The term “Nano Technology” is very popular today, and surely everyone has heard of it. However, not many people truly understand what nanotechnology is.
What is Nanotechnology?
Nanotechnology refers to a field of technology that involves the design, analysis, fabrication, and application of structures, devices, and systems by manipulating their shape and size at the nanometer scale (nm, 1 nm = 10-9 m).
This technology is also considered to be clean (less polluting) and more effective than current technologies.
Nanotechnology has vast applications in everyday life and is a promising technology both now and in the future. Imagine tiny nano-sized devices that can enter the human body, identify “sick” parts, and even help those parts become “healthy” again. This technology is also viewed as clean (less polluting) and more effective than existing technologies.
Applications of Nanotechnology
1. Nanotechnology Could Save Your Life
Healthcare is one of the largest applications of nanotechnology. For instance, in cancer treatment, various methods have been tested to limit the growth of tumors and destroy them at the cellular level. A promising study has shown positive results using gold nanoparticles to combat various types of cancer. These nanoparticles are delivered to tumors within the body and then heated using external infrared laser beams to effectively destroy the tumors.
Healthcare is one of the largest applications of nanotechnology.
Moreover, scientists are researching a remarkable nanorobot project. These ultra-small robots can enter the human body to deliver medication directly to the necessary parts. This direct drug delivery will enhance the effectiveness of treatments.
In the near future, nanotechnology will help humans fight the dreadful disease of cancer. Even the most challenging cancers, such as brain cancer, can be treated easily without the need to open the patient’s skull or use any harmful chemotherapy methods.
2. Nanotechnology in Our Electronic Devices
Nanotechnology also contributes significantly to electronics, especially energy technology.
When thinking about nanotechnology, you might envision scientific projects being conducted by leading professors in laboratories, involving the most advanced technologies. However, you may already be using some nanotechnology products right now. Nano-material-based microprocessors are quite common in the market, and some products like mice and keyboards are also coated with an antibacterial nano-layer.
Nanotechnology plays a significant role in electronics, particularly in energy technology. Future nano-batteries will be structured as nanowhiskers. This tubular structure will significantly increase the surface area of the battery terminals, allowing them to store more electrical energy, while the size of the batteries continues to shrink.
3. Nanotechnology in Textile Applications
The fashion industry has entered a new era with the application of nanotechnology in certain special fabrics.
Since the early 2000s, the fashion industry has entered a new era with the application of nanotechnology in special fabrics. An incredibly unique idea for clothing that can kill odor-causing bacteria has become a reality through the use of silver nanoparticles. These silver nanoparticles can attract and destroy bacterial cells. This useful application has been implemented in some sportswear and, notably, in odor-resistant underwear.
Not only limited to odor elimination, nanotechnology can transform the shirt you wear into a mobile power station. By utilizing energy sources like wind and solar, nanotechnology allows you to charge your smartphone anytime, anywhere. This application is also being explored in creating sails made from nano-materials, capable of converting natural energy into electricity. However, this application is still in the testing phase.
4. Nanotechnology in Nature
The applications of nanotechnology can currently be found in nature.
It is a fact that the applications of nanotechnology can currently be found in nature. For instance, one application of nanotechnology in certain fabrics makes them water- and dirt-repellent, similar to how water droplets roll off the surface of lotus leaves. The surface of lotus leaves is covered with a special coating of nanometer-sized hairs, preventing water droplets from soaking or adhering to the surface. Mimicking this, scientists have created a layer of ultra-small nanotubes on fabric surfaces, resulting in water-resistant and dirt-repellent clothing.
A striking example is the gecko in a research project regarding a wall-climbing device by Robert Full’s research group at Berkeley University. Scientists discovered that each toe of the gecko is covered with a layer of ultra-small hairs, enabling it to stick to smooth surfaces through van der Waals forces (the adhesion between molecules). In response, scientists have also created pads with ultra-small nanotubes that can help climbers grip better on rocky surfaces.
Human society is now highly developed, yet we continue to learn many lessons from nature. The important thing is that scientific technologies must contribute to the enhancement of life, not the destruction of nature.
5. Food from Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology will also help preserve food for much longer.
Nanotechnology involves research, analysis, and design on a very small scale at the nanometer level. So, if nanotechnology were used to make food, how much would be enough to satisfy our hunger? Fortunately, we will not be eating foods made from nanotechnology; however, it will change the way we consume our daily meals.
Scientists have conducted experiments altering food at the atomic and molecular levels, enhancing their flavors and nutritional value. This means we will enjoy dishes with unique flavors while still retaining high nutritional value thanks to food nanotechnology.
Nanotechnology will also help preserve food for much longer by creating food storage materials with antibacterial properties. Many modern refrigerators are now coated with a silver nano-layer inside to kill bacteria. Even some high-end food containers are now coated with a nano-silver layer inside.
6. Nanotechnology and the Future
Nanotechnology has great potential.
Scientists unanimously affirm the role of nanotechnology. However, not every field can apply this technology. Behind it lies a series of related ethical factors (when using nanotech to intervene in genetic modification), social factors, and human considerations.
The UK Minister of Science and Technology, Lord Sainsbury, stated: “Nanotechnology has enormous potential. It can bring significant benefits across various fields. However, we must examine it from a different perspective—ethical, health, safety, and social response.”
Therefore, the UK has swiftly initiated research into the development possibilities of this technology and incorporated them into stringent application laws. Nevertheless, the scientific community predicts that in the near future, nanotechnology will dominate most of the primary scientific fields of humanity.
