How Individual Anisotropy Scale Up Build Complex Structures

Semiconductor Nano crystals or quantum dots are materials that are typically 2-20 nm in diameter, consisting of approximately twelve to fourteen thousand atoms. The effect of quantum confinement results, in the electrons and holes in the Nano crystal to exhibit quantized energy states; thus enabling them to exhibit novel physical properties that are not found in their bulk counterparts. Research in semiconductor quantum dots started with the realization that the optical and electronic properties of these particles were strongly dependent on particle size, due to quantum confinement of the charge carriers in small spaces.

Fabrication of nanomaterials with strict control over size, shape, and crystalline structure has become very important for the applications of nanotechnology in numerous fields including catalysis, medicine, and electronics. Synthesis methods for nanoparticles are typically grouped into two categories: “top-down” and “bottom-up” approach. The first involves the division of a massive solid into smaller and smaller portions, successively reaching to nanometer size. This approach may involve milling or

The physicochemical properties of nanoparticles that have been identified as important factors in uptake and toxicity include crystal structure, size, surface charge, surface energy, and chemical composition [14].

My research themes and scholarly interests center on interdisciplinary science education for both undergraduate science majors and non-science majors. I plan to look into the design and development of new functional materials1,2 that could go beyond the conventional molecular dimensions2 and include bioinspired assemblies, supramolecular architectures, and nanoscale materials. Molecular assembly,2 a key feature of natural “active” materials, appears to be important for the chemical origins of life.3 Highly selective biomolecular

Hawkes, E., B. An, N. M. Benbernou, H. Tanaka, S. Kim, E. D. Demaine, D. Rus, and R. J. Wood. "Programmable Matter by Folding." PNAS 107.28 (2010): 12441-2445. Programmable Matter by Folding. PNAS. Web. 13 Apr. 2016. .

Moscher, Karl F. “Molecular Modeling.” Encyclopedia of Chemistry. Revised Edition. Science Online, online.infobase.com/HRC/Search/Details/8?articleId=299674&q=Models%20of%20Molecular%20Compounds. Accessed 3 May

The purpose of experiment 9 is to use stimulation to observed the shape of molecules. This stimulation follows the valence shell electron pair repulsion theory to show the basic shapes of molecules and its effects on polarity. The shapes of molecules are represented by molecular and electron geometry. The electronic shape is determined by the number of electron domains, which include lone pairs and bond pairs. An example from the stimulation is H2O, which has 2 bonding pair and 2 lone pair. Therefore, it has four electron domain and is considered to have a tetrahedral electronic shape. However, the molecular geometry is not tetrahedral because molecular geometry only counts the bond pair as electron domain. Hence, the molecular

Bisonnette, C. General Chemistry Principles and Modern Applications 10th ed. Pearson Canada Inc., Toronto (2011)

Computer simulations have afforded material scientists to identify the most promising functional materials to synthesize. While computer simulations have provided great advancements in material expectation it is still

Strands of DNA may either be twisted or curved into Nanoscale Shapes through folding. Multiple combined curved elements may be formed in order to build up many different types of complex nanostructures like square-toothed gears and wireframe beach balls. Complex higher-order structures to form multiple double-helical segments which are connected through a lot of turn regions can be engineered by the sequence of molecules of DNA. Shapes of nanoscale of the 1- to 100-nm (1-4) have been used in constructing two-dimensional (2D) crystals (5), 3D wireframe polyhedral (12-17) and nano tubes (6¬-11). A very powerful method to direct the self-assembly of the custom-shaped, planar arrays of anti parallel helices and megadalton-scale of the multiple kilo base “scaffold strand” has been introduced. In this case, a single staple strand can pair with many scaffold-strand segments in order to achieve the intended strategy of switching. With a strategy of extended DNA origami to 3D nano construction it can be conceptualized as anti parallel helices (19) by stacking corrugated sheets. In order to produce a variety of 3D shapes, the arrangement, individual lengths and number of helices may be tuned so as to help the design process (20) through graphical software development. By doing this, the design spaces of accessible DNA-origami shapes are expanded in order to increase the diversity of nanostructures curvature and designed twists in relation to nanoscale. The numbers of base pairs in

Although the small size of nanocrystals leads to several advantages, but at the same time, it can lead to stability concerns as well. Theoretically, if we increase the drug surface area, it leads to an increase in Gibbs free energy. The system tries to reverse this increase by agglomeration/aggregation, ultimately leading to increased particle size and reduced stability.

Today many common commercial products contain some sort of engineered nanoparticles. “Examples include cosmetics, sunscreens, clothes, solar cells, sporting good[s], paints, and electronics” (Kosal 8). Although major developments have only occurred in the last decade, the US military began conducting nanotechnology research in the early 1980s. It was not until the mid-1990s, after the Department of Defense (DoD) identified nanotechnology as one of the six ‘Strategic Research Areas’ of Interest, that major investments in the research and development in nanotechnology began. Nanotechnology research seeks to advance both offensive and defensive military objectives (Lele 234). In January of 2000, President Bill Clinton “unveiled the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) where he called for an initiative with funding levels around 500 million dollars” (Tate 23). “All branches of the U.S. military currently conduct nanotechnology research, including the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Office of Naval Research (ONR), Army Research Office (ARO), and Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR)” (Tate 20). By the conclusion of this paper, the reader will have a basic understanding of nanotechnology and its applicability in military affairs. Additionally, the reader will understand the hazards of nanotechnology in order to determine if the military should continue to focus on nanotechnology.

Nano is associated with anything in the dimensional range of nanometers (1/10^9 meter). A nanowire is a long cylindrical specimen having diameter in the range of few nanometers with an unconstrained length. Nanotubes are similarly hollow nanowires and consists of tubes of 1 atom wall thickness. As a whole we work with material properties in bulk and the quantum effects of atoms were averaged out. With nanotubes and nanowires we work with materials in single dimension and atoms start exerting significant quantum effect on mechanical properties and a wide range of new properties and applications are being discovered.

The key driving force for alignment of such BZO nanodots into columns oriented along the c axis is the minimization of the misfit strain arising from

Our MD simulation is carried out using GROMACS and the trajectories are visualized and also analyzed using VMD under Linux platform. We have performed a series of atomistic MD simulations to understand the dynamic and structural properties of the micelle formation. The ultimate goal of the study is to explore the plausibility of employing the self-assembly of a novel bolaamphiphilic molecule, called VECAR, as a drug-delivery system. A manuscript of the result is currently in preparation to be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal. Currently, I am working on developing a coarse-grained force field of the VECAR molecule using VOTCA to be able to simulate much larger scale system composed of micelles interacting with a bilayer membrane in a reasonable computation time. In the spring 2017 semester, plan to write an undergraduate thesis summarizing my research results. On publishing the thesis, Upon the completion of the thesis, a distinction “Honor Research Scholar” would be awarded.