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THE CINCINNATI SMART STRUCTURES

BIO-NANOTECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

Current and Emerging Research Areas

Mark Schulz, Vesselin Shanov

Phone: (513) 556-4132; Email: Mark.J.Schulz@uc.eduPhone: (513) 556-2461; Email: vesselin.shanov@UC.Edu

(http://www.min.uc.edu/~mschulz/smartlab/smartlab.html)

Collaborators

UC Professors; Donglu Shi (CME), Jim Boerio (CME), David Mast (Physics)

UC Staff; Douglas Hurd and Dave Breheim (Machinists and Design), Bo Westheider (Electronics)Other Universities: Mannur Sundaresan (NCA&TSU), Shankar Mall (AFIT)

Industry: Chris Sloan (FirstNano), Don Bailey (OAI), Robert Bianco (Goodrich Corp)

Students

Suhasini Narsimhadevara, Phil Kang, Yun Yeo-Heung, Tony He, Sachin Jain, Atul Muskin, Vishal Shinde,Goutham Kirikera, Ramanand Gollapudi

Student Collaborators

Srinivas Subramaniam, Rob Gilliland

April 18, 2004

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THE CINCINNATI SMART STRUCTURES BIO-NANOTECHNOLOGY (SSBN) LAB

MISSION STATEMENT

The SSBN Lab develops innovative smart materials, sensors, and active devices by intersecting thedisciplines of engineering, nanotechnology, and biomedicine. The SSBN Lab is comprised of a Nanotube

Synthesis Lab, a Nanoscale Materials Processing Lab, and a Smart Structures and NanoDevices Lab. The

SSBN Lab is an exciting interdisciplinary learning environment for UG through Ph.D. level students.

RESEARCH COMPETENCIES

Smart Structures. Smart structures contain sensors, actuators and artificial intelligence and can respond in

a human-like way to counteract loads, reduce vibration, change shape, and prevent their own degradation.

Piezoelectric Active Fiber Composite sensors/actuators are built at the UC for use in smart structures.

Structural Health Monitoring: An International Journal is managed from this laboratory.

Biomimetics. This is the development of smart structures based on the principles of mimicking the structureand function of biological systems. An Artificial Neural System using continuous neuron sensors is being

developed and commercialized for the real-time monitoring of acoustic emissions and dynamic strains

generated by damage growth in large composite and metallic structures.

Nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is the application of nanoscale materials. Nanocomposite materials are

being developed that are self-sensing and self-actuating to improve the strength, reliability, and performanceof mechanical and aerospace structures and systems. The Nanotube Synthesis Laboratory provides the raw

materials (carbon nanotubes) needed to develop Smart Nanocomposite Materials.

Bio-Nanotechnology. This is the logical integration of Nanoscale Precision with biomedicine. We are

designing smart material systems and biosensors that may be highly sensitive and selective detectors of

cancer, other diseases, and chemical agents.

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1. Carbon Nanotube Synthesis

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Catalysts and Substrates for SWCNT Growth

(a) (b)

11

33 44

22

(a) Catalysts

1. FirstNano liquid catalyst

2. UC- Fe/MgO powder catalyst3. Patterned silicon chip

4. Bulk SWCNT

(b) Molybdenum boat

(c) UC Fixture for growth experiments

(c)

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ESEM Images of as Grown (left) and Purified Nanotubes (center and right)

TEM Images

(rope (left) and coil(right))

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2. Nanocomposites and Smart Materials

Epoxy Nanocomposite

Study of Dispersion of Nanotubes in Water

Piezoresistive Sensor Electrochemical Actuator

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3. Nanodevice Concepts

Nano-Tripod Actuator

Building Brick

Nanotube Array

Building Brick

For sensors and

actuators Biosensor

Structural Actuators

Active Catheter

V

V1

CNT Actuator Model

Rp

Cd

Rs

V2

Rp

Cd

Rs

Reference Model

Rd

RdZp

V

V1

CNT Actuator Model

Rp

Cd

Rs

V2

Rp

Cd

Rs

Reference Model

Rd

RdZp

CNT self-sensing actuator

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4. Biomimetics

An Artificial Neural System for Structural Health Monitoring

Advantages

Highly Distributed

Nerves for Sensing

Massively Parallel

Signal Processing

A Passive System

Sensor Types

Acoustic Emission

Dynamic Strain

Corrosion

Generic

Applications

Sensing temperature,

light, sound, radiation,

chemicals, biological

agents

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5. NEW SYNTHESIS RESEARCH

Growth of Patterned Arrays of MWCNT and Long Nanotubes and RopesSEM images (a,b,c) of nanotube synthesis by FirstNano using the EasyTube furnace; (a) aligned MWCNT grown on a silicon

substrate by FirstNano, (b) 250 square by 130 micron tall blocks of aligned MWCNT grown using 5 nm of iron evaporated with a

shadow mask on porous silicon and grown at 700 C in Ethylene, (c) 5 micron square MWCNT blocks grown to a high aspect

ratio, (d) a Quadurpole Mass Spectrometer to improve nanotube growth, (e) a Vertical nanofurnace.

(a)

(b)

(c)(d)

(e)

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6. APPLICATION IDEAS

Applications of MWCNT Patterned Arrays

Reinforcing composite materials

Biosensors

Acoustic Emission Sensors

Sound Insulators

Optical Filters

Nanoscale Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger

Particulate Filters

Applications of Long Parallel NanotubesReinforcing composite materials, improving toughness, electrical conductivity, thermal

conductivity, stealth, reducing permeability, dimensional stability, etc.

Sensors for Structural Health Monitoring

Actuators for repair of the human body

Applications of Compound and Inorganic NanotubesPiezoelectric nanoscale smart materials

Boron Nitride nanotubes for radiation shielding (neutron absorption)

Actuators for repair of the human body