Sandia Porphyrin Nanotubes and Broader R&D Goals

Sandia National Laboratories is developing alternatives to carbon nanotubes (since some suggest the nanotube chemical properties are unique and perhaps unpredictable). “The broad objective of the research is to design and fabricate new types of nanoscale devices,” says John Shelnutt, Sandia research team leader. Shelnutt’s team uses porphyrins, which are light-absorbing molecules related to chlorophyll, the active part of photosynthetic proteins and light-harvesting nanostructures (chlorosomal rods). Porphyrin nanotubes are made entirely of oppositely charged porphyrin molecules that self-assemble in water at room temperature. These differ from the more well-known carbon nanotubes, which are formed at high temperatures and have covalent bonds between carbon atoms. Listen to an mp3 containing an introduction to nanotechnology and outlining Sandia’s broader nanotechnology program goals and initiatives here, or subscribe here.