August 2007

The ONI
330 NE 10th Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73104

OCAST Reserves $1.5 million For Enhanced Nanotechnology Program
The state’s technology-based economic development agency is notifying university and non-profit research scientists they are now included in the list of qualified applicants (along with manufacturers and other Oklahoma companies) for the Oklahoma Nanotechnology Applications Project (ONAP).

OCAST, the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology, is issuing the call statewide as an expansion of the program’s first year effort to fund nanotechnology applications with Oklahoma companies. Last year the ONAP program opened with funds appropriated by the Legislature and 15 companies competed for the nanotechnology applications funds. Five projects were selected for award and are currently underway.

A total of $1.5 million is available for the upcoming round of funding. Prospective applicants are advised to check the OCAST Web site for program information. “Our goal with the second year enhancements is to enable greater flexibility in participation and expand our efforts to enhance services to Oklahoma manufacturers and companies in the process of applying nanotechnology,” said Michael Carolina, OCAST executive director. Legislation calls for ONAP awards to enable new and existing applications in nanotechnology and encourage collaboration between industry, higher education and nonprofit research groups.

Program requirements still call for collaboration with an Oklahoma firm.
Funding competition will be determined by external peer review and both “Proof of concept” and “Accelerated” projects will be invited to compete. Accelerated projects are near-ready for commercialization and “Proof of concept” projects are earlier in the development stage.

Proof-of-concept awards may be up to $45,000 per year for up to two years and the Accelerated program may be up to $500,000 for one to three years.
In concert with ONAP, legislators funded the Oklahoma Nanotechnology Initiative (ONI) for the third year. OCAST contracts with The State Chamber to operate ONI. The program is charged with coordinating activities on a regional basis to benefit Oklahoma’s economy, and for providing a clearinghouse of information about nanotechnology. OCAST is partnering with The Oklahoma Manufacturing Alliance, the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, universities and colleges and CareerTech to market ONAP.

For the purpose of this program “nanotechnology” means technology development at the molecular range (1nm – 100nm) to create and use structures, devices and systems that have novel properties because of their small size.

Letters of intent to apply for the program are due at OCAST Oklahoma City offices January 9, 2008. Applications are due January 23. Workshops are scheduled for December 4 in Tulsa and December 13 in Oklahoma City. Target contract start dates are scheduled for May/June 2008.

Oklahoma Nanotechnology 2007 Impact Survey
Do you know what “nanotechnology” is?  Do you know how it will impact your businesses? Nanotechnology is new to many people, however interested Oklahomans are encouraged to take the short survey to help the Oklahoma Nanotechnology community in understanding the diverse knowledge, concerns and attitudes from all sectors of the state.

The Oklahoma Nanotechnology Initiative (ONI) is asking you to complete a short survey about your perceptions of nanotechnology, which is the manipulation of materials on a molecular level.  Researchers are creating new and amazing materials by manipulating molecules at the ultra-small scale of 1 to 100 nanometers. Nanosized super-particles demonstrate powerful and unprecedented electrical, chemical, and mechanical properties and are making Oklahoma products stronger, lighter, faster, smaller, or more durable.

As a result of the Oklahoma Nanotechnology Sharing Incentive Act, Oklahoma has grown from six to forty companies who are actively exploring using nanotechnology to improve existing products or create new ones.  The National Science and Technology Council stated, “Nanotechnology will impact everything human-made in this century.”  Some Oklahoma products being improved with nanotechnology include: sunscreen, computer back-up tapes, cosmetics, clothing, energy efficient coatings, prosthetic devices, and oil and gas pressure relief valves.

We urge you to take The 2007 Nanotechnology Survey online by clicking here

The ONI conducted a similar survey in April 2006 and found:

• 85 percent of Oklahomans responding had heard of nanotechnology but 92 percent of those did not consider themselves as “generally well informed” about nanotechnology. 
• More than 50 percent of business professionals agreed that nanotechnology will have an impact on the Oklahoma economy in the next six to 10 years.
• 78 percent of Oklahoma business leaders felt nanotechnology will have a significant effect on the lives of Oklahomans. 
• 20 percent of Oklahoman business leaders are already making adjustments to their business plans for the coming nanotechnology impact.

