WEEKLY MEMO, June 9, 2008 ****************** 1. ANNOUNCEMENTS ****************** 1.1: On Monday and Tuesday, June 9 and 10, 2008, Physical Facilities will be working on the high-pressure steam system for this portion of campus. As a result, the Birck Nanotechnology Center will lose temperature and humidity control during that period. It is likely that we will see a 2°-3°F drop in temperature and a 5% increase in humidity in the offices, laboratories, and cleanroom. Laboratories with fume hoods will feel more impact than those without hoods. Hot water will NOT be available in the bathrooms during this period. Please note that it will take 6-8 hours for the building to stabilize after steam is turned off on Monday and about the same amount of time for it to stabilize when the steam is turned back on late Tuesday afternoon. Please arrange your schedule to avoid temperature-critical and humidity-critical (such as positive photolithography) during this period. Additionally, the pump-down time for vacuum systems is likely to increase due to the added humidity in the cleanroom and laboratories. Our apologies for any inconvenience that this may cause, but it is a campus shutdown that is out of our control. Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding. 1.2: Bloodborne Pathogen Training: Friday, June 13 11:00AM-Noon, BRK 1099. Class size is limited to 10 people. Contact Lisa Reece (lreece@purdue.edu) for additional information. 1.3: Support Survey: still possible to respond; please assist the Center in assessing the services provided by business office personnel, secretarial staff, and facilities¹ staff members. Go to: https://www.purdue.edu/discoverypark/Nanotechnology/facilities/manuals/suppo rtsurvey.php <file://localhost/discoverypark/Nanotechnology/facilities/manuals/supportsur vey.php> ; Login with Purdue Career Account information; Estimated completion time is 10-15 minutes. Thanks for your help! 1.4: ARE YOU INTERESTED IN THE APPLICATION OF NANOTECHNOLOGY TO ENERGY-RELATED CHALLENGES? IF SO, WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN AN INFORMAL LITERATURE REVIEW MEETING GROUP. Every day this summer, a group will meet to discuss literature related to the convergence of nanotechnology and energy. Participants will give SHORT, 10-MINUTE presentations of relevant papers. Materials related to this meeting will be posted at http://groups.google.com/group/purdue-nano-energy-lit. We also have set up a Google Calendar that shows the meeting times and locations at https://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=nkik8svvem7mj8tva7ae057atg%40group .calendar.google.com&ctz=America/New_York&pvttk=83f2429cbd8cf5d1635cf2820f7f eabb <https://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=nkik8svvem7mj8tva7ae057atg%40grou p.calendar.google.com&ctz=America/New_York&pvttk=83f2429cbd8cf5d1635 cf2820f7feabb> Those interested in joining the Google Group and gaining editorial access to the calendar (to schedule presentations) should contact Prof. Fisher (tsfisher AT purdue.edu <http://purdue.edu>). Times/Dates/Location: 0900-0930 MWF, 1030-1100 TuTh, all in BRK 2001. ******************** 2. TOURS/VISITORS ******************** 2.1: Monday, 06.09.08, 1:00-3:00: National Center for Learning and Teaching in Nanoscale Science and Engineering. 2.2: Monday, 06.09.08, 6:15-6:45: Big Ten Internal Auditor¹s Conference. ******************** 3. SEMINARS *see abstracts/bios below ******************** 3.1: Wednesday, 06.18.08, 11:20AM, Morgan 121: ³Some Important Aspects of the Chemistry of Nanomaterials,² by C.N.R. Rao, Jawaharlal Nehru Center for Advanced Scientific Research; seminar is part of the Launch Symposium for the Centeer for Analytical Instrumentation Development (CAID); REGISTER TO ATTEND AT http://www.purdue.edu/dp/caid/ <http://www.purdue.edu/dp/caid/> 3.2: Wednesday, 06.18.08, 3:30PM, Lawson 1142: ³The United States and India: Two Giant Democracies. Science, Policy, and Funding Opportunities.² Discovery Lecture Series. Introductory Remarks: Victor Lechtenberg; ³Today¹s Scientific Scenario and Tomorrow¹s Challenges: The Case for India,² Dr. C.N.R. Rao; ³Rising Above the Gathering Storm,² Dr. Gail Cassell; ³Funding Opportunities for Bilateral Activities between USA and India,² Dr. Arabinda Mitra. http://www.purdue.edu/dp/dls/US-India/ ********************************** 4. 2008 NCN@PURDUE SUMMER SCHOOL ********************************** "Electronics from the Bottom Up": July 14-25, 2008; open to Purdue faculty and students at no charge; you must register online no later than June 30, at: https://www.ncn.purdue.edu/Workshops/2008summerschool/internalregistration <file://localhost/Workshops/2008summerschool/internalregistration> . For questions or concerns, please contact Alicia Goodman (goodman@purdue.edu) The field of semiconductor microelectronics is undergoing a transformation to nanoelectronics. This transformation has been largely driven by a ³top-down² approach that extends concepts and techniques originally developed for bulk semiconductors and large device to the new field of nanoscale device technology. But to exploit the opportunities that nanoscience presents, engineers will need to learn how to think about