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Particle News
Nanotitania used in formulating self-cleaning paint.
Researchers at University College of London have reported in Science that a suspension of coated titanium dioxide nanoparticles that can be spray-painted or dipcoated onto a range of hard and soft surfaces, including paper, cloth, and glass, yield superhydrophobic coatings that resist oil and are self-cleaning in air. The coatings resisted rubbing, scratching, and surface contamination, factors often exacerbated in most self-cleaning technologies.
Plasmonic graphene-nanoparticle photodetectors
have been recently reported in Advanced Materials by a group from Bangalore. A single grapheme nano-sheet (0.35 nm thick) separates arrays of silver nanoparticle "dimers" and provides orders of magnitude enhancement in photon detection sensitivity./i>
Silica nanoparticles developed for lung tumory
treatment in mouse and human models. A munich group has reported the synthesis of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) tightly capped by avidin molecules via MMP9 sequence-specific linkers to allow for site-selective drug delivery in high-expressing MMP9 tumor areas. They claim proof-of-concept evidence for successful MMP9-triggered drug release from MSNs in human tumor cells and in mouse and human lung tumors using ex vivo 3D lung tissue cultures. This technique allows for translational testing of drug delivery strategies in diseased mouse and human tissue..
Aqueous graphene dispersions reach 5% by
weight graphene. An Eastern Michigan University group reported in ACS Nano the use of poly(ionic liquid) based stabilizers in facilitating record setting dispersion of single and few-sheet grapheme in water. This report eclipses internationally competing groups by two orders of magnitude, and makes the possibility of large scale grapheme exfoliation and use realistic.
The International Society for Extracellular Vesicles
was recently formed in Sweden as a not for profit organization following a successful ISEV 2012 meeting in Göteburg.
The Society will focus its interests on microvesicles, exosomes, extosomes, and other extracellular vesicles. This group constitutes a
new organization spanning advanced medical diagnostics and medical therapy and basic particle science and technology, and highlights the
burgeoning importance of particle science and technology in modern medicine.
The International Society for Extracellular Vesicles
was recently formed in Sweden as a not for profit organization following a successful ISEV 2012 meeting in Göteburg.
The Society will focus its interests on microvesicles, exosomes, extosomes, and other extracellular vesicles. This group constitutes a
new organization spanning advanced medical diagnostics and medical therapy and basic particle science and technology, and highlights the
burgeoning importance of particle science and technology in modern medicine.
A brain tumor imaging strategy using a new
triple-modality MRI-photoacoustic-Raman nanoparticle developed by a team of US researchers led by Moritz Kirchner
of Stanford University was recently published in Nature Medicine.
Non-toxic nanoparticle delivers and tracks
drugs. Peter Butler, associate professor of bioengineering at Penn State, and his students used high-speed
lasers to measure the size of fluorescent dye-containing particles from their diffusion in solution. With this method, his
group was able to measure the size of the particles and their dispersion in solution, in this case a phosphate-buffered
saline that is used as a simple model for blood. Reported by SmallTimes.
Nanoparticle research points to energy
savings. NIST experiments with varying concentrations of nanoparticle additives indicate a major opportunity
to improve the energy efficiency of large industrial, commercial, and institutional cooling systems known as chillers.
These systems account for about 13 percent of the power consumed by the nations buildings, and about 9 percent of the
overall demand for electric power, according to the Department of Energy. NIST researcher Mark Kedzierski has found that
dispersing sufficient amounts of copper oxide particles (30 nanometers in diameter) in a common polyester lubricant and
combining it with a refrigerant improves heat transfer 50-275%.
Biodegradable PHB with nanoparticles resolves
brittle problem. Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) modified with clay nanoparticles could be the next wave in the
biodegradable plastics market. PHB, produced by bacterial action, is a rare example of hydrophobic polymer that is truly
biocompatible and biodegradable with high melting temperature and crystallinity.
siRNA-based nanoparticles are successfully
targetting melanoma cells in developments reported by Gavin Robertson and co-workers of Penn State
Medical College in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The research team found that simultaneous targetting of two mutant genes produced a
synergistic effect in reducing tumor development and growth. A summary of recent work appears in
Cancer Research.
