As the days go by, it is clear to society that nanotechnology has and will play a determining role in the advancement of our society and will be at the forefront of technological and scientific development, with multiple applications in different areas.
Nanotechnology may one day become a central part of education at its basic levels and begin to encompass dissemination spaces in which society has full knowledge of its use and advantages. Countries that realize and invest in the benefits of using nanotechnology in their production and educational processes will be the leaders in world development.
As a society we are taking a turn from big to small, large structures, buildings, communication routes, we had this concept that the bigger the better. Today due to the increase in information technologies that require a large amount of storage, we are pushed to small, micro and nano, with this perspective, this article is presented.
The concept of nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the study and manipulation of matter on a very small scale, a range between 1 and 100 nanometers. A billion nanometers make a meter. (Meridian Institute, 2005)
Nanotechnology –a term prefixed by the suffix nano, which comes from the Greek and means tiny– consists of manipulating materials at atomic and molecular levels to create new molecular structures known as “nano materials”, which have unique and new characteristics different from those of the original materials from which they are derived. These materials belong to several classes that vary among themselves in numerous basic characteristics such as persistence, reactivity and behavior in biological systems, to the point that it becomes impossible to formulate generalizations about their properties. (Molins, 2008)
Nanotechnology is a new approach focused on understanding and mastering the properties of matter at the nanometer scale: a nanometer (one billionth of a meter) is the length of a small molecule. At this scale, matter offers different and often surprising properties, such that the boundaries between established scientific and technical disciplines are often blurred. (Industrial Technologies, 2004)
The term nanotechnology was first used in 1974 by Japanese engineer Norio Taniguchi to define production technology at the nanometer scale.
Although it was the first time the term was used, its use was not generalized until it was consecrated by Eric Drexler, another of the key characters in nano history, almost twenty years later in his book entitled "Reaction Machines".
Nano Del lat. nanus 'dwarf'.
- elem: compos. It means 'one billionth (10 −9) part'. With names of units of measurement, it forms the corresponding submultiple. (Symb. N) (Word Reference, 2016)
Technology is known as a product of science and engineering that involves a set of instruments, methods, and techniques that are responsible for conflict resolution . (Meanings, 2016)
As can be seen in the definitions, nanotechnology is not referring to a specific field, but being something always referring to technology, it implies various disciplines that can range from biological, medical, telecommunications and many areas in which implications of the nano make their way.
Nanometric scale (luratia.com, 2016)
In the previous scale it can be seen that the “nano” is one billionth of a meter. A measure that is used in the nanotechnology concept itself that involves manipulating objects of that size.
Nanotechnology Chronology (Euroresidents, 2015)
Erik drexler
"The founding father of nanotechnology"
He is an American engineer known for predicting the potentials of nanotechnology during the 1970s and 1980s. He established the fundamental principles of molecular engineering and the possibilities for development of advanced nanotechnologies.
He predicted that nanotechnology could be used to solve many of humanity's problems, but it could also generate extremely powerful weapons. His research in the field of molecular nanotechnology has been the origin of numerous articles in scientific journals that deal with topics related to: Molecular Machinery, Manufacturing, and Computing. In his publications and conferences, Dr. Drexler describes the implementation and applications of nanotechnologies and shows how they can be used to solve large-scale problems, such as global warming. That is why it has worked, in collaboration with the World Wide Fund for Nature, in the search for solutions based on nanotechnology to global problems such as energy and climate change. Drexler is currentlyVisiting scholar at Oxford University, he was awarded a Ph.D. in Molecular Nanotechnology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the first of its kind.
When he had to prepare his doctoral thesis for MIT in the early 1980s, Richard Feynmann's vision of miniaturization on a molecular scale was very present in his work, and he managed to capture the ideas of the Physicist so clearly and compelling that his writings were transformed into the book
"Engines of creation: the next era of nanotechnology" Today become a classic of nanoscience.
Background of nanotechnology in medicine.
Colloidal gold, throughout history, was considered an ally for medicine. The first indications date back to 2500 BC in China, where they used it as an elixir to extend life. In medieval Europe, alchemists made a drink mixed with gold that they used to “make limb pain comfortable” one of the first references to arthritis. In the 16th century gold was used to treat epilepsy and in the early 19th century it was the drug of choice for the treatment of syphilis. Of course, those who produced the drugs were unaware of the importance of particle size; Only after Faraday's publications did they begin to understand with scientific rigor that metallic gold, when divided into "fine particles", can be suspended in water.Since the rise of nanotechnology, modern medical research has confirmed that the efficacy of these medicines lies in gold nanoparticles.
Based on the concepts poured out by Faraday, in 1890, the German bacteriologist Robert Koch discovered that compounds made with nano-sized articulated gold, specifically gold cyanide, inhibited the growth of the tuberculosis bacillus. This fact marked the beginning of its use in modern medicine, being introduced to tuberculosis therapy in 1920. For this and other contributions to medicine, Koch won the Nobel Prize in 1905. (Munuce, 2014)
Benefits of nanotechnology. (Faldori, 2006)
As mentioned, the capacity of nanotechnology applications is multidisciplinary, so its benefits can go in a range that goes through biology, medicine, the physical, industrial, and computational.
Nanotechnology risks. (Faldori, 2006)
Conclusions
The multiple applications of nanotechnology have allowed this latest scientific revolution that will have social and cultural impacts, it faces a challenge as a civilization for the coming years because it removes and we are manipulating biological materials and compounds that we never imagined before.
The change of thought will lead us to maturity as human beings and we will achieve a better quality of life, as long as we are able to prevent risks or minimize their impact on society.
Bibliography
- Euroresidents. (2015). Euroresidents. Obtained from: http://www.euroresidentes.com/futuro/nanotecnologia/historia_nanotecnolog ia.htmFaldori, G. (2006). Nanotechnology: a solution in search of problems. Foreign Trade.luratia.com. (2016). Luratia.com. Https://mx.images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A2KLdCg4mM1WfW obtained 8A7EEWy4lQ; _ylu = X3oDMTIyZ29pMG9mBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1nBG9p ZAMxZjZlM2FiMjBlODg2ZGYyYmQwYjE5MTY1ZDg0Mzc0NgRncG9zAzQE aXQDYmluZw - ?. origin = & = https% 3A back% 2F% 2Fmx.images.search.yahoo.com% 2Fyhs% 2FsMeridian Institute. (2005). Nanotechnology and the Poor: Opportunities and Risks.Molins, R. (2008). Opportunities and threats of. Innovation and Technology, 3-10.Munuce, AC (2014). Nanotechnology Today: The challenge of knowing and teaching. Science Writing (15), 41-61. Obtained from: http: //www.unesco.org / new / fileadmin / MULTIMEDIA / FIELD / Montevideo / pdf / ED-Dar-Arg-15-Nanotecnologia.pdfMeaning. (2016). Meanings.com. Obtained from http://www.significados.com/Tecnológicas Industriales. (2004). Nanotechnology Innovations for the world of tomorrow. European Research.Word Reference. (2016). Wordreference. Obtained from wordreference.com:
