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Department of Mechanical Engineering

IV B.Tech I Semester
NANOTECHNOLOGY
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Unit-1
Day -1
Topics to be covered:
 Introduction to Nanoscience and Nanotechnology.
 Definition of nanometer and nanomaterials.
1. What is nano?
A. The word "nano" originates from the Greek word "nanos" which means "dwarf" (i.e. an
abnormally short person). However, in scientific language it is a prefix which has a value equal
to "one billionth, i.e. 10−9". Therefore, one nanometer is one billionth of a meter (1 nm = 10−9
m). Following examples helps to understand a sense of nano scaled objects gives qualitative
idea.
1) Diameter of a hydrogen atom is about 0.1 nm. If ten hydrogen atoms are aligned in a line,
then the resulting length would be approximately 1 nm. 1 nm is approximately 5 silicon atoms
aligned in a line.
2) A single strand of human hair is around 20,000 nm in diameter.
3) Size of a DNA molecule is about 2.5 nm.
At the nanometer length scale, the laws of physics operate somewhat differently; the classical
mechanics that we encounter in everyday life give way to quantum mechanics. At the
nanoscale, for example, a tablespoon is not smooth, but instead composed of discrete atoms and
molecules.

2. Define nanoscience?
The word itself is a combination of "nano", from the Greek "nanos" (or Latin "nanus"),
meaning "dwarf", and the word "science". The word nano also refers to the 10−9 or one
billionth.
The study of phenomena, properties and manipulation of structures having nanometer
dimension (1-100 nanometers) is referred to as nanoscience. Nanoscience is concerned with
materials and systems whose structures and components exhibit novel and significantly
improved physical, chemical and biological properties, phenomena and processes, because of
their small nanoscale size.
Day – 2

3. Define nanotechnology?
Currently there are a lot of different opinions about what is nanotechnology? In general,
nanotechnology (sometimes shortened to "nanotech") can be understood as a technology of
design, fabrication and applications of nanostructures and nanomaterials. Nanostructures and
nano materials are those with at least one dimension falling in nanometer scale (1-100 nm), and
include nanoparticles (including quantum dots, when exhibiting quantum effects), nanorods and
nanowires, thin films, and bulk materials made of nanoscale building blocks.
Nanotechnology also includes fundamental understanding of physical properties and
phenomena of nanomaterials and nanostructures. In the United States, nanotechnology has been
defined as being "concerned with materials and systems whose structures and components
exhibit novel and significantly improved physical, chemical and biological properties,
phenomena & processes due to their nanoscale size”.
Nanotechnology is a key technology for the future and hence governments have invested
billions of dollars in its future. Through its National Nanotechnology Initiative, the USA has

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invested 3.7 billion dollars, European Union has invested 1.2 billion and Japan 750 million
dollars.
In order to explore novel physical properties and phenomena and realize potential applications
of nanostructures and nanomaterials, the ability to fabricate and process nanomaterials and
nanostructures is the first corner stone in nanotechnology

4. What are the aims of nanotechnology?

Once we are able to control feature size, we can enhance material properties and device
functions beyond those that we currently know or even imagine. Nanotechnology aims to gain
control of structures and devices at the atomic, molecular and supramolecular levels, and to
learn how to efficiently manufacture and use these devices.

5. Why is the study of nanoscience different than the same problems on a larger scale?
Physics is different on the nanometer scale. Properties not seen on a macroscopic scale now
become important - such as quantum mechanical and thermodynamic properties. Rather than
working with bulk materials, one works with individual atoms and molecules. By learning
about an individual molecule’s properties, we can put them together in very well-defined ways
to produce new materials with new and amazing characteristics.
Day – 3

6. Why is nanotechnology suddenly becoming such a big field?

There are multiple reasons for this. One is availability of new instruments able to "see" and
"touch" at nano scale. In the early 1980's the Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) was
invented at IBM-Zurich in Switzerland. This was the first instrument that was able to "see"
atoms. A few years later, the Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) was invented, expanding the
capabilities and types of materials that could be investigated. Hence, Scanning Probe
Microscopy (SPM) was born, and since then multiple similar techniques have evolved from
these instruments to "see" different properties at the nanometer scale. In addition, "older"
techniques such as electron microscopy have continued to evolve as well, and now can image in
the nanometer range. Currently, there are a large number of complementary instruments that
help scientists in the nano realm and hence, it is possible to image individual molecules, and
even single atoms.
In addition to the enabling technologies, scientists have realized the future potential of this
research. By convincing politicians and leaders around the world, countries have instituted
initiatives to promote nanoscience and nanotechnology in their universities and labs. With the
recent increase in funding, many scientists are pursuing this research and the rate of discovery
has increased dramatically.

