Current research in nanotechnology, the science of manipulating individual atoms, may seem rudimentary, but it is already helping experts control the quantum world.
The development of nanotechnology requires cooperation between several scientific disciplines, including physics, chemistry, biology, materials science and computer science.
John Harer, vice provost for academic affairs, said, "This is an area where no individual department can expect to excel, but only by combining several areas can we hope to build a successful program."
Several Duke researchers are working with scientists in other disciplines to pioneer new uses for and understanding of nanotechnology.
Self-assembly
One of the most basic nanotechnology principles is getting atoms to assemble themselves into desired structures-much like the biological processes in which a cell creates proteins. "We are trying to understand the properties of materials that are self-assembled," said Assistant Professor of Chemistry Stephen Craig. Craig is researching how molecular characteristics such as size, reactivity, thermal conductivity and weight come together to affect the macroscopic materials produced from them.
Craig is also trying to come up with design principles for self-assembled structures based on this understanding, with an eye toward creating increasingly more complex materials with novel structures and functions. By concentrating on soft materials such as gels and liquids, Craig hopes to shed light on fundamental principles of matter's structure-an essential precursor to making nanotechnology useful. If a scientist wants to use nanoscience to create a material with a new property, he must first know what molecules are going to produce that property.
Craig has been collaborating with others in the mechanical engineering and materials science departments.
Physics
Understanding how matter acts at the nanoscale is the main goal of current physics research in nanotechnology. Professor of Physics Harold Baranger is interested in the size at which quantum effects disappear-the point at which a group of atoms cease to be easily manipulated and cease to behave normally. He stresses that before scientists can begin to expertly manipulate atoms, they need to understand their behavior at such small scales.
Baranger is particularly interested in the magnetic properties of nanoparticles and quantum dots, which are small boxes that hold a specified number of electrons. Quantum dots exhibit special growth properties and electronic effects, making them possible components of future nano-scale electric wiring.
Chemistry
Current nanoscience efforts in chemistry center around the preparation and manipulation of unique nanoscale materials with promise in technological applications. Chemistry research stresses the need to design and synthesize functional nanostructures in specific patterns.
Jie Liu, assistant professor of chemistry, manipulates and characterizes nanoscale materials with unique electronic and optical properties. He focuses on carbon nanotubes, which are rolled-up sheets of graphite with unusual mechanical stiffness and strength. Carbon nanotubes have 10 times the strength of steel at one-fourth the weight and also possess remarkable electric conductivity.
Computer Science
John Reif, a professor of computer science, has been working with DNA in the technology of "revolutionary computing," which seeks to completely revamp existing methods of computer chip production. Currently, chips are manufactured using lithography, which employs laser light. But as chip components grow smaller and smaller to meet market demands, lithography is approaching its limit.
Reif is seeking an alternate method for chip production using self-assembling nanostructures that form tiles made from DNA, with the goal of building what he calls "two-dimensional, complex patterns without lithography."
"We've been working on holding a lot of memory with a small amount of mass," Reif said. Although he expresses doubt that this technology will ever totally replace current methods, he stresses that it is an important step.
Reif has been working with scientists in the chemistry and biology departments at Duke, as well as researchers at other universities.
"Duke has a lot of potential in nanoscience because of its strong biology background," said Reif, stressing the importance of bringing in more senior scientists to aid in research efforts.
"We've got to work on these various technologies to see what comes out," he said. "What's going to come out is some neat science."
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