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Physical Chemistry
A Material World
by Bethany Halford
May 14, 2007
| A version of this story appeared in
Volume 85, Issue 20
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Credit: Matthew Lloyd
A Bouquet of Anthradithiophene - A blend of triethylsilyl anthradithiophene and methanofullerene form a thin layer on a transparent conducting glass substrate utilized in organic photovoltaic cells. In this case, Lloyd says, "overexposure to solvent produced highly birefringent crystal blossoms that make terrible solar cells, but beautiful microscopic flowers."
Matthew Lloyd, Cornell University
Matthew Lloyd, Cornell University
Credit: Matthew Lloyd
A Bouquet of Anthradithiophene - A blend of triethylsilyl anthradithiophene and methanofullerene form a thin layer on a transparent conducting glass substrate utilized in organic photovoltaic cells. In this case, Lloyd says, "overexposure to solvent produced highly birefringent crystal blossoms that make terrible solar cells, but beautiful microscopic flowers."
Matthew Lloyd, Cornell University
Matthew Lloyd, Cornell University
Look deep into the world of materials and you'll find tiny wonders, crystalline blossoms, nanoscale lollipops, and rainbow colors bathing a lone droplet of water. Attendees of the recent Materials Research Society meeting, held April 8-11 in San Francisco, were able to get a glimpse of this world and take on the role of art critic at MRS's third annual "Science As Art" competition.
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Credit: Suresh Donthu
An Early Morning Stroll into Woods - This is a scanning electron micrograph of tin oxide nanowires formed at the edge of a sample containing a thin film of tin oxide. Donthu says that when he heated the thin film in hydrogen, he noticed some unexpected "fluffy matter" at the edges of the sample. It turned out to be junk experimentally speaking, but pretty junk.
Suresh Donthu, Northwestern University
Suresh Donthu, Northwestern University
Credit: Suresh Donthu
An Early Morning Stroll into Woods - This is a scanning electron micrograph of tin oxide nanowires formed at the edge of a sample containing a thin film of tin oxide. Donthu says that when he heated the thin film in hydrogen, he noticed some unexpected "fluffy matter" at the edges of the sample. It turned out to be junk experimentally speaking, but pretty junk.
Suresh Donthu, Northwestern University
Suresh Donthu, Northwestern University
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Credit: Joel Henzie and Teri W. Odom
Gold Nanopyramids on Silicon Pedestals - The gold nanopyramids supported by silicon pedestals in this high-resolution scanning electron micrograph are being explored for applications in chemical and biological sensing, as well as nanophotonics. The nanopyramids—250 nm across at their widest point—were created from a single crystalline silicon template by using a soft nanofabrication procedure. The silicon pedestals were etched from the template."
Joel Henzie and Teri W. Odom, Northwestern University
Joel Henzie and Teri W. Odom, Northwestern University
Credit: Joel Henzie and Teri W. Odom
Gold Nanopyramids on Silicon Pedestals - The gold nanopyramids supported by silicon pedestals in this high-resolution scanning electron micrograph are being explored for applications in chemical and biological sensing, as well as nanophotonics. The nanopyramids—250 nm across at their widest point—were created from a single crystalline silicon template by using a soft nanofabrication procedure. The silicon pedestals were etched from the template."
Joel Henzie and Teri W. Odom, Northwestern University
Joel Henzie and Teri W. Odom, Northwestern University
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Credit: Ee Jin Teo
Ancient of Days:From Classical Art to Quantum Art - By using a high-resolution focused ion beam, Teo was able to reproduce William Blake's "Ancient of Days" (left) out of nanocrystals. He calls the technique "quantum art." This photoluminescent version of Blake's painting was created in porous silicon by focused helium beam writing and subsequent electrochemical etching in hydrofluoric acid.
Ee Jin Teo, National University of Singapore
Ee Jin Teo, National University of Singapore
Credit: Ee Jin Teo
Ancient of Days:From Classical Art to Quantum Art - By using a high-resolution focused ion beam, Teo was able to reproduce William Blake's "Ancient of Days" (left) out of nanocrystals. He calls the technique "quantum art." This photoluminescent version of Blake's painting was created in porous silicon by focused helium beam writing and subsequent electrochemical etching in hydrofluoric acid.