7. What are the important aspects of nanotechnology?

Nanotechnology has three important aspects: size, structure, and resulting novel properties.
Size: About 3-10 atoms along a line results the length of a nanometer. In comparison, the
diameter of a human hair is about 20,000 nanometers and a smoke particle is about 1,000
nanometers.
Structure: Nanotechnology is not just about the size of looking at very small things, it is about
structure, or how things are put together, arranged, or assembled. It is the ability to work –
observe, manipulate, and build – at the atomic or molecular level.

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Novel properties: Nanotechnology produces materials and systems that exhibit novel and
significantly changed physical, chemical, and biological properties because of their size and
structure. When a substance consists only of clusters of a few hundred atoms, the laws of
quantum mechanics influence dramatic changes in its mechanical, optical, and electronic
properties. These properties include improved catalysts, tunable photoactivity, increased
strength etc.

8. What are the future implications of nanotechnology?

Scientists debate the future implications of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology may be able to
create many new materials and devices with a vast range of applications, such as in medicine,
electronics, biomaterials and energy production. On the other hand, nanotechnology raises
many of the same issues as any new technology, including concerns about the toxicity and
environmental impact of nanomaterials, and their potential effects on global economics, as well
as speculation about various doomsday scenarios. These concerns have led to a debate among
advocacy groups and governments on whether special regulation of nanotechnology is
warranted.
Day – 4

9. What happens when the dimensions of structures are reduced to nanoscale levels?
Nanotechnology is not only a simple continuation of miniaturization from micron meter
scale down to nanometer scale. Materials in the micrometer scale mostly exhibit physical
properties the same as that of bulk form; however, materials in the nanometer scale may exhibit
physical
properties distinctively different from that of bulk.
When at least one of the dimensions of any type of material is reduced below ~ 100 nm, then
it's mechanical, thermal, optical, magnetic and other properties change at some size
characteristics of that material. Thus within the same material one can get a range of properties.
For example, consider a semiconductor like CdSe, which is normally reddish in colour. If one
brings down the particle size (i.e. diameter) of CdSe to say ~ 10 nm, its powder still has red
colour. But below about 5 nm size, a dramatic change occurs in the optical properties of CdSe.
As illustrated in figure the colour of ~ 4.5 nm size particles is yellow, ~ 3.8 nm size particles is
light green and that of ~2.8 nm size particles is green, and ~ 2 nm size particles is blue. Not
only the visual appearance but also other properties change dramatically. The melting point of
the solid changes when we make tiny particles of material, for example, small particles of gold
melt at a much lower temperature than a big piece of gold.

Properties of materials can be different at the nanoscale for two main reasons:
1) Nanomaterials have a relatively larger surface area or surface area to volume ratio when
compared to the same mass of material produced in a bulk form. This can make materials more
chemically reactive (in some cases materials that are inert in their bulk form become reactive
when produced in their nanoscale form), and affect their strength or electrical properties. For
example, gold is chemically inert at macroscopic scale. However, gold becomes reactive and
catalytic at nanoscale, and even melts at lower temperature. The larger surface area permits
simultaneous interaction of chemicals with catalysts, which makes the catalyst more effective.
For example: Consider a cube of side 2 cm length having a surface area of 24 cm 2. If it is
divided into 8 small cubes, its length reduces to 1 cm. But, the total surface area of these 8
cubes becomes 48 cm2. If each of these cubes is further divided in to 10 21 cubes, their side
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length reduces to 1 nm. Then the total surface area of 8 × 10 21 cubes = 8 × 6 × 1021 nm2 = 48 ×
107 cm2.

2) Quantum mechanical effects which become significant at nano regime - affecting the
optical, electrical and magnetic behaviour of materials. One example is the "quantum size
effect" where the electronic properties of solids are altered with great reductions in particle size.
This effect does not come into play by going from macro to micro dimensions. However, it
becomes pronounced when the nanometer size range is reached.

