the blood vessels, which is directly linked to the amount of drug that gets to the cancer and in turn determines effectiveness,\u0022 said Ravi Bellamkonda, a professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. \u0022By simply measuring how much contrast agent reaches the tumor, we can predict how much of a clinically approved chemotherapeutic will reach the tumor, allowing physicians to personalize the dose and predict effectiveness.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn some cases, one chemotherapy drug may not be effective in treating the tumor, but this new technique allows oncologists to investigate other drugs sooner since they know the drug is reaching the tumor. Studies are currently underway to determine if mammography can predict the optimal dose of a wide range of breast cancer chemotherapeutics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBellamkonda and Coulter Department postdoctoral fellow Efstathios Karathanasis collaborated on this study with Ioannis Sechopoulos, an assistant professor in radiology at Emory University; Andrew Karellas, a former professor in the Emory University Winship Cancer Institute currently at the University of Massachusetts Medical School; and Ananth Annapragada, an associate professor of health information sciences at the University of Texas, Houston. The project was funded by the National Science Foundation and Georgia Cancer Coalition.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the study, a long-circulating nanometer-scale liposomal capsule filled with iodinated contrast agent was injected into rats with six-day-old breast cancer tumors. For the next three days, the researchers collected digital mammography images of the animals and compared the pre- and post-injection grayscale intensity values to study the dynamics of how the contrast agent accumulated in the tumor over time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022During the three-day time course, some tumors exhibited a rapid and significant increase in image brightness, meaning the contrast agent was accumulating in the tumor, whereas other tumors showed a slow and low increase,\u0022 said Bellamkonda, who is also a Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Scholar. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the brightness of the tumors in the images changed significantly, no variations were observed in non-tumor areas or in the tumors of animals that did not receive the contrast agent. Immediately after the imaging was completed and the leakiness of each individual cancer vessel was quantified, the animals were intravenously injected with a clinically approved chemotherapy drug, liposomal doxorubicin. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResults showed that the chemotherapeutic drug slowed the progress of the tumor. The variability in uptake of the contrast agent by the tumors, as measured during the three-day imaging sessions, provided an accurate prognosis of the effect of liposomal doxorubicin on tumor growth rate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022When we plotted the post-treatment tumor growth rate versus the intensity of leakiness, there was a significant and strong correlation,\u0022 noted Bellamkonda. \u0022The tumors in which the nanocarrier leaked out and accumulated the most in the tumors during the initial three-day test were the ones that responded best to the treatment.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo verify that the intensity changes in the images were caused by the nanocarrier and not endogenous changes in the tumor tissue, liposomal probes tagged with a fluorescent dye were injected into the animals. By looking at histological tumor sections, the researchers showed that the location of the increased image brightness and the fluorescent dye were the same.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This study showed that higher uptake of the probe by the tumor related to leakier vasculature and suggested a better therapeutic outcome of liposomal doxorubicin,\u0022 said Bellamkonda. \u0022Imaging the integrity of the tumor vasculature like this may allow cancer treatment to be more patient-specific and potentially spare patients from chemotherapy if it is not going to be effective.\u0022\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhile the goal of the study reported in the journal was not to induce tumor regression, the researchers plan to investigate whether the liposomal probes can be used for this purpose in the future. To further develop and commercialize these multifunctional probes, Bellamkonda and Annapragada founded a start-up company called Marval Biosciences, Inc.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe researchers also want to investigate whether the leakiness of tumor vasculature represents a parameter that is useful for clinical diagnosis or tumor characterization. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022We want to study the molecular basis for blood vessel leakiness,\u0022 said Bellamkonda. \u0022We want to understand why there is variation in leakiness and chemotherapy effectiveness among individuals with tumors of the same type, size and stage.\u0022\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Researchers Make Predictions by Measuring the"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Researchers have developed a technique for determining the \u201cleakiness\u201d\u009d of tumor blood vessels using a simple digital mammography unit. The quantification of \u201cleakiness\u201d\u009d is closely correlated to the ability of a chemotherapy agent to enter the tumor, allowing the researchers to predict the agent\u0027s therapeutic efficacy.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Technique predicts breast cancer chemotherapy outcome"}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2009-02-02 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:19","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-02-02T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2009-02-02T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"46402":{"id":"46402","type":"image","title":"x-ray images tumor leakiness","body":null,"created":"1449174428","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:27:08","changed":"1475894419","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:19","alt":"x-ray images tumor leakiness","file":{"fid":"101161","name":"tta81677.