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JULY 18th, 2005
UCLA Researchers Usher in Molecular Electronics Age - Demonstrate Molecular Nano
Valve – Molecular Filter Based on Bistable Molecular Switch
Under funding from the National Science Foundation, researchers at the University of California
at Los Angeles have developed a nano valve that is capable of controlling the passage of molecules. A discussion of
the work is to be published in the July 19th issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. . According to
Jeffrey I. Zink, one of the researchers at the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA, "This paper demonstrates unequivocally
that the machine works. With the nano valve, we can trap and release molecules on demand. We are able to control molecules
at the nano scale." Professor Zink also indicated that the new device has the potential be used as a drug delivery system.
The device can be used to both trap and release molecules.
The lead author on the paper, Thoi Nguyen, described the nano valve’s
operation, "The valve is like a mechanical system that we can control like a water faucet. Trapping the molecule inside and
shutting the valve tightly was a challenge. The first valves we produced leaked slightly."
The nano valve uses switchable rotaxane molecules (redox-activated
bistable), which are described as moving parts that are similar in appearance to linear motors. The nano valve demonstrated
was attached to glass or porous silica, which measured 500 nanometers, and is punctuated with pores that are only a few nanometers.
Commenting on the pores, Zink said, "It's big enough to let molecules in and out, but small enough so that the switchable
rotaxane molecules can block the hole."
The nano valve is opened and shut with a power supply that is molecular
in nature itself. A single electron serves as the basis chemical energy that opens and closes the valve. A luminescent molecule
is used to indicate if a molecule has been captured.
California NanoSystems Institute director Fraser Stoddart characterized
the behavior of the nano valve in relation to silicon, "The fact that we can take a bistable molecule that behaves as a switch
in a silicon-based electronic device at the nanoscale level and fabricate it differently to work as part of a nano valve on
porous silica is something I find really satisfying about this piece of research. It shows that these little pieces of molecular
machinery are highly adaptable and resourceful, and means that we can move around in the nanoworld with the same molecular
tool kit and adapt it to different needs on demand."
Switchable rotaxanes, according to UCLA, have already been used
in molecular electronics, which the UCLA team under the direction of Stoddart, are being adapted for artificial molecular
machinery applications.
The integrated circuit age was also ushered in with a switch device,
the diode and transistor, which has formed the basis for the integrated circuit, a device which now days can easily contain
over a billion transistors connected together to form an advanced system. The same basic hierarchical technology used to design
integrated circuits, known as Electronic Design Automation (EDA), may also be fundamental to the design of molecular systems
that may one day also contain billions if not trillions of nano valves.
JULY 15th, 2005
As part of a share exchange agreement, iCurie Lab Holdings Limited,
based in the United Kingdom, has become a wholly owned subsidiary of iCurie, Inc. (OTCBB: CMTD). It was also reported that
iCurie Inc., referred to as iCurie US closed a $17 million private placement just recently on July 11th, 2005.
Chief Technology Officer, Jeong Hyun Lee, Ph.D. on the announcement commented on the new business structure and the
company’s technology, "I'm pleased to have passed another important milestone with iCurie. From our research and development
center in South Korea, we have created an excellent portfolio of cooling devices based on nano thermofluid technology. This
restructuring and financing gives us the strength and stability to commercialize our great technology."
ICurie develops solutions that lower the temperature of devices used in the electronic industry. ICurie has patents
that are based on thermofluidic nanotechnology concepts.
JULY 12th, 2005
Honeywell (NYSE:HON) has reported that it will invest over the next
five years at least $5 million in Albany NanoTech, a nanoelectronic research facility affiliated with the University at Albany
(SUNY).. The investment is intended to enhance Honeywell’s existing nanomaterials development work.
As part of the investment, Honeywell plans to add laboratory equipment
and its own researchers at Albany NanoTech’s research center. There it will work on nanomaterials for the further development
of semiconductor manufacturing processes. According to Dr. Saket Chadda, Chief Technology Officer at Honeywell Electronic
Materials, "Honeywell Electronic Materials has long been a leader in innovative materials which are the critical building
blocks for integrated circuit chip production. This investment will allow us to continue to develop new materials critical
to continuing the relentless pace of circuit miniaturization."
The facility at Albany NanoTech is 450,000 square feet and contains
a 200 mm / 300 mm wafer facility for the development of advanced integrated circuits, which include System-on-Chip, biochips,
photonic devices, sensors and high-speed communications devices. The fab is housed in a 65,000 square foot Class 1 clean room.
The Albany NanoTech facility is part of a $1.4 billion project by
the State of New York and a number of industrial partners to establish five Centers of Excellence for the further development
of nanoelectronics and other advanced technologies.
