U of U nano Research

This section is intended to convey a sense for the variety of individual and collaborative research within various colleges and departments at the University of Utah (not intended to be comprehensive). The categories are derived from nano research foci identified by organizers of the 2004 campus nano workshop.

Nanoscale medical therapies and imaging

• Unilamellar, phospholipid vesicles used as models for cell membranes Raman spectra

• Chemically Modified Nanoporous Opal Membranes

• Single-molecule Fluorescence Tracking
• Nanoscale MRI Imaging Agents

Nanoscale sensing (sensitivity and associated requirement of selectivity)

• Plasmonic nano-Antenna
• DNA single nucleotype polymorphism detection
• Electrochemical Imaging of Molecular Transport in Skin
• Chemically-modified nanopore electrode

• High-frequency quantum transport

• Nanoelectrode

• Optical Imaging at the Nanoscale
• 3-D Nanotomography in TEM
• Atomic Force Microscopy
• Electron Force Microscopy: Single electron tunneling to electron states at insulator surfaces

Smart materials

• “Bio-nano” for water treatment

Micromachines (Electronics, MEMS, MOEMS, BioMEMS, microfluidic devices)

• Central and peripheral nervous system applications
• Semiconductor nanostructures
• Silicon and silicon-germanium nanowires
• Baseline Semiconductor Device Processing Technology
• Formation of Organic Crystals from Nanofilms
• Polysilicon gate MOSFETs from Heterogeneous Microsystem
• Nanomechanical Architecture
• Micro gas sensors for combustion processes
• Harsh environment compatible materials for MEMS/Nano applications

Molecular electronics / Spintronics

• Nanoscale Magnetic Tunnel Junctions

Proteomics/functional genomics

• Function of individual proteins

Micropower system

• Nanoscale electrolytes
• Three-dimensional micro- and nanobatteries

Nanophotonics

• Photonic nanostructure arrays
• Photonic crystals
• Irregulary-shaped metal nanoparticles for photonics and sensing applications
• Diffraction Grating Transceiver Grid
• Nanophotonics: Self-Assembled 3-Dimensional Photonic Crystals

Nanofluidics

• Sub-micron particles in fluid suspensions
• Ordering of liquid molecules and nanoparticle suspensions
• Interaction forces between particles and surfaces as studied by AFM

Nanocatalysis

• Nanocatalysis
• Core/Shell nanoparticles?
• Size-selected metal nanoclusters in the gas phase

Nanosynthesis

• Nano powder sintering and synthesis of nano powder
• Metal matrix micro and nanocomposite coating
• Nanostructured magnetic materials
• Control of magnetic nanostructures
• Nanostructured material manufacturing
• Nanostructured titanium boride crystals?
• Nanostructured and High Strength Titanium Boride
• Spherical micro- and nanoparticles
• Nanomaterials for H2 storage
• Chemical Vapor Synthesis of Inorganic Nanopowders
• Organometallic Vapor Phase Epitaxy