S-3/A

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 1, 2004

Registration No. 333-112130

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

AMENDMENT NO. 1

TO

FORM S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

NANOPHASE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	36-3687863
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

1319 Marquette Drive

Romeoville, Illinois 60446

(630) 771-6700

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

JOSEPH E. CROSS, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

NANOPHASE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION

1319 Marquette Drive

Romeoville, Illinois 60446

(630) 771-6700

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

Copies to:

JOHN L. EISEL, ESQ.

DONALD E. FIGLIULO, ESQ.

GEOFFREY C. COCKRELL, ESQ.

Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon LLP

225 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, Illinois 60606-1229

(312) 201-2000

(312) 201-2555 (fax)

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public:    From time to time after the effective date of this registration statement.

If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box.  ¨

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box.  x

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ¨

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ¨

If delivery of the prospectus is expected to be made pursuant to Rule 434, please check the following box.  ¨

THE REGISTRANT HEREBY AMENDS THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON SUCH DATE OR DATES AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO DELAY ITS EFFECTIVE DATE UNTIL THE REGISTRANT SHALL FILE A FURTHER AMENDMENT WHICH SPECIFICALLY STATES THAT THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL THEREAFTER BECOME EFFECTIVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 8(A) OF THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 OR UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL BECOME EFFECTIVE ON SUCH DATE AS THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, ACTING PURSUANT TO SAID SECTION 8(A), MAY DETERMINE.

THE INFORMATION IN THIS PROSPECTUS IS NOT COMPLETE AND MAY BE CHANGED. WE MAY NOT SELL THESE SECURITIES UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION IS EFFECTIVE. THE PROSPECTUS IS NOT AN OFFER TO SELL THESE SECURITIES AND IT IS NOT SOLICITING AN OFFER TO BUY THESE SECURITIES IN ANY STATE WHERE THE OFFER OR SALE IS NOT PERMITTED.

Subject to Completion, dated April 1, 2004

PROSPECTUS

$15,000,000

NANOPHASE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION

DEBT SECURITIES

COMMON STOCK

WARRANTS

We may offer from time to time the following in one or more series, with an aggregate principal amount of up to a maximum of $15,000,000, at prices and on terms to be determined at the time of offering:

• debt securities, which may consist of debentures, notes or other types of debt

• shares of common stock

• warrants to purchase debt securities or common stock

When we offer securities pursuant to this prospectus, we will deliver to you this prospectus as well as a prospectus supplement setting forth the specific terms of the securities being offered. We urge you to read carefully this prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement before you make your investment decision.

Our common stock is traded on the NASDAQ National Market under the symbol “NANX”. Any common stock sold pursuant to a prospectus supplement will be listed on such exchange, subject to official notice of issuance. On March 31, 2004, the closing price of the common stock, as reported on the NASDAQ National Market, was $9.92 per share.

We will sell these securities directly to our stockholders or to purchasers or through agents on our behalf or through underwriters or dealers as designated from time to time. If any agents or underwriters are involved in the sale of any of these securities, the applicable prospectus supplement will provide the names of the agents or underwriters and any applicable fees, commissions or discounts.

INVESTING IN OUR SECURITIES INVOLVES A HIGH DEGREE OF RISK. SEE “ RISK FACTORS” BEGINNING ON PAGE 4 OF THIS PROSPECTUS.

NEITHER THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION NOR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED OF THESE SECURITIES OR DETERMINED IF THIS PROSPECTUS IS TRUTHFUL OR COMPLETE. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.

The date of this prospectus is             , 2004.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS	1
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT US	1
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY	3
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS	3
RISK FACTORS	4
DILUTION	11
USE OF PROCEEDS	11
RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES	11
DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES	11
DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK	19
DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS	21
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION	23
LEGAL MATTERS	25
EXPERTS	25

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

This prospectus is part of a registration statement filed by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or Commission, utilizing a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf process, we may, from time to time, sell any combination of securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings up to a total amount of $15,000,000. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we sell securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should read both this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement together with additional information described below under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.” As used in this prospectus, “company,” “we,” “our” and “us” refer to Nanophase Technologies Corporation, except where the context otherwise requires or as otherwise indicated.

We have not authorized any dealer, salesman or other person to give any information or to make any representation other than those contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and the accompanying supplement to this prospectus. You must not rely upon any information or representation not contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or the accompanying prospectus supplement as if we had authorized it. This prospectus and the accompanying supplement to this prospectus do not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities other than the registered securities to which they relate, nor do this prospectus and the accompanying supplement to this prospectus constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation in such jurisdiction. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus and the supplement to this prospectus is correct on any date after their respective dates, even though this prospectus or a supplement is delivered or securities are sold on a later date.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT US

We file annual, quarterly and special reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SEC’s web site at http://www.sec.gov. You may also read and copy any document we file at the SEC’s public reference room at room 1024, 450 Fifth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. Please call the SEC at 1-800-732-0330 for further information on the public reference room.

The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” the information we file with them, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to these documents. The information incorporated by reference is an important part of this prospectus, and information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede this information. We incorporate by reference the documents listed below (and any amendments thereto) and any future filings made with the SEC under Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 until the offering under this registration statement is completed or withdrawn:

• Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2003 filed March 30, 2004; and

• The description of our common stock contained in our registration statement on Form 8-A, including any amendments or reports filed to update such information.

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The information incorporated by reference into this prospectus is an important part of this prospectus. Any statement contained in an incorporated document shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of the registration statement or this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed incorporated documents or in an accompanying prospectus supplement modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus.

To obtain a copy of these filings at no cost, you may telephone us at 630-771-6700 or write us at Investor Relations Department, Nanophase Technologies Corporation, 1319 Marquette Drive, Romeoville, Illinois 60446. Unless otherwise requested, exhibits to an incorporated document will not be provided unless the exhibit is specifically incorporated by reference into this prospectus.

In addition, we make available free of charge through our website at http://www.nanophase.com our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and all amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC. Other than the information expressly incorporated by reference into this prospectus, information on, or accessible through, our website is not a part of this prospectus, any prospectus supplement or the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.

References in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement to our common stock include the associated preferred stock purchase rights under our 1998 Rights Agreement, as amended.

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PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

The following summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to, and should be read in conjunction with, the more detailed information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus or incorporated by reference herein. Investors should also carefully consider the information set forth under “Risk Factors” beginning on page 4.

We are a nanomaterials (also referred to as nanocrystalline materials or nanoparticles) developer and commercial manufacturer. We employ patented, patent-pending, and proprietary technology to create nanomaterials, typically in the range of 5-100 nanometers, which may be singular or multi-element oxides, including rare earth materials. We apply our technologies to modify the nanoparticle and nanoparticle surface to manipulate electrical, mechanical, optical, and other properties, while precisely controlling the particle size and other physical parameters. We also use our technologies to create materials, not normally found naturally, that offer special performance attributes.

Since 2001, we have created an integrated platform of nanomaterial technologies that are designed to deliver an engineered nanomaterial solution for a particular target market or specific customer application. Our technologies consist of two distinct nanoparticle or nanomaterial manufacturing processes (physical vapor synthesis (“PVS”) and NanoArc^™ synthesis), nanoparticle surface treatment(s) technologies, and dispersion technologies. We have the ability to deliver various nanomaterials at commercial quantities. Our products are available as nanoparticles, surface-treated nanoparticles, and stable nanoparticle dispersions in aqueous or organic media, providing customers with nanomaterials in readily usable forms. The diverse markets we currently serve include personal care, sunscreens, abrasion-resistant applications, environmental catalysts, antimicrobial products, and a variety of polishing applications, including semiconductors, hard disk drives and optics. New markets and applications also are being developed. Our customers include multinational corporations and Fortune 500 companies.

We reduce the cycle time for innovation by working with certain customers to jointly develop nanoengineered solutions for particular market needs or specific customer applications. We have complete capability from application development and laboratory samples through pilot quantities and volume production. We have extensive research and development facilities and application laboratories, as well as manufacturing capacity based in two locations in the Chicago area. This capability allows us to develop and supply nanomaterials in quantities ranging from grams to metric tons. Our business model is based on strategic partnerships, typically with companies who currently occupy a targeted market channel(s), and supplying nanomaterials to individual customer-specific needs.

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

We want to provide investors with more meaningful and useful information. As a result, this prospectus contains and incorporates by reference certain “forward-looking statements”, as defined in Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements reflect our current expectations of the future results of its operations, performance and achievements. Forward-looking statements are covered under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We have tried, wherever possible, to identify these statements by using words such as “anticipates”, “believes”, “estimates”, “expects”, “plans”, “intends” and similar expressions. These statements reflect our current beliefs and are based on information now available to us. Accordingly, these statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and contingencies that could cause our actual results, performance or achievements in 2004 and beyond to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, such statements. These risks, uncertainties and factors include, without limitation: a decision by a customer to cancel a purchase order or supply agreement in light of our dependence on a limited number of key customers; uncertain demand for, and acceptance of, our nanocrystalline materials; our manufacturing capacity and product mix flexibility in light of customer demand; our limited marketing experience; changes in development and distribution relationships; the impact of competitive products and technologies; our dependence on patents and protection of proprietary information; the resolution of litigation in which we may become involved; and other risks set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” below. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Except as required by federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements to reflect new events or uncertainties.

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RISK FACTORS

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Before making an investment decision, you should carefully consider the following risks and the risks, if any, set forth in the supplement which accompanies this prospectus and in our periodic reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q which have been or will be filed with the SEC and are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. The trading price of our common stock could decline due to any of these risks, and you could lose all or part of your investment. You also should refer to the other information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus and the prospectus supplement, or incorporated by reference into this prospectus.

We have a limited operating history and may not be able to address difficulties encountered by early stage companies in new and rapidly evolving markets.

We have only a limited operating history. We were formed in November 1989 and began our commercial nanocrystalline materials operations in January 1997. We have not yet generated a significant amount of revenue from our nanocrystalline materials operations. Because of our limited operating history and the early stage of development of our rapidly evolving market, we have limited insight into trends that may emerge and adversely affect our business and cannot be certain that our business strategy will be successful or that it will successfully address these risks. In addition, our efforts to address any of these risks may distract personnel or divert resources from other more important initiatives, such as attracting and retaining customers and responding to competitive market conditions.

We have a history of losses that may continue in the future.

We have incurred net losses in each year since our inception with net losses of $5.74 million in 2001, $5.16 million in 2002 and $5.83 million in 2003. As of December 31, 2003, we had an accumulated deficit of approximately $45.74 million and presently expect to continue to incur losses on an annual basis through at least the end of 2004. We believe that our business depends, among other things, on our ability to significantly increase revenue. If revenue fails to grow at anticipated rates or if operating expenses increase without a commensurate increase in revenue, or if we fail to adjust operating expense levels accordingly, then the imbalance between revenue and operating expenses will negatively impact our cash balances and our ability to achieve profitability in future periods.

We depend on a small number of customers for a high percentage of our sales, and the loss of orders from a significant customer could cause a decline in revenue and/or increases in the level of losses incurred.

Sales to our customers are executed pursuant to purchase orders and annual supply contracts; however, customers can cease doing business with us at any time with limited advance notice. We expect a significant portion of our future sales to remain concentrated within a limited number of strategic customers. We may not be able to retain our strategic customers, such customers may cancel or reschedule orders, or in the event of canceled orders, such orders may not be replaced by other sales or by sales that are on as favorable terms. In addition, sales to any particular customer may fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter, which could affect our ability to achieve anticipated revenues on a quarterly basis.

Sales to BASF Corporation (“BASF”), Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials (formerly known as “Rodel”) and C.I. Kasei, a division of Itochu Corporation, accounted for approximately 94% of total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2003, and sales to the same three customers accounted for approximately 81% of total revenue in 2002. For the years ended December 31, 2003 and 2002, BASF accounted for 61% and 73% of our total revenue, respectively. If we were to lose, or receive significantly decreased orders from, any of these three customers, then our results of operations would be materially harmed. While our agreements with our three largest customers are long-term agreements, they may be terminated by the customer with reasonable notice and do not provide any guarantees that these customers will continue to buy our products. In addition, while our agreements with our three largest customers contain minimum order requirements, the only repercussion under the agreement for missing the minimum order requirement is that we would be freed from the exclusivity obligations under these contracts.

We have been consistently expanding both our marketing and business development efforts and our production efficiency in order to address the issues of our dependence upon a limited amount of customers, enhancement of gross profit and operating cash flows, and the achievement of profitability. We currently have customers that may grow to the point where they generate significant

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revenues and margins as relationships expand. Given the special nature of our products, and the fact that markets for them are not yet fully developed, it is difficult to accurately predict when additional large customers will materialize. On a going forward basis, our margins, as a percentage of revenue, will be dependent upon revenue mix, revenue volume, and our ability to continue to cut costs. The extent of the growth in revenue volume, and the related gross profit that this revenue generates, will be the main drivers in generating positive operating cash flows and, ultimately, net income.

Any downturn in the markets served by us would harm our business.

A majority of our products are incorporated into products such as sunscreens, polishing slurries, personal care, and to a lesser extent abrasion-resistant coatings for flooring, and catalytic converters. These markets have from time to time experienced cyclical, depressed business conditions, often in connection with, or in anticipation of, a decline in general economic conditions. These industry downturns have resulted in reduced product demand and declining average selling prices. Our business would be harmed by any future downturns in the markets that we serve.

Our products often have long adoption cycles, which could make it difficult to achieve market acceptance and makes it difficult to forecast revenues.

Due to their often novel characteristics and the unfamiliarity with them that exists in the marketplace, our nanocrystalline materials often exhibit longer adoption cycles than existing materials technologies. Our nanomaterials have to receive appropriate attention within any potential customer’s organization, then they must be tested to prove a performance advantage over existing materials, typically on a systems-cost basis. Once we have proven initial commercial viability, pilot scale production runs must be completed by the customer, followed by further testing. Once production-level commercial viability is established, then our nanomaterials can be introduced, often to a downstream marketplace that needs to be familiarized with them. If we are unable to convince our potential customers of the performance advantages and economic value of our nanocrystalline materials over existing and competing materials and technologies, we will be unable to generate significant sales. Our long adoption cycle makes it difficult to predict when sales will occur.

We depend on collaborative development relationships with our customers and do not have a substantial direct sales force. If we are unable to initiate or sustain such collaborative relationships, then we may be unable to independently develop, manufacture or market our current and future nanocrystalline materials or applications.

We have established, and will continue to pursue, collaborative relationships with many of our customers and do not have a substantial direct sales force. Through these relationships, we seek to develop new applications for our nanocrystalline materials and share development and manufacturing resources. We also seek to coordinate the development, manufacture and marketing of our nanocrystalline products. Future success will depend, in part, on our continued relationships with these customers and our ability to enter into similar collaborative relationships with other customers. Our customers may not continue in these collaborative development relationships, may not devote sufficient resources to the development or sale of our materials or may enter into collaborative development relationships with our competitors. Additionally, these customers may require a share of control of these collaborative programs. Some of our agreements with these customers limit our ability to license our technology to others and/or limit our ability to engage in certain product development or marketing activities. These relationships can usually be terminated unilaterally by customers. If we are unable to initiate or sustain such collaborative relationships, then we may be unable to independently develop, manufacture or market our current and future nanocrystalline materials or applications.

In addition, the development agreements with some of our larger customer contain provisions that require us to license our intellectual property to these customers on disadvantaged terms and/or transfer equipment to these customers in the event that we materially breach these agreements or fail to meet satisfy certain financial covenants. For example, see “Risk Factors—We may need to raise additional capital in the future.”

If a catastrophe strikes either of our manufacturing facilities or if we were to lose our lease for either facility due to non-renewal or other unforeseen events, we may be unable to manufacture our materials to meet customers’ demands.

Our manufacturing facilities are located in Romeoville and Burr Ridge, Illinois. These facilities and some of our manufacturing and testing equipment would be difficult to replace in a timely manner. Therefore, any material disruption at one of our facilities due

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to a natural or man-made disaster or a loss of lease due to non-renewal or other unforeseen events could have a material adverse effect on our ability to manufacture products to meet customers’ demands. While we maintain customary property and business interruption insurance, this insurance may not adequately compensate us for all losses that we may incur.

If we are unable to expand our production capabilities to meet unexpected demand, we may be unable to manage our growth and our business would suffer.

Our success will depend, in part, on our ability to manufacture nanocrystalline materials in significant quantities, with consistent quality and in an efficient and timely manner. We expect to continue to expand our current facilities or obtain additional facilities in the future in order to respond to unexpected demand for existing materials or for new materials that we do not currently make in quantity. Such unplanned demand, if it resulted in rapid expansion, could create a situation where growth could become difficult to manage, which could cause us to lose potential revenue.

Protection of our intellectual property is limited and uncertain.

Our intellectual property is important to our business. We seek to protect our intellectual property through patent, trademark, trade secret protection and confidentiality or license agreements with our employees, customers, suppliers and others. Our means of protecting our intellectual property rights in the United States or abroad may not be adequate and others, including our competitors, may use our proprietary technology without our consent. We may not receive the necessary patent protection for any applications pending with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and any of the patents that we currently own or license may not be sufficient to keep competitors from using our materials or processes. In addition, patents that we currently own or license may not be held valid if subsequently challenged by others and others may claim rights in the patents and other proprietary technology that we own or license. Additionally, others may have already developed or may subsequently develop similar products or technologies without violating any of our proprietary rights. If we fail to obtain patent protection or preserve our trade secrets, we may be unable to effectively compete against others offering similar products and services. In addition, if we fail to operate without infringing the proprietary rights of others or lose any license to technology that we currently have or will acquire in the future, we may be unable to continue making the products that we currently make.

Moreover, at times, attempts may be made to challenge the prior issuance of our patents. For example, we have received a petition to request a re-examination proceeding filed by an unidentified party in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, with respect to one patent relating to one of our nanoparticle manufacturing processes. If a re-examination is granted, we may not be successful in maintaining the scope of the claims of this patent during re-examination. If our patent claims are narrowed substantially by the USPTO, the patent coverage afforded our nanoparticle manufacturing process could be impaired, which could impede the extent of our legal protection of the invention that is subject to this patent and potentially harm our business and operating results.

Furthermore, litigation may be necessary to enforce our intellectual property rights, to protect our trade secrets, to determinate the validity and scope of the proprietary rights of others, or to defend against claims of infringement or invalidity. Such litigation could result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and could harm our business, operating results and financial condition. In addition, if others assert that our technology infringes their intellectual property rights, resolving the dispute could divert our management team and financial resources.

In the future, we may license certain of our intellectual property, such as trademarks or copyrighted material, to third parties. While we would attempt to ensure that any licensees maintain the quality and value of our brand, these licenses might diminish this quality and value.

We may be subject to claims that one or more of the business methods used by us infringe upon patents held by others. The defense of any claims of infringement made against us by third parties could involve significant legal costs and require our management to divert time and other resources from our business operations. Either of these consequences of an infringement claim could have a material adverse effect on our operating results. If we are unsuccessful in defending any claims of infringement, we may be forced to obtain licenses or pay royalties to continue to use our technology. We may not be able to obtain any necessary licenses on commercially reasonable terms or at all. If we fail to obtain necessary licenses or other rights, or if these licenses are costly, our operating results may suffer either from reductions in revenue through our inability to serve clients or from increases in costs to license third-party technology.

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Our industry is experiencing rapid changes in technology. If we are unable to keep pace with these changes, our business will not grow.

Rapid changes have occurred, and are likely to continue to occur, in the development of advanced materials and processes. Our success will depend, in large part, upon our ability to keep pace with advanced materials technologies, industry standards and market trends and to develop and introduce new and improved products on a timely basis. We expect to commit substantial resources to develop our technologies and product applications and, in the future, to expand our commercial manufacturing capacity as volume grows. Our development efforts may be rendered obsolete by the research efforts and technological advances of others and other advanced materials may prove more advantageous than those we produce.

Our market is highly competitive, and if we are unable to compete effectively, then our business will not grow.

The advanced materials industry is new, rapidly evolving and intensely competitive, and we expect competition to intensify in the future. The market for materials having the characteristics and potential uses of our nanocrystalline materials is the subject of intensive research and development efforts by both governmental entities and private enterprises around the world. We believe that the level of competition will increase further as more product applications with significant commercial potential are developed. The nanocrystalline product applications that we are developing will compete directly with products incorporating both conventional and advanced materials and technologies. While we are not currently aware of the existence of commercially available competitive products with the same attributes as those we offer, other companies may develop and introduce new or competitive products. Our competitors may succeed in developing or marketing materials, technologies and better or less expensive products than the ones we offer. In addition, many of our potential competitors have substantially greater financial and technical resources, and greater manufacturing and marketing capabilities than we do. If we fail to improve our current and potential nanocrystalline product applications at an acceptable price, or otherwise compete with producers of conventional materials, we will lose market share and revenue to our competitors.