materials, devices, circuits, and systems in a new way to complement traditional, top-down understanding with new, ³bottom-up² perspectives. Electronics from the Bottom Up is designed to promote the bottom-up perspective by beginning at the nanoscale, and working up to the micro and macroscale of devices and systems. For electronic devices, this means first understanding the smallest electronic device ­ a single molecule with two contacts. For carrier transport, it means beginning at the nanoscale where ballistic transport, atomistic effects, and stochastic effects dominate. For MOSFETs, it means beginning with the ³ultimate² MOSFET. Electronics from the Bottom Up does not mean ab initio numerical simulations ­ it means beginning with concepts and approaches that are both simple and sound at the nanoscale rather than extrapolated from the microscale. **************** 5. OPPORTUNITIES **************** 5.1: The Device Sciences area of the Semiconductor Research Corporation Global Research Collaboration is soliciting white papers in Modeling & Simulation of Nanoelectronic Materials, Processes, and Devices. Two page white papers addressing needs in a new research needs document are due Monday, JUNE 16, 2008 at 3 PM ET/12 PM PT. A limited number of full proposals will be accepted based on the white paper submissions and a subset of these proposals will be selected for anticipated three-year contracts beginning January 1, 2009. Interested researchers should note the proposal and review schedule, needs document, and instructions for web-based white paper submissions on the SRC GRC Web site at: http://grc.src.org/fr/S200803_Call.asp 5.2: ****NNI INFO***** In May, the House Science and Technology Committee approved legislation to reauthorize the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), which was established in 2003. H.R. 5940, the National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act, would establish nanotechnology education partnerships to recruit and prepare students to pursue postsecondary education in nanotechnology. Included here are a couple of elements that are of particular interest to Purdue: 1) the bill would create a new NNI advisory panel. Currently, the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) serves as the advisory panel, but the Committee believes an advisory panel focused exclusively on nanotechnology would be more effective. This appears to be a prime opportunity for Purdue; 2) the Committee struck a proposal to dedicate 10% of the nanotechnology funding for research on potential environmental, health and safety problems of the new technology and charged the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy with responsibility for championing research on environmental, health and safety. It was expected that the House would pass the bill before the Memorial Day recess. The Senate has not yet acted on the legislation, but we understand from Senate committee staff that this bill is a 2008 priority for them as well. We will let you know when we know anything. *************** 6. CAMPUS NEWS *************** 6.1: Joe Pekny will assume the role of Interim Head of Industrial Engineering from July 1, 2008 to January 4, 2009, while the search for a permanent head continues. He will continue in his role as Director of the e-Enterprise Center in Discovery Park. The Interim Head role is natural for Joe given his efforts in the Regenstrief Center, Cancer Care Engineering, Homeland Security, other Discovery Park systems-oriented projects, and his own research. https://engineering.purdue.edu/ChE/People/ptProfile?id=12436 ***************************** 7. *ABSTRACTS/BIOS for seminars ***************************** 7.1: Wednesday, 06.18.08, 11:20AM, Morgan 121: ³Some Important Aspects of the Chemistry of Nanomaterials,² by C.N.R. Rao, Jawaharlal Nehru Center for Advanced Scientific Research; seminar is part of the Launch Symposium for the Centeer for Analytical Instrumentation Development (CAID); REGISTER TO ATTEND AT http://www.purdue.edu/dp/caid/ <http://www.purdue.edu/dp/caid/> Nanocrystals, nanowires, nanotubes and nanofilms are some of the important classes of nanomaterials. Chemistry has played a major role in the synthesis and modification of these nanomaterials. In particular, the synthesis of a large variety of nanocrystals and nanowires would have been impossible without using chemical techniques such as solvothermal synthesis. The use of templates and ionic liquids have been found useful for the synthesis of inorganic nanomaterials. The liquid-liquid interface enables the generation of ultra-thin films of materials, often in single crystalline form. After a brief survey of some of the important synthetic strategies, solubulization, functionalization and assembly of nanostructures, as well as a few of the novel chemical approaches employed by us in the last few months will be presented. These will include the use of fluorous chemistry wherein nanocrystals, carbon nanotubes and other nanostructures are extracted or solubulized in the most nonpolar medium possible, and the use of click reaction and other methods employed for assembling nanostructures. Results obtained recently on chemical investigations of graphene will be discussed.