Particle News Archives
26-28 Leading International Lecturers!
Particle Business
Xradia just acquired by Zeiss.
This acquisition by the German microscopy leader will allow Zeiss to cover the length scales intermediate these accessed by light and electron microscopies. The Xradia line of x-ray microscopes provides spatial resolution down to sub-150 nm and down to 40 nm n turnkey laboratory X-ray microscopes and 30 nm when configures on an "x-ray" beamline. These resolutions make it possible to examine the actual distribution of nanofillers in many composite and related materials. Dr. Wenbing Sun, inventor and principal of Xradia, will continue with Zeiss in a parttime advisory role.
NanoSight wins 2013 Queens Award for
Enterprise-Innovation. NanoSight won a 2012 Queen's Award for international trade. Particle tracking is increasing in its popularity for characterizing smaller nanoparticles in diverse environments and is stimulating related technique development.
NanoSight wins 2012 Queens Award for
Enterprise in the category for International Trade 2012. This award comes after many other prestigious awards in the past twelve months, notably the Technology World 2011 Business Innovation Award presented by Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and President of the Board of Trade, and after being named the UK’s fastest growing biotechnology company by Deloitte. NanoSight was founded in 2004 by Dr Bob Carr and John Knowles after Carr discovered a technology which allows particles so small they were below the normal optical microscope limit to be seen, sized and counted in less than a minute for a fraction of the cost of electron microscopes.
Mettler Toledo receives Powtech/TechnoPharm
Innovation Award 2010 for the FBRM® C35 particle size distribution technology in the particle characterization
and materials sciences category. The award was presented during the Partec/Powtech/WCPT6 conference in Nuremburg, Germanay 26-29
April 2010.
Promethean Particles wins Lord Stafford
Award for business/university collaboration romethean Particles is a University of Nottingham spin-out company specializing in
supercritical fluid-based particle precipitation process development.
Calando Pharmaceuticals receives FDA approval
for Phase I clinical trials based on targetted nanoparticles incorporating siRNA technology. CALLA-01,
their investigational anticancer agent, is used to compose a nanoparticle, along with proprietary siRNA, that targets the
M2 subunit of ribonucleotide reductanse. The targetting is accomplished with Calando's proprietary polymer delivery system.
Nanosphere announces FDA clearance of
second moleclar diagnostics assay. This nanotechnology-based molecular diagnostics company has received
clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the Verigene® F5 / F2 / MTHFR Nucleic Acid Test, which
detects disease-associated gene mutations that can contribute to blood coagulation disorders and difficulties metabolizing
folate (vitamin B-12). This marks the second nanotechnology-based assay cleared by the FDA to run on the Verigene® System,
following clearance in September of the companys Verigene® Warfarin Metabolism Nucleic Acid Test.
Hitachi achieves milestone in HD technology.
Researchers at Hitachi have successfully reduced existing recording heads by more than a factor of
two to achieve new heads in the 30-50 nanometer (nm) range, which is up to 2,000 times smaller than the width of an
average human hair (approx. 70-100 microns). Called current perpendicular-to-the-plane giant magneto-resistive (CPP-GMR)
heads, Hitachi's new technology is expected to be implemented in shipping products in 2009 and reach its full potential
in 2011. This technology will support nanoparticle-based recording media.
Air Force contract for $5.6M to Hybrid Plastics
for POSS (polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane) nanomaterials. The Air Force expects polymers based on
POSS to soon replace Kapton in space vehicle applications.
Polysciences opens new custom synthesis
laboratory. Polysciences, Inc., a leading manufacturer of specialty chemicals, and a leading supplier
to the particle industry, announced the opening of a new laboratory dedicated to custom synthesis in Warrington,
Pennsylvania.
Nantero carbon nanotube technology and HP thermal inkjet ssed for printable memory
applications. Nantero, Inc., a nanotechnology company using carbon nanotubes for the development of
next-generation semiconductor devices, is working with HP to explore the use of HP inkjet technology and Nanteros carbon
nanotube (CNT) formulation to create flexible electronics products and develop low cost printable memory applications.
