The present work aims to show the impact of nanotechnology over the past years, as well as the advances and benefits that this discipline has brought, it also shows the challenges that the use of this new tool implies.
DEFINITIONS
Nanotechnology is the technology that is dedicated to the design and manipulation of matter at the level of atoms or molecules, for industrial or medical purposes, among others.
The word "nanotechnology" is used extensively to define the sciences and techniques that apply at the nanoscale level, that is, extremely small "nano" measures that allow molecular structures and their atoms to work and manipulate. In short, it would lead us to the possibility of manufacturing materials and machines from the rearrangement of atoms and molecules. (MOSQUERA, 2015)
ACHIEVEMENTS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY
The achievements of nanotechnology over the years are shown below. (Initiative, 2014)
| DATE | EVENT |
| 1936 | Erwin Müller , at Siemens, invented the field emission microscope, which made it possible to achieve near-atomic resolution images of materials. |
| The 1940s | Von Neuman Studies the possibility of creating systems that reproduce themselves as a way to reduce costs. |
| 1958 | Jack Kilbyde Texas Instruments designs and builds the first integrated circuit, for which he would later receive the Nobel Prize in 2000. |
| 1959 | Richard Feynmann speaks for the first time at a conference on the future of scientific research: "In my view, the principles of Physics do not speak out against the possibility of maneuvering things atom by atom ." |
| 1966 | The film "Amazing trip" is made, which tells the journey of some scientists through the human body. Scientists reduce its size to that of a particle and enter the interior of an investigator's body to destroy the tumor that is killing him. For the first time in history, this is considered a true scientific possibility. The film is a great success. |
| 1974 | Norio Taniguchide Tokyo University of Sciences coins the term nanotechnology in the dimensional framework at the atomic scale |
| 1985 | Buckminsterfullerenes discovered |
| 1989 | The film "Darling I Shrunk the Children" is made, a film that tells the story of a scientist who invents a machine that can reduce the size of things using lasers. |
| nineteen ninety six | Sir Harry Kroto wins the Nobel Prize for discovering fullerenes |
| 1997 | The smallest guitar in the world is manufactured. It is about the size of a red blood cell. |
| 1998 | It manages to convert a carbon nanotube into a nano-pencil that can be used to write |
| 1999- | Consumer products that make use of nanotechnology begin to appear in the |
| 2000 | market : car bumpers that resist dents and scratches, golf balls that fly straight, tennis rackets that are stiffer, baseball bats with better flexibility and "hit", antibacterial nano-silver socks, sunscreens Clear, wrinkle-free and stain-resistant clothing, deep-penetrating therapeutic cosmetics, scratch-resistant glass liners, faster recharging batteries for cordless power tools, and display enhancements for televisions, cell phones, and digital cameras |
| 2001 | James Gimzewski enters the Guinness Book of Records for inventing the world's smallest calculator. |
| MAIN PROGRESS IN RESEARCH IN NANOTECHNOLOGY AND NANOSCIENCE IN THE LAST
YEARS |
|
| 2003 | Naomi Halas, Jennifer West, Rebeca Drezek, and Renata Pasqualin at Rice University develop gold nanocapsules, which when "tuned" in size to absorb near-infrared light, serve as a platform for integrated cancer discovery, diagnosis, and treatment. breast without invasive biopsies, destructive systemic surgery or radiation, or chemotherapy. |
| 2006 | James Tour and colleagues at Rice University build a made nanoscale "car"
in oligo (ethylene ethylene phenylene) with alkynyl axles and four C60 fullerene spherical wheels (buckyball). In response to increases in temperature, the nanocar moved on a gold surface as a result of the wheels - buckyball, like a conventional car moves. At temperatures above 300 ° C it was moving too fast for chemists to track movement |
| 2007 | Angela Belcher and her colleagues at MIT build a lithium-ion battery with a common type of virus that is not harmful to humans, using a low-cost, environmentally friendly procedure. The batteries have the same energy capacity and energy performance as rechargeable batteries with the latest technology (hybrid cars, personal electronic devices, etc.) |
