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Newswise Through the National Science Foundations Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation (EFRI) program, Penn State has been awarded $4 million over the next four years to lead two teams of investigators and support members of a third team in the new field of 2D crystals and layered materials.

A material that is only a single atomic-layer thick can have completely different properties than its bulk counterpart. A new field of nanoscale science and engineering is emerging to study the wide variety of two-dimensional materials and what happens when they are stacked one on top of the other. Potential applications include energy harvesting and storage, sensing, electronics and photonics, and bioengineering.

There is a lot of interest in 2D materials beyond graphene, especially when considering stacking to form heterostructures because they can lead to phenomenal properties, said Joshua Robinson, Corning Faculty Fellow of Materials Science and Engineering and associate director of Penn States Center for Two-dimensional and Layered Materials (2DLM). I think we have a variety of excellent ideas in these novel materials, which is why we did so well with the EFRI.

The EFRI awards fund interdisciplinary teams of researchers in rapidly advancing fields of fundamental engineering research. The 2014 awards, called 2-DARE, for Two-dimensional Atomic-layer Research and Engineering, were awarded to nine teams in the U.S., three of which include Penn State researchers.

2D Crystal Formed by Activated Atomic Layer Deposition is led by Joan Redwing, professor of materials science and engineering and electrical engineering, with co-PIs Ying Liu, Nasim Alem, Thomas Jackson and Suzanne Mohney, all faculty at Penn State. The award is for $1,964,494.

Our project is aimed at developing Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) and Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) processes to synthesize 2D materials. The 2D crystal films will be explored for applications in thin film electronics and superconductivity, said Joan Redwing.

"Ultra-low Power, Collective-state Device Technology Based on Electron Correlation in Two-Dimensional Atomic Layers" is led by Joshua Robinson with Co-PIs Suman Datta and Roman Engel-Herbert of Penn State, James Freericks, Georgetown University and Eva Andrei, Rutgers University. The award is for $2,000,000.

This program will develop a post silicon transistor based on the principal of strong electron correlation and associated phase transitions in two-dimensional materials, said Robinson.

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The National Science Foundation Funds Three Penn State Teams to Study Two-Dimensional Materials

2 hours ago by Ingrid Sderbergh Nano-carbon device

(Phys.org) Solar cells based on semiconducting composite plastics and carbon nanotubes is one of the most promising novel technology for producing inexpensive printed solar cells. Physicists at Ume University have discovered that one can reduce the number of carbon nanotubes in the device by more than 100 times while maintaining exceptional ability to transport charges. This is achieved thanks to clever nano-engineering of the active layer inside the device. Their results are published as front page news in the journal Nanoscale.

Carbon nanotubes are more and more attractive for use in solar cells as a replacement for silicon. They can be mixed in a semiconducting polymer, and deposited from solution by simple and inexpensive methods to form thin and flexible solar cells. The hybrid material is easy to spread out over a large surface and the nanotubes have outstanding electrical conductivity, and they can effectively separate and transport electrical charges generated from solar energy.

Earlier this year, Dr. David Barbero and his research team at Ume University, demonstrated for the first time that if carbon nanotubes are connected to each other in a controlled manner to form complex nanosized networks, one can achieve significantly higher charge transport and electricity than had previously been possible using the same materials. This means that the transport of electric charges occurs with a very little energy loss.

Previous studies have reported that there is a percolation threshold for the amount of carbon nanotubes necessary to transport efficiently electric charges in a device. Below this threshold, the device become completely inefficient and no current can be generated.

In this new study, Dr. Barbero and his team at Ume University show that this threshold can be reduced by more than 100 times in a semiconducting polymer and still generate high currents and charge transport at very low nanotube loadings, thereby strongly reducing materials costs.

"Our results are important from a fundamental point of view, but also of practical importance. The purified semiconducting nanotubes, which are necessary for high-performance devices, are still quite expensive and time consuming to produce. Now, nano-carbon devices, such as carbon nanotube based solar cells, can be produced with a much smaller number of carbon nanotubes and therefore much reduced material costs," says David Barbero.

The new results are expected to accelerate the development of next generation of solution processed thin film nano-carbon based solar cells, which are both more effective in generating power and less costly to produce in comparison with today's solar cells.

Explore further: Nanotube composites increase the efficiency of next generation of solar cells

More information: Boulanger N., Yu J., and Barbero D.R: "SWNT nano-engineered networks strongly increase charge transport in P3HT." Nanoscale 2014. Issue 20 (6), 11633-11636. DOI: 10.1039/C4NR01542H

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Nano-engineering enhances charge transport, promises more efficient future solar cells

One of the winning images of the 2014 Nano Today Cover Competition. Look out for more cover competition winners, here on Materials Today.

