JSNN students and faculty are leading the field in Nanotechnology through their cutting-edge research:

JSNN Scientists discover a new material for cleansing wastewater from lithium – a harmful, yet valuable element

Rathnayake and Dawood (left) hold a sample of their proprietary filter, woven at the JSNN using an electrospinning technique.

Dawood (right) uses a scanning electron microscope to zoom in on the morphology of their nanofiber filter. Read more here.

Nanoscale Mechanics of Protein Molecules

Faculty: Dr. Ram Mohan, Professor, Nanoengineering

Student: Atul Rawal, December 2020 Ph.D. graduate in Nanoengineering.

Nanomechanics of protein molecules via experimental methods is very difficult, if not impossible, at their nanoscale via current techniques. Computational modeling and simulations provide great insights into these nanoscale proteins’ fundamental properties and interactions. Molecular dynamics modeling is used to simulate, model, and analyze nanoscale mechanical deformation behavior and predictive properties of nanoscale synthetic collagen proteins with lengths of <10nm. Our investigations provided a detailed understanding and inference of the protein’s mechanical properties, and its unfolding pathways are investigated through fraying deformation behavior. Our findings elucidate a difference in the nano-mechanics and interprotein interactions between individual polypeptide α-chains within the triple-helical collagen molecules.

ASME NANOMECH Workshop

Dr. Mohan, Professor, Nanoengineering, organized and led a workshop on “Nanotechnology in Mechanical Engineering – Potential, Reality, Opportunity and Challenges (NANOMECH)” at the 2019 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition of American Society for Mechanical Engineers. This workshop was sponsored by ASME and brought together a panel of experts from academia, industries, and government to serve as a foundation for developing a roadmap for nanotechnology’s mechanical engineering directions. Dr. Mohan led this workshop and was well received by the IMECE attendees.

Synthesis and Characterization of Cobalt Nanowires

Student: Ali Shiave, Ph.D. Nanoscience Graduate (currently with LAMS Research)

Faculty: Dr. Mohan, Nanoengineering, Dr. LaJeunesse, Nanoscience

Cobolt nanowires were synthesized via an electrodeposition technique and understand the growth process characteristics and mechanisms. Two-dimensional growth modes were either layer-by-layer growth mode and tilted plane growth mode and were influenced by the processing conditions. Nanowire modified coolant potential and their thermal characteristics were evaluated.