The London Centre for Nanotechnology is a UK-based multidisciplinary enterprise operating at the forefront of science and technology. Its purpose is to solve global problems in information processing, healthcare, energy and the environment through the application of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Founded in 2003, the LCN began as a joint venture between University College London and Imperial College London, based at the Bloomsbury and South Kensington sites; from 2018 King's College London joined the collaboration.
The Centre has a unique operating model that accesses and focuses the combined skills of all three universities across several key departments; Chemistry, Physics, Materials, Medicine, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Biochemical and Biomedical Engineering and Earth Sciences.
The LCN also has strong relationships with the broader nanotechnology and commercial communities and is involved in many major collaborations, nationally and internationally. As the world's only such facility located in the heart of a metropolis, the Centre has superb access to corporate, investment and industrial partners. It is at the forefront of nanotechnology training and enjoys a strong media presence around educating the public and bringing transparency to this far-reaching and emerging science.
Publications
News
King's researchers showcase sustainability research at Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition
The exhibit delves into the innovative use of light to power sustainable chemistry

Nanoneedle Technology Corrects Genetic Mutation in Rare Skin Disease
Researchers from the Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences at King’s College London have developed a novel technique using tiny, biocompatible...

Celebrating Nano for Humanity: How Tiny Science is Shaping Our Future
The Nano for Humanity event, from the London Centre for Nanotechnology (LCN), brought together physicists from King's College London, Imperial College London...

King's researchers celebrate the International Day of Light at Science Gallery London
The Department of Physics and the London Institute for Advanced Light Technologies (LIALT) hosted 'Guiding Lights' at Science Gallery London on 16 May 2022 to...
King's researcher leads £10 million EPSRC grant investigating light-driven energy-conversion
Could the world’s most abundant energy source – light – solve one of the most pressing demands for a sustainable society, reducing the energy required in key...

Events

London Plasmonics Forum 2025
The London Plasmonics forum will be hosted at King's College London
Please note: this event has passed.

Quantum Day 2025
Join quantum researchers from across London to learn about the latest advances in quantum engineering, science and technology and how they are being used to...
Please note: this event has passed.
Facilities
LCN equipment at King's is housed in the Strand Research Facility, Centre for Ultrastructural Imaging, London Metallomics Facility and the Nikon Imaging Centre, offering a wide variety of tools for researchers working at the nanoscale, including:
- Atomic force, electron and optical microscopy
- Characterisation
- Fabrication
- Spectroscopy

Strand Research Facility
The Strand Research Facility is a collection of instruments and equipment that are accessible to researchers from King's, the London Centre for Nanotechnology (LCN) and elsewhere.

Centre for Ultrastructural Imaging
The Centre for Ultrastructural Imaging (CUI) is the central electron microscopy facility at Kings College London. It is a state-of-the-art facility for internal and external collaborators from academic, commercial, and industrial fields across medicine, biological sciences, chemistry, physics, materials sciences, and engineering.
Nikon Imaging Centre
This partnership between King’s College London and Nikon Instruments UK offers the latest state-of-the-art light microscopy and imaging to the research community. The Centre also serves as a learning platform for regional corporate partners and contributors.

London Metallomics Facility
The London Metallomics Facility (LMF) is a King’s College London core research facility, providing state-of-the-art analytical tools to understand the critical roles of metals in biological processes.
Publications
News
King's researchers showcase sustainability research at Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition
The exhibit delves into the innovative use of light to power sustainable chemistry

Nanoneedle Technology Corrects Genetic Mutation in Rare Skin Disease
Researchers from the Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences at King’s College London have developed a novel technique using tiny, biocompatible...

Celebrating Nano for Humanity: How Tiny Science is Shaping Our Future
The Nano for Humanity event, from the London Centre for Nanotechnology (LCN), brought together physicists from King's College London, Imperial College London...

King's researchers celebrate the International Day of Light at Science Gallery London
The Department of Physics and the London Institute for Advanced Light Technologies (LIALT) hosted 'Guiding Lights' at Science Gallery London on 16 May 2022 to...
King's researcher leads £10 million EPSRC grant investigating light-driven energy-conversion
Could the world’s most abundant energy source – light – solve one of the most pressing demands for a sustainable society, reducing the energy required in key...

Events

London Plasmonics Forum 2025
The London Plasmonics forum will be hosted at King's College London
Please note: this event has passed.

Quantum Day 2025
Join quantum researchers from across London to learn about the latest advances in quantum engineering, science and technology and how they are being used to...
Please note: this event has passed.
Facilities
LCN equipment at King's is housed in the Strand Research Facility, Centre for Ultrastructural Imaging, London Metallomics Facility and the Nikon Imaging Centre, offering a wide variety of tools for researchers working at the nanoscale, including:
- Atomic force, electron and optical microscopy
- Characterisation
- Fabrication
- Spectroscopy

Strand Research Facility
The Strand Research Facility is a collection of instruments and equipment that are accessible to researchers from King's, the London Centre for Nanotechnology (LCN) and elsewhere.

Centre for Ultrastructural Imaging
The Centre for Ultrastructural Imaging (CUI) is the central electron microscopy facility at Kings College London. It is a state-of-the-art facility for internal and external collaborators from academic, commercial, and industrial fields across medicine, biological sciences, chemistry, physics, materials sciences, and engineering.
Nikon Imaging Centre
This partnership between King’s College London and Nikon Instruments UK offers the latest state-of-the-art light microscopy and imaging to the research community. The Centre also serves as a learning platform for regional corporate partners and contributors.

London Metallomics Facility
The London Metallomics Facility (LMF) is a King’s College London core research facility, providing state-of-the-art analytical tools to understand the critical roles of metals in biological processes.
Our Partners

University College London