The new issue of Nano Today (Volume 9, Issue 4) is out now. Click here to read the articles.

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is one of the most important oxides; it has been widely investigated due to its high dielectric constant, humidity and oxygen sensitivities and photoelectric and catalytic conversion properties [13], excellent electronic, magnetic, optical, and mechanical properties [47] and hence it has numerous applications in photovoltaic cells or dye and quantum dot sensitized solar cells (DSSC, QDSSC), photocatalysis, Li-ion battery materials, sensors, etc: mainly due to its wide-band-gap semiconductor properties [811].

DSSC, using nanocrystalline TiO2 as photoanode material, has captured more and more attention because of the low cost of the material and its fabrication, and it is regarded as one of the most promising alternatives to the commercial silicon based solar cells presently available. The photoanode material has been found to play an important role in the photovoltaic performance of a DSSC since it influences the dye loading, light scattering and electron transport. Remarkable achievements have been made by using TiO2 photoelectrode with various morphologies such as nanoparticles, sub-micro-spheres, beads, one-dimensional (1D) or quasi-1D nanoarrays such as nanorods/wires and nanotubes. These 1Dstructures can be recognized as effective pathways for the facilitation of electron transport and minimization of the recombination rate, resulting in an improvement of the charge collection efficiency.

Present work demonstrates the synthesis of titanium dioxide cauliflower-like nanostructures possessing high surface area and hierarchical nonstructural formation leading to effective light harvesting which can be further exploited as a photoanodes for the DSSC. Herein, we report on the chemical synthesis of TiO2 broccoli using a facile and low cost hydrothermal method without any catalysts or templates for preparing rutile TiO2 crystals merely by adjusting the amount of titanium tetrachloride precursor amounts.

The photoelectrochemical activities are found to be dependent on the morphology of the photoanodes; therefore morphology control of TiO2 is supposed to be an effective way to improve the photoelectrochemical performance. Hierarchical architectures have attracted more and more researchers in recent years, compared to nanoparticles, due their high surface-to-volume ratio, high organic pollutant adsorption, and excellent incident light scattering within the structures. Nowadays, efforts are focused on the investigation of hierarchical architectures instead of conventional nanoparticles for further enhancement of the photoelectrochemical performance of TiO2.

The material shown on this cover of Nano Today was synthesized at Thin Film Materials Laboratory, Department of Physics, Shivaji University, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, INDIA. It resulted from a Ph. D. work of Mr. Sachin A. Pawar under the supervision of Prof. Pramod S. Patil. The TiO2 produced has used as photoanode for Quantum dot sensitized solar cells application.

Acknowledgments

The financial support from UGC-SAP-DSA-I, New Delhi and Department of Science and Technology (DST) INDIA through DST FIST-II and DST-PURSE scheme is acknowledged. This work is partially supported by the Human Resource Development of the Korea Institute of Energy technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) grant funded by the Korea Government Ministry of knowledge Economy (No. 20124010203180). Dr. Rupesh S. Devan and Prof. Yuan R. Ma from National Dong Hwa University, Taiwan are acknowledged for assistance with FE-SEM/EDS/XPS analyses.

Corresponding Authors Emails: patilps_2000@yahoo.com (Prof. Pramod S. Patil), sachinpawar69@gmail.com (Mr. Sachin A. Pawar).

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Titanium dioxide broccoli for solar cells

Feng Zengkun

The Straits Times

Publication Date : 22-09-2014

In the next few years, tiny ears and eyes in the sky, built and manned by Singapore engineers, could help to track ships and planes, and stop piracy and illegal fishing.

The satellites will collect weather and climate change data, and monitor the Earth's environment by, say, mapping changes in river courses and catching firms that are cutting down trees illegally.

Some of them will even help make Global Positioning Systems (GPS) more accurate, and test state-of-the-art encryption technology to keep communications secure. A record six Singapore satellites are expected to launch from an island in India next year to do some of these tasks.

ST Electronics, ST Engineering's electronics arm, is launching one, the National University of Singapore (NUS) will put two into the sky, while Nanyang Technological University (NTU) will have three.

American firm Spire, which set up a Singapore office last month, will also have at least 20 nano-satellites in the air by next year to collect data.

The firm, which has raised US$25 million, plans to hire at least 100 people for the office here in the next five years. They will help to research and build hardware and software for the satellites, assemble and test them, and analyse the data collected.

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S'pore to launch six satellites next year

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

18-Sep-2014

Contact: Kimberly Allen allenkc@mit.edu 617-253-2702 Massachusetts Institute of Technology @MITnews

Chips that use light, rather than electricity, to move data would consume much less power and energy efficiency is a growing concern as chips' transistor counts rise.

