Nanotechnology in the automotive industry

Nanotechnology in the automotive industry(Nanowerk Spotlight) Nanotechnologies will play a major role in the car industry; but don't hold your breath to see anything like the Volkswagen Nanospyder futuristic concept car anytime soon. This entrance to the 2006 Los Angeles Design challenge was supported by hydrogen fuel cells, solar power, wheel-mounted electric motors and inflatable organic body panels combine to form the unusual shape of the two-seater concept.According to its creators – designers based at the Volkswagen Design Center in Santa Monica – the Nanospyder would be formed out of a latticework of billions of tiny programmable nano devices measuring less than half a millimeter in diameter. Each of these tiny devices can be programmed to be as strong or weak as required meaning active crumple zones can be created. Clothing the nano-lattice are panels formed out of a mix of organic materials some of which can inflate to provide further cushioning in the result of an impact. The material doubles as a power source as polysynthesis generates small amounts of electricity. This coupled with hydrogen fuels generates power to drive the tiny electric motors mounted within the hubs of all four wheels.OK, back to today. The automotive sector is a major consumer of material technologies – and nanotechnologies promise to improve the performance of existing technologies significantly. Applications range from already existing – paint quality, fuel cells, batteries, wear-resistant tires, lighter but stronger materials, ultra-thin anti-glare layers for windows and mirrors – to the futuristic – energy-harvesting bodywork, fully self-repairing paint, switchable colors, shape-shifting skin.The basic trends that nanotechnology enables for the automobile are

lighter but stronger materials (for better fuel consumption and increased safety)

improved engine efficiency and fuel consumption for gasoline-powered cars (catalysts; fuel additives; lubricants)

reduced environmental impact from hydrogen and fuel cell-powered cars

improved and miniaturized electronic systems

better economies (longer service life; lower component failure rate; smart materials for self-repair)