An affiliate of The State Chamber, the ONI encourages businesses to adopt nanotechnology applications.  For more information about nanotechnology in Oklahoma, go to the ONI website, www.oknano.com or contact Jim Mason

ONI Acquires Models of Nanotubes and Buckyballs for Demonstrations
The Oklahoma Nanotechnology Initiative recently ordered kits for carbon nanotubes and buckyball which are used to explain these things that are too small to see.  Above Dr. Daniel Resasco, founder of SWeNT (Southwest Nanotechnologies) demonstrates a metallic conducting nanotube while other members of the SWeNT team look at buckyballs and other carbon nanotubes.

ONI Executive Director, Jim Mason noted that he assembled the models to use in nano awareness presentations that he does around the state for public school classes, businesses, civic clubs and chambers of commerce.  

SWeNT Breaks Ground For New Nanotube Production Facility
SWeNT CEO, David Arthur, and founder, Dr. Daniel Resasco, with a host of Norman dignitaries broke ground on a new 15,000 s.f. $3.9 million production facility to mass produce carbon nanotubes. The new facility will exponentially increase the amount of quality carbon nanotubes the company can produce.   “It is going to be somewhere between 100 to 1,000 times more product each day at this plant,” stated Arthur.

SWeNT anticipates being moved into the new facility during the second quarter of 2008 and will schedule an open house in the Spring.  For more information on Southwest Nanotechnologies go to  www.swentnano.com.

ONI Plans “Speaking of Nano” Bi-Monthly Series
The Oklahoma Nanotechnology Initiative will begin the first of a series of meetings of the nano community on September 27th that will be entitled “Speaking of Nano”.  “The idea is to bring together companies interested in Nanotechnology and nano researchers to share information on a regular basis.” said Jim Mason. “Some meetings we will bring in a speaker from business and some times from research, some will be from Oklahoma and some will be invited in from other states.

The following dates are proposed: Sept. 27th, Nov. 29th, Jan. 24th, Mar. 27th, May 22nd, and July 24th.  Locations of the meeting will be announced.

ONI Sets Date For NanoFocus 2008
The ONI has reserved space at the Cox Convention Center for March 4-5th for NanoFocus 2008. A planning committee will begin work shortly to design the program for the conference.  NanoFocus 2007 was an excellent conference with national, regional and local presenters. The ONI wants to continue to build our regional collaboration, while showcasing our Oklahoma companies and researchers.

Oklahoma Invited to the 1st Rocky Mountain Nanotechnology Showcase
Debbie Woodward, Executive Director of the Colorado Nanotechnology Alliance has invited Oklahoma companies and individuals to participate in the 1st Annual Rocky Mountain Nanotechnology Showcase on Sept. 17-18.   The Showcase will bring leading experts at the forefront of nanotechnology/nanoscience who are developing cutting edge, next-generation products and industry solutions. 

This unique showcase has been designed to provide an opportunity to meet and network with leading executives, stakeholders, entrepreneurs, researchers, legal experts and innovators to explore partnership opportunities with entities within and outside the region.

For more information contact Debbie Woodward at 303.592.4084 or www.coloradonanotechnology.org.

ONI Coordinates Oklahoma Nano Pavilion
At NanoTx 2007
The ONI is coordinating an Oklahoma Nano Pavilion in the Business Exhibit hall at NanoTx 2007 on October 4-5th in Dallas.  A number of Oklahoma nano companies will be participating in the 600 s.f. booth as well as serving as speakers at the conference. Currently, Southwest Nanotechnologies, NanoBioMagnetics, Xeta Comp, ARC Outdoors, Martin Bionics, NanoRidge Materials and OCAST are planning to participate. The ONI has some free passes (valued at $40) to the Business Hall exhibits.  Interested persons should contact Jim Mason at jmason@okstatechamber.com. 

