Challenges & Opportunities in commercializing Nanomaterials Presented in National Conference on Nanomaterials, Feb 2009

1. Commercializing Nanomaterials
Bridging the gap between Invention & Innovation
Dr. Shankar M.V
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Thus, the task is, not so much to see
what no one has yet seen;
but to think what nobody has yet thought,
about that which everybody sees.
Erwin Schrodinger
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3. Innovation is bringing an insightful idea
successfully to the Market
Jan ver loop (Shell)
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Creativity & Ideas are not enough,
they need to be structured,
defined and
directed
to result in Innovation
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4. It doesn’t matter where scientific discoveries
and breakthrough technologies originate
– for national prosperity,
the important thing is who commercializes them.
McKinsey Quarterly, Amar Bhide.
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Top 3 Barriers to Commercialization
• Technology Barriers
• Acceptance Barriers
• Intellectual Property Barriers
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5. Need for Product-focus
Industry funds
Revenue from Nanomaterials Breakthrough
NPS Research Discovery
New Materials
Happy
Processes
Customer
Applications
New Products Development
Better Performance
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Technology Barriers to Commercialization
• (1) Product Focus
• (2) Affordable Cost
• (3) Speed
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6. Nano R&D – Old Paradigm
Discovery- based Science & Product Development
70 % Effort 20 % 10 %
Discover
Determine
Novel Nanomaterial Identify Assess
Nanostructures & properties
Potential Commercial
Nanomaterials Processing- Viability
Applications
through Structure-
exploratory Property
research Correlations
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Nanomaterials enter limited Markets
Nano R&D – New Paradigm
Application - based Problem-solving
50 % Effort 50 %
Identify existing Design
unfulfilled Needs Nanomaterials Tune properties &
Determine customize
Nanomaterial with required production
Problems properties Properties to meet
required to meet diverse product
the Need requirements &
Challenges in Scale-up Markets
end-uses Synthesis
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Nanomaterials enter New Markets 12
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7. Acceptance Barrier to Commercialization
• Safe production
• Safe use
• Safe disposal
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IP Barrier to Commercialization
• Securing IP
• Freedom to Practise
• Monetising IP
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9. Nanotech Patents
• Original IBM patent on STM – 4343993 – 1986 Nobel
Prize in Physics
• Nano Imprint Lithography – Stephen Chou – Chad Mirkin
– Dip Pen Nano Lithography – 6827979 – Startup
NanoInk
• Carbon Nanotubes – NEC – Ijima – 5747161 (Sept
1992) – IBM, 1993
• Quantum Dots – Paul Alivisatos (Berkeley) 5505928,
Moungi Bawendi (MIT) 6322901
• Organic LED – 5247190 – Richard Friend – Conjugated
Polymers that glow – Cambridge Display Technologies
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Nanomaterials-based Products
some recent examples….
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10. Catalysts Optoelectronic Devices
Carbon black in Tires
Sunscreens Nano CMP Slurries
Semiconductor processing
Plasma Spray ed
iz
Nanocoatings al ials
ci
er er
m at les
m om p
Co an xam
N E
Discovery of a Black Hole
& the nano connection
• Astronomers discover the largest black hole ever found. 3.5 billion
light years away, around 18 billion times heavier than our sun.
• 150 worked for ~ 9 years before the heart piece for Germany’s
first large telescope was finished: record-breaking mirror substrate
diameter 3.6 m, 60 cm thick.
• Excellent material characteristics – isotropic, homogeneous and
can be polished rather easily – mainly leverages its strengths in
areas where the highest possible precision is important, optics –
dimensional specs a few thousandths of micrometers.
• 40 years ago, a new material was born: a glass ceramic
Zerodur®. SCHOTT succeeded in producing a material with a
coefficient of expansion close to zero
• The secret lies in the well-balanced mixture of crystallites 30 to 50
nm in size embedded inside a glass matrix of lithium, aluminum
and silicon oxides. Source - SCHOTT
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11. Discovery of a Black Hole
& the nano connection
• The new ZERODUR® K20 glass ceramic
material contains a crystal phase of over 90%
Keatite, produced by thermal transformation
from the semi-transparent ZERODUR® glass
ceramic material.
• This new material has an expansion coefficient
of 2.0•10-6 K-1 between 20°- 700°C, and an
even lower value of 1.5•10-6 K-1 at room
temperature. The material has high Source - SCHOTT
temperature stability and does not change
during multiple temperature cycles. After transformation the material has a
radiance factor of more than 90% with a
• Advantages of ZERODUR® K20 glass ceramic matt brilliant white finish.
include:
Optical inspection of the excellent ZERODUR® K20 is free of pores and
homogeneity and internal quality can be done can be polished to very low surface
in the semi transparent base material before
transformation. roughness levels.
Large-scale parts can be produced with
dimensions of several meters.
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Hydrophobic surfaces
Nano to mimik the lotus leaf
Source: http://www.nanoshop.com/
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12. Hydrophobic surfaces
Nano to mimik the lotus leaf
• Hydrophobic coating such as Diamon-
Fusion®, applied on car windshields and side
glass, improves visibility during rainy
conditions over 30%, improving response time
by 25%, which translates into an invaluable
safety feature.
