Nanoparticles allow for 'green' technology
By aligning the miniature particles from the bottom-up,
researchers create a 'statue' that's environmentally safe
BY ANTHONY LUCERO
NEWS REPORTER
Years after the demise of the logging
industry, Oregon is now being called
the “Silicon Forest.” Like Silicon Val
ley in California is a center of high
technology, the state is the center of
much nanotechnology and rnicrotech
nology development with industry big
leagues like Intel Corporation teaming
up with universities to create the Ore
gon Nanoscience and Microtechnolo
gies Institute (ONAMI). The institute is
part of a collaboration between the
University, Oregon State University,
Portland State University and the Pacif
ic Northwest National Laboratory in
Richland, Wash.
“1 worked with ONAMI since its
inception,” said Associate Chemistry
Professor Jim Hutchison, adding that
there are more than 20 faculty mem
bers from each participating univer
sity in ONAMI.
Here at the University,
the focus is on nanotech
nology. Hutchison said
he is interested in the
miniatures of the world.
“There are two things
that are of interest in nan
otech,” he said. “One is,
of course, the small size
and the other is the new
properties we see in
nanoparticles — it’s the
properties that excite us.”
Hutchison said he works using a
“bottom-up” approach. The re
searchers employ the analogy that to
make a statue with a slab of marble,
one must chisel it, which wastes much
of the marble and takes more energy to
construct the statue out of the slab.
Hutchison said their method of devel
opment is to arrange nanoparticles so
they assemble the statue.
“If you actually look at
the nanoparticles in gold,
they are a ruby-red color,
which we have used for
ruby glass,” Hutchison
said. “At the nano level,
we can design particles
with a controlled size and
shape and can find mole
cules that will assemble
the particles together. ”
Hutchison s bottom-up
method saves time, mon
ey and is less hazardous, he said. His
lab is pioneering “green” technology,
which can accomplish more efficien
cy while reducing the level of haz
ardous material both in labs and the
environment.
Hutchison said he has used “green”
practices for a research project he be
gan in 1997, working to use safer ma
terials in nanotechnology manufactur
ing processes in the lab that would also
not pose a hazard to the environment.
His lab recently patented the rights to a
new synthetic procedure that elimi
nates the use of diborane and benzene,
two hazardous materials in gold
nanoparticles.
“Nanotech is just blossoming and
commercial availability is not around
just yet,” said Greg Kearns, a gradu
ate chemistry student working in
Hutchison’s lab.
Intel, Hutchison says, already uses
approximately 34 million nanoparti
cles in its Pentium 3 transistors. For
its next-generation microprocessors,
the amount of nanoparticles will
multiply significantly. Kearns said mi
croprocessors and optics are two ar
eas that are currently in focus with
nanotechnology and that with optics,
researchers are trying components
that steer light as much as 90 degrees
without any loss of light.
While ONAMI has not officially
opened its 60,000-square-foot head
quarters, it’s already receiving criti
cism from the Campaign to Demilita
rize Oregon's Schools. The group
cites concerns such as student tuition
subsidizing weapons development,
Nike "smart clothes” and the plan to
use taxpayer money to make the tax
exempt building “smart” with video
surveillance cameras they describe as
“Orwellian.” The Campaign to De
militarize Oregon's Schools’ Web site
is http://nanobotinvasion.cjb.net.
anthonylu.cero@dailyemerald.com
THE NANOMETER
Just how small is a
nanometer? Each particle,
which can be seen under
a Transmission Electron
Microscope, is approxi
mately one billionth of a
meter, according to
Professor Jim Hutchison.
ASUO: Executives seek disciplinary action, issue public apology
Continued from page 1A
completely dry retreat,” George said,
adding that event leaders used “many
avenues” to convey that the retreat
was to be alcohol free. “There were
announcements at public meetings
and at staff meetings and to each of
the persons who were basically in
charge of a house in Sunriver that
there was to be no alcohol or drugs on
this retreat.”
The ASUO spent about $3,200 of in
cidental-fee funds on housing for the
retreat.
Debra Campbell, operations man
agers for Sunset Realty, said she was
“disappointed” that members of the
University would leave inappropriate
comments in a rental house guest log.
“It was very disrespectful of the stu
dents to take a guest comment book
and write inappropriate comments
that would be read by the owner and
guests who stayed on the property,”
she said. “It was very immature and
left the impression that as representa
tives of the University, they would be
less than desirable.”
Campbell said her organization was
able to remove the offending material
before it was read by others and that
no other damages occurred, adding
that a plumber did have to be called af
ter a retreat participant accidentally
flushed his cell phone down a toilet in
one of the houses. Campbell added
that her company has had “good expe
riences” with most of the campus
groups that stay in rental units.
George and Ravassipour wrote a let
ter to Sunset Realty after the incident
apologizing for the behavior of a “few
of our group members. ”
“The students involved will be sub
ject to discipline under University of
Oregon rules,” the letter states. “We
sincerely hope that the actions of a few
immature students will not negatively
affect your view of the University and
its student leadership.”
George said he and Ravassipour,
who were the head members at the
event, approached Loschiavo to dis
cuss how to handle the infractions.
Loschiavo said the first step when a
group is accused of a conduct violation
is to have the organization govern itself
so that group members have a “chance
to take responsibility for what they
did” and make plans to prevent a re
peat occurrence.
He added that he is not treating the
ASUO members differently than he
would a fraternity or sorority, and
that he has high expectations.
“I fully expect they will rise to the
occasion,” he said. “This group came
to me up front, which is a really good
place to start.”
Retreat attendees met Wednesday
night in a closed meeting in the EMU
to discuss individual involvement in
the violations and determine reme
dies, George said.
“The meeting that we had last night
was a debriefing meeting as to ways
we can prevent this from happening
again,” George said.
He added that the Emerald was
ejected from the event so people could
feel comfortable confessing their in
volvement in the illegal activities.
“We felt it was in the best interests
of the group, the mood of the group, to
have the press not involved so that
they would feel comfortable basically
taking responsibility for their actions,”
George said.
George said the group wants ‘‘to
show students at the University of Ore
gon that we are the leaders that they
elected or hired us to be and that this
will not in any way hinder our duties
and our responsibilities to protect and
work for the students at the University
of Oregon.”
George said a public apology is the
first action to result from disciplinary
meetings.
“We think that the first step that we
can take to work toward a remedy to the
situation is a public apology to the stu
dents and to the administration, which
is a separate letter that we are drafting as
well,” he said. “We know that this letter
is not a cure-all, and we don’t expect it
to be. We will continue to meet with
(participants from the retreat) to further
discuss appropriate ways that we can
remedy the situation.”
ASUO President Adam Petkun, who
did not attend the event, said discipli
nary action may result from the
violations.
“There will be a subsequent
meeting next week to discuss further
disciplinary action and also personnel
action and (whether) conduct code ac
tions (are) necessary,” Petkun said.
ASUO Public Relations Director
Nathan Strauss said the current ad
ministration can’t be responsible for al
cohol consumed at past retreats, but
that drinking probably occurred.
“If you were to ask other people,
this wouldn’t be the first time that al
cohol has ever been at a retreat,” he
said. “Any University retreat at any lev
el, it would be inaccurate to say that
there’s never alcohol involved.” EMU
Director Dusty Miller said he attended
the retreat with the group and did not
witness any illicit behavior. Miller said
the “exceptional” retreat was one of
the best he’s seen in the 30 years he
has worked with campus groups.
He said he commends the group for
taking ownership of the conduct
issues.
“1 respect that and I applaud them
for trying to address this amongst
themselves,” he said.
parkerhoweU@dailyemerald. com
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