Nanotech Product News February-March 2021

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The trial date of quantum dots manufacturer Nanoco‘s trial date for its patent infringement case against Samsung has been set in October. The company had on 17 February announced that it had filed a patent infringement lawsuit against various Samsung entities in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

San Francisco-based start-up company LogicInk is developing temporary tattoo-delivered sensors that utilize DNA nanoparticles. ‘Not all sensors that we are working on involve DNA nanotechnology but, in general, this is a big area of focus for us,’ said founder Carlos Olguin. The company has launched a a temporary tattoo that indicates cumulative UV exposure with an outer ring and current UV levels with an inner one. The wearer can use a smartphone to log daily exposure.

Cabot Corporation as launched the ENERMAX 6 carbon nanotube (“CNT”) series. The ENERMAX 6 carbon nanotube series can effectively improve battery performance at lower loadings facilitating a higher energy density of battery. The product series reduces direct current internal resistance of the battery cell while using the same CNT loading compared with older generations of CNT products. Also, it lowers the total loading of conductive carbon additives, while still attaining a comparable conductivity of electrodes. Cabot expanded its product offering to include carbon nanotubes with the buyout of Shenzhen Sanshun Nano New Materials Co. Ltd (“SUSN”) in January 2020. It is the only high-performance carbon additive supplier with a comprehensive commercially proven product range including carbon blacks, graphenes, CNTs, carbon nanostructures and dispersion and formulation capabilities.

Novation Solutions, LLC (NovationSi), a materials science company that specializes in high-quality silicone dispersions, has developed PURmix high-consistency rubber (HCR) healthcare compounds that enhance electrical properties of silicone rubber, using patent-pending technologies that incorporate a single-wall carbon nanotube (“SG101”) developed by Zeon Corporation. By effectively dispersing Zeon’s SG101 single-wall carbon nanotubes into NovationSi’s PURmix HCR healthcare compounds, the electrically conductive properties of the cured article are greatly enhanced. A practical application of this novel silicone technology is medical devices that perform neuromodulation therapies on the human body. In fact, the first clinical use of this new silicone compound has already won FDA clearance in suppressing essential tremors and has been released to the medical device market for use on patients under physicians’ care.

An advanced technology company announced Wednesday plans to develop a lab at the Arizona State University Polytechnic campus in Mesa.
Startup Osazda Energy LLC is undertaking a two-year battery of tests to see how well its newly developed “MetZilla” paste can protect solar systems against cracking and degradation. The U.S. Department of Energy approved a $1.25 million grant to test the composite material, which University of New Mexico and Air Force Research Laboratory scientists jointly created to prolong the life of solar modules. The paste, dubbed MetZilla to indicate Godzilla-infused metal, is made by meshing carbon nanotubes with silver, the standard alloy used to conduct electricity in solar cells and panels. Osazda says the paste can keep metal conducting lines intact even as modules crack over time from extreme weather and other hazards.

Nanoksi Finland has introduced a self-disinfecting nanocoating that reduces the number of viruses and bacteria on surfaces and improves indoor air quality. The photocatalytic coating, together with normal indoor light, destroys viruses, bacteria, mold spores, and other volatile organic compounds. The coating disinfects the surface when exposed to light. “In photocatalysis, light is used to initiate a chemical reaction in which the released reactive oxygen species react with and destroy the microbes on the surface. The reaction requires a catalyst, titanium dioxide. The method is also commonly used to purify water and air of various contaminants” says Pasi Keinänen, CEO of Nanoksi, Ph.D. of Engineering. Nanoksi Finland’s innovation was recently chosen as the winner of the international Aviation X Lab Accelerate competition. 102 solutions from 30 countries took part in the competition, which will increase the wellbeing and safety of tourists during a corona pandemic. The jury selected the Nanoksi solution as the best in the competition as it can be used in many areas from tourism to healthcare and due to its long-lasting effectiveness. The photocatalytic coating will be installed at Dubai Airport The photocatalytic coating can be installed quickly and, when dry, forms an invisible, flexible, and breathable protection on the surface. The coating is activated within a day from starting of the coating work. The photocatalytic coating is suitable for any type of surface material and can be applied to new applications or installed afterward.

Orthofix Medical Inc. (NASDAQ:OFIX), a global medical device company with a spine and extremities focus, has announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance and the first patient implant of the 3D-printed CONSTRUX™ Mini Ti Spacer System. Developed to enhance anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) procedures, the CONSTRUX Mini Ti cervical spacer with Nanovate™ Technology is the first 3D-printed titanium interbody introduced to the market by Orthofix. The CONSTRUX Mini Ti Spacer System features 3D-printed porous titanium with macro, micro, and nanoscale surface features. The nanoscale surface has been shown to increase proliferation and alkaline phosphatase activity (an early osteogenic differentiation marker) in human stem cells in vitro.

Noxtak is a green technology company that uses nanotechnology and environmental evaluations in order to develop clean solutions that contribute to the preservation of the environment and health. The company is using nanotechnology for the control and mitigation of electromagnetic pollution from any source. They won the Silver Prize on the 2020 Edison Awards, in the category of Science of Materials – Nanotechnology. This prize was awarded for the development of the SPIRO technology which effectively neutralizes the negative effects of the electromagnetic fields that are produced, for example, by smartphones.

A new nanotechnology process developed by Oxford University research scientists has been proven to simplify and reduce the cost of testing water for chemical pollution and toxicity levels. The technology, now in its next phase of development via university spin-out company – Nanolyse Technologies – could have a major impact on the protection of human health and the environment against chemical pollution caused by toxic, heavy metals dissolved in water.
Dr Imad Ahmed, founder and chief executive of Nanolyse, said: “Current technology and processes for measuring water toxicity levels means transporting samples to a laboratory for analysis. Separating and analysing different ‘species’ of toxic chemicals relies on costly, complex chromatography and mass spectrometry equipment housed in university research and industrial laboratories, needing PhD-level qualified operatives. “This hampers effective and streamlined pollution control when what we need are bioavailability-based environmental regulations which restrict the types of toxic metal pollution most likely to be absorbed in the body. Therefore, Nanolyse has now developed and patented a bioavailability-based testing technology for monitoring heavy metals, which takes us a step closer to enabling on-the-spot, field testing for water toxicity in real time on-site.”

RESPILON has launched the RespiPro VK Mask, an eco-friendly mask capable of blocking 99.9% of the bacteria, viruses, and other dangerous particles in the air, offering 30 hours of protection. It is able to physically block these particles because it is made of 0.01 micrometre-wide filter pores and copper oxide technology. The nano-fibre two-way filter masks are reusable and are certified respirators.

Kailo is a skin patch that targets pain using nanotechnology. Each Kailo patch contains millions of nanocapacitors. Each nanocapacitor is capable of carrying a small electrical signal. When you place the Kailo patch on your body, these nanocapacitors interfere with your body’s electrical system, stopping pain at the source. Each Kailo patch contains millions of nanocapacitors. Each nanocapacitor is capable of carrying a small electrical signal. When you place the Kailo patch on your body, these nanocapacitors interfere with your body’s electrical system, stopping pain at the source. The Kailo pain relief patch should start working instantly – or within a few seconds of application. You don’t need to turn the device on or power it in any way: it simply uses nanocapacitors (small metal particles that absorb electricity) to interfere with your body’s natural electricity.

The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) has entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with BNNano, a Boron Nitride Nanotubes producer, to test and evaluate Boron Nitride nanomaterials for potential defense applications. The collaborators are incorporating NanobarbTM into their research, which tailors materials’ properties resulting in nanomaterials with a wide range of applications (i.e., supercapacitors, impact resistant structural components, microelectronics, high temperature systems and conductive aerospace composite structures). The researchers plan to look into enhancing the thermal conductivity of lightweight carbon composites used by the aerospace industry as well as phase change materials to optimize temperature regulation systems in living and storage spaces.

Nano Diamond Battery (NDB) is developing a radioactive diamond battery that can be used for deep-space applications, with a lifespan of up to 28,000 years without charging. The nanodiamond battery is based on radioactive isotopes recycled from nuclear waste, specifically from radioactive graphite. To absorb the energy emitted by the isotopes, the battery is enveloped with layers of paneled nano-diamonds. The company is also producing a battery for everyday applications such as mobile phones and consumer electronics that would last for nine years.

UbiQD, Inc. has published the results of the first phase of its NASA-funded plant trials that validates the use of quantum dots for optimized crop growth on space missions. The collaborative research and development project with the University of Arizona’s Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (UA-CEAC) demonstrated a 13% biomass improvement for red romaine lettuce using UbiQD’s orange-emitting, luminescent greenhouse product UbiGro™, and a 9% increase for a new red-emitting film.
The plant trial was designed to maintain all growth parameters except spectrum, and showed improved photosynthetic efficiency under the film treatments compared to the unmodified control case. These results demonstrate the importance of light color on plant growth, and how this technology can improve crop productivity, both on Earth and in Space.

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