By: Tyler Berberich Chicago-Kent College of Law t yler.berberich@gmail.com

1. By: Tyler Berberich Chicago-Kent College of Law tyler.berberich@gmail.com

2. Nanotechnology Basics • Working at the atomic, molecular, and supramolecular levels • Length scale of approximately 1-100 nm range • Goal: To create and use materials, devices, and systems with fundamentally new properties and functions because of their small structure

3. Small Scale • Nanometer = 1 billionth of a meter • Each Nanometer is only 3-5 atoms wide

4. “Bottom-Up” Approach • Concept introduced by Eric Drexler • Process of building things atom by atom to decrease waste and increase reactivity 1 1. Nanogloss.com

5. Nanofactory Movie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEYN18d7gHg Nanofactories • To build a nanofactory, you need to start with a working fabricator, a nanoscale device that can combine individual molecules into useful shapes. • A fabricator could build a very small nanofactory, which could build another one twice as big, and so on. Within a period of weeks, you have a personal desktop model. • Products made by a nanofactory will be assembled from nanoblocks, which will be fabricated within the nanofactory. Some believe that the product that comes out of the nanofactory will be a mostly-solid block or brick that will unfold like a pop-up book or inflate like an air mattress. • Computer aided design (CAD) programs will make it possible to create state-of-the-art products simply by specifying a pattern of predesigned nanoblocks. Edit this and add more info http://www.crnano.org/bootstrap.htm

6. Nanofactory Products • Anything from super-powerful laptop computers to high powered batteries to extraordinarily strong machines, etc. Vision of a future desktop nanofactory

7. Uses of Nanotechnology • Uses of Nanotechnology can be found everywhere • Solar power, batteries, weapons, tool design and manufacture… just about anywhere you look, nanotechnology could play a future role • Because there are so many uses, they must be narrowed here. This presentation will focus on nanotechnology use in batteries, solar energy, and hydrogen production

8. Nanotechnology in Solar Energy • Basics of photovoltaic cells a. Encapsulate b. Contact Grid c. Antireflective Coating d. N-type Silicon e. P-type Silicon specmat.com

9. specmat.com

10. Howstuffworks.com

11. Nanotech Improvement of Solar Energy • The primary problem with current solar energy systems is their relative inefficiency • The most advanced solar cells can only make use of 10 to 30 percent of the available solar energy hitting the solar cells technologynewsdaily.com

12. Dye Sensitive Solar Cells With Nanotube Coatings • Researchers at Penn State University are focusing on the use of titaniananotubes and natural dye in an attempt to make more cost-effective solar energy www.physorg.com

13. Issues with Dye Sensitive Nanotube Cells • Thickness of titanium layer – too thin • Thickness of spacers – too thick Titanium Layer Spacers www.physorg.com http://www.technologyreview.com/Nanotech/18259/

14. Greater Efficiency of Nanotech • Nanocrystals • More electrons – 3 to 1 • More energy prduced Regular Solar Nanocrystals

15. Better Light Collecting Capability • Nanoscale Antennae • DNA “scaffold” • Increase photon absorption • Issue • Energy lost in transportation • Possible Solution • DNA controlled antennae placement See http://www.technologynewsdaily.com/node/4856 for further info

16. Current Progress in Solar Nanotech • 6% efficiency in plastic solar cells • Benefits of plastic cells • Flexible • Wrapable • Home use • Possible uses • Roofing • Automobiles • Soldiers

17. Nanotech in Batteries www.altairnano.com

18. Batteries, the Basics http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/lithium-ion-battery1.htm

19. Batteries, the Basics Cont’d http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/lithium-ion-battery1.htm

20. Toshiba Quick Charge Battery • Normal lithium ion batteries “bottleneck” during recharge if done too quickly • Can cause serious effects, even explosions • This battery is said to recharge to 80% in one minute and 100% in under 10 • For industrial and automotive uses http://www.technewsworld.com/story/hardware/41889.html

21. Nano PossibilitiesAltair Technology NanoSafe Battery • Longer Battery Life • Potentially up to 20+ years • Faster Recharge • Potential to recharge in minutes • Higher and Lower Operating Temperatures • From -50°C/-60°F to +75°C/165°F • Higher Power Output • Potentially 4 times greater than current lithium ion rechargeable battery capability www.altairnano.com

22. Revolutionary Battery Electrodes • For use in the automotive or other industries that are looking for a reasonably priced, high power battery • More power and a high rate of discharge -key requirements • Hybrid batteries or other applications that require quick bursts of power • Electrode production system allows for the use of low cost raw materials and eliminates the need for undesirable additives such as binders and solvents that can slow a battery's rate of power output • It could enable exploration into other areas, such as fuel cells, super capacitors and even electronic wires, all of which will benefit from the high discharge rates and other performance and cost advantages of this nanotechnology http://www.voyle.net/Nano%20Battery/Nano%20Battery%202005-0004.htm

23. Hydrogen Production • Hydrogen is currently produced in a number of different ways • Problems with two current means of hydrogen production • Electrolysis • Using Electricity – Powered primarily by burning fossil fuels • Steam Reforming • Creates unacceptable amounts of carbon monoxide

24. Hydrogen Production • Researchers at Penn State are using titania nanotubes in solar cells to create hyrdogen • Put water in – separate the parts http://www.azonano.com/news.asp?newsID=1806

25. Another Current Hydrogen Issue • For cars, 4 kilograms compressed hydrogen = approx. 300 miles • Would need a 50 gallon drum in the car • Very volatile • Storage ability must roughly double to reach engineering viability • Material processing must also be cheaper https://public.ornl.gov/conf/nanosummit2004/talks/4_Jorgensen.ppt

26. Nanotech Safe Hydrogen Storage • Still in exploration and early stages of research • May be able to store hydrogen in safe, light packages which allow for greater heat flow • Researchers trying to determine which nano-materials would be best

27. Possible Problems with Nanotechnology • Disruption of economic structure • Products at the nano level may be cheap to create and may require very little human labor • Devaluing material and human resources • Security Issues • Extremely small fully functional devices may become a security concern for the war on terrorism • Possible nanotech arms race http://www.crnano.org/dangers.htm#economy

28. Further Concerns • Possible instability of certain nanostructures • Researchers at Vanderbilt University have raised concerns over soccer ball shaped “buckeyballs” when dissolved in water • Buckyball Danger? • Researchers claim they may have revealed a potentially serious problem: “Buckyballs have a potentially adverse effect on the structure, stability and biological functions of DNA molecules.” • Could this happen in our bodies? http://www.voyle.net/Nano%20Debate%202005/Nano%20Debate%202005-0040.htm

29. Greatest Challenges to Nanotech • Materials are hard to handle and difficult to keep stable • Understanding nano material characteristics • A single particle silicon will no longer act like bulk silicon • Depends on size, shape, and environment of the particle

30. Conclusion Nanotechnology has to potential to revolutionize the US energy system. From fuel cells, to cell phone batteries, to space equipment, and everywhere in between nanotechnology can be utilized But, there is still a lot of research to be done and many hurdles to cross to make this technology commercially practicable