Plenary Lecture

Nanotechnology Research Advances
in Mexico  

 

Professor Armando Barranon
Department of Basic Sciences,
Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Azcapotzalco, Mexico City.
MEXICO

E-mail: bca@correo.azc.uam.mx
 

Abstract: Nanotechnology research groups in Mexico typically have five members and are devoted to a wide range of research subjects. Nanotechnology Laboratories have been founded in several Mexican States, using computational techniques, nanomicroscopy and chemical synthesis to develop new materials as well as new theoretical approaches to understand nanotechnology properties. Other Mexican nanotechnology research groups study the social and environmental impact of nanotechnology. The size frequency distribution of these research groups follows a power law in agreement with a model for social interaction although there are no signs of an institutional organization of these research groups which might lead to the creation of a Mexican Nanotechnology Initiative. Nevertheless, by 2006 Mexican Council of Science of Technology funded several research groups to develop projects related to a Mexican National Initiative. In this plenary talk I will describe the research activities of about fifty Mexican nanotechnology research groups, comprising 300 researchers, and I will explain the need for governmental intervention in order to attain the objective of a Mexican Nanotechnology Initiative.



Brief Biography of the Speaker:
Armando Barranon was born in Mexico City. B.Sc. in Mathematical Physics, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City, 1986. M.Sc. in Applied Statistics, The University of Texas at El Paso, 1989. Dr. in Philosophy, U. La Salle, Magna Cum Laude, Mexico City, 2004. M.Sc. Physics, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City, 2005. Dr. in Physics of Materials, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City, 2008. Postdoctoral Fellow, U. Zacatecas, Mexico, 2008.

He is Full Professor at Department of Basic Sciences, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Azcapotzalco, Mexico City. Research interests include Nuclear Physics, Computational Physics and Philosophy of Technology. In 2007, Dr. Barrañón founded the Nanoeducation Seminar at UAM-Azcapotzalco.

Dr. Barrañón is member of the Mexican National Research System, member of American Physical Society, Sociedad Mexicana de Física, Sociedad Mexicana de Matemáticas, Sociedad Mexicana de Termodinámica, Sociedad Mexicana de Historia de la Ciencia y la Tecnología, among others.