David Britz
Encyclopedia
David Alexander Britz is an American scientist
and engineer
who is best known for his contributions to the field of materials science
and nanotechnology
.
In 2004, Britz and his colleagues at Oxford
and the University of Nottingham
won a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for creating the world's smallest test tube
, by performing chemical reactions inside of carbon nanotube
s: "the nanotube has an inner diameter of approximately 1.2 nanometres, and a length of about 2 micrometers. Its volume is two zeptolitres (a zeptolitre is 10-21 litres), and around 2,000 molecules react in that space." http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/po/041122.shtml
Britz graduated magna cum laude from the University of Virginia
School of Engineering and Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering. He completed his Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Science in the UK at the University of Oxford, Christ Church, Oxford
college in the Department of Materials, and completed his doctoral thesis, titled "Structure and Bonding of Fullerenes and Nanotubes", in 2005. During his work at Oxford, David Britz created more than ten new carbon nanotube- and fullerene-based materials and processes. He has been awarded Honorable Mention for the 2002 National Science Foundation
Graduate Research Fellowship.
Dave Britz also competed for Oxford University in the 2005 Varsity Boxing Match against Cambridge, earning a Full Blue.
Britz worked for the nanotechnology company Eikos in Franklin, Massachusetts, and developed carbon nanotube inks for highly conductive transparent coatings and circuits to be used in a variety of ways, including for use in solar cells, the commercial displays market, and military applications. He lives in Boston, Massachusetts.
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
and engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
who is best known for his contributions to the field of materials science
Materials science
Materials science is an interdisciplinary field applying the properties of matter to various areas of science and engineering. This scientific field investigates the relationship between the structure of materials at atomic or molecular scales and their macroscopic properties. It incorporates...
and nanotechnology
Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally, nanotechnology deals with developing materials, devices, or other structures possessing at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometres...
.
In 2004, Britz and his colleagues at Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
and the University of Nottingham
University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
won a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for creating the world's smallest test tube
Test tube
A test tube, also known as a culture tube or sample tube, is a common piece of laboratory glassware consisting of a finger-like length of glass or clear plastic tubing, open at the top, usually with a rounded U-shaped bottom....
, by performing chemical reactions inside of carbon nanotube
Carbon nanotube
Carbon nanotubes are allotropes of carbon with a cylindrical nanostructure. Nanotubes have been constructed with length-to-diameter ratio of up to 132,000,000:1, significantly larger than for any other material...
s: "the nanotube has an inner diameter of approximately 1.2 nanometres, and a length of about 2 micrometers. Its volume is two zeptolitres (a zeptolitre is 10-21 litres), and around 2,000 molecules react in that space." http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/po/041122.shtml
Britz graduated magna cum laude from the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
School of Engineering and Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering. He completed his Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Science in the UK at the University of Oxford, Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
college in the Department of Materials, and completed his doctoral thesis, titled "Structure and Bonding of Fullerenes and Nanotubes", in 2005. During his work at Oxford, David Britz created more than ten new carbon nanotube- and fullerene-based materials and processes. He has been awarded Honorable Mention for the 2002 National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
Graduate Research Fellowship.
Dave Britz also competed for Oxford University in the 2005 Varsity Boxing Match against Cambridge, earning a Full Blue.
Britz worked for the nanotechnology company Eikos in Franklin, Massachusetts, and developed carbon nanotube inks for highly conductive transparent coatings and circuits to be used in a variety of ways, including for use in solar cells, the commercial displays market, and military applications. He lives in Boston, Massachusetts.