Advances in technology to solve the problems faced by various disciplines, such as medicine, agriculture, industry, among many others, has given rise to what is known as nanotechnology.
It is something relatively new, however, from its appearance to the present date, it has made great contributions to each of the areas in which it has been applied.
Nanotechnology is set to revolutionize many of the areas of our day to day, such as health, computing or the environment. It has great advantages when applied correctly, however it can also be harmful in the wrong hands.
Therefore, it is convenient to stay informed about everything that technology implies, its history, applications, risks and the products that are under development.
Definition of Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the study, design, creation, synthesis, manipulation and application of materials, devices and functional systems through the control of matter on a nano scale, and the exploitation of phenomena and properties of matter on a nano scale. (Sciences, technologies and innovation, nd)
The "Nano" is a prefix of the International System of Units that comes from the Greek νάνος which means dwarf, and corresponds to a factor 10 ^ -9, which applied to units of length, corresponds to one billionth of a meter (10 ^ -9 Meters) that is 1 Nanometer, nanotechnology studies matter from a nanometric resolution level, between approximately 1 and 100 Nanometers. (Nanotechnology, nd).
When matter is manipulated on the tiny scale of atoms and molecules, it demonstrates entirely new phenomena and properties. Therefore, scientists use nanotechnology to create novel and inexpensive materials, devices and systems with unique properties.
Figure 1 shows the unit of measurement of various systems, and the scale to which they belong (Nano or Micro).
Figure 1 Unit of Measurement of Various Systems
Chronological History
Throughout history, various events have marked the foundations of nanotechnology, below are some of the most important.
- 19 3 6
Erwin Müller at Siemens invented the field emission microscope, which made it possible to achieve near-atomic resolution images of materials.
- The 40's
Von Neuman studies the possibility of creating self-reproducing systems as a way to reduce costs.
Arthur von Hippel at MIT coined, among other concepts, the term- "molecular engineering."
- 19 5 8
Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments designs and builds the first integrated circuit, for which he would later receive the Nobel Prize in 2000.
- 19 5 9
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."
- 19 6 6
The film "Amazing Journey" is made, which tells the journey of some scientists through the human body. Scientists reduce their size to that of a particle and enter the interior of a researcher'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.
- 19 7 4
Norio Taniguchi of Tokyo University of Sciences coined the term nanotechnology in the dimensional framework at the atomic scale
- 19 8 5
Buckminsterfullerenes are discovered.
- 19 8 9
The film "Honey 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.
- 19 9 6
Sir Harry Kroto wins the Nobel Prize for discovering fullerenes.
The smallest guitar in the world is manufactured. It is about the size of a red blood cell.
- 19 9 8
It is possible to convert a carbon nanotube into a nanopencil that can be used to write
- 19 9 9 - 20 0 0
Consumer products that make use of nanotechnology are beginning to appear on the market: car bumpers that resist dents and scratches, golf balls that fly straight, tennis rackets that are more rigid, baseball bats with a better flexibility and 'bump', antibacterial nano-silver socks, clear sunscreens, wrinkle-free and stain-resistant clothing, deep-penetrating therapeutic cosmetics, scratch-resistant glass coatings, faster-recharging batteries for cordless power tools, and screen improvements for televisions, cell phones and digital cameras
- 20 0 1
James Gimzewski enters the Guinness Book of Records for having invented the smallest calculator in the world.
Advances in recent years
- 20 0 3
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 without invasive biopsies, surgery or destructive systemic radiation or chemotherapy.
- 20 0 6
James Tour and his colleagues at Rice University build a nanoscale "car" made of oligo (ethynylene phenylene) with alkynyl axles and four spherical C60 fullerene wheels (buckyball). In response to increases in temperature, the nanocar was moving 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 keep track of its movement.
- 20 0 7
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 state-of-the-art technology (hybrid cars, personal electronic devices. Etc.)
- 20 0 9
Nadrian Seeman and several colleagues at New York University create various nanoscale devices with a robotic assembly of DNA. It is a process of creating 3D DNA structures using synthetic DNA crystal sequences that can be programmed for self-assembly using "sticky ends" and placed in a joint order and orientation. It is an advance with potential applications in Nanoelectronics. Another creation by Seeman (with colleagues from China's Nanjing University) is a "DNA assembly line." For this work, Seeman shared the Kavli Award for Nanoscience in 2010.
- 20 1 0
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 material out of a substrate and create a complete nanoscale map.
3D of the world - one-thousandth the size of a grain of salt and did it in 2 minutes and 23 seconds. This activity demonstrates a methodology.
Powerful patterning to generate nanoscale patterns and structures as small as 15 nanometers in size with great cost reduction. Opening new perspectives for fields such as electronics, optoelectronics, and medicine.
- 20 1 3
Researchers at Stanford University develop the first set of carbon nanotubes.
Benefits
The use of molecular nanotechnology in production and manufacturing processes could solve many of today's problems. For example:
- 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 products using molecular manufacturing could transform Infectious diseases cause problems in many parts of the world Simple products such as pipes, filters and networks of Mosquitoes could reduce this problem. Information and communication are useful tools, but in many cases they don't even exist. With nanotechnology, computers would be extremely cheap; many places still lack electrical power. But the efficient and cheap construction of light and strong structures, electrical equipment and devices to store energy would allow the use of solar thermal energy as a primary and abundant source of energy.Environmental wear and tear is a serious problem around the world. 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 more developed countries. Molecular manufacturing can be self-contained and clean: a single box or single suitcase could contain 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., making the availability of more advanced medicines much greater.Many areas of the world cannot quickly build a manufacturing infrastructure at the level of the more developed countries. Molecular manufacturing can be self-contained and clean: a single box or single suitcase could contain 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., making the availability of more advanced medicines much greater.Many areas of the world cannot quickly build a manufacturing infrastructure at the level of the more developed countries. Molecular manufacturing can be self-contained and clean: a single box or single suitcase could contain 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., making the availability of more advanced medicines much greater.Molecular nanotechnology could make cheap and advanced equipment for medical research and healthcare, making the availability of more advanced medicines much greater.Molecular nanotechnology could make cheap and advanced equipment for medical research and healthcare, making the availability of more advanced medicines much greater.
Many social problems stem from material poverty, health problems and ignorance. Molecular nanotechnology could greatly reduce all of these problems and the human suffering associated with them.
Risks
Molecular nanotechnology is such an important advance that its impact could be comparable to the Industrial Revolution but with one notable difference - that in the case of nanotechnology the enormous impact will be felt in a matter of a few years, with the danger of being humanity unaware of the risks that such an impact entails. Some considerations to keep in mind include:
- Major changes in the structure of society and the political system. The power of nanotechnology could be the cause of a new arms race between two competing countries. The production of weapons and espionage devices could have a much lower cost than the current one, the products being smaller, more powerful and more numerous. Inexpensive production and duplication of designs could lead to great changes in the economy. Overexploitation of cheap products could cause significant damage to the environment; an attempt by the administration to control these and other risks could lead to the passage of excessively rigid regulations that, in turn,creates a demand for a black market that would be as dangerous as it is unstoppable because it would be very easy to traffic in small and very dangerous products such as nanofactories. There are many very serious risks of various kinds to which the same type of response cannot always be applied. Simple solutions will not be successful. Finding the right answer to this situation is unlikely without first entering into a meticulous planning process.
In order to enjoy the enormous benefits of molecular nanotechnology, it is essential to face and resolve the risks. To do this, we must first understand them, and then develop action plans to prevent them. Molecular nanotechnology will make it possible to manufacture and prototype a wide variety of very powerful products. This capability will come suddenly, as the last steps required to develop the technology will likely be easier than the initial steps, and many will have already been planned during the process itself. The sudden arrival of molecular manufacturing should not catch us off guard, without adequate time to adjust to its implications. It is essential to be prepared before.
Applications
In medicine
One of the applications of nanotechnology that is most interesting today is that related to health. There are specifically two experiments that are currently being studied that use nanotechnology: on the one hand, nano transporters that will be in charge of moving a certain drug to the place in the body that is specified in advance, this could be a great advance against cancer or diseases complicated to deal with. On the other hand, we have molecular biosensors that will take care of identifying different substances in the body such as glucose or cholesterol levels in the blink of an eye.
E n the environment
Nanotechnology has also become a strong interest for those who work every day in tasks related to caring for the environment. Through this science, it is sought not only to develop new energies and materials that do not pollute, but also to make use of nanotechnology to purify from the atmosphere to soils and water.
In the food industry
The application of this science in the food sector includes the creation of sensors and nano chips designed to guarantee not only the quality of the product but also its safety, detecting from the level of freshness to expiration and shelf life.
In cosmetology
Nanotechnology could also offer endless benefits in the area of beauty and cosmetology, being able to produce anti-wrinkle creams based on nano particles that could considerably improve the results obtained with its use.
In the textile industry
Through the incorporation of electronic nano-chips, a series of new properties could be obtained in fabrics such as stain repellency, or even garments with self-cleaning and anti-odor system. These "smart fabrics" would mean a considerable advance in the clothing market. (Proymec, 2014)
In agriculture
Following the trend that was promoted with genetic engineering, of corporate control from the seed to the product in the supermarket, nanotechnology agriculture would control even the atoms that make up those products.
All the corporations that dominate the global GMO business are investing in nanotechnology.
In construction
Development of stronger and lighter materials (nanomaterials), with greater resistance, glasses that repel dust, moisture, paints with special properties, self-healing materials, etc.
In electronics
They include the development of electronic components that allow to drastically increase the processing speed in computers, creation of semiconductors, quantum nanowires, circuits based on Graphene or Carbon Nanotubes.
In communication and informatics technologies
It includes the development of data storage systems of greater capacity and smaller size, display devices based on materials with greater flexibility or other properties such as transparency that allow creating flexible and transparent screens, as well as the development of quantum computing.