| 2009 | Nadrian Seeman and several colleagues from New York University create various nanoscale devices with a robotic DNA assembly. It is a process of creating 3D DNA structures using synthetic sequences of DNA crystals that can be programmed for self-assembly using "sticky ends" and placement in a joint order and orientation. It is an advance with potential applications in Nanoelectronics. Another creation by Seeman (with colleagues from Nanjing University in China) is a "DNA assembly line." For this work, Seeman shared the Kavli Nanoscience Award in 2010. |
| 2010 | IBM uses a silicon tip that measures only a few nanometers at its apex (similar to the tips used in atomic force microscopes) to chisel out the material from a substrate and create a full 3D nanoscale map of the world - about the size of a -One thousandth of a grain of salt and it did it in 2 minutes and 23 seconds |
| 2013 | Stanford University researchers develop first set of carbon nanotubes |
ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE LAST YEARS
2015
ADDRESSABLE NANOBOTS FOR DRUG ADMINISTRATION
Researchers in mechanical engineering at ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) built microscopic robots that can enter the human body loaded with a drug to release it in the area to be treated.
The researchers carry the nanobots to the area, guiding us from outside with magnetic fields. Nanobots have already been tested in the eye. In these experiments, they swam through the vitreous humor (clear gel that fills the eyeball) and release the drug into the area of the retina.
Among other applications, they could be used to treat age-related diseases, such as blindness or in the treatment of coronary heart disease.
GOLD NANOTUBES TO FIGHT CANCER
Researchers at the Leeds Institute for Biochemical and Clinical Sciences at the University of Leeds demonstrated the success of a gold nanotube treatment in a mouse model of human cancer. Scientists observed that the length of nanotubes influenced their ability to absorb light, which is how they discovered a new technique for making nanotubes that allows them to be controlled. Thanks to this finding, they were able to make gold nanotubes with the right dimensions to absorb a type of light called "near infrared". Subsequently, using a pulsed laser light beam, they applied light of the appropriate frequency to the nanotubes circulating in the body to heat them, until they reached a temperature high enough to destroy cancer cells.
THE FINEST LIGHT BULB IN THE WORLD
Researchers at Columbia University, Seoul National University (SNU) and the Korean Institute for Research in Standards and Science (KRISS) created a visible light source on a chip using graphene, a perfectly crystalline form of carbon, as a filament and ultra fine.
To achieve this, they attached graphene strips to metal electrodes on a substrate and passed a current through the graphene filaments to heat them, thereby creating the world's thinnest light bulb.
According to the researchers, whose results were published online in Nature Nanotechnology on June 15, 2015, this type of "broadband" light emitter can be integrated into processors to pave the way for creating transparent, flexible and just a few atoms thick.
LCD SCREENS CAPABLE OF DISPLAYING FULL-COLOR HOLOGRAPHIC IMAGES AND VIDEOS
A startup called Leia presented a prototype of its new 3D screen at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, announced that at the end of the year it would present a small “holo module” or mini holographic screen capable of producing full-color and visible 3D images and videos, without special glasses, from 64 different points of view.
The key to this technology is an invention that the company calls “multiview backlight”, which takes advantage of advances in the ability to control the paths light follows at the nanoscale. The device, called "Dev Kit", can be purchased now on the company's website for $ 399.
THE INTEGRATED 7 NANOMETER CIRCUITS OF IBM
With an investment of 3,000 million dollars in research, IBM presented in July 2015 its 7 nanometer integrated circuits, in these circuits the miniature electronic components are so small that the transistors integrated in them are only 7 billionth in length. one meter. That is, they are 1,400 times smaller than human hair.
Once these recent circuits proliferate in the market, we will be able to see better, faster and cheaper electronic devices, from computers to smart and connected everyday devices or objects.
A BOOK WITH NANOPARTICLES THAT TRANSFORMS CONTAMINATED WATER IN DRINKING WATER
The book, known as "The Drinkable Book" could save millions of lives around the world.
