Nanotechnology and Biomimicry

Anne Lynn Gillian-Daniel, Ph.D.Ben TaylorInterdisciplinary Education GroupUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison

“Nano” All around Us

Apparel with silver nanoparticles

VX Nano Cordless Laser Mouse

Self-cleaning glass

What is nanotechnology?

Nanotechnology is the understanding and control of matter 1 to 100 nanometers in size.

1. The nanometer is extremely small.

2. At the nanometer scale, many materials behave differently.

3. We can harness this new behavior to make new materials.

meter

1/100th of a meter(centimeter)

1/1000th of a meter (millimeter)

Exactly how small is a nanometer?

All these are still visible with your eyes.

A micrometer (µm) is one-millionth of a meter

One red blood cell is 6-8 µm

Nanoscale objects are 1,000 times smaller!!!

A human hair is ~40 µm

How small can you see?

Viruses

3-50 nm DNA1-2 nm

. . . Smaller than you can see!

A nanometer (nm) is one billionth of a meter!!

Nanometer:Part of the Metric System

kilometer km 1,000 1X103

meter m 1 1X100

millimeter mm 1/1,000 1X10-3

micrometer m 1/1,000,000 1X10-6

nanometer nm 1/1,000,000,000 1X10-9

picometer pm 1/1,000,000,000,000 1X10-12

Hair: ~40m

DNA: 1-2 nm

11-year-old human ~ 1.4 m

WI is 420 km wide

Nano Fun FactsIn the time it takes to read this sentence, your fingernails will have grown approximately one nanometer (1 nm).

A nm is to a meter as an eye blink is to one year.

www.9calendar.com/

www.badradical.net

Smallness leads to new properties

ColorMelting point

StrengthConductivity

Reactivity

Nano Gold

Macro Aluminum

Nano Aluminum

Macro Gold

Nature to Nanotech:Biomimicry

What is biomimicry?

Biomimicry is imitating nature’s best ideas to solve problems.

Nature’s inspiration Biomimicry

http://sbio.uct.ac.za/Webemu/gallery/descriptions.php

http://www.itsnature.org Getty Images courtesy of Speedo

Alexander Johmann/Flickr Eastgate Centre in Harare, Zimbabwe , Mandy Patter, Creative Commons

Burrs Velcro

Sharkskin Fast Swimsuit

Termite Dens Self-cooling Buildings

IridescenceColors change depending on the angle from which the surface is viewed

Different thicknesses (bubbles) or nano features (peacock) create iridescence

Peacock feather close-up

Blue Bedder flowers

Soap Bubble

Why is there iridescence in nature?• Attract mates or pollinators• Camouflage

Blue Morpho Butterfly

The iridescent color is created by nanometer-sized structures on the butterflies wing scales.

Blue Morpho Butterfly Wing

Scanning Electron Microscope image of the Blue Morpho butterfly showing nanoscale features responsible for iridescence. (Shinya Yoshioka, Osaka University)

These nano-scale ribs

reflect light to create

iridescent colors.

This microscope image shows the tree-like rib structures of a

cross-section of the wing.

Peacock feathers are iridescent

Peacock feathers close up

Nano size holes repeat as a pattern on the nano scale

SEM of a cross section of one barbule (Zi et al, PNAS 2003.)

This nanoscale pattern reflects light to create iridescent colors.

Biomimicry of Iridescence

Biomimicry of iridescence is used for security on currency, photo identification, and credit cards.

Biomimicry of Iridescence

Qualcomm has a new e-screen that mimics the iridescence of the blue Morpho butterfly. The screen gets brighter in sunlight.

The Lotus Effect

The lotus leaf is said to be “self-cleaning” because droplets of water roll off and remove dirt particles.

Nano-scale features, along with a waxy non-polar coating, together create a superhydrophobic surface. (very water repelling)

The Lotus Effect

Nano sized bumps

Biomimicry of The Lotus Effect

Lotusan paint mimics the lotus effect’s self-cleaning properties.

Nano-tex fabric repels liquids and stains.

Self-cleaning glass had nanostructures that prevent water from sticking to the glass.

Ormia Ears

Professor Nader Behdad of the UW-Madison is an engineer who is interested in the ears of Ormia flies

Ormia EarsTime Difference

Time Difference

Biomimicry of Ormia Ears

AntennaeHearing AidsMicrophones

What would inspire you in nature to solve a human problem?

AcknowledgmentsMRSEC Personnel and Collaborators

• NSF Materials Research Science and Engineering Center on Nanostructured Interfaces (DMR-0520527 and DMR-0079983)

• NSF Internships in Public Science Education (DMR-0424350)• NSF Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (ESI-053253)

National Science Foundation

This presentation is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under the following DMR grants: #0424350 (IPSE), #0520527 and #0779983 (MRSEC); and ESI grant #053253 Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessary reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

NISE Net Personnel and Collaborators

College of Engineering

Thank You

• Anne Lynn Gillian-Daniel, agillian@wisc.edu• Ben Taylor, bltaylor2@wisc.edu

• Our Website:www.mrsec.wisc.edu/nano