FORM 4		UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940	OMB APPROVAL OMB Number: 3235-0287 Expires: December 31, 2014 Estimated average burden hours per response: 0.5
	Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * Cureton Kevin (Last) (First) (Middle) 1319 MARQUETTE DRIVE (Street) ROMEOVILLE IL 60446 (City) (State) (Zip)	2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol NANOPHASE TECHNOLOGIES Corp [ NANX ]	5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) Director 10% Owner X Officer (give title below) Other (specify below) Chief Operating Officer
	3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 09/14/2021
	4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)	6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line) X Form filed by One Reporting Person Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Common Stock	09/14/2021 (1)		M		52,000	A	$ 0.3	52,000	D
Common Stock	09/14/2021 (2)		S		2,800	D	$ 2.3	49,200	D
Common Stock	09/15/2021 (2)		S		5,350	D	$ 2.3	43,850	D
Common Stock	09/16/2021 (2)		S		17,000	D	$ 2.22	26,850	D
Common Stock	09/16/2021 (2)		S		1,200	D	$ 2.26	25,650	D

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares
Common Stock (right to purchase)	$ 0.3	09/14/2021 (3)		M			52,000	11/28/2013 (4)	11/28/2022	Common Stock	52,000	$ 0.3	0	D
Common Stock (right to purchase)	$ 0.415							02/14/2014 (4)	02/14/2023	Common Stock	48,000		48,000	D
Common Stock (right to purchase)	$ 0.52							02/13/2015 (4)	02/13/2024	Common Stock	75,000		75,000	D
Common Stock (right to purchase)	$ 0.44							02/18/2016 (4)	02/18/2025	Common Stock	50,000		50,000	D
Common Stock (right to purchase)	$ 0.42							02/23/2017 (4)	02/23/2026	Common Stock	43,500		43,500	D
Common Stock (right to purchase)	$ 0.68							02/21/2018 (4)	02/21/2027	Common Stock	50,000		50,000	D
Common Stock (right to purchase)	$ 0.82							05/23/2019 (4)	05/23/2028	Common Stock	80,000		80,000	D
Common Stock (right to purchase)	$ 0.51							05/22/2020 (4)	05/22/2029	Common Stock	16,500		16,500	D
Common Stock (right to purchase)	$ 0.45							06/18/2021 (4)	06/18/2027	Common Stock	90,000		90,000	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. Mr. Cureton has exercised shares from his November 28, 2012 option grant to avoid the risk of expiration. In light of the blackout requirements within the Company's Policy on Insider Trading, limited trading windows exist during which these transactions can be completed. Subsequent to exercise, he plans to sell some of the exercised shares reported herein in order to satisfy the costs of exercise and the required income tax withholdings.

2. Mr. Cureton has exercised shares from his November 28, 2012 option grant to avoid the risk of expiration. In light of the blackout requirements within the Company's Policy on Insider Trading, limited trading windows exist during which these transactions can be completed. The sales reported herein were effected in order to satisfy the costs of exercise and the required income tax withholdings.

3. Mr. Cureton has exercised shares from his November 28, 2012 option grant to avoid the risk of expiration. In light of the blackout requirements within the Company's Policy on Insider Trading, limited trading windows exist during which these transactions can be completed. Subsequent to exercise, he plans to sell some of the shares exercised in order to satisfy the costs of exercise and the required income tax withholdings.

4. Subject to certain restrictions, beginning on this date, options vest in three equal annual installments.

Remarks:

Mr. Cureton has exercised shares from his November 28, 2012 option grant to avoid the risk of expiration.  In light of the blackout requirements within the Company's Policy on Insider Trading, limited trading windows exist during which these transactions can be completed.  Subsequent to exercise, he has sold the shares reported above in order to satisfy the costs of exercise and the required income tax withholdings.

	/s/ Jess Jankowski under UPA for Kevin Cureton	09/16/2021
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.