Acknowledging the awards, Laboratory Director Bob Kukuck said, "I'm proud of the fact that Los Alamos scientists are a driving force behind the basic research required to produce nanotechnologies. Their collective work and creative genius are helping to ensure America's future."
The recently announced winners of the 2005 Nano 50 awards, which are designed to recognize "the 50 best of the best" in nanotechnology, include the development of four-centimeter-long carbon nanotubes and the graphite lattice production technology.
Laboratory scientist Lianxi Zheng, a member of Yuntian Zhu's carbon nanotube team, in the Materials Science and Technology Division recently synthesized single-wall carbon nanotubes 4 centimeters long--the world's longest -- using catalytic chemical vapor deposition from ethanol. Carbon nanotubes have a number of potenial uses. Spun into fibers or yarns, they would be more than 10 times stronger than any currently known structural material. Used in lightweight, high-strength applications, metallic nanotubes could be used in electro-mechanical systems such as microelectric motors, diodes and as wires in microelectronic devices.
The graphite lattice production technology allows complex graphitic structures of virtually any design to be grown chemically, inexpensively with simple equipment, and at relatively low temperatures using a process developed by Jonathan Phillips of the Laboratory's Engineering Sciences and Applications Division. These graphite structures could be used for heat spreaders and integrated circuit packages, as well as for elements in fuel cells, or as key parts of nanoscale circuits. The graphite structures also could be used to create strong and light composites with the potential to replace carbon fibers in structural materials already employed in applications ranging from golf clubs to airplanes.
Nanotech Briefs annually names the Nano 50, the ultimate list of the top 50 technologies, products, and innovators that have significantly impacted or will impact, key nanotechnology commercial markets, from automotive and electronics, to biomedical and materials. The Nano 50 seeks to recognize the most innovative people and design ideas that will revolutionize nanotechnology in the near-term and beyond. The awards will be presented on Nov. 10 at the Nano 2005 Conference and Expo in Boston, Mass. A complete list of the Nano 50 winners is available at www.nanotechbriefs.com online.
Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, a team composed of Bechtel National, the University of California, The Babcock & Wilcox Company, and Washington Group International for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.
Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns.