The Office of Naval Research (ONR) is interested in receiving proposals on the following research topics:
Self-Assembly Error Detection and Analysis in Complex DNA Nanostructures
Molecular self-assembly with DNA is an attractive approach to creating nanoscale devices given the range of DNA nanostructures that can be designed and built (e.g. periodic, aperiodic, two-dimensional, three dimensional, and reconfigurable nanostructures), and the ability of DNA nanostructures to precisely organize heteroelements (e.g. proteins, peptides, nanoparticles, and carbon nanotubes). Some of the technological applications of DNA nanostructures and DNA nanostructure-based devices that have already been explored include shape controlled synthesis of inorganic materials, macromolecular structure determination, templating of functional enzyme systems, single molecule sensing with nanopores or nanobarcodes, plasmonic metamaterials, and “smart” medical devices that deliver drugs selectively to disease sites. The process of DNA self-assembly has error, though, and experimental feedback on the structure and composition of DNA nanostructures will be required to develop robust design principles minimizing DNA self-assembly defects if the full potential of DNA-based nanostructure-devices is to be realized. The standard methods of imaging single DNA nanostructures at multiple nanometer resolution by atomic force microscopy or transmission electron microscopy are insufficient to resolve defects. The objective of this program is to develop a high-throughput approach for the atomic-resolution structural analysis of DNA nanostructures.
Electric Field Assisted Sintering of Ceramics
Flash sintering, the sintering of ceramics (including Nanoceramics) by application of an electric field during the sintering process, results in very rapid densification at greatly reduced temperatures, as well as enhanced sintering of very difficult to process materials such as B4C and ZrB2. At this point, we have a commercially viable field-enhanced sintering process with a large volume of empirical evidence to demonstrate the ultra-fast, low temperature, pressureless sintering of ceramics. Our lack of quantitative understanding of the fundamental physical mechanisms involved hampers our use of this process by industry for both DoD and civilian applications. At this time, it is not possible to predict what ceramics one can process or what fields (or currents) and temperatures one might require. The objective of this project is to develop and validate a high-fidelity model for the effect of applied electric fields and/or currents on mass transport in a powder compact of complex (that is non-trivial) geometry. The ability of the model to predict the required conditions for flash sintering and to explain the unprecedented high diffusion rates created will define success of the project.
Low Cost, Large Area Processing of Silicon Based Thin Film Solar Cells
The Navy has interest in lightweight, flexible, robust, low cost photovoltaics and has a basic research program centered around organic photovoltaics, though other low cost approaches have been considered. Thin film silicon cells have shown promise as robust flexible solar cells but cost and performance are lacking. PECVD manufacturing allows large area processing but not at a desirable cost point. The Navy is soliciting whitepapers for basic research into alternative approaches, possibly with liquid or polymeric silicon precursors, towards low cost, large area processing of silicon based thin film solar cells. In this topic area we are soliciting only white papers to fund seed grant(s) in this area. White papers should provide significant details on the technical feasibility of the approach and the potential for this approach to compete, in terms of cost and performance, with other thin film and silicon-based approaches.