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December
3, 2003
Secretary
Abraham Applauds 21st Century Nanotechnology Research
and Development Act, Attends Signing by President
Bush at the White House
WASHINGTON, DC – Secretary of Energy Spencer
Abraham applauded the signing of the 21st Century
Nanotechnology Research and Development Act by
President Bush at the White House today.
“Imagine an automobile half the weight and
twice the strength of today’s models,”
Secretary Abraham said. “As one of the lead
agencies for nanotechnology research and development,
the Department of Energy is delighted that the
President signed legislation today that brings
us closer to that future. This new science of
very small things can revolutionize the way we
produce, use, and deliver energy -- not to mention
its applications to improving human health. DOE
is proud it can play a critical role in President
Bush's National Nanotechnology Initiative.”
The 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development
Act authorizes funding for nanotechnology research
and development over four years and puts into
law programs and activities supported by President
Bush’s National Nanotechnology Initiative
(NIN).
“Nanoscale research will, in many respects,
represent the new building blocks for new technologies
and applications across the science and industry
spectrum,” Secretary Abraham said. “Understanding
the properties of materials on the tiniest scale
will have an impact on everything from medicine
to manufacturing."
Nanomaterials -- typically on the scale of billionths
of a meter or 1,000 times smaller than a human
hair -- offer different chemical and physical
properties than the same materials in bulk form,
and have the potential to form the basis of new
technologies. Understanding these properties may
allow researchers to design materials with properties
tailored to specific needs such as strong, lightweight
materials, new lubricants and more efficient solar
energy cells. By building structures one atom
at a time, the materials may have enhanced mechanical,
optical, electrical or catalytic properties.
The fundamental properties of materials and systems
are established at the nanoscale. Melting temperature,
magnetic properties, charge capacity, and even
color are dictated not only by the arrangement
of nanoscale structures, but also by the size
of the structures. The realm of molecular biology
-- life sciences -- also operates largely at the
nanoscale.
Scientists have known about the physical properties
and behavior of isolated molecules and bulk materials.
The properties of matter at the nanoscale, however
cannot necessarily be predicted from those observed
at larger or smaller scales. Nanoscale research
enables scientists literally to build novel structures
atom by atom.
Some Nanotechnology Possibilities:
• Carbon nanotubes are essentially sheets
of graphite rolled into extremely narrow tubes
– a few nanometers in diameter. Because
of their nanoscale size and excellent conductivity,
carbon nanotubes are being studied as the possible
building blocks of future electronic devices.
• Nanotechnology may one day enable the
detection of disease on the cellular level and
the targeting of treatment only to tissues where
it is needed in a patient’s body, potentially
alleviating many unpleasant and sometimes harmful
side effects.
• Nano-manufacturing of parts and materials
“from the bottom up”—by assembling
them on an atom-by-atom basis—may one day
be used to reduce waste and pollution in the manufacturing
process.
• Nanosensors already are being developed
to allow fast, reliable, real-time monitoring
for everything from chemical attack to environmental
leaks.
• Woven into a cable, carbon nanotubes could
provide electricity transmission lines with substantially
improved performance over current power lines.
• Certain nanomaterials show promise for
use in making more efficient solar cells and the
next-generation catalysts and membranes that will
be used in hydrogen-powered fuel cells.
Media Contact(s):
Jana Toner, 202-586-4940
Jeff Sherwood, 202-586-5806
Number: R-03-281
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