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Nanomaterials Characterization Facility Supports Interdisciplinary Research

Assistant Professor Wei Tan of mechanical engineering and pediatric cardiology demonstrates the confocal laser-scanning microscope to an audience at the grand opening of the Nanomaterials Characterization Facility.

University leaders officially opened the multimillion-dollar Nanomaterials Characterization Facility in the Discovery Learning Center on Nov. 16. The facility supports collaboration among business, government, and academic researchers involved in nanotechnology development throughout the area.

Nanotechnology involves understanding, controlling, and manipulating matter in the range of 1 to 100 nanometers, where unique phenomena enable many novel applications. A nanometer is one billionth of a meter, or about 75,000 times smaller than a strand of human hair. More than 100 faculty in biology, chemistry, engineering, and physics at CU-Boulder and dentistry, medicine, and pharmacy at CU-Denver and Health Sciences Center are involved in the research.

Colorado's business sector also is engaged in nanotechnology with 75 companies currently working in the field, according to a study by the Leeds School of Business. Nanotechnology represents a potential $2.6 trillion market by 2014, and Colorado has the opportunity to capture a significant share of the market, according to the Colorado Nanotechnology Roadmap prepared by Gary Horvath of the Business Research Division.

More than 240 people, including 100 from industry and government laboratories, attended the facility opening. Participants saw live demonstrations of five pieces of high-tech equipment, including a low-vacuum scanning electron microscope, which is used for high-resolution imaging of biological and insulating materials, and a confocal laser scanning microscope, which can be used to optically section a sample in order to assemble a highly accurate three-dimensional reconstruction.

Mechanical engineering Professor Y. C. Lee, who is the facility's director, told industry representatives he wants to make the facility a gateway for developing collaborations with CU faculty. Facility users must attend training and become certified before using the equipment.

The facility has been funded with $1.6 million in federal earmarks, $1.3 million in university matching funds, and $700,000 from various equipment grants awarded to faculty in mechanical engineering. Additional funds are being sought to purchase more equipment.