PLEASE NOTE: The papers in this tipsheet are presented on different days and times but are all embargoed for the date/time shown above.
ATLANTA, March 26 — Using principles of green chemistry, scientists are designing materials and processes that provide the maximum benefits of nanotechnology while minimizing potential hazards. Green nanochemistry will be featured during a four-day symposium, "Nanotechnology and the Environment," March 26-29, at the 231st national meeting of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society. The symposium also will address applications of nanotechnology in medicine, electronics and energy. All presentations in this symposium take place at the Georgia World Congress Center. Selected topics are described below.
Sunday, March 26
EPA scientist addresses “state of the science” of environmental nanotechnology —Barbara Karn, Ph.D., an environmental scientist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Center for Environmental Research, will provide an overview of the current “state of the science” of environmental nanotechnology, including greener processes and new applications of green nanotechnology. She currently is on detail as a Visiting Scientist to The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. (I&EC 17, Sunday, March 26, 9:30 a.m., Room B313A)
“Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry” — Paul T. Anastas, Ph.D., director of the ACS Green Chemistry Institute, will discuss how to use the Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry to design the next generation of nanomaterials and the transformations necessary to make them. The principles, which include the prevention of waste and the design and use of safer chemicals, are key to achieving genuine sustainability for the simultaneous benefit of the environment, economy and society, he says. (I&EC 20, Sunday, March 26, 11:45 a.m., Room B313A)
Monday March 27
Surface chemistry called key to designing non-toxic nanomaterials — Surface chemistry, not size and shape, appears to be the key feature governing the biological activity of nanoparticles, says Vicki Colvin, Ph.D., director of the Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology at Rice University in Houston. This finding is being used to guide the development of greener nanomaterials that are less likely to pose health and environmental risks, she says. (I&EC 182, Monday, March 27, 8:35 a.m., Room B313A)
New water-soluble carbon nanotubes could lead to improved electronics, medicine — Researchers at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) in Newark say they have developed a simple, quick method — using microwave energy — for developing highly water-soluble carbon nanotubes. Because the new nanotubes are up to 125 times more water soluble than other carbon nanotubes, they also are more functional for a wider variety of potential applications, including thin films, composites, faster computer chips and improved drug delivery, according to study leader Somenath Mitra, Ph.D., a professor at NJIT. (I&EC 183, Monday, March 27, 9:00 a.m., Room B313A)
Tuesday, March 28
Nanomaterials shine spotlight on cheaper, more efficient solar cells — A. Paul Alivisatos, Ph.D., co-editor of the ACS journal Nano Letters and a chemist at the University of California, Berkeley, will discuss recent efforts to develop improved solar cells using nanomaterials, which could lead to greener, cheaper and more efficient ways to generate electricity. (I&EC 228, Tuesday, March 28, 9:00 a.m., Room B313A)
Fuel cells may get efficiency boost with nanomaterials - Joseph M. DeSimone, Ph.D., a chemist at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, is developing new proton exchange membranes patterned at the nanoscale that could lead to better, more efficient fuel cells. The development also may allow methanol to be used directly as a fuel source instead of hydrogen, he says. (I&EC 233, Tuesday, March 28, 11:05 a.m., Room B313A)
Wednesday, March 29
Nanosphere sensors used to detect hazardous materials — Researchers at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater have developed polymer nanospheres that can be used to detect hazardous materials in aquatic environments near parts per billion levels. The sensors, which change their shape and optical properties depending on the chemical that is present, can be read by optical spectroscopic techniques to identify the chemical, the researchers say. (I&EC 285, Wednesday, March 29, 1:35 p.m., Room B313B)
The American Chemical Society — the world’s largest scientific society — is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.