December 18, 2009 – Southwest Nanotechnologies Inc. (SWeNT) has received two grants from the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology, to help develop new single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT) with improved electrical conductivity and transparency.

Under one of the grants, coming through the Oklahoma Applied Research Support (OARS) program, SWeNT will develop materials targeted for use in CNT-printed electrodes for next-generation LED lighting applications that consume up to a third less power; other applications beyond LED lighting could include photovoltaics, supercapacitors, batteries, and displays, according to SWeNT CEO David Arthur. The grant amount was not disclosed, though OARS describes its program’s funding levels in two types: $10K-$45K (1-2 years) or $300K (1-3 years), 1:1 matched.

The other grant, pegged at about $60K, will bring in three undergraduate interns to help work on current projects at SWeNT.

"OCAST’s support for our employment of interns to assist us in new technology development will help us on the OARS activity as well as other research activities we have planned," Arthur said in a statement, adding that "SWeNT would not be a leading carbon nanotubes producer today without OCAST support."