TU Professor Awarded DoD Grant for Nanobattery Research
New funding will help The University of Tulsa think small in a really big way. TU has been selected to receive more than $650,000 in federal and state funding for nanobattery research, which seeks to increase battery power while continually decreasing battery size.

Dale Teeters, professor and chemistry department chair, has received approximately $530,000 from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and $120,000 from the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to advance his research in nanotechnology, or the study of matter on the atomic or nano level.

The federal and state grants will fund three years of nanotechnology research at TU and will support a research team made up of two graduate students, two undergraduate students, and one post-doctoral fellow.

Teeters, who holds a patent for a nanobattery manufacturing process, has developed batteries so small that 240 of them can fit across a human hair. At this tiny scale, Teeters said that technology improvements are possible to greatly increase battery capacity for use in anything from cell phones and laptop computers to fuel cells that can generate electricity in remote locations.

When compared with the growth of computing power, advancements in battery technology has lagged, Teeters said. The new funding will allow him to use a nanoscale approach to solve technical problems that have inhibited the vast improvement of batteries for more than a decade.

"New ideas are needed to push battery performance to the next level, and nanotechnology may be the answer to the current technical obstacles," Teeters said. "This area of research has so much potential to impact how we store energy, and I’m excited to be a part of it."

While today’s “gold standard” technology is the lithium ion battery, Teeters said the lithium polymer electrolyte battery has the potential for even greater capacity. However, there are major electrochemical problems that must be solved if these battery systems are to achieve even higher performance, and Teeters will focus his research in this area.

"Work at TU, such as Professor Teeters’ nanobattery project, is indicative of our excellence in research and adds to our reputation for advancing cutting-edge technology," said Steven Bellovich, dean of the College of Engineering and Natural Sciences.

Teeters will also lead the TU Nanotechnology Institute, an interdisciplinary initiative, along with Theodore Manikas, assistant professor of electrical engineering. The institute will explore the vast opportunities for technological progress through nanotechnology.  Some research topics include increasing the memory capacity in computers through nanobatteries, developing advanced sensor technology, creating efficient power sources, like fuel cells, and strengthening metals, plastics and other materials through engineering at the atomic scale (also called nanostructured materials).

FDA Will Not Require Special Labeling for Certain Nano Products
Today, the FDA said the rising number of cosmetics, drugs and other products made using nanotechnology do not require special regulations or labeling.  A task force within the FDA concluded that although nano-sized materials may have completely different properties than their bigger counterparts, there is no evidence that they pose any major safety risks at this time.

The FDA said it will soon issue guidance documents for industries using nanotechnology.
http://www.oknano.com/pdf/FoodDrugAdminReportonNano.pdf

Texas Company Deters Copper  Wire Theft With Nanotechnology
Oncor Electric Delivery, a business that provides power to more than three million homes and businesses in Texas, says it will implement nanotechnology this summer that will both discourage would-be criminals from stealing copper from the company's substations and switchyards and help law enforcement personnel find and prosecute thieves.

The technology marks Oncor equipment and particularly copper wire so that it can be identified after it has been stolen. Oncor says it will work closely with law enforcement in this effort. Areas protected with the technology will also have signs warning that material has been marked with a traceable technology.

"This is a traceable technology that will enable us to not only identify our stolen goods, but also to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law," said Rob Trimble, president and chief operating officer of Oncor. "Substations and switchyards have been the main targets for copper theft. Thieves are literally taking their lives in their hands for some spending money when they remove metal from a high-voltage area."

Not only is safety an issue for thieves, but also for Oncor employees. When protective ground wires are stolen from substations and switchyards, employees may be shocked or injured.

Nevada Company Uses Nanotechnology In Anti-Counterfeiting Applications
IDGLOBAL Corp. (www.idglobalcorp.com) incorporated in Nevada is comprised of two primary operating divisions, its Nano-Molecular Markers / Tags™ used in Anti-Counterfeiting Applications, and its IDFORENSIX™ products utilized in Corporate Loss Prevention. The combined Anti-Counterfeiting and Loss Prevention markets are currently estimated to be $800 billion industries, worldwide.

