University to construct
nanotechnology center
By Terra Dassau
Staff
Writer
Nanotechnology is the latest development in scientific
research. From being the focus of the September issue of Scientific
American to being the reason behind the $60 million Birck Nanotechnology
Center to be constructed on Purdue's campus, it's clear that science
is quickly moving in the nanoscale direction.
There are at least 100 researchers in many disciplines
that are interested in nanotechnology research.
In fact, Arvind Raman, professor of mechanical
engineering, said he has "never been in a field that exploded like this."
Nanotechnology concerns the creation and use of
devices that are measured in nanometers, or one billionth of a meter,
in at least two dimensions. This is the size of larger molecules, proteins
and viruses.
Nanotechnology also includes microscale devices,
which are 1,000 times bigger. Because of the small size of these devices,
there are many potential applications to nanoscale research in the medical,
semiconductor and environmental industries. However, nanotechnology
requires a multidisciplinary approach to problem solving, as it works
at the interface of many different scientific areas.
Ron Reifenberger, professor of physics, said, "If
you want to play in this business, you need to understand chemistry,
physics and biology," because nanotechnology research involves many
departments on campus working together for a common goal — making
the tiny devices, studying their properties and developing practical
applications.
All of these research areas are vital to the overall
understanding of how nanodevices work and how they can become most useful
for society.
According to David Janes, professor of electrical
engineering, there are two approaches for making nanodevices —
"top down" and "bottom up". The "top down" method concerns downsizing
microelectronic features, such as computer chips, and is a focus of
his research.
The "bottom up" technique, or nanostructuring,
is often the approach of chemists like Professor Alex Wei who assemble
many small molecules into clusters that often have different, more interesting
chemical and physical properties than the original bulk material.
Once the nanodevices are created, they can be studied
using scanning probe microscopy, which, according to Reifenberger, is
"the eyes and hands of nanotechnology, which allow you to see atoms,
proteins and cells."
Applications for nanotechnology include the "lab
on a chip" collaboration of Fred Regnier, professor of chemistry, and
Reifenberger. The overall goal of this research is to make a device
similar to a glucose monitor, which has the ability to simultaneously
run 100 to 1,000 blood tests, or analyze samples for chemical and biological
warfare.
Other interesting applications of nanotechnology
include the ability to detect environmental pollutants at low concentrations,
as studied by Janes, and the ability to selectively deliver drugs in
the bloodstream.
Many of the applications of this research will
not be seen for many years, as the technology has to be developed before
its practical applications can be fully appreciated. The current thinking,
according to Andre Labonte, a graduate student studying under Reifenberger,
is that we should "demonstrate the basic principles of microelectronics
and worry about the specifics when we know more."
These are just a few of the many examples of nanoscale
research being conducted at Purdue. For this reason, Purdue is in the
process of constructing the Birck Nanotechnology Center, a facility
designed to "bring us to the forefront of nanotechnology research,"
according to George Adams, a professor of electrical engineering and
chair of the center's planning committee.
Purdue has already raised $51 million of the center's
$60 million budget and is currently working with architects and engineers
to develop plans. On Tuesday, the design team met with the Purdue researchers
to explain the plan for designing and building the Birck Center.
The center will house interdisciplinary laboratory
space for all areas of nanotechnology research, such as nanoscale fabrication,
chemical and biological sensor chips, microscopy and theoretical computations.
These types of research require a specially designed building that includes
rooms isolated from vibrations, constant and controlled temperature
and humidity and special lighting.
The center will be located on the southwest corner
of campus, where the Purdue Village currently sits. Construction should
begin in the summer of 2002, with completion estimated for the fall
of 2004.
The Birck Center will allow the many different
departments involved in nanotechnology research to collaborate in one
centralized location.
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