Nanotechnology, or the manipulation of materials at the atomic level, has been heralded as the technology of the future. Nanoparticles, just a few thousandths the width of a human hair, may make computer chips run faster, sunscreen block out more sun, metals better conduct electricity and cosmetics cover more evenly.
University chemistry Professor Jim Hutchison was issued a U.S. patent on Tuesday for a process his lab created that manufactures a gold atom nanoparticle without the environmentally harmful effects usually associated with its creation.
The patent comes just two weeks after an announcement that the University will construct a new nanotechnology center to explore the science further.
“There’s a real reason they’re expecting this to be a $1 trillion business and the next industrial revolution,” Hutchison said. Hutchison runs HutchLab, which researches “green chemistry” at the University.
Traditionally, the 20-year-old manufacturing process involved the use of diborane, a colorless, odorless and highly toxic gas that half the human population is unable to detect, according to Hutchison. It also auto-ignites near room temperature. The second component of the old process was the toxic solvent benzene.
“People have already been looking at uses for these particles,” Hutchison said. “We’ve just found a way to make them better and cleaner.”
Changing the process to become more environmentally friendly means the molecules, which have already been proposed for use in products such as computer components, can be produced in greater numbers with less energy and less impact.
Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies Richard Linton praised Hutchison’s work.
“UO is a recognized leader in the emerging field of green chemistry that has eliminated the use of many toxic materials in chemistry labs throughout the nation,” Linton said in a press release. “This innovation demonstrates the UO’s capabilities in green nanotechnology and is an enabling step toward making production of nanoscale materials more practical.”
Hutchison said when materials are broken down to the molecular level the larger-scale properties that control their behavior, such as the melting point or electrical conductivity, change completely.
“It just expands the tool kit we have to create new inventions — this has the potential to impact every part of our lives,” he said.
Hutchison said there is great potential in nanotechnology.
“There are 34 million transistors on a Pentium computer chip, that’s at the microscopic level,” Hutchison said. “There are some people who would like to put one billion transistors on a chip on a molecular level. This will make that possible.”
The $18 million nanotechnology center, which the University plans to construct in the next two years and would be as large as 60,000 square feet, will be “a key part of the state’s effort to become a major player in the emerging field,” according to a University press release. The new building will be part of the Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute, a consortium of nanotech researchers that includes the University, Oregon State University, Portland State University, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and business partners.
ONAMI focuses on research at the micro and nano scale, with the goal to “position Oregon as a national leader in nanotechnology research and development,” according to http://www.onami.us.
“This new ONAMI-UO facility will be both a collaborative center of excellence for nanoscience and a catalyst for growth in Oregon’s high-tech economy,” Linton said in the release.
Hutchison said the University has long promoted giving undergraduates the opportunity to do science research, and the new facility would only further opportunities for groundbreaking work.
“It’s going to have cutting-edge clean rooms and facilities to help us translate science into real products,” Hutchison said.
The building will be located in the University’s Riverfront Research Park, a site that has distinct advantages, Hutchison said.
“We’re hoping that we can help fill the research park with businesses interested in doing nanotechnology work because we’re going to provide companies in the region with equipment so expensive they wouldn’t buy it themselves,” he said. “Business is part of how we’re going to make nanotechnology work.”
The Oregon Legislature authorized $9.5 million in bonds for the building’s construction. The University hopes to cover the rest of the proposed costs with donations and grants.
Hutchison said he believes researchers should press ahead despite recent criticism that nanotechnology is potentially dangerous.
“There is something to be said that people should be careful about new technology,” he said. “I think nanotechnology is being singled out right now because it’s new. Every new technology should have research to see if it’s safe, but it’s not possible to prove something is completely safe — you can always do more tests.”