• Transactions of the KSME C: Technology and Education
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.69-77
• /
• 2017

Nanotechnology, along with Information Technology (IT) and Bio-technology (BT), has been regarded as a core area that will drive technological revolution of $21^{st}$ century. South Korea and other countries with advanced scientific and technological research programs are investing heavily in the field, and among its various aspects, nanomaterial industry is considered to be at the heart of this global competition. In this review, we look at nanomaterials industry from the perspective of mechanical engineering. Nanomaterials exhibit unique characteristics differing from those of micron, or sub-micron sized materials, and hence are potentially able to open up new opportunities. Specifically, environmental and biological sciences, energy, and catalysis are areas that are expected to benefit from these developments.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.505-516
• /
• 2016

With the development of nanotechnology, nanomaterials are used in various fields. Therefore, the interest regarding the safety of nanomaterial use is increasing and much effort is diverted toward establishment of exposure assessment and management methods. Occupational exposure limits (OELs) are effectively used to protect the health of workers in various industrial workplaces. This study aimed to propose an OEL for domestic multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) based on animal inhalation toxicity test. Basic procedure for development of OELs was examined. For OEL estimation, epidemiological study and quantitative risk assessment are generally performed based on toxicity data. In addition, inhalation toxicity data-based no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) and benchmark dose (BMD) are estimated to obtain the OEL. Three different estimation processes (NEDO in Japan, NIOSH in USA, and Baytubes in Germany) of OELs for carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were intensively reviewed. From the rat inhalation toxicity test for MWCNTs manufactured in Korea, a NOAEL of $0.98mg/m^3$ was derived. Using the simple equation for estimation of OEL suggested by NEDO, the OEL of $142{\mu}g/m^3$ was estimated for the MWCNT manufacturing workplace. Here, we used test rat and Korean human data and adopted 36 as an uncertainty factor. The OEL for MWCNT estimated in this work is higher than those ($2-80{\mu}g/m^3$) suggested by previous investigators. It may be greatly caused by different physicochemical properties of MWCNT and their dispersion method and test rat data. For setting of regulatory OELs in CNT workplaces, further epidemiological studies in addition to animal studies are needed. More advanced technical methods such as CNT dispersion in air and liquid should be also developed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
• /
• 2010.02a
• /
• pp.44-45
• /
• 2010

We are currently conducting studies on culturing and biocompatibility assessment of various cells such as neural stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells(IPS cells) on carbon nanotube (CNT), on nerve regeneration electrodes, and on silicon wafers with a focus on developing nerve integrated CNT based bio devices for interfacing with living organisms, in order to develop brain-machine interfaces (BMI). In addition, we are carried out the chemical modification of carbon nanotube (mainly SWCNTs)-based bio-nanosensors by the plasma ion irradiation (plasma activation) method, and provide a characteristic evaluation of a bio-nanosensor using bovine serum albumin (BSA)/anti-BSA binding and oligonucleotide hybridization. On the other hand, the researches in the case of "novel plasma" have been widely conducted in the fields of chemistry, solid physics, and nanomaterial science. From the above-mentioned background, we are conducting basic experiments on direct irradiation of body tissues and cells using a micro-spot atmospheric pressure plasma source. The device is a coaxial structure having a tungsten wire installed inside a glass capillary, and a grounded ring electrode wrapped on the outside. The conditions of plasma generation are as follows: applied voltage: 5-9 kV, frequency: 1-3 kHz, helium (He) gas flow: 1-1.5 L/min, and plasma irradiation time: 1-300 sec. The experiment was conducted by preparing a culture medium containing mouse fibroblasts (NIH3T3) on a culture dish. A culture dish irradiated with plasma was introduced into a $CO_2$-incubator. The small animals used in the experiment involving plasma irradiation into living tissue were rat, rabbit, and pick and are deeply anesthetized with the gas anesthesia. According to the dependency of cell numbers against the plasma irradiation time, when only He gas was flowed, the growth of cells was inhibited as the floatation of cells caused by gas agitation inside the culture was promoted. On the other hand, there was no floatation of cells and healthy growth was observed when plasma was irradiated. Furthermore, in an experiment testing the effects of plasma irradiation on rats that were artificially given burn wounds, no evidence of electric shock injuries was found in the irradiated areas. In fact, the observed evidence of healing and improvements of the burn wounds suggested the presence of healing effects due to the growth factors in the tissues. Therefore, it appears that the interaction due to ion/radicalcollisions causes a substantial effect on the proliferation of growth factors such as epidermal growth factor (EGF), nerve growth factor (NGF), and transforming growth factor (TGF) that are present in the cells.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
• /
• 2016.02a
• /
• pp.422.1-422.1
• /
• 2016

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs), a new kind of carbon-based photo luminescent nanomaterial from chemically modified graphene oxide (CMGO) or chemically modified graphene (CMG), has attracted extensive research attention in the last few years due to its outstanding chemical, optical and electrical properties. To further extended its potential applications as optoelectronic devices, solar cells, bio and bio-sensors and so on, intensive research efforts have been devoted to the CMG. However, the CMG, a suspension of aqueous, have problematic since they are prone to agglomeration after drying a solvent. In this study, we synthesized the GQDs from graphite and deposited on silicon substrate by kinetic spray. The photo luminescent properties of deposited GQD films were analyzed and compared with initial GQDs suspension. In addition, its carbon properties were investigated with GQDs solution properties. The properties of deposited GQD films by kinetic spray were similar to that of the GQDs suspension in water. We could provide a pathway for silicon-based silicon based device applications. Finally, the well-adjusted GQD films with photo luminescence effects will show Energy-Down-Shift layer effects on silicon solar cells. The GQD layers deposited at nozzle scan speeds of 40, 30, 20, and 10 mm/s were evaluated after they were used to fabricate crystalline-silicon solar cells; the results indicate that GQDs play an important role in increasing the optical absorptivity of the cells. The short-circuit current density (Jsc) was enhanced by about 2.94 % (0.9 mA/cm2) at 30 mm/s. Compared to a reference device without a GQD energy-down-shift layer, the PCE of p-type silicon solar cells was improved by 2.7% (0.4 percentage points).

• Journal of the Korean Recycled Construction Resources Institute
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.72-79
• /
• 2011

This study is performed to analyze the effects of CASB by applying the superplasticizer combined CASB on the ultra high strength mortar and concrete that uses different mineral admixture depending on whether the silica fume was used and the results are summarized below. From the characteristics of Fresh mortar and concrete, the fluidity was lower in B2-CASB than B2-PC from the mixing of CASB and based on the viscosity of the mortar and concrete in the binary proportion but in the ternary proportion, B3-CASB showed a larger fluidity than B3-PC because of a reduction in the restriction level due to the effects of an improvement of particle size distribution. The compression strength was higher in ternary proportion than in binary proportion and higher in CASB than in PC from the characteristics of hardening mortar and concrete and this is analyzed as a result of increased minuteness from the calcium silicate hydrates produced from the pozzolan reaction of a mineral admixture, SF, and also the charging effects of capillary pore of CASB. Overall, when using the nanomaterial, CASB in combination with a superplasticizer, the fluidity and the strength aspects of the ternary proportion of ultra high strength mortar and concrete with silica fume may be improved to a higher quality.