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NZ Scientists Think Small at International Nanotechnology Conference
Wednesday, 4 February 2009
Materials that change shape when exposed to light or generate electricity from waste heat are two examples of innovative research to be shared by international nanotechnology scientists this month in Dunedin.
The fourth International Conference on Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology (AMN-4) will run from 8-12 February 2009 at the University of Otago. It is arranged by the MacDiarmid Institute, a partnership between the University of Otago, the University of Canterbury, Massey University, Industrial Research Limited, GNS Science, and Victoria University.
The conference will attract 300 delegates from New Zealand, Asia, Europe, Australia and North America. It is the largest regular meeting of physical scientists in New Zealand.
Among the participants will be Professor Sir Harry Kroto, 1996 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry for his work in discovering the carbon molecule C60 or ‘buckyball’.
“Scientists at the conference will report on advanced materials for solar cells, novel methods for detecting complex molecules, faster and cheaper ways for sequencing DNA and innovative techniques for making even smaller electronic devices,” says conference co-Chair Sally Brooker.
Professor Tim Sands from Purdue University in Indiana has developed new materials that can generate electricity from heat energy that would otherwise be wasted, such as from a hot car engine. These materials could be used to make vehicles and energy-intensive industrial processes more energy efficient, thereby reducing CO2 emissions.
Professor Mark Warner, a New Zealander based at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom, leads a team which has developed new materials that change their shape when exposed to light. These new materials could be used in various medical devices.
Professor David Williams from the University of Auckland will show how nanotechnology can be used to develop medical testing kits that can be used at home. These tests, which are based on the same principles as home pregnancy tests, would use only a pin prick of blood. Such tests could be used by people with heart conditions to monitor their own health without the need for hospital visits.
Professor Ping Chen from the National University of Singapore has developed a material that could be used for on-board hydrogen storage systems for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. This has the potential to make hydrogen fuel cell vehicles safer and more energy efficient.
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