DU professor improves nanotubes
Nathan Fried
Issue date: 5/22/09 Section: News
Li explained: "If you have smaller transistors, you have smaller circuit boards and smaller devices. This will make things run faster and consume less current and energy. It makes for an extremely efficient device."
Patterning of nanotubes is not just important to allow the placement of transistors but also other nanoparticles. Having the ability to add other structures to the nanotube will allow the technology to be used for various tasks.
"We are also trying to further integrate this structure with other technologies," Li said. "We were able to [place] a gold nanoparticle and in the future, we will explore putting other nanoparticles with magnetic [properties] which can direct the tube to move. We may even be able to put antigens and antibodies [onto carbon nanotubes] for some extremely sensitive biosensor work."
Li's team includes undergraduate students, graduate students, post-doctorates and colleagues from NSF. Although most undergraduates are B.S./M.S. students, Li also mentors two freshmen within his lab. When asked what it takes to become part of his nanotechnology lab, Li had very simple advice- work hard and get involved in research as soon as possible.
He said: "Without materials, you don't have anything. So developing new functional material is a key to meet challenges such as energy conservation or water purification; the global challenges. If you invest in science, it will later pay off and change people's lives."
Patterning of nanotubes is not just important to allow the placement of transistors but also other nanoparticles. Having the ability to add other structures to the nanotube will allow the technology to be used for various tasks.
"We are also trying to further integrate this structure with other technologies," Li said. "We were able to [place] a gold nanoparticle and in the future, we will explore putting other nanoparticles with magnetic [properties] which can direct the tube to move. We may even be able to put antigens and antibodies [onto carbon nanotubes] for some extremely sensitive biosensor work."
Li's team includes undergraduate students, graduate students, post-doctorates and colleagues from NSF. Although most undergraduates are B.S./M.S. students, Li also mentors two freshmen within his lab. When asked what it takes to become part of his nanotechnology lab, Li had very simple advice- work hard and get involved in research as soon as possible.
He said: "Without materials, you don't have anything. So developing new functional material is a key to meet challenges such as energy conservation or water purification; the global challenges. If you invest in science, it will later pay off and change people's lives."
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