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What is Nanotechnology
Introduction
Nanotechnology refers to a broad category of applied science and technology that mainly focuses on controlling matter at a molecular level in a scale ranging from 1 to 100 nanometers while fabricating of molecules within the same range. Nanotechnology, commonly referred to as nanotech, I a diverse multidisciplinary field that encompasses electrical and mechanical engineering, supramolecular chemistry, materials science, applied science, device physicals, and colloidal science. Hence, nanotech is speculated to be an extension of the already present sciences to reach the nanoscale or recasting them. Nanoscale technologies, along with nanotechnologies, refer to vast research endeavors and applications whose similarity focuses on size.
Historical Background
Concepts of nanotechnology date back in 1959 when Richard Feynman, a famous physicist, made a presentation called, “There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom” (Gazi 17). However, the term was first in 1974 by Norio Taniguchi and later in 1986 by K. Erik Drexler, who also introduced nanoscale ‘assembler.’ Drexler increased the popularity and comprehension of nanotechnology implications and concepts.
The 1980s were notable years of nanotechnology breakthrough into the modern era. This was characterized by the 1981 scanning tunneling microscope invention (Haken and Hans 505). The invention offered unprecedented visualization of atoms resulting in the possibility of their manipulation in 1989. By 2000, there were political, commercial, and scientific interests in nanotechnology, which resulted in controversies and its advancement. There was controversy regarding its implications, and there was a dilemma in terms of the feasibility of its applications.
As the controversies became pronounced, so did products embracing nanotechnology emerge in the market. The products were characterized by using nanomaterial with no involvement of atomic matter control such as Silver Nano, nanoparticles, and carbon fiber, among others. Consequently, some governments, such as the U.S., promoted the advancement of nanotechnology through the National Nanotechnology Initiative. The National Nanotechnology Initiative was responsible for defining it through the size-based approach. The U.S. further financed the study on nanoscale while Framework Programs for Research and Technological Development was responsible for funding in Europe.
By the mid-2000s, nanotechnology was beginning to flourish with many projects defining the technology’s roadmap with the focal point being atom manipulation. In 2006, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, along with the National Nano Fab Center, developed the smallest nanoelectronic device, the 3nm MOSFET. Consequently, many economies invested in research and development on nanotechnology as its popularity has surpassed the expectations of the critics.
Basic Concepts
Nanotechnology involves functional systems that are engineered at a molecular level, but at an advanced level. Through technology, projects are developed using a bottom-up approach through applications that make high-performance products. One nanometer (nm) is similar to an on billionth. In reference to the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative, nanotechnology embraces a scale range from 1nm to 100nm with the lower limit being established by the size of the atoms as the technology makes devices from molecules and atoms. The main approaches used in nanotechnology are top-down and bottom-up. The bottom-up approach involves the building of materials along with devices from molecular components that end up assembling themselves chemically using principles of molecular recognition. The top-down approach involves nano-devices being made from large objects without being controlled at the atomic level.
Larger to Smaller Materials Perspective
Numerous observations can be made when the size of the system reduces. The observable phenomenon includes mechanical effects that can be proven statistically along with the quantum mechanical effects. E.g., there has been a notable quantum size effect following the alteration of electronic properties in solids. Although that does not affect micro and macro dimensions, the quantum effect is noteworthy when considering nanometer size. More so, physical properties become altered, unlike the macroscopic systems. An example of a physical property change is the increase in the surface area to volume ratio, which eventually alters the catalytic, mechanical, and thermal properties of a material. Nanoionics refers to “the study and application of phenomena, properties, effects, and mechanisms of processes connected with fashion transport (FIT) in all-solid-state nanoscale systems” (Shanmugam 90).
In nanomechanics research, the nanosystems’ mechanical properties are considered very important. Through the nanomaterials display catalytic activity, they end up creating a likely risk when they interact with biomaterials. Materials that have been reduced to nanoscale reveal diverse properties when compared to those in macroscale. For instance, opaque materials such as copper may end up becoming transparent, non-combustible aluminum may become combustible, while insoluble materials like gold may become soluble. Meaning, there is much fascination when a matter is transformed to nanoscale from a surface and quantum phenomena.
Simple to Complex Molecular Perspective
The present advancement in chemistry has made it possible to develop small molecular objects of any structure. These nanotechnology approaches are useful in the development of polymers and by the pharmaceutical industry. There is always the intention to come up with single supramolecular assemblies that are well defined through the arrangement of the molecules. Hence, supramolecular chemistry uses the bottom-up approach to arrange the molecules through a particular configuration. There is the use of The Watson–Crick base-pairing rules whereby a single substrate ends up targeting an enzyme since the two components are complementary and attractive to one another (Leslie and John 4). That results in the making of a complex supramolecular object that is used in diverse ways.
The bottom-up approach can develop devices that are cheaper and parallel than the top-down approach; however, it has the potential of being overwhelmed by the complexity and size of the desired object (Mansoori 280). The majority of the desired structures demand a thermodynamically and complicated arrangement of atoms that are unlikely. Nonetheless, in biology, many such objects are recognized and are self-assembly based.
Molecular Nanotechnology
Molecular nanotechnology is also referred to as molecular manufacturing, which mainly revolves around engineered nanosystems that are functioning at the molecular scale. In most cases, the molecular nanotechnology is linked to the molecular assembler. The molecular assembler entails an apparatus that can make a required atomic structure using mechanosynthesis principles, but not related to productive nanosystems.
Erik Drexler popularized nanotechnology independently, and the terminology focused on advanced manufacturing technological application that was founded on systematic molecular machines. That was speculated after it was established that it was possible to have molecular machines after the assessment of the traditional machines that were used in molecular-scale biological analogies. Based on these results, it is anticipated that it is possible to produce complex biological machines that can be stochastically be optimized.
There is speculation that through nanotechnology advancements, other machines can be developed using diverse principles such as the biomimetic principles. There have been proposals that nanotechnology can be advanced used mechanical engineering principles (Shanmugam 111). The viable mechanical engineering principles may include manufacturing technology through mechanical functionality of features such as bearings, motors, and gears, among others. These components can enhance positional and programmable assembly through atomic specifications. This is because Drexler assessed engineering and physics performance in relation to nanosystems.
Conclusion
Nanotechnology entails a multifaceted approach to technology and applied sciences that mainly pays attention to reducing the size of matter a size ranging between 1 to 100 nanometers. The technological application was introduced in 1959, with the terminology being first used in 1974. Nanotechnology has become a popular technology in the 21st century despite adverse criticism. Many economies have financed research in nanotechnology dues to the benefits in the production of some products made from the manipulation of atoms. The basic concepts of nanotechnology involve bottom-up and top-bottom approaches. Through these approaches, nanotechnology played a vital role in the development of high-end products.
Works Cited
Gazit, Ehud. Plenty of Room for Biology at the Bottom: An Introduction to Bionanotechnology. London: Imperial College Press, 2007. Print.
Haken, H, and Hans, C. Wolf. Molecular Physics and Elements of Quantum Chemistry: Introduction to Experiments and Theory. Berlin [etc: Springer, 2004. Print.
Hoffman, Ronald, Edward J. Benz, Leslie E. Silberstein, Helen Heslop, Jeffrey Weitz, and John Anastasi. Hematology: Diagnosis and Treatment – E-Book. 2012. Print.
Mansoori, G A. Principles of Nanotechnology: Molecular-based Study of Condensed Matter in Small Systems. New Jersey: World Scientific, 2005. Print.
Shanmugam, S. Nanotechnology. New Delhi: MJP Publisher. 2019. Print.