• NEW Diamon-Fusion® spray/wipe-on
coating
method of applying the patented Diamon-
Fusion® makes field applications more
effective (especially quicker and easier to
apply) and with far less equipment and
therefore equipment maintenance and the
quality is on a par with the DFI vapor method.
• This NEW method of application of DFI’s
nanotechnology also creates a cross-linked
and branched, capped silicone film, and the
bond is still a covalent bond (sharing
electrons with the glass itself). Like DFI’s
vapor method, but non-chlorinated, the chain
of atoms manipulated during this chemical
process is also done at nano-scale levels.
http://www.diamondfusion.com.au/
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Hydrophobic surfaces
Nano to mimick the lotus leaf
• DFI’s nanotechnology, Diamon-Fusion®, uses a chemical
vapor deposition process. DFI’s nanotechnology is DFI’s NANO-CHEMISTRY
applicable to most surfaces containing silica (silicon dioxide)
such as glass, ceramic tile, porcelain, and granite. The The chemical reaction bonds to form an ultra-thin protective
specially formulated vapors react with the moisture on the layer of optically clear durable material, a nanostructurated
surface and the silica in the substrate (to be treated). DFI’s device, making the surface significantly easier to clean and
nanotechnology is generated by a two-stage chemical more resistant to weathering. This method is done at nano-
process: scale levels, thus also called ‘nano-chemistry’, which is a
length scale of approximately 1 – 100 nanometer range (1
• Stage 1 nanometer is 1/1,000,000,000 meter, or 1 billionth of a
meter). Nanometer dimensions are at the atomic dimension
scale.
The chemical reaction created in the first stage causes a
“cross-linked” and “branched” silicone film to be grown from DFI’s COVALENT BOND
below the surface out. After converting the chlorine atoms to
OH groups using additional moisture (chlorine was left at the
end of the atom chains after the first stage), a second The bond created in the patented process is a covalent
specially formulated vapor is introduced to the surface. bond, the strongest possible bond, in chemical terms that a
hydrophobic coating can generate. A covalent bond means
that the coating shares the electrons within the glass itself,
• Stage 2 thus becoming a part of the glass. Covalent Bonds are
approximately 10 times stronger than hydrogen-bridge
The second stage ‘caps’ the entire chain of atoms. This bonds, which are commonly present in most other water
unique ‘capping’ substantially increases the hydrophobicity repellent coatings.
and durability, leaving, chemically speaking, no points of
attachment for contaminants and creating a truly repellant
charge.
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13. What do you need to Innovate
Creative
Expertise
Thinking
Motivation
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Elements of Innovation
Motivation Choose
a problem
Creativity Define Brainstorm
the problem ideas
Select Validate Implement
Expertise ideas ideas ideas
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14. What’s Possible Vs What’s Needed ?
Practicality - What’s needed ?
Einstein: Business-driven Pasteur:
Imagination is more
important than
knowledge. Knowledge
Low Need High Need In the field of
observation,
is limited. Imagination
chance favors only
encircles the world.
the prepared mind
High
Quest
Edison:
Curiosity I never perfected an
invention that I did
What’s Possible ? not think about in
Science-driven terms of the service
it might give
others... I find out
what the world
needs, then I
proceed to invent....
Low
Quest
Pasteur’s quadrant – Strategic Research 27
Edison - Inventor of the Electric Bulb
Innovator of Electric Illumination
Creative
Strong analytical power
Entrepreneurship
The drive to succeed
I find out what the World needs and then
proceed to invent it
1% Inspiration, 99% Perspiration
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15. Inventor, Innovator & Entrepreneur
Discovery - 1802 – Humphrey Davy discovered that an electric current passing
through metal wire could give light.
Formulation of the Problem - 1878 – Edison, “
the electric light idea took possession of me
It was easy to see what the thing needed
It wanted to be subdivided
The light was too bright and too big.
What we wished for was little lights and a distribution of them in people’s houses in
a manner simillar to gas.”.
Patent – 1879 – demonstrated 40 h lifetime
Started Edison Electric Light Company
Key Idea – Only If electricity is distributed similar to gas, could the electric
bulb become economically attractive.
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Inventor, Innovator & Entrepreneur
1880 – Edison improved Bulb’s life to 300h, developed a dynamo to generate
electricity at 110V, small distribution net, Demo with 425 lamps at Menlo Park.
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16. Inventor, Innovator & Entrepreneur
Edison becqme an entrepreneur & started three new companies to manufacture
the equipment.
1892 - Edison Electric Illuminating Company
Lighted up Wall Street in New York.
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Inventor, Innovator & Entrepreneur
Edison brought a significant invention,
based on breakthrough technology and
requiring a new infrastructure,
successfully to Market.
Key Idea – Divide a big problem into a series of small ones
and solve them while keeping whole value chain in mind.
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17. Top 3 Barriers to Commercialization
• Technology Barriers
• Acceptance Barriers
• Intellectual Property Barriers
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