Day 3 :
Keynote Forum
H. Jörg Osten
Leibniz University Hannover, Germany
Keynote: Epitaxial oxides on silicon for nanoelectronic applications
Time : 09:30 - 10:00
Biography:
H Jörg Osten has studied Physics in Poland. First he was working at the Institute for Physical Chemistry in Berlin in the field of Radio-Frequency Spectroscopy. In 1988, he joined the Institute of Semiconductor Physics (IHP) in Frankfurt, Germany. In 2002, he became the Director of the Institute Electronic Materials and Devices at the Leibniz University of Hannover, Germany, where he also holds a Chair for Electronic Materials and Technology. He has published more than 270 papers and gave more than 80 invited and 200 contributed talks at international conferences.
Abstract:
The ability to integrate crystalline metal oxide dielectric layers into silicon structures can open the way for a variety of novel applications which enhances the functionality and flexibility ranging from high-K replacements in future MOS devices to oxide/silicon/oxide heterostructures for nanoelectronic application in quantum-effect devices. We present results for crystalline gadolinium oxides on silicon grown by solid source molecular beam epitaxy. The dielectric properties of such oxides are sensitive to small variations in structure and symmetry. It is known that thin layers of crystalline rare earth oxides can exhibit significant larger dielectric constants compared to bulk materials. We will explain these effects by strain induced structural phase deformations. First, we will report on the dependence of the dielectric constant on layer thickness for epitaxial Gd2O3 on Si (111). Controlling the oxide composition in ternary (Gd1-xNdx)2O3 thin films enables us to tune the lattice mismatch to silicon, and thus the strain-induced variation in the dielectric constants of the layer. We will finally demonstrate different approaches to grow Si nanostructures embedded into crystalline rare earth oxides. By efficiently exploiting the growth kinetics one could create nanostructures exhibiting various dimensions, ranging from three dimensionally confined quantum dots to the quantum wells, where the particles are confined in one of the dimensions. Double-barrier structures comprising epitaxial insulator as barriers and Si as quantum-well are attractive candidate for resonant tunneling devices. Embedded Si quantum dots exhibit excellent charge storage capacity with competent retention and endurance characteristics suitable for non-volatile memory device applications.
Keynote Forum
Christian Gagnon
Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Canada
Keynote: Silver nanoparticles in municipal wastewaters and environmental fate
Time : 10:00 - 10:30
Biography:
Christian Gagnon is a Senior Researcher in Geochemistry at Environment and Climate Change, Canada. He obtained his PhD from the University of Quebec/INRS-Oceanography and completed his Postdoctoral studies on the bioavailability of contaminants at the State University of New York, Stony Brook. His research focuses on the fate, transformation and behaviour of chemical contaminants released into the aquatic environment. All of its work aims at a better understanding of the mechanisms of transformation and the fate of metals and emerging substances in waste water discharges and the receiving environment. He has published over 150 scientific publications and reports and has contributed to over 250 scientific presentations on contaminant behaviour in the aquatic environment.
Abstract:
Silver nanoparticle is largely used for various products and is finally found in discharged wastewaters. Silver was typically detected in all investigated municipal wastewaters. Concentrations of total silver in municipal were measured to assess Ag removal efficiency of treatment plants. Wastewater samples were also analyzed by the technique of single-particle inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (SP-ICP-MS) to identify and determine that they contained silver nanoparticles. Nano-sized forms would account for less than 5% of the total Ag released from municipal effluents. Once released in the receiving environment, Ag NPs can undergo major transformation and their initial properties can be modified under natural conditions. The developed analytical approach was used for tracking silver nanoparticles and their degradation products over a period of 80 days. Particle size distributions changed significantly under different experimental conditions where most material was found in coarse colloidal fractions (<100 kDa). The presence of natural humic substances slowed degradation of nanoparticles, which is characterized by the increase of free/small ion complexes and the detection of colloids with a size less than 80 nm. Haft-live values were generally estimated to be less than 15 days under natural conditions. Future research on nanotoxicity should consider exposure conditions, and then potential transformation, for risk assessment studies.