Important examination questions:

1) What are nano, nanoscience and nanotechnology?
2) Define the nanomaterials? Explain the classifications of nanomaterials?
Day – 5

10. Define Nanomaterials? Briefly write the note on classifications of nanomaterials?

Nanomaterials are materials with at least one dimension falling in nanometer scale (1-100 nm)
or where the sizes of the individual blocks are less than 100 nm. Nano-devices are devices with
at least one essential component which is a nanostructure. Nano-system consists of several
nanodevices that are of importance to the functioning of whole system.

CLASSIFICATION OF NANOMATERIALS
Nanomaterials can have nanoscale in one dimension (e.g. surface films), two dimensions (e.g.
strands or fibres), or three dimensions (e.g. particles). They can exist in single, fused,
aggregated or agglomerated forms with spherical, tubular, and irregular shapes. Common types
of nanomaterials include nanotubes, dendrimers, quantum dots and fullerenes. According to
Siegel, Nanostructured materials are classified as zero dimensional, one dimensional, two
dimensional, three dimensional nanostructures.

1. Zero dimensional (0-D): These nanostructures possess nano-dimensions in all the three
directions. These includes nanoparticles [e.g. gold, silver nanoparticles etc], quantum dots
[a closely packed semiconductor crystal comprised of hundreds of atoms, and whose size is
on the order of a few nm, e.g. CdS, CdSe etc], and nanodots [billions of little magnets
which can switch polarity to represent a binary unit of data (e.g. a single digit, 1 or 0)].
Many of these are spherical and the diameter of these particles will be in the 1-50 nm range.
These can have different shapes such as cubes and polygons.
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2. One Dimensional (1-D): In these nanostructures, one dimension of the nanostructure will be
outside the nanometer range. These include nanowires, nanorods, and nanotubes. These
materials are long (several micrometer in length), but with diameter of only a few
nanometer. Nanowire and nanotubes of metals, oxides and other materials have been made.

3. Two Dimensional (2-D): In this type of nanomaterials, two dimensions are outside the
nanometer range. These include nano films (e.g. coatings and thin-film-multilayers),
nanosheets or nano walls. The area of the nano films can be large (several micrometer), but
their thickness is very small (only few nanometers).

4. Three Dimensional (3-D): in these, the three dimensions of the nanostructure are outside the
nanometer range. These include bulk materials, where the sizes of the individual blocks (or
structural units) are in the nanometer scale (1-100 nm).

Classification of Nanomaterials (a) 0-D spheres and clusters, (b) 1-D nanofibers, wires, and
rods, (c) 2-D films, plates, and networks, (d) 3-D nanomaterials.

11. What are the advantages and challenges of nanotechnology?

One of the basic principles of nanotechnology is positional control. At the macroscopic scale,
we can hold parts in our hands and assemble them by properly positioning them with respect to
each other, which is not possible at nano scale. Our wisdom and our knowledge would have
done us scant good without an opposable thumb, otherwise we would still be shivering in the
bushes, unable to start a fire. The advantages of nanotechnology are as follows:
1) Devices made from nanotechnology are more durable, lighter, stronger, smarter, cheaper,
cleaner and more precise.
2) Nanotechnology reduces the energy consumption.
3) Nanotechnology is a new tool, which allows fundamental discoveries with broad impact
on technology, materials, bio-medical, energy and environment.
4) It enhances the performance in different applications such as nano transistors, plasma
display, nano diodes, plasma display etc even at a smaller size.
5) The small size and complexity of nanoscale structures make the development of new
measurement technologies more challenging than ever.
This technology has being used in different sectors even in medical science where it is used to
implement drugs in our body as well as making treatment more effective than before. This
technology is now in the infant stage and there is still immense scope of improvement.
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CHALLENGES IN NANOTECHNOLOGY

