New way to manufacture nano cubes and spheres
“Think of it like oranges in a box.” That’s how nanoscientist Andreas Stein describes his mold for spherical nanoparticles. But these “oranges” are smaller than 100 nanometers in size.
Nanotechnology is all about making things that are less than 100 nanometers in size. A nanometer is one–billionth of a meter.
Until recently, scientists lacked a reliable process to manufacture nanoparticles of uniform size and shape. Now, Andreas Stein and his team at the University of Minnesota say they’ve invented just such a process using a nanoscale mold.
Stein: Think of it like oranges in a box. We have plastic spheres that are packed like oranges in a box, except that these spheres are a few hundred nanometers in diameter. Between those oranges, there are spaces that you can fill with something else.
The “something else” is sand–like material mixed with soap molecules and acids that cause the material to solidify. When heat is applied, the plastic beads forming the mold burn away, leaving behind nano–sized cubes and spheres. Again, the scale is one–billionth of a meter, and yet these little cubes and spheres have a uniform shape and size.
Stein told Earth & Sky that these manufactured nanoparticles could be useful in many ways. For example, like building blocks, the nanocubes could be stacked to form tiny circuits for electronic devices. Or, the nanoparticles could be filled with medicines – like insulin or cancer drugs – and released inside the body.
Our thanks to the National Science Foundation.
Our thanks to:
Andreas Stein
Professor of Chemistry
University of Minnesota
