Since prehistoric times, man has sought ways to improve his way of life, trying to take advantage of the things that nature put within his reach and transforming them to obtain better products with properties aimed at satisfying specific needs.
Some records of history indicate that during the 4th century BC Roman glassmakers made certain crystals that had nanometric metals, such as the cup that represents the death of King Lycurgus himself, which contains minute particles of gold and silver among its materials. elaboration that were glass and lime.
Nanoscience also known as technology due to the use of basic and applied research can be defined as: a set of methodologies and knowledge that are aimed at studying, elaborating and characterizing functional structures with dimensions smaller than a few dozen nanometers, one nanometer is equivalent to 0.00000001m.
Nanotechnology was established as a field of research in 1959 when the conference called “There's plenty at the bottom” was held, which was given by Richard P. Feynman.
With nanotechnological development, it is possible to manufacture electronic structures on a nanometric scale such as laser devices, memories for computers that can store infinite data, in areas such as molecular engineering, biosensors can be produced to be used in humans and animals. to study health status and administer medications.
Nanotechnology is no longer a promise in today's world and has become a reality that represents a powerful tool for the future of humanity because of the great possibilities that it has offered to various areas such as biology, medicine, the automotive industry, textiles and electronics among many more are showing it.
A small world: Nanotechnology, its advances and social benefits
Since prehistoric times, man has sought ways to improve his way of life, trying to take advantage of the things that nature put within his reach and transforming them to obtain better products with properties aimed at satisfying specific needs.
The construction of pyramids in Egypt and also in pre-Hispanic Mexico is a clear example of this ability, however the exact moment in history where man began to use materials in nanometric form has not been specifically established. (Gutierrez, et al. 2015)
However, some records of history indicate that during the 4th century BC Roman glassmakers made certain crystals that had nanometric metals, such as the cup that represents the death of King Lycurgus itself, which contains tiny particles of gold and silver among its manufacturing materials that were glass and lime and that for this reason its color is between green and intense red when light is administered inside
Nowadays, and as a product of thousands of years of evolution, nano science has emerged which, although it seems a difficult term to understand, the contributions that it has made to the world population are increasingly important and outstanding.
Nanoscience also known as technology due to the use of basic and applied research can be defined as: a set of methodologies and knowledge that are aimed at studying, elaborating and characterizing functional structures with dimensions smaller than a few dozen nanometers, one nanometer is equivalent to 0.00000001m. For the study of these structures it is made up of the analysis of both structural, magnetic and mechanical, chemical properties and their interaction with other structures.
Currently the nanometer has acceptance in the SI Like the approximate measurement of the atoms and molecules that make up matter, if you think about the size of a human hair that measures on average 75000nm, the double helix of DNA has a thickness of 2nm you can have an idea of how small which turns out to be a nanometer.
"The nanoparticles must consider three aspects: that the size is between 1 and 100nm, that the materials and their properties change in this range and also that there is a control and understanding that it is being manufactured". (Gutierrez, et al. 2015)
To refer to the change of properties, a gold coin can be compared with an ingot of the same and with the same purity but represented on a much smaller scale, they have the same physical and chemical properties of the first sample and if the coin were divided in equal parts each of them would continue to be gold, shiny and with the characteristics of the ingot.
However, if this division process continues and reaches the nano scale, it would be noted that the nanoscopic gold fragment would no longer be gold and could be red, orange, purple and even green depending on the size.
Nanotechnology was established as a research field in 1959 when the conference called "There's plenty at the bottom" was held, which was given by Richard P. Feynman at the annual meeting of the American Physical Society in this talk. Feynman explained that the laws of nature do not hinder the ability to work at a molecular level in which atom by atom is handled and assured that quantum mechanics do not exclude the possibility that tiny machines can be built; compared to the size of a molecule.
