Ownership Submission
FORM 4
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
MCCLUNG JAMES A
  2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
NANOPHASE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION [NANX]
5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
__X__ Director _____ 10% Owner
_____ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
1319 MARQUETTE DRIVE
3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
07/16/2012
(Street)

ROMEOVILLE, IL 60446
4. If Amendment, Date 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
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
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 (1) 07/16/2012   X   5,130 (2) A $ 0.33 20,130 (3) I By Wife
Common Stock (4) 07/16/2012   X   2,999 (2) A $ 0.33 11,770 (3) D  

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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 Underlying Securities
(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 of Derivative Security: 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
Stock Option (right to buy) $ 3.78             11/25/2003(5) 11/25/2012 Common Stock 2,000   2,000 D  
Stock Option (right to buy) $ 5.07             06/26/2004(5) 06/26/2013 Common Stock 2,000   2,000 D  
Stock Option (right to buy) $ 1.36 (5)             01/31/2014 01/31/2021 Common Stock 12,000   12,000 D  
Deferred Common Stock (6)               (7)   (7)(8) Common Stock 2,250   21,596 D  
Stock Appreciation Right (9) $ 0.99               (9)   (9) Common Stock 2,250   15,750 D  
Subscription Rights (right to buy) (10) $ 0.33 07/16/2012   X     15,000 06/13/2012 07/20/2012 Common Stock 5,130 $ 0 0 I Wife
Subscription Rights (right to buy) (10) $ 0.33 07/16/2012   X     8,771 06/13/2012 07/20/2012 Common Stock 2,999 $ 0 0 D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
MCCLUNG JAMES A
1319 MARQUETTE DRIVE
ROMEOVILLE, IL 60446
  X      

Signatures

 By Jess Jankowski under UPA for James A. McClung   07/17/2012
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* 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).
(1) The shares were purchased upon exercise of subscription rights issued pro rata to holders of the issuer's common stock (the "Common Stock") as of the close of business on June 13, 2012 (the "Record Date"), to purchase 0.342 shares of Common Stock for each one share of Common Stock owned as of the close of business on the Record Date at a subscription price of $0.33 per full share under the basic subscription privilege of the issuer's rights offering. The reporting person also exercised his over-subscription privilege under the rights offering, seeking up to 10,260 additional shares of Common Stock at the same $0.33 price. The number of shares of Common Stock purchased by the reporting person pursuant to the exercise of his over-subscription privilege will be subject to availability and the pro rata allocation of shares among persons exercising this over-subscription privilege and will be determined subsequent to the expiration date of the rights offering.
(2) The shares of Common Stock will be issued to the reporting person upon the expiration of the rights offering.
(3) The reporting person previously reported 5,000 shares as Direct when they are more properly reported as Indirect, the result of which is shown here. The combined holdings of the reporting person are unchanged.
(4) The shares were purchased upon exercise of subscription rights issued pro rata to holders of the issuer's common stock (the "Common Stock") as of the close of business on June 13, 2012 (the "Record Date"), to purchase 0.342 shares of Common Stock for each one share of Common Stock owned as of the close of business on the Record Date at a subscription price of $0.33 per full share under the basic subscription privilege of the issuer's rights offering. The reporting person also exercised his over-subscription privilege under the rights offering, seeking up to 5,998 additional shares of Common Stock at the same $0.33 price. The number of shares of Common Stock purchased by the reporting person pursuant to the exercise of his over-subscription privilege will be subject to availability and the pro rata allocation of shares among persons exercising this over-subscription privilege and will be determined subsequent to the expiration date of the rights offering.
(5) Subject to certain rights and restrictions, beginning on this date, options vest in three equal annual installments.
(6) Each share of deferred common stock represents a right to receive one share of common stock.
(7) The deferred common stock becomes payable upon the reporting person's termination of service as a director of the Company.
(8) Pursuant to such plan, the reporting person elected to defer receipt of such shares and receive a cumulative total of 21,596 shares of deferred common stock which will all be accounted for under the Company's Non-Employee Director Deferred Compensation Plan.
(9) The stock appreciation right becomes payable upon the reporting person's termination of service as a director of the Company. 2,250 were issued 4/8/2009 at a conversion price of $0.90, 2,250 were issued 7/1/2009 at a conversion price of $1.05, 2,250 were issued 10/1/2009 at a conversion price of $1.18, 2,250 were issued 1/4/2010 at a conversion price of $0.84, 2,250 were issued 4/1/2010 at a conversion price of $1.85, 2,250 were issued 7/1/2010 at a conversion price of $1.10, and 2,250 were issued 10/1/2010 at a conversion price of $0.99.
(10) The reporting person exercised subscription rights issued pro rata to holders of Common Stock as of the close of business on the Record Date, to purchase 0.342 shares of Common Stock for each one share of Common Stock owned as of the close of business on the Record Date at a subscription price of $0.33 per full share under the basic subscription privilege of the issuer's rights offering.

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