IDGLOBAL's Nano-Molecular Markers™ are the equivalent of taking the laboratory into the field and providing a verifiable answer as to a products authenticity in a matter of seconds by utilizing proprietary Nano-Molecular Markers™ and handheld scanning technologies.

IDGLOBAL provides its Nano-Molecular Markers™ on a global basis and can easily be applied to product runs into the hundreds of millions of units at a cost of a fraction of a penny per unit. IDGLOBAL has established a multi-year track record of aiding in the protection of corporate assets and brand-name goods for major companies across North America. The Company is reviewing key alliance and acquisition opportunities to fast track growth and profitability.

The IDFORENSIX™ product lines are specifically geared towards loss prevention or corporate asset protection of assets such as tools, equipment up to and including fine art work. Much of corporate losses are due to internal and invasive theft. Applications for these forensic markers include everything from retail theft by consumers and/or employees to the larger problem of theft in distribution systems and warehouses.

The IDGLOBAL, IDFORENSIX products mark, protect and identify merchandise and/or equipment to protect against theft. Literally, truckloads of product are stolen from companies that have very few options in proving and finding their stolen merchandise. Whether boxes of music CDs or high gauge and expensive electrical wire literally removed from power grid systems, it all amounts to billions of dollars in theft and loss. IDFORENSIX products can also mark and protect everything from oil and gas and mining equipment where millions of dollars of field equipment and tools goes missing to forensically marking dozens, hundreds or even thousands of laptop computers in office environments.

The IDFORENSIX markers cannot be removed or tampered with once applied and provide a long term and unequivocal ability for an organization to mark, protect and recover stolen articles and merchandise.  Nano-Molecular™, Nano-Molecular Markers™, Nano-Molecular Tags™ and IDFORENSIX™ are registered trademarks of IDGLOBAL Corp.

ApNano Materials Establishes Nano Armour Subsidiary
ApNano Materials has established a subsidiary that will develop and manufacture the company's new NanoArmor line of nanotechnology-based bullet-proof products.

The new subsidiary will start with products that enhance the performance of personal safety items such as bullet proof vests and helmets, and will continue with protection products for vehicles and aircraft.

"The company has already started negotiations with investors," said Aharon Feuerstein, ApNano Materials' Chairman and CFO. "In addition, NanoArmor potential products have already attracted huge interest from military, law enforcement and homeland security organizations and agencies in various countries."

The NanoArmor products will be based on ApNano’s proprietary nanospheres and nanotubes, which ApNano say are excellent shock absorbing materials and among the most impact resistant substances known in the world today, with up to twice the strength of today’s best impact resistant protective armor materials.

The NanoArmor products will be made of tungsten disulfide (WS2) nanoparticles, currently manufactured by ApNano Materials, under the trade name NanoArmor. In addition, the subsidiary will develop multi-walled titanium-based nanoparticles which will enable it to produce over 50% lighter weight armour products.

According to ApNano, NanoArmor will provide multi-hit protection as well as enhanced ballistic and blast resistance. It will enable the development of special trauma layers behind the armour, reducing the level of blunt force trauma injuries.

"Laboratory experiments conducted by Nobel Laureate Professor Sir Harold Kroto and his colleagues have demonstrated that ApNano’s nanotubes are strong enough to withstand a pressure of 21 GPa (Gigapascal) – the equivalent of 210 tons per square centimeter,” said Dr. Menachem Genut, President and CEO of ApNano Materials. Dr. Genut was a research fellow in the original research group which discovered the IF nanoparticles at the Weizmann Institute and first to synthesize the new materials.
Recently ApNano Materials opened a new 1,000 square meter manufacturing facility in Israel, housing a semi-industrial reactor.

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Check out additional information on the ONI website www.oknano.com or contact ONI Executive Director, Jim Mason at (405) 235-3669

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