We may need to raise additional capital in the future. If we are unable to obtain adequate funds, we may be required to delay, scale-back or eliminate some of our manufacturing and marketing operations or we may need to obtain funds through arrangements on less favorable terms or we may be required to transfer equipment to our largest customer.

We expect to expend significant resources on research, development and product testing, and in expanding current capacity or capability for new business. In addition, we may incur significant costs in preparing, filing, prosecuting, maintaining and enforcing our patents and other proprietary rights. If necessary, we may seek funding through public or private financing and through contracts with government or other companies. Additional financing may not be available on acceptable terms or at all. If we are unable to obtain adequate funds, we may be required to delay, scale-back or eliminate some of our manufacturing and marketing operations or we may need to obtain funds through arrangements on less favorable terms. If we obtain funding on unfavorable terms, we may be required to relinquish rights to some of our intellectual property.

To raise additional funds in the future, we would likely sell our equity or debt securities or enter into loan agreements. To the extent that we issue debt securities or enter into loan agreements, we may become subject to financial, operational and other covenants that we must observe. In the event that we were to breach any of these covenants, then the amounts due under such loans or debt securities could become immediately payable by us, which could significantly harm us. To the extent that we sell additional shares of our equity securities, you may face economic dilution if the future equity securities are sold at a lower price than your purchase price in this offering, and, to the extent that you do not participate in such future offerings, you would also face dilution of your percentage ownership of us.

We currently have a supply agreement with BASF that contains provisions which could potentially result in a mandatory transfer of technology and sale of production equipment to BASF providing capacity sufficient to meet BASF’s production needs. The transfer and related sale would be “triggered” only in the event that one of the following occurs:

• our earnings for a twelve month period ending with our most recently published quarterly financial statements are less than zero and our cash, cash equivalents and investments are less than $2,000,000,

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• any lender accelerates any debt in excess of $10,000,000, or

• we become insolvent as defined in the supply agreement.

In the event of a triggering event where we are required to sell to BASF production equipment providing capacity sufficient to meet BASF’s production needs, the equipment would be sold at 115% of the equipment’s net book value.

We believe that we have complied with all contractual requirements and that we have not had a “triggering event.” We further believe that, even without the additional proceeds from any offering relating to this prospectus, the proceeds of the May 29, 2002 and September 8, 2003 private placements, in addition to the proceeds from the equity investment by Altana Chemie AG (“Altana”) on March 23, 2004, should provide sufficient cash balances to avoid the first triggering event referenced above for the foreseeable future. Further, we expect, although such events are not guaranteed, to receive at least some portion of an additional $15 million of proceeds from this offering and to receive an additional $2,000,000 in possible equity capital relating to the future exercise of warrants relating to the September 2003 fundraising. If a triggering event were to occur and BASF elected to proceed with the transfer and related sale mentioned above, we would lose both significant revenue and the ability to generate significant revenue to replace that which was lost in the near term. Replacement of necessary equipment that would be purchased and removed by BASF pursuant to this triggering event could take six months to a year. Any additional capital outlays required to rebuild capacity would probably be greater than the proceeds from the purchase of the assets pursuant to our agreement with BASF. This shortfall might put us in a position where it would be difficult to secure additional funding given what would then be an already tenuous cash position. Such an event would also result in the loss of many of our key staff and line employees due to economic realities. We believe that our employees are a critical component of our success and would be difficult to quickly replace and train. Given the occurrence of such an event, we might not be able to hire and retrain skilled employees given the stigma relating to such an event and its impact on us. We might elect to effectively reduce our size and staffing to a point where we could remain a going concern in the near term.

We depend on key personnel, and their unplanned departure could harm or business.

Our success will depend, in large part, upon our ability to attract and retain highly qualified research and development, management, manufacturing, marketing and sales personnel on favorable terms. Due to the specialized nature of our business, we may have difficulty locating, hiring and retaining qualified personnel on favorable terms. If we were to lose the services of any of our key executive officers or other key personnel, or if we are unable to attract and retain other skilled and experienced personnel on acceptable terms in the future, then our business, results of operations and financial condition would be materially harmed. In addition, we do not currently have “key-man” life insurance policies covering all of our executive officers or key employees, nor do we presently have any plans to purchase such policies.

We face potential product liability risks which could result in significant costs that exceed our insurance coverage, damage our reputation and harm our business.

We may be subject to product liability claims in the event that any of our nanocrystalline product applications are alleged to be defective or cause harmful effects. Because our nanocrystalline materials are used in other companies’ products, to the extent our customers become subject to suits relating to their products, such as medical implants and cosmetic and skin-care products, these claims may also be asserted against us. We may incur significant costs including payment of significant damages, in defending or settling product liability claims. We currently maintain insurance coverage in the amount of $10 million for product liability claims, which may prove not to be sufficient. Even if a suit is without merit and regardless of the outcome, claims can divert management time and attention, injure our reputation and adversely affect demand for our nanocrystalline materials.

We are subject to governmental regulations. The costs of compliance and liability for noncompliance with governmental regulations could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Current and future laws and regulations may require us to make substantial expenditures for preventive or remedial action. Our operations, business or assets may be materially and adversely affected by governmental interpretation and enforcement of current or future environmental, health and safety laws and regulations. In addition, our coating operations pose a risk of accidental contamination or injury. The damages in the event of an accident or the costs to prevent or remediate a related event could exceed our resources or otherwise have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

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In addition, both of our facilities and all of our operations are subject to the plant and laboratory safety requirements of various occupational safety and health laws. We believe we have complied in all material respects with regard to governmental regulations applicable to us. However, we may have to incur significant costs in defending or settling future claims of alleged violations of governmental regulations and these regulations may materially restrict or impede our operations in the future. In addition, our efforts to comply with or contest any regulatory actions may distract personnel or divert resources from other more important initiatives.

The manufacture and use of certain products that contain our nanocrystalline materials are subject to intense governmental regulation, including regulations promulgated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. As a result, we are required to adhere to the requirements of the regulations of governmental authorities in the United States and other countries. These regulations could increase our cost of doing business and may render some potential markets prohibitively expensive.

We have implemented anti-takeover provisions which could discourage or prevent a takeover, even if an acquisition could be beneficial to our stockholders.

In October 1998, we entered into a Rights Agreement, commonly referred to as a “poison pill.” The provisions of this agreement and some of the provisions of our certificate of incorporation, our bylaws and Delaware law could, together or separately:

• discourage potential acquisition proposals;

• delay or prevent a change in control; and

• limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock.

In particular, our board of directors is authorized to issue up to 24,088 shares of preferred stock (less any outstanding shares of preferred stock) with rights and privileges that might be senior to our common stock, without the consent of the holders of the common stock, including up to 2,500 shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock issuable under the 1998 Rights Agreement.

In addition, Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporations Law and the terms of our stock option plans may discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of our company.

Future sales of our common stock by existing stockholders could negatively affect the market price of our stock and make it more difficult for us to sell stock in the future.

Sales of our common stock in the public market, or the perception that such sales could occur, could result in a decline in the market price of our common stock and make it more difficult for us to complete future equity financings. A substantial number of shares of our common stock and shares of common stock subject to outstanding warrants and options may be resold pursuant to currently effective registration statements. As of March 26, 2004, in addition to the shares to be sold in this offering, there are:

• 15,662,532 shares of common stock that have been issued in registered offerings, upon the exercise of options under our equity incentive plan or in private placements and are freely tradable in the public markets,

• 1,397,404 shares of common stock that may be issued on the exercise of stock options outstanding and exercisable under our equity incentive plan;

• 453,001 shares of common stock (together with a warrant to purchase a like number of shares) that were issued pursuant to our September 8, 2003 private placement and may be registered for resale pursuant the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement executed in connection with this private placement; and

• 1,256,281 shares of common stock that were issued pursuant to our March 23, 2004 private placement and may be registered for resale after March 23, 2006 pursuant the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement executed in connection with this private placement.

We cannot estimate the number of shares of common stock that may actually be resold in the public market because this will depend on the market price for our common stock, the individual circumstances of the sellers, and other factors. If stockholders sell

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large portions of their holdings in a relatively short time, for liquidity or other reasons, the market price of our common stock could decline significantly.

Bradford T. Whitmore has significant influence on all matters requiring stockholder approval because he beneficially owns a large percentage of our common stock, and he may vote the common stock in ways with which our other stockholders disagree.

As of March 30, 2004, Bradford T. Whitmore, together with his affiliates, Grace Brothers, Ltd. and Grace Investments, Ltd., beneficially owned approximately 25% of the outstanding shares of our common stock. As a result, he has significant influence on matters submitted to our stockholders for approval, including proposals regarding:

• any merger, consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of our assets;

• the election of members of our board of directors; and

• any amendment to our certificate of incorporation.

The ownership position of Mr. Whitmore could delay, deter or prevent a change of control or adversely affect the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock. Mr. Whitmore’s interests may be significantly different from the interests of our other stockholders and he may vote the common stock he beneficially owns in ways with which our other stockholders disagree. Investors should also note that R. Janet Whitmore, one of our directors, is the sister of Mr. Whitmore.

We have been involved in litigation. If we are involved in similar litigation in the future, the expense of defending such litigation and the potential costs of judgments against us and the costs of maintaining insurance coverage could have a material adverse effect on our financial performance.

We have been involved in three securities class action lawsuits, one of which was a consolidation of several related lawsuits. While all of these lawsuits have been settled and dismissed with all settlements funded by our directors and officers liability insurance, we may be the target of additional securities lawsuits in the future. If we are involved in similar litigation in the future, the expense of defending such litigation, the potential costs of judgments against us, the costs of maintaining insurance coverage and the diversion of management’s attention could have a material adverse effect on our financial performance.

Our stock price is volatile.

The stock markets in general, and the stock prices of technology-based companies in particular, have experienced extreme volatility that often has been unrelated to the operating performance of any specific public company. The market price of our common stock has fluctuated in the past and is likely to fluctuate in the future as well. Our future financial performance and stock price may be subject to significant volatility, particularly on a quarterly basis. Shortfalls in our revenues in any given period relative to the levels expected by investors could immediately, significantly and adversely affect the trading price of our common stock.

Dilutive Effect of Private Placements.

On May 29, 2002 we sold 1,370,000 shares of our common stock to selected accredited investors at a purchase price of $5.00 per share. On May 29, 2002 the closing sale price of our common stock, as reported on NASDAQ, was $5.15 per share. On September 8, 2003 we sold 453,001 shares of our common stock to Grace Brothers, Ltd. at a purchase price of $4.415 per share together with a warrant to purchase a like number of shares of common stock during the next twelve months also at a price of $4.415 per share. The share price for the common stock was determined based on the fifteen-day market closing average for our stock ending September 5, 2003. On September 8, 2003 the closing sale price of our common stock as reported on NASDAQ, was $5.50 per share. On March 23, 2004 we sold 1,256,281 shares of our common stock to Altana at a purchase price of $7.96 per share. On March 23, 2004 the closing sale price of our common stock, as reported on NASDAQ, was $8.26 per share. Each of these issuances of stock at below the then-current market price had a dilutive effect on existing common stockholders.

We have never paid dividends.

We currently intend to retain earnings, if any, to support our growth strategy. We do not anticipate paying dividends on our stock in the foreseeable future.

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USE OF PROCEEDS

Unless otherwise specified in the prospectus supplement, we intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of the securities offered by this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement for general corporate purposes, which might include working capital, increase in technology development, increase in business development, capital expenditures, the repayment of indebtedness, the repurchase of shares of our equity securities and acquisitions. Pending use for these purposes, we expect to invest proceeds from the sale of the securities in short-term marketable securities. The precise amount and timing of sales of any securities will be dependent on market conditions and the availability and cost of other funds to us.

DILUTION

If the securities offered hereby are common stock, the prospectus supplement will include a dilution table setting forth any increase in net tangible book value to existing stockholders and any dilution to new investors based on the proposed number of shares of common stock to be offered and the assumed public offering price at the time of such offering.

RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

	Years Ended December 31,
	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003
Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges(1)(2)	—	—	—	—	—

(1) In computing the ratio of earnings to fixed charges, (a) earnings have been computed as loss before provision for income taxes excluding fixed charges and (b) fixed charges consist of interest expense and the estimated interest portion of rent expense.

(2) For the years ended December 31, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003, earnings were insufficient to cover fixed charges for those periods by $5,117,067, $4,518,327, $5,710,243, $5,086,563 and $5,797,650, respectively.

DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

This prospectus describes the general terms and provisions of our debt securities. When we offer to sell a particular series of debt securities, we will describe the specific terms of the series in a supplement to this prospectus. Accordingly, for a description of the terms of any series of debt securities, you must refer to both the prospectus supplement relating to that series and the description of the debt securities in this prospectus. To the extent the information contained in the prospectus supplement differs from this summary description, you should rely on the information in the prospectus supplement.

The debt securities offered hereby will be issued under an indenture between us and the trustee named therein. The indenture will be subject to, and governed by, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended. A copy of the form of indenture has been filed in the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. The following description of certain provisions of the form of indenture does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to, all the provisions of the indenture to be filed in an amendment to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part or filed in a Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated by reference in the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.

General

The terms of each series of debt securities will be established by or pursuant to a resolution of our board of directors and detailed or determined in the manner provided in an officers’ certificate or by a supplemental indenture. The particular terms of each series of debt securities will be described in a prospectus supplement relating to the series, including any pricing supplement.

We will be able to issue an unlimited amount of debt securities under the indenture that may be in one or more series with the same or various maturities, at par, at a premium, or at a discount. We will set forth in a prospectus supplement, including any pricing supplement, relating to any series of debt securities being offered, the initial offering price, the aggregate principal amount and the following terms of the debt securities:

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We will provide in a prospectus supplement, including any pricing supplement, relating to any series of debt securities being offered, the aggregate principal amount and the following terms of the debt securities:

• the title of the debt securities;

• the aggregate principal amount of the debt securities and any limit on the aggregate principal amount of the debt securities;

• whether we will issue the debt securities at a discount and the portion of the principal amount of the debt securities payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity of the securities or upon redemption, if other than the principal amount, and the rate at which the original issue discount will accrue;

• the date on which we will pay the principal on the debt securities;

• the rate, which may be fixed or variable, or the method used to determine the rate at which the debt securities will bear interest;

• the date from which interest will accrue, the date on which interest will be payable and any regular record date for the interest payable on any interest payment date;

• the place where we will pay, or the method of payment of, principal, premium and interest on the debt securities and where holders may surrender the debt securities for conversion, registration of transfer or exchange;

• any obligation we have to redeem or purchase the debt securities under any sinking fund or similar provisions or at the option of a holder of debt securities;

• our right to redeem the debt securities and the date on which, the price at which and the terms and conditions upon which we may redeem the debt securities;

• the denominations in which we will issue the debt securities, if other than denominations of $1,000 and any multiples of $1,000;

• provisions, if any, for the defeasance or discharge of our obligations relating to the debt securities;

• whether we will issue the debt securities in registered or bearer form;

• the currency in which we will pay principal, premium and interest on the debt securities;

• if we will pay principal, premium or interest on the debt securities in one or more currencies other than those in which the debt securities are denominated, the manner in which we will determine the exchange rate on the payments;

• the manner in which we will determine the amounts of payment of principal, premium or interest on the debt securities if these amounts may be determined by reference to an index based on a currency other than that in which the debt securities are denominated or designated or by reference to a commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index;

• any addition to, or change or deletion of, any events of default or covenants in the indenture;

• a discussion of any material or special United States federal income tax considerations applicable to the debt securities;

• any depositaries, trustees, interest rate calculation agents, exchange rate calculation agents or other agents relating to the debt securities other than those originally appointed;

• whether we will issue the debt securities in the form of global securities and whether we will issue the global securities in temporary or permanent global form;

• any rights of the holders of the debt securities to convert the debt securities into other securities or property and the terms and conditions of the conversion;

• any subordination provisions relating to the debt securities;

• any listing of the debt securities on a securities exchange;

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• any provisions relating to any security provided for by the debt securities; and

• any other terms of the debt securities that will not be inconsistent with the indenture.

We may issue debt securities at a discount below their stated principal amount. Even if we do not issue the debt securities below their stated principal amount, for United States federal income tax purposes the debt securities may be deemed to have been issued with a discount because of interest payment characteristics. We will describe in a prospectus supplement the United States federal income tax considerations applicable to debt securities issued at a discount or deemed to be issued at a discount. We will also describe in a prospectus supplement the special United States federal income tax considerations or other restrictions or terms applicable to debt securities issuable in bearer form, offered exclusively to foreigners or denominated in a foreign currency.

Denominations, Registration, Transfer and Exchange

Unless we specify otherwise in the prospectus supplement, the debt securities of any series will be issuable only in denominations of $1,000 and multiples of $1,000, and will be payable only in U.S. dollars.

We may issue the debt securities in whole or in part in the form of one or more global securities that will be deposited with, or on behalf of, a depositary identified in the applicable prospectus supplement. We may issue the global securities in either registered or bearer form and in either temporary or permanent form. We will describe the specific terms of the depositary arrangement relating to a series of debt securities in the prospectus supplement.

You may transfer or exchange certificated debt securities at any office we maintain for this purpose in accordance with the terms of the indenture. We will not charge a service fee for any transfer or exchange of certificated debt securities, but we may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge we are required to pay in connection with a transfer or exchange.

You may effect the transfer of certificated debt securities and the right to receive the principal, premium and interest on certificated debt securities only by surrendering the certificate representing those certificated debt securities and either reissuance by us or the trustee of the certificate to the new holder or the issuance by us or the trustee of a new certificate to the new holder.

We are not required to:

• register, transfer or exchange debt securities of any series during a period beginning at the opening of 15 business days before the day we transmit a notice of redemption of debt securities of the series selected for redemption and ending at the close of business on the day of the transmission; or

• to register, transfer or exchange any debt security so selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any debt security being redeemed in part.

Covenants

We will describe in the prospectus supplement any restrictive covenants applicable to an issue of debt securities.

Consolidation, Merger or Sale of Assets

Unless we have pre-existing contractual obligations, we may not consolidate or merge with or into, or sell, assign, convey or transfer our properties and assets substantially in their entirety to another corporation, person or entity unless:

• in the case of a consolidation or merger, (1) we are the surviving corporation, or (2) the successor corporation is an entity organized and validly existing under the laws of the United States, any state of the United States or the District of Columbia and expressly assumes our obligations under the debt securities and the indenture; and

• immediately after giving effect to the transaction, no event of default exists.

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Notwithstanding the foregoing, any subsidiary of ours may consolidate with, merge into or transfer all or part of its properties and assets to us.

Events of Default

Each of the following is an event of default relating to a series of debt securities:

• default in the payment of any interest upon any debt security of that series when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of that default for a period of 30 days;

• default in the payment of principal of or premium on any debt security of that series when due and payable;

• default in the deposit of any sinking fund payment, when and as due relating to any debt security of that series;

• default in the performance or breach by us of any other covenant or warranty in the indenture, other than a covenant or warranty that has been included in the indenture solely for the benefit of a series of debt securities other than that series, which default continues uncured for a period of 60 days after we receive written notice from the trustee or we and the trustee receive written notice from the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series as provided in the indenture;

• the acceleration of the maturity date of any of our indebtedness, other than non-recourse indebtedness, at any one time, in an amount exceeding the greater of (1) $10 million or (2) 5% of our consolidated net tangible assets, if the acceleration is not cancelled within 30 days;

• events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization; and

• any other event of default provided relating to debt securities of that series that is described in the applicable prospectus supplement accompanying this prospectus.

Non-recourse indebtedness means indebtedness for which the terms provide that the lender’s claim for repayment of the indebtedness is limited solely to a claim against the property that secures the indebtedness.

Consolidated net tangible assets means the total amount of assets, including investments in joint ventures, of a company and its subsidiaries, if any, less applicable depreciation, amortization and other valuation reserves after deducting:

• all current liabilities, excluding (1) the current portion of long-term indebtedness, (2) intercompany liabilities and (3) any liabilities that are by their terms renewable or extendible at the option of the obligor to a time more than 12 months from the time as of which the amount is being computed; and

• all goodwill, trade names, trademarks, patents, unamortized debt discount and any other similar intangibles, all as provided on the most recent consolidated balance sheet of the company and computed in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

If an event of default relating to outstanding debt securities of any series occurs and is continuing, then the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of outstanding debt securities of that series may declare, in a written notice, the principal amount, or specified amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest and premium, if payable on all debt securities of that series to be immediately due and payable. At any time after a declaration of acceleration relating to debt securities of any series has been made, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may rescind and cancel the acceleration if:

• the holders act before the trustee has obtained a judgment or decree for payment of the money due;

• we have paid or deposited with the trustee a sum sufficient to pay overdue interest and overdue principal other than the accelerated interest and principal; and

• we have cured or the holders have waived all events of default, other than the non-payment of accelerated principal and interest relating to debt securities of that series, as provided in the indenture.

