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Discover the secrets

of the Nanoworld
‘Nano’ has become a buzz word in
popular culture to just mean
small.
To understand nanotechnology we
must first think about scale.
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 Dog 100 m or 1,000,000,000 nm
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One dimension between
1
and 100 nm.
A water molecule which measures
approximately 0.5 nm is about as big in
relation to an apple as an apple is to
planet Earth.

It’s a long way down

to the nanoscale!
Nanoparticles are just tiny bits
of a larger material but what
happens when you create such
small pieces?

Images of gold nanoparticles courtsey of Paul

Rhatigan, Cambridge University.
Tiny pieces =
more…….
 Nanoparticles have more surface area. This
makes them more reactive since chemical
reactions happen on the surface.
More reactive means potentially more
useful.
 In a cubic centimetre
of material one in 10
million atoms are on
the surface but for a
cubic nanometre, 80%
of atoms are on the
surface and potentially
ready to react!

Images courtesy of Dr Colm Durkan, Cambridge

University.
So how do scientists work
on such a tiny scale?
 Mainly because microscopes
have become more
sophisticated.
The first microscopes to be
developed in around 1665 opened up
a whole new world for scientists. For
the first time cells and structures of
nature that we are familiar with now
became visible. Public opinion was
Micrographia 1665.
fearful of this voyage into the unseen
world of the microscopic.
Now we have microscopes that can see even further
into this world, actually to the atoms that are the
very building blocks of our living world.

These more sophisticated

microscopes are known
collectively as Scanning Probe
Microscopes or SPMs.
A Scanning Probe Microscope uses an extremely
fine probe tip (sometimes ending in only a few
atoms) and runs over the surface feeling for
contours and shapes.
Probe tip feeling for
shapes.

Examples include: Atomic

Force Microscope, Scanning
Tunnelling Microscope

www.tut.fi
A cantilever, similar to a diving board, is attached to the tip of an
Atomic Force Microscope or AFM. The whole thing moves
up and down as the tip moves over the atomic–scale hills and
valleys of a sample’s surface.
A laser reflects off
detector Laser the back of the
cantilever. When the
cantilever deflects,
so does the laser
beam. A detector in a
le ver
nti computer records the
ca movement of the
laser and translates
that data into an
image, such as the
Probe tip images on the right.
Images courtesy of T. Oppenheim,
Cambridge University
computer Sample
This is a diagram of an Atomic Force Microscope, or
AFM
Scanning tunnelling
A scanning tunnelling microscope works by having a
microscope.
tiny probe which scans across a surface picking up
variations in the current that runs between itself
and the atoms on the surface. This probe is made
of conducting material (usually Tungsten) and the
very end of it is only 1 atom wide!

A tungsten tip for STM

imaging.
These variations in current are
translated into images such as the
ones to the right.

Images courtesy of Cambridge university, Nanoscience

Centre.
The probe tips can also be used to
move individual atoms.

The image shows iron atoms

which have been moved
Image
originally
individually.
created by
Don Eigler,
IBM
corporation.
This idea of building things from the atoms and working up
is interesting for researchers.
‘TOP DOWN’ Computers and phones are getting
smaller yet more powerful. This trend
demands smaller and smaller
components, getting down to the
nanoscale. It makes sense to be able to
create these nano-devices from the
‘bottom up’. Rather than the more
traditional ‘top down’ approach to
manufacturing.
Manufacturing from the ‘bottom up’
‘BOTTOM UP’
would mean less energy and less waste.
Moving atoms individually is still not a viable technique for
creating nanostructures because it’s too slow. However there
is another process called ‘SELF ASSEMBLY’, often seen in
nature, which scientists can exploit.

Atoms, molecules or nanoparticles will

arrange themselves into larger structures if
they have the right properties and
environments.
This process plays a central role in the
construction of DNA, cells, bones and viruses.
These all self assemble without assistance.
Another way scientists can create nano-sized devices is a process
called lithography. It is often used to make computer
chips. It works in a very similar way to printing or if you were
spray painting over a stencil. But lithography uses light or
electrons instead of ink or paint.
Photolithography uses light and This is a finished structure created by
structures as small as around 20 E-beam lithography.
nm can be made. If scientists
want to make even smaller
structures (around 5 nm), they
use electrons instead of light, this
is called E-beam lithography.