Keynote Forum
Krasimir Vasilev
University of South Australia, Australia
Keynote: Nano engineered plasma polymer films for biomedical applications
Biography:
Abstract:
In this talk, author will present recent developments from his lab on various biomaterial coatings that are facilitated by plasma deposition. These include antibacterial coatings, drug release platforms and cell guidance/capture surfaces. Undesired bacterial adhesion and subsequent colonization of medical devices is a substantial medical problem causing complex and sometime fatal infections. We have developed various strategies for generation of antibacterial coatings that can be applied to medical device surfaces. These involve means such as silver nanoparticles, antibiotics, nitric oxide, quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) or simply coatings that have intrinsic low fouling properties. All these coatings are facilitated by plasma deposition, a technique that provides functional films placed to the surface of any type of material. Important for applications, we not only extensively test our coating for their antibacterial efficacy against medically relevant pathogens but also assess their potential cytotoxicity to mammalian cell and inflammatory consequences. We have also developed methods for the synthesis and surface immobilization of hybrid antibacterial nanocapsules and nanoparticles, including such capable of triggered release. In a second part of the talk author outline his work on developing advanced nanoengineered plasma polymer coatings capable of directing cellular behavior including adhesion, proliferation, differentiation and migration. We have developed unique capabilities to control and tailor entire spectrum of surface properties such as chemistry, wettability, ligand densities, nanomechanics and nanotopography in a substrate independent fashion. We can tailor all these surface properties in a gradient manner too. Author will demonstrate how we use surface gradients of nanoparticles density to study the influence of surface nanotopography on the behavior of various cell types, including immune cells and author will outline how we guide the differentiation of stem cells by tailoring surface chemistry, nanotopography or density of signaling molecules. Author will briefly present drug delivery and release platforms that we have developed including a method for solvent free encapsulation of drug particles. A recently developed device for selective cancer cell capture for complex liquids and how it is used for diagnostic of bladder cancer will also be presented.
- Plenary Session
Session Introduction
Laura Oliveira-Nascimento
State University of Campinas, Brazil
Title: Pre-formulation of Nanostructured Lipid Carriers (NLC) for drug delivery: Excipientexcipient interaction
Time : 11:15 - 11:45
Biography:
Laura de Oliveira Nascimento has completed her PhD from University of São Paulo (USP), Brazil in 2011 with Doctoral internship at Boston University, USA, and Postdoctoral studies in USP. She is a Professor at State University of Campinas, Brazil. Her research group is focused on nanotechnology and freeze dried pharmaceutical dosage forms.
Abstract:
NLCs are composed by at least one solid lipid, one oil, surfactant and water. Previous works used regular purified oils and focused mostly on dosage form optimization; however these approaches present contaminants that can mask or mislead interactions, whereas optimization designs allows few excipients to be tested. Therefore, our goal was to assess physicochemical interactions due to super refined lipids and surfactants in NLCs loaded with lidocaine. Free drug analysis included: drug solubility and partition coefficient, thermal profile of solid excipients. NLC was formulated according to nonregular design of experiment (Hall 2, 2 levels of substance concentration, 8 excipient inputs and 1drug input). NLC outputs included z-average, polydispersity index, zeta potential and entrapment efficiency. Z-average (ZA) presented unimodal distribution, mean size (322±47) nm. The interaction between polysorbate-80 (PS), castor oil (CA) and cetyl palmitate (CP) affected ZA. Polydispersity index (PDI) variated between 0.14 to 0.35, mean (0.23±0.05). The main factors that influenced PDI were PS, CP and CA. Zeta potential (ZP) presented mean value (-46.2±4.4) mV. Surfactants influenced ZP values depending on the liquid lipids. Entrapment efficiency was between 58% and 79%, mean (72±5)% and interaction among liquid lipids was crucial to this output, such as cottonseed (CS) and capric/caprylic (CC) oils. Based on the responses, CA, CP, CC and PS were the most interactive excipients; our innovative approach provided an extensive information base, broad excipient analysis, unpublished interactions and relevant information for further formulation optimization.
