Mysore's Nano Centre takes tentative steps

The Centre for nanotechnology (CNT), set up recently at the National Institute of Engineering (NIE) in Mysore, has taken up two projects on nano materials and applications.

CNT is a multidisciplinary research centre for the faculty members of physics, chemistry and mechanical sciences. The primary objective of the Centre for Nano-technology is to characterise structural and mechanical properties of nano materials for various applications

The projects, a Rs 1.86-crore one for ‘Characterisation of composite materials and application of nano materials for sustainable energy’, funded by the Nano Mission of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India, and a Rs 60-lakh project, ‘Development of CIGS-based nano materials for photovoltaics’, funded by the Vision Group on Science and Technology (VGST) of Department of Science and Technology, Government of Karnataka.

 

A team of experts is working on these projects.

NIE’s Building Fire Research Centre has already done the pilot using sophisticated equipment like Phenom Scanning Electron Microscope, Atomic Force Microscope and X-Ray Diffractometer, Spin Coater, Electrochemical Analyser, Annealing Vacuum Furnace and Wear Test Rig, G L Shekar, principal, NIE, said here.

Realising nanotechnology’s potential, with it being one of the most exciting and emerging fields that may lead to new vistas in technological advances of the century and would bring in myriad industrial applications, NIE has set up the centre.

Its main focus is on creating infrastructure for research on fundamental aspects of nanotechnology for students and teachers of science and engineering, and promoting application-oriented R&D projects among students.

Besides developing an interdisciplinary culture for study and research in nano-scale science, engineering and technology, it will focus on sharing its facilities with other scientists and researchers in the region and forge linkages, and achieve synergy between the educational and research institutions, and industry.

With such efforts, CNT proposes to promote international collaborative research.

Applications of nanotechnology deliver both expected and unexpected ways to benefit the society in many areas. It is considerably helping to improve and even revolutionise industry and technology sectors like medicine, food safety, information technology, energy, environmental science, engineering among others.

Its benefits are rapidly increasing, calling for more study and research in nanotechnology sphere.

Set up with these objectives, Shekar said, the state-of-the-art centre will be formally inaugurated on April 11 at the institute premises.