JULY 11th, 2005
The announcement out of UC Berkeley of the construction of a nanofluidic
transistor offers further evidence that the analysis of cells and their associated DNA will become more systematic in the
future. As well it also portends the coming of bioelectronic systems, which could integrate living cells, DNA and silicon
electronic technology to work together to form hybrid thinking machines, also referred to as molecular processors.
The nanofluidic transistor constructed, also referred to as unipolar
ionic field-effect transistor, similar in name to a semiconductor MOSFET(metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor),
shut off potassium ion flow through water - analogous to a MOSFET shutting off electron flow. The tiny device structure consisted
of a 35 nanometer high channel between two silicon dioxide plates. However, unlike present day MOSFETs, which can shut off
current flow with a 1 volt potential, it took a voltage of 75 volts to close the channel to the passage of the potassium ions
– a voltage that would make it difficult to integrate a dense system-on-a-chip of integrated nanotubes to enable the
mass-scale separation of negative and positive ions.
The system eventually has the potential to act as a virtual
valve, fundamental to a larger integrated system, which would screen for specific diseases. The Berkeley team visualizes
a disease screening device that is based on a nanotube coated with antigens. When antibodies that are specific to a
specific disease flow through the antigen lined nanotube, the antigen and antibody would attract, resulting in the blocking
the flow of liquid through the tube and changing the electrical current – indicating the presence of a specific disease.
The work at Berkeley has been supported by the National Cancer Institute
as a way to devise a test that can detect the presence of prostrate cancer. However it is also seen as the first step towards
integration of silicon with floating molecules, enabling a decisively different way to perform mathematically intensive computations.
JUNE 30th, 2005
Rensselaer Polytechnic Develops Nanobrushes for Wide Range of Applications
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has reported on the development of nanobrushes. The new nanobrushes, according to
the institute have applications in electronic, biomedical and environmental areas. Primarily, the main application, as to
date, would be to replace and significantly enhance existing cleaning technologies, such as large brushes used to clean away
foreign materials that result in short circuits on circuit boards.
The brushes, based on carbon nanotubes,
have already been tested for such applications as cleaning microscopic surfaces, as very tiny electrical contacts, for the
removal of nanoparticles in microscopic grooves, the internal coating of a 300 micrometer capillary tube, and as electromechanical
switches in micromotors. The carbon nanotube bristles, which conduct electricity, were grown onto brush handles made from
silicon carbide fibers. The technique used permitted the researchers to control the location where bristles were desired.
Pulickel Ajayan, the Henry Burlage Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Rensselaer also discussed
medical and environmental applications. Such applications include the cleaning of deposits in arteries, and the cleaning of
metallic contaminated water. He indicated that toxic silver ions in a water based solution were absorbed by the nanobrush.
Also noted was the nanobrushes pliability, light weight and heat resistance, which would enable them to replace a number of
other current large scale brush applications.
Rensselaer's National Science Foundation -Nanoscale Science and Engineering
Center for Directed Assembly of Nanostructures, and the Interconnect Focus Center (IFC) funded the research.
JUNE 27th, 2005
Through Canada’s Economic Development agency and the National
Research Council of Canada (NRC) has come news that the Government of Canada has invested $4.55 million in the Canadian Business
Alliance. The alliance with the NRC plans to use the funds to establish a nanoimprint lithography prototyping facility. The
nanofabrication centre has been planned for NRC's industrial materials research complex in Boucherville, Quebec Canada. The
facility is already home to an existing NanoImprint Lithography facility.
Dr. Pierre Coulombe, President of the National Research Council
of Canada, noted that nanotechnology was important to clean energy development in addition to electronic and biotechnology,
"The field of nanotechnology is having an enormous impact on the development of technologies as diverse as electronic and
photonic devices to biotechnology and clean energy production. This new complex will build upon NRC's expertise in this vital
field, and will support and accelerate the commercialization of leading-edge, Canadian nanotechnology research."
JUNE 22nd, 2005
Molecular Imprints, Inc., a provider of nanoimprint systems with
feature capabilities in the order of 20 nanometers, has sold its
Imprio systems to three nanotechnology research organizations.
These include Lawrence Berkeley National Lab's Molecular Foundry, the Microelectronics Research Center at the University of
Texas at Austin, and the Pennsylvania State Nanofabrication Facility.
The tools are expected to be used to conduct material research relevant
to the development of biosensors, nanophotonics, and optoelectronics.
JUNE 22nd, 2005
The Life Sciences Greenhouse of Central Pennsylvania (LSGPA) has
made an investment of $250,000 for the development of biological and chemical sensors. Hanson Technologies Inc. received the
funding, which is expected to be matched by other investors. Ben Franklin Technology Partners recently approved over $129,00
in funding for Hanson to develop its sensor technology.
Hanson is involved in the development of tests for Mad Cow disease.
