Brown University opens nanotechnology center

Imagine wearing a shirt with fibers containing a special material that, when set into motion, generates electricity.Thus, a simple stroll down the street might generate enough power to run, say, a portable music player.This is one of many possible results from the study of tiny particles -- "nano" particles.Hoping to advance nanotechnology, Brown University in Providence, R.I., has established a new research center, the Institute for Molecular and Nanoscale Innovation.Last week, Brown launched the institute with a three-day nanoscience forum.The institute studies particles so small that they can be viewed only with an electron microscope, said Robert Hurt, the institute's director and a professor in Brown's division of engineering.The careful analysis, manipulation and control of the tiny particles can have practical results. For example, most sunscreen lotions used to be white, like cream, to block the sun's rays.But many of the lotions are now available in a clear application, made possible largely through the use of nano materials, Hurt said. Also, many stain-resistant fabrics now use nano materials and nano fibers to improve water repellency, he said.Faculty and students across several disciplines at Brown are collaborating in the process of synthesizing new nano materials. They are also coming up with new applications -- assembling nano materials into devices and structures, he said.Hurt also said he hopes that Brown's work can spawn more businesses -- and jobs -- in Rhode Island.One such firm, Solaris Nanosciences, of Providence, is a Brown University spin-off, he said."We would like to engage more with the state" to promote the study of nano particles and the development of nano-related businesses in Rhode Island, he said.In a given semester, hundreds of Brown students are enrolled in nano-related courses, Hurt said. Brown offers nano-technology courses across various disciplines, including chemistry, physics and engineering, he said."A lot of nano technology has practical application," Hurt said. Other efforts are still in the planning stage, but making progress. "It's exciting stuff. ... It captures the imagination," he said.At last week's conference, Z.L. Wang, from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, talked about using zinc-oxide systems to generate electricity.In essence, a shirt could be coated with zinc-oxide particles. When the shirt's wearer starts walking, the particles would be set in motion, generating electricity.His group is looking at the use of zinc-oxide particles to power items like pacemakers, personal electronics and other devices. The work is "a long way from practical application, but (we) have made progress," Wang said.Teng-Fang Kuo, 32, a native of Taiwan, is a graduate student in electrical engineering at Brown and who attended Wang's presentation. He's interested in studying the emerging science."Those things are new and not in textbooks yet," Kuo said.(E-mail Neil Downing at ndowning(at)projo.com)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)