UC Davis experts: Nanoscience
The following UC Davis faculty members are available to discuss issues related to nanoscience.
Nanomaterials and nanoscience
Alexandra Navrotsky is professor of ceramic, earth and environmental materials chemistry and director of the UC Davis nanoscience initiative, Nanophases in the Environment, Agriculture and Technology. She has pioneered methods to study the energy contained within crystal structures, showing how different materials are formed under different conditions. She is particularly interested in nanomaterials, which are made up of particles so small that most of the atoms are on the surface. Because of their small size, nanomaterials have unique properties that make them valuable for applications in electronics, chemistry and manufacturing, among other things. Nanosized particles also play an important role in air, ground and water pollution. Navrotsky's work has also shed light on the nature of materials deep inside the Earth and other planets. Contact: Alexandra Navrotsky, Thermochemistry Facility, (530) 752-3292, anavrotsky@ucdavis.edu.
Nanoparticles, air pollution, climate and health
Anthony Wexler, an atmospheric scientist at the University of California, Davis, studies how very small particles -- measured in nanometers, or billionths of a meter -- contribute to air pollution and affect human health and climate. The role of these atmospheric nanoparticles, which can come from both man-made and natural sources, is one of the largest unknowns in understanding global climate change, Wexler said. Clouds form when water droplets form around nanoparticles, and the thickness and whiteness of clouds affects how much heat from the sun is reflected back into space. Wexler has developed new equipment for analyzing single nanoparticles in polluted air. He is participating in an Environmental Protection Agency project to monitor air quality in selected cities including Pittsburgh, Pa., Houston, Tx., and Fresno, Calif. He also studies how particles of different sizes are carried through the airways into the lungs, and how they can affect human health. Contact: Anthony Wexler, Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, (530) 754-6558, aswexler@ucdavis.edu.
Nanoparticles, combustion and air pollution
Ian Kennedy, a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of California, Davis, studies how very small particles of metal and carbon (soot) -- measured in nanometers, or billionths of a meter -- are formed within flames. These nanoparticles can come from burning oil and coal, from diesel engines and from processes such as welding. They contribute to air pollution and because of their small size, may play an important role in human health. Kennedy has developed methods that use lasers to study how nanoparticles are formed by flames and how they move. He also collaborates with researchers at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine to study the health effects of nanoparticles created by combustion. Contact: Ian Kennedy, Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, (530) 752- 2796, imkennedy@ucdavis.edu.
Media contact
- Andy Fell, News Service, (530) 752-4533, ahfell@ucdavis.edu
Last updated January 22, 2004
