Nano World

SESSION 14-15

NANOTECHNOLOGY
- branch of technology that deals with dimensions and tolerances of less than 100 nanometers,
especially the manipulation of individual atoms and molecules.
Nano, as a unit of measurement f length, is an analogous entity like meter
Atom - Smallest unit into which matter can be divided without the release of electrically charged
particles. It also is the smallest unit of matter that has the characteristic properties of a chemical
element.

Molecule - The smallest particle of a substance that has all of the physical and chemical properties
of that substance.
Nano, as a unit of measurement length, is an analogous entity like meter

HOW SMALL IS A NANO?

Just divide a meter into one billion to visualize how small a Nano is

The prefix Nano means a factor of billionth in the metric system and can be applied in time
(nanosecond), volume (Nano liter) etc.

The nanoscale usually refers to the length around 0.1 nm to 100 nm. The nanomaterials or
nanostructures are in the form of a nanoscale

The nanoscopic scale (or nanoscale) usually refers to structures with a length scalre applicable to
nanotechnology, usuyally cited as 1-100 nanometers
History of Nanotechnology
1959
o Richard Feynman, an American Physicist discussed, “There’s Plenty of Room at the
Bottom”.
1960
o Mohamed Atalla and Dawon Kahng fabricated the first MOSFET ( metal –oxide-
semiconductor field-effect transistor) with a gate oxide thickness of 100nm,
along with a gate length of 20μm.
1974
o Norio Taniguchi, a Japanese scientist of Tokyo University of Science coined the
term “nanotechnology” to describe semiconductor processes such as film
 deposition and ion beam milling exhibiting characteristic control on the order of a
nanometer.
1981s
o The invention of Scanning Tunneling Microscope, an instrument used for imaging
surfaces at the atomic level. It was invented by Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer at
IBM Zurich (Nobel Prize in Physics).
1985
o The discovery of fullerenes, an allotrope of carbon whose molecule consists
of carbon atoms connected by single and double bonds so as to form a closed or
partially closed mesh, with fused rings of five to seven atoms.
1986
o Publication of the book Engines of Creation: The Coming Era of Nanotechnology by
Eric Dexler.
1991
o The discovery of carbon nanotubes by Sumio Lijima
2006
o The discovery of 3nm MOSFET, the worlds’smallest nanoelectronic device
was created by Korean Researchers from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science
and Technology and the National Nano Fab Center.

NANOTECHNOLOGY OF THE PAST

Even long before the "nanoera" people were engaged in difference process and used these ito
practice in smal scale subconsiciously

ANCIENT EGYPTIANS

Fermentation process on nanolevel (making bread, wine, bear, cheese, and other food stuffs)

Nanoparticles of galenite (lead sulfide) wear formed in hair dyeing processes

ANCIENT ROME

Ligurcus cup: 4th Century AD (Biritsh Heritage) possess unusual optical properties (bown is green
in natural light and red if illuminated from within)

Recent techniques discovered of gold and silver from 50-100 nm in size (responsible from unusual
coloring of the bowl)

MIDDLES AGES

Stained glass windows have been admired in Europe because of close to perfection. As latest
study shows the windows contained additives of gold and nanoparticles of other materials
NANOTECHNOLOGY IN THE PHILIPPINES

Through the effort ofDepartment of Science and Technology- Industrial Technology and
Development Institute (DOST-ITDI) provides opportunities and technical services to local industries
by Nano Lab.

NanoTechnology Projects supervise by DOST-ITDI

Solar Cells
ex: dye synthesized-based solar cells (DSSC) is low cost solar cells belonging to the group of thin
film solar cells

Information and Communication Techology and Semiconductors

Ex: use of nanowires to ultrafast ICT with small power consumption
Agriculture
ex: facilitate gene transformation and expression of animal and plant cells

Environment
ex: water purification by nanofilters for treating heavy metal contaminated water
NANOTECHOLOGY ISSUES
- While nanotechnology is here in the Philippines today there are a lots of promises that need to
fulfilled or be discovered

HEALTH ISSUES
- Rich countires are investing heavily in nanotechnology for health. The first generation of cancer
drugs delivered via nanoparticles, for example has alrready been approved by US FOOD AND
DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA)

DISEASE DIAGNOSES AND SCREENING

Nanolitre systems (known as lab-on-a-schip_: devices that automate a biological process using
fluids at the nanolitre scale

Quantum dots: nanosized semiconductors that can be used as biosensors to find disease.
Because they fluoresce, they can be used to tag diseased cells.

