Unidym Press Release

UNIDYM ANNOUNCES ALLIANCE WITH SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS

Sunnyvale, CA - December 8, 2010 - Unidym, Inc., a majority owned subsidiary of Arrowhead Research Corporation (NASDAQ: ARWR), announced today that it has completed IP cooperation and license agreements with Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. ("Samsung"). Under the agreements:

1. Unidym licensed to Samsung patents covering CNT materials, including fundamental patents on CNT compositions of matter, synthesis of CNTs, processing of CNTs, ink formulations, and transparent conductive films.

2. Unidym transferred certain patent rights to Samsung, primarily related to electronic devices incorporating CNTs. Samsung granted back to Unidym licenses to sell products under the transferred patent rights.

3. Unidym and Samsung will continue to work together to develop and commercialize CNT-based products.

"This is an important development in carbon-based electronics," said Mark Tilley, President and CEO of Unidym. "We have worked with Samsung Electronics for several years, and we are now looking forward to this next phase in our relationship. We expect Samsung's investment in this alliance and ongoing IP cooperation with Unidym will open the market for printable carbon electronics."

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2009 consolidated sales of US$116.8 billion. Employing approximately 174,000 people in 193 offices across 66 countries, the company consists of eight independently operated business units: Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, Digital Imaging, Semiconductor and LCD. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com <http://www.samsung.com> .

About Unidym, Inc.

Unidym is a leader in carbon nanotube-based transparent, conductive films (TCFs) for the electronics industry. TCFs are a critical component in devices such as touch panels, displays, and thin-film solar cells. For example, both touch panels and LCDs typically employ two TCF layers per device. Unidym's TCFs offer substantial advantages over the incumbent technology, indium-based metal oxides, including: improved durability, lower processing costs, and lower overall cost structure. For more information, visit: http://www.unidym.com <http://www.unidym.com> .
 

California Targets Nanoscale Metal Oxides and Quantum Dots for Data Call Ins

California's Department of Toxic Substances Control (CDTSC) held a conference today during which they identified the next six nanoscale materials they intend to target in their second round of data call ins.  Regular readers may remember that CDTSC targeted 26 manufacturers/importers of carbon nanotubes with its first data call in in 2009. 

In addition to identifying the nanoscale materials which will be the subject of the data call in, CDTSC also provided a preliminary list of manufacturers/importers that will receive the data call in, as well as the proposed questions they will be asked.  We cover each material below.

CDTSC also indicated that carbon nanotube manufacturers/importers will receive a second round of data call in questions. 

CDTSC plans to issue all of these new data call ins sometime before the end of the year.  Stay tuned . . .

Nano Silver

Proposed Questions:  What is the chemical composition of your nanosilver material? What is particle size of your nanosilver material used? What is the concentration of nanosilver used in your material? What are the instrumental techniques used to characterize your nanosilver material?What are the analytical methods used in your nanosilver material? How do you measure and monitor fate and transport after useful life of your nanosilver material? How do you detect, measure and monitor releases during facility operations?

Preliminary Recipients:  Nano Composix, Cambrios Technologies, Seashell Technology, Sun Innovations, Stanford Materials, MTI Corporation.

Nano Zero Valent Iron

Proposed Questions:  What are the analytical methods for assessment of toxic effects and safe uses of nano zero valent iron across its lifecycle? How do you sample, measure, and monitor quality? Performance? How do you detect, measure, and monitor releases from facility operations? How do you measure and monitor fate and transport after useful life?

Preliminary Recipients:  American Elements, AMEC Geomatrix, hepure Technologies, OnMaterials, Quantum Sphere, Stanford Materials, Sun Innovations.

Nano Titanium Dioxide

Proposed Questions: What machines and methods do you use to analyze your materials? What are the properties of your materials? After modification? What types of monitoring program are you using in your work place? In air? In water? What is the toxicity when your material is directly contacted with human skin? What is the weathering, liberation rate of your material into the environment? Impacts? What is you actual production amount this year?

Preliminary Recipients:  DuPont, BASF, Evonik, Ishihara, Altair nano, Huntsman, Kronos, Kemira, Kon Corp., Tronox, Nanocompsix, Nano-oxide, Green millenium, MK nano, Advanced Nano, NanoCo, Pilkington.

Nano Zinc Oxide

Proposed Questions:  Describe .specifically the nanostructure, functionalities, and properties (physical, chemical, and biological) of nano zinc oxide material that is produced in the facility.  Describe the in-house instrument and analytical methods you use to determin the presence of nano zinc oxide in the workplace and environment. Describe the chemical information provided by external vendors relative to nano zinc oxide nanostructure, functionalities, and properties.  Describe the instrumentation and analytical methods used by external laboratories that provided the above chemical information.