Applications of nanotechnologies in automobiles. (Source: Hessian Ministry of Economy, Transport, Urban and Regional Development)The following examples are but an overview of a large number of efforts and applications involving nanotechnologies in the automotive industry:Chassis and exteriorVehicle weight reduction is a key part of car manufacturers' strategies to improve fuel economy. Ford's "Atoms to Engines" team for instance looked at the structure of cast aluminum alloys at near atomic levels. From this work, a detailed analysis of the structure/property/process relationship of the aluminum alloy engine blocks has led to reduced engine weight and, in turn, increased fuel efficiency.Another area is the substitution of mineral glass windows by polymers. However, until recently some key performance specifications had not been reached; scratch resistance and long term ultraviolet resistance remained challenges. Recent advances involving nanotechnology are helping polycarbonate window developers to overcome these challenges.Nanoengineered thermoplastic materials allow a weight reduction of up to 40% compared to traditional steel chassis parts.With regard to paints and surface coatings, nanostructured surfaces result in improved paint adhesion and color durability. Self-cleaning will become standard on windscreens and car body shells. Scratch-resistant, dirt-repellent, UV-resistant and self-healing car paints are applications that already exist or are in development.TiresTires are one of the early applications of nanostructured materials in automobiles. Carbon black was the first nanomaterial to be used by the automotive industry in tires as a pigment and reinforcing agent.The key to tire performance is the mixture of the rubber – but its optimization requirements can be contradictory (highly complex chemical and physical interactions between the rubber and the filler material): While the tire needs good grip its rolling resistance has to be low as well.Some 30% of the tire cover consists of reinforcing filler which makes possible wanted properties such as grip, abrasion resistance, resistance to initial wear and tear, and tear propagation. There are three products that significantly improve the properties of natural rubber: soot, silica and organosilane. Now being produced in nanoscale form, these particles as well as the cross-linking with the natural rubber molecules play a key role for tire properties.PropulsionBuilding an electric car needs to take into account four basic requirements – powerful and safe energy storage to give the car a sufficient driving range; engines and associated electronic components that make best use of the stored onboard energy; light-weight components to compensate for the (at the moment still) extra weight of the batteries; and all that at a price that can compete with gasoline-powered automobiles.Lithium ion batteries are currently being intensively developed worldwide for use in electric vehicles. The consensus view among researchers is that the battery will be of the lithium-ion type, but which of the lithium-ion chemistries to use is still a major question.Nanotechnology holds great promise for improving the performance and life-times of the Li-ion batteries. It also has the potential to enhance the energy and power density, shorten the recharge time, as well as decrease the size and weight while improving safety and stability of the batteries. A large number of companies such as Altair Nanotechnologies, mPhase Technologies, A123 Systems, Li-Tec Battery GmbH, NanoEner Technologies, Next Alternative Inc., Nexeon Ltd. etc. are actively pursuing the development of nano-enabled batteries while some others are already producing them (see here for an overview of major producers/developers of nano-based batteries and their product range).Nanotechnology is also key to improving fuel cell performance of future generations of hydrogen-powered cars.One of the leading fuel cell technologies developed, in particular for transportation applications, is the proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell, also known as polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells – both resulting in the same acronym PEMFC. These fuel cells are powered by the electrochemical oxidation reaction of hydrogen and by the electroreduction of the oxygen contained in air.Although nanotechnology promises cheap bipolar materials using nanocomposites, more efficient non-platinum electrocatalysts, and thermally stable and more durable membranes to become available in the near future, the precious metal platinum still remains the workhorse of PEM fuel cells. One way to minimize platinum usage is to increase catalytic efficiency by nanostructuring the platinum metal; another way of eliminating the use of platinum altogether is by exploring the use of much cheaper non-precious metal catalysts where the nanostructured surfaces match or exceed the catalytic properties of platinum.Under the hoodFor fuel cell cars, hydrogen sensors will be a critical component for safety and widely needed. They will detect leaks long before the gas becomes an explosive hazard. Researchers have already developed thin, flexible hydrogen sensors using nanostructured materials, i.e., single-walled carbon nanotubes decorated with palladium nanoparticles.Of course, we will be stuck with gas-guzzling cars for quite some time to come. Improved fuel efficiency and the reduction of harmful exhaust emissions are two key areas where nanotechnology applications will make an impact.In today's automobiles, 10-15 per cent of the fuel consumption is influenced by engine friction due to the friction loss at the moving mechanical parts (piston, crank drive, valve drive). Nanocoatings applied to mechanical parts, and nanostructured lubricants, help reduce friction and abrasion and thereby improve fuel efficiency.The tribological processes at the piston/cylinder wall interfaces take place at the nanoscale. (Source: Daimler AG Research & Development)Another example of the many aspects of the above-mentioned "Atoms to Engines" project by Ford is developing a thermally sprayed nanocoating that could replace the heavier cast iron liners that provide the necessary wear resistance of cylinder bores in aluminum block engines. This thin wear-resistant coating reduces weight and improves friction performance while delivering equal durability and reliability to the product.Piezo fuel injection technology is now used not only in diesel engines, but also in their petrol counterparts. In the case of direct injection, a pump first builds up high pressure before it shoots the fuel finely dosed into the combustion chamber of the cylinder via a nozzle. The precision with which this happens directly influences the combustion process. The higher the pressure and the more precisely the dose and time of injection can be controlled, the more efficient fuel combustion will be. Nanocrystalline piezoelectric materials will improve these piezoelectric materials.For exhaust cleaning in petrol-powered cars, systems based on three-way catalysts are used. These can convert the three main pollutants or pollutant types – carbon monoxide, nitric oxides and hydrocarbons – as far as possible and thus remove them from the exhaust gas. During the conversion of toxic to non-toxic gases nanotechnologies play a crucial role. The impact of catalysts generally depends on the size of the surface.If the material used for the catalytic function is scaled to the nanometer range, the specific surface increases drastically. The composition and structure are chosen such that exhaust gases interact optimally with the catalytically active coating, and their chemical transformation into harmless substances is accelerated.InteriorCar interior application will mostly deal with comfort issues – dirt-repellent and antimicrobial textiles and surfaces, nanoparticulate air filters, anti-glare coatings of mirrors and instruments. Or how about climate-controlled car seats based on thermoelectrics – materials that convert electricity directly into heating or cooling.Electric systems and electronicsElectronics is an innovation driver in the automotive sector as more and more components are being controlled electronically, electromechanically or electromagnetically. Nanostructured actor components could substitute current microsystems technology-based direct injection systems for instance.Spintronics promises to revolutionize computing. While conventional complementary metal-oxide semiconductors (CMOS), a technology used today in all types of electronics, rely on electrons' charge to power devices, the emerging field of spintronics exploits another aspect of electrons – their spin, which could be manipulated by electric and magnetic fields. With the use of nanoscaled magnetic materials, spintronics or electronic devices, when switched off, will not have a stand-by power dissipation problem. With this advantage, devices with much lower power consumption, known as non-volatile electronics, can become a reality.Spintronics applications in cars. (Source: Centro Ricerche FIAT)The quickly emerging hybrid car sector not only uses batteries to store energy for the electric drive mode, it also pushes recuperation technologies, i.e. the re-use of braking energy. Here, the moving energy is converted into electrical current via generator during braking and stored in accumulators or super or ultra capacitors. Nanotechnologies are expected to have a major impact in this area. For instance, scientists are already producing ultra-lightweight, bendable batteries and supercapacitors in the form of everyday paper.Micro-structured solar cells can already be integrated into sunroofs and are offered as options on some cars. Using nanostructured and flexible plastic solar cells with a thickness of less than 1 micron, it will become possible to cover larger areas of the car exterior with solar energy harvesting thin-films.The overall electrical to optical efficiency for lighting applications in today's cars is only about 1%. This will be considerably improved by the development of diffractive and microoptics, new light sources, and their integration with the power supply.NanoMobilIn 2004, Germany, through its Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), established a specific nanotechnology funding program – NanoMobil – in connection with automotive technologies and in order to keep the German car industry and its suppliers competitive. Numerous research institutes, suppliers and automotive companies have been participating in several interdisciplinary projects. The following chart shows the range of topics covered by NanoMobil and gives an indication of the wide range of nano-applications within the automotive sector:Funded projects within the lead innovation project NanoMobil.By Michael Berger. Copyright Nanowerk