Of the three chief components of optical circuits light emitters, modulators, and detectors emitters are the toughest to build. One promising light source for optical chips is molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), which has excellent optical properties when deposited as a single, atom-thick layer. Other experimental on-chip light emitters have more-complex three-dimensional geometries and use rarer materials, which would make them more difficult and costly to manufacture.

In the next issue of the journal Nano Letters, researchers from MIT's departments of Physics and of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science will describe a new technique for building MoS2 light emitters tuned to different frequencies, an essential requirement for optoelectronic chips. Since thin films of material can also be patterned onto sheets of plastic, the same work could point toward thin, flexible, bright, color displays.

The researchers also provide a theoretical characterization of the physical phenomena that explain the emitters' tunability, which could aid in the search for even better candidate materials. Molybdenum is one of several elements, clustered together on the periodic table, known as transition metals. "There's a whole family of transition metals," says Institute Professor Emeritus Mildred Dresselhaus, the corresponding author on the new paper. "If you find it in one, then it gives you some incentive to look at it in the whole family."

Joining Dresselhaus on the paper are joint first authors Shengxi Huang, a graduate student in electrical engineering and computer science, and Xi Ling, a postdoc in the Research Laboratory of Electronics; associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science Jing Kong; and Liangbo Liang, Humberto Terrones, and Vincent Meunier of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Monolayer with a twist

Most optical communications systems such as the fiber-optic networks that provide many people with Internet and TV service maximize bandwidth by encoding different data at different optical frequencies. So tunability is crucial to realizing the full potential of optoelectronic chips.

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Toward optical chips

Livermore

Lab names associate engineering director

Lawrence Livermore Laboratory on Sept. 12 announced the hiring of Anantha Krishnan as its new associate director for engineering, concluding a nationwide search.

In his new role, Krishnan will lead an organization of about 1,600 employees. Since arriving at the lab in 2005, Krishnan has held multiple scientific and management positions, specializing in areas such as additive manufacturing, biomedical engineering and advanced sensor devices and systems, according to a lab news release.

At Livermore, Krishnan has served as the deputy associate director of the lab's Engineering Directorate and as the program director for biosecurity, as well as the acting program director for counterterrorism. He also served as the director of research in the Center for Micro- and Nano-Technology and as director for the Office of Mission Innovation.

Before working for the lab, Krishnan was a program manager at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, where he was awarded the Medal for Exceptional Public Service by the Secretary of Defense in 2005. Krisnan replaces retiring lab Associate Director Monya Lane.

-- Jeremy Thomas, Staff

DUBLIN

School employees reach new deal with district

After a year of negotiations, the Dublin Unified School District and the California School Employees Association reached agreement on a new three-year contract, resulting in raises and benefit increases for the district's 287 classified employees.

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Tri-Valley briefs: Dublin schools, employees reach new deal

5 hours ago New bone matrix that formed within the implanted nanobone pellets stains red with Picrosirius (left) and has a characteristic pattern under polarised light (right). Credit: Phil Nicholls

Murdoch University nanotechnology researchers have successfully engineered synthetic materials which encouraged bone formation in sheep.

The advancement means the successful use of synthetic materials in bone grafts for human patients is a step closer. The material could also have potential future applications in fracture repair and reconstructive surgery.

Currently the patient's own bone, donated bone or artificial materials are used for bone grafts but limitations with all these options have prompted researchers to investigate how synthetic materials can be enhanced.

Dr Eddy Poinern and his team from the Murdoch Applied Nanotechnology Research Group worked with powdered forms of the bio ceramic hydroxyapatite (HAP) to form pellets with a sponge-like structure which were then successfully implanted behind the shoulders of four sheep by collaborators from the School of Veterinary and Life Sciences at Murdoch University.

HAP is already being used in a number of biomedical applications such as bone augmentation in dentistry because of its similarity to the inorganic mineral component of human bone. But treatments of HAP so that it can be successfully used in a bone graft have yet to be developed because of the complexities involved with compatibility and HAP's load bearing limitations.

Dr Poinern and his team prepared pellets with varying density and porosity using a variety of chemical methods including sintering, ultrasound and microwaves. Four pellets were implanted into muscles in each of the sheep, later demonstrating good bio-compatibility, including mixed cell colonisation after four weeks and even new bone formation 12 weeks after the surgery.

"Using synthetic materials in this way is difficult and complicated because they need to be engineered to be porous and to replicate the various physical, chemical and mechanical properties found in natural bone tissue," explained Dr Poinern.

"They also need to be non-toxic and have a degradation rate which will allow for cells from the host to steadily recolonize the area and permit the formation of blood vessels necessary for the delivery of nutrients to the forming bone tissues.

"We already knew that synthetic HAP was a good material to study for possible use in bone-related medicine, but we needed to find out if the pellets we'd engineered were bio-compatible.

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Nano engineering advances bone-forming material

Malvern, UK The cross-disciplinary capabilities of Malvern Instruments' technology are being fully exploited at Queen Mary University London. The Zetasizer Nano, NanoSight Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA) and Mastersizer 2000 systems are all employed within the university's multi-disciplinary lab. The instruments serve a wide variety of research groups working in areas as diverse as silica coating formulation through to tissue regeneration, demonstrating the value that Malvern's robust technology brings throughout the scientific arena.

"Our lab is part of The School of Engineering and Materials Science but the instruments are used by everyone from biologists through to physicists," said Dr Krystelle Mafina, Experimental Officer in Materials Characterization at Queen Mary University London. "Stability and particle size define material and biomaterial performance and the Zetasizer Nano is perfectly placed to deliver this information within our multi-user environment. The instrument is robust, easy to use and data acquisition is straightforward. It is as close to student proof' as it is possible to be!"

Capable of measuring particle size, zeta potential, molecular weight and protein mobility, the Zetasizer Nano from Malvern is the world's most widely used dynamic light scattering system. Recently, research groups at Queen Mary University London have been supplementing data from the Zetasizer with data from the NanoSight Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA) system to study the behaviour of their particles and molecules over time. NTA is a unique particle visualization technique that enables each particle within a solution to be analysed through direct observation and measurement of the diffusion event. The instantaneous, high level data delivered by NTA is being used both to validate results from Zetasizer Nano analysis and to deliver additional insight into particle behaviour.

"NTA is a relatively new addition to the lab but is already bringing value to several areas of research," commented Dr Mafina. "For example, the ability to visualize particles over time is allowing one research group developing self-assembling proteins to trace the changes in size of their molecules over time to better understand the dynamics of aggregation. The more we learn about the technique the greater application it is finding. Malvern Instruments' webinars, live chats and technical support are very useful in this area and continue to help our researchers push the boundaries of materials and biomaterials science."

Find out more about how Malvern's techniques combine to deliver comprehensive materials and biomaterials characterization at the Malvern website http://www.malvern.com

Malvern, Malvern Instruments, Mastersizer and Zetasizer are registered trademarks of Malvern Instruments Ltd

About Malvern Instruments Malvern provides the materials and biophysical characterization technology and expertise that enables scientists and engineers to understand and control the properties of dispersed systems. These systems range from proteins and polymers in solution, particle and nanoparticle suspensions and emulsions, through to sprays and aerosols, industrial bulk powders and high concentration slurries. Used at all stages of research, development and manufacturing, Malvern's materials characterization instruments provide critical information that helps accelerate research and product development, enhance and maintain product quality and optimize process efficiency.

Our products reflect Malvern's drive to exploit the latest technological innovations and our commitment to maximizing the potential of established techniques. They are used by both industry and academia, in sectors ranging from pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals to bulk chemicals, cement, plastics and polymers, energy and the environment.

Malvern systems are used to measure particle size, particle shape, zeta potential, protein charge, molecular weight, mass, size and conformation, rheological properties and for chemical identification, advancing the understanding of dispersed systems across many different industries and applications.

Headquartered in Malvern, UK, Malvern Instruments has subsidiary organizations in all major European markets, North America, China, Japan and Korea, a joint venture in India, a global distributor network and applications laboratories around the world. http://www.malvern.com

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Malvern Technology Delivers Malvern Reliability in Multi-disciplinary Lab at Queen Mary ...

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

15-Sep-2014

Contact: Andy Fell ahfell@ucdavis.edu 530-752-4533 University of California - Davis @ucdavis

A UC Davis engineering professor has received a grant of $200,000 from the National Science Foundation "Partnerships for Innovation: Accelerating Innovation Research- Technology Translation" program to move his silicon-based blades towards commercial development as surgical and shaving tools.

Silicon or ceramic blades are extremely sharp and hard, keeping an edge longer than metal blades, but they are expensive to manufacture. The technique recently invented by Saif Islam, professor of electrical and computer engineering at UC Davis, allows thin silicon blades to be mass-produced at much lower cost.

Islam and his team stumbled on the technique while making silicon wafers for research on solar panels. They produced some very thin vertical walls of silicon, which turned out to be extremely sharp.

Islam has formed a company, Atocera (formerly Nano-Sharp) to license the patented technology from UC Davis and take it into commercial development. The grant will support development of a plan for scaling up the process for making silicon surgical blades.

Using silicon opens possibilities for "smart" blades, Islam said.

"Potentially, we could incorporate electrical and optical technologies, taking advantage of the semiconductor platform, to facilitate an enhanced hair removal process," he said.

