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Light-based ‘tractor beam’ assembles materials at the nanoscale

A team led by NanoES faculty member Peter Pauzauskie, a professor of materials science and engineering, has developed a method that could make reproducible manufacturing at the nanoscale possible. The team adapted a light-based technology employed widely in biology — known as optical traps or optical tweezers — to operate in a water-free liquid environment of carbon-rich organic solvents, thereby enabling new potential applications.

Research Impact: Developing a clean, scalable approach to synthesizing advanced materials

Elizabeth Rasmussen, a mechanical engineering graduate student in the lab of NanoES faculty member Igor Novosselov, was recently profiled by the UW mechanical engineering department. Rasmussen is developing a clean, scalable approach to synthesizing advanced materials, setting the stage for innovation in batteries, targeted drug delivery and more. MOtiF Materials, a team led by Rasmussen and whose technology is based on Rasmussen’s graduate work, won the $15,000 grand prize at the 2019 Alaska Airlines Environmental Innovation Challenge back in April.