Preliminary Recipients:  UC San Diego, UC Berkeley, USC, Ferity Zinc Oxide Inc., APF Laboratories, Atomate Corporation, Stanford Materials, Alpha Enivornmental, Nanophase technologies, Sokang nano, Antaria Corporation, Ocean Nano Tech, LaamScience, Advanced nanotechnology, NanoGate, Inframat Advanced Materials, Reade Advanced Materials, KIA, Nanjing Hi Tech Nano Material Co., ltd., Nanozinc Oxide South Africa, NanoMaterials Technology, UmiCore Group, Horsehead Corporation.

Nano Cerium Oxide

Proposed Questions:  What machines and methods do you use to analyze your materials?  What are the properties of your materials? After modification? What types of monitoring program are you using in your work place? In air? In water? Do you know reactions when your material is released into aquatic environment? Do you know reactions when your material is released into air? What is you actual production amount this year?

Preliminary Recipients:  Saint-Gobain, Evonik, Meliorum Tech., Inframat Advanced materials, Antaria, HEFA Rare Earth Canada, Nanocerox, Nyacol, Energenics, MTI Corporation.

Quantum Dots

Proposed Questions:  What are the chemical compositions (purity, concentration, and chemical make-up) of your product's core and shell structures (including organic and inorganic attachments)? Specify its size, hydrodynamic diameter (HD), and surface area.  What analytical detection methods do you use to determine its presence in the workplace and environment? What are the surface properties (surface reactivity, groups, charge) and solubility in water and other solvents? What is the stability of your product in different environments (variable pH, temp, pressure, O2, UV light, water, etc.)? Does it aggregate in aquatic media?

Preliminary Recipients:  Nanosys/QD Soleil, Bloo Solar, Life Technologies, Stio, Quantum Dot Corporation, Chemicon International, Zymera, Invisage Technologies, University of California schools, Intelligent Optical Systems, Kovlo, NanoGram, Philips Lumileds Lighting Co., Toshiba America Electronics Components, Samsung Semiconductor, SEMI, Ultratech, Shrink Nanotechnologies.

 

Environmental Pollution from Nanosilver Socks?

A recent study by two Arizona State University researchers found that socks made of fabric incorporating nanoscale silver may potentially release that silver into wash-water.

T. Benn, et al., "Nanoparticle Silver Release into Water from Commercially Available Sock Fabrics," Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 42, at 4133-4139 (2008).

Why put silver in your socks?  Because it is a well-known antimicrobial agent and microbes cause sock odor.  Kill the microbes, and your feet smell fresh.  At least that's the marketing angle. 

 

Several environmental NGOs, however, are concerned with whether silver might be released from the socks, enter the wash-water and waste-water streams, and keep on killing microbes. While you may not want microbes in your socks, they are a vital part of the ecosystem. The authors theorize that "[t]he ubiquitous use of commercial products containing n-Ag could potentially compromise the health of many ecosystems." (This is yet another twist to the Samsung Silver Care washing machine controversy a couple of years ago).

As for the socks themselves, the researchers selected pairs from Sharper Image, Fox River, Arctic Shield, Zeusah, and AgActive "based on the manufacturers' claims that the socks contained nanoparticles of silver. " We checked the advertising for ourselves, and only Arctic Shield and AgActive London actually make nanosilver claims, while Fox River and Zeusah make general silver and/or silver ion claims. As for the Sharper Image socks, the company is in the final stages of bankruptcy and is closing its stores. Its new owner may or may not continue direct sales through its catalog and the internet. No work on whether they will continue to sell socks at all.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about the advertising was efficacy claims:

"Your feet feel and smell fresher for longer."
"Stay fresh no matter how long you wear them."
"You can wear our socks for days on end and they won't smell."
"Just by wearing [our] socks we guarantee no more foot odor."
Testimonial: "I bought some of [your] socks for my nephew when he came to stay with me for the holiday. His feet always smelled but with the new socks, the smell is all gone. I am very happy."
Testimonial: "I wore them three days and there was no smell at all."
Regarding the test itself, the socks were first analyzed for their nanosilver content. Three of the six socks contained silver particles in the 100-500 nm range; only one contained silver particles in the traditional nanoscale range (under 100 nm). The socks were then washed three times in ultra-pure distilled laboratory water for 24 hour or 1 hour periods using an orbital shaker/agitator. No soaps or detergents were used. The researchers analyzed the resulting wash-water.

To cut a long story short, the researchers found that "at least some of the n-Ag is released into the wash-water as nanoparticles; not just as dissolved ionic silver."

As for total silver release, three of the six socks were found to have leached silver into the wash-water. (Sharper Image, Fox River, AgActive London). During the three 24 hour tests, the AgActive socks released a total of 19 of their 20 micrograms of silver, the Fox River socks released 165 of their 31,241 micrograms of silver, and the Sharper Image socks released 1578 of their 1845 micrograms of silver. In the three, one hour tests, the Sharper Image socks released 1020 micrograms of silver, and the Fox River socks released 390 micrograms of silver.

Interestingly, socks washed in plain old tap water did not release near as much silver as those washed in the ultra-pure, distilled, laboratory water.