###

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Grant to help commercialize silicon surgical blades

LIVERMORE -- Lawrence Livermore Laboratory on Sept. 12 announced the hiring of Anantha Krishnan as its new associate director for engineering, concluding a nationwide search.

In his new role, Krishnan will lead an organization of about 1,600 employees. Since arriving at the lab in 2005, Krishnan has held multiple scientific and management positions, specializing in areas such as additive manufacturing, biomedical engineering and advanced sensor devices and systems, according to a lab news release.

At Livermore, Krishnan has served as the deputy associate director of the lab's Engineering Directorate and as the program director for biosecurity, as well as the acting program director for counterterrorism. He also served as the director of research in the Center for Micro- and Nano-Technology, and as director for the Office of Mission Innovation.

Prior to working for the lab, Krishnan was a program manager at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, where he was awarded the Medal for Exceptional Public Service by the Secretary of Defense in 2005.

Krisnan replaces retiring lab Associate Director Monya Lane.

Contact Jeremy Thomas at 925-847-2184. Follow him at Twitter.com/jet_bang.

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Livermore lab names new associate director for Engineering

SINGAPORE: After 17 years of research and testing, a first-of-its-kind water filtration membrane is set to find its way into wastewater treatment facilities in China and be used to provide clean water to an Indonesian company. It could even be used in humanitarian relief projects in developing countries.

Touted as having twice the operational lifespan as and greater resistance to breakage than current technologies on the market, the membrane is being manufactured through 3D printing a first for a water filtration membrane.

The brainchild of Associate Professor Darren Sun from Nanyang Technological Universitys (NTU) School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the technology was developed at NTU and patented in 2008.

It is now being marketed by the universitys start-up firm Nano Sun, which Assoc Prof Sun co-founded with Adjunct Professor Wong Ann Chai from NTUs Nanyang Business School in 2012.

Nano Sun has received funding from the Prime Ministers Office, the Public Utilities Board (PUB), NTU and private investors consisting of sums as high as S$2 million to help jump-start the firm.

Currently valued at S$80 million, the company has secured deals with PT Pelaksana Jaya Mulia, an Indonesian firm, to provide 10,000 cubic metres of clean water a day, while working with an industrial paper mill in Guangzhou, China, to optimise its wastewater treatment processes.

Speaking at a media briefing at NTU on Thursday (Sep 11), Assoc Prof Sun described his creation a membrane made from titanium dioxide as frontier technology.

Titanium dioxide is a widely available compound that can be mined from minerals in the ground and is commonly found in food as whitening additives and in sunblock products.

Unlike plastic-based membranes, the titanium dioxide membrane does not break down in harsh conditions such as extreme heat or cold, or when exposed to ultraviolet light, which is used to disinfect water.

The compound is known to be super hydrophilic, which means water can pass through the material more readily than other materials. It also has naturally anti-bacterial and anti-fouling properties, meaning it is able to clean itself.

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NTU start-up breaks into clean water sector with filtration membrane

Audrey Tan

The Straits Times

Publication Date : 11-09-2014

Filtering impurities and bacteria from waste water often requires the use of polymer or ceramic membranes - but these often come at a high cost and require frequent cleaning with expensive chemicals.

Now, a team from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore has come up with a self-cleaning membrane that is more cost-efficient.

Announced at a media briefing on Thursday, this membrane is made from a patented titanium dioxide nanotechnology - the brainchild of Assoc Prof Darren Sun, from NTU's School of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

"With more of the world's population moving into urban cities and generating more waste water, there is a real need for cost-effective technology," Prof Sun said.

Polymer membranes, for instance, need to be replaced every two or three years, but the NTU-made membrane is expected to last twice as long.

The nano particles in the membrane also react to sunlight, helping them clean off the debris collected without the need for washing with chemicals like sodium hydroxide.

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NTU team invents more efficient water-filtering membrane

It's "Nano" no more.

The College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering that grew out of the University at Albany, along with SUNY IT at Utica/Rome, were officially renamed Tuesday as SUNY Polytechnic Institute.

The merger and name change were set into motion a year ago but just now approved by the State University board of trustees.

"We are thrilled that the SUNY Board of Trustees has unanimously approved our new name," Alain Kaloyeros, CEO and officer in charge of the school, said in a statement.

Kaloyeros essentially built the Nano school and research center starting more than 12 years ago. As well as teaching nanotechnology, or manipulation of materials on the molecular scale, the center hosts corporations such as IBM and Intel that are researching new ways to build and design the latest computer chips.

The Utica IT campus had been in existence since 1966 but had been struggling financially.

In addition to shoring up that campus and expanding education opportunities in the hard-pressed Mohawk Valley, the merger creates a kind of critical mass that could help propel the school forward, officials have said.