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tta81677_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tta81677_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":52269,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tta81677_0.jpg?itok=1KhYq3ba"}},"46403":{"id":"46403","type":"image","title":"microscopic images","body":null,"created":"1449174428","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:27:08","changed":"1475894419","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:19","alt":"microscopic images","file":{"fid":"101162","name":"twv80903.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/twv80903_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/twv80903_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":343533,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/twv80903_0.jpg?itok=TgkUsg5t"}}},"media_ids":["46402","46403"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=59","title":"Ravi Bellamkonda"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/","title":"Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1148\/radiol.2502080801","title":"Radiology article"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1440","name":"blood"},{"id":"1438","name":"breast"},{"id":"385","name":"cancer"},{"id":"1439","name":"chemotherapy"},{"id":"1446","name":"digital"},{"id":"1445","name":"doxorubicin"},{"id":"1444","name":"liposomal"},{"id":"1447","name":"mammography"},{"id":"1449","name":"nanoprobe"},{"id":"1442","name":"tumor"},{"id":"1443","name":"vasculature"},{"id":"1441","name":"vessel"},{"id":"1448","name":"x-ray"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30308\u0026nbsp; USA\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nMedia Relations Contacts: Abby Vogel (404-385-3364);\nE-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail:\n(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Abby Vogel\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["avogel@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"70880":{"#nid":"70880","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Improve Dry Adhesive Based on Carbon Nanotubes","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe race for the best \u0027gecko foot\u0027 dry adhesive got a new competitor this week with a stronger and more practical material reported in the journal \u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E by a team of researchers from four U.S. institutions.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EScientists have long been interested in the ability of gecko lizards to scurry up walls and cling to ceilings by their toes.  The creatures owe this amazing ability to microscopic branched elastic hairs in their toes that take advantage of atomic-scale attractive forces to grip surfaces and support surprisingly heavy loads.  Several research groups have attempted to mimic those hairs with structures made of polymers or carbon nanotubes.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn a paper published in the October 10 issue of \u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E, researchers from the University of Dayton, the Georgia Institute of Technology, the Air Force Research Laboratory and the University of Akron describe an improved carbon nanotube-based material that for the first time creates directionally-varied (anisotropic) adhesive force.  With a gripping ability nearly three times the previous record - and ten times better than a real gecko at resisting perpendicular shear forces - the new carbon nanotube array could give artificial gecko feet the ability to tightly grip vertical surfaces while being easily lifted off when desired.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond the ability to walk on walls, the material could have many technological applications, including connecting electronic devices and substituting for conventional adhesives in the dry vacuum of space.  The research has been sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The resistance to shear force keeps the nanotube adhesive attached very strongly to the vertical surface, but you can still remove it from the surface by pulling away from the surface in a normal direction,\u0022 explained Liming Dai, the Wright Brothers Institute Endowed Chair in the School of Engineering at the University of Dayton. \u0022This directional difference in the adhesion force is a significant improvement that could help make this material useful as a transient adhesive.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe key to the new material is the use of rationally-designed multi-walled carbon nanotubes formed into arrays with \u0027curly entangled tops,\u0027 said Zhong Lin Wang, a Regents\u0027 Professor in the Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering.  The tops, which Wang compared to spaghetti or a jungle of vines, mimic the hierarchical structure of real gecko feet, which include branching hairs of different diameters.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen pressed onto a vertical surface, the tangled portion of the nanotubes becomes aligned in contact with the surface.  That dramatically increases the amount of contact between the nanotubes and the surface, maximizing the van der Waals forces that occur at the atomic scale.  When lifted off the surface in a direction parallel to the main body of the nanotubes, only the tips remain in contact, minimizing the attraction forces, Wang explained. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The contact surface area matters a lot,\u0022 he noted.  \u0022When you have line contact along, you have van der Waals forces acting along the entire length of the nanotubes, but when you have a point contact, the van der Waals forces act only at the tip of the nanotubes.  That allows us to truly mimic what the gecko does naturally.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn tests done on a variety of surfaces -including glass, a polymer sheet, Teflon and even rough sandpaper - the researchers measured adhesive forces of up 100 Newtons per square centimeter in the shear direction.  In the normal direction, the adhesive forces were 10 Newtons per square centimeter - about the same as a real gecko. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe resistance to shear increased with the length of the nanotubes, while the resistance to normal force was independent of tube length.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThough the material might seem most appropriate for use by Spider-Man, the real applications may be less glamorous.  Because carbon nanotubes conduct heat and electrical current, the dry adhesive arrays could be used to connect electronic devices.