According to Chairman and CEO, William Hanson, "There is a growing sentiment among consumers and health officials that the
United States should test as many cattle as possible to allow unfettered access to export markets and that transition can
only occur when the next generation of BSE diagnostic equipment, like what we are developing, is introduced. We are very excited
about the investment by the Life Sciences Greenhouse and believe it will be critical to the refinement of our patented and
licensed technology." According to Hanson in 2004 alone there were over 11 million Mad Cow tests performed.
Hanson, which has developed a definitive test for the determination
of mad cow disease (BSE Prion Detection), also indicates that other applications for its sensor technology include milk antibiotics
testing and infectious disease testing.
JUNE 21st, 2005
Nanowires Overcome Yield Problems in IC Design
In the search for the perfect wire, Hewlett-Packard indicates that nanowires could replace
current day aluminum and copper traces used to connect chip transistors. Traces, or interconnects, can contribute to
over 50 percent of the silicon area in today's chip design, and result in significantly slower operating speeds and lower
system clock frequencies.
One method Hewlett-Packard plans to use to overcome low yield problems
is to create redundant nanotube interconnects. Nanotubes are apparently small enough and contribute so little in terms of
propagation delay, and power consumption, a generous number of spare nanotube wires could be added to an integrated circuit
design. They could then be configured, on fault detect, to bypass broken open-circuited nano-tubes interconnects.
According to Stan Williams, HP Senior Fellow and Director, "By using
a crossbar architecture and adding 50 percent more wires as an 'insurance policy,' we believe it will be possible to fabricate
nano-electronic circuits with nearly perfect yields even though the probability of broken components will be high."
JUNE 21st, 2005
Sending 10 Ghz signals down integrated circuit wires is difficult
for today's CMOS integrated circuits. One reason is the delay induced by the interconnects. In order to solve that problem,
scientists at the University of California, Henry Samueli School of Engineering, have used nanotubes to determine the delay
properties of nanotube wires.
Peter Burke, Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer
Science, "Our prior research showed that nanotube transistors can operate at extremely high frequencies, but the connections
between the transistors were made out of somewhat slower copper, thus forming a bottleneck for the electrical signals," "In
this technology we show that nanotubes can also quickly route electronic signals from one transistor to another, thus removing
the bottleneck."
The next step Burke and his collaborators at the university’s
Integrated Nanosystems Research Facility are working on is the construction of a complete nanotube circuit. For that project
the researchers will put together both nanotube interconnect and nanotube transistors to form an electrical circuit
function.
The university also reports that the technology was presented in
the June 2005 issue of Nano Letters.
JUNE 20th, 2005
Like out of the age-old fairly tale of Rumplestilsken, where the woman
spins golden yarn, scientists have now been able to spin multifunctional yarns from carbon nanofibers. Scientists at The University
of Texas at Dallas [UTD] NanoTech Institute and an Australian textile spinner expert were awarded the New Materials Innovation
Prize of the Avantex International Forum for Innovative Textiles. The scientists were awarded the prize for a process they
have developed that enables trillions of nanosize fibers to be spun into super-strength electronic conducting yarn. The yarn
has numerous applications in medicine, energy and electronics. In the medical area, artificial muscles was one application
noted.
The three that were awarded the prize were Dr. Mei Zhang and Dr. Ray
H. Baughman of the UTD NanoTech Institute and Dr. Ken Atkinson of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization
[CSIRO]. Dr. Atkinson is known as an expert in wool spinning technology at the Australian national laboratory.
The patent pending technology, which is co-owned by UTD and CSIRO,
indicate that the nanotube yarn spinning process can be applied to the production of a number of specific products. These
include building materials, conductive and protective textiles, displays, fuel cells, sensors, supercapacitors, and thermal
heat pipes.
The licenses for these patents are expected to be made available in
November.
JUNE 14th, 2005
Self-Assembling Polymer Nanocomposites Reported as Promising
Solar Cell and Display Technology
The U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory reports that polymer nanocomposites
may have broad implications for the development of solar cells with higher efficiency ratings, displays that are thinner,
and biosensors.
Polymer nanocomposites, the laboratory notes, have the natural ability
to self-organize or self-assemble into building blocks that have dimensions in the order of a nanometer. According to Tom
Vogt, a physicist at Brookhaven, "Polymer nanocomposites have been attracting a lot of attention because of their potential
to improve many technologies. The polymer imparts unique mechanical properties, such as the ability to bend and stretch, and
both components are good electrical conductors." The polymer component referred to here is polyaniline. Specifically for the
case cited, the polymer component was combined with the metal vanadium to form vanadium oxide.
Stratcor, Inc. based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a supplier of high
purity vanadium oxide. That company indicates that vanadium can be used to double the strength of steel.