Aquanova German Solubilisate Technologies GmbH receives the Frost & Sullivan 2006
Excellence in Technology Award in the field of solubilisation processes for functional foods
and dietary supplements. This award recognizes the companys development of the highly sophisticated NovaSOL® Nanosome
technology, which enables the encapsulation of active functional food and supplement ingredients. Unlike the
conventional emulsion and microemulsion particles with massive particle size, this technology enables the formation
of micelles, which are just 30 nm in diameter, for encapsulating the active substance, thus enhancing its
bioavailability many times over.
Malvern Instruments wins Queen's Award
for enterprise in international trade. Malvern Instruments award is in the category of
International Trade, reflecting the companys increased export earnings, up by 76% through sustained growth over the
past six years.
Particle Measuring Systems received Photonics Company of the Year Award
on November 14th from the Colorado Photonics Industry Association. The
Boulder, Colorado company was founded in 1972 as a developer and manufacturer of instruments for measuring extremely
small particles. It has since grown to be a major provider of instruments to the semiconductor, pharmaceutical,
aerospace, biotechnology and automotive industries.
FEI Company and Malvern Instruments team
for nanoparticle analysis. FEI Company and Malvern Instruments Ltd (Malvern, UK) have entered into
a joint development and marketing program for advanced nanoparticle analysis utilizing Malvern's particle image analysis
software on FEI's line of Quanta(TM) scanning electron microscopes (SEMs). The combination delivers a powerful particle
analysis solution that extends current analysis technologies for nano-sized particles.
NanoSight receives £250,000 from Strathdon Investments plc.
NanoSight Ltd, a leading provider of instruments for the optical detection and real time analysis of
sub-micron particles, announced it has secured significant investment to support its current sales drive and develop new
capabilities in nanoparticle analysis in the sub-500nm region. This latest tranche is the second in a round of investment
totalling £500,000, led by Strathdon and including the South West Venture Fund and a private investor.
Rinzler Lab/Arrowhead Research partner
to further develop thin film flexible electronics based on carbon
nanotubes. The thin film transistors (TNT) fabricated in the process at the University of Florida can be used to manufacture RFID tags,
flexible displays, and electronic paper. Arrowhead will provide $647,000 over a two year period
to develop optimized TFT devices and prototypes of TFT arrays and will have the first option to
exclusively license and commercialize the technology owned by University of Florida.
Particle Business Archives
28 Leading International Lecturers!

Particle People
Sydney Ross died of natural causes 4 December
2013 in hospice near Troy, NY. Born in Glasgow in 1915, he completed his education at McGill (BS, 1936) and Illinois (PdD, 1940) where he wrote his dissertation on foams and brewing. He joined Rensaselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1948 and became full professor of Chemistry in 1952. He became emeritus in 1980 and retired in 1994. He published over 150 papers and books and trained 30 PhDs. He was a beloved teacher and friend and provided intellectual motivation to many younger scientists. He will be remembered as an inspirational colloid scientist.
Helmut Colfen received the 2013 Academy Prize
of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and humanities. The prize includes 50,000 euros for his extensive contributions to developing modern insight and understanding of crystallization processes by interdisciplinary experimentation in physics, biology, and chemistry. The University of Konstanz professor of physical chemistry is widely recognized for his achievements and for being among the top 1,000 scientists in the world.
Rafal Klajn receives 2013 Victor K. LaMer Award
for his graduate research in colloid and surface chemistry. The Weizmann Institute department of Organic Chemistry group leader and assistant professor wrote his award winning 2009 PhD thesis at Northwestern University under the direction of Bartosz A. Grzybowski and Fraser Stoddart.
Nick Kotov named 2013 Langmuir Lecturer
for his pioneering work on nanoparticle synthesis and the controlled assembly of nanoparticles in the creation of novel materials and devices. The University of Michigan professor of chemical engineering will present a plenary lecture at the 246th national ACS meeting in September in Indianapolis, in a special Colloid and Surface Chemistry Division symposium.