With adoption of the ''polytechnic'' name, the Capital Region is now home to two schools Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, or RPI, in Troy; and SUNY Polytechnic Institute, also called SUNY Poly.

RPI officials, when asked if they thought this could lead to confusion, declined comment.

rkarlin@timesunion.com 518-454-5758 @RickKarlinTU

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Vote: It's SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Micro and Nano-interconnects with shielding reduce EMI in tight spaces.

MINNEAPOLIS, Circuits are being squeezed into smaller spaces and being used at higher speeds, with mixed signals and occasionally including digital burst transmissions. By condensing more electronics into the smaller areas the designer is faced with additional challenges. Micro and nano-connectors use smaller diameter cables and allow signal routing adjacent to potentially noisy electronic processing equipment. The cable themselves can create and carry inductively coupled noise that could interfere with other circuitry. This can cause potential problems for either the signal being carried in the cable and or the processing elements on a printed circuit board that they pass by. Poorly matched impedance circuits and cables can cause a noise factor that reduces signal integrity of any number of elements in the system.There are numerous noise management and control methods available in electronic design, but as space and weight become a key factor, only a few efficient methods remain.To solve many of these issues, a range of cable shielding and grounding techniques are employed. As miniature cabling continues to rapidly evolve in assisting higher speed differential signal processing, solutions are critical. Cables adding drain wiring in addition to shielding significantly improve the noise to signal ratio as well. Additional micro and nano cable shielding information is available at http://www.omnetics.com.

In addition to cable design, nano-miniature and micro-miniature connectors are used to help squeeze into tightly designed spaces. Micro and nano connectors are low profile, lighter weight and offer good connections for most routing signals in small electronics and modules. Micro and nano cabling to the connectors can be specifically designed to protect both cable and circuits and be more flexible to assist in routing. The new slim-lined .025" pitch connectors with integrated back-shells save weight and space while achieving up to 85 db of EMI isolation in noisy, high speed environments. More and more, we see systems evolve with one part of the circuit being larger and use Micro-D size connectors at .050" pitch. The other end of the cable has little space available and may have multiple break-out modules that need nano-sized connections. Custom Micro to Nano-cables are readily configured including metal mesh for noise shielding that is terminated on each connector using a 360 degree seal that insures high noise protection. Polymer jackets can be added to the exterior of the shielded cable to provide softer and smoother feel and protection of the cable. A wide range of both circular and rectangular micro and nano-connector formats are available to select for specific applications. Alternative shielding materials from braided metal systems to simple slip-on shielding materials can help match the design to the need. When requested, Omnetics offers design engineers a direct interface with the connector engineering team at Omnetics. By using Solid Works online, a new design can be generated in a couple of days. Customized standards come quick and easy with minimal adjustments to our connector cases and shielding systems. Micro and Nano connectors are well established in the high-reliability industries of Military- Aerospace, robotics, surveillance and medical electronics industry. Design assistance and specifications are available to the design engineer, as well as Quality documents as proof of quality and reliability. To see more details please see our web site at: http://www.omnetics.com

Technical Contact: dhunt@omnetics.com

Media Contact: Bob Stanton Email ph. 623-521-6685

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Omnetics Launches Line of Miniature Cables and Connectors to Improve High Density Circuit ...

Scientists, including University of Oregon chemist Geraldine Richmond, have tapped oil and water to create scaffolds of self-assembling, synthetic proteins called peptoid nanosheets that mimic complex biological mechanisms and processes.

The accomplishment is expected to fuel an alternative design of the two-dimensional peptoid nanosheets that can be used in a broad range of applications. Among them could be improved chemical sensors and separators, and safer, more effective drug-delivery vehicles.

"We often think of oil on water as something that is environmentally bad when, in fact, my group over the past 20 years has been studying the unique properties of the junction between water and oil as an interesting place for molecules to assemble in unique ways including for soaps and oil dispersants," said Richmond, who holds a UO presidential chair. "This study shows it is also a unique platform for making nanosheets."

Supramolecular assembly at an oil-water interface is an effective way to produce 2D nanomaterials from peptoids because that interface helps pre-organize the peptoid chains to facilitate their self-interaction, said Zuckermann, a senior scientist at LBNL's Molecular Foundry. "This increased understanding of the peptoid assembly mechanism should enable us to scale-up to produce large quantities, or scale- down, using microfluidics, to screen many different nanosheets for novel functions."

Like natural proteins, synthetic proteins fold and conform into structures that allow them to do specific functions. In his earlier work, Zuckermann's team at LBNL's Molecular Foundry discovered a technique to synthesize peptoids into sheets that were just a few nanometers thick but up to 100 micrometers in length. These were among the largest and thinnest free-floating organic crystals ever made, with an area-to-thickness equivalent of a plastic sheet covering a football field.