JUNE 13th, 2005
Based on an array of vertically aligned collector nanostructures
that include nanotubes, nanowires, nanofibers or nanoparticle chains, NanoHorizons has now made available a new photovoltaic
cell design through a license program. The company indicates that the technology permits the production of solar cells on
common materials that can be inexpensively produced with low cost roll or spray based manufacturing processes. The company
also noted that because the design lengthens the light absorption path, the efficiency of solar cells has been "dramatically"
increased. According to one of the co-inventors, Dr. Ali Kaan Kalkan, the design overcomes the inefficiencies of the traditional
layered design approach, "Layered designs face an inherent paradox. Thicker light-absorbing layers are needed to capture sufficient
light energy, but their thickness makes it difficult for electrons to reach collection layers. Thinner layers reduce loss,
but thin layers absorb too little light. What's been needed is a new approach that allows the light absorption path to be
optimally long, while simultaneously moving efficient collection much closer to the source of energized electrons."
Stephen Fonash, PhD., founder of NanoHorizons and another co-inventor
elaborated further, "Solar energy development has been held up by barriers inherent in cell design. These barriers have now
been broken. Our nanoscale approach can enable collection lengths as small as a few tens of nanometers, opening the door to
the use of inexpensive materials and fabrication processes, while simultaneously enabling a truly optimized absorption length.
This technology is poised to greatly stimulate growth in the solar energy and Organic LED sectors."
NanoHorizons also indicates that the integration of its vertical
nano-spike collectors into the absorption material permits energy collection at 90 degrees to the absorption process, which
permits according to the company, "an optimally thick absorption layer while dramatically shortening collection distance by
as much as 1000-fold (tens of nanometers vs. tens of microns in today's best two-layer cells)."
NanoHorizons also reported that it has received notice of allowance
from the United States Patent Office for the technology.
JUNE 10th, 2005
Two companies that have been the target of venture capital funding,
Konarka Technologies, Inc. and Solaris Nanosciences, have joined forces through a joint development agreement. As part of
that agreement, the two companies will evaluate solar cell technology that comes as a result of the combination of Konarka's
light activated power plastic and Solaris's nanoscale metallic light oriented structures.
Executives at both companies talked with interest about the combination
of the two company's technologies. Russell Gaudiana, Ph.D., Vice President of R&D at Konarka spoke about the company's
goal to bring solar technology to its zenith, "One of Konarka's goals is to push photovoltaic science as far and as fast as
possible, and exploring how well our materials work with Solaris' in a shared program is one way to make that happen. Konarka's
solutions are chemistry-agnostic. We believe in finding the best possible combination of materials to create power plastic
that meets the performance needed for a specific application, and this project with Solaris holds promise."
Robert Afzal, the Vice President of R&D at Solaris Nanosciences
talked about the concept of the solar antenna, "Through our proprietary nanotechnology, we uniquely design the optical properties
of our NanoAntenna materials. Our nano-antennas enhance the absorption of the solar spectrum much like a conventional antenna
enhances the reception of a radio receiver. This leads to high absorption in thinner structures with highly favorable electrical
properties possibly resulting in higher efficiencies."
The companies indicated that Solaris' nanoscale metallic structures
are to be used as an additive to Konarka's light sensitizing materials. The metallic structures are said to attract light
sensitive molecules - acting as nanoantennas. One inference is that the metallic nanostructures offer lower resistance to
light.
JUNE 8th, 2005
Twenty molecules attached to a silicon wafer have gained the title
of the world’s smallest transistor. Reports indicate that the transistor is over one-thousand times smaller than today's
modern transistors, which are in the order of 1 square micron. Besides a great reduction in area, the new molecular transistor
requires only one-millionth of the power of today’s transistors. The transistor was developed at the National Institute
for Nanotechnology in Edmonton.
Unfortunately, the world’s smallest transistor comes with
a large price tag. The development stage transistor requires a million dollar microscope to position a metal probe over the
molecule to turn it on and off.
JUNE 3rd, 2005
Raymor Industries Inc. (TSX VENTURE:RAR) reported a contract for
Titanium powder production with The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA). Raymor reported that with other negotiations underway, it anticipates
the installation of a second reactor for the production of the powder. Estimated revenue per reactor, per year, was given
at $3.5 million. Boeing plans to use the powder for aerospace applications.
Raymor's nanopowder products are based on the plasma atomization
process developed in the early 1990s at Hydro-Quebec's Shawinigan laboratory.
