Carbon nano-onion illustration
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Harnessing Laser Power Creates Precise Nanostructures Annual Reports 2010-2011from the Office of Research & Economic Development Carbon, the ubiquitous element of life, has many special properties. Harnessing it at the atomic level to create nanostructures promises to transform many everyday products, from computer chips to sunglasses. Discovering fast, cost-effective ways to mass produce these nanostructures is key to their practical use. It’s Yongfeng Lu’s specialty. “Carbon nanostructures have very large potential in different applications,” said Lu, Lott University Professor of Electrical Engineering. His UNL team has developed several unique processes that use lasers to make precise carbon nanostructures. They are refining their techniques and exploring new applications for their nanostructures. Since 2003, they have earned more than $14 million in research grants. Their laser-based production techniques can precisely control the length, diameter and properties of carbon nanotubes. Using these highly electrically and thermally conductive nanotubes, Lu’s team developed methods to improve transistors and sensors that may one day speed up computers and other electrical devices, while minimizing energy consumption and heat generation. They also discovered how to control a carbon nanotube’s diameter from one end to the other, which alters its characteristics. Lu envisions variable- diameter nanotubes customized for specific uses. Now they’re studying how to join carbon nanotubes to make smaller, lighter wires that carry large amounts of current for use in electric cars and other products. Another breakthrough process creates carbon nano-onions, spherical nanostructures resembling onion layers that have unique electrical, optical and magnetic properties. Nano-onions can store large amounts of energy on their extensive surface area. Using nano-onions, Lu’s team has developed supercapacitors for high-density energy storage. Nano-onions also have optical limiting properties, absorbing light as it intensifies. Lu’s research could lead to improved eye protection, optical sensors, satellites and other optical-dependent materials. Lu’s team also developed a fast, single-step process using lasers to write graphene patterns on surfaces. A basic building block for other nanostructures, graphene resembles nanoscale chicken wire. Its electrical conductivity and transparency could be used in products such as LCD televisions and solar panels. “Carbon is everywhere, so the future of electronics, photonics and many high-tech industries will not be limited by supplies,” Lu said. |
UNL chemist among 21 winners nationwide of inaugural NSF I-Corps grantReleased on 10/06/2011, Office of University Communications |
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A potentially life-saving innovation developed by a University of Nebraska-Lincoln chemist is among 21 concepts across the country selected to receive support through a new National Science Foundation program that aims to guide promising scientific discoveries toward commercialization.
Professor Stephen DiMagno and his entrepreneurial team are among the inaugural recipients of NSF's Innovation Corps award, also known as the I-Corps. read further...
UNL's Schubert named fellow in physics organizationReleased on 01/11/2012 |
Mathias Schubert, University of Nebraska-Lincoln associate professor of electrical engineering, has been elected a fellow of the American Physical Society. Election to the fellowship is limited to no more than one-half of 1 percent of the society's membership.
The APS has 14 divisions and nine topical groups covering all areas of physics research. There are six forums that reflect the interests of its 43,000 members in broader issues and eight sections organized by geographical region.
Schubert was cited by the APS council at its November meeting for the "development of generalized ellipsometry and the invention of the Optical Hall Effect, and their transformative potential for industrial characterization of materials properties." Those materials could be developed into such things as liquid crystal displays or semiconductor device structures. read further...
Nanohybrids Promise ‘Best of Both Worlds’
Annual Reports 2010-2011 from the Office of Research & Economic Development
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Scientists are always seeking better ways to find and quantify minute things, such as toxins in the air or cancer particles in blood. UNL researchers lead a collaboration to create more powerful detection devices by combining manmade nanoparticles with nature’s inherent recognition capabilities.
Creating these “nanohybrids” requires the diverse
expertise of researchers in biology, chemistry
and nanomaterials engineering. A Nebraska team
recently launched the UNL-based Center for
Nanohybrid Functional Materials, which brings together 15 researchers from UNL, the University
of Nebraska Medical Center, the University of
Nebraska at Kearney, Creighton University
and Doane College.
With nanohybrids, “you get the best of both
worlds,” said UNL chemist Patrick Dussault, a
Charles Bessey Professor,
who co-leads the center
with Mathias Schubert,
associate professor of
electrical engineering.
Nanohybrids combine nanostructures – which can be engineered to behave uniquely under certain conditions, such as when subjected to a beam of light or radio energy – with chemical or biochemical agents, such as RNA or antibodies that can bind a specific substance. This new nanomaterial can both find and reveal its target.
Materials often behave differently at nanoscales, Dussault said. Understanding the basic sensing principles of nanohybrids is a major goal of the new group. With this knowledge, researchers hope to develop tools with enhanced detection capabilities.
Potential applications include devices that more selectively or sensitively diagnose diseases or find environmental contaminants. The ability to better detect toxins in air or water also could benefit national security.
The center builds on UNL’s strength in nanomaterials. With about $7.5 million in funding from the National Science Foundation through Nebraska EPSCoR, the center is creating a new core facility and partnering with several departments to hire new faculty, enhancing UNL’s leadership in nanoscience.
The center also has begun developing partnerships with industries in Nebraska and beyond.
”I think potentially it can attract a lot of companies, big and small, to Nebraska,” said Fred Choobineh, Nebraska EPSCoR director. “It’s very creative and cutting-edge research.”
"This experiment was first conducted in 1897 by J. J. Thomson that was later credited to the discovery of the electrons. We used a heater to create free electrons, and used high voltage to accelerate them. A straight electron beam is then produced. As we turned on the magnetic field, the trace of electron is bended. With the correct setting, at last we could get a circular projectile. The radius of the circle is deter- mined by the mass/charge ratio, the original experiment proved this ratio was independent of what kind of material being heated and the mass of this particle was about 1/1000th of the lightest atom. Therefore a new particle was believed to be discovered."Junlei Wang, Binek Group |
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Researchers Document Spintronics Breakthrough - Christian Binek and Peter Dowben, together with theorist Kirill Belashchenko and "research team achieved a qualitative leap forward in modern spintronics," said Binek ...excerpt from the Scarlet, July 15, 2010 |
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