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User-Initiated
Nanoscience Research Program
Since
late 2003 the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences has supported
a user-initiated nanoscale science research program designed to develop
an interactive and productive nanoscience user community before construction
of the CNMS is completed, using existing ORNL research capabilities
and staff. The initial CNMS nanoscience user program supports research
in five areas described below that were identified during the first
two CNMS Planning Workshops as having the strongest user interest
as well as connections to major strengths of existing BES-sponsored
nanoscience research programs at ORNL. This “jump start” program
provides support for controlled synthesis research, a broad range
of imaging and characterization, nanofabrication, nanomaterials design,
and theory-modeling-simulation. Prospective users should note that
there are particularly strong scientific synergies between synthesis,
nanofabrication, and nanomaterials modeling/design that can be exploited
in user research. For information on how to submit a proposal, please
see Call for Proposals.
Research
areas for FY2004-2005:
- Design,
Synthesis, and Characterization of Macromolecular Materials
This research area will address the grand challenge of designing and controlling
the nanoscale organization of macromolecular materials in order to achieve
novel functionalities. The materials focus will be on polymers
and biologically-derived or -inspired systems.
More details …
- Controlled
Synthesis and Assembly of Functional Nanomaterials
This area is directed toward understanding and controlling the synthesis
of carbon nanotubes and related nanostructures,
and their functionalization to obtain materials having desired chemical and
physical properties. It will address the user community's expressed need
for well-characterized, high-quality carbon nanotubes and related materials,
and to understand and control their synthesis and direct their assembly.
More details …
- Nanofabrication
Research Laboratory
An interim nanofabrication laboratory is now open to users. Users,
including graduate students and postdocs, will be trained and supervised
in the safe and effective use of basic nanofab tools. ORNL scientific staff
also will be available to conduct research with users in this laboratory
using more specialized tools.
More details …
- Nanoscale
Imaging and Characterization
CNMS users have access to existing high-resolution imaging instruments through
the BES-sponsored SHaRE user facility and the EE-sponsored Materials Analysis
User Center (MAUC) in the High Temperature Materials Laboratory (HTML) user
program.
More details …
- Nanomaterials
Theory/Modeling User Laboratories and Related Research
The Nanomaterials Theory Institute of CNMS has initiated a series
of international Computational
Nanoscience Focused User Laboratories (NanoFocULs) to bring together
world leading theorists and computational scientists with the aim of stimulating
the rapid advancement of theory and computational methodologies that are
needed to understand nanoscale materials and phenomena, and to support user-initiated
experimental projects of the CNMS. Ongoing NanoFocUL activities include collaborative
user research that will further develop these theory/modeling/simulation
methods.
More details …
CNMS
Research Areas for FY2006 and Beyond
The program described above is only the beginning! Starting in October 2005,
the CNMS will support a nanoscience research program that is organized under
seven related Scientific
Themes and subsidiary Research Focus Areas that were defined together with
the prospective user community through two successive Planning
Workshops.
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