Happy Nanotechnology Day!

Nano Day: A Big Deal for Small Science

Today, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) is celebrating National Nanotechnology Day by releasing new and updated resources on “nanomanufacturing” research and development (R&D) projects within AMO's portfolio.

National Nanotechnology Day is an annual celebration on or around October 9 that includes a series of community-led events and activities to help raise awareness of nanotechnology, how it is currently used in products that enrich our daily lives, and the challenges and opportunities it holds for the future.

AMO-funded research in “nanomanufacturing” involves scaled-up, reliable, and cost-effective manufacturing of nanoscale materials, structures, devices, and systems.

Because of its potential for enormous increases in industrial energy efficiency, AMO has conducted nanotechnology R&D (science at the 10^-9 meter, or nanometer, scale) for many years, and recently funded new, cutting edge research on manufacturing with individual atoms and molecules (called “atomically precise manufacturing”), adding nano-sized macromolecules of carbon to metals (covetics), and other research that promises dramatic improvements in energy efficiency with products and processes that use less energy and perform better.

The updated nanotechnology project fact sheets include:

• A Radical Tool for 3D Atomically Precise Sculpting
  University of California at Los Angeles
   
• Automated Manufacturing of 2D Atomically Precise and Robust Devices in Silicon Substrates
  Zyvex Labs
   
• Developing Nanometer-Scale, Atomically Precise Metallo-Catalysts with Molecular Lego
  Temple University
   
• Innovations in Scanning Tunneling Microscope Control Systems for High-throughput Atomically Precise Manufacturing
  University of Texas at Dallas
   
• DNA Strand Displacement-Driven DNA Origami Tools and Materials
  Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
   
• Advanced Nanocarbon-Metal Composites for Improved Energy Efficiency
  University of Maryland

Download a factsheet for each project here

AMO also provides financial assistance for numerous small business innovation research (SBIR) projects that  are developing groundbreaking nanotechnologies in areas such as membranes, catalysts, and atomically precise manufacturing methods.

Learn more about past nanotechnology projects within AMO’s portfolio.

Happy Nanotechnology Day!