We refer you to the prospectus supplement relating to any series of debt securities that are discount securities for the particular provisions relating to acceleration of a portion of the principal amount of the discount securities upon the occurrence of an event of default.

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The trustee has no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers under the indenture at the request of any holder of outstanding debt securities, unless the trustee receives indemnity satisfactory to it against any loss, liability or expense. Subject to rights of the trustee, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series will have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on the trustee relating to the debt securities of that series.

No holder of any debt security of any series will have any right to institute any judicial or other proceeding relating to the indenture or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any remedy under the indenture, unless:

• that holder has previously given the trustee written notice of a continuing event of default relating to debt securities of that series; and

• the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of outstanding debt securities of that series have made a written request, and offered reasonable indemnity, to the trustee to institute the proceeding as trustee, and the trustee has not received from the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series a direction inconsistent with that request and has failed to institute the proceeding within 60 days.

The holder of any debt security will have an absolute and unconditional right to receive payment of the principal, premium and any interest on that debt security on or after the due dates expressed in that debt security and to institute suit for the enforcement of payment.

Within 120 days after the end of our fiscal year we will furnish to the trustee a statement as to compliance with the indenture. The trustee may withhold notice to the holders of debt securities of any series of any default or event of default, except in payment on any debt securities of that series, relating to debt securities of that series if it in good faith determines that withholding notice is in the interest of the holders of those debt securities.

Modification and Waiver

We may modify the indenture, without prior notice to or consent of any holders, for any of the following purposes:

• to evidence the succession of another corporation to our rights and the assumption by the successor of our covenants and obligations in the indenture and the debt securities;

• to add to the covenants for the benefit of the holders of the debt securities or to surrender any right or power conferred upon us in the indenture;

• to add any events of default;

• to add or change any provision of the indenture to permit or facilitate the issuance of debt securities of any series in bearer form, to permit bearer securities to be issued in exchange for registered securities, to permit bearer securities to be issued in exchange for bearer securities of other denominations or to permit the issuance of debt securities of any series in uncertificated form, provided that the action will not adversely affect the interests of the holders of debt securities or coupons in any material respect;

• to change or eliminate any provision of the indenture, provided that the change or elimination will become effective only when there is no outstanding debt security issued under the indenture or coupon of any series created prior to the modification which is entitled to the benefit of the provision and as to which the modification would apply;

• to secure the debt securities or to provide that any of our obligations under the debt securities or the indenture will be guaranteed and the terms and conditions for the release or substitution of the security or guarantee;

• to supplement any provisions of the indenture to permit or facilitate the defeasance and discharge of any series of debt securities, provided that the action will not adversely affect the interests of the holders of the debt securities or coupons in any material respect;

• to establish the form or terms of debt securities and coupons as permitted by the indenture;

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• to evidence and provide for a successor or other trustee relating to one or more series of debt securities and to add or change any provision of the indenture to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts by more than one trustee; or

• to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision of the indenture that may be defective or inconsistent with any other provision of the indenture, to eliminate any conflict between the terms of the indenture and the debt securities and the Trust Indenture Act or to make any other provisions which will not be inconsistent with any provision of the indenture; provided, however, that these other provisions will not adversely affect the interest of the holders of outstanding debt securities or coupons in any material respect.

We may modify and amend the indenture with the written consent of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series affected by the modifications or amendments. However, these modifications may not, without the consent of the holder of each outstanding debt security of each series affected:

• change the stated maturity of any debt security or coupon;

• reduce the principal amount of any payment to be made on any debt security or coupon;

• reduce the rate of interest or extend the time for payment of interest or premium payable upon redemption of any debt security;

• change the coin or currency in which any debt security or any premium or interest is payable;

• reduce the amount of the principal of a discount security that would be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the maturity;

• impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment on or after the due date of the payment;

• alter any redemption provisions in a manner adverse to the holders of the debt securities;

• reduce the percentage in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities;

• adversely affect the right of any holder to convert any debt security;

• modify any of the waiver provisions, except to increase any required percentage or to provide that other provisions of the indenture cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the holder of each affected outstanding debt security; or

• modify any provision described in the applicable prospectus supplement as requiring the consent of each affected holder of debt securities.

A modification that changes or eliminates any covenant or other provision of the indenture relating to one or more particular series of debt securities and coupons, or that modifies the rights of the holder of debt securities and coupons of that series, will be deemed not to affect the rights of the holders of debt securities and coupons of any other series.

The holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series, by notice to the trustee, may on behalf of the holders of all debt securities of that series waive any default and its consequences under the indenture, except:

• a continuing default in the payment of interest on, premium or the principal amount of any debt security held by a non-consenting holder; or

• a default of a covenant or provision that cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the holder of each outstanding debt security of each series affected.

Defeasance of Debt Securities and Covenants in Circumstances

Legal Defeasance. We may be discharged from any and all obligations relating to the debt securities of any series except for obligations:

• to pay additional amounts, if any, upon the occurrence of specified tax, assessment or government charge events relating to payments on the debt securities;

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• to register the transfer or exchange of debt securities;

• to replace stolen, lost or mutilated debt securities;

• to maintain paying agencies; and

• to hold money in payment for trust.

We will be discharged upon our deposit with the trustee, in trust, of money or government obligations that will provide money in an amount sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants, to pay and discharge each installment of principal, premium and interest on and any mandatory sinking fund payments relating to the debt securities of that series on the stated maturity of those payments.

We may be discharged only if we have delivered to the trustee an opinion of counsel stating that we have received from, or there has been published by, the United States Internal Revenue Service a ruling or, since the date of execution of the indenture, there has been a change in the applicable United States federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that the holders of the debt securities of that series will not recognize income, gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit, defeasance and discharge.

Defeasance of Covenants. Upon compliance with specified conditions, we will not be required to comply with some restrictive covenants contained in the indenture and any omission to comply with the obligations will not constitute a default or event of default relating to the debt securities. These conditions include:

• depositing with the trustee money or government obligations that, through the payment of interest and principal in accordance with their terms, will provide money in an amount sufficient in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants to pay principal, premium and interest on and any mandatory sinking fund payments relating to the debt securities of that series on the date those payments are due; and

• delivering to the trustee a United States Internal Revenue Service ruling or an opinion of counsel to the effect that the holders of the debt securities of the series will not recognize income, gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit and related covenant defeasance.

Limited Liability of Some Persons

No past, present or future stockholder, incorporator, employee, officer or director of Nanophase or any successor corporation or any of our affiliates will have any personal liability for our obligations under the indenture or the debt securities because of his, her or its status as a stockholder, incorporator, employee, officer or director.

Conversion Rights

We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms and conditions, if any, upon which the debt securities are convertible into common stock. Those terms will include:

• whether the debt securities are convertible into common stock;

• whether such conversion is at the option of us or the investor;

• the conversion price, or manner of calculation;

• the conversion period;

• provisions regarding whether conversion will be at our option or the option of the holders;

• the events requiring an adjustment of the conversion price; and

• provisions affecting conversion in the event of the redemption of the debt securities.

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Payment and Paying Agents

The indenture will require us to duly and punctually pay the principal, premium and interest on the debt securities as provided in the debt securities and the indenture.

If debt securities of a series are issuable only as registered securities, we will maintain in each place of payment for that series an office or agency where:

• holders may present or surrender for payment debt securities of that series;

• holders may surrender debt securities of that series for registration of transfer or exchange; and

• we may be served with notices and demands regarding the debt securities of that series.

If debt securities of a series are issuable as bearer securities, we will maintain or cause to be maintained:

• in Chicago, Illinois, an office or agency (i) where holders may (1) present or surrender for payment any registered securities of that series, (2) surrender for registration or transfer any registered securities of that series, (3) surrender debt securities of that series for exchange or redemption and (4) present or surrender for payment bearer securities of that series and related coupons in the circumstances described in the following paragraph and not otherwise, and (ii) where we may be served with notices and demands regarding the debt securities of that series;

• subject to any applicable laws or registration, in a place of payment for that series that is located outside the United States, an office or agency where holders may present and surrender for payment debt securities of that series and related coupons; and

• subject to any applicable laws or regulations, in a place of payment for that series located outside the United States, an office or agency where holders may surrender any registered securities of that series for registration of transfer or surrender for exchange or redemption debt securities of that series and where we may receive notices and demands regarding the debt securities of that series.

We will give prompt written notice to the applicable trustee of the locations, and any change in the locations, of offices or agencies. If at any time we fail to maintain any required office or agency or fail to furnish the applicable trustee with the address, holders may make or serve the presentations, surrenders, notices and demands at the corporate trust office of the applicable trustee, except that holders may present and surrender bearer securities of that series and the related coupons for payment at the offices specified in the applicable debt security. We will appoint the applicable trustee as our agent to receive the foregoing presentations, surrenders, notices and demands. However, in the case of bearer securities, we may appoint another agent as may be specified in the applicable prospectus supplement.

We will make no payment of principal, premium or interest on bearer securities at any of our offices or agencies in the United States or by check mailed to any address in the United States or by transfer to an account maintained with a bank located in the United States. However, if the debt securities of a series are denominated and payable in U.S. dollars, we will pay principal and any premium and interest on the debt securities of that series, if specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, at the office of our paying agent in Chicago, Illinois, only if payment in U.S. dollars of the full amount of the principal, premium, interest or additional amounts, as the case may be, at all offices or agencies outside the United States maintained for the purpose by us in accordance with the indenture is illegal or effectively precluded by exchange controls or other similar restrictions.

Governing Law

The indenture and the related debt securities will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware.

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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

General

This prospectus describes the general terms of our capital stock. For a more detailed description of these securities, you should read the applicable provisions of Delaware law and our certificate of incorporation and bylaws. When we offer to sell a particular series of these securities, we will describe the specific terms of the series in a supplement to this prospectus. Accordingly, for a description of the terms of any series of securities, you must refer to both the prospectus supplement relating to that series and the description of the securities described in this prospectus. To the extent the information contained in the prospectus supplement differs from this summary description, you should rely on the information in the prospectus supplement.

Under our certificate of incorporation, the total number of shares of all classes of stock that we have authority to issue is 25,024,088 consisting of 25,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, and 24,088 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share.

Common Stock

As of March 30, 2004 we had 17,371,814 shares of common stock outstanding. The holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote for each share on all matters voted on by stockholders. The holders of our common stock do not have cumulative voting rights, which means that holders of more than one-half of the shares voting for the election of directors can elect all of the directors then being elected. Subject to the preferences of any of our outstanding preferred stock from time to time outstanding, the holders of our common stock are entitled to a proportional distribution of any dividends that may be declared by the board of directors. In the event of a liquidation or dissolution of Nanophase, the holders of our common stock are entitled to share equally in all assets remaining after payment of liabilities and any payments due to holders of any outstanding shares of our preferred stock from time to time outstanding. The outstanding shares of our common stock are, and the shares offered by this prospectus, when issued, will be, fully paid and nonassessable. The rights, preferences and privileges of holders of our common stock are subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of the holders of shares of any of our outstanding preferred stock.

Preferred Stock

Our board of directors has the authority to issue up to 24,088 shares of preferred stock with rights and privileges that might be senior to our common stock, without the consent of the holders of the common stock, including up to 2,500 shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock issuable under our shareholder rights plan discussed below. No shares of preferred stock are presently outstanding, and no shares are expected to be issued except in connection with the shareholder rights plan referred to below. The issuance of preferred stock with voting and conversion rights may adversely affect the voting power of the holders of our common stock.

Shareholder Rights Plan

In October 1998, we declared a dividend of one preferred stock purchase right for each outstanding share of Company common stock on November 10, 1998. Each right entitles the holder, upon the occurrence of certain specified events, to purchase from the Company one ten-thousandth of a share of the Company’s Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock at a purchase price of $25 per one-ten thousandth of a share. The rights further provide that each right will entitle the holder, upon the occurrence of certain specified events (and without the necessity of purchasing the one ten-thousandth of a share of the Company’s Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock), to purchase from us, common stock having a value of twice the purchase price and, upon the occurrence of certain other specified events, to purchase from another entity into which we are merged or which acquires 50% or more of our assets or earnings power, common stock of such other entity having a value of twice the purchase price. The rights are not presently exercisable. The rights generally become exercisable if a person or group acquires 35% or more of our common stock or commences a tender offer that could result in such person or group owning 35% or more of our common stock. In general, the rights may be redeemed by us at a price of $0.01 per right. The rights expire on October 28, 2008.

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Anti-takeover Provisions

As a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Delaware, we are subject to Section 203 of the DGCL, which restricts our ability to enter into business combinations with an interested stockholder or a stockholder owning 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock, or that stockholder’s affiliates or associates, for a period of three years. These restrictions do not apply if:

• prior to becoming an interested stockholder, our board of directors approves either the business combination or the transaction in which the stockholder becomes an interested stockholder;

• upon consummation of the transaction in which the stockholder becomes an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owns at least 85% of our voting stock outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, subject to exceptions; or

• on or after the date a stockholder becomes an interested stockholder, the business combination is both approved by our board of directors and authorized at an annual or special meeting of our stockholders by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting stock not owned by the interested stockholder.

Some provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws could also have anti-takeover effects. These provisions, which are described below:

• permit the board of directors to increase its own size and fill the resulting vacancies;

• provide for a board comprised of three classes of directors with each class serving a staggered three-year term;

• authorize the issuance of preferred stock in one or more series; and

• prohibit stockholder action by written consent.

These provisions are intended to enhance the likelihood of continuity and stability in the composition of the policies formulated by the board of directors. In addition, these provisions are intended to ensure that the board of directors will have sufficient time to act in what it believes to be in the best interests of Nanophase and its stockholders. These provisions also are designed to reduce our vulnerability to an unsolicited proposal for a takeover of Nanophase that does not contemplate the acquisition of all of our outstanding shares or an unsolicited proposal for the restructuring or sale of all or part of Nanophase. The provisions are also intended to discourage some tactics that may be used in proxy fights.

Classified Board of Directors

The certificate of incorporation provides for the board of directors to be divided into three classes of directors, with each class as nearly equal in number as possible, serving staggered three-year terms. As a result, approximately one-third of the board of directors will be elected each year. The classified board provision will help to assure the continuity and stability of the board of directors and the business strategies and policies of Nanophase as determined by the board of directors. The classified board provision could have the effect of discouraging a third party from making a tender offer or attempting to obtain control of Nanophase. In addition, the classified board provision could delay stockholders who do not agree with the policies of the board of directors from removing a majority of the board of directors for two years.

No Stockholder Action by Written Consent; Special Meetings

The certificate of incorporation provides that stockholder action can only be taken at an annual or special meeting of stockholders and prohibits stockholder action by written consent in lieu of a meeting. The certificate of incorporation also provides that special meetings of stockholders may be called only by the board of directors, its chairman, the president or the secretary of Nanophase. Stockholders are not permitted to call a special meeting of stockholders or to require that the board of directors call a special meeting.

Number of Directors; Removal; Filling Vacancies

The certificate of incorporation provides that the board of directors will consist of between five and nine members, the exact number to be fixed by resolution adopted by affirmative vote of a majority of the board of directors. The board of directors currently

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consists of seven directors. Further, the certificate of incorporation authorizes the board of directors to fill newly created directorships. Accordingly, this provision could prevent a stockholder from obtaining majority representation on the board of directors by permitting the board of directors to enlarge the size of the board and fill the new directorships with its own nominees. A director so elected by the board of directors holds office until the next election of the class for which the director has been chosen and until his or her successor is elected and qualified. The certificate of incorporation also provides that directors may be removed only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the total voting power of all outstanding securities. The effect of these provisions is to preclude a stockholder from removing incumbent directors without cause and simultaneously gaining control of the board of directors by filling the vacancies created by the removal with its own nominees.

Transfer Agent and Registrar

The Transfer Agent and Registrar for our common stock is LaSalle Bank National Association.

DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

Description of Warrants

We may issue warrants to purchase debt securities or common stock. We may issue warrants independently or together with any other securities we offer under a prospectus supplement. The warrants may be attached to or separate from the securities. We will issue each series of warrants under a separate warrant agreement that we will enter into with a bank or trust company, as warrant agent. The statements made in this section relating to the warrant agreement are summaries only. These summaries are not complete. When we issue warrants, we will provide the specific terms of the warrants and the applicable warrant agreement in a prospectus supplement. To the extent the information contained in the prospectus supplement differs from this summary description, you should rely on the information in the prospectus supplement. For more detail, we refer you to the applicable warrant agreement itself, which we will file as an exhibit to an amendment to, or incorporate by reference in, the registration statement.

Debt Warrants

We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms of the debt warrants being offered, the warrant agreement relating to the debt warrants and the debt warrant certificates representing the debt warrants, including:

• the title of the debt warrants;

• the aggregate number of the debt warrants;

• the price or prices at which the debt warrants will be issued;

• the designation, aggregate principal amount and terms of the debt securities purchasable upon exercise of the debt warrants, and the procedures and conditions relating to the exercise of the debt warrants;

• the designation and terms of any related debt securities with which the debt warrants are issued, and the number of the debt warrants issued with each security;

• the date, if any, on and after which the debt warrants and the related debt securities will be separately transferable;

• the principal amount of debt securities purchasable upon exercise of each debt warrant, and the price at which the principal amount of the debt securities may be purchased upon exercise;

• the date on which the right to exercise the debt warrants will commence, and the date on which the right will expire;

• the maximum or minimum number of the debt warrants which may be exercised at any time;

• information with respect to book-entry procedures, if any;

• a discussion of the material United States federal income tax considerations applicable to the exercise of the debt warrants; and

• any other terms of the debt warrants and terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exercise of the debt warrants.

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Holders may exchange debt warrant certificates for new debt warrant certificates of different denominations, and may exercise debt warrants at the corporate trust office of the warrant agent or any other office indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement. Prior to the exercise of their debt warrants, holders of debt warrants will not have any of the rights of holders of the securities purchasable upon the exercise and will not be entitled to payments of principal, premium or interest on the securities purchasable upon the exercise of debt warrants.

Equity Warrants

We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms of the common stock warrants being offered, the warrant agreement relating to the common stock warrants and the warrant certificates representing the common stock warrants, including:

• the title of the warrants;

• the securities for which the warrants are exercisable;

• the price or prices at which the warrants will be issued;

• if applicable, the number of warrants issued with each share of common stock;

• if applicable, the date on and after which the warrants and the related common stock will be separately transferable;

• the date on which the right to exercise the warrants will commence, and the date on which the right will expire;

• the maximum or minimum number of warrants which may be exercised at any time;

• information with respect to book-entry procedures, if any;

• a discussion of the material United States federal income tax considerations applicable to exercise of the warrants; and

• any other terms of the warrants, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the warrants.

Unless otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, holders of equity warrants will not be entitled, by virtue of being such holders, to vote, consent, receive dividends, receive notice as stockholders with respect to any meeting of stockholders for the election of our directors or any other matter, or to exercise any rights whatsoever as stockholders.

Except as provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, the exercise price payable and the number of shares of common stock purchasable upon the exercise of each warrant will be subject to adjustment in certain events, including the issuance of a stock dividend to holders of common stock or a stock split, reverse stock split, combination, subdivision or reclassification of common stock. In lieu of adjusting the number of shares of common stock purchasable upon exercise of each warrant, we may elect to adjust the number of warrants. Unless otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, no adjustments in the number of shares purchasable upon exercise of the warrants will be required until all cumulative adjustments require an adjustment of at least 1% thereof. We may, at our option, reduce the exercise price at any time.

No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of warrants, but we will pay the cash value of any fractional shares otherwise issuable. Notwithstanding the foregoing, except as otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, in case of any consolidation, merger, or sale or conveyance of our property as an entirety or substantially as an entirety, the holder of each outstanding warrant will have the right to the kind and amount of shares of stock and other securities and property, including cash, receivable by a holder of the number of shares of common stock into which each warrant was exercisable immediately prior to the particular triggering event.

Exercise of Warrants

Each warrant will entitle the holder of the warrant to purchase for cash at the exercise price provided in the applicable prospectus supplement the principal amount of debt securities or shares of common stock being offered. Holders may exercise warrants at any time up to the close of business on the expiration date provided in the applicable prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, unexercised warrants are void.

