NanoMaterials Commercialization
Our Project Portfolio

To date, the Center has invested in six companies developing products that use novel applications of nanotechnology. As you can see, each company is unique, as is the diversity of projects supported by the Center. Each of the companies obtained the support of the Center via submission of a winning proposal during one of the Center’s previous funding rounds.

The Pennsylvania NanoMaterials Commercialization Center is proud to support and to be affiliated with the following companies:

Crystalplex Corporation

The Center is supporting the commercialization of an innovative new quantum dot technology with Crystalplex Corp. Quantum dots are nano-sized semiconductor crystals that have unique optical properties, and Crystalplex develops them for optoelectronic, security and life science applications. This project will use these nano-sized devices to improve the efficiency, while reducing the costs of light emitting diodes (LEDs) used in energy saving lighting and electronic displays.

HydroGen Corportion

The Center is funding HydroGen Corporation to develop and manufacture enhanced performance hydrogen fuel cell electrodes. The new electrodes will use novel carbon nanotubes to improve the performance and lifetime of the electrodes, thereby reducing overall costs for fuel cell operations. This project will allow HydroGen to manufacture an improved fuel cell electrode and expand its fuel cell business worldwide.

Illuminex Corporation

In partnership with Illuminex Corporation, the Center is funding the commercialization of a new generation of heat pipes using nanowire arrays. Nanowire arrays are the latest wicking components in pipes designed to remove heat from microprocessor chips in computer servers and laptops. Compared to traditional heat pipes, these innovative devices decrease thermal resistance and increase fluid flow. The improved efficiency will enable the computer industry to remove higher heat loads generated by faster computer microprocessors.

Integran Technologies USA

In partnership with Integran Technologies USA, the Center is funding the commercialization of a new nanomaterials coaxial wire technology. This novel wire technology will increase the durability of lightweight electrical wiring systems, and will benefit weight reduction and energy efficiency initiatives in the transportation sector. This project will help to establish the new wire technology as a fully proven, mass production-ready process and to create a new technology and market support center in Pittsburgh to serve the wiring industry across the U.S.

Y-Carbon, Inc.

The Center is supporting the commercialization of Y-Carbon’s innovative nanoporous carbon technology for supercapacitors. Y-Carbon’s ground-breaking technology is based on the platform of making tunable nanoporous carbon. Its core mission is to develop and promote this award-winning (R&D 100 and NANO 50TM) technology for the production of novel nanostructured carbon materials with precisely defined structure, porosity, and surface chemistry. The ability to tailor the properties of porous carbon materials is unique to Y-Carbon, thus providing a quantum leap in performance when used as electrodes in supercapacitors. With collaborative effort from the Center, Y-Carbon will be develop and market high energy density and and high-power density supercapacitors for a variety of electrical energy storage and management applications, including electronics, automotive industry and backup power .

Plextronics^SM, Inc.

Project 1

In conjunction with PlextronicsSM, Inc., the Center is funding a new, highperforming active layertechnology fororganicphotovoltaic solar cells known Plexcore ™PV. This project will develop a new generation of polymer-based inks that will increase solar conversion efficiency and extendthe life of existingorganic semiconductor devices. Improved performance organic solar cells will enable rapid commercial expansion of zero emission solar energy generation, thereby reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

Project 2

During the course of this Pennsylvania Nanomaterials Commercialization Center (PANMCC) project, Plextronics, Inc. will evaluate the semi-continuous processing of flexible organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices which could lead to broadcommercialization of this new solar cell technology. With proven expertise in materials synthesis, ink formulation and OPV device fabrication - which has resulted in world-record device efficiency - Plextronics is poised to implement a successful program for low-cost processing of large area flexible OPV devices that can find applications in various fields in either military or commercial sector.

NanoLambda, Inc.

The Pennsylvania NanoMaterials Commercialization Center is funding a project with NanoLambda Inc. to develop a very low cost fabrication process using nanoimprint lithography for high volume consumer applications. NanoLambda was founded in 2005 as a spin off company of the University of Pittsburgh. The company is developing Spectrum Sensor™, an ultra-compact, low-cost spectrometer-on-a-chip, based on novel plasmonic devices. Each pixel of the Spectrum SensorTM chip detects a predefined wavelength of light from an input source, yielding a spectral fingerprint for each material being imaged.