Nano and Other Emerging Chemical Technologies Blog

On August 30, 2019, the National Nanotechnology Initiative published its supplement to the President’s 2020 budget request.  The supplement serves as NNI’s annual report required under the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act and addresses the requirement for U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) reporting on its nanotechnology investments.  According to NNI, the President’s 2020 budget requests more than $1.4 billion for NNI, “a continued...

On October 2, 2019, the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) will hold a webinar on “Nanotechnology for a New Generation of Gas Sensors:  An Industrial Perspective on Fundamental, Applied, and Commercialization Aspects.”  According to the overview for the webinar, contemporary monitoring requirements of gases for applications ranging from environmental surveillance to medical diagnostics currently push the limit of existing detection.  The overview states that to...

On August 27, 2019, the Supreme Court of the State of New York issued its decision in a challenge to New York’s (NY) Household Cleansing Product Information Disclosure Program (Disclosure Program) brought by the Household and Commercial Cleaning Products Association (HCPA) and American Cleaning Institute (ACI).  As reported in our June 8, 2018, blog item, the Disclosure Program requires manufacturers of cleaning products sold in New York to disclose chemical ingredients and identify...

On August 26, 2019, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) announced that the results of an NIEHS-funded study show that graphene could provide alternatives to chemicals in insect repellant and protective clothing.  The study, “Mosquito Bite Prevention through Graphene Barrier Layers,” was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.  According to the abstract, the researchers hypothesized that graphene films may provide...

On August 20, 2019, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) posted a one-pager on the Nanotechnology Research Center (NTRC).  NTRC conducts research to understand the potential effects on human health of exposure to engineered nanomaterials and develops methods to control or eliminate exposures.  NTRC focuses on the following areas “to help industry move safely and responsibly into the future”: NTRC’s accomplishments include completing peer and...

The American Chemical Society (ACS) National Meeting and Expo:  Chemistry and Water will be held August 25-29, 2019, in San Diego, California.  On August 25, 2019, “Tiny Solutions to Big Problems:  Water Sustainability through Nanotechnology” will be held in support of the National Nanotechnology Initiative’s (NNI) Water Sustainability through Nanotechnology Signature Initiative (Water NSI).  The session will feature an overview of the Water NSI, as well as...

On August 19, 2019, the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) posted a request from the European Commission (EC) for a scientific opinion on three coatings for nano zinc oxide as an ultraviolet (UV) filter in dermally applied cosmetic products — methicone, silica, and isostearic acid.  SCCS previously reviewed nano zinc oxide and the coatings triethoxycaprylylsilane, dimethicone, dimethoxydiphenylsilanetriethoxycaprylylsilane cross-polymer, and octyl triethoxy...

In the August 15, 2019, episode of Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.’s (B&C®’s) All Things Chemical™ Podcast, “All Things Nano with Lisa E. Friedersdorf, Ph.D.,” Lynn L. Bergeson sat down with Dr. Friedersdorf, the Director of the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO), to discuss all things nano.  In their conversation, Dr. Friedersdorf breaks down the central goals and challenges of the National Nano Initiative (NNI), a governmental program designed to facilitate...

Registration has begun for the National Nanotechnology Initiative’s (NNI) September 10, 2019, webinar on “Respiratory Effects of Engineered Nanomaterials in Relation to Physicochemical Properties.”  The speaker will be Dr. Junfeng (Jim) Zhang, Nicholas School of the Environment and Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, and Dr. William Boyes, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, will moderate.  NNI states that the interaction between engineered nanomaterials...

On August 1, 2019, the German Chemical Industry Association (VCI) announced the availability of a guidance document on the safe recovery and disposal of wastes containing nanomaterials.  According to VCI, wastes containing nanomaterials can be generated in the production or use of nanomaterials.  Such wastes can occur in the production of substances, mixtures, or products; in the processing and repair of products; or in the disposal of products at the end of their life...