Illinois nanotechnology on display in Washington

4/18/2008 Lauren Eichmann, ECE Illinois

Irfan Ahmad, associate director for the Illinois Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST), recently attended a High Tech Caucus in Nanotechnology Information and Product Display hosted by various congressmen on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

Written by Lauren Eichmann, ECE Illinois

Irfan Ahmad
Irfan Ahmad

Irfan Ahmad, associate director for the Illinois Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST), recently attended a High Tech Caucus in Nanotechnology Information and Product Display hosted by various congressmen on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

Ahmad said the forum was implemented as a direct result of the possible renewal of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), which provides a "multi-agency framework to ensure U.S. leadership in nanotechnology to improve human health, economic well-being and national security." The NNI invests in federal nanotechnology research and development to further the understanding of "nanoscale phenomena and facilitates technology transfer."

Ahmad said he hopes the event helped to expose Illinois as a strong player in nanotechnology. "We feel that Illinois has considerable strengths in nanotechnology and can uniquely contribute to carving out a niche for Illinoisans, as well as nationwide and globally," said Ahmad. He said there were around 25 companies, non-profit organizations, and academic institutions present. Among those attending were General Electric, start-up companies such as NanoInk, Nanotex, and Argonne National Laboratory.

Officially started in 2003, the NNI is up for consideration of reauthorization by Congress. Congress would need to decide, if renewed, the level of funding and focus areas in nanotechnology. The congressmen and congressional staff present at the forum received feedback from Ahmad and other researchers and specialists in the field, including those from the Nanobusiness Alliance - the world's leading nanotechnology trade association that was also instrumental in inviting the University of Illinois, and various companies, to the Capitol.

The goal of the Feb. 27 panel discussion, convened by the High Tech and Nanotech Caucuses, was to educate attendees on the status of nanotechnology and bring industry to the forefront. Ahmad said it was very well attended. At the request of Illinois Congressman Daniel Lipinski, who expressed a desire for representation from the University, Ahmad presented current Illinois research and devices for display.

"For most people, nanotechnology is very abstract. So it’s very difficult to perceive how nanotechnology can be of potential benefit to an individual or society," explained Ahmad. "Having these gadgets and devices and sensors on display, and being able to interact with them, really showed how nanotechnology can impact how we live and interact with the environment."

During the meeting there was a brief slide show depicting a sampling of the nanotechnology research more than 150 individuals are engaged in at Illinois. The Illinois booth featured information about the LEDs developed by ECE Professor Nick Holonyak, quantum dots for use in security, medicine, and the nano-photonics area from ECE Professor James Coleman’s research, as well as handheld devices to detect chemicals in the air as a biosecurity device.

ECE Associate Professor Brian Cunningham’s work on photonic crystal biosensors for medical and agricultural applications of nanotechnology was also displayed. The use of silicon nano-particles for solar cells can boost power, reduce heat and prolong the cell's life, making it environmentally safe technology. This topic was of special interest to the scientific staff from California Congressman Dana Rohrabacher’s office, said Ahmad. The lower carbon imprint of such particles makes it appealing for researchers to enhance the performance of solar energy cells.

Senior staffers from Illinois Congressman Tim Johnson’s and Congresswoman Jan Schwakowsky’s offices, along with a host of others, also visited the Illinois booth and exchanged ideas with Ahmad on enhancing Illinois’s role in nanotechnology research, development, and commercialization.

"What I came back with was how useful it was for us to participate, and make our presence known," said Ahmad. "Generally people think the University of Illinois to be a geographically challenged location. But we offset it with our intellectual powerhouse."

Ahmad said everyone was making a pitch to the congressmen emphasizing the importance of nanotechnology and how it would be possible to relate investment to innovation and leadership in the world. "It is imperative to continue on with our research," said Ahmad. "Innovation is a continuous process, more so if the U.S. is to continue to maintain its leadership in areas such as nanotechnology, and to maintain its competitive edge for the economic and physical well-being of Americans. Therefore, making investments in some of these cutting-edge technologies is imperative. The emphasis during the caucus was on how we need to continue the momentum, but not only continue the momentum - but invest more," he added.

These discussions at the Hill had been spearheaded earlier by College of Engineering Dean Ilesanmi Adesida, then director of the Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory (MNTL), and have continued with visits to the Hill by current MNTL Director Rashid Bashir.

Ahmad thinks more funding allocated toward industry-academia partnerships is important, as is additional interaction between such entities to move technologies from the lab to the market. "It was emphasized that in order to maintain U.S. leadership in science and technology, it is imperative (the country) continues to invest in areas such as nanotechnology," he said. "At the CNST we feel that the next generation of novel discoveries in the nanotechnology area would be in agriculture, food, medicine, pharmaceutical, and energy. We know that the University of Illinois has all the ingredients in place to be the core for providing such excellence and leadership in Illinois and nationwide," Ahmad added. "One of our focuses is to make people aware of the pivotal role that we are playing in the discovery of paradigm-shifting technologies."

Ahmad and Cunningham will have an invited article appear in the April IEEE Nanotechnology Magazine. It will relate some of the nanotechnology research currently underway by researchers across the Urbana campus.


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This story was published April 18, 2008.