1. Nanotechnology and Biomimicry
Anne Lynn Gillian-Daniel, Ph.D.
Ben Taylor
Interdisciplinary Education Group
University of Wisconsin-Madison

2. “Nano” All around Us Self-cleaning glass VX Nano Cordless Laser Mouse
Kermin
devices/3271&cl=us,en
- Samsung's SilverCareTM Technology
Apparel with silver nanoparticles

3. What is nanotechnology?
Nanotechnology is the understanding and control of matter 1 to 100 nanometers in size.
The nanometer is extremely small.
At the nanometer scale, many materials behave differently.
We can harness this new behavior to make new materials.

4. Exactly how small is a nanometer?
1/100th of a meter
(centimeter)
meter
1/1000th of a meter (millimeter)
All these are still visible with your eyes.

5. Nanoscale objects are 1,000 times smaller!!!
How small can you see?
A human hair is ~40 µm
One red blood cell is 6-8 µm
A micrometer (µm) is one-millionth of a meter
Nanoscale objects are 1,000 times smaller!!!

6. . . . Smaller than you can see!
A nanometer (nm) is one billionth of a meter!!
Viruses
3-50 nm
DNA
1-2 nm

7. Nanometer: Part of the Metric System
kilometer km
1,000
1X103
meter m 1
1X100
millimeter mm
1/1,000
1X10-3
micrometer m
1/1,000,000
1X10-6
nanometer nm
1/1,000,000,000
1X10-9
picometer pm
1/1,000,000,000,000
1X10-12
WI is 420 km wide
11-year-old human
~ 1.4 m
Kermin
Hair: ~40m
DNA: 1-2 nm

8. Nano Fun Facts
In the time it takes to read this sentence, your fingernails will have grown approximately one nanometer (1 nm).
A nm is to a meter as an eye blink is to one year.
Tracy

9. Smallness leads to new properties
Macro Aluminum
Color
Melting point
Strength
Conductivity
Reactivity
Macro Gold
I mentioned earlier that when things get super small – like on the scale of the nanometer – they can start to change. The nanoworld isn’t the same as the macroworld that you and I know. Different forces become more important, which can give materials different properties. I’ve heard some people describe it as shrinking a dog and, at a certain point, it suddenly turns into a cat.
This is a list and some examples of some of these properties that can change. For example, you’re generally not too afraid that your can of pop would explode while you’re having lunch. But nanoscale aluminum can spontaneously combust. This happens because these particles have a much higher surface area than bulk aluminum. And nanoscale gold doesn’t look like the shiny, metallic, yellowish material that we’re used to. Instead it looks red, like the picture here, or blue, depending on the particle size, shape, and spacing. This happens because nanoparticles interact with light differently than bulk materials.
When things get nano-small, they can get different.
Nano Aluminum
Nano Gold

10. Nature to Nanotech: Biomimicry
What is biomimicry?
Biomimicry is imitating nature’s best ideas to solve problems.

11. Nature’s inspiration Biomimicry
Burrs
Velcro
Sharkskin
Fast Swimsuit
gallery/descriptions.php
Getty Images courtesy of Speedo
Self-cooling Buildings
Termite Dens
Alexander Johmann/Flickr
Eastgate Centre in Harare, Zimbabwe , Mandy Patter, Creative Commons

12. Iridescence Why is there iridescence in nature?
Colors change depending on the angle from
which the surface is viewed
Different thicknesses (bubbles) or nano features
(peacock) create iridescence
Soap Bubble
Peacock feather close-up
Why is there iridescence in nature?
Attract mates or pollinators
Camouflage
Blue Bedder
flowers

13. Blue Morpho Butterfly
The iridescent color is created by nanometer-sized structures on the butterflies wing scales.

14. Blue Morpho Butterfly Wing
This microscope image shows the tree-like rib structures of a
cross-section of the wing.
These nano-scale ribs
reflect light to create
iridescent colors.
Scanning Electron Microscope image of the Blue Morpho butterfly showing nanoscale features responsible for iridescence. (Shinya Yoshioka, Osaka University)

15. Peacock feathers are iridescent

16. Peacock feathers close up
This nanoscale pattern reflects light to create iridescent colors.
Nano size holes repeat as a pattern on the nano scale
SEM of a cross section of one barbule
(Zi et al, PNAS 2003.)

17. Biomimicry of Iridescence
Biomimicry of iridescence is used for security on currency, photo identification, and credit cards.

18. Biomimicry of Iridescence
Qualcomm has a new e-screen that mimics the iridescence of the blue Morpho butterfly. The screen gets brighter in sunlight.

19. The Lotus Effect
Nano-scale features, along with a waxy non-polar coating, together create a superhydrophobic surface. (very water repelling)
The lotus leaf is said to be “self-cleaning” because droplets of water roll off and remove dirt particles.

20. The Lotus Effect
Nano sized bumps

21. Biomimicry of The Lotus Effect
Self-cleaning glass had nanostructures that prevent water from sticking to the glass.
Lotusan paint mimics the lotus effect’s self-cleaning properties.
Nano-tex fabric repels liquids and stains.

22. Ormia Ears
Professor Nader Behdad of the UW-Madison is an engineer who is interested in the ears of Ormia flies

23. Ormia Ears
Time Difference
Time Difference

24. Biomimicry of Ormia Ears
Antennae
Hearing Aids
Microphones

25. What would inspire you in nature to solve a human problem?

26. Acknowledgments MRSEC Personnel and Collaborators
NISE Net Personnel and Collaborators
College of Engineering
National Science Foundation
NSF Materials Research Science and Engineering Center on Nanostructured Interfaces (DMR and DMR )
NSF Internships in Public Science Education (DMR )
NSF Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (ESI )
Tracy
This presentation is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under the following DMR grants: # (IPSE), # and # (MRSEC); and ESI grant # Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessary reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

27. Thank You Anne Lynn Gillian-Daniel, agillian@wisc.edu
Ben Taylor,
Our Website:
Tracy