However, it was until the 80s when nanotechnology stood out in the scientific field, when more appropriate methods for a more detailed study of nano structures appeared, in 1981 a way was developed to obtain metallic assemblies with the help of a concentrated laser that will manage to vaporize metals and generate plasma.
Nanotechnology history
Essential aspects
| HISTORICAL FACTS | |
| Year | Event |
| 450 BC | Emergence of the philosophy of the atomist school (established that atoms were an indivisible block that made up matter) |
| 1918 | Feynman was born in New York |
| 1965 | His studies in electrodynamics led him to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics |
| 1974 | Norio Tanaguchi establishes the concept of Nanotechnology during this year it begins to grow and more scientists work on different issues of it |
| 1980 | The idea arises that atoms could be touched by Eric Drexler who manages to manipulate atoms and molecules |
| 1985 | Fullerene or C60 was first found to have physical, chemical, mathematical and aesthetic characteristics and is the third most stable form of carbon. |
| 1986 | Drexler succeeds in publishing the first book on nanotechnology entitled Engines of Creation: The Coming Era of Nanotechnology. |
| 1987 | The first nanotechnology symposium organized at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology takes place. |
| 1990 | The IBM company managed to write the company logo at the atomic scale with 35 xenon atoms, a tiny sheet of crystalline metal and a tunneling microscope, which takes images of surfaces at the atomic level and can be used in water, air and liquid. |
| 1997 | The first company dedicated to developing materials with nanotechnological structures was created and integrates them into products from various areas. |
| 2000 | President William J. Clinton spoke about the importance of nanotechnology for science and technology and in February of the same year announced the investment of 497 million dollars to create the multi-agency National Nanotechnology Initiative whose purpose was to create a coalition broad-based in academia at the private and public level to expand studies in nanoscience and nanotechnology. |
| 2014 | 40 years of the emergence of the word nanotechnology were celebrated. During all these years numerous discoveries have been made, however, there are still many areas to explore in this area. |
The advantages of atom-by-atom work
The advantages of working atom by atom is that there are smaller structures which translates into great advantages also because the closer to the atomic limit the limit of classical physics is exceeded and that is when the materials are they behave very differently from the macroscopic state.
Whether it is metal, liquid or solid, it will become a material that will be different in terms of hardness, elasticity, thermal, magnetic and also electrical conductivity and under strategic conditions it will be better located on the nanometric scale and it is precisely the relationship between area. and volume, which translates into a potential to accelerate catalytic reaction processes.
In this way some areas related to the environment, health, energy and also the industry could benefit.
Nanotechnology Applications
With nanotechnological development, it is possible to manufacture electronic structures on a nanometric scale such as laser devices, memories for computers that can store infinite data, in areas such as molecular engineering, biosensors can be produced to be used in humans and animals. to study health status and administer medications.
They also talk about the possibilities of making nanowires and nano transistors that are assembled and arranged to form circuits, this will lead to the creation of thousands of devices more quickly and using less financial resources.
Nanotechnology is no longer a promise in today's world and has become a reality that represents a powerful tool for the future of humanity because of the great possibilities that it has offered to various areas such as biology, medicine, the automotive industry, textiles and electronics among many more are showing it. (Anaya, 2007).
Nanotechnology and its impact on society
Medicine and health are areas that have many aspects to be studied and to create advances in the area of nanotechnology, this promises different benefits to society.
Among the main lines of research in this field are the creation of new medical products that can facilitate the delivery of drugs in situ, diagnostic methods, patient monitoring and less invasive operations with the fastest recovery capacity.
There are currently smart pills that achieve non-invasive therapies so that they achieve their goal without causing side effects, they are also used in the manufacture of artificial organs, tissues and implants that is carried out with the use of incompatible nano materials.
Some of the applications for the future include devices capable of reaching altered cells such as tumors and also inducing less invasive treatments.