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Thermal management is a real problem today in electronics, and if you could use a nanotube dry adhesive, you could simply apply the devices and allow van der Waals forces to hold them together,\u0022 Wang noted.  \u0022That would eliminate the heat required for soldering.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnother application might be for adhesives that work long-term in space.  \u0022In space, there is a vacuum and traditional kinds of adhesives dry out,\u0022 Dai noted.  \u0022But nanotube dry adhesives would not be bothered by the space environment.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition those already mentioned, the research team also included Liangti Qu from the University of Dayton, Morley Stone from the Air Force Research Laboratory, and Zhenhai Xia from the University of Akron.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EQu, a research assistant in the laboratory of Liming Dai, grew the nanotube arrays with a low-pressure chemical vapor deposition process on a silicon wafer.  During the pyrolytic growth of the vertically-aligned multi-walled nanotubes, the initial segments grew in random directions and formed a top layer of coiled and entangled nanotubes.  This layer helped to increase the nanotube area available for contacting a surface.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EQu noted that sample purity was another key factor in ensuring strong adhesion for the carbon nanotube dry adhesive.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor the future, the researchers hope to learn more about the surface interactions so they can further increase the adhesive force.  They also want to study the long-term durability of the adhesive, which in a small number of tests became stronger with each attachment.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd they may also determine how much adhesive might be necessary to support a human wearing tights and red mask.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Because the surfaces may not be uniform, the adhesive force produced by a larger patch may not increase linearly with the size,\u0022 Dai said. \u0022There is much we still need to learn about the contact between nanotubes and different surfaces.\u0022\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E:\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E--Georgia Tech: John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Vogel (404-385-3364) or (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n--University of Dayton: Shawn Robinson (937-229-3391-office) or (937-232-2907-cell); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shawn.robinson@notes.udayton.edu\u0022\u003Eshawn.robinson@notes.udayton.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: Zhong Lin Wang (404-894-8008); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:zhong.wang@mse.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ezhong.wang@mse.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Liming Dai (937-229-2670); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:liming.dai@notes.udayton.edu\u0022\u003Eliming.dai@notes.udayton.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Material mimics the ability of gecko feet to grip surfaces"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"The race for the best \u0027gecko foot\u0027 dry adhesive got a new competitor this week with a stronger and more practical material reported in the journal Science by a team of researchers from four U.S. institutions.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have created an improved \u0027gecko foot\u0027 dry adhesive"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2008-10-09 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:19","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2008-10-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2008-10-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"70881":{"id":"70881","type":"image","title":"SEM image of nanotubes","body":null,"created":"1449177328","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:15:28","changed":"1475894623","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:43"},"70882":{"id":"70882","type":"image","title":"Schematic of adhesion","body":null,"created":"1449177328","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:15:28","changed":"1475894623","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:43"},"70883":{"id":"70883","type":"image","title":"Gecko foot","body":null,"created":"1449177328","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:15:28","changed":"1475894623","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:43"}},"media_ids":["70881","70882","70883"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.nanoscience.gatech.edu\/zlwang\/","title":"Team Web site"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.udayton.edu\/","title":"University of Dayton"},{"url":"http:\/\/engineering.udayton.edu\/programs\/chemical\/facstaff_dai.asp","title":"Liming Dai"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7163","name":"adhesive"},{"id":"7165","name":"anisotropic"},{"id":"7164","name":"gecko"},{"id":"3246","name":"nanotubes"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"71045":{"#nid":"71045","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Biodegradable Polymers May Improve Treatment of Inflammatory Diseases","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA family of biodegradable polymers called polyketals and their derivatives may improve treatment for such inflammatory illnesses as acute lung injury, acute liver failure and inflammatory bowel disease by delivering drugs, proteins and snips of ribonucleic acid to disease locations in the body.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The polyketal microparticles we developed are simply a vehicle to get the drugs inside the body to the diseased area as quickly as possible,\u0022 said Niren Murthy, assistant professor in the Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. \u0022The major advantage to using these polyketals to deliver drugs is that they degrade into biocompatible compounds that don\u0027t accumulate in a patient\u0027s tissue or cause additional inflammation.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDetails about the polyketals and clinical applications were described during three presentations on August 18-20 at the 236th American Chemical Society National Meeting in Philadelphia. This research - initially started in 2003 - is funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn a presentation on August 19, graduate student Scott Wilson detailed a new polyketal derivative aimed at enhancing the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease - an illness that causes the large and small intestines to swell. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new polymer has the advantage of stability in both acids and bases. It degrades only in the presence of reactive oxygen species, which are present in and around inflamed tissue. Cell culture experiments have demonstrated that the microparticles degraded more rapidly in cells that overproduced superoxide, a reactive oxygen species.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers are currently collaborating with Didier Merlin, a professor in the Division of Digestive Diseases at Emory University, to investigate loading these polyketals with therapeutics to treat inflammatory bowel disease. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We think these microparticles are going to be fantastic for oral drug delivery because they can survive the stomach conditions before they release their contents in the intestines,\u0022 noted Murthy. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMurthy\u0027s group is also examining the use of polyketals to treat acute liver failure - a condition in which the liver stops functioning because macrophages in the liver create reactive oxygen species. One treatment is the delivery of superoxide dismutase, an enzyme that detoxifies superoxide. Incorporating the enzyme inside a polyketal - poly(cyclohexane-1,4-diyl acetone dimethylene ketal) - allows the enzyme to be released very quickly in an acidic environment. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Patients with acute liver failure need drugs as soon as possible or else they\u0027ll die,\u0022 said Murthy. \u0022We\u0027ve tailored the polyketal\u0027s hydrolysis rates to deliver the drug in one or two days.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENick Crisp, professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, and Robert Pierce, currently head of anatomic pathology at Schering-Plough Biopharma and formerly of the University of Rochester Medical Center, are collaborating on this project. Georgia Tech, Emory and the University of Rochester have filed three patent applications on the polyketal drug delivery system.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo treat other illnesses, it may be necessary to deliver proteins to a diseased organ. In a presentation on August 18, Georgia Tech researchers described such a method, which was developed by Murthy, Michael Davis, an assistant professor in the Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, and graduate student Jay Sy.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Delivering proteins inside microparticles has been limited because getting the protein into the microparticles required organic solvents that frequently destroyed the proteins,\u0022 explained Murthy. \u0022To overcome this problem, we developed a method of simply immobilizing the protein on the surface of the microparticles.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers incorporated a nitrilotriacetic acid-lipid conjugate into the polyketal. In a one-step procedure, they mixed the microparticles with the proteins and centrifuged them. That immobilized the proteins on the surface of the polyketals. Laboratory experiments conducted under physiological conditions have shown that half of the bound proteins were released within 24 hours.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlso in collaboration with Davis, the researchers are testing the ability of the protein-bound polyketals to treat heart attacks.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the next few years, Murthy and his team of graduate students and collaborators plan to continue developing new polyketals and conducting efficacy tests in cell cultures and animal studies.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022In the past few years, we have developed methods to tailor the polyketal\u0027s properties, which have already allowed us to target many different medical conditions, but our end goal is to test these treatments in humans,\u0022 noted Murthy.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMedia Relations Contacts: Abby Vogel (404-385-3364); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contact:\u003C\/strong\u003E Niren Murthy (404-385-5145); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:niren.murthy@bme.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eniren.murthy@bme.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Vogel\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Polyketal microparticles show promise as drug delivery vehicle"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Biodegradable polymers called polyketals and their derivatives may improve treatment for such inflammatory illnesses as acute liver failure and inflammatory bowel disease by delivering drugs, proteins and enzymes to disease locations in the body.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Polyketal particles may improve treatment of inflammatory diseas"}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2008-08-19 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:19","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2008-08-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2008-08-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"71046":{"id":"71046","type":"image","title":"Niren Murthy","body":null,"created":"1449177338","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:15:38","changed":"1475894628","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:48"},"71047":{"id":"71047","type":"image","title":"SEM polyketal microparticles","body":null,"created":"1449177338","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:15:38","changed":"1475894628","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:48"},"71048":{"id":"71048","type":"image","title":"Polyketal laboratory experiment","body":null,"created":"1449177338","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:15:38","changed":"1475894628","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:48"}},"media_ids":["71046","71047","71048"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/","title":"Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=95","title":"Michael Davis"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=58","title":"Niren Murthy"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7242","name":"acute"},{"id":"7250","name":"attack"},{"id":"7241","name":"biodegradable"},{"id":"7246","name":"bowel"},{"id":"5221","name":"cardiac"},{"id":"5302","name":"Disease"},{"id":"7245","name":"failure"},{"id":"2583","name":"heart"},{"id":"7249","name":"infarct"},{"id":"7243","name":"inflammatory"},{"id":"7248","name":"intestine"},{"id":"7244","name":"liver"},{"id":"7108","name":"lung"},{"id":"7247","name":"microparticle"},{"id":"1657","name":"oxygen"},{"id":"7240","name":"polyketal"},{"id":"1492","name":"Polymer"},{"id":"1656","name":"reactive"},{"id":"170856","name":"species"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EAbby Robinson\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News and Publications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=avogel6\u0022\u003EContact Abby Robinson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-385-3364\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["abby@innovate.