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Nanotechnology applications

Nanotechnology applications

Long-term nanoscience research in universities andresearch centres plays a key role by offering a rangeof novel approaches to the realisation of high-performancenanoelectronics devices as well as for developingnovel sensors, actuators, visual display technologies,etc. At the scale of nanoelectronics, theindividual electronic and other functions are performedby components with sizes that are in the orderof hundreds of atoms or often less. At this scale, it isdifficult to maintain the classical concept that wehave of a material. Nanosciences and nano-materialsscience then become strongly interlinked and it wouldnot make sense to treat them separately.

Of particular importance here is that the scale compatibility between nanoelectronics and molecular biology introduces the possibility of producing hybrid devices interfacing electronic and biological components- opening a wide range of medical and biological applications with benefits for health and well-being.

Nanosciences and nano-materials offer breakthrough applications
• Nanomagnetism: very fast, very low power nanotransistors based on 'spin electronics' can be the source of new storage technologies with tremendous capacities;
• Biomimetics: allowing man-made structures to emulate nature by reproducing such mechanisms as molecular motors, machines and structural components;
• Displays: novel organic light-emitting semiconductor materials will be used to manufacture very thin and flexible visual displays with much improved performance;
• Nanophotonics: will still increase the speed and lower the cost of data transmission, and also have important applications in sensors technology;
• Molecular electronics - where functions such as transistors can be embodied in a single molecule. It has become a very active basic research field and,in the long term, may offer new possibilities for even higher performance computing and other applications;
• Nano-mechanical tools: these could include nanofluid management systems, nano-filters, nanorods and nano-tweezers, and molecular-scale balances. Nano-mechanical tools will also play an important role in research and production of future nanoelectronics devices; and
• Nano-sensors and nano-actuators: more sensitive and selective sensors and actuators will accommodate voice, vision, tactile senses and stimulation, as well as offering new applications such as biometrics and environmental monitoring.

World's Most Sensitive Plasmon Resonance Sensor Inspired by Ancient Roman Cup

Feb. 14, 2013 — Utilizing optical characteristics first demonstrated by the ancient Romans, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have created a novel, ultra-sensitive tool for chemical, DNA, and protein analysis.

