Singapore Promoting Clean Energy & Sustainable City - Site Visit of the Zero Energy Building

(Ms. Yesie BRAMA, NanoGlobe)

Zero Energy Building (ZEB) of Singapore BCA Academy was officially opened on 26 October 2009. It is intended as demonstration of application of clean and green technologies as well as intelligent building design, requiring no traditional energy (fossil fuel based) at all. ZEB is a retrofit of an existing building in BCA Academy featuring innovative green technologies such as sunrays collector and mirror ducts, green shading, solar chimneys and solar panels, coated glass for heat reduction, cool paint and cool pavement coating. Since its operation in October 2009, ZEB has been producing more energy than what it has been consuming. It is estimated that the building will save SGD 84,000/year energy cost compared to a typical office in Singapore (based on 21.69 cents/kWh). In this article, we share our knowledge of the green technologies that are adopted in the building. (Read the Whole Article)

Nanoparticles Enabling More Effective Chemotherapy: Interview with One of the World's Nanomedicine Leaders - Prof. FENG Si-Shen at NUS, Singapore

(Ms. Yesie BRAMA, NanoGlobe)

Traditional chemotherapy presently has been associated with severe side effects such as hypersensitivity reaction and toxicities thus degrading the patient's quality of life. As a visionary leader in nanomedicine, Professor FENG Si-Shen has developed new concept of chemotherapy that involves nanoparticles of novel biodegradable co-polymers resulting in more effective and efficient drug delivery, significantly improving the treatment of cancers and improving quality of life of cancer patients. There are three products related to improved chemotherapy developed by Prof. Feng's group: NanoTaxanes, TargetingTaxanes and OralTaxanes. His group has also developed the 3rd generation of cardiovascular stents, as well as novel nanoparticle formulations of iron oxides and quantum dots for safer cellular and molecular imaging application. These activities have been taking place in his Chemotherapeutic Engineering Laboratory in National University of Singapore (NUS). (Read the Whole Article)

Rational Design of Nanostructures and Tuning of Photo-physical Properties for Robust Cancer Detection Therapy and Drug Delivery

(Ms. Jing JIANG, NanoGlobe)

Prof. Zhang is one of world leading experts in photo-electrochemistry and optical nanomaterials. His lab is equipped with state of the art Femtosecond laser system allowing his team to probe fundamental charge carrier or exciton dynamics on the ultrafast time scale, directing more effective and efficient nanomaterials design with improved properties. We are particularly impressed by his group's recent achievement in the effectiveness of their hollow Au gold nanospheres (HGHs) in cancer detection and treatment both in vivo and in vitro. Their proprietary HGNs are ideally suited for Photothermal Ablation (PTA) therapy applications, at least 8 times more effective compared with solid Au nanoparticles, due to their strong photothermal conversion profile as a result of their unique combination of small size (average outer diameter of 30 - 50 nm), spherical shape, as well as strong, tunable, and narrow surface plasmon resonance (SPR) absorption in the NIR. The group is also developing novel solar energy conversion system utilizing synergistic effects of three-component (CdSe-TiO2:N) nanocomposite thin film. (Read the Whole Article)

Nanostructured Photocatalytic Materials Enable Capturing Solar Energy and Simultaneously Powering Water Purification - An interview of Associate Prof Darren Delai SUN, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

(Ms. Jing JIANG, NanoGlobe)

A Singapore research group led by Associate Prof Darren Delai SUN in Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore has developed world leading research capability in TiO2-based nanostructures for clean water and energy (hydrogen and solar energy) production. They have the expertise in synthesizing special shapes, composition and pre-designed nanostructures using electronspinning, hydrothermal, anodization or doping method. Their flexible TiO2 nanofiber/tube/wire membrane has not only successfully been applied in the water treatment system for the concurrent filtration and photocatalytic oxidation functions, but also used as electrodes for dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) to achieve low-cost, flexible and printable thin film solar cells. Dr. Sun and his colleagues designed a dye sensitized TiO2 nanostructures based system for producing clean water and electric energy simultaneously by taking advantage of both the photocatalytic and photovoltaic properties of their proprietary TiO2-based nanostructures. This smart design has great commercial potential in realizing the water purification at almost zero cost. (Read the Whole Article)

Singapore

Nanotech Saving The Environment

(Contributed by: Dr Ting's group, Temasek Polytechnic)

The nanotechnology research group in Temasek Polytechnic's Applied Science School (ASc) has successfully secured the Ministry of Education (MOE) Innovation Fund grant to fund the group's research in magnetic cellulases for biofuel fermentation.  This project which is effective between April 2009 and March 2012 is spearheaded by two ASc lecturers, Mr Lim Tse Loong Wallace and Mr Lloyd George.  