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Holders may exercise warrants as described in the prospectus supplement relating to the warrants being offered. Upon receipt of payment and the warrant certificate properly completed and duly executed at the corporate trust office of the warrant agent or any other office indicated in the prospectus supplement, we will, as soon as practicable, forward the debt securities or shares of common stock purchasable upon the exercise of the warrant. If less than all of the warrants represented by the warrant certificate are exercised, we will issue a new warrant certificate for the remaining warrants.

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We may offer and sell the securities described in this prospectus:

• through agents;

• through one or more underwriters or dealers;

• through a block trade in which the broker or dealer engaged to handle the block trade will attempt to sell the securities as agent; but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction;

• directly to one or more purchasers (through a specific bidding or auction process or otherwise); or

• through a combination of any of these methods of sale.

The distribution of the securities described in this prospectus may be effected from time to time in one or more transactions either:

• at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed;

• at market prices prevailing at the time of sale;

• at prices relating to the prevailing market prices; or

• at negotiated prices (which may potentially raise the dilutive effect of such issuance).

Offers to purchase the securities may be solicited by agents designated by us from time to time. Any agent involved in the offer or sale of the securities will be named, and any commissions payable by us to the agent will be described, in the applicable prospectus supplement. Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, any such agent will be acting on a best efforts basis for the period of its appointment. Any agent may be deemed to be an underwriter, as such term is defined in the Securities Act of 1933, of the securities so offered and sold.

If we offer and sell securities through an underwriter or underwriters, we will execute an underwriting agreement with the underwriter or underwriters. The names of the specific managing underwriter or underwriters, as well as any other underwriters, and the terms of the transactions, including compensation of the underwriters and dealers, which may be in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions, if any, will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement, which will be used by the underwriters to make resales of the securities. That prospectus supplement and this prospectus will be used by the underwriters to make resales of the securities. If underwriters are used in the sale of any securities in connection with this prospectus, those securities will be acquired by the underwriters for their own account and may be resold from time to time in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions, at fixed public offering prices or at varying prices determined by the underwriters and us at the time of sale. Securities may be offered to the public either through underwriting syndicates represented by managing underwriters or directly by one or more underwriters. If any underwriter or underwriters are used in the sale of securities, unless otherwise indicated in a related prospectus supplement, the underwriting agreement will provide that the obligations of the underwriters are subject to some conditions precedent and that with respect to a sale of these securities the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all such securities if any are purchased.

We may grant to the underwriters options to purchase additional securities to cover over-allotments, if any, at the public offering price, with additional underwriting commissions or discounts, as may be set forth in a related prospectus supplement. The terms of any over-allotment option will be set forth in the prospectus supplement for those securities.

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If any underwriters are involved in the offer and sale, they will be permitted to engage in transactions that maintain or otherwise affect the price of the securities. These transactions may include over-allotment transactions, purchases to cover short positions created by the underwriter in connection with the offering and the imposition of penalty bids. If an underwriter creates a short position in the securities in connection with the offering, i.e., if it sells more securities than set forth on the cover page of the applicable prospectus supplement, the underwriter may reduce that short position by purchasing the securities in the open market. In general, purchases of a security to reduce a short position could cause the price of the security to be higher than it might be in the absence of such purchases. As noted above, underwriters may also choose to impose penalty bids on other underwriters and/or selling group members. This means that if underwriters purchase securities on the open market to reduce their short position or to stabilize the price of the securities, they may reclaim the amount of the selling concession from those underwriters and/or selling group members who sold such securities as part of the offering.

Neither we nor any underwriter make any representation or prediction as to the direction or magnitude of any effect that the transactions described above may have on the price of the securities. In addition, neither we nor any underwriter make any representation that such underwriter will engage in such transactions or that such transactions, once commenced, will not be discontinued without notice.

If we offer and sell securities through a dealer, we or an underwriter will sell the securities to the dealer, as principal. The dealer may then resell the securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by the dealer at the time of resale. Any such dealer may be deemed to be an underwriter, as such term is defined in the Securities Act of 1933, of the securities so offered and sold. The name of the dealer and the terms of the transactions will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.

We may solicit offers to purchase the securities directly, and we may sell the securities directly to institutional or other investors, who may be deemed an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 with respect to any resales of those securities. The terms of these sales, including the terms of any bidding or auction process, if utilized, will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

We may enter into agreements with agents, underwriters and dealers under which we may agree to indemnify the agents, underwriters and dealers against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, or to contribute to payments they may be required to make with respect to these liabilities. The terms and conditions of this indemnification or contribution will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. Some of the agents, underwriters or dealers, or their affiliates may be customers of, engage in transactions with or perform services for us in the ordinary course of business.

We may authorize our respective agents or underwriters to solicit offers to purchase securities at the public offering price under delayed delivery contracts. The terms of these delayed delivery contracts, including when payment for and delivery of the securities sold will be made under the contracts and any conditions to each party’s performance set forth in the contracts, will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. The compensation received by underwriters or agents soliciting purchases of securities under delayed delivery contracts will also be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, each series of offered securities will be a new issue of securities with no established trading market, except for our common stock, which is listed on the NASDAQ National Market. Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we do not expect to list the securities on a securities exchange, except for our common stock, which is listed on the NASDAQ National Market. Underwriters involved in the public offering and sale of these securities may make a market in the securities. They are not obligated to make a market, however, and may discontinue market making activity at any time. We cannot give any assurance as to the liquidity of the trading market for any of these securities. In order to comply with the securities laws of some states, if applicable, the securities offered hereby will be sold in those jurisdictions only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers. In addition, in some states securities may not be sold unless they have been registered or qualified for sale in the applicable state or an exemption from the registration or qualification requirement is available and complied with.

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LEGAL MATTERS

Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon LLP, Chicago, Illinois is giving an opinion of the validity of the issuance of the securities offered in this prospectus.

EXPERTS

The financial statements appearing in Nanophase Technologies Corporation’s 2003 Annual Report on Form 10-K have been audited by McGladrey & Pullen, LLP, independent auditors, as set forth in their report thereon included therein and incorporated herein by reference. Such financial statements are incorporated herein by reference in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

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PART II.

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution

SEC Registration Fee	$	1,213
Accounting Fees and Expense	$	10,000
Legal Fees and Expenses	$	30,000
Miscellaneous	$	0
Total	$	41,213

All fees and expenses other than the SEC registration fee are estimated. The expenses listed above will be paid by the Company.

Item 15. Indemnification of Officers and Directors

Under Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”), a corporation may indemnify its directors, officers, employees and agents and its former directors, officers, employees and agents and those who serve, at the corporation’s request, in such capacities with another enterprise, against expenses (including attorney’s fees), as well as judgments, fines and settlements in nonderivative lawsuits, actually and reasonably incurred in connection with the defense of any action, suit or proceeding in which they or any of them were or are made parties or are threatened to be made parties by reason of their serving or having served in such capacity. The DGCL provides, however, that such person must have acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in (or not opposed to) the best interests of the corporation and, in the case of a criminal action, such person must have had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. In addition, the DGCL does not permit indemnification in an action or suit by or in the right of the corporation, where such person has been adjudged liable to the corporation, unless, and only to the extent that, a court determines that such person fairly and reasonably is entitled to indemnity for costs the court deems proper in light of liability adjudication. Indemnity is mandatory to the extent a claim, issue or matter has been successfully defended.

Our certificate of incorporation provides that to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law, it shall indemnify and advance indemnification expenses to all of its directors and officers. In addition, the certificate of incorporation provides that to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law, a director shall not be liable to Nanophase Technologies Corporation or its stockholders for breach of fiduciary duty as a director.

We have entered into indemnification agreements with each director providing for indemnification to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law.

Item 16. List of Exhibits

(a) Exhibits

1	*	Form of Underwriting or Distribution Agreement.
4.1		Specimen stock certificate representing Common Stock, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-36937) (the “IPO S-1”).
4.2		Form of Warrants, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the IPO S-1.
4.3		Rights Agreement dated as of October 28, 1998 by and between the Company and LaSalle National Bank, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A, filed October 28, 1998.
4.4		Certificate of Designation of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.4 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1998 (the “1998 10-K”).
4.5		Amendment to Rights Agreement dated August 1, 2001 between the Company and LaSalle National Association, as Rights Agent, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.5 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2001.

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4.6	2001 Nanophase Technologies Corporation Equity Compensation Plan, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.3 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-8 (File No. 333-74170) filed October 29, 2001.
4.7	Second Amendment to Rights Agreement dated May 24, 2002 between the Company and LaSalle National Association, as Rights Agent, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.7 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-90326) filed June 12, 2002.
4.8	Third Amendment to Rights Agreement dated September 5, 2003 between the Company and LaSalle National Association, as Rights Agent, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed September 10, 2003.
4.9	Subscription Agreement dated September 8, 2003 between the Company and Grace Brothers, Ltd., incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed September 10, 2003.
4.10	Stock Purchase Agreement dated March 23, 2004 between the Company and Altana Chemie AG, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.10 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003 (the 2003 10-K).
4.11	Registration Rights Agreement dated March 23, 2004 between the Company and Altana Chemie AG, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.11 to the 2003 10-K.
4.12	Form of Indenture.
4.13*	Form of Note.
4.14*	Form of Common Stock Warrant Agreement, including Common Stock Warrant Certificate.
4.15*	Form of Debt Warrant Agreement, including Common Debt Warrant Certificate.
5	Opinion of Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon LLP
12	Statement of Computation of Ratios of Earnings to Fixed Charges
23.1	Consent of McGladrey & Pullen, LLP
23.2	Consent of Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon LLP (included in Exhibit 5)
24	Power of Attorney (previously included on signature page)

* To be filed, if necessary, subsequent to the effectiveness of this registration statement by an amendment to the registration statement or incorporated by reference pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K in connection with the offering of securities registered hereunder.

(b) Financial Statement Schedule

None

Item 17. Undertakings

The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement: (i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933; (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; (iii) To include any material information with respect to the distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement; provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) of this section do not apply if the registration statement is on Form S-3 or Form S-8, and the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is conformed in periodic reports filed by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the 1934 Act that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement.

(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof; and

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(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

The undersigned Registrant undertakes that: (1) for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of the registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in the form of prospectus filed by the Registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the time it was declared effective; and (2) for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the Registration Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws, indemnification agreements or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes to file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act (“Act”) in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the Commission under section 305(b)2 of the Act.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, Nanophase Technologies Corporation certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized in Romeoville, Illinois as of April 1, 2004.

NANOPHASE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION

/s/ JOSEPH E. CROSS

Joseph E. Cross,

President and Chief Executive Officer

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated as of April 1, 2004.

Signature	Title
/s/ JOSEPH E. CROSS Joseph E. Cross	President and Chief Executive Officer
/s/ JESS JANKOWSKI Jess Jankowski	Acting Chief Financial Officer, Vice President and Corporate Controller (Principal Accounting and Financial Officer)
* Donald Perkins	Chairman of the Board
* James Henderson	Director
* James McClung	Director
* Jerry Pearlman	Director
* Richard Siegel	Director
* R. Janet Whitmore	Director

*	/s/    JESS JANKOWSKI
	Jess Jankowski Attorney-in-fact

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EXHIBIT INDEX

4.12	Form of Indenture.
5	Opinion of Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon LLP
12	Statement of Computation of Ratios of Earnings to Fixed Charges
23.1	Consent of McGladrey & Pullen, LLP
23.2	Consent of Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon LLP (included in Exhibit 5)
24	Power of Attorney (previously included on signature page)

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EX-4.12

Exhibit 4.12

NANOPHASE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION

INDENTURE

Dated as of                         ,             

[Name of Trustee]

Trustee

Exhibit 4.12

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ARTICLE I. DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE	1
SECTION 1.1. DEFINITIONS	1
SECTION 1.2. OTHER DEFINITIONS	5
SECTION 1.3. INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF TRUST INDENTURE ACT	5
SECTION 1.4. RULES OF CONSTRUCTION	6
ARTICLE II. THE SECURITIES	6
SECTION 2.1. ISSUABLE IN SERIES	6
SECTION 2.2. ESTABLISHMENT OF TERMS OF SERIES OF SECURITIES	7
SECTION 2.3. EXECUTION AND AUTHENTICATION	9
SECTION 2.4. REGISTRAR AND PAYING AGENT	10
SECTION 2.5. PAYING AGENT TO HOLD MONEY IN TRUST	10
SECTION 2.6. SECURITYHOLDER LISTS	11
SECTION 2.7. TRANSFER AND EXCHANGE	11
SECTION 2.8. MUTILATED, DESTROYED, LOST AND STOLEN SECURITIES	11
SECTION 2.9. OUTSTANDING SECURITIES	12
SECTION 2.10. TREASURY SECURITIES	13
SECTION 2.11. TEMPORARY SECURITIES	13
SECTION 2.12. CANCELLATION	13
SECTION 2.13. DEFAULTED INTEREST	13
SECTION 2.14. GLOBAL SECURITIES	14
SECTION 2.15. CUSIP NUMBERS	15
ARTICLE III. REDEMPTION	15
SECTION 3.1. NOTICE TO TRUSTEE	15
SECTION 3.2. SELECTION OF SECURITIES TO BE REDEEMED	15
SECTION 3.3. NOTICE OF REDEMPTION	16
SECTION 3.4. EFFECT OF NOTICE OF REDEMPTION	16
SECTION 3.5. DEPOSIT OF REDEMPTION PRICE	16
SECTION 3.6. SECURITIES REDEEMED IN PART	17
ARTICLE IV. COVENANTS	17
SECTION 4.1. PAYMENT OF PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST	17
SECTION 4.2. SEC REPORTS	17
SECTION 4.3. COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE	17
SECTION 4.4. STAY, EXTENSION AND USURY LAWS	17
SECTION 4.5. CORPORATE EXISTENCE	18
SECTION 4.6. TAXES	18
ARTICLE V. SUCCESSORS	18
SECTION 5.1. WHEN COMPANY MAY MERGE, ETC	18
SECTION 5.2. SUCCESSOR CORPORATION SUBSTITUTED	19

Exhibit 4.12

ARTICLE VI. DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES	19
SECTION 6.1. EVENTS OF DEFAULT	19
SECTION 6.2. ACCELERATION OF MATURITY; RESCISSION AND ANNULMENT	20
SECTION 6.3. COLLECTION OF INDEBTEDNESS AND SUITS FOR ENFORCEMENT BY TRUSTEE	21
SECTION 6.4. TRUSTEE MAY FILE PROOFS OF CLAIM	22
SECTION 6.5. TRUSTEE MAY ENFORCE CLAIMS WITHOUT OF POSSESSION SECURITIES	23
SECTION 6.6. APPLICATION OF MONEY COLLECTED	23
SECTION 6.7. LIMITATION ON SUITS	23
SECTION 6.8. UNCONDITIONAL RIGHT OF HOLDERS TO RECEIVE PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST	24
SECTION 6.9. RESTORATION OF RIGHTS AND REMEDIES	24
SECTION 6.10. RIGHTS AND REMEDIES CUMULATIVE	24
SECTION 6.11. DELAY OR OMISSION NOT WAIVER	25
SECTION 6.12. CONTROL BY HOLDERS	25
SECTION 6.13. WAIVER OF PAST DEFAULTS	25
SECTION 6.14. UNDERTAKING FOR COSTS	26
ARTICLE VII. TRUSTEE	26
SECTION 7.1. DUTIES OF TRUSTEE	26
SECTION 7.2. RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE	27
SECTION 7.3. INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE	28
SECTION 7.4. TRUSTEE’S DISCLAIMER	28
SECTION 7.5. NOTICE OF DEFAULTS	28
SECTION 7.6. REPORTS BY TRUSTEE TO HOLDERS	28
SECTION 7.7. COMPENSATION AND INDEMNITY	29
SECTION 7.8. REPLACEMENT OF TRUSTEE	29
SECTION 7.9. SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE BY MERGER, ETC	30
SECTION 7.10. ELIGIBILITY; DISQUALIFICATION	30
SECTION 7.11. PREFERENTIAL COLLECTION OF CLAIMS AGAINST COMPANY	31
ARTICLE VIII. SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE; DEFEASANCE	31
SECTION 8.1. SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE	31
SECTION 8.2. APPLICATION OF TRUST FUNDS; INDEMNIFICATION	32
SECTION 8.3. LEGAL DEFEASANCE OF SECURITIES OF ANY SERIES	32
SECTION 8.4. COVENANT DEFEASANCE	34
SECTION 8.5. REPAYMENT TO COMPANY	35
ARTICLE IX. AMENDMENTS AND WAIVERS	35
SECTION 9.1. WITHOUT CONSENT OF HOLDERS	35
SECTION 9.2. WITH CONSENT OF HOLDERS	36
SECTION 9.3. LIMITATIONS	36
SECTION 9.4. COMPLIANCE WITH TRUST INDENTURE ACT	37

Exhibit 4.12

SECTION 9.5. REVOCATION AND EFFECT OF CONSENTS	37
SECTION 9.6. NOTATION ON OR EXCHANGE OF SECURITIES	37
SECTION 9.7. TRUSTEE PROTECTED	37
ARTICLE X. MISCELLANEOUS	38
SECTION 10.1. TRUST INDENTURE ACT CONTROLS	38
SECTION 10.2. NOTICES	38
SECTION 10.3. COMMUNICATION BY HOLDERS WITH OTHER HOLDERS	39
SECTION 10.4. CERTIFICATE AND OPINION AS TO CONDITIONS PRECEDENT	39
SECTION 10.5. STATEMENTS REQUIRED IN CERTIFICATE OR OPINION	39
SECTION 10.6. RULES BY TRUSTEE AND AGENTS	39
SECTION 10.7. LEGAL HOLIDAYS	39
SECTION 10.8. NO RECOURSE AGAINST OTHERS	40
SECTION 10.9. COUNTERPARTS	40
SECTION 10.10. GOVERNING LAWS	40
SECTION 10.11. NO ADVERSE INTERPRETATION OF OTHER AGREEMENTS	40
SECTION 10.12. SUCCESSORS	40
SECTION 10.13. SEVERABILITY	40
SECTION 10.14. TABLE OF CONTENTS, HEADINGS, ETC	40
SECTION 10.15. SECURITIES IN A FOREIGN CURRENCY OR IN ECU	41
SECTION 10.16. JUDGMENT CURRENCY	41
ARTICLE XI. SINKING FUNDS	42
SECTION 11.1. APPLICABILITY OF ARTICLE	42
SECTION 11.2. SATISFACTION OF SINKING FUND PAYMENTS WITH SECURITIES	42
SECTION 11.3. REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES FOR SINKING FUND	43

Exhibit 4.12

NANOPHASE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION

Reconciliation and tie between Trust Indenture Act of 1939 and

Indenture, dated as of                         ,             

SECTION 310(a)(1)	7.10
(a)(2)	7.10
(a)(3)	NOT APPLICABLE
(a)(4)	NOT APPLICABLE
(a)(5)	7.10
(b)	7.10
SECTION 311(a)	7.11
(b)	7.11
(c)	NOT APPLICABLE
SECTION 312(a)	2.6
(b)	10.3
(c)	10.3
SECTION 313(a)	7.6
(b)(1)	7.6
(b)(2)	7.6
(c)(1)	7.6
(d)	7.6
SECTION 314(a)	4.2,10.5
(b)	NOT APPLICABLE
(c)(1)	10.4
(c)(2)	10.4
(c)(3)	NOT APPLICABLE
(d)	NOT APPLICABLE
(e)	10.5
(f)	NOT APPLICABLE
SECTION 315(a)	7.1
(b)	7.5
(c)	7.1
(d)	7.1
(e)	6.14
SECTION 316(a)	2.10
(a)(1)(A)	6.12
(a)(1)(B)	6.13
(b)	6.8
SECTION 317(a)(1)	6.3
(a)(2)	6.4
(b)	2.5
SECTION 318(a)	10.1

Note: This reconciliation and tie shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be part of the Indenture.

Exhibit 4.12

This INDENTURE, dated as of             ,             , is between Nanophase Technologies Corporation, a Delaware corporation (“Company”), and [Name of Trustee], a              (“Trustee”).

Each party agrees as follows for the benefit of the other party and for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities issued under this Indenture.

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

    SECTION 1.1.    Definitions.

“Additional Amounts” means any additional amounts which are required hereby or by any Security, under circumstances specified herein or therein, to be paid by the Company in respect of certain taxes imposed on Holders specified therein and which are owing to such Holders.

