NANOTECHNOLOGY

Learning Objectives:
At the end of the topic, students can:

Discuss the major impacts of nanotechnology on the

society.
Analyze the issue through the conceptual Science,
technology and society.
Critique the issue on its costs and benefits to society.
NANO & TECNOLOGY
What is Nanotechnology?

Nanoscience is the study of

manipulating matter at
atomic, molecular, and
macromolecular scales.
What is Nanotechnology?
Nanotechnologies are the
design, characterisation,
production and application of
structures, devices and
systems by controlling shape
and size at nanometer scale.
 NANOMETER SCALE
ANT
≈ 5,000,000 nm RBC
long ≈ 7,000 nm
wide
HAIR
≈ 90,000 nm
thick
DNA
≈ 2.5 nm
PAPER wide
≈ 75,000 nm
thick
How small is nano-small?
HISTOR
Y
❖ The first ever concept was
presented in 1959 by the famous
professor of physics Dr. Richard P.
Feynman.

❖ Invention of the scanning tunneling

microscope in 1981 and
the discovery of fullerene(C60) in
1985 lead to the emergence
of nanotechnology.
❖ The term “Nano-technology"
had been coined by Norio
Taniguchi in 1974.

❖ The early 2000s also saw the

beginnings of commercial
applications of
nanotechnology,
although these were limited to
bulk application of
nanomaterials.
TECHNOLOGY BEHIND
 ATOMIC FORCE
MICCROSCOPE
The first
commercially
available atomic
force microscope was
introduced in 1989.
The AFM is one of the
foremost tools for
imaging, measuring,
and manipulating
matter at
the nanoscale.
 SCANNING TUNNELING
MICROSCOPE (STM)

is an instrument for imaging

surfaces at the atomic level. Its
development in 1981
earned its inventors,
Gerd Binnig and Heinrich
Rohrer, the Nobel Prize
in Physics in 1986.
 DIP PEN NANOLITHOGRAPHY
A technique where an atomic force microscope tip
is used to create patterns directly on a range of
substances with a variety of inks allowing surface
patterning on scales of under 100 nanometers.
DPN is the nanotechnology analog of the dip pen ,
which is coated with a chemical compound or
mixture acting as an "ink," and put in contact with
a substrate, the "paper."
 ELECTRON-BEAM
LITHOGRAPHY
the practice of scanning a focused
beam of electrons to draw custom
shapes on a surface covered with
an electron-sensitive film called
a resist. The primary advantage
of electron-beam lithography is
that it can draw custom patterns
(direct-write) with sub-10 nm
resolution.
PRODUCTS
CARBON NANOTUBES
❖ Allotropes of carbon with a cylindrical
nanostructure.
❖ They have length-to-diameter ratio of
up to 132,000,000:1.
PROPERTIES
❖ Highest strength to weight ratio.
❖ Easily penetrate membranes such as
cell walls.
❖ Electrical resistance changes
significantly when other molecules
attach themselves to the carbon
CARBON NANOTUBES
USES
❖ Easton-Bell Sports, Inc. using
CNT in making bicycle component.
❖ Zyvex Technologies using CNT for
manufacturing of light weight boats.
❖ Replacing transistors from the silicon
chips as they are small and emits less
heat.
❖ In electric cables and wires, solar cells
❖ In fabrics
NANORODS
❖ One morphology of nanoscale objects.
❖ Dimensions range from 1–100 nm.
❖ They may be synthesized from metals or
semiconducting materials.
❖ A combination of ligands act as shape
control agents and bond to different facets
of the nanorod with different strengths.
This allows different faces of the nanorod
to grow at different rates, producing an
elongated object.
NANORODS
USES
❖ In display technologies, because
the reflectivity of the rods can
be changed by changing their
orientation with an applied
electric field.
❖ In micro-electromechanical
systems (MEMS).
❖ In cancer therapeutics
NANOBOTS
❖ Close to the scale of 10-9.
❖ Largely in R&D phase .
❖ Bots of 1.5 nm across, capable
of counting specific molecules
in a chemical sample.
❖ It would be necessary for very
large numbers of nanobots to
work together to perform
microscopic and macroscopic
tasks.
NANOBOTS
❖ Capable of replication using
environmental resources
USES
❖ Detection of toxic
components in environment.
❖ In drug delivery.
❖ Biomedical instrumention.
APPLICATION
S
 MEDICINE
Researchers are developing
customized nanoparticles the
size of molecules that can
deliver drugs directly to
diseased cells in your
body. When it's perfected,
this method should greatly
reduce the damage treatment
such as chemotherapy does to
a patient's healthy cells.
 Drug delivery and disease treatment

• Potential to revolutionize cancer

treatment
• Nanocrystals can be effective
agents for selective targeting and
destruction of cancer cells
Small particle size
Surface functionalization is
possible
Unique properties (magnetic,
optical)
 ELECTRONICS
Nanotechnology holds
some answers for how we
might increase the
capabilities of electronics
devices while we reduce
their weight and power
consumption.
 Imaging and diagnostics

