US-North Africa Regional Workshop on Nanostructured Materials and Nanotechnology, Tunis, Tunisia, October 25-28, 2007

Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond VA

Investigators

Abstract

0724565 Elshall Description: This award is to support a "US-Tunisia North Africa Workshop on Nanostructured Materials and Nanotechnology" to be held in Hammamet, Tunisia during the period of October 25-28, 2007. The U.S. organizer is Dr. M. Samy El-Shall, Department of Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia. The Tunisian organizer is Dr. Bahouedine Tangour, professor at the El Manar Preparatory Institute for Engineering Studies (IPEIEM) in Tunis, Tunisia. They plan to ensure a broad participation from Tunisia, and from other North African Countries including Morocco, Algeria, Libya and Egypt, representing multidisciplinary areas. The workshop is likely to be coupled with the Fifth Arab Congress on Materials Science (ACMS-V) that will be held from October 23-25, 2007 at the same location in Hammamet, Tunisia, and this will provide the opportunity for the ACMS-V participants to attend this workshop. Approximately 16 U.S. participants will interact with the Arab researchers over a four-day period, focusing on mixing fundamental problems with industrial and technological applications of nanoscale materials. The workshop will include participants and speakers from chemistry, physics, materials science, engineering, and biomedical engineering fields. It will attract individuals working on synthesis and characterization plus those working on new chemical and biochemical applications. There will be in-depth discussions on the basic science dealing with nanoscale phenomena and the utilization of the recent research in the synthesis, characterization and on industrial applications of nanoparticles and nanostructured materials in both the US and the North African countries. A major focus of this workshop will be directed toward chemical and biological applications of nanoparticles and nanostructures. The workshop participants will assess the current status of the field and identify future directions for new research on nanoparticles' design, synthesis, engineering aspects and applications. An objective is to stimulate cooperative research in nanotechnology between U.S. and Arab scientists, hopefully to lead to economic developments involving the private sectors in the U.S. and the Arab countries. Intellectual Merit: The proposed workshop will provide for exchange of information in the scientific and technological aspects of nanostructured materials. It will address new opportunities for research, discovery and invention based on the applications of nanoscale materials to fundamental materials and biomedical sciences. This is expected to enhance the scientific knowledge in these and other related fields, and it may lead to new exciting technologies. Broader Impact: The proposed workshop will allow scientists from the U. S. and the Arab countries to exchange their experiences, ideas, and information and to build collaborations to promote nanotechnology for the benefit of the public and private sectors in the two countries. This will help facilitate economic development in North Africa and other regions of the Middle East. The synergism produced by bringing together the two groups in the nanostructured materials areas is expected to enhance the scientific collaboration between the US and Arab countries which will take this field a step closer in realizing its enormous potential for novel nanotechnologies. It is expected that 3 junior scientists and 2 female scientists will be among the US participants.