Its pages are made of paper, treated with nanoparticles, they work as a filter and purify the water when it passes through them, eliminating more than 99% of bacteria. Its use is simple and similar to that of a coffee filter. A sheet is torn from the book and placed in a filter holder and the water to be purified is poured on it, it can be from rivers, streams, wells, etc. This is possible because the pages of the book contain silver and copper nanoparticles, known for their antibacterial power. When they pass through the filter the bacteria die and clean water comes out on the other side.
Each page has the capacity to purify up to 100 liters of water, a single book could filter a person's water supply for about four years.
VARIOUS ELECTRONIC MONITORING DEVICES INJECTABLE IN LIVING TISSUES WITH A SYRINGE
Scientists at Harvard University and the Beijing National Center for Nanoscience and Technology created tiny flexible electronic devices, which they injected into the brain tissue of living mice with a syringe.
After an hour of injection, the devices began to monitor biological activity in the internal cavities.
The devices could have a large number of biomedical applications, such as checking for electrophysiological signals related to epilepsy and arrhythmia.
SEQUENCING AND ASSEMBLING A COMPLETE GENOME OF A LIVING ORGANISM WITH A DEVICE AS SMALL AS A MOBILE PHONE
Researchers from Canada and the United Kingdom have sequenced and assembled the complete genome of a living organism, the Escherichia coli bacteria, using a device that fits in the palm of the hand.
Their results demonstrate that the technology works and set a precedent for use in the sequencing of the genomes of increasingly complex organisms, even humans.
The main advantages of this sequencer are the size is much smaller than that of a normal sequencer, and to use it, just connect it through a USB cable.
SPIDERS WEAVE THREADS CARBON REINFORCED AFTER SPRAYING WITH NANOTUBES
According to researchers at the University of Trento, in Italy, after spraying some spiders with water containing carbon nanotubes and graphene flakes, they made the hardest fibers ever measured to date, even above the synthetic polymer fibers of high performance.
It is not yet clear how spiders added carbon nanotubes and flakes of graphene to their silk, but according to intellectuals, spiders are likely to ingest water with carbon-based materials, so they are later incorporated into the central part of the fiber, where they have a greater impact on its resistance.
This technique could be used in other animal and plant organisms to obtain new bionic materials.
FOUND CARBON NANOTUBES FOUND IN PARIS CHILDREN'S LUNGS
Some do not consider this as an advance, but as a shocking discovery.
Researchers from the University of Paris-Saclay, in France, detected for the first time, carbon nanotubes in humans, specifically, in the lungs of children in Paris.
The question is whether or not these nanotubes can be harmful to health. Carbon nanotubes have shown great potential in countless sectors such as: medicine and computing, thanks to their properties, which make them extremely light, resistant and conductive. However, in recent years there has been a great debate regarding the safety of its use. (NCYT, 2015)
2016
SENSOR THAT ADAPTS TO FINGERS TO DETECT BREAST CANCER
The material of this sensor allows to measure changes in chest pressure to diagnose tumors. The device can be deformed and maintain accuracy to measure pressure.
The sensor, being flexible and transparent, adapts to the shape of the fingers, simulates rubber gloves, allows to locate tumors by measuring changes and the distribution of pressure in the chest.
The operation would be similar to a doctor's tactile diagnosis, but with greater power, since it adapts to the shape of the fingers.
The sensor is approximately eight micrometers thick and consists of organic transistors, electronic switches made of carbon and oxygen, and a pressure-sensitive nanofiber structure. (GUILLEN, 2016)
INCANDESCENT LAMP AS EFFICIENT AS LEDs
This is the first light bulb to recycle infrared radiation into visible light. Incandescent lamps could have a second chance.
