Transcript By: Tyler Berberich Chicago-Kent College of Law

By: Tyler Berberich
Chicago-Kent College of Law
[email protected]
Nanotechnology Basics
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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
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
Nanometer = 1 billionth of a meter
Each Nanometer is only 3-5 atoms wide
“Bottom-Up” Approach
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
1
Concept introduced by Eric Drexler
Process of building things atom by atom to decrease
waste and increase reactivity
1. Nanogloss.com
Nanofactory Movie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEYN18d7gHg
Nanofactories
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To build a nanofactory, you need to start with a working fabricator,
a nanoscale device that can combine individual molecules into useful
shapes.
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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 info
http://www.crnano.org/bootstrap.htm
Nanofactory Products
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Anything from super-powerful laptop computers to
high powered batteries to extraordinarily strong
machines, etc.
Vision of a future
desktop nanofactory
Uses of Nanotechnology
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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
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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
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Thickness of titanium layer – too thin
Titanium Layer
Spacers
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Thickness of spacers – too thick
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
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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
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6% efficiency in plastic solar cells
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Benefits of plastic cells
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Flexible
Wrapable
Home use
Possible uses
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Roofing
Automobiles
Soldiers
Nanotech in Batteries
www.altairnano.com
Batteries, the Basics
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/lithium-ion-battery1.htm
Batteries, the Basics Cont’d
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/lithium-ion-battery1.htm
Toshiba Quick Charge Battery
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Normal lithium ion batteries “bottleneck” during
recharge if done too quickly
 Can
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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 Possibilities
Altair Technology NanoSafe Battery
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Longer Battery Life
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Faster Recharge
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Potential to recharge in minutes
Higher and Lower Operating Temperatures
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Potentially up to 20+ years
From -50°C/-60°F to +75°C/165°F
Higher Power Output
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Potentially 4 times greater than current lithium ion
rechargeable battery capability
www.altairnano.com
Revolutionary Battery Electrodes
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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
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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
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Hydrogen is currently produced in a number of
different ways
Problems with two current means of hydrogen
production
 Electrolysis
 Using
 Steam
Electricity – Powered primarily by burning fossil fuels
Reforming
 Creates
unacceptable amounts of carbon monoxide
Hydrogen Production
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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
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For cars, 4 kilograms compressed hydrogen =
approx. 300 miles
 Would
 Very

need a 50 gallon drum in the car
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
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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 nanomaterials would be best
Possible Problems with Nanotechnology
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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
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Possible instability of certain nanostructures

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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%2020050040.htm
Greatest Challenges to Nanotech
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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