Nanotechnology Research Themes
At NC State, faculty across campus are investigating the unique properties of materials at the nanometer—a minute scale that is one-billionth of a meter. These cutting-edge research efforts, crossing the boundaries of traditional disciplines, engage faculty in departments throughout the university—chemistry, physics, engineering, textiles, education, agriculture, management, veterinary medicine, and social sciences.
In February 2008, dozens of NC State faculty joined state government and industry leaders at the NC State Nanotechnology Integration Forum to discuss their research and education programs and spark new ideas for cross-disciplinary collaborations.
Energy Nanoscience
Researchers are working at the nanoscale to develop new materials and technologies that will harness clean, renewable energy sources and create innovative products, including nanothermoelectric and solar photovoltaic devices. Energy research at NC State encompasses the fields of engineering, agriculture, physical sciences, and forestry and is promoted by the Solar Center, which is North Carolina’s leading outreach and extension operation for renewable energy.
Health & Life Nanoscience
This theme sits at the convergence of biomedical, environmental, agricultural, and toxicology research conducted at the nanoscale. The research is creating technologies that advance the well-being of society—from devices that track down and destroy cancer cells to new nanofluidic systems. Researchers at NC State also are examining the health effects of nanoparticles to protect consumers and workers who may come in contact with them.
Nano-Characterization
Since phenomena at the nanometer level are unique and often unpredictable, observing the properties of matter at this scale can offer a new understanding of materials and devices that impacts many areas—including the communications, food technology, and energy technology sectors. Advanced tools, such as the atomic force microscope, enable researchers to measure the characteristics of individual nanostructures and manipulate them to create new, valuable materials.
Nano-Electronics
This interdisciplinary area, which spans physics, materials science, electrical engineering, and chemistry, is spurring the creation of tiny electronic devices with advanced logic and memory capabilities. Nano-Electronics focuses on the properties of devices that have dimensions at the nanometer scale. NC State researchers explore topics that include low dimensional and quantum effects, quantum information processing/computing, molecular electronics, bionics/biological computing, and phonon processes in nanostructures.
Nano-Textiles
Researchers at NC State’s College of Textiles, in partnership with researchers across the university, are using nanotechnology to create novel fiber-based systems and fabrics with exciting functionalities. New products, such as lightweight, high-performance protective clothing for firefighters, are developed at the Nonwovens Cooperative Research Center, a state-of-the-art facility with analytical equipment for the objective characterization of critical properties of nonwoven materials. New filtration, sensing, and fiber-activation devices also are being studied.
Social & Education Nanoscience
Researchers in the fields of humanities and education at NC State are studying how society as a whole learns about nanotechnology. Political scientists are examining the way nanotechnology is represented in the media and how that influences people’s opinion of the science, while education researchers are studying scale and scaling to develop methods for translating the latest nanotechnology discoveries to the classroom.