Prashant Kamat named 2013 Langmuir Lecturer
for his innovative development of mechanistic insight into how nanostructures can be used effectively to harness light energy. The Notre Dame professor of
chemistry will present a plenary lecture at the 246th national ACS meeting in September in Indianapolis, in a special Colloid and Surface Chemistry Division symposium.
Mitch Winnik wins Applied Polymer Science Award
for 2013 from American Chemical Society. Professor Winnik received his award in a special symposium at the recent national ACS meeting in New Orleans for his well known work on developing and applying fluorescence quenching techniques for studying latex film formation. His latex work has had a very significant impact on advancing latex paint formulations and in helping eliminate unwanted coalescence aids over the years.
Jeffery Penfold named Sir Eric Rideal lecturer
for 2013. Professor Penfold has made major scientific contributions to surfactant, colloid and interface science including developing methods for the quantitative interpretation of neutron small angle scattering data from micellar solutions, shear methods in conjunction with small angle scattering, and instrumentation for neutron reflectometry, now widely used for studying interfaces of all kinds. Professor Penfold will present his Rideal Lecture at a symposium concentrating on scattering techniques and their applications to be held in March 2013.
Mark Davis wins Aurel Stodola Medal for 2012.
The Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering (D-MAVT) of ETH Zurich has elected Prof. Mark E. Davis of the California Institute of Technology as its speaker for the 2012 Aurel Stodola Lecture
Series and to receive the 2012 Stodola Medal. This series commemorates the personality and seminal contributions of Prof. Aurel Stodola in the early 20th century whose work on applied thermodynamics
has guided many engineers and engineering developments worldwide.
Liangfang Zhang wins Unilever Award for 2012
at the American Chemical Society national meeting in San Diego, CA on March 28, 2012, for his work using red blood cells to cloak delivery nanoparticle therapeutic agents. Zhang is a professor in the Department of NanoEngineering at the UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering. This award was established in 2004 to recognize work in the field of colloid or surfactant science by North American researchers in the early stages of their careers.
Angela Zhang wins $100k Grand Prize in
the Individual category of the Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology. Her project was entitled “Design of Image-guided, Photo-thermal Controlled Drug Releasing Multifunctional Nanosystem for the Treatment of Cancer Stem Cells.
Vincent Rotello wins Langmuir Lecture Award
for his work in engineering the nanoparticle interface for materials and biological applications. The
University of Massachusetts Amherst professor of chemistry received this award on August 24, 2010 at the Colloid and Surface
Chemistry Division Awards Symposium during the 240th national ACS meeting in Boston.
Moungi Bawendi wins 2010 ACS Award in Colloid
and Surface Chemistry for his work in the synthesis, characterization, and application of semiconductor
quantum dots. Bawendi is the Lester Wolfe Professor of Chemistry at MIT where he has long led an innovative team in quantum
dot science and technology.
Hayat Unyuksel receives AAPS Lipid-Based
Drug Delivery Outstanding Research Award. The University of Illinois at Chicago Biopharmaceutical
Sciences professor was cited for her two decades of research achievements in developing drug nanocarriers with phospholipid
assemblies, liposomes, and micelles. She was cited for her successes in specifically targetting infected tissues in animal models
of breast cancer and rheumatoid arthrititis with concomittant improvements in efficacy and safety.
Hayat Unyuksel receives AAPS Lipid-Based
Drug Delivery Outstanding Research Award. The University of Illinois at Chicago Biopharmaceutical
Sciences professor was cited for her two decades of research achievements in developing drug nanocarriers with phospholipid
assemblies, liposomes, and micelles. She was cited for her successes in specifically targetting infected tissues in animal models
of breast cancer and rheumatoid arthrititis with concomittant improvements in efficacy and safety.
Marie-Alexandra Néouze receives Anton-Paar
Science Award 2008 of the Austrian Chemical Society (GÖCH) for her publication "Nanoparticles connected through an
ionic liquid-like network" in Journal
of Materials Chemistry. In this publication an original new method to connect silica nanoparticles through cationic
organic bridges is described.
Valery G. Babak died unexpectedly on 5 December 2008.