Magnetic nanoparticles: used asnanosensors

Nanosensor arrays: grids of carbon nanotubes

DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEMS ISSUE

- The choice of system depends on the way they bind with the drug wnad the type of drug
treatment
Nanocapsules: these are pods that encapsulate drugs, which ensure the drugs are released more
slowly and steadily in the body.

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

• Nanotechnology-based solutions for oil spills

• Nanotechnology could make battery recycling economically attractive
• Carbon dioxide capture
• Nanomaterials for radioactive waste
• Clean-up in water
• Hydrogen production from
• sunlight - artificial photosynthesis

Agriculture

• Nano-particles controlling the plant diseases

• Nanotechnology for detecting plant diseases
• Plant pathogens in biosynthesis of nanoparticles
• Food processing and product development

NANOTECHNOLOGY CAN PROVIDE SOLUTIONS TO THESE BASIC NEEDS IN RURAL

AREAS

• Cheaper and readily accessible solar cells based on quantum dots

• Clean water using nanocatalysts or nanoporous membranes that will filter off impurities
• Enhanced agricultural productivity assisted by nanotechnology
• Medical care using portable medical diagnostic kits using nanotech
• Advances in ICT in computations and telecommunications may bring education effectively.
Early uses of Nanomaterials
In Mesopotamia, nanoparticles were used for creating a glittering effect on the
surface of pots.
In modern times, pottery from the middle Ages and Renaissance often retains a distinct
gold- or copper-colored metallic glitter.
In Rome, Lycurgus cup is made of a glass that changes colour when light gleamed through
it.
In pre-columbian Mayan City of Chichen Itza, a corrosion resistant azure pigment known as
“ Maya Blue” contains nanopores to create an environmentally stable pigment.
In Middle East, Damascus steel swords contain oriented nanoscale wire-and-tube-like
structures
What is Nanotechnology?
o The engineering of functional systems at the molecular scale.
o It is a Hybrid Science combining Engineering, Chemistry and to a certain extent
Biology.
o It deals with the creation of functional materials, devices, systems through
control of matter or nanoscale.
o It placed the footprints in the field of energy, medicine, electronics, computing,
security and materials.
 Nanoscience is the study of phenomena and manipulation of materials at
atomic, molecular and macromolecular scales, where properties differ
significantly from
those at a larger scale.
 Nanotechnologies are the design, characterization, production and
application of structures, devices and systems by controlling shape and size
at nanometre scale.

o Fundamental Concepts in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

 It’s hard to imagine just how small nanotechnology is. One nanometer is a
billionth of a meter, or 10-9 of a meter.
 Here are a few illustrative examples:
 There are 25,400,000 nanometers in an inch
 A sheet of newspaper is about 100,000 nanometers thick
 On a comparative scale, if a marble were a nanometer, then one
meter would be the size of the Earth.

o Different Approaches to Nanotechnology

 Nanotechnologies can be:
 Top-down
o Etching a block of material down to the desired shape
o Chips and processors
 Bottom-up
o Building materials atom by atom - like lego
o Nanoparticles such as C60, carbon nanotubes, quantum
dots
 Applications of Nanotechnology
 Catalysts
o Envirox™ cerium oxide
 Nanoremediation
o SAMMS technology to remove mercury
 Paper
 photographic paper
 o Filters
 Nanofibers
 Toothpaste to remineralise teeth
 Food
 Packaging
 Paint
 improved adhesion and anti-fungal qualities/anti-graffiti
 Clothes
 non-staining and anti-radiation
 Batteries
 (Black & Decker) phosphate nanocrystal technology
 Cleaning products
o Advantages of Nanotechnology
 Protect drugs from being degraded in the body before they reach their target
 Enhances the absorption of drugs into tumors and into the cancerous cells
themselves.
 Allows for better control over the timing and distribution of drugs to the
tissue, making it easier for oncologists to assess how well they work.
 Prevent drugs from interacting with normal cells , thus avoiding side effects.

o Disadvantages
 Adverse health effects in humans from deliberate or accidental exposure
 Adverse effects on the environment from deliberate or accidental exposure
 Potentially explosive properties of nanostructures
 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)
 May be more reactive due to surface area to volume ratio