NANO-NEWS

> **June 2000**
>
> A Newsletter on Nanotechnology Developments at Johnson Space Center

The JSC Carbon Nanotube Project is an on-going collaborative effort in
nanotechnology. This newsletter is to inform the scientific community of
developments in the project and their potential for innovations in the
space program.

> Visit the recently updated JSC Carbon Nanotube Project site at its new
> address, [http://mmptdpublic.jsc.nasa.gov/jscnano/]{.underline} or
> contact Brad Files at [brad.files@jsc.nasa.gov]{.underline} for more
> information.
>
> **\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_**
>
> [In this month\'s issue:]{.underline}

-   Recent JSC Nanotube Activities

-   National Nanotechnology Initiative

-   Nanotechnology Spreads Inside NASA

-   University of Michigan Team Makes Nanotubes in Zero-G

-   NanoSpace2000 Conference

-   Seminars and Recent Publications

> **\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_**
>
> [Recent JSC Nanotube Activities]{.underline}

# Our nanotube composites team has been quite active over the last six months, working toward multifunctional materials. The focus of the group is currently on increasing mechanical properties of composites for use as a structural material. Use of the extraordinary strength of single-wall carbon nanotubes should be able to decrease the mass of today's composites by 75% or more. This would of course greatly reduce launch costs and easily recoup the research investment. Recent work concentrated on mechanically (using ultrasonic techniques) separating the individual tubes from bundles.

-   The next step for the composites work is to use chemical methods to
    make nanotubes compatible with a matrix material. We believe that
    chemistry is the key to getting the tubes to "like" the matrix
    enough to bond with it, thereby improving load transfer from the
    polymer to nanotubes.

-   Several recent studies of nanotube growth at JSC have led to an
    increase in production. The primary improvement is in the
    implementation of a rotating target in the laser ablation furnace.
    This eliminates the need to periodically cut off the end of the
    target due to it becoming misshapen from the scanning of the lasers.
    A recent experiment used innovative techniques to add a third laser
    to the system to test the possibility of increasing production
    rates. Preliminary analysis indicate only marginal improvement.

-   New purification methods have been investigated to rid the raw
    nanotube material of soot and metal catalyst particles that are left
    during the production process. Addition of an annealing step at high
    temperature appears to aid in the removal of these unwanted species.
    Also, various acid refluxing steps have led to better purification
    procedures.

> [National Nanotechnology Initiative]{.underline}
>
> President Clinton announced a new program in January that almost
> doubles the government funding for nanotechnology research in 2001.
> This major new National Nanotechnology Initiative will be important to
> the future of nanotechnology research in the United States. Nobel
> Laureate Richard Smalley stated to the Senate Science Committee,
> "These little nanothings and the technology that assembles and
> manipulates them -- nanotechnology -- will revolutionize our
> industries and our lives." We will have to wait and see how this
> initiative affects JSC's nanotube project, but it is expected that
> this increased national funding will at least help build new
> collaborations and partnerships.
>
> [Nanotechnology Spreads Inside NASA]{.underline}
>
> The federal government's recent initiative to boost nanotechnology
> funding has greatly increased interest around NASA. Both JSC and Ames
> Research Center have had longstanding projects working with carbon
> nanotubes, and now most of the other centers are becoming involved.
> This has created new partnerships for JSC, which will hopefully
> benefit NASA as a result. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of
> nanotechnology, partnerships are forming not only along the usual
> lines, but also between groups that have not traditionally worked
> together. The JSC nanotube team, for example, consists of physicists,
> materials scientists, and chemists, with a focus on engineering
> applications on nanotechnology.
>
> [University of Michigan Team Makes Nanotubes in Zero-G]{.underline}
>
> During their spring break this year, a group of enterprising college
> students built and flew an electric arc chamber for producing
> single-wall carbon nanotubes on the KC-135. This group included two
> JSC co-ops who are now full-time employees: Ed Van Cise and Mark Dub.
> The concept behind this experiment was to find any differences in the
> growth of nanotubes in zero-G. Since nanotube growth in general is not
> well understood, this experience will add to the knowledge base of
> researchers.
>
> [NanoSpace2000 Conference]{.underline}
>
> The NanoSpace2000 Conference, held at South Shore Harbor from January
> 24^th^-28^th^, built on the success of the previous two conferences as
> a forum for government, academia, and industry to meet for the purpose
> of advancing nanotechnology for space applications. By adding a strong
> nanobiotechnology presence to this year's agenda, conference
> organizers brought Dan Goldin's revolutionary technology vision to JSC
> at the working level. Over the period of one week of presentations,
> workshops, and panel discussions, conference attendees learned about
> recent progress in the area of nanotechnology.
>
> [Recent Publications and Seminars]{.underline}

1.  Min-Feng Yu, Bradley S. Files, Sivaram Arepalli, and Rodney S.
    Ruoff, "Tensile loading of ropes of single wall carbon nanotubes and
    their mechanical properties", *Physical Rev Letters*, Vol. 84, No.
    24, June 12, 2000, pp. 5552-5555.

2.  Sivaram Arepalli, Carl D. Scott, Pavel Nikolaev and Richard E.
    Smalley, "Electronically Excited C~2~ from Laser Photodissociated
    C~60~", *Chemical Physics Letters*, Vol 320, p. 26-34, March 31,
    2000.

3.  Sivaram Arepalli, Pavel Nikolaev, William Holmes and Carl D. Scott,
    "Diagnostics of laser produced plume under carbon nanotube growth
    conditions", *Applied Physics A*, Vol 70, p. 125-133, 2000*.*

4.  Bradley S. Files, "NASA/JSC Carbon Nanotube Project Status",
    *Journal of Nanoparticle Research*, Vol. 1, No. 4, 1999, pp.
    507-509.

5.  Milko Iliev, Alexander P. Litvinchuk, Sivaram Arepalli, Pavel
    Nikolaev and Carl D. Scott, "Fine Structure of the Low Frequency
    Raman Phonon Bands of Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes", *Chemical
    Physics Letters*, Vol. 316, January 2000, pp. 217-221.

6.  Sivaram Arepalli, "Progress in Production, Purification and
    Applications of Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes at NASA/JSC", Langley
    Research Center, June 13, 2000.

7.  Bradley S. Files, "Carbon Nanotube Composites for NASA High Strength
    Applications", Colloquium at Clemson University, Departments of
    Physics and Materials Science, Clemson, SC, March 2000.

8.  Pavel Nikolaev, "Gas-phase Production of Single-wall Nanotubes by CO
    Disproportionation", Knowledge Foundation Conference on Advances in
    Cutting-Edge Applications and Scaleable Production of Nanotubes,
    2000.

9.  Sivaram Arepalli, Gary DeBoer and Carl Scott, "In-situ Diagnostics
    of Carbon Nanotube Production by Laser Ablation", American Physical
    Society, 2000.

10. Carl Scott, Sivaram Arepalli, Pavel Nikolaev and Richard Smalley,
    "Mechanisms of Carbon Nanotube Production by Laser Ablation
    Process", American Physical Society, 2000.

11. \"Carbon Nanotube Composites: Strongest Engineering Material
    Ever?\", B. Files, Materials Research Society, Boston, MA, December
    1999.

> [For more information on the JSC effort in carbon nanotechnology,
> contact:]{.underline}
>
> Brad Files, Project Lead (281) 483-5967.
>
> [You were identified as being interested in nanotechnology efforts at
> JSC. If you would like to be added to or removed from the distribution
> list, please contact Brad Files at
> brad.files@jsc.nasa.gov.]{.underline}