“Affiliate” of any specified person means any other person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified person. For the purposes of this definition, “control” (including, with correlative meanings, the terms “controlled by” and “under common control with”), as used with respect to any person, shall mean the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of such person, whether through the ownership of voting securities or by agreement or otherwise.

“Agent” means any Registrar, Paying Agent or Service Agent.

“Authorized Newspaper” means a newspaper in an official language of the country of publication customarily published at least once a day for at least five days in each calendar week and of general circulation in the place in connection with which the term is used. If it shall be impractical in the opinion of the Trustee to make any publication of any notice required hereby in an Authorized Newspaper, any publication or other notice in lieu thereof that is made or given by the Trustee shall constitute a sufficient publication of such notice.

“Bearer” means anyone in possession from time to time of a Bearer Security.

“Bearer Security” means any Security, including any interest coupon appertaining thereto, that does not provide for the identification of the Holder thereof.

“Board of Directors” means the Board of Directors of the Company or any duly authorized committee thereof.

“Board Resolution” means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been adopted by the Board of Directors or pursuant to authorization by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of the certificate and delivered to the Trustee.

1

Exhibit 4.12

“Business Day” means, unless otherwise provided by Board Resolution, Officers’ Certificate or supplemental indenture hereto for a particular Series, any day except a Saturday, Sunday or a legal holiday in The City of New York or the City of              on which banking institutions are authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to close.

“Company” means the party named as such above until a successor replaces it and thereafter means the successor.

“Company Order” means a written order signed in the name of the Company by two Officers, one of whom must be the Company’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer.

“Company Request” means a written request signed in the name of the Company by its Chairman of the Board, a President or a Vice President, and by its Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, its Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, and delivered to the Trustee.

“Conversion Price” means with respect to any series of Securities which are convertible into Common Stock or Preferred Stock, the price per share of Common Stock or Preferred Stock, as the case may be, at which the Securities of such series are so convertible as set forth in the Board Resolution with respect to such series (or in any supplemental indenture entered into pursuant to Section 10.1 with respect to such series), as the same may be adjusted from time to time in accordance with Section 8.5 (or such supplemental indenture pursuant to Section 8.1).

“Corporate Trust Office” means the office of the Trustee at which at any particular time its corporate trust business shall be principally administered.

“Debt” of any person as of any date means, without duplication, all indebtedness of such person in respect of borrowed money, including all interest, fees and expenses owed in respect thereto (whether or not the recourse of the lender is to the whole of the assets of such person or only to a portion thereof), or evidenced by bonds, notes, debentures or similar instruments.

“Default” means any event which is, or after notice or passage of time would be, an Event of Default.

“Depository” means, with respect to the Securities of any Series issuable or issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, the person designated as Depository for such Series by the Company, which Depository shall be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act; and if at any time there is more than one such person, “Depository” as used with respect to the Securities of any Series shall mean the Depository with respect to the Securities of such Series.

“Discount Security” means any Security that provides for an amount less than the stated principal amount thereof to be due and payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.2.

2

Exhibit 4.12

“Dollars” means the currency of The United States of America.

“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

“Foreign Currency” means any currency or currency unit issued by a government other than the government of The United States of America.

“Foreign Government Obligations” means with respect to Securities of any Series that are denominated in a Foreign Currency, (i) direct obligations of the government that issued or caused to be issued such currency for the payment of which obligations its full faith and credit is pledged or (ii) obligations of a person controlled or supervised by or acting as an agency or instrumentality of such government the timely payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by such government, which, in either case under clauses (i) or (ii), are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof.

“Global Security” or “Global Securities” means a Security or Securities, as the case may be, in the form established pursuant to Section 2.2 evidencing all or part of a Series of Securities, issued to the Depository for such Series or its nominee, and registered in the name of such Depository or nominee.

“Holder” or “Securityholder” means a person in whose name a Security is registered or the holder of a Bearer Security.

“Indenture” means this Indenture as amended from time to time and shall include the form and terms of particular Series of Securities established as contemplated hereunder.

“interest” with respect to any Discount Security which by its terms bears interest only after Maturity, means interest payable after Maturity.

“Interest Payment Date,” when used with respect to any Security, means the Stated Maturity of an installment of interest on such Security.

“Maturity,” when used with respect to any Security or installment of principal thereof, means the date on which the principal of such Security or such installment of principal becomes due and payable as therein or herein provided, whether at the Stated Maturity or by declaration of acceleration, call for redemption, notice of option to elect repayment or otherwise.

“Officer” means the Chairman of the Board, any President, any Vice-President, the Treasurer, the Secretary, any Assistant Treasurer or any Assistant Secretary of the Company.

“Officers’ Certificate” means a certificate signed by two Officers, one of whom must be the Company’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer.

“Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion of legal counsel who is acceptable to the Trustee. The counsel may be an employee of or counsel to the Company.

3

Exhibit 4.12

“person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, association, limited liability company, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or political subdivision thereof.

“principal” of a Security means the principal of the Security plus, when appropriate, the premium, if any, on, and any Additional Amounts in respect of, the Security.

“Regular Record Date” for the interest payable on any Interest Payment Date on the Securities of any series means the date specified for that purpose as contemplated by Section 2.2.

“Responsible Officer” means any officer of the Trustee in its Corporate Trust Office and also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom any corporate trust matter is referred because of his or her knowledge of and familiarity with a particular subject.

“SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“Securities” means the debentures, notes or other debt instruments of the Company of any Series authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.

“Series” or “Series of Securities” means each series of debentures, notes or other debt instruments of the Company created pursuant to Sections 2.1 and 2.2 hereof.

“Significant Subsidiary” means (i) any direct or indirect Subsidiary of the Company that would be a “significant subsidiary” as defined in Article 1, Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X, promulgated pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, as such regulation is in effect on the date hereof, or (ii) any group of direct or indirect Subsidiaries of the Company that, taken together as a group, would be a “significant subsidiary” as defined in Article 1, Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X, promulgated pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, as such regulation is in effect on the date hereof.

“Stated Maturity” when used with respect to any Security or any installment of principal thereof or interest thereon, means the date specified in such Security as the fixed date on which the principal of such Security or such installment of principal or interest is due and payable.

“Subsidiary” of any specified person means any corporation of which at least a majority of the outstanding stock having by the terms thereof ordinary voting power for the election of directors of such corporation (irrespective of whether or not at the time stock of any other class or classes of such corporation shall have or might have voting power by reason of the happening of any contingency) is at the time directly or indirectly owned by such person, or by one or more other Subsidiaries, or by such person and one or more other Subsidiaries.

“TIA” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (15 U.S. Code Sections 77aaa-77bbbb) as in effect on the date of this Indenture; provided, however, that in the event the Trust Indenture

4

Exhibit 4.12

Act of 1939 is amended after such date, “TIA” means, to the extent required by any such amendment, the Trust Indenture Act as so amended.

“Trustee” means the person named as the “Trustee” in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor Trustee shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Trustee” shall mean or include each person who is then a Trustee hereunder, and if at any time there is more than one such person, “Trustee” as used with respect to the Securities of any Series shall mean the Trustee with respect to Securities of that Series.

“U.S. Government Obligations” means securities which are (i) direct obligations of The United States of America for the payment of which its full faith and credit is pledged or (ii) obligations of a person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of The United States of America the payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by The United States of America, and which in the case of (i) and (ii) are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof, and shall also include a depository receipt issued by a bank or trust company as custodian with respect to any such U.S. Government Obligation or a specific payment of interest on or principal of any such U.S. Government Obligation held by such custodian for the account of the holder of a depository receipt, provided that (except as required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depository receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the U.S. Government Obligation evidenced by such depository receipt.

SECTION 1.2. Other Definitions.

DEFINED TERM SECTION

“Bankruptcy Law”       6.1

“Conversion Stock”       8.1

“Custodian”       6.1  

“Event of Default”       6.1  

“Journal”     11.15

“Judgment Currency”     11.16

“Legal Holiday”     11.7  

“mandatory sinking fund payment”     12.1  

“Market Exchange Rate”     11.15

“New York Banking Day”     11.16

“optional sinking fund payment”     12.1  

“Paying Agent”       2.4  

“Registrar”       2.4  

“Required Currency”     11.16

“Service Agent”       2.4  

“successor person”       5.1  

    SECTION 1.3.    Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act.

Whenever this Indenture refers to a provision of the TIA, the provision is incorporated

5

Exhibit 4.12

by reference in and made a part of this Indenture. The following TIA terms used in this Indenture have the following meanings:

“Commission” means the SEC.

“indenture securities” means the Securities.

“indenture security holder” means a Securityholder.

“indenture to be qualified” means this Indenture.

“indenture trustee” or “institutional trustee” means the Trustee.

“obligor” on the indenture securities means the Company and any successor obligor upon the Securities.

All other terms used in this Indenture that are defined by the TIA, defined by TIA reference to another statute or defined by SEC rule under the TIA and not otherwise defined herein are used herein as so defined.

SECTION 1.4. Rules of Construction.

Unless the context otherwise requires:

(a) a term has the meaning assigned to it;

(b) an accounting term not otherwise defined has the meaning assigned to it in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

(c) references to “generally accepted accounting principles” shall mean generally accepted accounting principles in effect as of the time when and for the period as to which such accounting principles are to be applied;

(d) “or” is not exclusive;

(e) words in the singular include the plural, and in the plural include the singular; and

(f) provisions apply to successive events and transactions.

ARTICLE II

THE SECURITIES

SECTION 2.1. Issuable in Series.

The aggregate principal amount of Securities that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited. The Securities may be issued in one or more Series. All Securities of a Series shall be identical except as may be set forth in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture or an Officers’ Certificate detailing the adoption of the terms thereof pursuant to the authority granted under a Board Resolution. In the case of Securities of a Series to be issued from time to time, the Board Resolution, Officers’ Certificate or supplemental indenture may provide for the method by which specified terms (such as interest rate, maturity

6

Exhibit 4.12

date, record date or date from which interest shall accrue) are to be determined. Securities may differ between Series in respect of any matters, provided that all Series of Securities shall be equally and ratably entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.

SECTION 2.2. Establishment of Terms of Series of Securities.

At or prior to the issuance of any Securities within a Series, the following shall be established (as to the Series generally, in the case of Subsection 2.2.1 and either as to such Securities within the Series or as to the Series generally in the case of Subsections 2.2.2 through 2.2.22) by a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture or an Officers’ Certificate pursuant to authority granted under a Board Resolution:

2.2.1 the title of the Series (which shall distinguish the Securities of that particular Series from the Securities of any other Series);

2.2.2 the price or prices (expressed as a percentage of the principal amount thereof) at which the Securities of the Series will be issued;

2.2.3 any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of the Series which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of the Series pursuant to Section 2.7, 2.8, 2.11, 3.6 or 9.6);

2.2.4 the date or dates on which the principal of the Securities of the Series is payable;

2.2.5 the rate or rates (which may be fixed or variable) per annum or, if applicable, the method used to determine such rate or rates (including, but not limited to, any commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index) at which the Securities of the Series shall bear interest, if any, the date or dates from which such interest, if any, shall accrue, the date or dates on which such interest, if any, shall commence, the Interest Payment Dates on which such interest and be payable and any regular record date for the interest payable on any interest payment date;

2.2.6 the place or places where the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of the Series shall be payable, or the method of such payment, if by wire transfer, mail or other means;

2.2.7 if applicable, the period or periods within which the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which the Securities of the Series may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company;

2.2.8 the obligation, if any, of the Company to redeem or purchase the Securities of the Series pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions or at the option of a Holder thereof and the period or periods within which the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which Securities of the Series shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation;

7

Exhibit 4.12

2.2.9 the dates, if any, on which and the price or prices at which the Securities of the Series will be repurchased by the Company at the option of the Holders thereof and other detailed terms and provisions of such repurchase obligations;

2.2.10 if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof, the denominations in which the Securities of the Series shall be issuable;

2.2.11 the forms of the Securities of the Series in bearer or fully registered form (and, if in fully registered form, whether the Securities will be issuable as Global Securities);

2.2.12 if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of the Securities of the Series that shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.2;

2.2.13 the currency of denomination of the Securities of the Series, which may be Dollars or any Foreign Currency, and the agency or organization, if any, responsible for overseeing such composite currency;

2.2.14 the designation of the currency, currencies or currency units in which payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of the Series will be made;

2.2.15 if payments of principal of or interest, if any, on the Securities of the Series are to be made in one or more currencies or currency units other than that or those in which such Securities are denominated, the manner in which the exchange rate with respect to such payments will be determined;

2.2.16 the manner in which the amounts of payment of principal of or interest, if any, on the Securities of the Series will be determined, if such amounts may be determined by reference to an index based on a currency or currencies or by reference to a commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index;

2.2.17 if the Securities of the series are convertible into Common Stock or Preferred Stock, the Conversion Price therefor, the period during which such Securities are convertible and any terms and conditions for the conversion of such Securities which differ from Article VIII;

2.2.18 the provisions, if any, relating to any security provided for the Securities of the Series;

2.2.19 any addition to or change in the Events of Default which applies to any Securities of the Series and any change in the right of the Trustee or the requisite Holders of such Securities to declare the principal amount thereof due and payable pursuant to Section 6.2;

2.2.20 any addition to or change in the covenants set forth in Articles IV or V which applies to Securities of the Series;

8

Exhibit 4.12

2.2.21 any other terms of the Securities of the Series (which terms shall not be inconsistent with the provisions of this Indenture, except as permitted by Section 9.1, but which may modify or delete any provision of this Indenture insofar as it applies to such Series); and

2.2.22 any depositories, interest rate calculation agents, exchange rate calculation agents or other agents with respect to Securities of such Series if other than those appointed herein.

All Securities of any one Series need not be issued at the same time and may be issued from time to time, consistent with the terms of this Indenture, if so provided by or pursuant to the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate referred to above, and the authorized principal amount of any Series may not be increased to provide for issuances of additional Securities of such Series, unless otherwise provided in such Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate.

SECTION 2.3. Execution and Authentication.

Two Officers shall sign the Securities for the Company by manual or facsimile signature.

If an Officer whose signature is on a Security no longer holds that office at the time the Security is authenticated, the Security shall nevertheless be valid.

A Security shall not be valid until authenticated by the manual signature of the Trustee or an authenticating agent. The signature shall be conclusive evidence that the Security has been authenticated under this Indenture.

The Trustee shall at any time, and from time to time, authenticate Securities for original issue in the principal amount provided in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers’ Certificate, upon receipt by the Trustee of a Company Order. Such Company Order may authorize authentication and delivery pursuant to oral or electronic instructions from the Company or its duly authorized agent or agents, which oral instructions shall be promptly confirmed in writing. Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication unless otherwise provided by a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate.

The aggregate principal amount of Securities of any Series outstanding at any time may not exceed any limit upon the maximum principal amount for such Series set forth in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers’ Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2, except as provided in Section 2.8.

Prior to the issuance of Securities of any Series, the Trustee shall have received and (subject to Section 7.2) shall be fully protected in relying on: (a) the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers’ Certificate establishing the form of the Securities of that Series or of Securities within that Series and the terms of the Securities of that Series or of Securities within that Series, (b) an Officers’ Certificate complying with Section 10.4, and (c) an Opinion of Counsel complying with Section 10.4.

9

Exhibit 4.12

The Trustee shall have the right to decline to authenticate and deliver any Securities of such Series: (a) if the Trustee, being advised by counsel, determines that such action may not lawfully be taken; or (b) if the Trustee in good faith by its board of directors or trustees, executive committee or a trust committee of directors and/or vice-presidents shall determine that such action would expose the Trustee to personal liability to Holders of any then outstanding Series of Securities.

The Trustee may appoint an authenticating agent acceptable to the Company to authenticate Securities. An authenticating agent may authenticate Securities whenever the Trustee may do so. Each reference in this Indenture to authentication by the Trustee includes authentication by such agent. An authenticating agent has the same rights as an Agent to deal with the Company or an Affiliate.

SECTION 2.4. Registrar and Paying Agent.

The Company shall maintain, with respect to each Series of Securities, at the place or places specified with respect to such Series pursuant to Section 2.2, an office or agency where Securities of such Series may be presented or surrendered for payment (“Paying Agent”), where Securities of such Series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange (“Registrar”) and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of such Series and this Indenture may be served (“Service Agent”). The Registrar shall keep a register with respect to each Series of Securities and to their transfer and exchange. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the name and address, and any change in the name or address, of each Registrar, Paying Agent or Service Agent. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required Registrar, Paying Agent or Service Agent or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the name and address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Company hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent to receive all such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands.

If Securities are issuable as Bearer Securities, the Company shall maintain or cause to be maintained:

(a) a Registrar, Paying Agent and Service Agent in Chicago, Illinois;

(b) subject to any applicable laws or registration, in a place of payment for that Series that is located outside the United States, an office or agency where Holders may present and surrender for payment Securities of that Series; and

(c) subject to any applicable laws or regulations, in a place of payment for that Series located outside the United States, a co-registrar, an additional paying agent and an additional service agent.

The Company may also from time to time designate one or more co-registrars, additional paying agents or additional service agents and may from time to time rescind such designations; provided, however, that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner

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Exhibit 4.12

relieve the Company of its obligations to maintain a Registrar, Paying Agent and Service Agent in each place so specified pursuant to Section 2.2 for Securities of any Series for such purposes. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the name or address of any such co-registrar, additional paying agent or additional service agent. The term “Registrar” includes any co-registrar; the term “Paying Agent” includes any additional paying agent; and the term “Service Agent” includes any additional service agent.

The Company hereby appoints the Trustee the initial Registrar, Paying Agent and Service Agent for each Series unless another Registrar, Paying Agent or Service Agent, as the case may be, is appointed prior to the time Securities of that Series are first issued.

SECTION 2.5.    Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust.

The Company shall require each Paying Agent other than the Trustee to agree in writing that the Paying Agent will hold in trust, for the benefit of Securityholders of any Series of Securities, or the Trustee, all money held by the Paying Agent for the payment of principal of or interest on the Series of Securities, and will notify the Trustee of any default by the Company in making any such payment. While any such default continues, the Trustee may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. The Company at any time may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. Upon payment over to the Trustee, the Paying Agent (if other than the Company or a Subsidiary) shall have no further liability for the money. If the Company or a Subsidiary acts as Paying Agent, it shall segregate and hold in a separate trust fund for the benefit of Securityholders of any Series of Securities all money held by it as Paying Agent.

SECTION 2.6.    Securityholder Lists.

The Trustee shall preserve in as current a form as is reasonably practicable the most recent list available to it of the names and addresses of Securityholders of each Series of Securities and shall otherwise comply with TIA Section 312(a). If the Trustee is not the Registrar, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee at least ten days before each interest payment date and at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing a list, in such form and as of such date as the Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and addresses of Securityholders of each Series of Securities.

SECTION 2.7.    Transfer and Exchange.

Where Securities of a Series are presented to the Registrar or a co-registrar with a request to register a transfer or to exchange them for an equal principal amount of Securities of the same Series, the Registrar shall register the transfer or make the exchange if its requirements for such transactions are met. To permit registrations of transfers and exchanges, the Trustee shall authenticate Securities at the Registrar’s request. No service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or exchange (except as otherwise expressly permitted herein), but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any transfer tax or similar governmental charge payable in connection therewith (other than any such transfer tax or similar

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Exhibit 4.12

governmental charge payable upon exchanges pursuant to Sections 2.11, 3.6 or 9.6).

Neither the Company nor the Registrar shall be required (a) to issue, register the transfer of, or exchange Securities of any Series for the period beginning at the opening of business fifteen days immediately preceding the mailing of a notice of redemption of Securities of that Series selected for redemption and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing, or (b) to register the transfer of or exchange Securities of any Series selected, called or being called for redemption as a whole or the portion being redeemed of any such Securities selected, called or being called for redemption in part.

SECTION 2.8.    Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities.

If any mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a new Security of the same Series and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.

If there shall be delivered to the Company and the Trustee (i) evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Security and (ii) such security or indemnity as may be required by them to save each of them and any agent of either of them harmless, then, in the absence of notice to the Company or the Trustee that such Security has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, the Company shall execute and upon its request the Trustee shall authenticate and make available for delivery, in lieu of any such destroyed, lost or stolen Security, a new Security of the same Series and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.

In case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may, instead of issuing a new Security, pay such Security.

Upon the issuance of any new Security under this Section, the Company may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith.

Every new Security of any Series issued pursuant to this Section in lieu of any destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall constitute an original additional contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities of that Series duly issued hereunder.

The provisions of this Section are exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities.

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Exhibit 4.12

SECTION 2.9.    Outstanding Securities.