Ee Jin Teo, National University of Singapore
Ee Jin Teo, National University of Singapore
Credit: Steve Shrimpton
Water on a Nanostructured Gold Surface - This photograph from research in P. N. Bartlett's lab at the University of Southampton shows a droplet of water on a nanostructured gold surface. When the scene is illuminated with white light, brilliant colors arise from reflections off the gold surface. These structured films, Bartlett says, work well for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.
Steve Shrimpton, University of Southampton, in England
Steve Shrimpton, University of Southampton, in England
Credit: Steve Shrimpton
Water on a Nanostructured Gold Surface - This photograph from research in P. N. Bartlett's lab at the University of Southampton shows a droplet of water on a nanostructured gold surface. When the scene is illuminated with white light, brilliant colors arise from reflections off the gold surface. These structured films, Bartlett says, work well for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.
Steve Shrimpton, University of Southampton, in England
Steve Shrimpton, University of Southampton, in England
Credit: Samuel Shian
Pollen Dawn - This scanning electron micrograph image was taken from the surface of a TiO2 replica of a pollen particle. Natural pollen was converted into titania through a gas-solid displacement reaction that turns the pollen into TiO2 while preserving its shape. The grainy surface is nanocrystalline anatase, one of the three mineral forms of TiO2. Color and lighting effects were added to the image.
Samuel Shian, Georgia Institute of Technology
Samuel Shian, Georgia Institute of Technology
Credit: Samuel Shian
Pollen Dawn - This scanning electron micrograph image was taken from the surface of a TiO2 replica of a pollen particle. Natural pollen was converted into titania through a gas-solid displacement reaction that turns the pollen into TiO2 while preserving its shape. The grainy surface is nanocrystalline anatase, one of the three mineral forms of TiO2. Color and lighting effects were added to the image.
Samuel Shian, Georgia Institute of Technology
Samuel Shian, Georgia Institute of Technology
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Credit: Sarang Ingole
Nano-pop - A silicon nanowire 2.7 µm long bridges the gap between two nickel electrodes on an oxidized silicon substrate. At the end of the nanowire, a round ball of nickel creates the impression of a lollipop sitting atop one of the electrodes. "The moment I saw this feature through an electron microscope, I wondered how it happened," Ingole says.
Sarang Ingole, Arizona State University
Sarang Ingole, Arizona State University
Credit: Sarang Ingole
Nano-pop - A silicon nanowire 2.7 µm long bridges the gap between two nickel electrodes on an oxidized silicon substrate. At the end of the nanowire, a round ball of nickel creates the impression of a lollipop sitting atop one of the electrodes. "The moment I saw this feature through an electron microscope, I wondered how it happened," Ingole says.
Sarang Ingole, Arizona State University
Sarang Ingole, Arizona State University
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Credit: Candace Lynch
GaAs Sea Creatures - Defects on a gallium arsenide surface after hydride vapor phase epitaxial growth. These GaAs films are used for nonlinear optical frequency conversion to produce infrared and terahertz lasers. "The defects resulted from a crystal growth run that went very poorly; however, it did produce nice subjects for microscopy," Lynch says.
Candace Lynch, Air Force Research Laboratory at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts
Candace Lynch, Air Force Research Laboratory at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts
Credit: Candace Lynch
GaAs Sea Creatures - Defects on a gallium arsenide surface after hydride vapor phase epitaxial growth. These GaAs films are used for nonlinear optical frequency conversion to produce infrared and terahertz lasers. "The defects resulted from a crystal growth run that went very poorly; however, it did produce nice subjects for microscopy," Lynch says.
Candace Lynch, Air Force Research Laboratory at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts
Candace Lynch, Air Force Research Laboratory at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts
Some 200 materials scientists entered the contest, which offers them the opportunity to show off the aesthetic side of their science. From those 200 entries, 50 were chosen for the exhibition. Eight winners, four garnering first place and four taking second, were selected by conferees and took home $500 and $300, respectively.
1st Place Winners
2nd Place Winners
Chemical & Engineering News
ISSN 0009-2347
Copyright © 2024 American Chemical Society
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