Prototyping bio-nanorobots using molecular dynamics simulation and virtual reality

This paper presents a molecular mechanics study using a molecular dynamics software (NAMD) coupled to virtual reality (VR) techniques for intuitive bio-nanorobotic prototyping. Using simulated bio-nano environments in VR, the operator can design and characterize through physical simulation and 3D visualization the behavior of protein-based components and structures. The main novelty of the proposed simulations is based on the characterization of stiffness performances of passive joints-based proteins (α-helix deca-alanine, repressor of primer protein and immunoglobulin protein) and active joints-based viral protein motor (VPL) in their native environment. Their use as elementary bio-nanorobotic components are also simulated and the results discussed.     

Ionic liquids and nanotechnology: Synthesis of WO3 nanostructures by anodization as photoelectrocatalysts

Two ionic liquids, [BMIM][BF4] and [EMIM][BF4], have been used for the first time to synthesize ordered and well-defined WO₃ nanoplates by electrochemical anodization. Different amounts of these ionic liquids have been added to the electrolytes and their influence on the morphological, structural and photoelectrocatalytic properties of the WO₃ nanoplates has been extensively studied. The resulted nanostructures, especially those synthesized in the presence of 5%–10% ionic liquids, showed excellent photoelectrocatalytic performances under irradiation, due to their better morphology, size and arrangement. These results confirm the potentiality of ionic liquids, such as [BMIM][BF4] and [EMIM][BF4], in the synthesis by anodization of high-efficiency photoelectrocatalysts, which could be used in the energy and environmental fields.     

IMEC Industrial Affiliation Program (IIAP) as IPR model to set up nanotechnology research and patenting

The IP policy of IMEC is to avoid IP blocking among its research and business partners, to secure IPR for partners and to enable publications for researchers. This is achieved by setting up a specially designed Industrial Affiliation Program (referred to as IIAP) with licensing and/or co-ownership of IP between the partners. The business IP model applied within the IIAP model at IMEC is characterised by an open, multi-party approach with non-exclusive licensing as a base-line. The IIAP model is further characterized as an IP model in which dilution of IP is minimized in view of further transferability of technology. Using the cost-based and risk sharing approach of the IIAP program, an enhanced progress within new technology domains such as nanotechnology is obtained.     

Effect of concentration on R134a/Al2O3 nanolubricant mixture boiling on a reentrant cavity surface

This paper quantifies the influence of Al₂O₃ nanoparticles on the pool boiling performance of R134a/polyolester mixtures on a Turbo-BII-HP boiling surface. Nanolubricants with 10 nm diameter Al₂O₃ nanoparticles of various volume fractions (1.6%, 2.3%, and 5.1%) in the base polyolester lubricant were mixed with R134a at two different mass fractions (0.5% and 1%). The study showed that nanolubricants can improve R134a boiling on a reentrant cavity surface as long as the nanoparticles remain well dispersed in the lubricant and are at sufficiently large concentration. For example, three of the refrigerant/nanolubricant mixtures with the smallest nanoparticle mass fraction exhibited average enhancements over the entire heat flux range of approximately 10%. However, when the nanoparticle mass fraction was increased to a point that likely encouraged agglomeration, an average heat transfer degradation of approximately 14% resulted. An existing model was used to predict the boiling heat transfer.     

Crystallization of S-layer protein lattices on surfaces and interfaces

A review is given on the structure, chemistry, and assembly of crystalline bacterial cell surface layers (S-layers). S-layers composed of single protein or glycoprotein species represent the most common cell surface structures observed in prokaryotic organisms. Isolated S-layer proteins possess the intrinsic property for recrystallization into isoporous monomolecular arrays in suspension and at a broad spectrum of surfaces (e.g. silicon, metals, polymers) and interfaces (e.g. air–liquid interface or lipid films). The well-defined arrangement of functional groups on S-layer lattices allows the binding of functional molecules (e.g. enzymes, antibodies, ligands) and particles in defined regular arrays. S-layers also represent templates for the formation of inorganic nanocrystal superlattices (e.g. Au, CdS, Pt) as required for molecular electronics and non-linear optics. Finally, S-layers can be used as the structural basis for a biomolecular construction kit involving all major species of biological molecules for applications in molecular nanotechnology, nanobiotechnology and biomimetics.     

