SEA SHELLS OPEN NEW VISTAS FOR ELECTRONIC DEVICES conducting research that could open the door for
genetic engineering of diatom shell shapes. if
successful, harnessing the diatom's genetic code
could lead to mass-production of custom
microscopic structures. For more details about this
work, contact Dr. Kenneth H. Sandhage at
ken.sandhage@mse.gatech.edu. GEORGIA
INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, MATERIALS
SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, Atlanta, GA.
Delving into the secrets of the ocean, researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology are employing a chemical process that converts the silicon dioxide (SiO2) found in the shells of microscopic sea creatures, called diatoms (see Fig. 1), into a silicon semiconductor material capable of yielding novel electronic devices. A shell exhibiting an intricate three-dimensional (3D) architecture protects the diatoms, which, when chemically processed, retains its original 3D Fig. 1: Via a chemical shape and nano-scale process, the 3D shell of the detail. The first creation diatom, a microscopic sea from this process is a creature, yields useful unique gas sensor (see semiconductor material. Fig. 2) that may be able to detect pollutants quicker and more effectively than existing components.
According to Dr. Kenneth H. Sandhage at the School of Materials Science and Engineering, performance levels of the diatom-based sensor outpace conventional sensors in terms of speed, sensitivity, and low-voltage operation when detecting the pollutant nitric oxide. The unique diatom shape, high surface area, and nano-porous, nano-crystalline silicon material all contribute
towards desirable gas sensing characteristics. Other foreseeable applications for the material include battery electrodes, chemical purifiers, and those requiring complex shapes that nature produces better than humans.
Naval research shows there are approximately 100,000 existing species of diatoms, each of which forms a micro shell with a unique 3D shape, i.e., cylinders, wheels, fans, donuts, circles, and stars.
Over several years,
Sandhage and his team
have been able to work with
these complex shapes by
converting the silica into
useful materials. Their end
goal now is to perform
conversions on genetically modified diatoms that
generate shells with tailored shapes. At this time,
scientists can culture large quantities of diatoms;
however more research is required for manipulating
the genome.
SPONSORS
Colleagues of professor Sandhage, professor Nils Kröger at the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Georgia Tech and Dr. Mark Hildebrand at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, are
Fig. 2: A gas sensor formed from a diatom shell outperforms conventional components in terms of size, speed, and power efficiency.
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