Research
Small size is a big issue at the Nanoscale! As the size of technological devices continues to scale down, with critical feature sizes approaching molecular and atomic dimensions, new opportunities to create innovative materials with astonishing properties are arising - not only in electronics, but also in biology, medicine, mechanics and chemistry. Nanoscience presents one of the greatest challenges and greatest opportunities for the 21st century.
“Nano” is a national scientific priority, impacting technology from personalized medicine to national security. Vanderbilt is making a significant contribution to the national “nano” effort through VINSE.
Focusing on the submicroscopic level, nanoscience is intellectually rich with mind-boggling complexity. Behavior at the nanoscale is often complicated because atomic level materials behave differently when quantum effects come into play.
The significance of nanoscience extends beyond better understanding. Knowledge of nanoscale materials and nanoscale processing enables the engineering of nanotechnologies to benefit a range of applications from new biomedical imaging techniques and drug delivery nanocarriers to more effective solar cells, supercapacitors, and batteries.
Core Thrusts
- Nanobio/Nanomedicine
- Nano Energy: Improving Generation, Usage, and Storage of Energy
- Nanoscale Optics: Exploring and Harnessing Light
- Computational Nanoscience: Theory, Modeling and Simulation
- Nanotechnology and New Materials: Foundations of Nanoscience
- Nano Electronics: Applying Nanotechnology and Materials to Create New Electronic Capabilities