The Nano World

Loren Grace Jaranilla-Anunciado

 Objectives:
1. Define nanotechnology;
2. Characterize nanoscale;
3. Describe the various uses of nanotechnology;
4. Discuss concerns on the use of nanotechnology; and
5. Explain the status of the use of nanotechnology in the
Philippines.

Loren Grace Anunciado

• The use of nanoscale is one important
interdisciplinary area generated by
advancement in science and
technology.

• Scientists and engineers were able to

build materials with innovative
properties as they manipulate
nanomaterials.

• Research and application of knowledge

on nanomaterials will continue to
bring widespread implications in
various areas of the society, especially
health care, environment, energy,
food, water, and agriculture.
Loren Grace Anunciado
 Nanotechnology
• Refers to the science, engineering, and technology conducted
at the nanoscale
• 1 to 100 nanometers

• Nanoscience and nanotechnology

• Employs the study and application of exceptionally small things in other areas
of science including materials science, engineering, physics, biology and
chemistry

Loren Grace Anunciado

 • The concepts of nanotechnology and
nanoscience started in December 29,
1959.

• It started when Physicist Richard

Feynman discussed a method in his
talk “There’s Plenty of Room at the
Bottom” during the American
Physical Society meeting at the
California Institute of Technology.

• The term “nanotechnology” was

coined by Professor Norio Taniguchi a
decade after the dawn of the use of
ultraprecision machining.
Loren Grace Anunciado
 How Small is a
Nanoscale?

• Nanometer
– billionth of a meter;
– 10-9 of a meter

Loren Grace Anunciado

Loren Grace Anunciado
Loren Grace Anunciado
Nanomaterials
• Classified according to their
individual shapes and sizes

• May be particles, tubes,

wires, films, flakes, or shells
that have one or more
nanometer-sized dimensions

Loren Grace Anunciado

 How to View Nanomaterials
• Scientists use special types of microscopes to view minute
nanomaterials.

• During the 1930s, scientists used electron microscopes and

field microscopes to look at the nanoscale.

• Scanning tunneling microscope, atomic force microscope

Loren Grace Anunciado

1. Electron Microscope
• Ernst Ruska and Max Knoll (Germans,
1930s)
• Utilizes a particle beam of electrons to
light up a specimen and developed a
well-magnified image
• Produce higher and better resolution
than older light microscopes because
they can magnify objects up to a million
times (conventional light microscopes
can magnify objects up to 1,500 times
only)

Loren Grace Anunciado

1. Electron Microscope
Types of electron microscope
A. Scanning electron microscope (SEM)
B. Transmission electron microscope (TEM)

Loren Grace Anunciado

Loren Grace Anunciado
Loren Grace Anunciado
2. Atomic Force Microscope (AFM)
• Gerd Binig, Calvin Quate and
Christoph Gerber (1986)

• Makes use of a mechanical probe

that gathers information from the
surface of a material.

Loren Grace Anunciado

3. Scanning Tunneling Microscope
• Gerd Binig and Heinrich
Rohreer (1986)
• They won the Nobel Prize in
Physics because of this
invention.

• Enables scientists to view

and manipulate nanoscale
particles, atoms, and small
molecules

Loren Grace Anunciado

Nanomanufacturing
• Refers to scaled-up, reliable, and cost-
effective manufacturing of nanoscale
materials, structures, devices and
systems

• Also involves research, improvement,

and incorporation of processes for the
construction of materials

• Leads to the development of new

products and improved materials
Loren Grace Anunciado
 Two fundamental approaches to
nanomanufacturing:
1. Bottom-up fabrication
– Maufactures products by building them up from atomic= and
molecular-scale components
– Can be time-consuming
– Scientists and engineers are still in search for effective ways of
putting together molecular components that self-assemble and from
the bottom-up to organized structures

Loren Grace Anunciado

 Two fundamental approaches to
nanomanufacturing:
2. Top-down fabrication
– Trims down large pieces of materials into nanoscale
– The process needs larger amounts of materials and discards excess
raw materials

Loren Grace Anunciado

Loren Grace Anunciado
Loren Grace Anunciado
Loren Grace Anunciado
 New approaches to the assembly of
nanomaterials:
1. Dip pen lithography
• method in which the tip of an
atomic force microscope is
“dipped” into a chemical fluid
and then utilized to “write”
on a surface
• Like an old-fashioned ink pen
onto a paper

Loren Grace Anunciado

2. Self-assembly
• Depicts an approach wherein
a set of components join
together to mold an organized
structure in the absence of an
outside direction

Loren Grace Anunciado

3. Chemical vapor
deposition
• Chemicals act in response
to form very pure, high-
performance films

Loren Grace Anunciado

4. Nanoimprint lithography
• Method of generating
nanoscale attributes by
“stamping” or “printing”
them onto a surface

Loren Grace Anunciado

5. Molecular beam epitaxy
• One manner for depositing
extremely controlled thin
films

Loren Grace Anunciado

6. Roll-to-roll processing
• High-volume practice for
constructing nanoscale
devices on a roll of ultrathin
plastic or metal

Loren Grace Anunciado

7. Atomic layer epitaxy
• Means for laying down one-
atom-thick layers on a surface

Loren Grace Anunciado

With the use of these techniques, nanomaterials are made more:
• durable
• stronger
• Lighter
• water-repellent
• ultraviolet- resistant
• infrared-resistant
• scratch-resistant
• electrically conductive
• antireflective
• antifog
• antimicrobial
• self-cleaning
Loren Grace Anunciado
The characteristics mentioned lead to the manufacture of
nanotechnology-enabled products such as:

• Tennis rackets
• Baseball bats
• Purifying crude oil
• Ultrasensitive recognition
• Classification of biological/chemical toxins

Loren Grace Anunciado

 In the future…?
• Better computers (more efficient, larger memory storage,
faster, etc)

• What else???