In the case of cancer patients, the vision for the future is that it will be possible to administer specific treatments for each type of disease and patient and practice a more personalized medicine with fewer side effects. (Dopazo, 2015)
“On the other hand, the Spanish and general director of the Biomedal company, Ángel Cebolla, explained that the antibody is the natural nanotechnological drug. Using monoclonal antibodies to treat diseases such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, offers innumerable advantages, since they are safe, they reach almost the entire body, they are specific, they are stable and they shorten the development time ”. (Sanz, 2014)
Nanotechnology fabrics
Fabrics with nanotechnological finishes have very little to have been introduced in the market, they are not synthetic but also vegetable and natural and in them it is possible to incorporate any nano particle on the surfaces, preserving the same characteristic, property, softness, shine and fall.
An example of this would be cotton. Approximately in the year 2000 nanotechnology began to be used in textile laboratories and added to the High-Tech era, they achieved a greater advance in quality and benefits. Such as:
Aesthetics: the pieces can resist liquid spills without being absorbed, they do not wrinkle and are anti-stain.
Therapeutic: that have some quality that helps conditions such as varicose veins and stretch marks, muscle toner and molecular balancer.
Protectors: contain bactericidal properties, UVB / UVA ray protector, pollution protector and harmful gases. The most used are the bactericides that are made from silver particles. Because it contains natural antibacterial properties that are reinforced when the metal forms very small particles measuring 10 to 20 nanometers each.
In the case of therapeutics, a few years ago underwear was created with moisturizers between its fibers, inside microcapsules. This type of nanotechnology allows the hydration of the skin to be managed, releasing the moisturizer as the skin needs it.
Another product that has just entered the market has been muscle toning and molecular balancing jeans. These undergo treatments with nanoparticles in their fibers and by administering heat, the nanoparticles are capable of generating such a small but perfect energy to activate and balance the body's molecules.
farming
From nanobiotechnology, the possibility of designing plants using seed manipulation arises. Most research in this field is based on the development of new techniques that use nanoparticles that make it possible to introduce DNAalien to a cell.
“For example, researchers at the Oak Ridge Laboratory discovered a nano-scale technique to simultaneously inject DNA into millions of cells. Millions of carbon nanofibers with attached synthetic DNA have been made to grow from a silicon chip. Live cells are then thrown against the fibers that pierce them and inject DNA into them in the process. Once the synthetic DNA is injected, it expresses new proteins and new traits that are currently not being investigated. Nanometric pesticides: encapsulated poisons. "(Quintili, 2012)
In addition, at present the industry that is dedicated to the manufacture of pesticides is venturing into the use of nanometric active ingredients and the main agrochemical firms in the world are carrying out research and development to arrive at new nanoscale formulas in the production of pesticides.
Conclusion:
Nanotechnology is a tool that aims to find solutions for various conditions of the human being, however there is still much to be studied in this field so that the results of these developments lead to the best benefits for society, currently many are the disciplines in which nanotechnological research is being carried out and its applications are expected to revolutionize the conditions of humanity in the future.
Bibliographic references
ANAYA, DM (2007). NANOTECHNOLOGY: THE ART OF MANIPULATING MATTER ATOM BY ATOM. NUCLEAR ENVIRONMENT.
DOPAZO, A. (2015). MICRO AND NANOTECHNOLOGY IN MEDICINE: DNA CHIPS OR MICROARRAYS. NATIONAL CENTER FOR ONCOLOGICAL RESEARCH.
GUTIERREZ, ET AL (2015). NANOTECHNOLOGY 40 YEARS AFTER ITS APPEARANCE: ACHIEVEMENTS AND TRENDS. CIIDIT FIME- UANL.
QUINTILI, M. (2012). NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY… A SMALL WORLD. SCIELO, NOTEBOOKS OF THE CENTER FOR DESIGN AND COMMUNICATION STUDIES.
SANZ, E. (JUNE 27, 2014). VERY INTERESTING. OBTAINED FROM VERY INTERESTING:
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