JUNE 2, 2005
Paratek Microwave, Inc., a company that has several patents and
RF wireless products based on nano-cyrstalline thin films, has raised $14 million in a Series C financing round. Investors
included Polaris Venture Partners, Morgenthaler Ventures, Novak Biddle Venture Partners, Investor Growth, and ABS Ventures
The company, which earlier this year won a $1.125 million contract
from the University of California at Riverside, for Nanoscale Science and Engineering, foresees its next generation technology
resulting in products with real-time adaptive impedance matching, which will in turn result in lower power consumption. That
technology combines the company's tunable RF and microwave dielectric materials with its miniaturized 3D circuit and module
designs, Indications are that the company's technology can be applied to a broad range of RF circuits and frequency bands.
James DiLorenzo, Paratek's CEO commented on the acceptance of the
company's products, "Our electronically tunable products have been well received in the marketplace and, working in partnership
with several major industry players, we will release a new generation of even more capable products later this year."
MAY 31st, 2005
InPhase Closes $32.1 Million For 300 Gbyte Disk Drive Technology
InPhase Technologies, a company that has developed a holographic data storage drive and
associated disk drive media, has closed a $32.1 million Series C round. Investors included Bayer MaterialScience AG, a company
that has a vested interest in the development of polymers for optical data storage, Nanotech Partners Ltd., which is focused
on nanotechnology investments, as well as ALPS Information Technology Fund LP, Hitachi Maxell Ltd., Japan Asia Investment
Co., New Venture Partners LLC and Yasuda Enterprise Development Co.
The funds will be used for the final commercialization stage of
InPhase's holographic data storage drive and media. The company's first product has a capacity of 300 gigabytes and data transfer
rate of 20 megabytes per second.
Nelson Diaz, CEO of InPhase commented about the recent demonstration
of their product and the market interest, ."The recent public demonstration by InPhase of the world's first commercial holographic
drive prototype validated our technical leadership in the holographic data storage market. Now, with the commitment and support
of our investors, we have funds to move from technology leadership to commercial leadership. The tremendous interest in the
InPhase Tapestry product from the professional video community at the recent National Association of Broadcasters convention
was extremely positive and confirmed the insatiable demand for a secure archive solution for digital media assets."
Bayer MaterialScience AG and InPhase as part of a joint development
agreement will further develop the critical storage media. The storage media was developed at Bell Labs, of which InPhase
is a spin off , over a period of seven years. The data, unlike conventional disk drive storage, is stored throughout the volume
of the disk drive media, as opposed to just the surface - giving it the disk drive its ultra high storage capacity. The disk
drive also obtains its high data capacity through the use of advanced lens technology and a spatial light modulator, which
converts digital data streams of ones and zeros to a pattern of light and dark pixels.
The Tapestry disk drive is expected to arrive in the market in 2006.
MAY 26th, 2005
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the United
States government’s main energy research organization, has released new information related to the use of nanotechnology
for the improvement of solar cell efficiency. The organization reported that nanocrystals, also know as quantum dots, are
capable of increasing the number of electrons emitted per absorbed photon. Currently, with present day materials, only one
electron, at most, is emitted per photon absorbed from sunlight. With the nanocrystals, the number of electrons emitted increases
to three per photons.
Arthur Nozik, a lead researcher with the project gave efficiency
numbers that solar technology could reach with nanocrystal technology, "We have shown that solar cells based on quantum dots
theoretically could convert more than 65 percent of the sun's energy into electricity, approximately doubling the efficiency
of solar cells." Lead selenide is given as one of the materials used to develop the solar quantum dots.
MAY 26th, 2005
Toshiba Reveals Photon-Based Encrypted Communication Technology
Toshiba Research Europe Ltd (TREL), a corporate research arm of Toshiba Corp. based in Cambridge,
announced at the Quantum Electronics and Laser Science (QELS) Conference in Baltimore the development of a light source that
sends photons one at a time through optical fibre cable. The technology is based on a quantum dot that has a radius of 45
nanometers.
Dr Andrew Shields, who heads the Quantum Information Group at TREL,
noted the new scientific frontier that the long distance photon development opens up, "Exploiting the quantum properties of
light allows us to communicate and process information in ways that have not been possible previously. A good example is in
quantum cryptography, which allows us to verify the secrecy of information sent on single photons."
MAY 23rd, 2005
Production Costs for Dendrimer Nanostructures May Drop Soon
Dendritic NanoTechnologies Inc. (DNT), a nanomaterials company reports that it has developed a new
process that may reduce the production costs of dendrimer nanostructures, critical for a number of pharmaceuticals, medical
imaging, electronics, and materials applications.
DNT's new dendrimer technology, it labels the Priostar family,
are derived from kinetically driven chemistry, which is based on polyfunctional branch cell reagents. DNT states that this
approach could result in substantial cost reductions, "Preliminary studies show a cost reduction of between two to three orders
of magnitude." Other technology benefits alluded to include the ability to scale the process and the capability to mass produce
precision nanostructures with consistently repeatable specifications.
Robert Berry, DNT's CEO, indicated that the company's technology may have
the potential to change the dynamics of the entire nanotechnology market all together, "Our new Priostar dendrimers, as nanoscale
building blocks, radically change the current economics of nanotechnology. They place DNT in the enviable position of controlling
a dominant nanoscale platform with many applications in multiple billion-dollar markets. This new technology is a potentially
disruptive technology since it will establish a new price point for an essential technology. Furthermore, Priostar extends
DNT's patent estate while accelerating commercialization of our dendrimer technology."
DNT also implied that the technology will put in reach the possibility
to economically meet strict Food and Drug Administration standards for biomedical applications, which require precision, scalability
and reproducibility.
Offering further explanation of the company's advancement in nanomaterials
manufacturing was Dr. Donald Tomalia, Chief Technical Officer at the company, "It takes approximately eight steps and one
month of processing time to create Generation 3 of a PAMAM generation. In contrast, Generation 3 of a Priostar dendrimer can
be created in three steps and just a few days. Our new dendrimer process also vastly reduces the amount of labor and reagents
normally required by the PAMAM process. An exciting and new feature of the Priostar family of dendrimers is the ability to
add extenders or functionality to the interior of the dendrimer to customize interior spaces and reactivity. These features
give the Priostar dendrimers customizable encapsulation properties that allow for greater flexibility to tailor a solution
for our customers."
MAY 20th, 2005
Raymor to Present at NanoBusiness 2005 in New York City
Raymor Industries Inc. (TSX-V: RAR), a company that has developed a new light-weight nanoalloy
of importance to the energy and transportation markets, will speak at NanoBusiness 2005. Raymor's presentation at the conference,
considered one of the most important related to nanotechnology, will include an overview of Raymor's carbon nanotube portfolio
and operations, and a chance to find more details about nanotube-based product development strategies.
Vincent Caprio, Event Director for NanoBusiness 2005, spoke highly
of Raymor's technology and production capabilities, "For us to have such an innovative company as Raymor Industries presenting
at our conference is the validation that NanoBusiness 2005 is truly a global event. The production capacity of carbon nanotubes
announced by Raymor will finally allow for large-scale commercialization of numerous applications in nanotechnology."
Adding to the optimism about Raymor's technology was J. Andrew Braswell,
Equity Analyst with Newbridge Securities, "In our discussions with nanotech-focused companies-including some of those in our
Newbridge Nanotechnology Index (NNIX)-we often hear that the high cost and low quality of available carbon nanotubes are inhibiting
the commercialization of more products incorporating these novel materials. The new production process being introduced by
Raymor attempts to address these critical issues."
The conference will be held May 22nd to May 25th, 2005 at the Marriott
Financial Center in New York City.
MAY 19th, 2005
World Gold Council Funds Solaris' Ocular Nanorod Efforts - Gold Base Noted
Just shortly after Solaris has announced one round of funding, the company has revealed that
the World Gold Council, a organization funded by the world's leading gold mining companies, has also provided funding for
its anisotropic gold nanorod technology. The golden nanorods are planned to improve the quality of all types electronic
displays and to restore vision to those with retinal diseases. Dr. Nabil M. Lawandy, CEO of Solaris Nanosciences mentioned
specifically that the funding would benefit the development effort for the retinal disease known in short as AMD, "We are
excited to be working with the support of the World Gold Council in this application of our nanomaterials for improved LCDs,
The funding will accelerate the commercialization of our nanostructure additives for higher performance displays. This effort
will also directly benefit the development of our gold-based materials for restoring visual acuity in patients suffering from
retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD)." Solaris Nanosciences is developing biologically active nanostructures,
which require gold, that may be able to restore the vision of those with Macular Degeneration and Diabetic Retinopathy. Solaris
reports that over 50 million people are afflicted with these two diseases.
Dr Richard Holliday, Industrial Sector Manager of the World Gold
Council explained the rationale for the investment, "Supporting the development of new technologies based on gold will lead
to important new applications for the metal in industry. Solaris Nanosciences has a powerful nanotechnology platform and an
experienced team to successfully commercialize this technology. This will lead to exciting new applications for gold in electronic
products."
The World Council is actively seeking new ways to promote the use
of gold in order to increase industrial demand, which is currently estimated between 350 to 400 tonnes a year - considered
low when compared to other metals.
MAY 17th, 2005
Nanomix's Hydrogen Detector Set for Volume Production
Nanomix Incorporated, a carbon nanotube technology company, reports that its new nanotube based
hydrogen detector is now available - volume orders are now being taken. The sensor, a safety sensor, detects hydrogen leaks,
which can be extremely dangerous.
The device is targeted for industry applications where hydrogen
is used. Ken Johnson, President of KWJ Engineering, a gas detection company, commented about their work with Nanomix and the
new sensor, "We are delighted to have been involved with evaluation and testing of this technology from the prototype stage.
The team at KWJ Engineering is impressed with the performance features of this device and we're excited about the possibilities
enabled by nanoelectronic detection. We look forward to our participation with this next generation detection platform."
MAY 13th, 2005
Nanofibre Based ELMARCO Signs with Alltracel - To Develop Woundcare Products
Alltracel Pharmaceuticals Plc., (AIM: AP.L), a company with development efforts in the consumer
woundcare market, has entered into a product development agreement ELMARCO s.r.o., a Czech Republic based company with R&D
operations in the nanofibrous non-woven materials area. The two companies plan to review a number of patents for possible
commercial applications related to Alltracel's m-doc nanofibre technology. Elmarco with the Textiles Faculty of the Technical
University of Liberic has developed patented processes for spinning polymers for biomedical, chemical, industrial and microelectronic
applications.
Alltracel's CEO Tony Richardson indicated that the woundcare market
would be the initial focus of the agreement, "Alltracel has always been committed to innovation in our markets and we are
particularly excited by the prospects for m-doc based nanofibrous advanced woundcare delivery systems. Although at an early
stage of development nanofibre technology is showing market transforming potential in a number of our markets and we are delighted
to have formalised our partnership with Elmarco and the nanofibre technology team at the Technical University of Liberic.
We are now focussed on jointly reviewing a range of patent protected potential applications for m-doc based nanofibre solutions,
initially for the advanced woundcare and surgical markets and bringing these innovations to market via our network of existing
and new commercial partners."
MAY 12th, 2005
Motorola Seeks Partners to Commercialize Disruptive Low-Cost Nanotube Displays
Motorola Labs, a research
unit of Motorola, Inc., (NYSE:MOT), has developed a display technology that could displace current technology used for HDTVs.
With the announced the company showed a 5-inch prototype color video display prototype based on Motorola's Nano Emissive Display
(NED) technology - which is built with carbon nanotube technology (CNT).
Jim O'Connor, Vice President
for Motorola's Technology Incubation and Commercialization implied the product was ready for commercialization, "With over
15 years experience and 160 patents in CNT and flat panel displays, we have developed a technology that could enable the next
generation of large size flat panel displays to deliver an extraordinary visual experience at a fraction of current prices.
We now look forward to aligning with display manufacturers and enabling them to further this technology and develop commercially
available solutions."
MAY 12th, 2005
Ohio Allocates $34 Million for Nanomaterials Research - To Create 4500 Jobs
The Ohio Department of
Development has made available $34 million in grants to promote Ohio's polymer and advanced materials industries. Two Wright
Centers of Innovation will be formed with the funds, which will develop the technology to add 4,500 jobs to Ohio's existing
140,000 polymer jobs. The funds will also be used to create the Center for Multifunctional Polymer Nanomaterials and Devices
(CMPND) and the Ohio Biopolymers Innovation Center (OBIC).
Sharell Mikesell, Ph.D.,
and the executive director at the Ohio Polymer Strategy Council underscored the importance of the funding, "The announcement
today is an exciting culmination of many months of effort by Ohio's polymer leaders, the Ohio Polymer Strategy Council, key
university leaders and industry collaborators. Today's support from the Third Frontier initiative will significantly strengthen
Ohio's position as the world's premier location for the polymer and advanced material industries." Over $52 million was also
committed to CMPND's project goals from 60 companies. Some of the more well-known companies included The Goodyear Tire &
Rubber Company, Owens Corning, Ashland, Keithley Instruments, Inc., Goodrich and Lockheed Martin.
Owens-Corning's Vice president
of Science and Technology, Frank O'Brien-Bernini, commented about the potential for the blending of nanomaterial with biopolymer
technology, "Together, these initiatives will also enable unique collaborative efforts to explore the integration of nanomaterials
with biopolymers. This brings together Ohio's capabilities in polymers and agriculture in a powerful way."
MAY 12th, 2005
SuperBat – Nanomaterial -Based Baseball Bat to Improve Players Performance
Easton Sports, a manufacturer
of sporting goods equipment, has said that its new high performance baseball bat, called the Stealth CNT, will be available
in May of this year. Fundamental to the high-performance bat with superman like capabilities, are carbon nanotubes (CNT),
a superstrength nanomaterial. The nanomaterial, called NanoSolve, used in the bat is from Zyvex Corporation, a molecular nanotechnology
company. Mike Zlaket, Vice President of Baseball/Softball at Easton Sports noted the engineering effort involved for the development
of the super bat, "Already at the forefront of innovation, our engineers have pushed Easton's research and development to
the next level with carbon nanotube technology. Easton CNT is the real deal as we've been able to harness the true benefits
of nanotechnology to give hitters of all ages and abilities stronger, lighter and better-performing bats. The Easton Stealth
CNT will be the first bat to feature this unmatched technology."
