The Molecular Foundry hosted its annual NanoArt competition in celebration of National Nano Day – 10/9 – which helps raise awareness of nanotechnology, how it is currently used in products that enrich our daily lives, and the challenges and opportunities it holds for the future.
We had a number of great entries from the Molecular Foundry community, and now the votes are in! The top entries will be professionally printed and displayed in the Molecular Foundry’s lobby.
1st Place
Submitted by Yashwanth Balaji, this image shows a cross-section of a silicon substrate. The striking pattern was formed during the cleaving process, where tiny microfractures created mountain-like structures. The scene evokes the likeness of a desert landscape: the silicon represents the endless expanse of sand, while the fractured ridge rises like a solitary mountain against the backdrop. SEM enables imaging of materials at the nanoscale. The contrast in the image varies depending on the material’s atomic weight and the orientation of its grains.
2nd Place
Submitted by Yen Jea Lee. This image shows a nanostructure composed of peptoid molecules that arrange themselves into feather-like patterns. What may look like abstract art is in fact a chemical phenomenon at the molecular scale, where precise design enables matter to self-assemble with remarkable accuracy and beauty. Peptoid-based nanostructures that program molecular interactions can be used in future materials design to control both structure and function, while also enabling the creation of interfaces between biological and physical systems.
3rd Place
Submitted by Usama Choudhry. Atomic terraces can be seen on a (110) surface of a tungsten crystal. Repeated thermal annealing can cause the steps to migrate across the sample surface and form these dramatic, whirl-pool like step bunches. The QSPLEEM is a unique and powerful microscope capable of viewing the top atomic layers of samples. This sensitivity is incredibly valuable when trying to characterize the magnetic and electronic properties of materials that will form next-generation devices.
4th Place
Submitted by Alexandre Bordas. Meet Jack-o-Lamella, a nanoscale sculpture crafted using a focused ion beam. This ScAlN sample was destined to uncover how local atomic arrangements can cause improved dielectric performance in devices. The thinning process to prepare this material for nanoscale analysis, however, left holes in the substrate and a spooky face was revealed. ScAlN is a promising dielectric material for next-generation electronics.
5th Place
Submitted by Stephanie Ribet. This is a dark-field STEM image depicting self-assembled, polymer-grafted gold nanorods. The nanorods are false-colored based on their orientation to emphasize their alignment arising from interactions mediated by the grafted polymer chains. By integrating correlative resonant soft X-ray scattering data obtained at the Advanced Light Source with electron microscopy data collected at the Molecular Foundry, we aim to establish new approaches to quantitatively probe nanoscale ordering in soft and composite materials.
6th Place
Submitted by Adam Legacy. This image shows a tiny ‘nano lemonade’, a layered structure created through advanced microfabrication. A light-sensitive polymer sits on top of a custom high-index polymer, both patterned using lithography and plasma etching. The different materials etch at different rates, leaving behind this small disc-shaped structure with unique sidewalls. Improving the way light from optical fibers connects into photonic chips boosts efficiency, enabling faster internet speeds and more powerful AI training.
Honorable Mentions
