by: tyler berberich chicago-kent college of law tyler.berberich@gmail.com

By: Tyler Berberich

Chicago-Kent College of Law

tyler.berberich@gmail.com

Nanotechnology Basics

Working at the atomic, molecular, and supramolecular levels

Length scale of approximately 1-100 nm range

Goal: To create and use materials, devices, and systems with fundamentally new properties and functions because of their small structure

Small Scale

Nanometer = 1 billionth of a meter Each Nanometer is only 3-5 atoms wide

“Bottom-Up” Approach

Concept introduced by Eric Drexler Process of building things atom by atom

to decrease waste and increase reactivity

1. Nanogloss.com

1

Nanofactories

• To build a nanofactory, you need to start with a working fabricator, a nanoscale device that can combine individual molecules into useful shapes. – A fabricator could build a very small nanofactory, which

could build another one twice as big, and so on. Within a period of weeks, you have a personal desktop model.

• Products made by a nanofactory will be assembled from nanoblocks, which will be fabricated within the nanofactory. Some believe that the product that comes out of the nanofactory will be a mostly-solid block or brick that will unfold like a pop-up book or inflate like an air mattress.

• Computer aided design (CAD) programs will make it possible to create state-of-the-art products simply by specifying a pattern of predesigned nanoblocks.

Edit this and add more infohttp://www.crnano.org/bootstrap.htm

Nanofactory Moviehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEYN18d7gHg

Nanofactory Products

Anything from super-powerful laptop computers to high powered batteries to extraordinarily strong machines, etc.

Vision of a future desktop nanofactory

Uses of Nanotechnology

• Uses of Nanotechnology can be found everywhere

• Solar power, batteries, weapons, tool design and manufacture… just about anywhere you look, nanotechnology could play a future role

• Because there are so many uses, they must be narrowed here. This presentation will focus on nanotechnology use in batteries, solar energy, and hydrogen production

Nanotechnology in Solar Energy

• Basics of photovoltaic cells

a. Encapsulate b. Contact Grid c. Antireflective Coating d. N-type Silicon e. P-type Silicon

specmat.com

specmat.com

Howstuffworks.com

Nanotech Improvement of Solar Energy

The primary problem with current solar energy systems is their relative inefficiency The most advanced solar cells can only

make use of 10 to 30 percent of the available solar energy hitting the solar cells

technologynewsdaily.com

Dye Sensitive Solar Cells With Nanotube Coatings

• Researchers at Penn State University are focusing on the use of titania nanotubes and natural dye in an attempt to make more cost-effective solar energy

www.physorg.com

Issues with Dye Sensitive Nanotube Cells Thickness of titanium layer – too thin

Thickness of spacers – too thick

Titanium Layer

Spacers

www.physorg.com http://www.technologyreview.com/Nanotech/18259/

Greater Efficiency of Nanotech Nanocrystals

More electrons – 3 to 1 More energy prduced

Regular Solar Nanocrystals

Better Light Collecting Capability Nanoscale Antennae

DNA “scaffold” Increase photon absorption

Issue Energy lost in transportation

Possible Solution DNA controlled antennae placement

See http://www.technologynewsdaily.com/node/4856 for further info

Current Progress in Solar Nanotech• 6% efficiency in plastic solar cells

– Benefits of plastic cells• Flexible• Wrapable• Home use

• Possible uses– Roofing– Automobiles– Soldiers

Nanotech in Batteries

www.altairnano.com

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/lithium-ion-battery1.htm

Batteries, the Basics

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/lithium-ion-battery1.htm

Batteries, the Basics Cont’d

Toshiba Quick Charge Battery Normal lithium ion batteries “bottleneck”

during recharge if done too quickly Can cause serious effects, even explosions

This battery is said to recharge to 80% in one minute and 100% in under 10

For industrial and automotive uses

http://www.technewsworld.com/story/hardware/41889.html

Nano PossibilitiesAltair Technology NanoSafe Battery

• Longer Battery Life– Potentially up to 20+ years

• Faster Recharge– Potential to recharge in minutes

• Higher and Lower Operating Temperatures– From -50°C/-60°F to +75°C/165°F

• Higher Power Output– Potentially 4 times greater than current

lithium ion rechargeable battery capability

www.altairnano.com

Revolutionary Battery Electrodes• For use in the automotive or other industries that are

looking for a reasonably priced, high power battery• More power and a high rate of discharge -key

requirements – Hybrid batteries or other applications that require quick

bursts of power– Electrode production system allows for the use of low

cost raw materials and eliminates the need for undesirable additives such as binders and solvents that can slow a battery's rate of power output

• It could enable exploration into other areas, such as fuel cells, super capacitors and even electronic wires, all of which will benefit from the high discharge rates and other performance and cost advantages of this nanotechnology

http://www.voyle.net/Nano%20Battery/Nano%20Battery%202005-0004.htm

Hydrogen Production

Hydrogen is currently produced in a number of different ways

Problems with two current means of hydrogen production Electrolysis

Using Electricity – Powered primarily by burning fossil fuels

Steam Reforming Creates unacceptable amounts of carbon

monoxide

Hydrogen Production

Researchers at Penn State are using titania nanotubes in solar cells to create hyrdogen

Put water in – separate the parts

http://www.azonano.com/news.asp?newsID=1806

Another Current Hydrogen Issue

For cars, 4 kilograms compressed hydrogen = approx. 300 miles Would need a 50 gallon drum in the car

Very volatile Storage ability must roughly double to

reach engineering viability Material processing must also be cheaper

https://public.ornl.gov/conf/nanosummit2004/talks/4_Jorgensen.ppt

Nanotech Safe Hydrogen Storage

Still in exploration and early stages of research

May be able to store hydrogen in safe, light packages which allow for greater heat flow

Researchers trying to determine which nano-materials would be best

Possible Problems with Nanotechnology Disruption of economic structure

Products at the nano level may be cheap to create and may require very little human labor

Devaluing material and human resources Security Issues

Extremely small fully functional devices may become a security concern for the war on terrorism

Possible nanotech arms race

http://www.crnano.org/dangers.htm#economy

Further Concerns

Possible instability of certain nanostructures Researchers at Vanderbilt University have

raised concerns over soccer ball shaped “buckeyballs” when dissolved in water

Buckyball Danger?

Researchers claim they may have revealed a potentially serious problem: “Buckyballs have a potentially adverse effect on the structure, stability and biological functions of DNA molecules.” Could this happen in our bodies?

http://www.voyle.net/Nano%20Debate%202005/Nano%20Debate%202005-0040.htm

Greatest Challenges to Nanotech Materials are hard to handle and difficult

to keep stable Understanding nano material

characteristics A single particle silicon will no longer act

like bulk silicon Depends on size, shape, and environment

of the particle

Conclusion

Nanotechnology has to potential to revolutionize the US energy system. From fuel cells, to cell phone batteries, to space equipment, and everywhere in between nanotechnology can be utilized

But, there is still a lot of research to be done and many hurdles to cross to make this technology

commercially practicable