Zyvex's nanotechnology
is also used to give superstrength to buildings and tools. Their technology has the potential to give buildings the capability
to stand up to any natural disaster.
MAY 12th, 2005
SDTC Funds Quantium's Nanomaterial Efforts to Reduce Chemical Industry's Energy Costs
A Canadian consortium
led by Quantiam Technologies, a nanomaterials company, has announced that the Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC)
has contributed $1.45 million to develop a technology for the more efficient manufacture of olefins. Olefins, used in to produce
plastics, lubricants and antifreeze, require an enormous amount of energy to produce, - in the neighborhood of $10 billion
a year is used to provide the energy required for the hydrocarbon steam cracking process used in olefin manufacture. It was
indicated that the process being developed by Quantium, at a pilot plant that is now being built, could save up to 20 percent
on the energy costs associated with olefins manufacturing. In addition to the $1.45 million in funding, the project has also
been funded through an investment of $8.3 million, which included funds from consortium partner NOVA Chemicals Corporation,
also a producer of olefins.
Vicky J. Sharpe, President
and CEO of SDTC, which is a $550 million clean fund, talked about the organizations role and the importance of the investment
for Canadian companies, "SDTC invested in Quantiam because we
see the potential for the consortium's technology to succeed in a number of ways, in both reducing greenhouse gas emissions
and contributing to the increased productivity and competitiveness of Canadian companies in the energy, materials manufacturing,
and petrochemical sectors. SDTC does more than fund projects. We connect partners at all points of the supply chain and help
entrepreneurs to validate their business plans. This strengthens the value proposition of technologies, making them more attractive
to downstream investors and getting them to market faster. In the case of Quantiam, the participation of its consortia members
indicates that industry players support what we're doing and recognize the opportunities of the clean technologies in development
today."
Two
important Canadian political figures also commented on the technologies importance to Canada and the environment, Senator
Tommy Banks on behalf of the Government of Canada said, "Today's announcement clearly shows that Canadian companies, like
Quantiam and its partners, are leading the world in developing clean energy technologies. We believe that these kinds of technologies
will not only help us address climate change, but also create new economic opportunities in the years to come." The Honorable
Anne McLellan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness also underscored the environmental
and economic importance of the technology, "I'm pleased to congratulate Quantiam on its progress to date on an initiative
that will change how the world produces olefins, one of the most widely used petrochemicals. The potential for this technology,
both environmentally and economically, is tremendous and I'm proud that the Government of Canada, through SDTC, is supporting
the project."
MAY 9th, 2005
Raymor Industries Inc. (TSX-V: RAR), a company that has developed
a manufacturing and environmentally friendly single-walled carbon nanotube (C-SWNT) technology, announced that it has begun
production. The company projects that revenue from C-SWNT production will reach CDN $1.0 million in the next 12 months, CDN
$5.0 million in 24 months and CDN $10 million in 36 months. Production capacity, measured in grams, is expected to reach 10,000
grams per day in the next 12 months.
The inventors of the process commented on the new applications of
the technology, as well as the historical significance of the technology. Dr. Frédéric Larouche said, "Our product is beneficial
for uses in numerous applications, including new generation batteries, semiconductors, nano-composite materials, or in the
biomedical field. " Dr. Olivier Smiljanic stressed the historical importance of nanotubes, "The impact of nanotubes in today's
society will be more important than the arrival of the transistor." The semiconductor industry, founded on transistor technology
over 50 years ago, is now a $200 billion a year industry.
MAY 6th, 2005
Nanobac Life Sciences, Inc. (OTCBB:NNBP) has come out with a statement
that further substanciates clouds may contain nanobacteria that spread health problems like heart disease, HIV and kidney
stones. The company points to a recent paper published in the Journal of Proteome Research by Chandra Wickramasinghe, PhD
(Professor at Cardiff University, UK) and Andrei Sommer, PhD (Professor at the University Of Ulm, Germany) entitled "Nanobacteria
in Clouds may Spread Diseases around the World."
The Chairman of Nanobac Life Sciences, John Stanton, took the opportunity
to emphasize his company's nanobacteria products, "We are very excited about the current intensity of Nanobacteria research
being conducted, and about our product pipeline. We are very fortunate to be uniquely positioned to offer our patented Nanobacterial
diagnostics and anti-nanobacterial nanobiotic treatments to the medical research community. We are looking forward to partnering
with larger pharmaceutical companies so that we can expand the depth and breadth our research into Nanobacteria-related diseases
as well as expand our product pipeline."
Nanobacteria is also taken seriously by NASA. Astronauts, returning
from space often have developed kidney stones. NASA reports that microgravity is a better environment for the growth of nanobacteria.
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