Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science & Technology Research Activity

Nanoscience and Nanotechnology span a wide range of disciplines and applications. The IKI recognizes that significant impact can be achieved only through focusing and through the formation of centers of excellence with critical mass. We therefore concentrate our main thrust on areas in which the IKI and BGU can make unique and significant contributions.

In 2011, the INNI established the Focal Technology Areas (FTAs), a competitive program aimed at large-scale applied nano research carried out at Israeli institutions. The IKI has been the only institute to lead two such multi-million five-year projects:

1. Bio-inspired Nano-Carriers for Sub-Cellular Targeted Therapeutics

2. Integrated Infrared Up-Conversion Devices using Nano-Plasmonic Materials and Nano-Photonic Structures

Spotlight on Applied Research

The main research areas at the IKI are outlined below:

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Equipment update Oct 21

Equipment update Oct 21.pdf

Photonics and Electronics

The field of nanophotonics is increasingly growing at the IKI and reaching critical mass with the recruitment of new faculty members which combine cutting edge academic research with vast experience in the nano-photonics industry. A second large scale flagship FTA project focusing on the development of nanomaterials based night vision goggles has been approved for funding by the INNI. The proposed device will up-convert infrared radiation to visible light by utilizing a unique layered structure that is only a few micrometers thick, resulting in a comfortable, highly efficient and inexpensive product. Under this framework, a new, state-of-the-art laboratory for optical characterization of materials has been established. Other applications include homeland security solutions such as nano-sensors for ultra-sensitive chemical and biological detection. The research efforts are being largely supported by the nano-fabrication center of the IKI, which specializes in design, simulation and fabrication of nano-photonic chips and devices.

Researchers :

Energy, Chemistry and Materials

The IKI occupies a key position in the area of nano–solar energy research due to significant investment in advanced infrastructure, and affiliation with related critical fields of endeavor at the National Solar Energy Center in Sede Boker. Unmatched in Israel, the Center supports research that spans the entire spectrum of solar energy, from the device level, through the system level, to the utility level, which includes industrial-scale solar plants that exploit the geographic location of the Negev desert. Further energy related activities include research in novel thermoelectric materials, thin film and nano-materials for advanced photovoltaics, water splitting reactions and artificial photosynthesis. Finally, key energy-related research is conducted at the Blechner Center for Industrial Catalysis, which has developed expertise in nano-catalysis for liquid fuels. This includes, e.g., synthesis of liquid fuels from hydrogen and carbon dioxide, and production of bio-diesel from bio-mass. The research support facilities at the IKI provide the necessary support in nanofabrication and in advanced materials characterization at the nanoscale, including sub-nm chemical analysis of new catalysts and PV materials using the analytical TEM.

Researchers :

Schvartzman Mark
Shalev Gil

Bio and Medicine

The bio research focuses on projects in which BGU and the IKI have relative advantages, such as tissue engineering & regenerative medicine, advanced imaging of biomaterials, medical diagnostics and bio-sensing. A large scale flagship project on sub-cellular targeted drug delivery has been selected for funding as a focal technological research area project (FTA) of the Israel National Nanotechnology Initiative (INNI). Research on nanotechnology applications for human health is facilitated by collaborations and facility sharing with the Faculty of Health Sciences at Soroka University Medical Center and the National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev (NIBN). The IKI sets up and operates state-of-the-art facilities that are invaluable for nano-biomedical research, including the advanced optical imaging laboratories (confocal and TIRF microscopies, Imaging Flow Cytometer and Laser Capture Microdissection), cryo-TEM and small angle X-ray scattering, which are particularly well-suited to studies of biological matter.

Researchers :