This image shows a model of nano cup arrays. (Credit: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)

"With this device, the nanoplasmonic spectroscopy sensing, for the first time, becomes colorimetric sensing, requiring only naked eyes or ordinary visible color photography," explained Logan Liu, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering and of bioengineering at Illinois. "It can be used for chemical imaging, biomolecular imaging, and integration to portable microfluidics devices for lab-on-chip-applications. His research team's results were featured in the cover article of the inaugural edition of Advanced Optical Materials (AOM, optical section ofAdvanced Materials).

The Lycurgus cup was created by the Romans in 400 A.D. Made of a dichroic glass, the famous cup exhibits different colors depending on whether or not light is passing through it; red when lit from behind and green when lit from in front. It is also the origin of inspiration for all contemporary nanoplasmonics research -- the study of optical phenomena in the nanoscale vicinity of metal surfaces.

"This dichroic effect was achieved by including tiny proportions of minutely ground gold and silver dust in the glass," Liu added. "In our research, we have created a large-area high density array of a nanoscale Lycurgus cup using a transparent plastic substrate to achieve colorimetric sensing. The sensor consists of about one billion nano cups in an array with sub-wavelength opening and decorated with metal nanoparticles on side walls, having similar shape and properties as the Lycurgus cups displayed in a British museum. Liu and his team were particularly excited by the extraordinary characteristics of the material, yielding 100 times better sensitivity than any other reported nanoplasmonic device.

Colorimetric techniques are mainly attractive because of their low cost, use of inexpensive equipment, requirement of fewer signal transduction hardware, and above all, providing simple-to-understand results. Colorimetric sensor can be used for both qualitative analytic identification as well as quantitative analysis. The current design will also enable new technology development in the field of DNA/protein microarray.

"Our label-free colorimetric sensor eliminates the need of problematic fluorescence tagging of DNA/ protein molecules, and the hybridization of probe and target molecule is detected from the color change of the sensor," stated Manas Gartia, first author of the article, "Colorimetrics: Colorimetric Plasmon Resonance Imaging Using Nano Lycurgus Cup Arrays." "Our current sensor requires just a light source and a camera to complete the DNA sensing process. This opens the possibility for developing affordable, simple and sensitive mobile phone-based DNA microarray detector in near future. Due to its low cost, simplicity in design, and high sensitivity, we envisage the extensive use of the device for DNA microarrays, therapeutic antibody screening for drug discovery, and pathogen detection in resource poor setting."

Gartia explained that light-matter interaction using sub-wavelength hole arrays gives rise to interesting optical phenomena such as surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) mediated enhanced optical transmission (EOT). In case of EOT, more than expected amount of light can be transmitted through nanoholes on otherwise opaque metal thin films. Since the thin metal film has special optical property called surface plasmon resonance (SPR) which is affected by tiny amount surrounding materials, such device has been used as biosensing applications.

According to the researchers, most of the previous studies have mainly focused on manipulating in-plane two-dimensional (2D) EOT structures such as tuning the hole diameter, shape, or distance between the holes. In addition, most of the previous studies are concerned with straight holes only. Here, the EOT is mediated mainly by SPPs, which limits the sensitivity and figure of merits obtainable from such devices.

"Our current design employs 3D sub-wavelength tapered periodic hole array plasmonic structure. In contrast to the SPP mediated EOT, the proposed structure relies on Localized Surface Plasmon (LSP) mediated EOT," Gartia said. "The advantage of LSPs is that the enhanced transmission at different wavelengths and with different dispersion properties can be tuned by controlling the size, shape, and materials of the 3D holes. The tapered geometry will funnel and adiabatically focus the photons on to the sub-wavelength plasmonic structure at the bottom, leading to large local electric field and enhancement of EOT.

"Secondly the localized resonance supported by 3D plasmonic structure will enable broadband tuning of optical transmission through controlling the shape, size, and period of holes as well as the shape, size, and period of metallic particles decorated at the side walls. In other words, we will have more controllability over tuning the resonance wavelengths of the sensor."

source:sciencedaily.