The Securities outstanding at any time are all the Securities authenticated by the Trustee except for those canceled by it, those delivered to it for cancellation, those reductions in the interest on a Global Security effected by the Trustee in accordance with the provisions hereof and those described in this Section as not outstanding.

If a Security is replaced pursuant to Section 2.8, it ceases to be outstanding until the Trustee receives proof satisfactory to it that the replaced Security is held by a bona fide purchaser.

If the Paying Agent (other than the Company, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate of any thereof) holds on the Maturity of Securities of a Series money sufficient to pay such Securities payable on that date, then on and after that date such Securities of the Series cease to be outstanding and interest on them ceases to accrue.

A Security does not cease to be outstanding because the Company or an Affiliate holds the Security.

In determining whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of outstanding Securities have given any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver hereunder, the principal amount of a Discount Security that shall be deemed to be outstanding for such purposes shall be the amount of the principal thereof that would be due and payable as of the date of such determination upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.2.

SECTION 2.10.    Treasury Securities.

In determining whether the Holders of the required principal amount of Securities of a Series have concurred in any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver Securities of a Series owned by the Company or an Affiliate shall be disregarded, except that for the purposes of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver only Securities of a Series that the Trustee knows are so owned shall be so disregarded.

SECTION 2.11.    Temporary Securities.

Until definitive Securities are ready for delivery, the Company may prepare and the Trustee shall authenticate temporary Securities upon a Company Order. Temporary Securities shall be substantially in the form of definitive Securities but may have variations that the Company considers appropriate for temporary Securities. Without unreasonable delay, the Company shall prepare and the Trustee upon request shall authenticate definitive Securities of the same Series and date of maturity in exchange for temporary Securities. Until so exchanged, temporary securities shall have the same rights under this Indenture as the definitive Securities.

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Exhibit 4.12

SECTION 2.12.    Cancellation.

The Company at any time may deliver Securities to the Trustee for cancellation. The Registrar and the Paying Agent shall forward to the Trustee any Securities surrendered to them for registration of transfer, exchange or payment. The Trustee shall cancel all Securities surrendered for transfer, exchange, payment, replacement or cancellation and shall destroy such canceled Securities (subject to the record retention requirement of the Exchange Act) and deliver a certificate of such destruction to the Company, unless the Company otherwise directs. The Company may not issue new Securities to replace Securities that it has paid or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation.

SECTION 2.13.    Defaulted Interest.

If the Company defaults in a payment of interest on a Series of Securities, it shall pay the defaulted interest, plus, to the extent permitted by law, any interest payable on the defaulted interest, to the persons who are Securityholders of the Series on a subsequent special record date. The Company shall fix the record date and payment date. At least 30 days before the record date, the Company shall mail to the Trustee and to each Securityholder of the Series a notice that states the record date, the payment date and the amount of interest to be paid. The Company may pay defaulted interest in any other lawful manner.

SECTION 2.14.    Global Securities.

2.14.1 Terms of Securities. A Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate shall establish whether the Securities of a Series shall be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities and the Depository for such Global Security or Securities.

2.14.2 Transfer and Exchange. Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary contained in Section 2.7 of the Indenture and in addition thereto, any Global Security shall be exchangeable pursuant to Section 2.7 of the Indenture for Securities registered in the names of Holders other than the Depository for such Security or its nominee only if (i) such Depository notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depository for such Global Security or if at any time such Depository ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, and, in either case, the Company fails to appoint a successor Depository within 90 days of such event, (ii) the Company executes and delivers to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate to the effect that such Global Security shall be so exchangeable or (iii) an Event of Default with respect to the Securities represented by such Global Security shall have happened and be continuing. Any Global Security that is exchangeable pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be exchangeable for Securities registered in such names as the Depository shall direct in writing in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security with like tenor and terms.

Except as provided in this Section 2.14.2, a Global Security may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depository with respect to such Global Security to a nominee of such Depository, by a nominee of such Depository to such Depository or another nominee of such

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Exhibit 4.12

Depository or by the Depository or any such nominee to a successor Depository or a nominee of such a successor Depository.

2.14.3 Legend. Any Global Security issued hereunder shall bear a legend in substantially the following form:

“This Security is a Global Security within the meaning of the Indenture hereinafter referred to and is registered in the name of the Depository or a nominee of the Depository. This Security is exchangeable for Securities registered in the name of a person other than the Depository or its nominee only in the limited circumstances described in the Indenture, and may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depository to a nominee of the Depository, by a nominee of the Depository to the Depository or another nominee of the Depository or by the Depository or any such nominee to a successor Depository or a nominee of such a successor Depository.”

2.14.4 Acts of Holders. The Depository, as a Holder, may appoint agents and otherwise authorize participants to give or take any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action which a Holder is entitled to give or take under the Indenture.

2.14.5 Payments. Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Indenture, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 2.2, payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on any Global Security shall be made to the Holder thereof.

2.14.6 Consents, Declaration and Directions. Except as provided in Section 2.14.5, the Company, the Trustee and any Agent shall treat a person as the Holder of such principal amount of outstanding Securities of such Series represented by a Global Security as shall be specified in a written statement of the Depositary with respect to such Global Security, for purposes of obtaining any consents, declarations, waivers or directions required to be given by the Holders pursuant to this Indenture.

SECTION 2.15.    CUSIP Numbers.

The Company in issuing the Securities may use “CUSIP” numbers (if then generally in use), and, if so, the Trustee shall use “CUSIP” numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders; provided that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice of a redemption and that reliance may be placed only on the other elements of identification printed on the Securities, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers.

ARTICLE III

REDEMPTION

SECTION 3.1.    Notice to Trustee.

The Company may, with respect to any Series of Securities, reserve the right to redeem

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Exhibit 4.12

and pay the Series of Securities or may covenant to redeem and pay the Series of Securities or any part thereof prior to the Stated Maturity thereof at such time and on such terms as provided for in such Securities. If a Series of Securities is redeemable and the Company wants or is obligated to redeem prior to the Stated Maturity thereof all or part of the Series of Securities pursuant to the terms of such Securities, it shall notify the Trustee of the redemption date and the principal amount of Series of Securities to be redeemed. The Company shall give the notice at least 45 days before the redemption date (or such shorter notice as may be acceptable to the Trustee).

SECTION 3.2.    Selection of Securities to be Redeemed.

Unless otherwise indicated for a particular Series by a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture or an Officers’ Certificate, if less than all the Securities of a Series are to be redeemed, the Trustee shall select the Securities of the Series to be redeemed in any manner that the Trustee deems fair and appropriate. The Trustee shall make the selection from Securities of the Series outstanding not previously called for redemption. The Trustee may select for redemption portions of the principal of Securities of the Series that have denominations larger than $1,000. Securities of the Series and portions of them it selects shall be in amounts of $1,000 or whole multiples of $1,000 or, with respect to Securities of any Series issuable in other denominations pursuant to Section 2.2.10, the minimum principal denomination for each Series and integral multiples thereof. Provisions of this Indenture that apply to Securities of a Series called for redemption also apply to portions of Securities of that Series called for redemption.

SECTION 3.3.    Notice of Redemption.

Unless otherwise indicated for a particular Series by Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate, at least 30 days but not more than 60 days before a redemption date, the Company shall mail a notice of redemption by first-class mail to each Holder whose Securities are to be redeemed and if any Bearer Securities are outstanding, publish on one occasion a notice in an Authorized Newspaper.

The notice shall identify the Securities of the Series to be redeemed and shall state:

(a) the redemption date;

(b) the redemption price;

(c) the name and address of the Paying Agent;

(d) that Securities of the Series called for redemption must be surrendered to the Paying Agent to collect the redemption price;

(e) that interest on Securities of the Series called for redemption ceases to accrue on and after the redemption date; and

(f) any other information as may be required by the terms of the particular Series or the

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Exhibit 4.12

Securities of a Series being redeemed.

At the Company’s request, the Trustee shall give the notice of redemption in the Company’s name and at its expense.

SECTION 3.4.    Effect of Notice of Redemption.

Once notice of redemption is mailed or published as provided in Section 3.3, Securities of a Series called for redemption become due and payable on the redemption date and at the redemption price. A notice of redemption may not be conditional. Upon surrender to the Paying Agent, such Securities shall be paid at the redemption price plus accrued interest to the redemption date.

SECTION 3.5.    Deposit of Redemption Price.

On or before the redemption date, the Company shall deposit with the Paying Agent money sufficient to pay the redemption price of and accrued interest, if any, on all Securities to be redeemed on that date.

SECTION 3.6.    Securities Redeemed in Part.

Upon surrender of a Security that is redeemed in part, the Trustee shall authenticate for the Holder a new Security of the same Series and the same maturity equal in principal amount to the unredeemed portion of the Security surrendered.

ARTICLE IV

COVENANTS

SECTION 4.1.    Payment of Principal and Interest.

The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of the Holders of each Series of Securities that it will duly and punctually pay the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of that Series in accordance with the terms of such Securities and this Indenture.

SECTION 4.2.    SEC Reports.

The Company shall deliver to the Trustee within 15 days after it files them with the SEC copies of the annual reports and of the information, documents, and other reports (or copies of such portions of any of the foregoing as the SEC may by rules and regulations prescribe) which the Company is required to file with the SEC pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. The Company also shall comply with the other provisions of TIA Section 314(a).

SECTION 4.3.    Compliance Certificate.

The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company, an Officers’ Certificate stating that a review of the activities of the

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Exhibit 4.12

Company and its Subsidiaries during the preceding fiscal year has been made under the supervision of the signing Officers with a view to determining whether the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled its obligations under this Indenture, and further stating, as to each such Officer signing such certificate, that to the best of his knowledge the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled each and every covenant contained in this Indenture and is not in default in the performance or observance of any of the terms, provisions and conditions hereof (or, if a Default or Event of Default shall have occurred, describing all such Defaults or Events of Default of which he may have knowledge).

The Company will, so long as any of the Securities are outstanding, deliver to the Trustee, forthwith upon becoming aware of any Default or Event of Default, an Officers’ Certificate specifying such Default or Event of Default and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.

SECTION 4.4.    Stay, Extension and Usury Laws.

The Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it will not at any time insist upon, plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay, extension or usury law wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, which may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture or the Securities; and the Company (to the extent it may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage of any such law and covenants that it will not, by resort to any such law, hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law has been enacted.

SECTION 4.5.    Corporate Existence.

Subject to Article V, the Company will do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its corporate existence and the corporate, partnership or other existence of each Significant Subsidiary in accordance with the respective organizational documents of each Significant Subsidiary and the rights (charter and statutory), licenses and franchises of the Company and its Significant Subsidiaries; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to preserve any such right, license or franchise, or the corporate, partnership or other existence of any Significant Subsidiary, if the Board of Directors shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole and that the loss thereof is not adverse in any material respect to the Holders.

SECTION 4.6.    Taxes.

The Company shall, and shall cause each of its Significant Subsidiaries to, pay prior to delinquency all taxes, assessments and governmental levies, except as contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings.

ARTICLE V

SUCCESSORS

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Exhibit 4.12

SECTION 5.1.    When Company May Merge, Etc.

The Company shall not consolidate with or merge into, or convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of its properties and assets to, any person (a “successor person”), and may not permit any person to merge into, or convey, transfer or lease its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to, the Company, unless:

(a) the successor person (if any) is a corporation, partnership, trust or other entity organized and validly existing under the laws of any U.S. domestic jurisdiction and expressly assumes the Company’s obligations on the Securities and under this Indenture and

(b) immediately after giving effect to the transaction, no Default or Event of Default, shall have occurred and be continuing.

The Company shall deliver to the Trustee prior to the consummation of the proposed transaction an Officers’ Certificate to the foregoing effect and an Opinion of Counsel stating that the proposed transaction and such supplemental indenture comply with this Indenture.

SECTION 5.2.    Successor Corporation Substituted.

Upon any consolidation or merger, or any sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company in accordance with Section 5.1, the successor corporation formed by such consolidation or into or with which the Company is merged or to which such sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture with the same effect as if such successor person has been named as the Company herein; provided, however, that the predecessor Company in the case of a sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition shall not be released from the obligation to pay the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities.

ARTICLE VI

DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES

SECTION 6.1.    Events of Default.

“Event of Default,” wherever used herein with respect to Securities of any Series, means any one of the following events, unless in the establishing Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate, it is provided that such Series shall not have the benefit of said Event of Default:

(a) default in the payment of any interest on any Security of that Series when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days (unless the entire amount of such payment is deposited by the Company with the Trustee or with a Paying Agent prior to the expiration of such period of 30 days); or

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Exhibit 4.12

(b) default in the payment of the principal of any Security of that Series at its Maturity; or

(c) default in the deposit of any sinking fund payment, when and as due in respect of any Security of that Series; or

(d) default in the performance or breach of any covenant or warranty of the Company in this Indenture (other than a covenant or warranty that has been included in this Indenture solely for the benefit of a Series of Securities other than that Series), which default continues uncured for a period of 60 days after there has been given, by registered or certified mail, to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series a written notice specifying such default or breach and requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” hereunder; or

(e) a default under any Debt of the Company (including a default with respect to Securities of any Series other than that Series) or any Subsidiary (excluding Debt for which recourse is limited solely to the property that secures such Debt), whether such Debt now exists or shall hereafter be created, if (i) such default results in such Debt becoming or being declared due and payable prior to the date on which it would otherwise have become due and payable or such obligation being accelerated, (B) the principal amount of such Debt, together with the principal amount of any other Debt, the maturity of which has been so accelerated, exceeds the greater of (A) $10,000,000 or (B) 5% of the consolidated net tangible assets of the Company at any one time outstanding, and (iii) such Debt is not discharged or such acceleration is not rescinded or annulled within 30 days after written notice to the Company by the holder or holders of such Debt in the manner provided for in the applicable debt instrument; or

(f) the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law:

(i) commences a voluntary case,

(ii) consents to the entry of an order for relief against it in an involuntary case,

(iii) consents to the appointment of a Custodian of it or for all or substantially all of its property,

(iv) makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors, or

(v) generally is unable to pay its debts as the same become due; or

(g) a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any Bankruptcy Law that:

(i) is for relief against the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries in an involuntary case,

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Exhibit 4.12

(ii) appoints a Custodian of the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries or for all or substantially all of its property, or

(iii) orders the liquidation of the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries, and the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for 60 days; or

(h) any other Event of Default provided with respect to Securities of that Series, which is specified in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate, in accordance with Section 2.2.18.

The term “Bankruptcy Law” means title 11, U.S. Code or any similar Federal or State law for the relief of debtors. The term “Custodian” means any receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator or similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.

SECTION 6.2.    Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment.

If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any Series at the time outstanding occurs and is continuing then in every such case the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series may declare the principal amount (or, if any Securities of that Series are Discount Securities, such portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of such Securities) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all of the Securities of that Series to be due and payable immediately, by a notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by Holders), and upon any such declaration such principal amount (or specified amount) and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, shall become immediately due and payable.

At any time after such a declaration of acceleration with respect to any Series has been made and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the Trustee as hereinafter in this Article provided, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series, by written notice to the Company and the Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if:

(a) the Company has paid or deposited with the Trustee a sum sufficient to pay:

(i) all overdue interest, if any, on all Securities of that Series,

(ii) the principal of any Securities of that Series which have become due otherwise than by such declaration of acceleration and interest thereon at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such Securities,

(iii) to the extent that payment of such interest is lawful, interest upon any overdue principal and overdue interest at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such Securities, and

(iv) all sums paid or advanced by the Trustee hereunder and the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel;

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Exhibit 4.12

and

(b) all Events of Default with respect to Securities of that Series, other than the non-payment of the principal of Securities of that Series which have become due solely by such declaration of acceleration, have been cured or waived as provided in Section 6.13.

No such rescission shall affect any subsequent Default or impair any right consequent thereon.

SECTION 6.3.    Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee.

The Company covenants that if

(a) default is made in the payment of any interest on any Security when such interest becomes due and payable and such default continues for a period of 30 days, or

(b) default is made in the payment of principal of any Security at the Maturity thereof, or

(c) default is made in the deposit of any sinking fund payment when and as due by the terms of a Security,

then, the Company will, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to it, for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, the whole amount then due and payable on such Securities for principal and interest and, to the extent that payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable, interest on any overdue principal or any overdue interest, at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such Securities, and, in addition thereto, such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel.

If the Company fails to pay such amounts forthwith upon such demand, the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, may institute a judicial proceeding for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, may prosecute such proceeding to judgment or final decree and may enforce the same against the Company or any other obligor upon such Securities and collect the moneys adjudged or deemed to be payable in the manner provided by law out of the property of the Company or any other obligor upon such Securities, wherever situated.

If an Event of Default with respect to any Securities of any Series occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and enforce its rights and the rights of the Holders of Securities of such Series by such appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem most effectual to protect and enforce any such rights, whether for the specific enforcement of any covenant or agreement in this Indenture or in aid of the exercise of any power granted herein, or to enforce any other proper remedy.

SECTION 6.4.    Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.

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Exhibit 4.12

In case of the pendency of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or other judicial proceeding relative to the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or the property of the Company or of such other obligor or their creditors, the Trustee (irrespective of whether the principal of the Securities shall then be due and payable as therein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Trustee shall have made any demand on the Company for the payment of overdue principal or interest) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise,

(a) to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of principal and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Securities and to file such other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel) and of the Holders allowed in such judicial proceeding, and

(b) to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same,

and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder to make such payments to the Trustee and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due it for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.7.

Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities or the rights of any Holder thereof or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding.

SECTION 6.5.    Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities.

All rights of action and claims under this Indenture or the Securities may be prosecuted and enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of the Securities or the production thereof in any proceeding relating thereto, and any such proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment shall, after provision for the payment of the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, be for the ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities in respect of which such judgment has been recovered.

SECTION 6.6.    Application of Money Collected.

Any money collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article shall be applied in the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and, in case of the distribution of such money on account of principal or interest, upon presentation of the Securities and the notation thereon of the payment if only partially paid and upon surrender thereof if fully paid:

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Exhibit 4.12

First: To the payment of all amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.7; and

Second:To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid for principal of and interest on the Securities in respect of which or for the benefit of which such money has been collected, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on such Securities for principal and interest, respectively; and

Third: To the Company.

SECTION 6.7.    Limitation on Suits.

No Holder of any Security of any Series shall have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this Indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy hereunder, unless

(a) such Holder has previously given written notice to the Trustee of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Securities of that Series;

(b) the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series shall have made written request to the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default in its own name as Trustee hereunder;

(c) such Holder or Holders have offered to the Trustee reasonable indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred in compliance with such request;

(d) the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity has failed to institute any such proceeding; and

(e) no direction inconsistent with such written request has been given to the Trustee during such 60-day period by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series;

it being understood and intended that no one or more of such Holders shall have any right in any manner whatever by virtue of, or by availing of, any provision of this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of any other of such Holders, or to obtain or to seek to obtain priority or preference over any other of such Holders or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the equal and ratable benefit of all such Holders.

SECTION 6.8.    Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal and Interest.

Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, the Holder of any Security shall have the right, which is absolute and unconditional, to receive payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on such Security on the Stated Maturity or Stated Maturities expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on the redemption date) and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment, and such rights shall not be impaired without the consent of

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Exhibit 4.12

such Holder.

SECTION 6.9.    Restoration of Rights and Remedies.

If the Trustee or any Holder has instituted any proceeding to enforce any right or remedy under this Indenture and such proceeding has been discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or has been determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder, then and in every such case, subject to any determination in such proceeding, the Company, the Trustee and the Holders shall be restored severally and respectively to their former positions hereunder and thereafter all rights and remedies of the Trustee and the Holders shall continue as though no such proceeding had been instituted.

SECTION 6.10.    Rights and Remedies Cumulative.

Except as otherwise provided with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities in Section 2.8, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every right and remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.

SECTION 6.11.    Delay or Omission Not Waiver.

No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of any Securities to exercise any right or remedy accruing upon any Event of Default shall impair any such right or remedy or constitute a waiver of any such Event of Default or an acquiescence therein. Every right and remedy given by this Article or by law to the Trustee or to the Holders may be exercised from time to time, and as often as may be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holders, as the case may be.

SECTION 6.12.    Control by Holders.

The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series shall have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee, with respect to the Securities of such Series, provided that

(a) such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or with this Indenture,

(b) the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee which is not inconsistent with such direction, and

(c) subject to the provisions of Section 6.1, the Trustee shall have the right to decline to follow any such direction if the Trustee in good faith shall, by a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, determine that the proceeding so directed would involve the Trustee in personal

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Exhibit 4.12

liability.

SECTION 6.13.    Waiver of Past Defaults.

The Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series may on behalf of the Holders of all the Securities of such Series waive any past Default hereunder with respect to such Series and its consequences, except a Default in the payment of the principal of or interest on any Security of such Series (provided, however, that the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series may rescind an acceleration and its consequences, including any related payment default that resulted from such acceleration). Upon any such waiver, such Default shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured, for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other Default or impair any right consequent thereon.

SECTION 6.14.    Undertaking for Costs.

All parties to this Indenture agree, and each Holder of any Security by his acceptance thereof shall be deemed to have agreed, that any court may in its discretion require, in any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it as Trustee, the filing by any party litigant in such suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and that such court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, against any party litigant in such suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant; but the provisions of this Section shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Company, to any suit instituted by the Trustee, to any suit instituted by any Holder, or group of Holders, holding in the aggregate more than 10% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series, or to any suit instituted by any Holder for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of or interest on any Security on or after the Stated Maturity or Stated Maturities expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on the redemption date).

ARTICLE VII

TRUSTEE

SECTION 7.1.    Duties of Trustee.

(a) If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise as a prudent man would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of his own affairs.

(b) Except during the continuance of an Event of Default:

(i) The Trustee need perform only those duties that are specifically set forth in this Indenture and no others.

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Exhibit 4.12

(ii) In the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon Officers’ Certificates or Opinions of Counsel furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture; however, in the case of any such Officers’ Certificates or Opinions of Counsel which by any provisions hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall examine such Officers’ Certificates and Opinions of Counsel to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture.

(c) The Trustee may not be relieved from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act or its own willful misconduct, except that:

(i) This paragraph does not limit the effect of paragraph (b) of this Section.

(ii) The Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer, unless it is proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts.

(iii) The Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it with respect to Securities of any Series in good faith in accordance with the direction of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of such Series relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee, under this Indenture with respect to the Securities of such Series.

(d) Every provision of this Indenture that in any way relates to the Trustee is subject to paragraph (a), (b) and (c) of this Section.

(e) The Trustee may refuse to perform any duty or exercise any right or power unless it receives indemnity satisfactory to it against any loss, liability or expense.

(f) The Trustee shall not be liable for interest on any money received by it except as the Trustee may agree in writing with the Company. Money held in trust by the Trustee need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

(g) No provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties, or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk is not reasonably assured to it.

(h) The Paying Agent, the Registrar and any authenticating agent shall be entitled to the protections, immunities and standard of care as are set forth in paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of this Section with respect to the Trustee.

SECTION 7.2.    Rights of Trustee.

(a) The Trustee may rely on and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the

27

Exhibit 4.12

proper person. The Trustee need not investigate any fact or matter stated in the document.

(b) Before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may require an Officers’ Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel. The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in reliance on such Officers’ Certificate or Opinion of Counsel.

(c) The Trustee may act through agents and shall not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence of any agent appointed with due care. No Depository shall be deemed an agent of the Trustee and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any act or omission by any Depository.

(d) The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith which it believes to be authorized or within its rights or powers.

(e) The Trustee may consult with counsel and the advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in reliance thereon.

(f) The Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Holders of Securities unless such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee reasonable security or indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction.

SECTION 7.3.    Individual Rights of Trustee.

The Trustee in its individual or any other capacity may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and may otherwise deal with the Company or an Affiliate with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee. Any Agent may do the same with like rights. The Trustee is also subject to Sections 7.10 and 7.11.

SECTION 7.4.    Trustee’s Disclaimer.

The Trustee makes no representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Indenture or the Securities, it shall not be accountable for the Company’s use of the proceeds from the Securities, and it shall not be responsible for any statement in the Securities other than its authentication.

SECTION 7.5.    Notice of Defaults.

If a Default or Event of Default occurs and is continuing with respect to the Securities of any Series and if it is known to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, the Trustee shall mail to each Securityholder of the Securities of that Series and, if any Bearer Securities are outstanding, publish on one occasion in an Authorized Newspaper, notice of a Default or Event of Default within 90 days after it occurs or, if later, after a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has knowledge of such Default or Event of Default. Except in the case of a Default or Event of Default in payment of principal of or interest on any Security of any Series, the Trustee may

28

Exhibit 4.12

withhold the notice if and so long as its corporate trust committee or a committee of its Responsible Officers in good faith determines that withholding the notice is in the interests of Securityholders of that Series.

SECTION 7.6. Reports by Trustee to Holders.

Within 60 days after May 15 in each year, the Trustee shall transmit by mail to all Securityholders, as their names and addresses appear on the register kept by the Registrar and, if any Bearer Securities are outstanding, publish in an Authorized Newspaper, a brief report dated as of such May 15, in accordance with, and to the extent required under, TIA Section 313.

A copy of each report at the time of its mailing to Securityholders of any Series shall be filed with the SEC and each stock exchange on which the Securities of that Series are listed. The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee when Securities of any Series are listed on any stock exchange.

SECTION 7.7. Compensation and Indemnity.

The Company shall pay to the Trustee from time to time reasonable compensation for its services. The Trustee’s compensation shall not be limited by any law on compensation of a trustee of an express trust. The Company shall reimburse the Trustee upon request for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by it. Such expenses shall include the reasonable compensation and expenses of the Trustee’s agents and counsel.

The Company shall indemnify the Trustee (including the cost of defending itself) against any loss, liability or expense incurred by it except as set forth in the next paragraph in the performance of its duties under this Indenture as Trustee or Agent. The Trustee shall notify the Company promptly of any claim for which it may seek indemnity. The Company shall defend the claim and the Trustee shall cooperate in the defense. The Trustee may have separate counsel and the Company shall pay the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel. The Company need not pay for any settlement made without its consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. This indemnification shall apply to officers, directors, employees, shareholders and agents of the Trustee.

The Company need not reimburse any expense or indemnify against any loss or liability incurred by the Trustee or by any officer, director, employee, shareholder or agent of the Trustee through negligence or bad faith.

To secure the Company’s payment obligations in this Section, the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Securities of any Series on all money or property held or collected by the Trustee, except that held in trust to pay principal and interest on particular Securities of that Series.

When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after an Event of Default specified in Section 6.1(f) or (g) occurs, the expenses and the compensation for the services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any Bankruptcy Law.

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Exhibit 4.12

SECTION 7.8. Replacement of Trustee.

A resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment of a successor Trustee shall become effective only upon the successor Trustee’s acceptance of appointment as provided in this Section.

The Trustee may resign with respect to the Securities of one or more Series by so notifying the Company. The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of any Series may remove the Trustee with respect to that Series by so notifying the Trustee and the Company. The Company may remove the Trustee with respect to Securities of one or more Series if:

(a) the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10;

(b) the Trustee is adjudged a bankrupt or an insolvent or an order for relief is entered with respect to the Trustee under any Bankruptcy Law;

(c) a Custodian or public officer takes charge of the Trustee or its property; or

(d) the Trustee becomes incapable of acting.

If the Trustee resigns or is removed or if a vacancy exists in the office of Trustee for any reason, the Company shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee. Within one year after the successor Trustee takes office, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Securities may appoint a successor Trustee to replace the successor Trustee appointed by the Company.

If a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any one or more Series does not take office within 60 days after the retiring Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee, the Company or the Holders of at least 10% in principal amount of the Securities of the applicable Series may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.

If the Trustee with respect to the Securities of any one or more Series fails to comply with Section 7.10, any Securityholder of the applicable Series may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor Trustee.

A successor Trustee shall deliver a written acceptance of its appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Company. Immediately after that, the retiring Trustee shall transfer all property held by it as Trustee to the successor Trustee subject to the lien provided for in Section 7.7, the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective, and the successor Trustee shall have all the rights, powers and duties of the Trustee with respect to each Series of Securities for which it is acting as Trustee under this Indenture. A successor Trustee shall mail a notice of its succession to each Securityholder of each such Series and, if any Bearer Securities are outstanding, publish such notice on one occasion in an Authorized Newspaper. Notwithstanding replacement of the Trustee pursuant to this Section 7.8, the Company’s

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Exhibit 4.12

obligations under Section 7.7 hereof shall continue for the benefit of the retiring trustee with respect to expenses and liabilities incurred by it prior to such replacement.

    SECTION 7.9.    Successor Trustee by Merger, etc.

If the Trustee consolidates with, merges or converts into, or transfers all or substantially all of its corporate trust business to, another corporation, the successor corporation without any further act shall be the successor Trustee.

    SECTION 7.10.    Eligibility; Disqualification.

This Indenture shall always have a Trustee who satisfies the requirements of TIA Section 310(a)(1), (2) and (5). The Trustee shall always have a combined capital and surplus of at least $25,000,000 as set forth in its most recent published annual report of condition. The Trustee shall comply with TIA Section 310(b).

    SECTION 7.11.    Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company.

The Trustee is subject to TIA Section 311(a), excluding any creditor relationship listed in TIA Section 311(b). A Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be subject to TIA Section 311(a) to the extent indicated.

ARTICLE VIII

SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE; DEFEASANCE

    SECTION 8.1.    Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture.

This Indenture shall upon Company Order cease to be of further effect (except as hereinafter provided in this Section 8.1), and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, when

(a) either

(i) all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than Securities that have been destroyed, lost or stolen and that have been replaced or paid) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or

(ii) all such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation

(1) have become due and payable, or

(2) will become due and payable at their Stated Maturity within one year, or

(3) are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company, or

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Exhibit 4.12

(4) are deemed paid and discharged pursuant to Section 8.3, as applicable;

and the Company, in the case of (1), (2) or (3) above, has deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust an amount sufficient for the purpose of paying and discharging the entire indebtedness on such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, for principal and interest to the date of such deposit (in the case of Securities which have become due and payable on or prior to the date of such deposit) or to the Stated Maturity or redemption date, as the case may be;

(b) the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Company; and

(c) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture have been complied with.

Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, the obligations of the Company to the Trustee under Section 7.7, and, if money shall have been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to clause (a) of this Section, the provisions of Sections 2.4, 2.7, 2.8, 8.1, 8.2 and 8.5 shall survive.

    SECTION 8.2.    Application of Trust Funds; Indemnification.

(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 8.5, all money deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 8.1, all money and U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 8.3 or 8.4 and all money received by the Trustee in respect of U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 8.3 or 8.4, shall be held in trust and applied by it, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the persons entitled thereto, of the principal and interest for whose payment such money has been deposited with or received by the Trustee or to make mandatory sinking fund payments or analogous payments as contemplated by Sections 8.3 or 8.4.

(b) The Company shall pay and shall indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations deposited pursuant to Sections 8.3 or 8.4 or the interest and principal received in respect of such obligations other than any payable by or on behalf of Holders.

(c) The Trustee shall deliver or pay to the Company from time to time upon Company Request any U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations or money held by it as provided in Sections 8.3 or 8.4 which, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent certified public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, are then in excess of the amount thereof which then would have been required to be deposited for the purpose for which such U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government

32

Exhibit 4.12

Obligations or money were deposited or received. This provision shall not authorize the sale by the Trustee of any U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations held under this Indenture.

    SECTION 8.3.    Legal Defeasance of Securities of any Series.

Unless this Section 8.3 is otherwise specified, pursuant to Section 2.2.20, to be inapplicable to Securities of any Series, the Company shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness on all the outstanding Securities of such Series on the 91st day after the date of the deposit referred to in subparagraph (d) hereof, and the provisions of this Indenture, as it relates to such outstanding Securities of such Series, shall no longer be in effect (and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall, at Company Request, execute proper instruments acknowledging the same), except as to:

(a) the rights of Holders of Securities of such Series to receive, from the trust funds described in subparagraph (d) hereof, (i) payment of the principal of and each installment of principal of and interest on the outstanding Securities of such Series on the Stated Maturity of such principal or installment of principal or interest and (ii) the benefit of any mandatory sinking fund payments applicable to the Securities of such Series on the day on which such payments are due and payable in accordance with the terms of this Indenture and the Securities of such Series;

(b) the provisions of Sections 2.4, 2.7, 2.8, 8.2, 8.3 and 8.5; and

(c) the rights, powers, trust and immunities of the Trustee hereunder;

provided that, the following conditions shall have been satisfied:

(d) the Company shall have deposited or caused to be deposited irrevocably with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the purpose of making the following payments, specifically pledged as security for and dedicated solely to the benefit of the Holders of such Securities (i) in the case of Securities of such Series denominated in Dollars, cash in Dollars (or such other money or currencies as shall then be legal tender in the United States) and/or U.S. Government Obligations, or (ii) in the case of Securities of such Series denominated in a Foreign Currency (other than a composite currency), money and/or Foreign Government Obligations, which through the payment of interest and principal in respect thereof, in accordance with their terms, will provide (and without reinvestment and assuming no tax liability will be imposed on such Trustee), not later than one day before the due date of any payment of money, an amount in cash, sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge each installment of principal (including mandatory sinking fund or analogous payments) of and interest, if any, on all the Securities of such Series on the dates such installments of interest or principal are due;

(e) such deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, this Indenture or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound;

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Exhibit 4.12

(f) no Default or Event of Default with respect to the Securities of such Series shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit or during the period ending on the 91st day after such date;

(g) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that (i) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling, or (ii) since the date of execution of this Indenture, there has been a change in the applicable Federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such Opinion of Counsel shall confirm that, the Holders of the Securities of such Series will not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of such deposit, defeasance and discharge and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amount and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such deposit, defeasance and discharge had not occurred;

(h) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate stating that the deposit was not made by the Company with the intent of preferring the Holders of the Securities of such Series over any other creditors of the company or with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any other creditors of the Company;

(i) such deposit shall not result in the trust arising from such deposit constituting an investment company (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended), or such trust shall be qualified under such Act or exempt from regulation thereunder; and

(j) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent provided for relating to the defeasance contemplated by this Section have been complied with.

SECTION 8.4.    Covenant Defeasance.

Unless this Section 8.4 is otherwise specified pursuant to Section 2.2.20 to be inapplicable to Securities of any Series, on and after the 91st day after the date of the deposit referred to in subparagraph (a) hereof, the Company may omit to comply with any term, provision or condition set forth under Sections 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6, and 5.1 as well as any additional covenants contained in a supplemental indenture hereto for a particular Series of Securities or a Board Resolution or an Officers’ Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2.20 (and the failure to comply with any such covenants shall not constitute a Default or Event of Default under Section 6.1) and the occurrence of any event described in clause (e) of Section 6.1 shall not constitute a Default or Event of Default hereunder, with respect to the Securities of such Series, provided that the following conditions shall have been satisfied:

(a) With reference to this Section 8.4, the Company has deposited or caused to be irrevocably deposited (except as provided in Section 8.2(c)) with the Trustee as trust funds in trust, specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to, the benefit of the Holders of such Securities (i) in the case of Securities of such Series denominated in Dollars, cash in Dollars (or such other money or currencies as shall then be legal tender in the United States) and/or U.S.

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Exhibit 4.12

Government Obligations, or (ii) in the case of Securities of such Series denominated in a Foreign Currency (other than a composite currency), money and/or Foreign Government Obligations, which through the payment of interest and principal in respect thereof, in accordance with their terms, will provide (and without reinvestment and assuming no tax liability will be imposed on such Trustee), not later than one day before the due date of any payment of money, an amount in cash, sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent certified public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay principal and interest, if any, on and any mandatory sinking fund in respect of the Securities of such Series on the dates such installments of interest or principal are due;

(b) Such deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, this Indenture or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound;

(c) No Default or Event of Default with respect to the Securities of such Series shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit or during the period ending on the 91st day after such date;

(d) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel confirming that Holders of the Securities of such Series will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of such deposit and defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such deposit and defeasance had not occurred;

(e) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate stating the deposit was not made by the Company with the intent of preferring the Holders of the Securities of such Series over any other creditors of the Company or with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any other creditors of the Company; and

(f) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the defeasance contemplated by this Section have been complied with.

SECTION 8.5.    Repayment to Company.

The Trustee and the Paying Agent shall pay to the Company upon request any money held by them for the payment of principal and interest that remains unclaimed for two years. After that, Securityholders entitled to the money must look to the Company for payment as general creditors unless an applicable abandoned property law designates another person.

ARTICLE IX

AMENDMENTS AND WAIVERS

SECTION 9.1. Without Consent of Holders.

The Company and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture or the

35

Exhibit 4.12

Securities of one or more Series without the consent of any Securityholder:

(a) to comply with Article V;

(b) to add to the covenants for the benefit of Securityholders or to surrender any right or power conferred upon the Company;

(c) to add Events of Default;

(d) to permit or facilitate the issuance of Securities of any Series in bearer form; to permit Bearer Securities to be issued in exchange for registered Securities; to permit Bearer Securities to be issued in exchange for Bearer Securities of other denominations or to permit the issuance of Securities of any Series in uncertificated form, provided that such action will not adversely affect the interests of any Securityholder in any material respect;

(e) to change or eliminate any provision of this Indenture, provided that such change or elimination will become effective only when there is no outstanding Security that is entitled to the benefit of the provision and as to which the modification would apply;

(f) to secure the Securities or to provide that any of the Company’s obligations under the Securities or this Indenture will be guaranteed or to provide the terms and conditions for the release or substitution of such security or guarantee;

(g) to supplement any provisions of this Indenture to permit or facilitate the defeasance and discharge of any Series of Securities, provided that the action will not adversely affect the interests of the Securityholders in any material respect;

(h) to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and conditions of Securities of any Series as permitted by this Indenture;

(i) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more Series and to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee; or

(j) to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency; to eliminate any conflict between the terms of this Indenture or the Securities and the TIA or to make any other provisions not inconsistent with this Indenture, provided that such provisions will not adversely affect the rights of any Securityholder in any material respect.

SECTION 9.2. With Consent of Holders.

The Company and the Trustee may enter into a supplemental indenture with the written consent of the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of each Series affected by such supplemental indenture (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer for the Securities of such Series), for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of any supplemental indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the

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Exhibit 4.12

Securityholders of each such Series. Except as provided in Section 6.13, the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of each Series affected by such waiver by notice to the Trustee (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer for the Securities of such Series) may waive compliance by the Company with any provision of this Indenture or the Securities with respect to such Series.

It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Holders of Securities under this Section 9.2 to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture or waiver, but it shall be sufficient if such consent approves the substance thereof. After a supplemental indenture or waiver under this section becomes effective, the Company shall mail to the Holders of Securities affected thereby and, if any Bearer Securities affected thereby are outstanding, publish on one occasion in an Authorized Newspaper, a notice briefly describing the supplemental indenture or waiver. Any failure by the Company to mail or publish such notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any such supplemental indenture or waiver.

SECTION 9.3. Limitations.

Without the consent of each Securityholder affected, an amendment or waiver may not:

(a) reduce the principal amount of any payment to be made on, or change the Stated Maturity of, any Security or reduce the amount of, or postpone the date fixed for, the payment of any sinking fund or analogous obligation;

(b) reduce the rate of or extend the time for payment of interest (including default interest) on any Security;

(c) make the principal of or interest, if any, on any Security payable in any currency other than that stated in the Security;

(d) reduce the principal amount of Discount Securities payable upon acceleration of the maturity thereof;

(e) impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment on or after the due date of the payment;

(f) waive a redemption payment with respect to any Security or change any of the provisions with respect to the redemption of any Securities in a manner adverse to the Securityholder;

(g) alter any redemption provisions in a manner adverse to the Securityholder;

(h) reduce the percentage in principal amount of the outstanding Securities;

(i) adversely affect the right of any Securityholder to convert any Security;

(j) modify any of the waiver provisions, except to increase the amount of Securities whose Holders must consent to a waiver or to provide that other provisions of this Indenture

37

Exhibit 4.12

cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the Holder of each affected outstanding Security;

(k) waive a Default or Event of Default in the payment of the principal of or interest, if any, on any Security (except a rescission of acceleration of the Securities of any Series by the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of such Series and a waiver of the payment default that resulted from such acceleration);

(l) waive a Default or Event of Default that results from breach of a covenant or provision that cannot be modified or amended without the consent of each affected Securityholder; or

(m) make any change in Sections 6.8, 6.13, 9.3 (this sentence), 10.15 or 10.16.

SECTION 9.4. Compliance with Trust Indenture Act.

Every amendment to this Indenture or the Securities of one or more Series shall be set forth in a supplemental indenture hereto that complies with the TIA as then in effect.

SECTION 9.5. Revocation and Effect of Consents.

Until an amendment or waiver becomes effective, a consent to it by a Holder of a Security is a continuing consent by the Holder and every subsequent Holder of a Security or portion of a Security that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder’s Security, even if notation of the consent is not made on any Security. However, any such Holder or subsequent Holder may revoke the consent as to his Security or portion of a Security if the Trustee receives the notice of revocation before the date the amendment or waiver becomes effective.