He pursued a distinguished career in surface and colloid science in Russia and in France. He made major
contributions to the science of encapsulation and drug delivery. He amassed colleagues and friends around the world, and he
will be missed by many. He is survived by his wife Loubov Babak of Moscow.
Jacob Israelachvili receives 2008 ACS Award in Surface
and Colloid Chemistry for his major contributions to surface solvation and structure. The UCSB professor of
chemical engineering and materials science received a plaque and a $5,000 prize at the 236th National Meeting of the American
Chemical Society in Philadelphia this past August.
Amanda Barnard named 2008 L'Oreal Australia
for Women in Science Fellow. Theoretical physicist Amanda Barnard will use her Fellowship to create
computational tools to predict the behaviour of nanoparticles in the environment. After obtaining a PhD in physics from
RMIT, she went first to the Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago, then to Oxford where she investigated the safety of
nanoparticles and wrote a commentary on nano-hazards for Nature Materials. She returned to Australia in 2008 to take up a
Future Generation Fellowship at The University of Melbourne.
Two 2008 Sigma Pi Sigma Undergraduate
Research Awards go to nanoparticle-based projects. Ferroelectric Nanoparticles Suspended in Liquid Crystals by
James Vedral, Evangelos Economou, C. Travis Hunter, Christopher Bull, Hoshang Almemar, Sara Goldman and Robert Webber from
the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, and Scanning Probe Study of Viral Nanowire by Nat Steinsultz, James Porter
and Nick Hennigar of Suffolk University in Boston were the two winning projects and research teams, respectively. These
Society of Physics Students (SPS) chapters have received funds to pursue these chapter research projects. The awards
provide calendar year grants to support local chapter activities that are deemed imaginative and likely to contribute to
the strengthening of the SPS program. The program is funded through income from the Sigma Pi Sigma Trust Endowment Fund
and is administered by the American Institute of Physics.
Jackie Ying named first Editor in Chief of
Nanotoday. The MIT professor and Executive Director of the Singapore-based Institute of Bioengineering
and Nanotechnolgoy will head this topical review publication published by Elsevier. Beginning in 2009 the journal will
become known as Nano Today with six issues per year. Its new focus is as an international rapid reviews journal, with articles
available on ScienceDirect, Elsevier's electronic delivery platform.
Prof. Dr. Helmuth Moewald honored with
the degree of doctor honoris causa by University Montpillier, the oldest university in France. Moehwald is
Director of the Interfaces Department at the Max Planck Institute for Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam.
Kattesh Katti receives Outstanding Missourian
Award. Kattesh Katti, professor of radiology and physics and senior research scientist at the MU Research
Reactor, was honored on Tuesday, March 4, for his work in treating cancer. Katti recently discovered how to make gold
nanoparticles using gold salts, soybeans and water - research that has garnered worldwide attention and could have
applications in several disciplines.
Sumio Iijima named 2007 Balzan Prize winner.
Professor Iijima of Mejo University, Nagoya, honored for his discoveries of single walled carbon
nanotubes and for his studies of their properties. The prize comes with 1 million Swiss Francs.
Janos H. Fendler, CAMP Distinguished Professor since 1997, passed away on July 2, 2007, following an
extended illness. Prof. Fendler received both his Ph.D. in Physical Organic Chemistry and D.Sc. in Membrane Mimetic
Chemistry from the University of London. During his career, he published more than 300 journal articles, six books, and
more than 100 book chapters and reviews. He was one of the most prominent chemists in the field of colloid and interface
science. Prior to joining Clarkson, he was the Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and director of the Center for
Membrane Engineering and Science at Syracuse University. Among many awards and honors, Prof. Fendler was the recipient of
the American Chemical Society Kendall Award in Colloid Science (1983), Humboldt Research Award for Senior U.S. Scientists
(1991), and the Meyerhoff Award of Israel (1997). In 2005, he chaired the 79th Colloid and Surface Science Symposium at
Clarkson.
Pierre-Gilles de Gennes dies at 74.