Anthony N. Papathanassiou
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
Title: Dispersed nano-graphene platelets within water-soluble bio-compatible polymers: Characterization of multi-scale electric charge flow in combined pressure and temperature conditions
Time : 11:45 - 12:15
Biography:
Anthony N Papathanassiou is leading the Dielectric Spectroscopy Laboratory at the Department of Physics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), Greece. He got his PhD in Solid State Physics from NKUA. He worked as Research Associate in NKUA, Universität Bayreuth and Lyman Physics Laboratory, Harvard University as a Research Scholar or Research Fellow. His current research interest is on electric charge transport and relaxation in electron-conducting polymers and nano-composites, emphasizing on the role of pressure and temperature on electronic properties and phase transitions of condensed matter.
Abstract:
The electronic properties of polymer composites with dispersed nano-graphene platelets (NGPs) depend on the transition rate of charge carrier transport by fluctuation induced tunneling through the insulating polymer. The transition rate is determined by the concentration of conducting islands, pressure and temperature. Different electric charge flow mechanisms are characterized by different transition rates which can be resolved by employing broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS). Polyvinylalcohol (PVA) and polyvinylalcohol/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVA/PVP) 50 w/w, which are flexible, water-soluble, bio-compatible polymers with sufficient optical transparency, were loaded with NGP fractions in the vicinity of electrical percolation threshold. BDS at temperatures below 313 K and pressures up to 30 MPa results in balancing conductivity vs. capacitance effects. A number of interesting phenomena are reported and interpreted, in terms of the critical behavior of the composites around the insulator to conductor transition, as well as to the glass transition of PVA. Pressure-temperature BDS enables a detailed insight into microscopic charge transport processes, providing the knowledge for functionalization and optimization of the physical properties of the nano-composites. The switching behavior of the nano-composites suggests that they may probably be used as pressure sensors.
Ewa Kazimierska
Swansea University, UK
Title: How carbon nanotubes functional groups influence copper electrodeposition for electrical transmission?
Time : 12:15 - 12:45
Biography:
Ewa Kazimierska is Ser Cymru II Recapturing Talent Fellow working in Energy Safety Research Institute at Swansea University in Wales, UK. She came back to academia after prolonged career break and the key research goal of her current project is to develop the next generation materials for electrical power transmission. Her interest is in the integration of carbon materials in metals aiming to develop ultraconductive copper-carbon nanotube composites. She has completed her PhD from City University of New York and Postdoctoral studies from Dublin City University. She completed her Master studies from Warsaw University.
Abstract:
Ultraconductive copper-carbon nanotubes composites are novel advanced materials for fabrication of lighter and more stable electrical wires to provide more efficient energy transport. To overcome the limitation of copper and CNTs incompatibility various types of pre-functionalised nanotubes were used. The dynamics of electrochemical deposition and dissolution of copper in the presence of amine- and carboxylic- functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes has been studied in detail using an electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance. It was found that carbon nanotube functionalization has critical influence on the values of mass and current densities of copper deposition. Presence of amine functionalization increases competitive hydrogen evolution without significantly affecting the total amount of deposited copper, whereas carboxylic groups clearly enhance deposition of larger amounts of smoother copper deposits. Molar mass analysis of deposited species reveals interactions of carbon nanotubes with the electrode surface dependent on the type of functionalization. In the light of present results, the effect of carbon nanotube functionalization should be closely considered in the development of electrochemical strategies for the integration of carbon nanotubes in metallic copper.
Carlo Bradac
University of Technology of Sydney, Australia
Title: Nanoscale optical trapping: Current challenges and future directions
Time : 12:45 - 13:15
Biography:
Carlo Bradac is a Research Fellow at the University of Technology, Sydney. He studied Physics and Engineering at the Polytechnic of Milan, Italy where he achieved his Bachelor’s degree in 2004 and Master’s degree in Engineering for Physics and Mathematics in 2006. He received his PhD in Physics at Macquarie University in 2012. His research focuses on colour centres in diamond and on their potential use in quantum information technologies, biomedical applications and high-resolution single-spin sensing.