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"71119":{"#nid":"71119","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Bioscience and Engineering Converge","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen former Georgia Institute of Technology President Wayne Clough broke ground on the first building of Georgia Tech\u0027s new Biotechnology Complex in May 1998, the shovel heralded more than just new brick and glass.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe 800,000 square feet of new buildings in the complex represent the convergence of bioscience and engineering, providing the foundation for a $27 million biomedical engineering research program that is now the second largest university-based program in the United States. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe centerpiece academic department for this research is the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. Created in 1997, the Department joined the engineering expertise of Georgia Tech with the medical expertise of Emory University. Since then, the Department has grown to include 45 primary faculty members, 175 graduate students and more than 800 undergraduate students. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond research, the Coulter Department has become an innovative center for education with a strong focus on problem-based learning, a student-centered instructional strategy in which students work in small collaborative groups to solve open-ended problems with a faculty member serving as facilitator. In the \u0027America\u0027s Best Colleges 2008\u0027 edition of U. S. News \u0026amp; World Report, the undergraduate program ranked third and the doctoral program ranked second in the biomedical engineering specialty category.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMarking its 10th anniversary this year, the Coulter Department continues to build its interdisciplinary programs to tackle the challenges of the 21st century, including cardiovascular disease, nerve injuries, neurological disorders and cancer. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDetecting Cardiovascular Disease\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA team of Coulter Department researchers led by John Oshinski, assistant professor in the Coulter Department and Emory\u0027s Division of Radiology, has funding from the National Institutes of Health to use magnetic resonance imaging scans to predict where atherosclerotic plaques will form. Plaques form in artery walls because of cholesterol build-up. When they rupture, they can block blood vessels, leading to heart attack or stroke. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECoulter Department Professor Hanjoong Jo is developing drugs that inhibit the genes that are over-expressed when arteries are exposed to abnormal, nonlinear flow patterns. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECoulter Department Professor Gang Bao leads the Program of Excellence in Nanotechnology at Georgia Tech, which focuses on creating advanced nanotechnologies, such as nanoparticles and quantum dots, to detect and analyze cardiovascular disease. The $11.5 million program funded in April 2005 includes Coulter Department biomedical engineers and Emory University cardiologists and is funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReconnecting Nerves\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMotor vehicle accidents and surgical procedures can damage peripheral nerves to varying degrees. Coulter Department professor Ravi Bellamkonda has demonstrated that thin polymer films made of aligned nanometer-diameter fibers provide topographical cues to stimulate nerve regeneration without growth-promoting proteins.                                                                                           Unlike peripheral nervous system damage, injury to the central nervous system, such as the brain or spinal cord, is not followed by extensive regeneration because of the hostile growth environment caused in large part by the injury. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo encourage the regeneration of damaged central nervous system neurons, Yadong Wang, a Coulter Department assistant professor, has shown that incorporating neurotransmitters into a biodegradable polymer spurs the growth of neurites, which are projections that form the connections among neurons and between neurons and other cells. This research was supported by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Complex Brain\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHow brains learn, or more specifically, how they acquire memories and behaviors, is of interest to Steve Potter, a Coulter Department associate professor. The process of learning is thought to correspond to changes in the relationships between neurons in the brain, but exactly how those changes are expressed at the network level is not well understood. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EXiaoping Hu, a Coulter Department professor and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar, uses functional magnetic resonance imaging to study drug addiction, elderly brain health and long-term effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on brain development. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEberhard Voit, a Coulter Department professor and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar, and Gary Miller, an associate professor in Emory\u0027s Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, aim to better understand how genetic, environmental and pharmacological factors alter how dopamine functions in the brain. To do this, they developed a mathematical model of the dopamine network that allows them to study dopamine in healthy neurotransmission as well as in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson\u0027s disease and schizophrenia.