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Hans Mikelson, CVTC nanoscience department chair, describes the X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy System during NanoDay in Phillips Hall Thursday night. Local colleges coordinated a series of events throughout the day to show the public what nanotechnology has to offer.

Event teaches area about nanotechnology

Organizers hope people learn more about growing field in Chippewa Valley

By: Nicole Strittmater

Posted: 4/7/08

What do chocolate gum, scent elimination shirts and self-cleaning windows have in common?

Nanotechnology.

Thursday, about 150 students, faculty and community members learned about nanotechnology and the amount of resources and expertise available in the region at the first ever "NanoDay in the Chippewa Valley."

Jointly coordinated by UW-Eau Claire, UW-Stout and the Chippewa Valley Technical College, six activities, ranging from open houses, to demonstrations, to lectures, took place throughout the area. These events aimed to educate people about nanotechnology, which controls the structure of matter at a nanometer scale and is being seen more often in today's market.

Douglas Dunham, director of the Materials Science Center in Phillips Hall and associate professor of physics and astronomy, spearheaded the event this year with the help from faculty at the other schools. He said about 160 people from the area attended the various events.

While he said this was a good turnout, he hopes even more will attend in the future, as the goal is to make this an annual event.

"One of the things we've learned is we do need to do a better job at getting the word out," he said, adding that the NanoStem Funding the three schools will receive from the state that will support new faculty hires and equipment, will hopefully increase interest.

Dunham and non-traditional senior physics major Patrese Hoffman presented "An Elementary Introduction to Nanotechnology" to fourth graders from Fall Creek and Osseo-Fairchild Elementary Schools.

"It's always fun with kids. They were really excited," Hoffman said, adding that there were a lot of "Oohs and Ahs" when they used fluorescent slime to illustrate nanoscience.

Non-traditional junior elementary education major Tammie Johnson attended one of the elementary school demonstrations, as well as one on campus, and said while the topic is hard to comprehend, she enjoyed learning more about it.

"I think it was very beneficial to the kids. It'll be interesting to see where this all goes in a few years," she said referring to some of the applications of nanotechnology in today's market she learned about.

Examples included self-cleaning windows that use titanium dioxide nano particles. When sunlight hits it, it heats up and kills the organic matter, and then the rain cleans it, Hoffman said.

Chocolate doesn't mix well with the gum base, but using nanotechnology makes it possible, Hoffman said, and by using silver nano particles in fabric, shirts can actually eliminate bad smells, because silver kills bacteria.

Other events included a NanoRite Innovation Center open house at CVTC, complete with a tour of the Nanoscience lab and the incubation facilities that are available to businesses interested in nanotechnology.

The Material Science Center also hosted an open house.

Naomi Halas of Rice University in Texas also gave two lectures: "Playing with Plasmons" and "Merging Nanotechnology with light for Biomedicine."

CVTC nanoscience department chair Hans Mikelson, who helped organize the day, said he is happy Halas came to Eau Claire.

"I think that makes for a really great opportunity for the students to learn more about what's really going on in nanoscience," he said.

Senior Dylan Nicholls volunteered to give demonstrations during the day and said he thinks overall the events went well.

He said he wants to be a professor and enjoyed teaching people new things.

"When you can break it down … they just instantly learn something, and you can see it," Nicholls said. "People are like 'Whoa!' "