Any amendment or waiver once effective shall bind every Securityholder of each Series affected by such amendment or waiver unless it is of the type described in any of clauses (a) through (g) of Section 9.3. In that case, the amendment or waiver shall bind each Holder of a Security who has consented to it and every subsequent Holder of a Security or portion of a Security that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder’s Security.

SECTION 9.6. Notation on or Exchange of Securities.

The Trustee may place an appropriate notation about an amendment or waiver on any Security of any Series thereafter authenticated. The Company in exchange for Securities of that Series may issue and the Trustee shall authenticate upon request new Securities of that Series that reflect the amendment or waiver.

SECTION 9.7. Trustee Protected.

In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by, any supplemental indenture permitted by this Article or the modifications thereby of the trusts created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and (subject to Section 7.1) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Opinion of Counsel stating that the execution of such supplemental indenture is

38

Exhibit 4.12

authorized or permitted by this Indenture. The Trustee shall sign all supplemental indentures, except that the Trustee need not sign any supplemental indenture that adversely affects its rights.

ARTICLE X

MISCELLANEOUS

SECTION 10.1. Trust Indenture Act Controls.

If any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies, or conflicts with another provision which is required or deemed to be included in this Indenture by the TIA, such required or deemed provision shall control.

SECTION 10.2. Notices.

Any notice or communication by the Company or the Trustee to the other is duly given if in writing and delivered in person or mailed by first-class mail:

if to the Company:
	Nanophase Technologies Corporation
	1319 Marquette Drive
	Romeoville, Illinois 60446
	Attention:

if to the Trustee:
	[Name of Trustee]
	[Address]
	Attention:

The Company or the Trustee by notice to the other may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications.

Any notice or communication to a Securityholder shall be mailed by first-class mail to his address shown on the register kept by the Registrar and, if any Bearer Securities are outstanding, published in an Authorized Newspaper. Failure to mail a notice or communication to a Securityholder of any Series or any defect in it shall not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Securityholders of that or any other Series.

If a notice or communication is mailed or published in the manner provided above, within the time prescribed, it is duly given, whether or not the Securityholder receives it.

If the Company mails a notice or communication to Securityholders, it shall mail a copy to the Trustee and each Agent at the same time.

SECTION 10.3. Communication by Holders with Other Holders.

39

Exhibit 4.12

Securityholders of any Series may communicate pursuant to TIA Section 312(b) with other Securityholders of that Series or any other Series with respect to their rights under this Indenture or the Securities of that Series or all Series. The Company, the Trustee, the Registrar and anyone else shall have the protection of TIA Section 312(c).

    SECTION 10.4.    Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent.

Upon any request or application by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee:

(a) an Officers’ Certificate stating that, in the opinion of the signers, all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with; and

(b) an Opinion of Counsel stating that, in the opinion of such counsel, all such conditions precedent have been complied with.

    SECTION 10.5.     Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion.

Each certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture (other than a certificate provided pursuant to TIA Section 314(a)(4)) shall comply with the provisions of TIA Section 314(e) and shall include:

(a) a statement that the person making such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition;

(b) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based;

(c) a statement that, in the opinion of such person, he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and

(d) a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such person, such condition or covenant has been complied with.

    SECTION 10.6.     Rules by Trustee and Agents.

The Trustee may make reasonable rules for action by or a meeting of Securityholders of one or more Series. Any Agent may make reasonable rules and set reasonable requirements for its functions.

    SECTION 10.7.     Legal Holidays.

Unless otherwise provided by Board Resolution, Officers’ Certificate or supplemental indenture for a particular Series, a “Legal Holiday” is any day that is not a Business Day. If a

40

Exhibit 4.12

payment date is a Legal Holiday at a place of payment, payment may be made at that place on the next succeeding day that is not a Legal Holiday, and no interest shall accrue for the intervening period.

    SECTION 10.8.    No Recourse Against Others.

A director, officer, employee or stockholder, as such, of the Company shall not have any liability for any obligations of the Company under the Securities or the Indenture or for any claim based on, in respect of or by reason of such obligations or their creation. Each Securityholder by accepting a Security waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for the issue of the Securities.

    SECTION 10.9.    Counterparts.

This Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts and by the parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

    SECTION 10.10.    Governing Laws.

THIS INDENTURE AND THE SECURITIES SHALL BE GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK APPLICABLE TO AGREEMENTS MADE AND TO BE PERFORMED IN SUCH STATE, WITHOUT REGARD TO THE CONFLICT OF LAWS PROVISIONS THEREOF.

    SECTION 10.11.    No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements.

This Indenture may not be used to interpret another indenture, loan or debt agreement of the Company or a Subsidiary. Any such indenture, loan or debt agreement may not be used to interpret this Indenture.

    SECTION 10.12.    Successors.

All agreements of the Company in this Indenture and the Securities shall bind its successor. All agreements of the Trustee in this Indenture shall bind its successor.

    SECTION 10.13.    Severability.

In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Securities shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

    SECTION 10.14.    Table of Contents, Headings, Etc.

The Table of Contents, Cross-Reference Table, and headings of the Articles and Sections of this Indenture have been inserted for convenience of reference only, are not to be

41

Exhibit 4.12

considered a part hereof, and shall in no way modify or restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof.

    SECTION 10.15.    Securities in a Foreign Currency.

Unless otherwise specified in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2 of this Indenture with respect to a particular Series of Securities, whenever for purposes of this Indenture any action may be taken by the Holders of a specified percentage in aggregate principal amount of Securities of all Series or all Series affected by a particular action at the time outstanding and, at such time, there are outstanding Securities of any Series which are denominated in a coin or currency other than Dollars, then the principal amount of Securities of such Series which shall be deemed to be outstanding for the purpose of taking such action shall be that amount of Dollars that could be obtained for such amount at the Market Exchange Rate at such time. For purposes of this Section 10.15, “Market Exchange Rate” shall mean the noon Dollar buying rate in New York City for cable transfers of that currency as published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. If such Market Exchange Rate is not available for any reason with respect to such currency, the Trustee shall use, in its sole discretion and without liability on its part, such quotation of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as of the most recent available date, or quotations from one or more major banks in The City of New York or in the country of issue of the currency in question or such other quotations as the Trustee, upon consultation with the Company, shall deem appropriate. The provisions of this paragraph shall apply in determining the equivalent principal amount in respect of Securities of a Series denominated in currency other than Dollars in connection with any action taken by Holders of Securities pursuant to the terms of this Indenture.

All decisions and determinations of the Trustee regarding the Market Exchange Rate or any alternative determination provided for in the preceding paragraph shall be in its sole discretion and shall, in the absence of manifest error, be conclusive to the extent permitted by law for all purposes and irrevocably binding upon the Company and all Holders.

    SECTION 10.16.    Judgment Currency.

The Company agrees, to the fullest extent that it may effectively do so under applicable law, that (a) if for the purpose of obtaining judgment in any court it is necessary to convert the sum due in respect of the principal of or interest or other amount on the Securities of any Series (the “Required Currency”) into a currency in which a judgment will be rendered (the “Judgment Currency”), the rate of exchange used shall be the rate at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Trustee could purchase in The City of New York the Required Currency with the Judgment Currency on the day on which final unappealable judgment is entered, unless such day is not a New York Banking Day, then, the rate of exchange used shall be the rate at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Trustee could purchase in The City of New York the Required Currency with the Judgment Currency on the New York Banking Day preceding the day on which final unappealable judgment is entered and (b) its obligations under this Indenture to make payments in the Required Currency (i) shall not be discharged or satisfied by any tender, any recovery pursuant to any judgment (whether or not entered in accordance with subsection (a)), in any currency other than the Required Currency, except to the extent that such

42

Exhibit 4.12

tender or recovery shall result in the actual receipt, by the payee, of the full amount of the Required Currency expressed to be payable in respect of such payments, (ii) shall be enforceable as an alternative or additional cause of action for the purpose of recovering in the Required Currency the amount, if any, by which such actual receipt shall fall short of the full amount of the Required Currency so expressed to be payable, and (iii) shall not be affected by judgment being obtained for any other sum due under this Indenture. For purposes of the foregoing, “New York Banking Day” means any day except a Saturday, Sunday or a legal holiday in The City of New York on which banking institutions are authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to close.

ARTICLE XI

SINKING FUNDS

SECTION 11.1.    Applicability of Article.

The provisions of this Article shall be applicable to any sinking fund for the retirement of the Securities of a Series, except as otherwise permitted or required by any form of Security of such Series issued pursuant to this Indenture.

The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by the terms of the Securities of any Series is herein referred to as a “mandatory sinking fund payment” and any other amount provided for by the terms of Securities of such Series is herein referred to as an “optional sinking fund payment.” If provided for by the terms of Securities of any Series, the cash amount of any sinking fund payment may be subject to reduction as provided in Section 11.2. Each sinking fund payment shall be applied to the redemption of Securities of any Series as provided for by the terms of the Securities of such Series.

SECTION 11.2.    Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities.

The Company may, in satisfaction of all or any part of any sinking fund payment with respect to the Securities of any Series to be made pursuant to the terms of such Securities (1) deliver outstanding Securities of such Series to which such sinking fund payment is applicable (other than any of such Securities previously called for mandatory sinking fund redemption) and (2) apply as credit Securities of such Series to which such sinking fund payment is applicable and which have been redeemed either at the election of the Company pursuant to the terms of such Series of Securities (except pursuant to any mandatory sinking fund) or through the application of permitted optional sinking fund payments or other optional redemptions pursuant to the terms of such Securities, provided that such Securities have not been previously so credited. Such Securities shall be received by the Trustee, together with an Officers’ Certificate with respect thereto, not later than 15 days prior to the date on which the Trustee begins the process of selecting Securities for redemption, and shall be credited for such purpose by the Trustee at the price specified in such Securities for redemption through operation of the sinking fund and the amount of such sinking fund payment shall be reduced accordingly. If as a result of the delivery or credit of Securities in lieu of cash payments pursuant to this Section 11.2, the principal amount of Securities of such Series to be redeemed in order to exhaust the aforesaid cash payment shall be less than $100,000, the Trustee need not call Securities of such Series for

43

redemption, except upon receipt of a Company Order that such action be taken, and such cash payment shall be held by the Trustee or a Paying Agent and applied to the next succeeding sinking fund payment, provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent shall from time to time upon receipt of a Company Order pay over and deliver to the Company any cash payment so being held by the Trustee or such Paying Agent upon delivery by the Company to the Trustee of Securities of that Series purchased by the Company having an unpaid principal amount equal to the cash payment required to be released to the Company.

SECTION 11.3.    Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund.

Not less than 45 days (unless otherwise indicated in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers’ Certificate in respect of a particular Series of Securities) prior to each sinking fund payment date for any Series of Securities, the Company will deliver to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate specifying the amount of the next ensuing mandatory sinking fund payment for that Series pursuant to the terms of that Series, the portion thereof, if any, which is to be satisfied by payment of cash and the portion thereof, if any, which is to be satisfied by delivering and crediting of Securities of that Series pursuant to Section 11.2, and the optional amount, if any, to be added in cash to the next ensuing mandatory sinking fund payment, and the Company shall thereupon be obligated to pay the amount therein specified. Not less than 30 days (unless otherwise indicated in the Board Resolution, Officers’ Certificate or supplemental indenture in respect of a particular Series of Securities) before each such sinking fund payment date the Trustee shall select the Securities to be redeemed upon such sinking fund payment date in the manner specified in Section 3.2 and cause notice of the redemption thereof to be given in the name of and at the expense of the Company in the manner provided in Section 3.3. Such notice having been duly given, the redemption of such Securities shall be made upon the terms and in the manner stated in Sections 3.4, 3.5 and 3.6.

44

Exhibit 4.12

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.

NANOPHASE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION

By:                                                          

Name:                                                      

Its:                                                              

[Name of Trustee]

By:                                                          

Name:                                                      

Its:                                                              

45

EX-5

Exhibit 5

[Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon LLP Letterhead]

April 1, 2004

Nanophase Technologies Corporation

1319 Marquette Drive

Romeoville, Illinois 60446

Re: Registration Statement on Form S-3

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We are acting as special counsel to Nanophase Technologies Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the proposed registration by the Company of $15,000,000 aggregate offering price of the Company’s (i) Debt Securities (the “Debt Securities”), (ii) Common Stock (the “Common Stock”), and (iii) warrants to purchase common stock and/or debt securities (the “Warrants” and together with the Debt Securities and the Common Stock, the “Securities”), pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-3 to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on or about the date hereof under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) (such Registration Statement, as amended or supplemented, the “Registration Statement”).

The Securities may be sold separately or as units with other Securities. The amounts, prices, and other specific terms of the Securities offered and sold under the Registration Statement will be set forth in the prospectus constituting a part of the Registration Statement and in one or more supplements to such prospectus (collectively, the “Prospectus”).

The Debt Securities are to be issued under one or more indentures between the Company and a trustee to be named.

The terms of the Securities to be issued by the Company from time to time will be approved by the Board of Directors of the Company or a committee thereof or certain authorized officers of the Company as part of the corporate action taken (the “Corporate Proceeding”) in connection with the issuance of the Securities.

We have examined originals, or copies certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such documents, corporate records and other instruments as we have deemed necessary for the purposes of this opinion, including (i) the corporate and organizational documents of the Company, (ii) minutes and records of the Corporate Proceedings of the Company and (iii) the Registration Statement and exhibits thereto.

For purposes of this opinion, we have assumed the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to the originals of all documents submitted to us as copies and the authenticity of the originals of all documents submitted to us as copies. We have also assumed the genuineness of the signatures of persons signing all documents in connection with which this opinion is rendered, the authority of such persons signing on behalf of the parties thereto other than the Company, and the due authorization, execution and delivery of all documents by the parties thereto other than the Company. As to any facts material to the opinions expressed herein which we have not independently established or verified, we have relied upon statements and representations of officers and other representatives of the Company and others. We have also made other assumptions which we believe to be appropriate for purposes of this letter.

Based upon and subject to the qualifications, assumptions and limitations set forth in this letter, we are of the opinion that:

1. The Company is a corporation existing and in good standing under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

2. When, as and if (i) the Registration Statement shall have become effective pursuant to the provisions of the Securities Act, (ii) the Common Stock shall have been issued as described in the Prospectus and in accordance with the resolutions of the Company’s Board of Directors (or authorized committee thereof) authorizing the foregoing and any legally required consents, approvals, authorizations and other orders of the Commission and any other regulatory authorities are obtained, and (iii) appropriate certificates representing the shares of Common Stock are duly executed by the Company and countersigned by the transfer agent and delivered to the purchasers against payment of the agreed consideration, the Common Stock when issued will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

3. When, as and if (i) the Registration Statement shall have become effective pursuant to the provisions of the Securities Act, (ii) the indenture shall have been duly executed and qualified pursuant to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, (iii) any necessary supplemental indenture or amendment to the indenture shall have been duly approved by appropriate Corporate Proceedings by the Company and such supplemental indenture or amendment shall have been duly executed by the Company, (iv) the Debt Securities shall have been issued in the form and containing the terms described in the Prospectus, the indenture (and any supplemental indenture or amendment thereto) applicable thereto and the resolutions of the Company’s Board of Directors (or authorized committee thereof) authorizing the foregoing and establishing the terms of the respective series of Debt Securities and any legally required consents, approvals, authorizations and other orders of the Commission and any other regulatory authorities are obtained, and (v) the Debt Securities have been duly executed by the Company and duly authenticated by the trustee and delivered to the purchasers against payment of the agreed consideration, the Debt Securities when issued will be validly issued and will be binding obligations of the Company.

4. When, as and if (i) the Registration Statement shall have become effective pursuant to the provisions of the Securities Act, (ii) the Warrants shall have been issued in the form and containing the terms described in the Prospectus and the resolutions of the Company’s Board of Directors (or authorized committee thereof) authorizing the foregoing and establishing the terms of the Warrants and any legally required consents, approvals, authorizations and other orders of the Commission and any other regulatory authorities are obtained, (iii) the respective agreements for the Warrants are duly executed in the form and containing the terms authorized by the resolutions of the Company’s Board of Directors with respect thereto, and (iv) the respective agreements and/or certificates representing the Warrants are duly executed by the Company and countersigned by the applicable warrant agent and delivered to the purchasers against payment of the agreed consideration, the Warrants when issued will be validly issued and will be binding obligations under the state contract law governing the agreements representing the Warrants.

The foregoing opinions assume that (i) the consideration designated in the applicable Corporate Proceeding for any Debt Securities, Common Stock or Warrant shall have been received by the Company, (ii) the indenture with respect to any Debt Securities shall have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the parties thereto other than the Company, (iii) the Registration Statement shall have become effective under the Securities Act and (iv) the indenture with respect to any Debt Securities shall have become duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.

Our opinions expressed above are subject to the qualifications that we express no opinion as to the applicability of, compliance with or effect of (i) any bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, fraudulent transfer, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium or other similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, (ii) general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), (iii) public policy considerations which may limit the rights of parties to obtain certain remedies and (iv) other commonly recognized statutory and judicial constraints on enforceability, including, without limitation, statutes of limitations. Our advice on every legal issue addressed in this letter is based exclusively on the internal law of the State of Illinois, the internal law of the State of New York, the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware or the federal law of the United States, and represents our opinion as to how that issue would be resolved were it to be considered by the highest court in the jurisdiction which enacted such law. The manner in which any particular issue would be treated in any actual court case would depend in part on facts and circumstances particular to the case and would also depend on how the court involved chose to exercise the wide discretionary authority generally available to it. This letter is not intended to guarantee the outcome of any legal dispute which may arise in the future. We advise you that issues addressed by this letter may be governed in whole or in part by other laws, but we express no opinion as to whether any relevant difference exists between the laws upon which our opinions are based and any other laws which may actually govern. For purposes of the opinions in paragraph 1, we have relied exclusively upon a recent certificate issued by the Delaware Secretary of State, and such opinion is not intended to provide any conclusion or assurance beyond

that conveyed by such certificate. We have assumed without investigation that there has been no relevant change or development between the date of such certificate and the date of this letter.

We do not find it necessary for the purposes of this opinion, and accordingly we do not purport to cover herein, the application of the securities or “Blue Sky” laws of the various states to the issuance of the Securities.

This opinion is furnished to you in connection with the filing of the Registration Statement, and is not to be used, circulated, quoted or otherwise relied upon for any other purposes. This opinion is limited to the specific issues addressed herein, and no opinion may be inferred or implied beyond that expressly stated herein. We assume no obligation to revise or supplement this opinion should the present laws of the State of Illinois, the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware or the federal laws of the United States be changed by legislative action, judicial decision or otherwise.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement. We also consent to the reference to our firm under the heading “Legal Matters” in the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act of the rules and regulations of the Commission.

Very truly yours,

/s/    Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon LLP        

Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon LLP

EX-12

Exhibit 12

STATEMENT OF COMPUTATION OF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

	Years Ended December 31,
	1999			2000			2001			2002			2003
Earnings:
Loss before provision for income taxes	$	(5,117,067	)	$	(4,518,327	)	$	(5,710,243	)	$	(5,086,563	)	$	(5,797,650	)
Fixed charges		95,416			155,163			295,293			383,357			365,445
	$	(5,021,651	)	$	(4,363,164	)	$	(5,414,950	)	$	(4,703,206	)	$	(5,432,205	)
Fixed charges:
Interest expense	$	—		$	3,455		$	33,485		$	125,181		$	109,889
Estimate of interest portion of rent expense		95,416			151,708			261,808			258,176			255,556
	$	95,416		$	155,163		$	295,293		$	383,357		$	365,445
Deficiency of earnings available to cover fixed charges	$	(5,117,067	)	$	(4,518,327	)	$	(5,710,243	)	$	(5,086,563	)	$	(5,797,650	)
Ratio of earnings to fixed charges*		—			—			—			—			—

* Because of the deficiency of earnings available to cover fixed charges, the ratio information is not applicable.

EX-23.1

Exhibit 23.1

CONSENT OF MCGLADREY & PULLEN, LLP, INDEPENDENT AUDITORS

We consent to the reference to our firm under the caption “Experts” in Amendment No. 1 to Registration Statement on Form S-3 and related Prospectus of Nanophase Technologies Corporation and to the incorporation by reference therein of our report dated January 23, 2004, except for Note 20, as to which the date is March 23, 2004, with respect to the financial statements of Nanophase Technologies Corporation included in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Chicago, Illinois

March 30, 2004

/s/    McGladrey & Pullen, LLP         

McGladrey & Pullen, LLP