CNM/INL Nano Materials Collaboration Exploration

University Of Texas At Austin, Austin TX

Investigators

Abstract

This Planning Visit grant will enable the development of research and education collaborations between the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL) in Braga, Portugal and the University of Texas Center for Nano and Molecular Science and Technology (CNM). CNM is a nationally recognized facility for research in the nanotechnology field. The INL is a major new international research laboratory supported by the Spanish and Portuguese governments and structured to foster European cooperation. Through the support provided under this grant, a team of CNM faculty members and students will travel to Portugal to develop research collaborations focused on the synthesis of biocompatible and nontoxic nanoparticles of magnetite and related materials. Both groups of investigators have significant records of achievement in this field, and with the complementary experimental facilities available in Portugal and Texas, there is great potential for advances in developing nanoparticles for hypothermic therapies with (1) controlled shapes (spherical, cubic, needles) and (2) coatings of different silica shell thickness. The broader impacts of a collaboration between CNM and INL are substantial. Because INL is a newly established institution, the project will enable CNM to develop joint research projects and linkages with a world-class laboratory at the ground level. Graduate students are a key part of the visit, and will have the opportunity to conduct preliminary research using the unique facilities available in Portugal and to start building an international network of collaborators. Results from the Planning Visit will be used in the development of future proposals to NSF, Portuguese funding sources, and the European Commission. Finally, CNM and INL will collaborate on technology transfer and establishing academic-industrial partnerships, building on the expertise of UT participants and European networks.