Nanotech for structural and functional materials at the University of Glasgow
- Nanoscale chemistry - materials and devices
- Nano chemistry
- Near optical metamaterials
- Inorganic nanomaterials
- Bio-inspired nanomaterials
- Nanoscale material processing
- Nanomagnetic materials
- Quantum transport in semiconductors
- Surface engineering
Nanoscale chemistry - materials and devices
Chemistry represents the final frontier in nano-science simply because chemists are able to manipulate length scales from the meter scale (polymers etc) right down to the sub-nano scale (individual atoms and molecules). In Glasgow the group of Prof Lee Cronin is working on the problem of self assembly of molecular architectures that are functional in the sense that they are able to process information and react to stimuli.
The ability to control and modulate self-assembly from atomic to the nanoscale should provide the ultimate control over matter. The fantastic thing about small molecule building blocks is that although they act like Lego-blocks they actually build themselves according to a template designed by the chemist. If this science is taken through to its natural conclusions then chemists should be able to self-assemble nano-scale molecular computers. Such approaches, especially when married with conventional lithography gives a direct route to new technologies now as well as guiding studies for the technologies of tomorrow.
Contact: Prof Lee Cronin
Nano chemistry
At the present time, research within the Cooke group focuses upon the synthesis of supramolecules that have the propensity to undergo electrochemically controllable molecular recognition. We are currently exploiting the virtues of these systems to develop:
- model systems for flavoenzymes
- electrochemically-driven molecular machines and devices
- polymers and surfaces with electrochemically tuneable recognition properties
Contact: Graeme Cooke
Near optical metamaterials
Metamaterials are man-made materials which offer electromagnetic properties (from microwave to optical frequencies) that cannot be found among natural materials, and exhibit new phenomena, such as negative refraction and superlensing. Metamaterials can be used in the design of reconfigurable base-station antennas to optimize spectral use. The application to enhanced detection of biological molecules at optical and terahertz frequencies may also be of practical significance.
In the optical and terahertz regime the technology uses e-beam lithography to enable rings of gold to be deposited on silicon.
Within Europe, a Network of Excellence devoted to metamaterials research, METAMORPHOSE (MetaMaterials ORganized for radio, millimeter wave, and PHOtonic Superlattice Engineering) has been formed. We are now looking forward to work with industrial partners within new framework projects into real world applications.
Visit the METAMORPHOSE website for more information.
Contact: Dr Nigel Johnson
Inorganic nanomaterials
The research group is developing an increasingly wide range of inorganic nanowires and nanotubes including transition metal sulfides, selenides and tellurides, inorganic nitrides and oxides.
Properties and applications of these materials include hydrogen storage, electrical conductors, semiconductors and superconductors, Li+ ionic conductors and battery components, and magnetic materials. The size and morphology of all these materials can be manipulated and controlled at the nanoscale with diameters from ca. 10 to 1000 nm and aspect ratios up to 50,000:1.
The research group has a full range of synthesis techniques to produce mg upwards of nanostructured materials and can provide bulk characterisation techniques such as powder X-ray diffraction. The group offers magnetic /electronic property measurement and hydrogen and gas sorption measurements at variable temperature and pressure.
Contact: Prof Duncan Gregory
Bio-inspired nanomaterials
Living systems exert exquisite control on the production of biominerals, determining the morphology, mineralogy, crystallography and even the mineral polymorph. Central to this control are specific proteins that are responsible for catalyzing nucleation and growth, inducing polymorph switching and growth inhibition. The objectives here are to exploit this protein-induced control in the production of novel nanomaterials with pre-determined physical and material properties.
Synthetic crystals are grown by the Kitano protocol and the composites produced characterised by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) in the field emission gun, scanning electron microscope (SEM). To understand the precise role of protein involvement, protein crystallization is used to determine 3-D structure and define the interaction between protein and mineral.
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| 'Calcite microfluidics' (fig. above) shows calcite crystals grown by microfluidics in which the sites of nucleation are controlled by the pattern on the chip thus the line of crystals are forced to turn the corner. |
Synthetic calcite EBSD (fig. above) shows a calcite crystal that has been indexed using EBSD. The colour key indicates which crystallographic plane is normal to the view. |
Contacts:
Dr Maggie Cusack, Geographical & Earth Sciences
Maggie.Cusack@ges.gla.ac.uk
http://www.ges.gla.ac.uk:443/staff/mcusack
Dr Andy Freer, Chemistry
andy@chem.gla.ac.uk
http://www.chem.gla.ac.uk/staff/andy
Nanoscale material processing
Research activities in the fabrication of submicron 3D magnetic structures, intercalated carbon-metal structures for carbon electronics, damage-free Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP) of semiconductors, novel photo- and electron beam lithography techniques.
Contact: Dr Faiz Rahman
Nanomagnetic materials
Nanomagnetism is concerned with magnetic phenomena in sub-micron sized structures. As the size of a magnetic structure decreases so its magnetic properties change and new and exciting phenomena are frequently found. Many of these are directly exploitable, no more so than in magnetic information storage systems. Indeed, the hard disc drive (HDD) has been the single greatest driver of applied magnetics research for at least two decades. Today a modern HDD can store information at a density of >200 Gbits/sq.in., whilst in demonstrator systems in the leading industrial research laboratories, bit sizes as small as 2000nm2 have been realised. But nanomagnetism also has potential for impact in a wide range of different areas. One that stands out is the development of magnetic nanostructures for use in spintronics, where manipulation of the electron spin, as well as its charge, offers a new degree of freedom that will lead to improved devices and radically different ones with totally novel functionalities.
At the University of Glasgow we are concerned with developing a better understanding of the magnetic properties of nanostructures and, in particular, how these relate to the geometry and physical properties of the materials themselves. We have expertise in imaging the magnetisation distribution with sub-10 nm resolution in magnetic films, multilayers, nanoelements, nanowires and nanoparticles. This is backed up by high spatial resolution nanocharacterisation at the near-atomic level (see Kelvin Nanocharacterisation Centre). In addition, using either focused ion beam techniques or the facilities available in the James Watt Nanofabrication Centre, we can define magnetic structures on a scale of 100 nm or below.
Contact: Prof John Chapman
Quantum transport in semiconductors
When the scale of semiconducting materials and devices become less than 100nm, electron quantisation phenomena begin to dominate. In addition, scattering and trapping of carriers by defects and charge centres becomes crucial. Material grown and fabricated in the Nanoelectronics Research Centre in the Department of Electronics & Electrical Engineering is characterised using our state-of-the-art measurement equipment at low temperatures in our specially built facility.
We are currently involved in a major project with Freescale, working on nanoscale bolometric sensors and arrays of nanomagnets on semiconductors.
Contact: Prof Andrew Long
Surface engineering
At Glasgow, the strong and direct collaboration between engineers and biologists has pioneered much of the research exploring cell responses to nanopatterned surfaces. By producing nanopatterned surfaces by electron beam lithography, whereby pattern dimensions can be carefully controlled, researchers have shown the profound affect on cells, to alter motility, promote, and also prevent adhesion and proliferation.
On a 1cm x 1cm surface there can be between 1bn and 10bn dots (pits & pillars) and each dot is exactly controlled by electron beam lithography. To date, the diameter of the smallest feature is 35nm.
The surfaces can be fabricated from a variety of biomaterials and have applications in many areas, for example medical implants, biosensors & tissue repair. Much work to date has been related to anti-fouling of medical implants with the aims of reducing hospital acquired infections.
Contact: Dr Nikolaj Gadegaard