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Carnegie Centenary Lecture 2009

Nano Tips: Exploring this Planet, Your Body and Beyond

by Professor James Gimzewski

Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of California in Los Angeles and

Carnegie Centenary Professor, Department of Physics,

University of Strathclyde

Thursday 3^rd September 2009, Court Senate Suite, Collins Building at 6pm

Abstract

In the early eighties, a new form of microscopy was developed at IBM Zurich Research Laboratories that enable real space imaging of individual atoms on surfaces. Rather than use lenses as does the electron microscope, the Scanning Tunnelling Microscope (STM) used a sharp time to probe the electron density of atoms and molecules and, when rastered across the surface, provided a topographic landscape. The next version of this approach involved using the interaction forces between tip and surface and enable insulators and biological material to be investigated in vivo with unprecedented resolution. This is called the Atomic Force Microscope (AFM).

Dr. James Gimzewski will take you on a journey to show how the simple concept of tactile sensing using tips and other modalities of imaging and generation have been used to explore the nanoworld beyond what we could possibly imagine in the eighties. In particular, how such a system could be developed to detect cancer in human cells, how the AFM can perform gene expression profiling on a single molecule basis and the close relationship that has developed between medicine and nanoscale science. The tip continues to be used to do even more diverse research and discovery. For instance, the original predecessor of the STM, the field Ion Microscope combined with ferroelectric crystals has been able to generate nuclear fusion for Deuterium-Deuterium (D-D). He will discuss what has been done with nano-tips and where we are going for it seems that, with the right balance of creativity and science, there are almost limitless possibilities for nanotechnology on this planet and even beyond to explore extraterrestrial planets.

Biography

Professor James Gimzewski is a Distinguished Professor of Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of California in Los Angeles and a pioneer of bionanotechnology. A Graduate of the University of Strathclyde he presently holds the 2009 Carnegie Centenary Professorship at the Department of Physics in the University of Strathclyde. His embryonic research on the use of the scanning tunnelling microscope to image, characterise and manipulate molecules on surfaces has made possible far-reaching insight into the fundamental properties of single molecules and his visionary experimental methods have made fundamental changes in the way chemistry at the single molecule level is perceived. The enthusiastic and innovative way in which he communicates his science has been universally recognized. His many awards include in 1997 the Feynman Prize in Nanotechnology and the Discover Award for Emerging Fields, in 1998 the 'Wires 25' Award from Wired magazine and in 2001 the Institute of Physics Duddell Medal. He holds two IBM "Outstanding Innovation Awards" and in 2009 was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.