Efficient design of parity preserving logic in quantum-dot cellular automata targeting enhanced scalability in testing

Design of parity preserving logic based on emerging nanotechnology is very limited due to present technological limitation in tackling its high error rate. In this work, Quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA), a potential alternative to CMOS, is investigated for designing easily testable logic circuit. A novel self-testable logic structure referred to as the testable-QCA (t-QCA), using parity preserving logic, is proposed. Design flexibility of t-QCA then evaluated through synthesis of standard functions. The programmability feature of t-QCA is utilized to implement an ALU, realizing six important functions. Although the parity preservation property of t-QCA enables concurrent detection of permanent as well as the transient faults, an augmented test logic circuit (TC) using QCA primitives has been introduced to cover the cell defects in nanotechnology. Experimental results establish the efficiency of the proposed design that outperforms the existing technologies in terms of design cost and test overhead. The achievement of 100% stuck-at fault coverage and the 100% fault coverage for single missing/additional cell defects in QCA layout of the t-QCA gate, address the reliability issues of QCA nano-circuit design.     

微纳米分子系统研究领域的最新进展——IEEE NEMS 2011国际会议综述

2011年2月20日至23日,第6届IEEE国际纳米/微米工程及分子系统大会（IEEE-NEMS 2011）在台湾高雄市召开,来自世界各地的300多位专家、学者齐聚一堂,分享其在微纳米科技领域的最新研究成果。本文选取微流体技术与芯片实验室、生物医学MEMS器件、纳米新材料奇妙特性及其应用、新型传感器执行器及其系统等4个角度,详细介绍了微纳米科技领域的研究现状,并对其发展趋势进行了分析。     

Advances in nature-guided materials processing

The center of excellence (COE) titled ‘The Creation of Nature-Guided Materials Processing’ has been established in Nagoya University as the 21st Century COE Program supported by Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. In the Nature COE, various activities on the education and research are being performed through learning the laws of nature, namely, methods of attaining ‘appearance of the maximum function under the minimum substance and energy consumption’, which the nature and living organisms have acquired through their evolution in long period. Together with such educational programs for PhD students as research incentive, oversea training, and external evaluation programs, an ‘Open-Cluster Program’ was originated for promoting researches proposed by research groups consisting of young researchers in and out of the university and also for fostering them.

The researches are being advanced on materials used for living bodies, mimicking structures which nature or living bodies are forming, and producing materials by mimicking processes to form the structures observed in the nature or the living bodies. In this COE, these researches are conducted by four groups to extend the processes observed in the natural world to a new type of processing, that is, thoroughly examined and rationalized by plunging a scalpel of engineering and to establish a new academic field of materials science and engineering.     

Electrochemical production of nanopore arrays in a nickel aluminium alloy

Directional solidification of a eutectic is a novel route for the production of nanostructures. This method was applied to the quasibinary NiAl-Re system. Re as the minor phase forms fibers, which are parallel aligned in the NiAl matrix. At a temperature of 1690 ± 10 °C using a thermal gradient of 40 °C cm⁻¹ and a growth rate of 30 mm h⁻¹, the fibers formed had a diameter of about 400 nm. An electrochemical method is presented here that simultaneously passivates the NiAl matrix and selectively electrodissolves the Re. In this manner, it was possible to form an array of nanopores each with the same diameter of 400 nm. The mechanisms behind this procedure, as well as the potential of this method for the production of nanoelectrode arrays or nanofilters are discussed.     

Nanoscale Energy Storage Materials Produced by Hydrogen‐Driven Metallurgical Reactions

Nanoscale energy storage materials offer enhanced kinetics, material stability and gravimetric capacity, with respect to their bulk counterparts. Hydrogen‐driven metallurgical reactions (HDMR) represent a novel method for synthesis of these nanomaterials. Nanoscale and nanocomposite electrodes for Li‐ion batteries synthesized by HDMR demonstrate reversible lithium cycling at low temperature (298 °C). The nanocomposite electrodes are composed of an electrochemically active species (Li‐Sn, Li‐Al‐Sn and Li‐Al‐Si) imbedded within an inert Li₂O matrix. These electrodes are prepared in the charged state and therefore do not suffer from the first cycle capacity loss that is characteristic of the intermetallic anodes. This novel synthesis technique may also be applied to the preparation of new hydrogen storage compounds.