American scientists have managed to convert the heat they emit into more light. With these prototypes they have equaled some LED lamps in performance, thanks to nanotechnology they are convinced that they will illuminate more and better than current luminaires. (CRIADO, 2016)
NANOTECHNOLOGY TO PREVENT PREMATURE LABOR WITHOUT RISKS
Premature birth in nations like the United States is a frequent disease that afflicts its population. About 380,000 babies are born prematurely each year in this country, and those who survive are often faced with an increased risk of a life full of health problems.
Nanoparticles are a technology that is being studied for its many applications, including supplying drugs to specific cells inside the body to treat conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and bacterial infections, thus avoiding toxicity and the side effects of those medications and making them more effective.
Using nanoparticles to modify a special drug, a team of researchers has demonstrated in mice a new way to prevent premature birth, but avoid the risks of medication in the fetus.
The University of Texas Medical School in Houston, United States, biomodified an innovative microscopic nanoparticle aimed at reaching the pregnant uterus but not crossing the placenta to the fetus. Coating with a very specific oxytocin receptor antagonist allows good adhesion to uterine tissue. (NCYT, SCIENCE NEWS, 2016)
BENEFITS
The positive repercussions of the advances in nanotechnology lie in the fact that they have provided solutions to different social problems and there are ongoing investigations that would contribute even more. Examples of these opportunity areas are as follows.
- Water scarcity is a serious and growing problem. Most of the water consumption is used in production and agricultural systems, something that the manufacture of molecular products could transform. Infectious diseases cause problems in many parts of the world. Simple products like mosquito tubes, nets, and filters could reduce this problem. With nanotechnology, computers would be extremely cheap. Many sites still lack electricity. But the construction of light and strong structures, electrical equipment and energy storage devices would allow the use of solar thermal energy as a primary and abundant source of energy. Environmental wear is a serious problem worldwide.New technological products would allow people to live with a much lower environmental impact. Many areas of the world cannot quickly assemble a manufacturing infrastructure at the level of the most developed countries. Molecular manufacturing can be self-contained and clean: a single box or a single suitcase could hold everything necessary to carry out the industrial revolution at the village level. Molecular nanotechnology could make cheap and advanced equipment for medical research and health, making the availability of more advanced medicines much greater (JAIME, 2014)A single box or a single suitcase could hold everything needed to carry out the industrial revolution at the village level. Molecular nanotechnology could make cheap and advanced equipment for medical research and healthcare, greatly increasing the availability of more advanced medicines.. (JAIME, 2014)A single box or a single suitcase could hold everything needed to carry out the industrial revolution at the village level. Molecular nanotechnology could make cheap and advanced equipment for medical research and healthcare, greatly increasing the availability of more advanced medicines.. (JAIME, 2014)
CHALLENGES
Molecular nanotechnology is a very important advance that its impact could be compared to the Industrial Revolution, but with a difference in the case of nanotechnology, the enormous impact will be noticed in a few years, which is why the population must take into consideration the risks involved. Some of these risks are as follows.
In order to enjoy the benefits of molecular nanotechnology, it is essential to face and resolve the risks.
To do this, we must understand them, and then develop action plans to prevent them. Molecular nanotechnology will allow the manufacturing and prototyping of a wide variety of very powerful products.
The Center for Responsible Nanotechnology has identified some of the most troubling risks in nanotechnology. They pose existential risks, that is, they could threaten the development of humanity. Others could generate changes without causing the extinction of our species.
Some of these risks are the result of a lack of legal regulations, and others of too much control. Types of legislation will be required for each specific field.
A rigid or exaggerated response in these senses could lead to the appearance of other risks of a very different nature, so the temptation to impose apparently obvious solutions to isolated problems must be avoided.
CONCLUSION
As it was possible to read nanotechnology has had multiple applications, it has also acquired skill in its use, nanotechnology has contributed to the development of sectors such as medicine, agriculture, nuclear technology, modern chemistry, among others, although it is true that this has benefited to society, it is important to mention that all power implies a great responsibility, that is why individuals must be aware of the risk that their use may entail, the true advance will prevail as long as it is used for beneficial purposes for society in general.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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