Nanotechnology (Module 6)

- a branch of tech that deals with the manipulation and study of matter at the atomic or
molecular scale.

- nanoscience and nanotechnology are the study and application of extremely small
things and can be used across all the other science fields, such as chemistry, biology,
physics, material science and engineering.

Richard Feynman - father of nanotechnology

The ideas between nanoscience and nanotechnology started with the talk, “There’s
Plenty of aroom at the Bottom” (Dec 29, 1959)

- 25 years after he was invited to talk on his development of his study. He called the talk
this time, “The Tiny Machines”

- feynman laid the conceptual foundations for the field now called nanotechnology when
he imagined a day when things could be miniatured. — when huge amounts of info
could be encoded onto increasingly small spaces, and when machinery could be made
considerably smaller and more compact.

NANOSTRUCTURES
- defined as any structure with one or more dimension, measuring in the nanometer
scale range, that is, 10^-9 m.

- there are 25,400,000 nanometers in an inch

- a sheet of newspaper/hair is about 100,000 nanometers thick.

- cell is 7000 nm

NANOFIBERS
- a continuous fiber that has a diameter in the range of billionths of a meter
- the smaller nanofiber range from 1.50 to 1.75 nanometer.

NORIO TANIGUCHI
- the first to use the term “nano-technology” in a 1974 conference.

- nanotechnology mainly consists of the processing of, seperation, consolidation and

deformation of materials by one atom or one molecule.

ERIC DREXLER
- in 1981, he was unaware of taniguchi’s prior use of the term, published his first paper
on nano technology in 1981.
- he coined the term grey goo, a nightmare situation of nanotech, in which out of control
self replicating nanobots destroy the biosphere by producing their replicas and feeding
on materials necessary for life.

BIRTH OF NANOTECHNOLOGY:
- alternate sized gold and silver particles created colors in the stained glass windows of
medieval churches hundreds of years ago.

- Gold changes color the thinner it gets.

- the artists back then just didnt know that the process they used to create these
beautiful works of art actually led to changes in the composition of the materials they
were working with.

- the electron microscopes needed to see things at the nanoscale and manipulate them
leads to the brith of the nanotechnology age were the:

1. Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM)

2. Atomic Force Microscope (AFM)
3. Scanning Probe Microscope (SPM)

PROPERTIES OF NANOSCALE MATERIALS:

- higher strength
- lighter weight
- space saver
- lower energy consumption
- increased control of light spectrum
- greater chemical reactivity than their larger-scale counterparts

MATERIALS USED

1. Zinc Oxide – dirt repellant, hydrophobic, cosmetic and stain resistance,

sunscreen
2. Silver ion – healing property, eliminated body odor
3. Iron oxide powder – used as base material for rouge and lipstick
4. Aluminum silicate – scratch resistance
5. Gold ion – chip fabrication, drug delivery
6. Titanium dioxide – make the surface of glass reject dirt, and so become “self-
cleaning” for UV protection

NANOTECHNOLOGY IN EVERYDAY LIFE

1. Medicine
- particles are designed to target the diseased cells, which allow direct treatment
thus, reduce damage to healthy cells and allows early detection of disease.
 - Enable drug to be delivered precisely the right location in the body and release
drug doses in a predetermined schedule for optimal treatment
- Current treatment is through radiotherapy and chemotherapy

2. Electronics
- Includes improving display screens on electronics devices and increasing the
density of memory chips.
- Nanotechnology can also reduce the size of transistors used in integrated
circuits.
- Silver nanoparticle ink was used to form the conductive lines needed in cicruit
boards.

3. Environment
Potential applications include:
- Cleaning up organic chemicals polluting groundwater
- Generating less pollution during the manufacture of materials
- Increasing the electricity generated by windmills
- Producing solar cells that generate electricity at a competitive cost

4. Consumer Products
They include:
- Silver nanoparticles in detergent and fabric that kill bacteria making clothing odor
resistant.
- Skin care products that use nanoparticles to deliver vitamins deeper into the skin.
Facial cream, sunscreen lotion
- Lithium ion batteries that use nanoparticle-based electrodes powering plug-in
electric cars.
- Flame retardant formed by coating the foam used in furniture with carbon
nanofibers

5. Sporting Goods
- Swim suits coated by water repellent nanoparticles spilled miracles
- Increasing the strength of tennis racquets by adding nanotubes to the frames
which increases control and power when you hit the ball.
- Filling any imperfections in golf club shaft materials with nanoparticles, this
improves the uniformity of the material that makes up the shaft and thereby
improving your swing.
- Make bicycles frames lighter and stronger that in turn help cyclists to make a
greater difference in cycling.
 6. Transportation
- Nano-engineered materials in automotive products include; high-power
rechargeable battery systems, thermoelectric materials for temperature control,
lower rolling-resistance tires, high-efficiency/low cost sensors and electronics,
thin-film smart solar panels, and fuel additives and improved catalytic converters
for cleaner exhaust and extended range.
- It has been estimated that reducing the weight of a commercial jet aircraft by 20
percent could reduce its fuel consumption by as much as 15 percent.

POTENTIAL RISKS
1. Privacy Invasion – virtually undetectable surveillance devices could dramatically
increase spying on governments, corporations m and private citizens.
2. Nanopollutants – nanoparticles small enough to enter your lungs or be absorbed
by your skin. Since these particles are very small, problems can actually arise
from the inhalation of these minute particles. There could be some negative
effects on the environment as potential new toxins and pollutants may be created
by nanotechnology.
3. Nanotechnology could be weaponized – one possibility is the so called “smart
bullet”, a computerized bullet that could be controlled and aimed very accurately.
4. Loss of jobs – in traditional farming and manufacturing industry
5. Ethical concerns – altering the genetic make up of humans by engineering
specific traits. Such procedure would be directed towards the high-income
section of the society and could further divide the population into super class of
intelligent, strong beings and a lower class of average people.