• Nanoplex biomarker detection

Silica-coated Surface
Enhanced Raman Scattering
(SERS) – active metal
nanoparticles allow robust ,
ultrasensitive, highly-
multiplexed biomarker
quantitation in any biological
matrix, including blood
 FOOD
Nanotechnology is having an impact on
several aspects of food science, from how
food is grown to how it is packaged.
Companies are developing nanomaterials that
will make a difference not only in the taste of
food, but also in food safety, and the health
benefits that food delivers.
 FUEL CELLS
Nanotechnology is being used to
reduce the cost of catalysts used
in fuel cells to produce hydrogen
ions from fuel such as methanol
and to improve the efficiency of
membranes used in fuel cells to
separate hydrogen ions from
other gases such as oxygen.
 FUELS
Nanotechnology can address
the shortage of fossil fuels
such as diesel and gasoline by
making the production of fuels
from low grade raw materials
economical, increasing the
mileage of engines, and
making the production of fuels
from normal raw materials
more efficient.
 SOLAR CELLS
Companies have
developed
nanotech solar
cells that can be
manufactured at
significantly lower
cost than
conventional solar
cells.
 BATTERIES
Companies are currently
developing batteries using
nanomaterials. One such
battery will be a good as
new after sitting on the
shelf for decades. Another
battery can be recharged
significantly faster than
conventional batteries.
 SPACE
Nanotechnology may hold
the key to making
spaceflight more practical.
Advancements in
nanomaterials make
lightweight spacecraft and
a cable for the space
elevator possible.
 Propellants

• Of the 502, 126 kg of

propellant used in the
solid rocket boosters of
the Space Shuttle, 16%
is atomized Al powder
• Nanoscale Al powder
have higher burn rates
 AIR QUALITY
Nanotechnology can improve the
performance of catalysts used to
transform vapors escaping from cars
or industrial plants into harmless
gasses. That's because catalysts
made from nanoparticles have a
greater surface area to interact with
the reacting chemicals than catalysts
made from larger particles. The
larger surface area allows more
chemicals to interact with the
catalyst simultaneously, which
makes the catalyst more effective.
 WATER QUALITY
Nanotechnology is being used to
develop solutions to three very
different problems in water quality.
One challenge is the removal of
industrial wastes from groundwater.
Nanoparticles can be used to
convert the contaminating chemical
through a chemical reaction to make
it harmless. Studies have shown that
this method can be used successfully
to reach contaminates dispersed in
underground ponds and at much
lower cost than methods which
require pumping the water out of
the ground for treatment.
 Photocatalysis

• Photocatalytic
reactions can purify
water, air, surfaces,
and fabrics
• TiO2 nanocrystals/films
 CHEMICAL SENSORS
Nanotech can enable sensors
to detect very small amounts
of chemical vapors.. Because
of the small size of nanotubes,
nanowires, or nanoparticles, a
few gas molecules are
sufficient to change the
electrical properties of the
sensing elements. This allows
the detection of a very low
concentration of chemical
vapors.
 SPORTING GOODS
The advent of nanotech in
sports industry brought the
benefit of equipment weight
reduction and amplification of
efficiency. It has fetched more
sturdiness, potency and
lightweight at the same time
making athletes comfy, safer,
more agile, and less prone to
injuries.
OTHER SPORTING GOODS
 FABRIC
Making composite fabric with nano-
sized particles or fibers allows
improvement of fabric properties
without a significant increase in weight,
thickness, or stiffness as might have
been the case with previously-
used techniques.
 AGRICULTURE
Nanotech has improved
agriculture by increasing
crop yield while not
adversely affecting the
environment, precision
farming, improving the soil
quality, stimulation of plant
growth and detection of
plant-related health issues
PITFALL
S
 Nano-particles can get into the
body through the skin, lungs and
digestive system, thus creating
free radicals that can cause cell
damage. Once nano-particles are
in the bloodstream, they will be
able to cross the blood-brain
barrier.
❖ Economic market crashes related to a
potential lower value of oil due to more
efficient energy sources and gold or
diamonds, materials that can be
reproduced with molecular manipulation
❖ Accessibility of weapons of mass
destruction
❖ Improved atomic weaponry
❖ The high cost of research and products
made from nanoparticles
Nanobots, because
of their replicating
behavior can be
big threat
for GRAY GOO.
Potential dangers
to humans and the
environment
 RISK ASSESSMENT PROBLEMS

❖Very difficult to detect without

sophisticated equipment
❖Difficult to predict how particles will
behave in the environment
(dispersed/clumped)
❖Small size may result in particles
passing into the body more easily
(inhalation, ingestion, absorption)
RISK ASSESSMENT PROBLEMS
May be more reactive due to
surface area to volume ratio
Potential to adsorb toxic
chemicals
Persistence - Longevity of
particles in the environment
and body are unknown
 All structures are likely
TOXICOLOGICAL DIFFICULTIES to have a unique
toxicological profile
Standardised
terminology agreed
recently
Particle size may be less
important than the
surface characteristics
of the material
Standard dose-response
tests may not be
appropriate
• REFERENCES:

• Australian Academy of Science. 2017. https://www.science.org.au/curious/nanotechnology

• http://science.howstuffworks.com/nanotechnology3.htm

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_nanotube

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanotechnology

• http://crnano.org/whatis.htm

• http://www.wifinotes.com/nanotechnology/introduction-tonanotechnolgy.html

• www.iitb.ac.in/~crnts/

• www.nafenindia.com/Final_Report_Nano_OK.pd

• www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100531082857.htm

• http://www.nanostart.de/index.php/en/nanotechnology/nanotechnology-information/610-schneller-sparsamer-robusternanotechnologie-in-computer-handy-a-co

• Societal Implications of Nanotechnology (http://nano.gov/html/res/home_res.html)

• International Dialogue on Responsible Nanotechnology (http://www.nsf.gov/home/crssprgm/nano/dialog.htm)

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanotechnology#Current_research

• https://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-disadvantages-nanotechnology-37398.html

• https://www.azonano.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=1935