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EZenda Technologies, a company founded by associate professor Michelle LaPlaca and Emory\u0027s David Wright, aims to commercialize DETECT, a portable device that makes quick neuropsychological assessments. Such assessments could be important in identifying brain disorders such as concussion and early stages of Alzheimer\u0027s disease.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUnderstanding Cancer Pathways\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMelissa Kemp, a Coulter Department assistant professor and Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Professor, is using systems biology approaches to understand complex cancer pathways involved in drug-resistant acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a type of cancer of the white blood cells. Children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia exhibit a diverse response to chemotherapy, with about one-fourth of them relapsing with drug-resistant disease.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn collaboration with Harry Findley, an associate professor in Emory\u0027s Department of Pediatrics, Kemp is developing individualized computational models to identify key enzymes involved in regulating the protein NF-\u00ce\u00baB, which seems to play a role in drug resistance. This research is funded by Georgia Tech\u0027s Health Systems Institute and the Georgia Cancer Coalition.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Coulter Department also hosts the Nanotechnology Center for Personalized and Predictive Oncology, funded by the National Cancer Institute. Led by Coulter Department Professor Shuming Nie, the center was launched in October 2005 and now boasts six projects and five support teams that focus on developing nanotechnologies for cancer applications. The amount awarded is expected to reach $27 million over a five-year period, which includes $19 million from the National Cancer Institute.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECenter researchers are developing nanoparticles to image cancer inside the body and examine metastasis. They are also developing probes to study gene expression of cancer cells and treat cancer. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022A unique strength of this center is that we have broad faculty expertise from translational bioinformatics to clinical oncology, which will allow us to move some of these technologies into clinical trials in the next two to three years,\u0022 says Nie.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis story was excerpted from a longer article in the Winter\/Spring issue of \u003Ca href=\u0027http:\/\/gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/reshor\/rh-ws08\/bio-main.html\u0027\u003EResearch Horizons Magazine\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe research projects described in this article that are funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH or NSF.\u003C\/em\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMedia Relations Contacts: Abby Vogel (404-385-3364); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Vogel\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Biomedical Engineering Department at Georgia Tech and Emory University Marks 10th Anniversary"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Marking its 10th anniversary this year, the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University continues to build its interdisciplinary programs to tackle the challenges of the 21st century, including cardiovascular disease, nerve injuries, neurological disorders and cancer.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Biomedical Engineering Department Marks\u0027 10th Anniversary"}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2008-07-21 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:19","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2008-07-21T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2008-07-21T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"71120":{"id":"71120","type":"image","title":"Gang Bao nanoprobes","body":null,"created":"1449177348","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:15:48","changed":"1475894630","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:50"},"71121":{"id":"71121","type":"image","title":"Steve Potter","body":null,"created":"1449177348","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:15:48","changed":"1475894630","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:50"},"71122":{"id":"71122","type":"image","title":"Melissa Kemp","body":null,"created":"1449177348","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:15:48","changed":"1475894630","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:50"}},"media_ids":["71120","71121","71122"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/","title":"Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/reshor\/rh-ws08\/bio-main.html","title":"Full-length Research Horizons magazine article"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1457","name":"Alcohol"},{"id":"7272","name":"artery"},{"id":"7270","name":"atherosclerosis"},{"id":"7250","name":"attack"},{"id":"2548","name":"biomedical"},{"id":"1440","name":"blood"},{"id":"1912","name":"brain"},{"id":"385","name":"cancer"},{"id":"7104","name":"cardiovascular"},{"id":"7273","name":"cholesterol"},{"id":"5302","name":"Disease"},{"id":"7269","name":"disorder"},{"id":"516","name":"engineering"},{"id":"2583","name":"heart"},{"id":"987","name":"imaging"},{"id":"7267","name":"injuries"},{"id":"7279","name":"leukemia"},{"id":"7278","name":"lymphoblastic"},{"id":"2053","name":"magnetic"},{"id":"2054","name":"nanoparticle"},{"id":"107","name":"Nanotechnology"},{"id":"7266","name":"nerve"},{"id":"7274","name":"nervous"},{"id":"7268","name":"neurological"},{"id":"7276","name":"neuron"},{"id":"7280","name":"oncology"},{"id":"13471","name":"Parkinson\u0027s"},{"id":"3185","name":"plaque"},{"id":"1492","name":"Polymer"},{"id":"7275","name":"regeneration"},{"id":"7106","name":"resonance"},{"id":"170569","name":"schizophrenia"},{"id":"7271","name":"vessels"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EAbby Robinson\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News and Publications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=avogel6\u0022\u003EContact Abby Robinson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-385-3364\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["abby@innovate.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}