Challenges include:
1) The building and demonstration of novel tools to study at the nanometer level what is
being manifested at the macro level.
2) New measurement techniques need to be developed at the nanometer scale and may
require new innovations in metrological technology.
3) Measurements of physical properties of nanomaterials require extremely sensitive
instrumentation, while the noise level must be kept very low. Although material properties such
as electrical conductivity, dielectric constant, tensile strength, are independent of dimensions
and weight of the material in question, in practice, system properties are measured
experimentally. For example, electrical conductance, capacitance and tensile stress are
measured and used to calculate electrical conductivity, dielectric constant and tensile strength.
As the dimensions of materials shrink from centimeter or millimeter scale to nanometer scale,
the system properties would change accordingly, and mostly decrease with the reducing
dimensions of the sample materials. Such a decrease can easily be as much as 6 orders of
magnitude as sample size reduces from centimeter to nanometer scale.
4) For the fabrication and processing of nanomaterials and nanostructures, the following
challenges must be met:
a) Overcome the huge surface energy, a result of enormous surface area or large surface
area to volume ratio.
b) Ensure all nanomaterials with desired size, uniform size distribution, morphology,
crystallinity, chemical composition, and microstructure that altogether result in desired physical
properties.
c) Prevent nanomaterials and nanostructures from coarsening through either Ostwald
ripening or agglomeration as time evolutes.
Day – 6

12. Explain the origin (or emergence) of nanotechnology?

Nanotechnology is a new word, but it is not an entirely new field and research on nanometer
scale is not new at all.
 The study of biological systems and the engineering of many materials suchas colloidal
dispersions, metallic quantum dots, and catalysts have been in the nanometer regime for
centuries.
 For example, Chinese are known to use gold (Au) nanoparticles as an inorganic dye to
introduce red color into their ceramic porcelains more than thousand years ago. Use of colloidal
gold has a long history, though a comprehensive study on the preparation and properties of
colloidal gold was first published in the middle of the 19th century.
 Colloidal dispersion of gold prepared by Michael Faraday in 1857, his gold samples are
still in British museum in UK showing beautiful magenta-red colour (not golden!) solution.
 Medical applications of colloidal gold present another example. Colloidal gold was, and
is still, used for treatment of arthritis. A number of diseases were diagnosed by the interaction
of colloidal gold with spinal fluids obtained from the patient

13. How the idea of nanotechnology has started?

The ideas and concepts behind nanoscience and nanotechnology started with a talk entitled
"There's plenty of room at the bottom" by Nobel Laureate Richard P. Feynman, a physicist, at
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the annual meeting of the American Physical Society at the California Institute of Technology
(CalTech) on December 29, 1959, long before the term nanotechnology was used. This
historical talk lead to call him as “father of nanotechnology”. In this talk, he stated, "The
principles of physics, as far as I can see, do not speak against the possibility of maneuvering
things atom by atom (i.e. it is possible to manipulate and control individual atoms and
molecules). It is not an attempt to violate any laws; it is something, in principle, that can be
done; but in practice, it has not been done because we are too big”. In other words
“ . . . I am not afraid to consider the final question as to whether, ultimately-in the great future-
we can arrange the atoms the way we want; the very atoms, all the way down! What would
happen if we could arrange the atoms one by one the way we want them. . ..” later,
 1968 Development of Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) by Arthur and Cho that enables
materials to be grown an atomic layer at a time.
 1974 N. Taniguchi generally credited for using the word ‘Nanotechnology’ for the first
time.
 1981 Development of Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) by Rohrer and Binnig
enables atomic resolution images of surfaces.
 1985 Discovery of C60 and other fullerenes by Harry Kroto, Richard Smalley and Robert
Curl, Jr.
 1985 Tom Newman wrote the first page of Charles Dickens’ novel A tale of two cities
with a reduction factor of 25 000 using Electron Beam Lithography (EBL) [6] thus winning a
prize of $1,000 offered by Richard Feynman after his 1959 speech.
 1986 Development of Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) by Binnig and coworkers.
 1987 Development of Magnetic Force Microscope (MFM) by Martin and
Wickramasinghe
 1991 Sumio Iijima discovers carbon nanotubes
 1995 Takahashi and co-workers demonstrate single-electron transistor operating at room
temperature.
 2002 Regression of tumour in mouse achieved using magnetic nanoparticle hyperthermia
achieved by Brusentsov and co-workers.
 2007 Johanssen and co-workers conduct first human clinical trials of magnetic
nanoparticle hyperthermia treatment of cancer.

Important examination questions:

1. Why properties of materials can be different at the nanoscale?
2. What are the advantages and challenges of nanotechnology?
3. What are zero, one and two dimensional nano structures? Set 1, March – 2017, 3M
4. Explain about different applications of nanomaterials. Set 2, April – 2011, 16M

Raghu Institute of Technology Dept. of MECH NANOTECHNOLOGY Unit - 1