Recent Awards and Distinctions for the Krueger Center:

2005 Kaye Innovation Award
Professor Uri Banin, the founding director of the Krueger Center, is the recipient of a 2005 Kaye Innovation Award from The Hebrew University for his invention of new types of semiconducting nanocrystals that may one day form the basis of nano-devices for use in lasers, memory devices and solar cells. Measuring only several billionths of a meter, nanocrystals have unique electronic and optical properties that give them great potential as semiconductors that could provide the building blocks of more efficient circuitry in computers and other devices. By controlling the size of nanocrystals that emit fluorescent light, Professor Banin was able to create a rainbow of colors from a single structure. This breakthrough could pave the way for a new breed of low cost optical components including plastics capable of light generation.

2005 Barenholz Prize
Eli Rothenberg, a Ph.D. student studying under Professor Uri Banin in the Department of Physical Chemistry and at the Krueger Center, was awarded a 2005 Barenholz Prize in Applied Physics for his work investigating the chemical and electrical components of nanocrystals. Using an advanced method known as two-photo microscopy, Eli Rothenberg examined cylindrically shaped semiconductor nanocrystals in far more detail than is possible with traditional means, revealing previously unknown properties in the structures. His work has many applications in the field of optoelectronics and biotechnology.

Interdisciplinary Nanotechnology Research at the Krueger Center:

3-D MAPS ON THE NANO-SCALE
Professor Oded Milo of the Krueger Center and the Racah Insitute of Physics is using a scanning probing microscope and advanced chemical analysis to map the measurements and features of nanoparticles composed of only a handful of atoms. Based on these findings, Professor Milo constructed 3-D computer images of sphere-shaped nanocrystals called quantum dots. These detailed maps will serve as the basis for future development of nanotech applications.

SILICON-BASED NANOSTRUCTURES
Working with an interdisciplinary team of Hebrew University researchers, Professor Amir Sa'ar of the Krueger Center and the Department of Applied Physics is creating nanostructures that are built with silicon. Engineering the structures for compatibility with modern microelectronics, Professor Sa'ar is laying the groundwork for new classes of light emitting diodes, semiconductor lasers and bio-sensors.

MEDICAL MICROBOTS
Professor Roi Baer of the Institute of Chemistry and colleagues at UCLA have created a molecular motor that may soon be capable of aiding industrial or surgical processes that larger equipment can't handle--including operating within a human cell.

A SENSOR FOR DIABETICS
Professor Itamar Willner, chair of the Institute of Chemistry, is collaborating with the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory to develop "nanoplugs," which are highly attuned sensors for measuring blood glucose in diabetic patients.