Abstract:
Probing biological processes down to the single-molecule scale, in vivo, is one of the prime yet unreached goals of biomedicine. This matters because at the most fundamental level human physiology and all biological processes are the result of intricate actions of single proteins such as enzymes, motor proteins, DNA or RNA molecules. Common fluorescence microscopy techniques employ luminescent bio-labels to image biological systems. They are ensemble methods which average over the whole population of molecules and provide a coarse overview of the process under investigation. Specialized, molecule-targeted techniques do exist. They are based on optical tweezers/traps (OTs), which allow for the manipulation of small bio-labels to probe, for instance, pico-Newton forces of molecular motors such as kinesin, dynein and myosin. Whilst being a great tool, OTs are limited by the size-range of objects they can address and the forces they can exert. Classical optical trapping relies on large (~0.1-1 µm) refractive beads to work, which clashes with the push, in biomedicine, towards reaching the (sub)nanometre-scale regime of single-molecule exploration. Also, forces within living cells can be relatively large (~10 pN) and require a high-power laser in the OT; this is not ideal as it can result in cell damage. After reviewing the main limitations of current OTs, author present some of the pioneering work which they are doing to overcome these limits and develop OTs compatible with delicate biological environment and which will potentially allow for reaching size (~tens of nm) and force regimes (~hundreds of pN) unattainable with current techniques.
Il-Kwon Oh
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, South Korea
Title: Functionally antagonistic nano-engineering
Time : 14:00 - 14:30
Biography:
Il-Kwon Oh is the Director of Active Materials and Dynamic Systems Lab and is working as a Full Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at KAIST. He received his PhD degree from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at KAIST and joined LG Digital Appliance Research Laboratory as a Senior Researcher in 2001. And then he became an Assistant Professor at Chonnam National University in 2004 and was promoted as an Associate Professor in 2008. Also, he was a visiting scholar in Stanford University at 2007. In 2010, he moved to KAIST as an Associate Professor and was promoted to a Full Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering in 2015. Currently, he is a Director of the Creative Research Initiative Center for Functionally Antagonistic Nano-Engineering. He is an Editorial Board member in Scientific Reports, Actuators, Graphene and an Associate Editor in International Journal of Smart and Nano-Materials and Frontiers in Materials, Smart Materials Section. Also, he served as a congress chair of the 7th World Congress on Biomimetics, Artificial Muscles and Nano-Bio, which was held in Jeju Island, in 2013.
Abstract:
Low-dimensional nanostructures such as 0D fullerene, 1D carbon nanotube, and 2D graphene materials have received widespread attention due to their excellent mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. However, they have not yet reached the stage of engineering applications and industrialization because of problems such as intrinsic defects, dispersion, restacking, and alignment. Therefore, to overcome the limitations of the low-dimensional nano-carbons, it is necessary to develop 3D multifunctional hetero nanostructures that have strong bonding between other nanostructures. Herein, this study will establish innovative defect engineering methods to form 3D multifunctional hetero-nanostructures by intentionally generating defects and using those defects as nucleation sites. And, we will establish a new concept of functionally antagonistic nano-engineering, which will allow us to realize synergistic multifunctionalities with 3D hetero nanostructures having two concurrent antagonistic functions (i.e. energy storage and energy dissipation). During the defect engineering processes, physical and atomic scale defects will be intentionally generated and those defects will be used as functionally active sites for strong bonding among different nanostructures. This study will extend this new preliminary method to make various 3D hetero-nanostructures such as highly porous 3D networked structures with efficient ionic pathways, nanohole-structured and catalyst-embedded porous nanostructures, carbon fabric having anode/cathode nanowire electrodes, and particle damping nanomaterials. 3D multifunctional hetero nanostructures will be applied in functionally antagonistic nano-engineering, which will have a great impact on our lives, allowing the fabrication of integrated composite structural modules with two antagonistic functions such as energy storage and energy dissipation functions needed in next generation electronics and vehicles. Thus, this new technology is expected to lead to new future industries that will greatly contribute to improvements in life quality, pique public interests, and lead to healthy lives for humankind. In addition, the defect engineering synthesis of 3D multifunctional hetero-nanostructures will include fundamental nano-science and will be disruptive technology that will have a great impact on industries involving machinery, energy, electronic instruments, the environment, etc.