Nanotechnology

Jeevan mcsullia

What is Nanotechnology?

A basic definition: Nanotechnology is the engineering of functional systems at the molecular scale. This covers both current work and concepts that are more advanced.

Histry of Nanotechnology

When K. Eric Drexler popularized the word 'nanotechnology' in the 1980's.  Drexler spent the next ten years describing and analyzing these incredible devices, and responding to accusations of science fiction. The U.S National Nanotechnology Initiative was created to fund this kind of nanotech: their definition includes anything smaller than 100 nanometers with novel properties.

Much of the work being done today that carries the name 'nanotechnology' is not nanotechnology in the original meaning of the word.

Inventor of Nanotechnology:Dr.K.ERIC DREXLER

The World of Nanotechnology

In general we can think of nanotechnology dealing with anything measuring between 1 and 100 nm. Larger than that is the micro scale, and smaller than that is the atomic scale.

Nanotechnology is rapidly becoming an interdisciplinary field. Biologists, chemists, physicists and engineers are all involved in the study of substances at the nanoscale

One of the exciting and challenging aspects of the nanoscale is the role that quantum mechanics plays in it. The rules of quantum mechanics are very different from classical physics.

Right now, scientists are experimenting with substances at the nanoscale to learn about their properties and how we might be able to take advantage of them in various applications..

Four Generations

Mike Roco of the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative has described four generations of nanotechnology. The current era, as Roco depicts it, is that of passive nanostructures, materials designed to perform one task.

The second phase, which we are just entering, introduces active nanostructures for multitasking;

Third generation is expected to begin emerging around 2010 and will feature nanosystems with thousands of interacting components.

Conflicting Definitions

Unfortunately, conflicting definitions of nanotechnology and blurry distinctions between significantly different fields have complicated the effort to understand the differences and develop sensible, effective policy.

The risks of today's nanoscale technologie cannot be treated the same as the risks of longer-term molecular manufacturing.

General-Purpose Technology

Nanotechnology is sometimes referred to as a general-purpose technology.

That's because in its advanced form it will have significant impact on almost all industries and all areas of society.

Dual-Use Technology

Like electricity or computers before it, nanotech will offer greatly improved efficiency in almost every facet of life.

But as a general-purpose technology, it will be dual-use, meaning it will have many commercial uses and it also will have many military uses—

making far more powerful weapons and tools of surveillance. Thus it represents not only wonderful benefits for humanity, but also grave risks.

Exponential Proliferation

Nanotechnology not only will allow making many high-quality products at very low cost, but it will allow making new nanofactories at the same low cost and at the same rapid speed.

This unique ability to reproduce its own means of production is why nanotech is said to be an exponential technology

It's a Small World After All

At the nanoscale, objects are so small that we can't see them -- even with a light microscope.

Nanoscientists have to use tools like scanning tunneling microscopes or atomic force microscopes to observe anything at the nanoscale.

Atomic force microscopes scan surfaces with an incredibly fine tip.

This microscopes send data to a computer, which can assemble the information in graphically onto a monitor

Products with Nanotechnology

You might be surprised to find out how many products on the market are already benefiting.

Sunscreen - Many sunscreens contain nanoparticles of zinc oxide or titanium oxide. Older sunscreen formulas use larger particles, which is what gives most sunscreens their whitish color

Self-cleaning glass - A company called Pilkington offers a product they call Activ Glass, which uses nanoparticles to make the glass photocatalytic and hydrophilic.

Clothing - Scientists are using nanoparticles to enhance your clothing. By coating fabrics with a thin layer of zinc oxide nanoparticles, manufacturers can create clothes that give better protection from UV radiation

Scratch-resistant coatings - Engineers discovered that adding aluminum silicate nanoparticles to scratch-resistant polymer coatings made the coatings more effective, increasing resistance to chipping and scratching.

Antimicrobial bandages - Scientist Robert Burrell created a process to manufacture antibacterial bandages using nanoparticles of silver.

New products incorporating nanotechnology are coming out every day. Wrinkle-resistant fabrics deep-penetrating cosmetics liquid crystal displays (LCD) and other conveniences using nanotechnology are on

the market.

The Future of Nanotechnology

. Atoms and molecules stick together because they have

complementary shapes that lock together, or charges that attract. Just like with magnets, a positively charged atom will stick to a negatively charged atom. As millions of these atoms are pieced together by nanomachines

The first step would be to develop nanoscopic machines, called assemblers, that scientists can program to manipulate atoms and molecules at will.

Rice University Professor Richard Smalley points out that it would take a single nanoscopic machine millions of years to assemble a meaningful amount of material

Nanotechnology Challenges, Risks and Ethics

The most immediate challenge in nanotechnology is that we need to learn more about materials and their properties at the nanoscale.

Because elements at the nanoscale behave differently than they do in their bulk form, there's a concern that some nanoparticles could be toxic..

There are some hefty social concerns about nanotechnology too..

If nanotechnology in medicine makes it possible for us to enhance ourselves physically

Not all questions involve altering the human body -- some deal with the world of finance and economics

THANK YOU ONE AND ALL:

Improve your knowledge about nanotechnology and be smart in future!!

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