Images courtesy of Dr Atif Aziz and Dr Colm Durkan., Cambridge

University.
 Are an exciting discovery which could
revolutionise materials of the future.
In this image each letter is made up
of hundreds of nanotubes!

They are stronger yet

considerably lighter
than steel and flexible.
They can behave like Courtesy of Stephan Hoffman, Cambridge University.
metals but also semi- Even when nanotubes are fully grown, each entity
conductors, they are is smaller than a human blood cell.
great at transmitting
With properties like this they could play
heat and they are
a pivotal role in the development of new
assembled from
materials and future electronics.
carbon atoms.
 Nature is an expert in making
nanoscale structures.
This is why scientists look to
nature for inspiration when
researching how to construct at
this tiny scale.
 Biomimicry
Biomimicry is the term scientists copying nature.
By studying Lotus leaves and their structure scientists
have designed non-wetting materials and self-
cleaning windows.

By studying butterfly
wings and their
nanostructures
scientists have Even the nano
explained how light structure of a
can interact Toucan’s beak has
differently with offered insight into
surfaces. This has designing ultra-light
helped design security aircraft components.
holograms and hair
products! Butterfly wings under
the microscope
 Geckos’ feet have nanostructures.
Image credit: A.Dhinojwala, University of Akron
Image credit: C. Mathisen, FEI
Company
Geckos’ feet are covered in tiny hair-like
structures called setaes. These structures
can get so close to a surface that weak
‘sticky’ interactions between molecules
become significant. The result is strong
adhesion which is entirely due to Van der
Waals forces. Scientists have been
inspired by this nanostructure to create
internal bandages which still adhere even
in a wet environment.
Image credit: A.Kellar, Lewis & Clark
College

Nature is experienced in working on the nanoscale and we can learn a

lot from its success at creating natural nanotechnology.
Nanotechnology is already in our lives.

Nanoelectronics has enabled

Some tennis balls stay
the miniaturisation of
bouncy for longer thanks
electronic gadgets in daily
to a nano-structured inner
use.
layer.
Some tennis racquets
are made from a
Socks that contain antibacterial carbon-based
nanoparticles of silver are nanocomposite making
supposed to keep your feet them stronger and
healthy and odour free. lighter than ever before.
Nanotechnology is already in our lives.
Some textiles are made very hydrophobic using
liquid repellent nanostructures which enable
them to be water and stain resistant.

Sun glasses which have a

nano-structured coating
are easier to clean, harder
to scratch, anti static,anti-
Cosmetics and misting and anti-bacterial.
sunscreens which
contain nanoparticles
can promote better
protection and
comfort.
Nanotechnology is a multi-
disciplinary subject as it
incorporates many different
areas of science and industry:
It is the potential of Nanotechnology that
it so interesting.
makes
Some areas where Nanotechnology could have
a dramatic impact include
Medical Applications e.g. cancer therapy

