Document available on web at: http://www.che.iitb.ernet.in/faculty/jb/nano02.html

Email: jb@che.iitb.ernet.in Web: http://www.che.iitb.ernet.in/faculty/jb

Over the last decade or so, the area of Nanotechnology and microengineering has gone a dramatic growth in knowledge and applications, and had received widespread interest. It is today a growing discipline with many new ideas, innovative experiments, increasing theoretical foundations, and is set to exploit concepts from microscopic and nanoscopic science that are best understood by chemical engineers. However, the microscopic and macroscopic behavior of a wide range of complex physical, chemical, and biological systems possessing interfaces and nanostructures, classified under "soft matter", still remains to be exploited. This is the focus of our planned work.

• To make natural, non-equilibrium microstructures of different types
• To conduct reactions and ordering in microstructures
• To perform templating of biopolymers and bioceramics with microstructures
• To develop micromachines based on novel morphologies: loops and twists
• To develop electronic nanomaterials based on cadmium sulphide, silver, copper
• To develop optoelectronic devices based on myelin light-guides
• To study Biomineralization and biomineral nanomaterials

Nanotechnology research is in its infancy. Along with biotechnology, it is heralded to be a potential "kill app" of the future and an enabling technology that will revolutionize many aspects of daily life as well as high technology industry and medicine. The field already encompasses a wide range of current and potential technologies: information storage devices, smaller computer components, intelligent sensors and smart devices that exploit the special properties of materials and microstructures on a nanoscale will mean faster, more sensitive and perhaps cheaper operations.

New composite materials may feature nanoparticles, which offer novel properties. Such nanocomposites can replace heavy metal components in automobiles, may decrease weight and improve impact resistance in catastrophic situations like crashes. If nanoengineered like some natural materials like shells, materials could resist cracking and thereby resist crashes due to component failure, a matter of grave concern in aerospace applications. Such nanocomposites will permit improved prosthetic devices like artificial limbs and organs. Micro-optics will drive artificial vision technology.

Important nanotechnologies may be inspired by nature: cells contain many micromachines such as mitochondria and structures like vesicles, which transform energy or store matter. The complex structure of such micromachines (e.g., the double helical structure of DNA) is an efficient structure evolved over aeons, but still remain to be imitated by man-made structures for applications like scaffolding, information replication and signaling.

Therefore, a major new thrust we wish to focus on is the gray area between biological and chemical systems where life itself is defined. Such systems are part of the growing field of soft matter, where biological as well as materials science skills are necessary to understand and exploit novel concepts. Such work encompasses microemulsions, vesicles, liquid crystals, liposomes, carbon nanotubules and the like. A new area that we have recently developed is in reactions and templating of non-equilibrium microstructures, which may have a significant impact on understanding of biomineralization and ordering of nanoparticles, with potential for electronic devices, micro-optics, and bio-ceramics.

Our ongoing work in soft matter though the principles and applications of colloidal and interfacial science and engineering finds applications in virtually every type of industrial systems where multiple phases are encountered in the form of suspensions, emulsions, films, foams, gels, aerosols, micelles and so on. Some important industries are: food, pharmaceuticals, microelectronics, paints, detergents, printing inks, bio-medical, ceramics, and others. Apart from its contributions to producing efficacious products in various areas, it plays an important role in abatement of environmental pollution. Therefore, the cultivation and dissemination of knowledge and applications of this discipline is crucial to efficient, productive, and safe operation of many technologies useful to society.

In view of its importance, today many chemical engineering departments all over the World are engaged actively teaching and conducting research in this area. Our department offers both undergraduate and graduate courses on this topic. Several of our faculty members are pursuing research work in this area. Based on their work, several papers are published in reputed journals like Langmuir, and J. Colloid and Interface Engineering and Science, and some patents have been taken.

We proposed to strengthen research activities of our current and new faculty in this frontal area of nanotechnology and microengineering to a level easily comparable to the bests in the World. It is proposed to accomplish this goal by setting up state-of-the-art laboratories and recruiting bright researchers.

Potential applications in microelectronics, biomedical devices, and optics will drive this work.

• Non-equilibrium microstructures: determination of ultrastructure
• The use of myelins as force-exerting machines
• The use of myelins as optical light guides for use in opto-electronics
• Reactions and ordering in non-equilibrium microstructures
• Templating of equilibrium and non-equilibrium microstructure
• Nanoparticles of electronic materials: CdS, Ag, Cu and microstructured alloys
• Micromachines based on novel morphologies: loops and twists
• Biomineralization and biomineral nanomaterials

We propose to build a separate block having approximately 500 m² (5000 ft²) of floor area housing five laboratories, student and staff offices, faculty offices, a conference room facility, and utility area. The laboratories planned are:

• Microvisualization and microoptics Laboratory
• Micro-optics and fiberoptics Laboratory
• Colloidal & Interfacial Phenomena and Characterization Laboratory
• Micromanipulation Laboratory
• Nanoreplication Laboratory
• Nanoparticle laboratory

Each lab will have major instruments like E-SEM, Cryo-TEM, Laser-Tweezers, Laser Scissors, Confocal micromanipulator, Scanned-probe microscopes, high-speed video grabbing, photon counting, e-beam lithography, electrochemical machining, and the like.

It is planned to institute two distinguished chairs in this research center: one for a full professor, and the other for a younger faculty at assistant or associate professor level. It is also planned to have several research fellowships for students from all over the World.

In addition, the department wishes to generate endowment funds for faculty, staff, and students to participate in research related activities at various universities and conferences nationally and internationally.

The costs involved in developing this center and the associated amenities will be:

Strong industry links, already in place with companies like General Electric, Unilever, Hindustal Lever, ICI and others, will be further strengthened.

We expect the impact of this center to be felt in two years after sanction of funds by way of one or two major technologies (relating to electronic materials, optonics and biomedical materials), strong industry links, sponsored projects, research publications and patents.

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