As reported by the Associated Press in the Herald Tribune and by Le Monde, the 1991 Nobel Laureate in Physics
passed away last Friday on May 18th in the Paris suburb, Orsay. Awarded the Nobel Prize for his seminal work on liquid crystalline phases, de Gennes remained
a popular scientific figure worldwide up to his death. He was widely acclaimed for his abilities to make problems and solutions easy
to understand by scientists and by lay people alike. He was widely respected for his contributions to surface and polymer science, and
these contributions have been invaluable to various aspects of colloid and particle technology.
Alan Pitt named 2007 Rideal Lecturer.
This prestigious lecture award and supporting symposium are sponsored by the Society of Chemical Industry and the
symposium will be held April 27, 2007, at the SCI International Headquarters on Belgrave Square, London. The Awardee will present
a lecture entitled "Designer Molecules for Interfacial Activity". Pitt has had a long and distinguished carreer at Kodak,
Ltd. (Harrow), where he has made many invaluable contributions to dispersion technology, and the design and use of multi-tailed
surfactants.
Two Nobel Laureates and a half dozen or so
contenders will lecture at the nanoparticle-packed program for the Chemistry of Supramolecules and Assemblies Gordon
Research Conference at the Il Ciocco Resort in Barga (Tuscany), Italy in early May 2007. This program focuses upon Functional
Materials via Bottom-Up Self-Assembly, and showcases leading nanoparticle and supramolecular scientists in a program limted to
150 participants. Nobel Laureates Lehn and Polanyi and twenty other distinguished scientists will describe frontier advances
in sensors, devices, and advanced materials.
Activery Biotech names Andreas Kordikowski
R&D director. Dr. Kordikowski is a recognized expert in supercritical fluid crystallization, This
pharmaceutical company of Barcelona, Spain, focuses upon SCF technologies for pharmaceutical particle precipitation.
Simitri Gidaspow receives Thomas Baron Award in Fluid-Particle Systems
at the 2006 Annual AIChE meeting. This PTF/AIChE award is sponsored by Shell Global Solutions
for outstanding scientific/technical accomplishment which has made a significant impact in the field of fluid-particle
systems or in a related field with potential for cross-fertilization. Gidaspow is University Distinguished Professor
of Chemical Engineering at Illinois Institute of Technology.
Particle Technology Forum Award given to Douglas W. Fuerstenau of Berkeley
at the 2006 Annual AIChE meeting. This PTF/AIChE award is sponsored by DuPont for outstanding contributions in the field of
particle technology, teaching of particle technology (as evidenced by the aggregate contributions of the nominees
PhD students to the field) and the advocacy of particle technology within industry, academia, and government.
McMurray and Flagan share 2006 Fuchs Award.
Professors Peter McMurray (University of Minnesota) and Richard Flagan (Caltech) were named the
2006 Fuchs Awardees at the 7th International Aerosol Conference in St. Paul, Minnesota in October. This award is given
every four years jointly by the Gesellschaft für Aerosolforschung, the Japan Association of Aerosol Science and
Technology, and the American Association for Aerosol Research. The Fuchs Award is considered the highest honor for
researchers in the field of aerosol science and technology.
Joe DeSimone named AAAS Fellow.
Joseph DeSimone, Professor of Chemistry (UNC, Chapel Hill) and Chemical Engineering (North
Carolina State University) was recently named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
DeSimone was cited for his entrepreneurship in developing nanoparticle enterprises, such as Micell and Liquidia, that
have brought innovative nanoparticle technology into the marketplace.
Don Kania named president and CEO at FEI.
Dr. Kania, 51, has most recently been president and chief operating officer of Veeco Instruments Inc.,
where he has worked since 1998. Prior to that he held technical and general management positions of increasing
responsibility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Particle People Archives
Over 100 Leading International Lecturers!

Courtesy Millenium Technology Prize
Vincent Rotello wins Langmuir Lecture Award
for his work in engineering the nanoparticle interface for materials and biological applications. The
University of Massachusetts Amherst professor of chemistry received this award on August 24, 2010 at the Colloid and Surface
Chemistry Division Awards Symposium during the 240th national ACS meeting in Boston.
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