Loren Grace Anunciado

 Distinct Features of a Nanoscale
1. Scale at which much biology occurs.
– Various activities of the cells take place at the
nanoscale
– DNA (2 nm in diameter)
– Hemoglobin (5.5 nm in diameter)

– A good number of modern researches focus on

advancing procedures, therapies, tools, and
treatments that are more accurate and custom-
made than traditional methods and cause no
adverse effects on the body.
Loren Grace Anunciado
 Distinct Features of a Nanoscale
1. Scale at which much biology
occurs.
– Example: Bio-barcode assay
• Inexpensive approach for
identification of specific disease
markers in the blood despite their
small number in a specific specimen

Loren Grace Anunciado

 Distinct Features of a Nanoscale
2. Scale at which quantum effects dominate properties of
materials.
– Particles with dimensions of 1-100 nanometers have properties that
are significantly discrete from particles of bigger dimensions.
– Quantum effects direct the behavior and properties of particles in
this size scale.
– Chemical reactivity, fluorescence, magnetic permeability, melting
point, and electrical conductivity

Loren Grace Anunciado

 Distinct Features of a Nanoscale
2. Scale at which quantum effects
dominate properties of materials.
– Example: nanoscale gold
• Not only yellow-colored element we
are used to seeing but it can also
appear red or purple
• Nanoscale gold particles selectively
build up in tumors, where they permit
both precise imaging and targeted
laser destruction of the tumor while
avoiding damage on healthy cells

Loren Grace Anunciado

 Distinct Features of a Nanoscale
3. Nanoscale materials have far larger surface areas than similar
masses of larger-scale materials
– As we increase the surface area per mass of a particular material, a
greater amount of the material comes in contact with another
material and can affect its reactivity

Loren Grace Anunciado

 Possible Applications of Nanotechnology in the
Philippines
1. ICT and semiconductors
2. Health and medicine
3. Energy
4. Food and agriculture
5. environment

Loren Grace Anunciado

 Nanotech Roadmap for the Philippines
1. ICT and semiconductors
2. Health and biomedical
3. Energy
4. Environment
5. Agriculture and food
6. Health and environmental risk
7. Nano-metrology
8. Education and public awareness

Loren Grace Anunciado

 Benefits and Concerns of Using Nanotechnology
Concerns that need to be addressed before using and promoting
materials derived from nanotechnology:
1. Nanotechnology is not a single technology; it may become
pervasive.
2. Nanotechnology seeks to develop new materials with specific
properties.
3. Nanotechnology may introduce new efficiencies and paradigms
which may take some natural resources and current practices
uncompetitive or obsolete.
4. It may be complicated to detect its presence unless one has the
specialist tools of nanotechnology.
Loren Grace Anunciado
 Table 1. Benefits and Concerns of the Application of Nanotechnology in Different Areas
Example of Areas Affected by Possible Benefits Concerns
Nanotechnology

Environment • Improved detection and removal of • High reactivity and toxicity

contaminants • Pervasive distribution in the
• Development of benign industrial environment
processes and materials • No nano-specific EPA regulation

Health • Improved medicine • Ability to cross cell membranes and

translocate in the body
• No FDA approval for cosmetics or
supplements

Economy • Better products • Redistribution of wealth

• New jobs • Potential cost of cleanups and
healthcare
• Accessibility to income levels

Loren Grace Anunciado

 Social and Ethical Considerations in Conducting
Research and Nanotechnology
1. Who will benefit from it? On the other hand, who won’t?
2. For whom and what are your objectives for developing your
product?
3. How will it affect social, economic, and political relationships?
4. What problem is your “product” trying to solve?
5. Who will have access to it? Who will be excluded?
6. Are there dangers involved with its development (e.g., safety,
health, pollution)? How can you minimize them?
7. Who will own it? How can you assure access to it?

Loren Grace Anunciado

 Summary
• Nanotechnology is an advanced interdisciplinary field that encompasses
science and technology that manufactures materials of great help to the
improvement of various areas of society especially health care,
environment, energy, food, water, and agriculture.

• It is a field that needs to be explored, not only by known experts but also
neophytes, in order to advance our knowledge of science and technology,
and more importantly, to help improve our quality of life.

• Before we engage in nanotechnology, we need to take into account the

social, ethical, and environmental concerns of using such nanomaterials.
Loren Grace Anunciado
 Questions
1. What are nanomaterials and how are they made? (10 pts)
2. What are the factors that need to be considered before
manufacturing materials through nanotechnology? (10 pts)
3. What are the contributions of nanotechnology for the
improvement and sustainability of our environment? (10 pts)
4. How can nanotechnology be used in the prevention and
treatment of illnesses?

Loren Grace Anunciado

 ACTIVITY
Watch the video on Youtube titled “The Next Step in Nanotechnology
(George Tulevski)” by TED Talks. Work in pairs and discuss the
following questions. Submit your answers afterwards.
1. Why is nanotechnology likened to creating a statue out of a pile of
dust?
2. What science governs nanostructures? Why is it different?
3. Why is nanotechnology a difficult science?
4. What does nature show about building organisms from bottom
up?
5. How can chemistry help in nanotechnology?

Loren Grace Anunciado