  Global depletion of energy resources as well as the increase in energy consumption has created a serious global issue that needs to be tackled. A renewable solution is the use of solar energy in the form of biomass. Global potential of bioenergy is found in energy crops and lignocellulosic residues. Lignocellulosic biomass comprises of about 50% of the world's biomass and its annual production is estimated between 10 to 50 billion tons. However as only 49.8% of the 1.67 million tons of waste generated annually is recycled, this waste can serve as a huge source of lignocellulosic for biofuel production and can be processed to yield cellulose which can then be hydrolysed into bioethanol.

  As the cellulase production accounts for a significant portion of the total cost of enzymatic conversion of cellulosics, the nanotechnology research group is working on fixing cellulase onto magnetic nanoparticles as this will aid in separating and recovering the enzyme from the slurry of lignocellulosic masses and its hydrolysed products. Furthermore, when the cellulase is fixed on supports, the potential of increasing the robustness, long-term stability and hydrolytic capability is significant and will further reduce the cost of bioethanol production.

  By functionalising the magnetic nanoparticle with amine groups, the research group has currently achieved a maximum cellulase immobilization of about 60% and a maximum retained activity of about 80%. Furthermore results have indicated the cellulase remains active after repeated cycles of recovery and usage. This protein immobilization method can be extended to other applications in the recovery of other enzymes.  The research group has also successfully immobilized other proteins such as urease and anti-TNF onto various substrates for biomedical applications.

ZnO Nanowires and Nanoparticles Combined to Improve Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

(Source: Solar Novus Today)

Researchers from the National University of Singapore and A*STAR (Agency for Science Technology and Research) have demonstrated a low temperature method to synthesize ZnO nanostructures that combine nanowires and nanoparticles. They also showed the usefulness of the nanostructures in dye-sensitized solar cells.

  In dye-sensitized solar cells, ZnO functions as a scaffold for light harvesting dyes and as a medium for electron transport. The dyes absorb sunlight and then donate electrons to the ZnO nanowires. As electrons accumulate in the nanowires they diffuse out to the anode. Although ZnO nanowires have excellent electron transport properties, they have lower surface areas than ZnO nanoparticles. On the other hand, ZnO nanoparticles are relatively poor electron transporters.

  "In this study, we have successfully employed both ZnO nanowires and nanoparticles in a single device, a combination that reaps the benefits of both nanostructures," said Ghim Wei Ho and Moe Kevin, members of the research team. As detailed in a Nanotechnology paper, they accomplished this combination by reducing the density of the nanowires and aligning them perpendicularly to the substrate using nanowire growth-selection. This chemical process allowed the nanoparticles to easily penetrate the spaces between the nanowires.

  The researchers used monocrystalline ZnO nanowires with excellent electron transport properties to provide a quick and direct route for electrons to be collected at the anode. "This is essential in ensuring efficient separation of electrons and holes before recombination can occur," said Ho and Kevin.

  They showed that the ZnO nanostructures enhanced the light harvesting, electron transport rate, and mechanical properties of dye-sensitized solar cells.

The structures can be formed using low-temperature synthesis, which can lessen production costs. "In addition, low temperature synthesis allows for the production of PV devices on conducting plastic substrates which are both lightweight and flexible," said said Ho and Kevin. "This opens many new possibilities of implementing PV devices at the consumer level."

  Next, the researchers would like to study the charge transport dynamics in these mixed-morphology dye-sensitized solar cells in order to optimize parameters such as nanowire density and length.

NanoMaterials Technology's High Gravity Controlled Precipitation (HGCP) platform Overcomes Nanoparticle Challenges in Clinical Applications

(Source: GEN-News)

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