Information Technology e.g. faster computers

Energy Solutions e.g. such as more economical

fuel cells and solar cells
Areas which have an impact on
all our lives.
THE NANO
WORLD
 Nano World
• the global market
leader for tips for
Scanning Probe
Microscopy and
Atomic Force
Microscopy.
• sphere of
influence
of nanotechnology
 Scanning probe microscopy (SPM)
• a branch of microscopy
that forms images of
surfaces using a
physical probe that
scans the specimen.
• founded in 1981, with
the invention of the
scanning tunneling
microscope, an
instrument for imaging
surfaces at the atomic
level.
 Atomic Force Microscopy.
• is a type of scanning
probe microscopy
(SPM), with
demonstrated resolution
on the order of fractions
of a nanometer, more
than 1000 times better
than the optical
diffraction limit. The
information is gathered
by "feeling" or "touching"
the surface with a
mechanical probe.
 Origin of Nanoscience
• in 1959 it was discussed by the renowned physicist
Richard Feynman in his talk There's Plenty of Room at
the Bottom, in which he described the possibility of
synthesis via direct manipulation of atoms.
• in 1960, Egyptian engineer Mohamed Atalla and
Korean engineer Dawon Kahng at Bell Labs fabricated
the first MOSFET (metal-oxide-semiconductor field-
effect transistor) with a gate oxide thickness of 100 nm,
along with a gate length of 20 µm.
• in 1962, Atalla and Kahng fabricated a nanolayer- base
metal–semiconductor junction (M–S junction)
transistor that used gold (Au) thin films with a thickness
of 10 nm.
 Origin of nanotechnology
• the term "nano-technology" was first used by Norio
Taniguchi in 1974.
• In 1986, K. Eric Drexler used the term "nanotechnology"
in his book Engines of Creation: The Coming Era of
Nanotechnology, which proposed the idea of a
nanoscale "assembler" which would be able to build a
copy of itself and of other items of arbitrary complexity
with atomic control.
• In 1980, the emergence of nanotechnology as a field in
occurred through convergence of Drexler's theoretical
and public work
• in 1986, Drexler co-founded The Foresight Institute to
help increase public awareness and understanding of
nanotechnology concepts and implications.
 Nanoscience and technology
• branch of science that studies systems
and manipulates matter on atomic,
molecular and supramolecular
scales/ultra-small scale (the nanometre
scale).
 Nanotechnology
• study of what happens when
things get very, very small – only
a few atoms in size.
• refers to the science,
engineering, and technology
conducted at the nanoscale,
which is about 1 to 100
nanometers.
• employs the study and
application of exceptionally small
things in materials science,
engineering, physics, biology
and chemistry.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUDWK4MGcr0

Nanotechnology is a very diverse field that is

having bigger and bigger impacts on the world.
•has applications in medicine, cars, spacecrafts,
food, electronics, and materials science just to
name a few.
•refers broadly to a field of applied science and
technology whose unifying theme is the control of
matter on the molecular level in scales smaller
than 1 micrometer, normally 1 to 100 nanometers,
and the fabrication of devices within that size
range.
nanometer

• a unit of spatial measurement that is 10-9

meter, or one billionth of a meter.
• commonly used in nanotechnology, the
building of extremely small machines.
Nanoscale and nanostructures
TYPES OF MICROSCOPES
USED IN NANOSCIENCE AND
NANOTECHNOLOGY
 Electron microscope
• a microscope that
uses a beam of
accelerated electrons
as a source of
illumination.
• In 1930, German
engineers Ernst
Ruska and Max Knoll
built the first electron
microscope.
 Atomic Force Microscope
• a type of high resolution
scanning probe
microscope that has a
resolution that you can
measure in fractions of a
nanometer.
• was pioneered in 1986
by Nobel Prize Winner
Gerd Binnig along with
Calvin Quate and
Christoph Gerber.
 Scanning Tunneling Microscope
• an instrument for
imaging surfaces at
the atomic level.
• its development in
1981 earned its
inventors, Gerd
Binnig and Heinrich
Rohrer (at IBM
Zürich), the Nobel
Prize in Physics in
1986.
Possible Applications of
Nanotechnology in the Philippines:
• Information and Communication
Technologies and semiconductors
• Health and medicine
• Energy
• Food and agriculture
• Environment
Nanotech Roadmap for the Philippines
• Information and Communication
Technologies and semiconductors
• Health and biomedical
• Energy
• Agriculture and food
• Environment
• Health and environmental risk
• Nano-metrology
• Education and public awareness
Advantages and Disadvantages of
Nanotechnology
Advantages Disadvantages
• offers the • economic
potential for new
disruption
and faster kinds
of computers • possible threats to
• more efficient security, privacy,
power sources: health and the
• and life-saving environment.
medical
treatments.
Nanotechnology and Environment
Benefits Concerns
•improved •High reactivity
detection and and
removal of toxicity
contaminants •Pervasive
•development distribution in the
of benign environment
industrial •No nano-
processes and specific EPA
materials regulation
Nanotechnology and Health
Benefits Concerns
•improved •ability to cross cell
medicine membranes and
•could save lives translocate in the
by making body.
diagnosis and •No FDA approval
treatment far needed for
more effective. cosmetics and
supplements
 Nanotechnology and Economy
Benefits Concerns
• better products • redistribution of
• new jobs wealth
• potential costs of
clean-ups anf health
care
•accessibility to all
income levels
On 22 November 2018, ten eminent scientists and scientific
institutions received the UNESCO Medals for contributions to
the development of nanoscience and nanotechnologies during
a ceremony held at UNESCO headquarters, Paris. The medal
is awarded each year by the Director-General of UNESCO to
prominent scientists, public figures and organizations that
contributed to the development of nanoscience and
nanotechnologies in the spirit of UNESCO’s priorities.

• https://en.unesco.org/news/eighth-
unesco-medals-contributions-
development-nanoscience-and-
nanotechnologies
TOP TEN USES AND APPLICATIONS
OF NANOTECHNOLOGY by UNESCO
1. Energy storage, productions and conversion.
2. Agricultural productivity enhancement.
3. Water treatment and remediation.
4. Disease diagnosis and screening.
5. Drug delivery systems.
6. Food processing and storage.
7. Air pollution and remediation.
8. Construction.
9. Health monitoring
10. Vector and pest detector and control.
Gene Therapy
by Prof. Liwayway Memije-Cruz
“It is
tremendously
rewarding to see
how our work,
starting with the
test tube, can
positively impact
the society, by
creating the
groundwork for
new medical
treatments. “-
Christine Karim
 What Are Cells?
• the basic building
blocks of all living
things.
• the smallest
structural and
functional unit of an
organism.
 What are genes?
•the basic physical and functional units of heredity.
•made up of DNA. Some genes act as instructions to
make molecules called proteins.
•Genes vary in size from a few hundred DNA bases
to
more than 2 million bases.
•provide the information for the production of specific
proteins and enzymes that make muscles, bones, and
blood, which in turn support most of our body’s
functions, such as digestion, making energy, and
growing.
 What is Gene Therapy?
• involves the
manipulation of
genes to fight or
prevent diseases.
• it introduces a
"good" gene into a
person who has a
disease caused by a
"bad" gene.
How does gene therapy
work? What are the two types
of gene therapy?
 Somatic Gene Therapy
• involves
introducing a
"good" gene into
targeted cells to
treat the patient
• more
conservative,
safer approach
because it affects
only the targeted
cells in the
patient, and is not
passed on to
future
generations.
• used to correct
the disease
causing genetic
sequence
 Categories of Somatic Gene Therapy
• ex vivo, which means exterior (where cells are modified
outside the body and then transplanted back in again). In
some gene therapy clinical trials, cells from the patient’s
blood or bone marrow are removed and grown in the
laboratory. The cells are exposed to the virus that is carrying
the desired gene. The virus enters the cells and inserts the
desired gene into the cells’ DNA. The cells grow in the
laboratory and are then returned to the patient by injection
into a vein. This type of gene therapy is called ex vivo
because the cells are treated outside the body.
• in vivo, which means interior (where genes are changed
in cells still in the body). This form of gene therapy is called
in vivo, because the gene is transferred to cells inside the
patient’s body.
Ex vivo and In vivo
 Germline Gene Therapy
• which involves modifying the genes in egg or sperm
cells, which will then pass any genetic changes to future
generations.
 Possible Effects of Gene Therapy
• The viruses and other agents used to deliver the "good" genes
can affect more than the cells for which they're intended. If a
gene is added to DNA, it could be put in the wrong place,
which could potentially cause cancer or other damage.
• Genes also can be "overexpressed," meaning they can drive
the production of so much of a protein that they can be
harmful.
• a virus introduced into one person could be
transmitted to others or into the environment.