Nanotechnology-Enabled Sensing: Report of the National Nanotechnology Initiative Workshop, Held in Arlington, Virginia on May 5-7, 2009

The Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology Subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council's Committee on Technology, working through the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office, convened the Nanotechnology-Enabled Sensing Workshop to identify high-impact opportunities for the application of nanotechnology to sensing systems and to identify worthwhile research directions for nanotechnologies that are key to new sensing applications. The workshop was held May 5-7, 2009, at the Sheraton National Hotel in Arlington, Virginia. The agenda (see Appendix A) encompassed a mixture of talks, breakout sessions, and writing group meetings. The two days of the public workshop (May 5-6) began with plenary presentations on sensors and areas where nanotechnology can impact sensing systems. These broad overviews were followed by short, focused presentations on specific types of nanotechnology-enabled transducers and the challenges associated with fabricating, integrating, and networking these transducers into sensor systems. The afternoons were spent in breakout sessions in which the participants examined the relevant topics in detail. Additionally, on the evening of the first day, each interested participant was offered a ninety-second time slot to provide a succinct overview of his or her recent research findings or perspectives on the field. Participating in the event were some eighty science and technology experts from academia, government, and industry (see Appendix B). The breakout sessions were where the hard work of the workshop was conducted. Two May 5 breakout sessions focused on the state of the art and future research directions for various sensor transduction mechanisms, specifically, (1) electro/chemical and optical, and (2) mechanical and magnetic mechanisms. One May 6 breakout session addressed the practical barriers to harnessing the capabilities that nanotechnology-enabled sensors offer (fabrication, integration, and networking issues), and