Peptoid nanosheet properties can be tailored with great precision, Zuckermann says, and since peptoids are less vulnerable to chemical or metabolic breakdown than proteins, they are a highly promising platform for self-assembling bio-inspired nanomaterials.

To create the new version of the nanosheets, the research team used vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy to probe the molecular interactions between the peptoids as they assemble at the oil-water interface. The work showed that peptoid polymers adsorbed to the interface are highly ordered in a way that is influenced by interactions between neighboring molecules.

The substitution of oil in place of air creates a raft of new opportunities for the engineering and production of peptoid nanosheets, the researchers said. The oil phase, for example, could contain chemical reagents, serve to minimize evaporation of the aqueous phase or enable microfluidic production.

This story is reprinted from material from University of Oregon, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier. Link to original source.

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New nano-sized synthetic scaffolding technique

Cars, planes and many electronic products are now built with the help of sophisticated assembly lines. Mobile assembly carriers, on to which the objects are fixed, are an important part of these assembly lines.

In the case of a car body, the assembly components are attached in various work stages arranged in a precise spatial and chronological sequence, resulting in a complete vehicle at the end of the line.

The creation of such an assembly line at molecular level has been a long-held dream of many nanoscientists. "It would enable us to assemble new complex substances or materials for specific applications," says Professor Viola Vogel, head of the Laboratory of Applied Mechanobiology at ETH Zurich.

Vogel has been working on this ambitious project together with her team and has recently made an important step.

In a paper published in the latest issue of the Royal Society of Chemistry's Lab on a Chip journal, the ETH researchers presented a molecular assembly line featuring all the elements of a conventional production line: a mobile assembly carrier, an assembly object, assembly components attached at various assembly stations and a motor (including fuel) for the assembly carrier to transport the object from one assembly station to the next.

Production line three times thinner than a hair At the nano level, the assembly line takes the form of a microfluid platform into which an aqueous solution is pumped. This platform is essentially a canal system with the main canal just 30 micrometres wide - three times thinner than a human hair. Several inflows and outflows lead to and from the canal at right angles.

The platform was developed by Vogel's PhD student Dirk Steuerwald and the prototype was created in the clean room at the IBM Research Centre in Ruschlikon.

The canal system is fitted with a carpet made of the motor protein kinesin. This protein has two mobile heads that are moved by the energy-rich molecule ATP, which supplies the cells of humans and other life forms with energy and therefore make it the fuel of choice in this artificial system.

Assembling molecules step-by-step The ETH researchers used microtubules as assembly carriers. Microtubules are string-like protein polymers that together with kinesin transport cargo around the cells. With its mobile heads, kinesin binds to the microtubules and propels them forward along the surface of the device.

This propulsion is further supported by the current generated by the fluid being pumped into the canal system. Five inflows and outflows direct the current in the main canal and divide it into strictly separated segments: a loading area, from where the assembly carriers depart, two assembly stations and two end stations, where the cargo is delivered.

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Nanoscale assembly line

The University of Macau (UM) is inviting applications for academic positions at all ranks in the Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering of the Faculty of Science and Technology.

About the University of Macau The University of Macau is the leading higher education institution in Macao, with English as its working language. In recent years, the University has been making great progress towards becoming internationally recognized for its excellence in teaching, research and service. With the beautiful new campus (20 times larger than the old one) becoming fully operational recently, the launch of Asias largest residential college system, the establishment of new schools, and the increasing numbers of students and faculty members recruited from around the world, UM provides great potential and exciting new possibilities for growth and development.

The Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering The Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering within the Faculty of Science and Technology at the UM offers a well-balanced fundamental and applied research, which is a unique entity in bridging the gap between pure science and engineering. This Institute initially offers the PhD degrees. Under the aspiration of the University to excel in research, the Institute will position the University strategically in the frontier of applied physics and materials research. At its current stage, three focused research areas are identified, i.e., green energy materials, three-dimensional integrated system (e.g., 3D-IC), scattering physics and imaging technology and nano/quantum devices.

For information about the Faculty of Science and Technology, please refer to the website: http://www.fst.umac.mo/index.php

Qualifications The candidates must have an earned PhD degree in related areas. Preference will be given to candidates with extensive research and teaching experience at the tertiary education level. To accord with the future development, candidates with specialization in related fields are preferred.

The selected candidates are expected to assume duty in August 2015 or earlier.

Position and Remuneration Remuneration and appointment rank offered will be competitive and commensurate with the successful applicants academic qualification, current position and professional experience. The current local maximum income tax rate is 12% but is effectively around 5% - 7% after various discretionary exemptions.

Application Procedure Applicants should visit http://www.umac.mo/vacancy for more details, and apply ONLINE at Jobs@UM (https://isw.umac.mo/recruitment) (Ref. No.: FST/IAPME/AR/09/2015). Review of applications will commence in October/November and continue until the positions are filled. Applicants may consider their applications not successful if they were not invited for an interview within 3 months of application.

Human Resources Office University of Macau, Av. da Universidade, Taipa, Macau, China Website: https://isw.umac.mo/recruitment; Email: vacancy@umac.mo Tel: +853 8822 8578; Fax: +853 8822 2412

The effective position and salary index are subject to the Personnel Statute of the University of Macau in force. The University of Macau reserves the right not to appoint a candidate. Applicants with less qualification and experience can be offered lower

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Academic positions in the Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering of Faculty of Science and Technology

Bangalore, Sept 1:

The 7th Edition of Bangalore India Nano will be held on 5th and 6th December in Bangalore.

Over hundred leading International and Indian companies are expected to participate in Bangalore India Nano 2014, organisers said in a statement. International participation is expected from USA, UK, Japan, Korea, China, Singapore, Germany, Iran, Switzerland and Australia for the event.

The focus areas are: advanced materials, energy, food, healthcare & medicine, nano fabrication and also new areas like oil & gas, devices & sensors, scanning probe microscopy, surface treatments & coatings. The event will also throw light on business opportunities globally, the statement added.

Prof. C.N.R. Rao Bangalore India Nano Science Award would be presented during the event to a personality for achievements in the field of Nanotechnology. Further a special programme "Nano for the Young" wherein students from various engineering, medical & biotech colleges from the state will be given an opportunity to attend and get an insight on the latest trends in nanotechnology. Also, startups will be given a chance to make presentations on Nanotechnology innovations that are commercially viable.

(This article was published on September 1, 2014)

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Bangalore to host India Nano 7th edition in December

BST Nano Carbon, a San Diego composites manufacturer, said it has acquired Ellsworth Handcrafted Bicycles, a Ramona bike manufacturer with a national reputation for top-quality mountain bikes.

Terms of the transaction werent disclosed, but the companys operations have been moved to BST Nanos offices in Rancho Bernardo. Founder Tony Ellsworth is staying on to oversee the brands product design and to work closely with BST Nanos engineering and advanced materials team to create the next generation of Ellsworth bicycles, the company said.

Ellsworth started the business in 1991, making custom bike frames from his home. The company is a holder of several patents, including one for Instant Center Tracking suspension design. The company makes seven mountain bike models from either carbon or aerospace aluminum.

BST Nano Carbon, founded in 2011, is a maker of products from advanced composite materials. It was recently granted $1.4 million in tax credits from the states Office of Business and Economic Development, and agreed to invest $22.8 million into the business over five years as part of that grant award.

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BST Nano Acquires Ellsworth Handcrafted Bicycles

6 hours ago Credit: ESA

The image above shows a perfect bubble imploding in weightlessness. This bubble, and many like it, are produced by the researchers from the cole Polytechnique Fdrale de Lausanne in Switzerland. What makes this bubble so perfect is that it is produced in a weightless environment, which means it is not deformed by gravity. These research bubbles are the most spherical known to science at this time.

The study of bubbles and the way they explode will have ongoing benefits for space and industry. Air pressure ensures that liquids stay just that: liquids. Bubbles are produced when liquids change state into gases. For instance, on mountain topswhere we have considerably less air pressurewater is able to boil, changing state into a gas, at a lower temperature.

In the vacuum of space, there is nothing to slow down the production of bubbles, so in space when liquids experience sudden pressure drops, a process called 'cavitation' can occur where bubbles form in the hydraulic systems of machines.

During the very fast and violent collapse of cavitation bubbles, their energy is expelled in jets and shocks, which can cause wear and tear in industrial machines and rocket pumps.

These are just two areas where knowing more about the physics of bubbles would help design better machines. To understand bubbles better, it helps to have a perfect model of them for observation.

On Earth, gravity pushes and pulls liquids, turning round bubbles into 'egg' shapes. Parabolic flights allow researchers to escape gravity for around 20 seconds at a time in special aircraft performing rollercoaster-like parabolic manoeuvres.

The team from Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne shines lasers on pure water and captures the bubbles on camera as they form and implode in a matter of less than a millisecond.

There is positive potential in the bubbles too. Harnessing the energy that liquid bubbles give off as they implode could be a novel source of energy in the future.

One example that researchers are working on is producing very localised heat on demand by creating and imploding bubbles with ultrasound. This technique could activate heat-sensitive drugs in the future, turning them on in very specific parts of your body, to make sure they work where needed most.

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How bubble studies benefit science and engineering