Nanotechnology at Oregon State University

By Linda Barney, Barney and Associates

OSU is a founding member of ONAMI and OSU faculty members are on the ONAMI leadership team and involved in co-research with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and the other research universities. Dr. Kevin Drost (associate professor of mechanical engineering at OSU) is an ONAMI research co-director; co-founder of PNNL micro chemical and thermal systems; program director of the OSU Center for Microtechnology-Based Energy, Chemical and Biological Systems (MECS); and founder and co-director of OSU-PNNL Microproducts Breakthrough Institute (MBI). Chemistry Professor and Department Chair Douglas Keszler is a prolific innovator in solid state materials, including several technologies that have been adopted by Oregon companies. The most recent is deep photonics, commercializing a high-performance non-linear optic crystal. Dr. Keszler also led – together with long-time collaborator Dave Johnson of U of O – the recruitment of ONAMI’s first signature faculty fellow, Dr. Mas Subramanian.

OSU's microtechnology-based energy, chemical and biological systems
MicroElectro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) are at the heart of miniaturization of components and devices. The advances in MEMS can also be applied to the area of energy, chemical, biomedical and biological systems; OSU has termed this area “Microtechnology-based Energy and Chemical Systems (MECS).” OSU’s Center for Microtechnology-Based Energy, Chemical and Biological Systems is an interdisciplinary program currently involving the colleges of agriculture, engineering and science and faculty from the departments of biochemistry and biophysics; bioengineering; chemical engineering; chemistry; civil, construction, and environmental engineering; electrical and computer engineering; industrial and manufacturing engineering; mechanical engineering; and microbiology.

Systems based on MECS technology exhibit extraordinary rates of heat and mass transfer associated with micro-structures. Examples of successful prototype development include miniaturized heat exchangers, evaporators, condensers, gas absorbers, bioreactors, small-scale chemical reactors, chemical separators, and gas analysis components, as well as pumps and valves. So what are some practical applications of MEC? Possible practical applications include:

• MECS refrigeration units that are small, lightweight and have the capability of cooling individual protective suits worn in biologically and chemically "hot" areas.
• Biodiesel reactors that are 1/100 to 1/1000 the size of a conventional biodiesel reactor and are capable of significantly improving the economics of biofuels. Nanofactories capable of producing a wide range of nanoparticles at a small fraction of the cost of conventional methods
• Extremely compact dialyzers for portable and home-based kidney dialysis
• A MECS reformer to strip hydrogen atoms from hydrocarbon-based fuels would allow the practical use of fuel cells in automobiles (with the associated higher efficiencies and lower pollution).

Microproducts Breakthrough Institute (MBI)
The Microproducts Breakthrough Institute (MBI) is a collaborative effort between OSU and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). MBI is developing microtechnology and microproducts for the following clients: US Department of Energy (DOE), Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), US Army, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the National Science Foundation (NSF). 

Transparent electronics and the Oregon State Materials Institute
An OSU team led by Professors John Wager (EECS0), Janet Tate (physics) and Doug Keszler (chemistry) – in collaboration with Hewlett-Packard – has become one of the world leaders in transparent and printed electronics research, and recently announced their most exciting milestone yet: the world’s first fully transparent integrated circuit. Together with research collaborators at U of O, PNNL and PSU, this team is a crucial part of a strategy to make Oregon and ONAMI a world leader in commercially important aspects of materials science such as electronic and optic materials.

ONAMI recently announced the arrival of Dr. Mas Subramanian, ONAMI’s first signature faculty fellow. Dr. Subramanian will hold the Harris Chair of Chemistry at OSU and also direct the Oregon State Materials Institute. Dr. Subramanian comes to Oregon from DuPont’s Central Research Laboratory, where he established a commercialization and research track record as one of the world’s top materials scientists. He brings great energy and ambition to the ONAMI collaboration, and Oregon is incredibly fortunate that someone who could have literally gone anywhere chose to join Oregon’s technology community.

The ONAMI @ OSU Research Cluster
OSU has a research cluster called “ONAMI @ OSU” that is putting nanotechnology to work in micro systems for homeland security, clean and efficient energy systems, new medical devices and transparent electronics. According to Dr. Drost, “The technologies under development here have the potential to transform the economic landscape of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest.” ONAMI @ OSU includes the Corvallis-based Microproducts Breakthrough Institute (MBI) that commercializes new products based on ONAMI technology. Housed in a building on Hewlett-Packard’s Corvallis campus, ONAMI @ OSU researchers are developing ONAMI-related technologies in these areas:

• Transparent electronics that can be printed on glass and plastics
• Lightweight cooling units for use by soldiers and haz-mat workers in high-heat conditions
• Automobile air conditioning systems that utilize waste engine heat

Gregg Kleiner – director of marketing and communications for the OSU College of Engineering – stated, “ONAMI has temporary headquarters on the HP campus in Corvallis, and this proximity generates a great deal of collaboration. Several of our professors and research assistants have offices on campus and in the HP building, and our graduate students spend time doing research at the HP building. The Microproducts Breakthrough Institute – a partnership between OSU and PNNL – is housed on the ground floor of the building, with research equipment in place there.”

About the author
Linda Barney is the founder and owner of Barney and Associates, a technical and marketing writing firm. Founded in 1990, Barney and Associates specializes in technical writing, documentation, online help, web content and training. Barney and Associates also provides a wide range of marketing writing services including creating media articles, white papers, data sheets, solution briefs, case studies and reviewer’s guides. Contact Linda at linda@barneyassoc.com.