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UCSB researchers show how to make polymeric micro- and nanoparticles
July 10, 2007
Researchers in the College of Engineering at UC Santa Barbara have discovered how to make polymeric micro- and nanoparticles in a wide variety of different shapes and sizes using commonly-available lab chemicals and equipment. Knowing how to create these particles in the average laboratory environment will facilitate further discovery, as the particles are essential to understanding the role of shape in particle function. Their research is published in today's online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Polymeric micro- and nanoparticles are used in a wide range of applications including medical imaging, drug delivery, and beauty and personal care products. These applications typically use spherical particles. While making particles in other shapes could be extremely useful, fabricating shapes other than spheres has been technically challenging.
The research team, led by Samir Mitragotri, a professor of chemical engineering, with Julie Champion, a graduate student, and Yogesh Katare, a post-doctoral researcher, used spherical polystyrene beads as a starting point. In one approach, the beads were liquefied by heat or solvents and then stretched. In the second, the beads were embedded in a polyvinyl alcohol film and the film was stretched to create voids around the beads. These voids were then filled by liquefying the beads using heat or solvent. From these two simple techniques, more than 20 different shapes were formed, ranging from simple rods and eggs to lenses, diamonds, food-shaped ravioli and tacos.
The methods used to create the potpourri of micro- and nanoparticles allow the researchers to control the size and shape of the particles created, a crucial factor in the development of nonspeherical particles in a variety of fields, including drug delivery, microbiology, advanced materials and rheology. This research was funded by the NIH program of excellence in nanotechnology.
University of California - Santa Barbara
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Nanoparticles: From Theory to Application
by Günter Schmid (Editor)
An introduction to the science of nanoparticles, from fundamental principles to their use in novel applications. As a basis for understanding nanoparticle behavior, the book first outlines the principles of quantum size behavior, nanoparticles architecture, formation of semiconductor and metal nanoparticles. It then goes on to describe the chemical syntheses of nanoparticles with defined characteristics, their structural, electrical and magnetic properties, as well as current methods to monitor these properties. Among others, the following nanoparticle-based applications are discussed: * Single-electron devices * Ultra dense recording media * Bioelectronic devices and sensors * Labeling of proteins, nucleic acids and other biomaterials. ...
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Nanoparticle technology, which handles the preparation, processing, application and characterisation of nanoparticles, is a new and revolutionary technology. It becomes the core of nanotechnology as an extension of the conventional Fine Particle / Powder Technology. Nanoparticle technology plays an important role in the implementation of nanotechnology in many engineering and industrial fields including electronic devices, advanced ceramics, new batteries, engineered catalysts, functional paint and ink, Drug Delivery System, biotechnology, etc.; and makes use of the unique properties of the nanoparticles which are completely different from those of the bulk materials.
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Metal Nanoparticles: Synthesis Characterization & Applications
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Offers the latest research on the synthesis, characterization, and applications of nanoparticle structural, optical, and electronic properties.
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International Journal of Nanoparticles
by Inderscience Enterprises Ltd
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Synthesis, functionalization and surface treatment of nanoparticles is an area of crucial importance in the emerging field of nanotechnology. Controlling the surface chemical composition and mastering its modification at the nanometer scale are critical issues for high-added value applications involving nanoparticles. The basic applications of surface functionalization range from altering the wetting or adhesion characteristics and improving the nanoparticles dispersion in matrices to enhancing the catalytic properties and ordering the interfacial region, and such. The creation of specific surface sites on nanoparticles for selective molecular attachment is considered a promising approach for their applications in nanofabrication, nanopatterning, selfassembly, nanosensors, bioprobes, drug...
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Recent advances in the synthesis, stabilization, passivation and functionalization of a wide range of metal, metal oxide, semiconductor and other inorganic, polymer, organic, carbon and biological nanoparticles are reported in this book. Diverse shapes of nanoparticles are discussed here including spheres, cubes, nanorods, nanowires, nanotubes, nanocapsules, and nanopyramids. In the section on metals, one can find description of colloidal and wet chemical approaches to synthesize nanoparticles, methods to control number of functional groups and to attain aqueous dispersibility, impact of stabilizers on SERS activity, and ways to tune plasmon resonance via nanoparticle shapes. A time dependent density functional theory to evaluate adsorption properties of passivating ligands is also...
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60 Minutes - The Kanzius Machine (April 13, 2008)
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