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Radical improvement of agricultural yields through biodegradable
nanomaterials for plant growth and pest inhibition will also be
feasible. Additionally, genetically improved strains of plants
resistant to environmental stresses of salinity or drought may be
developed through nano-array based DNA testing for determination
of gene expression.
From empowering a soldier with gear having 'smart capabilities' to
using nano-sensors in aircrafts for myriad uses — such as
vibration damping, noise reduction, and life-monitoring of
missiles — nanotechnology has tremendous potential in defence
applications, where the considerations for precision and
performance override those of economics. The increased use of nano-robotics
and automation will help reduce risks to military personnel, while
nano-sensors would be invaluable in monitoring chemical,
biological and nuclear warfare agents.
Nanotechnology Initiatives at IIT Bombay
The current research at IIT Bombay covers a gamut of areas
including: Nanomaterials, Nanoelectronics, NanoElectro-Mechanical
Systems (NEMS), Nanomagnetics, and Nano-biotechnology. Research is
being carried out with support from both Indian and international
agencies. IITB is equipped with sophisticated infrastructure —
including a Class1000 Clean Room — and several requisite
characterization facilities. The ongoing research activities are
described briefly in the subsequent sections.
Nano-materials: The basis of this domain of research is the
controlled synthesis of multilayers, ultra thin films,
nanoparticles, and nanoclusters of materials like: metals, metal
oxides, ceramics, polymers and nanocomposites. Currently,
nanomaterials find use in the areas of catalysis, paints and
pigments, drug delivery, photonic crystals, electronics, magnetic
recording materials, fuel-additives, and non-linear optics among
many others.
At IITB, nanomaterials are synthesized using a variety of methods,
such as Pulsed Laser Deposition, Hot Wire Chemical Vapour
Deposition, DC Magnetron Sputtering, and glass ceramic methods.
Nanoparticles for various uses are also produced at room
temperature and pressure, by methods using surfactants and
interfacial techniques (such as sol-gel technique and
micro-emulsion methods), or bio-mimetic methods of self-assembly.
Additionally, studies at IITB have identified the suitability of
using Supercritical Anti-Solvent methods for preparing
pharmaceutical nanoparticles of controlled sizes and shapes, in a
single step operation.
Another area of interest is the synthesis by self-assembly, and
the characterization of nanostructured photonic crystals. These
find applications in fiber optic communication, optical ICs and in
zero-threshold lasers.
In the area of organic multilayers, faculty at IITB have focused
on the development and characterization of a variety of Langmuir-Blodgett
multilayers, semiconducting nanoclusters, nanocrystalline films
and nanocomposites. Some of these nanomaterials find uses in LEDs
and biosensors.
The confinement of nanoparticles within the pores of mesoporous
materials is useful in a number of applications such as separation
technology, heterogenous catalysis and sensors. At IITB, metal
oxide nanoparticles of titanium, zinc, lead and iron have been
prepared within the pores of mesoporous MCM-41 and MCM-48
molecular sieves.
Nanoelectronics, NEMS and Nanomagnetics: A host of
nanotechnologies will influence the electronics industry in the
span of a decade. Accordingly, several groups at IITB are
currently engaged in developing various nanodevices. Additionally,
studies are focused on nano-crystalline silicon with grain size
less than 10 nm. These could be applied as window layers in solar
cells, and in nano-devices such as micro cantilevers and
micromotors
Nano CMOS devices: Today's manufacturing methods have enabled the
lithographic fabrication of transistors with a size of 100nm.
However, in the sub-100nm regime, critical dimensions on the chip
will have to be defined by novel processes. Accordingly, an
important area of endeavor at IITB is the fabrication of CMOS FETs
with ultra-short channel length of 50nm.
NEMS devices: Nano-transistor technology is being adapted for
building silicon-polymer hybrid nanosystems or NEMS with the aim
of developing a low-cost, field-portable biomedical system and a
total assay system. The former is designed to track diseases
ranging from AIDS to breast cancer, while the latter helps in
localized monitoring of the environment - for example, arsenic
level variation in groundwater.
Research in NEMS Bio-sensors involves the fabrication of
integrated cantilever arrays to detect markers for Acute
Myocardial Infarction (cardiac muscle damage accompanying a heart
attack). The advantage of such a protein chip is that it detects
multiple markers in a single reaction. Faculty at IITB are also
exploring the possibility of making 3D NEMS devices through
structuring glasses, using a combination of UV light and
annealing. .....more
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