In Livestock
They are related to the development of nanochips to identify animals, nanoparticles to administer vaccines or drugs, nanosensors to detect microorganisms and diseases, as well as toxic substances. (Nanotechnology, nd)
Products in Development
Contact lenses with virtual and augmented reality
Soon it will no longer be necessary to use those cumbersome devices that are placed on the head to enjoy virtual reality or augmented reality. Thanks to nanotechnology, just put on a pair of contact lenses. They are being developed by Innovega, an American company based in Bellevue, Washington. To do this, they have incorporated a polarizing filter into a contact lens and a tiny lens that acts as a screen for displaying virtual or augmented reality images.
These elements are smaller than the pupil of the eye, so they do not interfere with the normal vision of the person. In this way, the retina receives the images from virtual or augmented reality together with those from the outside world and the user perceives them as one. Combined with the company's panoramic sunglasses, known as iOptik, the user can enjoy a fully immersive 3D experience in HD quality, ideal for augmented reality video games, simulation environments, etc.
Heart attack detector
Using nanosensors to detect heart attacks before they happen could save many lives. Two researchers - Eric Topol, from Scripps Health, and Axel Scherer, from Caltech - have been working on this technology, which consists of tiny chips with nanosensors for the bloodstream, capable of detecting symptoms before a heart attack. The latest versions of the chip are barely 90 microns, that is, less than a grain of sand; and they would be injected into the patient's arm.
With this system, a person with a chip could receive a warning on their smartphone or other mobile device, instructing them to go immediately to a medical facility.
At the moment, they are being used for glucose detection in animal studies. Once completed, human studies will begin. In the future, it could also be used to detect autoimmune diseases, various types of cancer and even rejections in transplant patients.
In October 2015, Scripps Health received a $ 3.75 million grant from the Qualcomm Foundation to advance a number of promising technologies, including this one.
M icrorobot for eye surgery and drug delivery
Scientists at the ETH Zürich Robotics Laboratory, Switzerland, have developed a tiny micro-robot that can be guided magnetically. The microrobot, known as OctoMag, is introduced into the eye with a small needle and is directed, using electromagnetic fields, to perform precision surgery or to deliver very precise amounts of drugs, without the need for any incision. One of its possible uses would be to dissolve clots in the ocular vessels.
Tiny batteries made with 3D printing
Researchers from Harvard University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have discovered how to manufacture, with 3D printing, miniature batteries of approximately 1 mm in diameter, using materials that are electrochemically active and that they have called "inks".
By hardening these materials in layers, in the style of 3D printing, they have created the anodes and cathodes. To do this, the printer deposits the ink on the teeth of two gold combs to create a tightly interlocking stack of anodes and cathodes.
Finally, the entire setup is packed into a small container and filled with an electrolyte solution to complete the battery. The researchers claim to have already created small medical devices, such as drug delivery devices and biosensors, with this technique.
New black silicon material to fight bacteria
In nature you can find all kinds of antibiotic surfaces. In recent years, some scientists have studied them to try to develop artificial versions inspired by them. An example is the new synthetic nanomaterial developed by Australian and Spanish scientists from black silicon, adding small peaks on its surface.
The surface geometry of the material is inspired by that of the wings of the dragonfly Diplacodes bipunctata, common in Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand, and whose small beaks inhibit the growth of bacteria. According to the scientists, in laboratory tests, the material has been shown to be effective against a wide variety of gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, as well as endospores. (Rodríguez, sf)
Responsible Nanotechnology
Responsible nanotechnology is a relatively new concept, it refers to responsible management that controls the potential risks of nanotechnology, and enhances the benefits on behalf of humanity.
The Center for Responsible Nanotechnology has reached a collaboration agreement to disseminate theories on the responsible management of nanotechnology in the Spanish-speaking world.
With advanced nanotechnology, machines can be built a thousand times more powerful and hundreds of times less expensive than current devices. The potential of nanotechnology from a humanitarian point of view is immense, as are the possible risks due to misuse or non-responsible management.
Scientists, academics and groups who defend the concept of responsible nanotechnology pursue a vision of the world in which molecular manufacturing is used for productive and beneficial purposes, and in which the misuse of its potential is limited by effective management of the technology.
conclusion
Nanotechnology has revolutionized all areas where it has been applied, from agriculture to medicine. Thanks to advances in each of these fields, many of the techniques that were used have been made easier and improved, in some cases they have even managed to save lives.
The future of nanotechnology is very broad and every time it will arrive and cover more disciplines, however, care must also be taken with the misuse of it, since just as it is used to build, it can also be used to destroy, and that it is one of your biggest risks.
As time goes by, we will see more and more its magnificent advances and we will witness that new era where nanotechnology will be part of our daily lives.
Bibliography
- Sciences, technologies and innovation. (sf). Obtained from: http://www.oas.org/en/ Nanotechnology. (sf). Obtained from: http://www.nanotecnologia.cl/que-es-nanotecnologia/ Proymec. (December 31, 2014). Obtained from Proymec: http://proymec.es/blog/la-nanotecnologia-y-sus-aplicaciones/Rodríguez, M. (sf). Nanotechnology Advances. Obtained from:
