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eleanor campbell

"The new possibilities that will open up when we can routinely tailor material at the atomic level is something we can only speculate about for the moment..."

Subject tags for this article: materials, atoms, molecular electronics, molecules, nanotechnology, nanotubes, nano,

Born: 1960 in Rothesay, Scotland
Doctorate in chemical physics, Edinburgh University, 1985.
Professor of Atomic and Fundamental Molecular Physics, Göteborg University

Interview by Eva Krutmeijer

Eleanor Campbell is a nano scientist. She's been working in Sweden for nine years. What attracted her to Sweden was not the beautiful countryside, the long evenings or the good research climate - though perhaps they contributed. No, it was something far greater and at the same time far smaller that prompted Professor Campbell to move to Sweden: love for a little round figure of unimagined strength and flexibility. In Göteborg she was to have the chance to deepen her relationship with the C60 fullerene, a molecule consisting of 60 carbon atoms and looking like a hollow football.

Why are fullerenes so interesting?

"They're so beautiful. They're the roundest molecule there is and they're both strong and flexible. Since they're hollow you can hide other atoms in them and so change their properties dramatically. In nano research the fullerene is absolutely the most rewarding molecule."

But you work on other molecules, too?

"Yes, carbon nanotubes mainly. We're interested in how they form and grow longer and longer. We don't yet fully understand how they build themselves up, so we can't completely control their growth. But that would certainly be a big step forward."

When do you think you'll have got there?

"I wouldn't like to give a date, but ... I think I know how to do it!"

How did you get into nano science?

"It started with chemistry, actually, but then I became increasingly interested in chemical physics. I had a fantastically eccentric and rather crazy supervisor (M.A.D. Fluendy at Edinburgh University) who was a real inspiration."

What was the greatest moment in your research career so far?

"I suppose it must've been when we collided two fullerenes to see what would happen. I designed the experiment, carried it out and managed to show that it worked! The point of the experiment was to see whether we could extend models that have been developed in nuclear physics to apply to larger systems. My results can be developed further to apply to collisions between drops of water - or even galaxies."

How do you think nanotechnology is going to change our lives?

"New materials and medicines are interesting. They're important applications of nanotechnology that are already here today. But the real revolution will come when we can really control the matter around us - and in us - in extreme detail. The new possibilities that will open up when we can routinely tailor material at the atomic level is something we can only speculate about for the moment..."

It sounds almost a little frightening...

"We know too little about the health risks - that's where our research is lagging behind. Nanotechnology is about a whole new way of looking at things - controlling matter at the atomic level involves both opportunities and risks. We still need masses more knowledge."