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Nanoscience is technology of 21st century: scientist

Kochi: Cochin Nano 2009, the four-day international conference on frontiers in nanoscience and technology organised by the Cochin University of Science and Technology’s (Cusat) physics department began here on Sunday.

Renowned scientist Pulickel M. Ajayan, professor at the Texas-based Rice University in the United States of America, inaugurated the conference.

Terming the year 2009 as a landmark for science, Mr. Ajayan said it was an important year for India as well, as it followed the first-stage success of Chandrayaan project.

“It is heartening to hear in this context Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s announcement of raising the allocation for science research and development from the current one per cent of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) to two per cent,” he said.

An inspired student and teacher community would be of utmost importance for progress in science, which he rated above investment and physical infrastructure development. Commending on the current trends in education in the State, he said despite having 100 per cent literacy, education here was being reduced to skill training in recent years.

Mr. Ajayan gave a talk on the approaches being used to engineer carbon nanotubes and their hybrids into functional architectures.

“We have pursued several novel applications for these nanotube-based structures, for example, sensors, horizontal and vertical electrical interconnects, unique filters for separation technologies, thermal management systems, multifunction brushes, polymer infiltrated composites and energy storage,” he said while presenting his paper.

N.D. Inasu, Cusat Pro-Vice-Chancellor, in his presidential address, said nanotechnology, alongside biotechnology, information technology and nanoscience, was the technology for the 21st century.

“Huge investments are taking place in nanotechnology research world-wide and it is interdisciplinary,” he said.

Earlier, Professor L. Godfrey, head of the Department of Physics, welcomed the gathering.

Cusat Science Faculty Dean Professor V. Unnikrishnan Nair and Technology Faculty Dean Professor V.P.N. Nampoori offered felicitations. Conference convenor M.R. Anantharaman proposed a vote of thanks.

The first day’s presentations and deliberations focused on carbon nanostructures; polymer nanocomposites and nanophotonics and nanoenergetics and sensors.

Nanotechnology refers to a field whose theme is the control of matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally, nanotechnology deals with structures of the size 100 nanometres or smaller, and involves developing materials or devices within that size.

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